Last Chance House (Shadez & Bored)

They hadn't found her. Roland didn't know what to do. He called the police, but since it hadn't even been a day that she'd been gone they told him it was clear that she'd probably run away or lost track of time. Roland doubted that Cal would run away and not tell them, but maybe he didn't know her that well. What kind of person took off without even telling her brother? He didn't want to think about it and he made that clear by going straight to his room when Dez and he got home.

"Roland, are you..." Ivy had heard the front door close and the heavy foot steps on the stairs, but by the time she'd poked her head out of the study he was slamming his bedroom door shut. "Going to ignore me like you always do, great." She stuck her tongue out at the door, but something didn't sit right with her. It was late, very late. The guys had been out for more than twelve hours which was alarming in and of itself. Thankfully Charles had texted her earlier that day to let her knew he'd be coming back to the house in a few days. With everything going on she was relieved. Ashamed since he had been doing important business, or so she assumed, but relieved nonetheless.

"Is he always like that?" Ven asked from the reading nook, Ivy's laptop on his knee as he scrolled through her latest chapter. While the two were still on rocky terms they seemed to find a sort of give and take relationship. Ven knew for a fact, mostly from his spying, that Roland was never like this. The guy was known for having his emotions in check and for barely saying anything, even when provoked. But he wanted Ivy to feel like she could confide in her about what was going.

"No, he's not." She mumbled, but she was still looking out into the hall, as if waiting for something. Or someone, Ven thought with a smirk.
 
Dez closed the door lightly behind them, letting his head fall back against it once he'd entered. They hadn't found Cal and even worse Roland was losing his mind. It hadn't taken him long to figure it out, seeing as Roland had been testier than usual the entire day. At first, Dez thought it was because he'd been the one asking, but based on the guy's blatant disregard for Dez's existence, and yet still steadily rising temper, he had to conclude that it could only be concern for Cal. The hospital had been by far one of the worst experiences. They'd gotten to the front counter, Dez had nearly gotten lost, getting a drink of water after hours of searching, only to be led to a room for someone that wasn't Cal. The nurses had been really nice about helping them, but all they really had done was gotten both of their hopes up and then let it come crashing down.
Dez sat there for a long moment, eyes close as he just breathed, trying to think if there was anything he missed. Picking up his phone for the zillionth time, he frowned at the low battery, wishing a text would at least light up the screen. Instead it gave a small beep and perished, screen going dark. He put it back in his pocket, knocking his head back twice more before propelling himself forward enough to head to his own room, sluggish in movement. Leaving the door cracked, he laid on his bed, light on, too exhausted to move.

~x~

Ro tapped Cal, earning a sharp gasp. Ro took a step back, apologizing.
"I'm just about to lock up. Ready to go?"
Cal nodded weakly, taking a moment to stand.
"Also… I know this probably isn't something you want to do, but you should give someone a call to tell them you'll be staying over. It's pretty late. At least call your brother," Ro said, offering the girl her phone. Cal only stared for several seconds before she began to shake her head.
"I couldn't possibly— they don't want to hear from me. They—"
"Seriously, worst case they hang up on you and we have a fun night. Just call," she insisted, putting the phone in Cal's hand. Letting out a sigh, she dialed, biting her lip as her hands began to shake. Surprised, she leaned away from the phone for a minute.
"It just went to voicemail…"
"So leave a message. That's the least you can do," she insisted urging the girl. As she left her message, Rowan couldn't help but give Cal the once over. So far, she hadn't managed to mention that she was an Acer yet, but trust took time, and by the looks of her, Cal was someone that needed a little extra work, though she found the girl to be surprisingly malleable when it came to verbal advances. She kind of reminded her of a puppy in that regard— big, sad eyes, want-to-please attitude, and easily excited when given even the bare minimum when it came to praise. Ro didn't even have to say anything nice, but instead make simple observations, and the girl was all too happy to open up. Ro grinned to herself happily. This would be much easier than she expected.
 
"Want to go talk to him?" Ven asked, able to see how anxious Ivy had become since the two men had gotten back home. He had figured that she'd calm down when they arrived, but instead she just seemed to get worse. He didn't know how to calm her down and found the fact that he even wanted to a little alarming. One day with the girl and he felt closer to her, which was only bound to make things more diffcult down the line. But he couldn't help it, she was his favorite author.

"Why do you like my writing?" Ivy asked, finally closing the study door and walking over to the desk. Her eyes were set on the notes and maps there, but she wasn't really seeing that. "It's just some stupid girl who hates herself too much to accept love from others."

