Realistic or Modern Night’s Embrace | Private |

[david tennant]

Unlike the day before, dreams greeted Rose when her eyes fell shut. She hadn’t a clue if the pleasantness of them were due to Emory’s presence beside her, but she found herself swept away from the nightmares she consistently experienced for the first time in days. Her mind seemed to have completely situated on the idealistic future she voiced for the two of them as that was what she was seeing. The events weren’t playing out in a specific order, only bouncing around the timeline she had created. Her eyes flicked underneath her eyelids, though her expression still held calmness to it. Soft exhales made their way from her nostrils and she shifted to roll closer to the other male instinctively in her sleep. Her lips parted, soft mumbles leaving her. Nothing she said made any true sense, but there was an ease to her that had been lacking before. It was a sight for sore eyes, something she wouldn’t probably be lucky enough to experience for quite some time after this moment.

Yet, her sleep didn’t end up lasting much longer as her dreams began to fade away back into the darkness that encompassed her before. Her body immediately jolted her awake once she returned to that state. Whether it was to protect her from what she could experience or something else, she would never know. She let out a loud groan as she rolled onto her back, her expression immediately contorting into discomfort. The aching in her muscles had only gotten worse as she had allowed herself to relax. There was a pounding in her temples, the back of her head throbbing once more. She had completely forgotten about the tumble she had taken from the bed a few days before, the headache finally being enough to remind her of it. Her stomach had twisted as well from the lack of food. The same wave of nausea she experienced before immediately returned. Her eyes slowly fluttered open as she was greeted by the familiar surrounding of Emory’s room.

Her body stayed still for a few moments longer while she attempted to gather her mind away from how terrible she was beginning to feel. She reminded herself that it was far more important to keep herself as focused on Emory as she could. She finally tilted her head to gaze over at him only to see that his eyes were shut still. Part of her was relieved to see such a thing, hoping that he had managed to get some sleep. She rolled her head back to stare up at the ceiling, trying to calculate just how much time had passed. She knew that Emory would probably be needing some more medicine soon, especially more to help with his pain. She let out a soft puff of air as she carefully shifted away from him in her best attempt to not wake him. She swung her legs over the side of the bed before she forced herself to her feet.

She used the chair to help balance herself as the sudden weight was almost enough to cause her to collapse. Her vision blurred to black, sprinkles of white flashing with it. “Shit.” She muttered, rarely ever allowing herself to use such language. She shook her head slowly as it began to clear before she made her way back to the bags that had been discarded on the floor. She pulled out the three vials of medicine that she needed; two for his illness and one for the pain. She placed them quietly on the bedside table before she grabbed the empty tea cup from earlier. She then made her way quietly from the room. Her body ached in protest with each step she took forward and it took everything in her to not turn around to return to the bed once more. Her expression had contorted with the discomfort she felt, not trying to mask it now that she was away from Emory.

She managed to make her way back down the stairs and to the kitchen. Much like before, she brewed another cup of tea for Emory to have. This time she forced herself to grab a slice of the bread that had been set aside as well. She nibbled on it as she began to walk back to the room. Each bite was worse than the last, her stomach hating the feeling of finally having something in it. She swallowed hard to force the sensation away as she shoved the last small bite into her mouth. She opened the door once she was back to Emory’s room, shutting it fully behind her this time. She then brought the tea to the bedside table and unscrewed the lid of the vial with the pain medicine it in. She poured it into the tea carefully.

 

[LONELYRAIN]

Emory's eyelids slowly opened as Rose had begun to stirr, although he barely had opened them until Rose had forced herself to her feet, the remnants of his all too bizarre dream being the only source to numb what his reaction would be as his attention had been grabbed by the woman almost collapsing. Habit alone would have dictated him to immediately surge to his feet to help her, but now that he was now fully awake, the pain in his body was an all too unpleasant reminder that doing so now would result in him not being able to hold himself up, the pain alone that had settled within his hips and the untreated injuries upon his thighs had caused the man to release a sharp exhale as his torso flared with pain upon Rose finally leaving the room, though to him it certainly had taken him by surprise that she had uttered a curse... not that he thought herself incapable of doing so. He couldn't particularly blame her.

Forcing himself to brace his body weight upon his arms, the pressure of the soft surface beneath him in the injuries had caused some tears to spring to his eyes as he slowly moved himself, the heaviness to his limbs made the man grimace. Though, it seemed at least that he wasn't feeling as terrible as the day before in regards to illness, even if there was a bit of stubborn heat clinging to his body, the man was always a rather strong one so the aid of the medicine certainly did wonders for him. Taking in a sharp breath, his legs slung over the side of the bed as he forced his position to one of sitting, his head beginning to pound as it seemed as soon as he would be fully awake, the whispers had resumed in full force within his own head.

Emory's eyes closed as his expression pinched with discomfort. It wasn't enough that they tormented him within his dreams, but at least it had faded into incomprehensible nonsense again... even if that was equally as frustrating. Arms settling limply upon his lap, the man's eyes stared blankly at the floor beneath him, trying his best to ignore the whispers and treat it as annoying background noise. The need to do so had been far too great that he hadn't even reacted to Rose when she had walked in with the tea, the whispers growing in volume within his own mind that he felt intense frustration building within his chest. He struggled to suppress the urge to scream, why couldn't he have peace in his own mind? Where was this coming from?

Finally, what had gotten his attention was the sound of liquid settling into a cup, causing his head to finally lift as it settled upon the cup of tea that Rose was now preparing. The dead-eyed expression Emory was giving her seemed to have returned from before, unfocused for a few moments only for him to finally mumble through the haze, "...Are you alright?" Referring to how she seemed in so much pain earlier. His concern for her was the only thing that could manage to surface for now.

 

[david tennant]

Her movements were careful as she ensured the medicine was fully in the tea, eyes focused on the cup in front of her. Her gaze was unfocused as her mind wandered while she did the task. Despite the rest she had been able to get, she knew that she wasted precious time that she could’ve been using to try to find some answers as to how to solve the problem they were experiencing. She hadn’t realized Emory was sitting up on the bed watching her. His words caused her to jump, the empty vial dropping from her fingers in her own surprise. She rapidly blinked before turning her head to look at the young lord. She offered him a weak smile, her heart pounding some in her chest. The smile faded some at the expression he held on his face, the emptiness to his golden eyes having returned. “Yes, I am alright.” She assured, voice soft as the words left her lips. She shifted her hand to grab the vial she dropped before placing it carefully off to the side.

“It seems as though the extent of everything is beginning to catch up to me. I forgot to tell you I ended up rolling off of the bed a day or so ago as well.” She confessed. The memory caused her eyebrows to pinch, expression tightening some at the memory of the nightmare associated with it. The hair on her arms stood as a gentle shiver shook her. “It is just a bit of soreness that will pass soon enough. Please don’t fret over me.” She murmured in response, not wanting for Emory to bother having any sense of concern over her. His own injuries were still damaging enough. She didn’t believe he needed to worry about her when he was suffering enough. Her fingers gently grasped the handle of the tea cup before she brought it over to him. Each step she took caused some pain to flare in her, but she kept her expression neutral while she moved.

“This is just some more medicine to help with your pain. I have two more for the fever and the illness as well, but those you can have afterwards.” She explained as she held it out to him. Her eyes carefully studied him, taking note of how the wounds looked in the low-light of the room. “Would it be alright if I put some salve on your wounds? I have fresh bandages that should’ve rub as much.” She offered. Keeping her mind focused on the well-being of the other male was enough to keep her from her own pain. The piece of bread she had eaten was sinking in her stomach and she regretted having forced it down her throat. Her thoughts drifted to Ephovia, wondering if the mage was alright. She had a feeling that the exertion of her magic in helping Emory had caused for her to be quite exhausted. She made a mental note to check on her in a little bit.