"Have you ever been bullied?" Though he'd asked the question they both knew the answer, because she wouldn't have been able to write the scenes she did without first hand knowledge. "Well, I have too...And it was so bad that I, that I wanted..." Ven felt his throat close up and tears prick his eyes, and he mentally kicked himself for saying anything at all. But he'd practiced this answer in his head so many times. What was the harm in saying it outloud for once? A hand touched his shoulder gently and he looked up to find Ivy now staring down at him, not pity but something else he could't place in her gaze.

"How about I go first?" She said and he nodded gratefully. Ivy knew how difficult it could be to say something so raw and personal, that sometimes it helped to hear about someone else's pain to better admit your own. Her hands picked up the laptop and set it off to the side so she could sit down in the nook beside him, bringing her knees up to her chest and leaning against the window. "My mother died when I was born. My father, whoever he is, wasn't in her life. With no relatives to contact I got placed into foster care. This place raised me until I turned four and then finally someone took me in, but only to send me right back. Like a defective toy."

Ivy hadn't really told this story in so many words, but she'd bled the pain into her books to make it easier to say. "By the age of seven I had been to ten different families," Ven's eyes went wide in alarm. "Right? Barely enough time to decide if a dog if right for you, let alone a child. And then at ten I found the right family for me, or so I thought," Her lips screwed up to the side as she thought back to that time, to the happy family. "Most Acers get their powers when puberty hits, but for me it was when..." A tightening of her fingers on her knees, nails digging into the soft skin. "Remember chapter twenty-one of book two? When Gene meets the professor?"

"Ivy I didn't.." But of course he wouldn't know that, they both thought staring at the other. She had never been able to understand how easy it was to pour your heart out to a virtual stranger, but it was so much easier than saying these things to Dez or Cal. "After that?" He asked, but he knew. He had read the information about her that had been collected since she had entered the system of Acers.

"Charles picked me up from jail." Her hold loosened and she closed her eyes, obviously picturing something from back then though Ven couldn't tell what. When she opened her eyes again they were glassy. "I've been here ever since." While other children came and went, Ivy was a constant. Charles refused to part with her and she from him. He annoyed her, of course, but he was the closest thing to a father she'd ever have. This was one of the many reasons that Cal acting motherly towards her had pissed her off. Everyone eventually left, what was stopping the others from going?

"I had planned to kill myself the day I stumbled upon your first book." Was all Ven said, and the night continued on.
 
  • Sympathy & Compassion
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Dez awoke early the next morning, peeling himself out of bed with a groan. Sitting up, he stared at his mess of a room, allocating how he wanted to shift the mess around in preparation for the upcoming day. Shuffling dirty clothes into the hamper, shoving shoes into a pile, and throwing his blankets somewhere within the general bed vicinity seemed tidy enough. Stifling a yawn, he stretched, a few joints popping as he tried to rub away the sleep in his eyes. With Cal still missing, it was hard to concentrate on sleep. He felt like time was speeding along while he stayed stagnant. Lifting his phone off the floor, he attempted to turn it on, and frowned when it didn't light up. Plugging it in with another irritated sigh, he set it down again, returning a few minutes later after showering. It wasn't until he unlocked the screen that he froze, noticing the missed call. Listening intently to the voicemail, Dez let out a string of curses, tossing the phone back down on his bed, charger still attached.
'Hey Dez… it's Cal. I won't be home the next couple of days. Staying with a friend.'
He listened to it on loop for a couple of minutes, grumbling angrily to himself. He'd never been so scared for her in his life. Separating himself from the phone and the murderous intent that came with Cal's message, Dez skulked downstairs, stopping at Roland's door, knocking softly.
"Cal is with a 'friend,'" he said, not waiting for an answer, before continuing towards the kitchen for something to eat.
"I feel like a fucking zombie… all because she decided to forget her fucking phone…" he grumbled, letting his head fall into his hands.
 
"You too?' Ven asked as he popped up from behind the kitchen counter, casually holding a mug of coffee. Ivy slowly followed suit, also rising up from the ground. The two had crouched down there at the sound of someone coming down stairs and both wore the rumbled clothing of yesterday, which thankfully Dez wouldn't be able to notice.

"Geez. I thought you were Roland." Ivy said as she walked around the counter and to the coffee pot, topping herself off. "Coffee?" She asked, already getting another mug ready for him. "What was up with you two yesterday? Weird, and rude, in the morning and then gone until late at night?" She gave Dez a half-hearted glare, clearly confused by being left out of the loop. "Thank god Charles called to fill me in."

She left the mug on the counter as she moved back to stand beside Ven, pulling him down with her free hand to whisper something in his ear to which he nodded grimly. "So we're going out today to get some supplies for tomorrow, you interested in joining?"
 
Dez gave the two a weary glance, nodding slowly in response to Ivy's question about coffee, adding his fixings, and gulping it down like his life depended on it.
"It's weird… I'm worried about her, but I'm also so angry that I kind of hope she doesn't come home….at least not for a few days," he added, pressing his forehead to the counter miserably, his body aching. He wouldn't apologize for going out with Roland to look for his sister, especially when he wasn't sure what she'd do. Even if she didn't do anything to herself, she was still just as much a risk to the rest of the household if she told anyone where they were, and they had enough to worry about with the recent break-in and bomb threat situation as it was.
"what kind of supplies?" he asked after a long moment, imagining Ivy coming home with armfuls of fire extinguishers in preparation.
 
Ivy frowned in confusion at what Dez was talking about and was forced to draw her own conclusion. Clearly something more had gone down with Cal, not that Ivy was particularily invested. The girl had a tendency to not ask for help and still show that something was wrong, which pissed her off. When she had a problem she normally was very vocal about it.

"We got a lot of...cash last night." Ivy said slowly, elbowing Ven a bit who just sighed and nodded. The boy looked infinitely more tired than she did, though both had dark circles under their eyes. "So I figured we could pick up some pocket knives, or swiss army shit. Really just walk down a hardware store and go crazy. Ven here doesn't look like he could carry much, so we need a strong male. Roland...isn't an option."

"Which is code for we don't want to be murdered." Ven muttered, drowning his words in coffee sips. The two of them had been out the moment Dez and Roland came home, Ivy claiming she needed to let off some steam. Apparently letting off some steam meant going to the shady part of town and her getting into a fighting ring. Why the hell wasn't that in the notes, he was still wondering as he kept glancing sideways at the girl. He had heard that she and Dez had both been working on their fighting abilities, but what she had done last night was intense. It was difficult to think what fire could add to the equation. "And I'm strong..."

Ivy raised a dainty eyebrow as her only reply and then continued to watch Dez above the lip of her mug. From Ven's angle he could see the frown she was hiding and the tight worry lines on her face. He was pretty sure that this idiot was the main reason they'd gone to that place last night.
 
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Dez took a moment to eye the two in front of him, now that coffee was in his system. Narrowing his eyes at the two, he noted how tired they looked.
"How did you… acquire so much money?" he asked, quirking a brow at Ivy, his eyes moving to Ven next.
"I'm not going to hear about the bank you robbed if I check the news, am I?" he added, refilling his cup and sipping at it. His eyes lingered on Ven for a long moment, before Dez let out a side, starting to tap his hand lightly on the countertop.
"I uh… owe you an apology…. Sorry for being so harsh the other night… and welcome to the house," he said, pursing his lips. Moving his attention back to Ivy, his jaw clenched, but he didn't say anything more.
"I'll go. Just give me a bit to shower," he said, standing up. Stomach still a mess from the day before, he didn't find the concept of breakfast particularly appetizing.
 
"Amatuer porn." Ivy said, keeping a straight face as she downed the rest of her coffee and set the mug down. Ven choked on the gulp he had just taken and sputtered out a string of nonsense as Ivy once more skipped into the kitchen and rinsed her mug out. "Just some friendly betting. Ven's my lucky charm, isn't that right?"
The boy finally managed to gasp down a breath of coffee free air, shooting an alarmed glare at the back of Ivy's head as he disappeared for a moment only to reappear not long after. It took him a moment to wrap his head around what Dez had said to him. "No apology needed." Especially not with what I plan to do to you, Ven thought with just a hint of regret. He didn't want these people to start being nice to him now. Ivy was the only one he could truly save, if she let him. "Thanks for the clothes."
"Go." Ivy moved to take Dez's mug from him, not really looking him in the eyes and feeling slightly self-conscious about how tired she looked. "We'll leave whenever you're ready."
 