She hadn’t realized the way in which her expression had tightened while she allowed her mind to wander once more. A soft sigh broke through her lips as she lifted her gaze once again. “I saw my father when I went to the kingdom. It was the only way that I was able to get Ephovia to help us.” She confessed, deciding she could at least allow him to know that bit of information. She still hated how she had to hide so much from him. “I told him everything that happened and he was quite grateful for all you have done for me. I suppose it will help the interaction be less awkward if we do manage to attend the ball still.” She mused. While she still had every intention of going, especially since she needed to return Ephovia to the kingdom at some point, she didn’t know if Emory would be able to accompany her like they hoped originally.

 

[LONELYRAIN]

The sound of the empty vial being dropped seemed unnaturally loud in Emory's ears, agitating the man a bit further though his expression didn't show it. Rose's words caused the faintest of frowns to cross his face, her assurances doing little to actually soothe the little bit of concern that was wriggling about within his chest, managing to break through a bit of the numbness that his mind was trying to press down upon him. Rose admitting that everything was beginning to catch up to her had caused the man to exhale sharply in response, his body trembling a bit with the effort of doing so as he lowered his gaze away from her. This was his fault again too... wasn't it? His eyes closed as she had approached, a hand coming to his head in frustration as the whispers began to rage within his mind again, making his already pounding headache worse.

"Rose," His voice was empty, lacking emotion as he was about to urge her to rest a bit more, if only to stay at his side to try and ease her mind; if that would even ease her consciousness in the slightest. He had a feeling though, that the suggestion was useless. Of course, because of him this situation was spiraling out of control and putting more pressure on her as a result. He never had been so foolish before, was he doing more harm than good? Emory's hand dropped to his side as he appeared to be quite upset for a few seconds, even if the only indication of such was the slight pinching of his expression in the beginnings of frustration. However, it seemed the man had decided against whatever he had been about to say, reluctantly taking the cup of tea from her as he lifted it to his lips and drank the hot liquid without hesitation, even if with each swallow it felt as if his stomach wanted to reject it immediately. The heat wasn't registering still upon his tongue, nor was there any taste as usual, but it couldn't be helped now could it?

As the cup was finally lowered from his mouth, her question on if she could tend to his injuries had made the man's facial expression pinch again, tension returning to himself. Now that he was fully aware of his surroundings, and considering the sheer amount of injuries on his body, including ones that had yet to be tended to properly due to where they were located, he had dropped his gaze away from her; his fingers clenching tightly around the pitiful tea cup in his hands, "...Do as you wish." His verbal response was subdued, normally there would be more spirit from him, or perhaps a reluctance for her to do so. But, he wasn't going to muster much of a fight against her, nor did he seem to want to cause her anymore issues than he already had caused for her.

Silence greeted her words at first, though Emory soon released a quiet sigh at that. He suspected as much; if only due to the fact that Ephovia had been one of the envoys from Avrune, so it only made sense that Rose had rushed to the kingdom on his behalf when he had been watched over by his sentries. She had been reunited with her father, which was something that he knew quite well she had wanted to do for awhile. In his fragile mind, he wondered why she even came back? The darkness to his eyes had increased at the thought. If only she had stayed, perhaps she would be resting in the kingdom, safe and sound with the proper care that she needed. He couldn't even guarantee the safety of her life, considering his body had already been abused so much, but even if he considered the thought of trying to force her to remain in the kingdom... would she truly be happy with that? She already had told him that she wanted to be with him, and he was selfish enough to try to keep her with him; but how long would that hold? Even if the king was grateful toward Emory, the man knew better.

He didn't deserve the king's gratitude, nor could he even promise that his daughter would be safe with him. He had already crossed a line with her, what would guarantee he wouldn't do so again? That he wouldn't hurt her? Why did he persist to be so selfish? He really was a foul man wasn't he? The negative thoughts continued to pile up within his mind, causing stress to line his features as he nearly felt the room beginning to spin, the whispers in the back of his mind becoming louder much to his distress. Ah, how he hated this. Why was he so powerless?

Bile rose in the back of his throat, though he forced himself to remain calm despite the trembling in his body beginning to start up. "..I'm still going to the ball, I won't let this stop me." His voice was quiet, but there was a slight determination in his tone that seemed to show a bit more of what remained of a fighting spirit within him. "I can't let you go on your own." Emory certainly wouldn't forgive himself if he allowed Rose to go to face the court by her own, especially Blaine. He saw enough how damaged she had been just by her remembering the man, or if Emory did anything even slightly similar to him, she seemed so quick to break. Even now, he could see just the toll this situation was taking on her. If he couldn't even support her now when she certainly needed him, what use would he be to her? No, he had to toughen up and continue to push through this, to keep himself together for her sake. Just a little bit longer, he just needed to hold on.

"..It is good at least that I won't have to worry too much about your father. I suppose... the only thing to really worry about is the court." His voice had become detached, losing the determined edge. The court would be difficult to say the least, after Eunice's influence in causing quite the stir ahead of the ball... had she done so on purpose? Emory wouldn't be surprised if she did, if only to make it far more difficult to want to show his face in public. After the humiliation he had to endure, even if no one would explicitly speak any details on the matter; it would be a constant topic that would haunt him in the eyes of the court. He was a prostitute's son, a mere commoner who stole the right to nobility and even then it was bought through the blood of his family, and this very same man was daring to take one of the beloved princesses of the kingdom to take as his wife. They no doubt would see the very action as blasphemous.

 

[david tennant]

Rose’s expression fell some at the emotionless way in which he uttered her name. Despite having heard it pass through his lips in such a way before, it still struck a different cord in her heart to to hear just how empty his voice was. She slowly turned her head to look towards him, her own expression slowly becoming unreadable. Pain still lurked in the depths of her eyes, the green holding more anguish than she would’ve liked to let on. Her eyebrows had pinched some more as well, fine lines appearing on her forehead as she gazed at him. No words followed his initial statement, nor did she push him to speak anymore. It seemed they both had quite a bit going on mentally in that moment and she wouldn’t dare continue to push him after all he had been through recently. Even if she was truly terrified for the way things could end up for them, she wouldn’t voice her concerns then. Emory was already well-aware of how she felt on the matter.

She watched closely as he took the warm cup of tea from her hands and swallowed the liquid without flinching. Part of her doubted she could ever get used to seeing his new ability to ignore the heat of anything he came close to, though she could thank the lingering mana in him for that. Her expression immediately lighted with relief as he agreed to allow her to treat his wounds once more. “I know that the salve will not do as much as Ephovia might be able to, but it should at least help start the healing process. We just need to be consistent in applying it.” She explained. She reached out a hand to carefully take the tea cup from him once more. Once her fingers carefully grasped the handle, she placed it back in the bedside table. She unscrewed the two lids for the remaining medicine and then handed those to Emory as well. There was a slight trembling in her fingers still, a reminder of the limits she was reaching with her body and mind.

She slowly turned to the bag she had discarded from the chair the night before. She kneeled carefully beside it, her body aching in protest while she did so. She shoved the discomfort as far from her mind as she could, though her head was beginning to pound again at the movements she made. The feeling was causing her an immense amount of pain, the headache being similar to the ones she experienced during her worst fevers. She closed her eyes for a moment in order to regain enough composure. Her breaths were soft as she focused on them in order to keep her mind from what it was experiencing. She brought a hand up to rub her face once more before she forced her eyes back open. She dug around in the bag until she was able to find the salve and the many bandages her father made sure to pack. She made a mental note to thank the man tremendously for what he had done when she returned for the ball.