Dez gave Ivy a tired, yet disgusted look, his nose wrinkling as the corners of his lips downturned in response to her answer, setting down his mug. Shaking his head, he regarded Ven with a shrug. Deep in his gut, his pride squirmed uncomfortably, twisting around his innards angrily, whispers of irritation and spite lulling tempestuously at the edge of his mind. Pushing the thoughts away, his shoulders sagged, muscles aching from all the walking he'd done with Roland the day before.
"No problem," he blurted, numbly, "be back in a few," he added, leaving briefly to clean up.
The shower did little soothe the tension from the day before, nor the sharp stabbing pangs of guilt and anger he harbored for Cal. Leaning his forehead against the wall of the shower, he let the water run for a moment, letting himself breathe before he addressed whatever plans Ivy had in store for him. Pushing rather aggressively against any thoughts of his sister, Dez felt himself zoning out, thoughts growing fuzzy, time coming to a crawl. Exiting the shower after a few more minutes, he glanced at his reflection and noted the crescents under each eye, prominent against heat of his cheeks. Steam fogged up the mirror, and he shook his head again, trying to grasp the present, despite being unable to shake the funk he'd been left in. Changing quicker than he'd showered, Dez returned downstairs, pulling on his sneakers in the entryway as he waited for the others.
"How long do you think this'll take?" he asked, cooly. It wasn't as if he had anywhere to be, but he was relieved to have a reprieve from his thoughts, however brief.
 
Ivy was just stuffing a wad of twenties into her purse when Dez joined them at the front door. Her mouth twisted a bit as she did some mental flips in calculating time. "Uh, not long? I'd say the bus times will be the longest bit. Hate living this far outside of town."

"At least it's safe." Ven said, his tone seemed light, but after last night Ivy knew to listen for something darker in it. Her hand lightly brushed his shoulder before she exited the house and they began their trek to the bus stop.

~X~

Once actually at the hardware store Ivy grabbed a hand basket and started walking up and down the isles. "Two box cutters, some rope, these bolt cutters..." Ven watched as item after item was tossed into the basket and he couldn't help but wonder if they should've gotten a cart. And what they could possibly need any of this shit for. It was a little funny, from his perspective, to try to imagine what the hell they would do with all of this. But he had to remind himself that they didn't really know what to expect tomorrow, while he himself had planned it out.

"What about gloves?" He suggested, trying to keep his composure even though he could feel his signature smirk beginning to form. It just ticked him off that they weren't taking this as seriously as they should. Maybe he really would kill them all tomorrow. The boss had said to make this easy, but Ven could only make it so easy. "And those delicate looking clippers?" He really thought that those bolt cutters would be too bulky for the wiring he had set up.

~X~

As the trio made it back to the bus stop Ven slowed down and pulled out his phone. "I'll meet you at the house, okay?" He didn't really want to wait around for conformation so he set the bag he'd been carrying down and vanished.

"Ven?" Ivy hurriedly looked around to make sure that there was no one walking on the streets to see that show of power, calming down only when the coast was clear. "He's joking." She said, doubt obvious in her voice and her expression turning dark when there was no answer. She turned an angry glare on Dez, but it was clear she wasn't mad at him as she bent down and picked up the discarded bag. "Remind me to never bring him to a bar fight."
 
Dez noted Ivy and Ven's newfound closeness, but didn't comment, his stomach lurching painfully once more. Plugging in his headphones, he drowned out the world around him, letting the other two lead the way. He felt more focussed this way, music a constant reminder that life was prevalent as the ebb and flow of the rhythm drowned out all his other senses. Trailing down the isles, Dez paused to look at a few utility knives, some lighters, and a handkerchief, but nothing particularly stood out to him.
'What to people grab when there's a bomb threat?' he wondered, wiping the dust from the displays onto his jeans, mildly disgusted. Settling on a jug of water, a flashlight, a medical kit, a whistle, and multitool set of pliers, he met back up with the others, an uncertain expression on his face. He only hoped the mall had accessible fire extinguishers that were up to code, because he certainly couldn't afford one. Shelling out the last of his cash, Dez made a point to stuff his purchases in the medical kit bag, shouldering it like a backpack as they left, happy to have straps that allowed such easy transport. He just hoped he didn't have to use it.