Carefully standing, she turned to face Emory once more. She pulled her bottom lip gently in between her teeth, biting down at the gentle determination that managed to creep into his words. “Emory, you do not need to come in you are still in as much pain as you are. I would much rather ensure you are here resting and healing rather than dancing around with me for an evening.” She began, knowing her words were probably doing little to reassure him any. The thought of seeing Blaine in person once more, of facing the monster that had done such unspeakable things to her made her legs tremble, terror riding in her chest. She hadn’t a clue what she might end up saying to the man after all this time, nor did she know if she would actually be able to keep herself composed in his presence. The slightest reminder of the man had been setting her on edge as of late. That combined with the stress she was already feeling would lead to a rather unsavory interaction.

She shook her head slightly then while she closed the distance between the two of them. “I was always going to have to face him someday, whether you be by my side or not. I can handle it by myself if I am needed to. It will help to have some familiar faces around anyways. My father won’t allow him to do anything to me anymore.” Her voice fell then as she placed the bandages carefully to the side. She removed the lid from the canister that held the salve. She then began to carefully rub it onto the wounds that she could see. The true extent of what had been done to him made that familiar nausea rise in her stomach once more. She knew it would only get worse once she removed his remaining bit of clothing and treated his other wounds. She carefully covered him with the bandages once she finished, making sure they weren’t wrapped too tightly around him. She then helped him carefully lay back down before she removed his pants.

She flinched immediately at the sight of the remaining wounds that hadn’t been treated, a wave of cold air washing over her. She slowly and carefully began to treat them with the salve as well. “The court will probably be the least of our worries. They will always work to spread rumors, especially if it is about someone they are scared of. Whatever they say in regards to you won’t sway my father’s opinion nor will it sway mine.” She mused, expression tightening once more. “Let them say what they will. They never have a true grasp on reality as it is.” She continued in a mutter, catching herself before she could say more that would hint to the severity of the situation. She repeated the process of bandaging the area she treated once she finished, helping him to pull his pants back on once she was done. She then turned to place the salve back off to the side.

 

[LONELYRAIN]

Emory went still as she began to apply the salve to his wounds, the pain immediately flaring from the gentlest touch in the slow healing injuries had made the man suck in a sharp breath as he struggled to not allow himself to show much more pain. The pain sent ripples of agony through his body as he struggled to keep any verbal utterances of his agony from slipping past his lips, though he did turn his head to look at her as she had spoken that he didn't need to push himself to attend the ball, which caused his jaw to clench tightly in the beginnings of frustration. No, he needed to be able to attend, especially considering Rose had done so much for him, this was the only thing he could reasonably do for her. The words following had made him stubbornly shake his head. He wouldn't permit her to be alone with that man, even if she would be in the company of people she knew. "I'm not going to-"

Before he could finish his protest, the man found himself on his back as she had removed his pants, the injuries revealed being irritated, clearly having gotten slightly worse than the other wounds that lined his body. A bit of panic had surged within his chest as he forced his gaze to settle upon the ceiling above him, preparing himself for the pain as a grunt finally left his lips in response, tears beginning to spring to his eyes though he stubbornly refused to allow them to fall. His chest heaved with the effort of struggling to keep his composure, breathing quickening as he tried once more to get out what he had been about to say before, "I.. can't let you go... on your own. And it's... not as if I can't rest." It was true, he could rest in between as necessary, and there was no telling if his condition could improve just enough by then for him to be able to move around for long periods of time... that is if Iulla didn't show up to take him away again.

Convincing him otherwise would just be an uphill battle as he finally looked toward her again, even if his expression was pinched with pain, there was still concern in the depths. Though her response in regards to the court had made the man huff as he laid his head back down again, remaining still as she had bandaged every wound upon his body, relief flooding him once his pants had been securely placed upon him once more as he struggled to get up in a sitting position. "..I suppose you're right with that." Even if part of him was beginning to think there was something that Rose was purposefully leaving out, though it wasn't too obvious in her sentences so Emory wouldn't pry. As she had turned away from him to put the salve off to the side, his arms had reached out and wrapped around her, drawing her back to him rather abruptly, the strength he had allowed to display being a good sign if not a bit surprising as he was merely holding her close, silence settling over him.

"Let me support you." The words were firm, but slightly frustrated as he spoke, obviously still referring to earlier regarding Blaine. Even if Emory was sacrificing himself physically and mentally enough as it was to keep her alive, he wanted to make sure that she still wouldn't have to face anything potentially harmful on her own. "...I don't want you to have to deal with that man alone. So please..." The frustration was ebbing out from his voice as he continued to speak, though it was obvious he was trying to protect her again. It was an automatic knee-jerk reaction every single time there was an issue, although Blaine certainly was the least of the two's problems, he still was a problem nonetheless.

 

[david tennant]

sorry this is short and took a bit! i am on vacation until the 14th so i will be a bit slow due to lack of service c: ))

Despite her best attempts at keeping her touches as light as they could be, Rose could tell that each touch was only causing him more and more pain. She hurried through the movement more than she would’ve liked to as she tried to prevent any extra pain that he was feeling. The tensing of his body only caused for that familiar sadness to flare in her chest, combining with the guilt she felt for not being able to prevent the current situation from occurring. She did, however, take note of the stubborn nature in which he continued to try to assure her that he would be alright to help her. A soft frown came to her lips, her mind trying to think of the best way to speak with him about this. The way in which the two managed to argue with one another before already had proven to her it wouldn’t take much for the two of them to snap over something that they believed would be right.

She allowed a gentle sigh to pass through her lips as she finally formulated the words for it. “Emory I truly appreciate you wanting to help me as much as you do, especially now. But I would much prefer it if you don’t force yourself to go with if you do need feel well enough to do so. I do not trust Eunice and have no idea when she will decide to whisk you away again.” She reminded with a slight shake of her head. Her stubbornness was beginning to shine through once more, something she was unable to help in that moment. It had only gotten worse throughout her time here with Emory, the young lord influencing her in such ways. She turned her gaze to meet his own then, the concern melding with pain in those hazel eyes she loved oh so dearly. Her own expression began to soften then, though she knew this was something she couldn’t give in on.

She let out a soft sound of surprise as she felt his arms wrap around her, catching herself from stumbling back towards him once he pulled her close. The strength he showed in that moment was surprising, something she clearly hadn’t expected. Relief swelled in her chest at it though. It was one of the best signs that they could ask for, especially after how weak he seemed before. She didn’t speak for a few moments while he held her close, appreciating the embrace that she had been miss in dearly. She didn’t turn to face him at first, though her body was more relaxed while she stood. “Emory…” His name was no more than a mere whisper from her lips, shifting on them to look down at him. The affection was beginning to swell in her eyes, the only light that seemed to come to them lately.

“I won’t be dealing with him alone. Even if you are unable to make it, I will at the very least have my father there.” Her voice was still rather soft while she spoke, part of her wishing she could give way to what he was asking. “You know that I appreciate each attempt you make in regards to trying to protect me like you do. It is something that I have always appreciated, no matter what the circumstance. But you have to put yourself first when you are hurting like you are. I could never forgive myself if I dragged you to the kingdom and something more happened to you.” She explained, not allowing any of her own frustration to come into her tone. She kept her voice steady as well.

 

[LONELYRAIN]

(Sorry about the late response, had to deal with a lot of stuff for the past few weeks)

Emory felt pathetic begging, but it was all that he could do. Even if he had mustered just enough strength to cling to Rose, he could tell his body wasn't going to be able to put up with it for much longer, evident in his loosening grip as the injuries lining his torso were stinging in protest the longer he held Rose. But, did he complain? No, he did not. Not a single voice of complaint left his lips as Rose's words had made frustration settle in his chest. He didn't want to hear her say that, even if her words made sense.

His lips pressed in a thin, tense line as she had spoken his name, prompting the man to gaze up at her, the pale gold to his eyes silently pleading only for her words to further stamp down on his stubbornness to try to come along with her. "...I don't want you to leave my sight." The words were spoken roughly, though a fault of his voice still being rather hoarse, his eyebrows furrowing as he lowered his gaze to the floor, unable to meet her own. That was just selfishness there, although it came from a place of concern for her.