~x~

Dez removed a headphone, only just noticing Ven's absence.
"Ah… I missed something…" he said, frowning down at Ivy apologetically, offering a hand to take the discarded baggage.
"I still have one free shoulder. Here," he said, gently taking it from her, fingers trailing lightly across her wrist. The bag wasn't particularly heavy. He probably could have taken another light one if she asked, but he'd let Ivy dictate whether that was necessary or not, instead choosing to let her lead.
"Are… um…. are you okay?" he asked quickly followed by a troubled sigh, his fingers beginning to tap against his thighs again.
"That was a stupid question… I mean… is there anything I can do… to help ease our mind a little?" he tried again, embarrassment only increasing. There was no easing the tension in the air, but he felt it was more important to ask should she think of anything or he have missed something. It was then he realized that they were alone for the first time in the last few days. It almost felt like weeks had passed after the trip Dez had had the misfortune of experiencing with Roland. Dez shivered at the thought, jaw clenching unsteadily, mouth suddenly dry.
 
Ivy handed over the bag almost mechanically, not really processing what she was doing. Her mind was racing with what Ven could possibly be doing. She doubted he had any other friends and...what was Dez saying, she forced herself to tune back into the real world as she realized she'd been staring intently at him. "Sorry." She said, not sure what she was apologizing for.

"Dez," Ivy frowned and reached up to brush his hair back a little, more as a sign of being there than being intimate. "I'm fine. You're the one who's got a lot going on." Normally Ivy tried to stay out of any drama going on with the twins, or anything involving Cal, but as she found herself growing more attached to Dez she discovered it difficult to mind her own business. "Where did you and Roland go yesterday? And where is Cal?" She breathed out audibly and withdrew her hand, wringing it together with her other one. "Is she...is she not coming back?"
 
Dez staggered for a moment, thoughts of his sister surfacing for the first time since he got her call that morning. Coughing once to clear his throat, he struggled to find the words he wanted to say, fear welling up inside him. He let out a bitter laugh, hands pressing to his face for a moment in the hopes of reorienting himself. Pressing his palms lightly against his eyes, he took a deep breath, and then exhaled, still chuckling.
"I don't even fucking know… we went to look for her yesterday. Her and I had a fight a few weeks back… I think her and Roland had one last night… she was gone again this morning, but left her phone, which isn't normal. I've never…. not been able to get a hold of her," he gushed, his hands clenching. Inevitably, he began drumming against his jeans once more, unable to suppress the habit as his words became less comical and more frantic in nature.
"She won't be back for a few days, apparently, because she finally called me after we spent the entire day looking for her… she's with a friend. I didn't even know she had friends…" his jaw clenched in that moment, panic from the day before starting to rise within him, the pace of his drumming quickening with his breathing, which was quickly becoming more and more shallow as he spoke.
"Roland was…. more unpleasant than usual…. not really surprised, but that didn't help….and Cal….she's really emotionally unstable sometimes," his hands clenched again, shaking for a moment, pressed hard into his thighs now.
"She…. has been self harming for years…. it's taken a lot to break the habit, but a lot of that is my fault… I haven't been…there for her…" he struggled, unable to finish the thought, tears starting to sting at the corners of his eyes. Sucking in a deep breath to repress the sudden emotion, he let out another laugh.
"We even checked the local hospital…. I thought we were going to find her there… I was so fucking scared," he choked on the last word, closing his eyes tight, expression tense. "Anywhere but there."
Trying to calm himself, he looked up at Ivy again, a hand rising to cover part of his face. Looking away, hastily, he felt his heart settle a little, color rising to his cheeks in blotches.
"Ah…. this is stupid…. people could DIE tomorrow and I'm sitting here complaining about my sister….Fuck. Sorry." he said, voice low as he tried to blink away the tears that were still threatening to spill. Letting out another bitter laugh, he took a few larger strides ahead of Ivy, hand rising to cover his eyes for a moment so she didn't see how hurt he was.
 
Self-harming. Ivy dropped the bag she had been clutching tightly in her hand, the plastic having dug deep into her skin to the point that it should have hurt, but she was now numb. She knew Cal had issues, but self-harm? Brief memories threatened to bubble up to the surface but she shrugged it off, now not being the time for her own spiral. Just as she reached out to touch Dez again he began walking away.

Ivy surged forward after him, bag forgotten, and took hold of his drumming fingers to pull him to a stop. "Hey, wait. No, don't say things like that, Dez." She gave him a tug in an effort to make him look at her and she pursed her lips, eyebrows knitting together as she stared up at him. "Fuck those people right now. This matters to you, so it matters now. Tomorrow is tomorrow." A million words, cliches, ran through her mind as she tried to find the right things to say. She couldn't imagine the pain he was feeling, but one thing was for sure. "You shouldn't blame yourself. I know my saying not to doesn't magically make it happen, but it's her life. Should you have been there for her? No one can say for sure. She made the choice to hurt herself and if she's at that point then no amount of support is going to stop her from doing it."

"You can love people. You can hate yourself for not being enough when they decide that...that they don't want to be here anymore." Tears had begun filling Ivy's eyes and she hurriedly blinked them away. This was not a time for her emotions, this was a time to make sure Dez was okay. "Just like it doesn't matter how many times I tell you you're not at fault, you'll still blame yourself. So just...be there for her now. And...Make her see that she needs to be there for herself as well."
 
Dez let out a soft sob, swiping at his eyes with his open hand, his other squeezing Ivy's hard.
"I… can't… be the person she needs me to be," he said, lightening his grip when he realized how hard he was squeezing her hand. He didn't have it in him to explain why he couldn't be there for Cal the way she needed. She was his sister and he loved her and wanted her to be safe, but he still couldn't forgive her for what she'd done.
Letting out a defeated sigh, he glanced back at Ivy, his stomach giving another painful lurch. He'd already said too much. Looking away again, he swiped at his eyes once more, looking at his sneakers.
"Sorry… I uh… said too much," he admitted, the drumming starting again.
 
"No such thing. Or so I hope." Ivy tried for a smile, but it fell short. Though Dez loosened his grip she didn't let go of his hand, instead she held tighter. She didn't mind if he needed something to hold to ground him to this moment, to not wander away in his own thoughts. She could be that for him if he needed it. Hadn't she always wanted someone to be there to hold her down to? "Say whatever you need to. I'll listen."

After a moment of both attempting to collect themselves, and still holding onto his hand, Ivy lead him back to where she had dropped her bag. "Did Cal give you an address? We could go visit? Or on the way home we could stop at that diner she works at? Maybe catch her starting or leaving work? We have time." The bags under her eyes had gotten worse, but she tried to put on a brave face for him. "Besides, Ven is clearly doing his own thing so we don't have to worry about him." Though she was worried.
 
Dez shook his head, trying to return her smile with an equally poor one. He opened his mouth to speak, hesitated, and then closed it again, contemplating. After a moment of silence, he ran his free hand through his hair and shook his head as she pulled him along to get the bag.
"Maybe… another time," he sighed, hand clenching in hers again involuntarily as he mulled over his thoughts. The story wasn't entirely his to tell, and he'd already shared more than he should have regarding Cal's past, guilt already heavily coating his conscience.
"I didn't tell you that… and this CANNOT get back to Roland," he said, giving Ivy a hard look, jaw set. Tears still hung lightly in his lashes and his cheeks were still fairly blotchy from the emotional exchange, but he still gave her an expectant look.
 
"Alright." Ivy wasn't sure if he was talking about visiting the diner or telling her more information, but she didn't push for either.

Ivy looked back at Dez, opened her mouth to say something she knew he wasn't going to like, but then the bus pulled up. She let go of his hand temporarily as they found their seats before taking it in hers once again. She had been about to say that she couldn't make that promise. That when someone is on the brink of ending their lives, or even just harming themselves, that it needs to be told to someone. But Dez hadn't said anything about telling Charles, so she tucked that away for later. Maybe Charles already knew, but thought that it was over and done with? She didn't dare bring his name up in case she was forced to make a promise she couldn't keep.

When their stop came up she quickly got off and entered the house, holding the door open for him.
 
Dez relaxed after Ivy agreed, though the situation still felt unresolved to an extent. He couldn't fully understand why, but he let it go, too tired to argue further. His sister really had a way of draining him. He missed when times were simpler.


Enjoying Ivy's hand in his, his thumb brushed her fingers lightly and rhythmically. It was almost like he was strumming an instrument, his mind easing as time passed. Nodding in thanks, he went through the door and set down the bags he'd been holding just beyond the entryway, resisting the urge to collapse onto one of the nearby couches, sleep deprivation starting to wear on him. Yawning once, he glanced back at Ivy, unable to fully express what he was thinking. Stifling another yawn, he took her bags from her and set them down next to the others, slowly moving closer to the girl. After the briefest of moments, he picked her up by her middle and hauled her over his shoulder unceremoniously, ignoring whatever objections she had in that moment as he slowly made his way upstairs. Lopping her onto his bed, he kicked off his shoes, plugged in his phone, set an alarm, and cuddled up against her core, his cheek nuzzling against her navel. There was nothing sexual about the gesture, but he just couldn't find the words to tell her he wanted her there.
 
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