It was clear that he wasn't happy, but considering he wasn't feeling the best, he decided not to push. If he were in a better state of mind, he would have perhaps pushed into an argument, though another argument was not what either of them needed at the moment. His arms had shifted away from her then, allowing her to step away if she desired to, but it was obvious that the man was sulking, the deflated way he seemed to be looking at at the ground, a slight pout to his lips and the ever familiar furrowing of his eyebrows that formed the familiar creases that were seeming to deepen with time.

It was now that Emory certainly was trying to think ahead. If his fever broke, all that would be left would be trying to deal with the pain... an easy enough solution being painkillers, but getting a potent enough one would be a challenge. Perhaps he could get his sentries to filter through the Black Market for him? Then again, maybe that wouldn't be for the best either. He didn't want to be put through getting wild side effects, but if Rose's safety was at risk then... Emory's expression pinched as he struggled to move his tense limbs, realizing the muscles had tensed up in the midst of his mind looking for temporary solutions.

 

[david tennant]

you are completely fine! i hope things are alright! c: ))

Rose’s gaze didn’t quiver as she kept it on him, the loosening of his grip having been expected due to the slight trembling still present in his muscles. She forced herself to stay silent for a few moments, knowing if she spoke she would only say things she regretted later. The argument between them not long before was still fresh in her mind as was the anger that it had brought her. Her chest rose and fell gently with each breath, expression softening fully. The slight pinching of her eyebrows eased and she allowed for her eyes to close then. “And I do not wish to see you hurting more than you already are.” She confessed, her voice still rather quiet though her own concern was beginning to edge its way into her tone. She was hesitant in moving her hands any, knowing the slightest touch could cause Emory more discomfort than he already had. She didn’t want to be responsible for the memories being brought forth once more. She shifted slowly, body aching in protest at her movements. She withheld the urge to allow her expression to distort in discomfort.

She knelt down on her left knee then, keeping her eyes on the young lord while she moved. “But I suppose neither of us will know what will be best until it is time for us to go. We have a few days until we leave. If you are not feeling up to going, even if you continuously insist you are fine when we both know you aren’t, then I will go alone. The moment that something happens, I will return here immediately.” She tried to compromise, the reassurance the best that she could do. “That way your mind can ease some and you won’t fret more than you already are.” She swallowed after she spoke in order to push the lump of stubbornness trying to push its way from her chest back down. The way in which he sulked with the soft pout pursing his lips normally would’ve brought a bright smile to her lips if it were any other situation. She might have even found it in herself to tease him about the way he stared off in his best attempt to find a solution that didn’t exist. But the situation was beginning to become far too real in her mind with each passing second.

She pulled her bottom lip gently in between her teeth as she forced herself to stand once more. The pounding was beginning to resume in her head, pain radiating from behind her eyes. Her temples throbbed, though she ignored it the best she could in that moment. She adjusted to sit down on a small spot on the mattress near Emory. She brought her hands up to gently place on her face. Her palms rubbed at her eyes, the frustration beginning to fade from in her chest finally. She paused the movement to drop her hands to her side. Her fingers curled into the comforter that she knew quite well. “Let us just focus on you resting for now. The more you rest, the sooner you might begin to feel better. The medicine should begin to work soon and you will feel much better when the fever breaks.” She assured, words quiet once more. Focusing on Emory was enough to help dampen the discomfort she felt.

She turned her head to look towards him once again. She offered him the brightest smile she could muster, her lips barely twitching up as she did so. The slight gleaming in her eyes had faded as well. No matter how hard she tried to keep face in order to not worry Emory over these past few incidents, it was growing much harder to hide. The dark bags etched their way beneath her eyes, frown lines growing between her eyebrows. “You know that I love you dearly, but you also know I can take care of myself when needed. I appreciate everything that you do for me and more.” She whispered. Her fingers uncurled from their position gripping the comforter.