“Oh, I’ve noticed. You’ve basically got a neon sign over your head that says Trust Issues in big bright letters, but I’m asking you to ignore it.” A small smile came to his lips, before he forced it away. “I get it, I do. I don’t trust very many people myself anymore, but sometimes you have to. What do I have to do to prove to you I’m not a bad guy?”

She rolled her eyes slightly at his words sighing through her nose. “Not something one can easily ignore.” She grumbled out softly. Her arms soon crossed over her chest and at that point, she couldn’t read the line between annoyance and insecurity. “Right. Of course, you do, everyone gets it. Yet, here you are seemingly trusting me, someone you know barely anything about, by the way, you think you know but there’s only so much that can be written on paper. You know what I let you know, remember that.” She ran her fingers through her hair frowning more a painful twisting in her chest catching her off guard. She wasn’t trying to sound harsh or rude for that matter it was all just, tough. “I never said you were. Nor do I think that. -- This isn’t easy for me.” What wasn’t? the trusting him part? Or turning him down? maybe a bit of both.

Bran nodded with a brief chuckle, “I’m always happy to provide company to those in need of it,” he said as he walked toward the fridge. “I’ve got water, juice, alcohol, milk, tea,” he listed off his options, “not much of a soda drinker, I’m afraid,” he said apologetically as he turned his head to look at the shifter.

“Who isn’t in need of company?” She said it as a joke but between the lines, there was some truth to it.  No one could convince her that people truly liked always being alone. It wasn’t possible. “Honestly I’m trying to cut down on the fizzy pop anyway. -- juice would be lovely thank you.”

Claire’s anxiety had shot through the roof. She had been up all night reading various texts trying to find anything about the Ouroboros. There has to be some record of them in history whether they went by that name or other. She just needed to clear her head too many thoughts invaded her mind. Not realizing the time she stepped out for some fresh night air.

Lisbeth was just in her own world, her hand swinging slightly beside her or more so moved along with her son’s hand while he swung it. Cooper was contently humming a tune of an unknown song causing the shifter to smile to herself. She slowly came to a stop, her smile dropping slightly seeing the dazed-looking woman. “Hey...” She said calmly, “Is everything okay?”

It took a short while before he realised who was in front of him. She looked .. different, not wearing her extravagant clothing. He laughed at her words, yet instead of continuing his frustration workout, he undid the bandages from his hands. As calloused and rough as they were, the bandages would do little else to protect them. “Uhoh, stalker alert.” He grinned, holding onto the two balled up cloths as she spoke again. He wasn’t hungry, in fact he still felt tense and worked up, but he wasn’t going to show that to her. Perhaps her company would help him relax. HOWL wouldn’t fall apart if he wasn’t going to be there tonight. “I would like that.” 

“Thats good,” Levi grinned. “I am good as well. Busy with work which isn’t new. I tend to add as much to plate as possible but not I’ve got a few plates spinning,” he laughed. “I feel like I should address the elephant in the room rather than talk around it- if that is okay with you?”

“You know why.” He emphasized, continuing to stress how important this was. “I might not be able to guarantee it, but we both know you’d be safer with me than you are alone. Why don’t you believe me?” He seemed to be transferring his overprotective tendencies onto Lisbeth now that Rosalie was gone.“Lisbeth, you can trust me. Have a little faith.” 

Dragging her tongue back across her lips she looked down for a moment. “That’s what the last person said,” she murmured softly before shaking her head. “Don’t take it personally I don’t believe many people.” She started looking back up to him. Her lips opened for a moment only to close once more. She had lost her faith so long ago it was weird to even think about it. “I don’t know if you noticed but trusting people isn’t my strong suit.”

Kaia tried to stifle her laughter as Lisbeth’s sentence trailed off. She could guess where Lisbeth had been going. Kaia had had a lot of those kinds of sleepovers over the years. “I’ll have to remember to try that combination for my hair,” Kaia said jokingly. “I bet that’ll be one of the first you do when you get out of here. Have a nice long shower.” 

“Cooper’s been a little trooper, and I love that it rhymes,” Kaia replied with a chuckle. “I know he’s missed you, and I think he’s been putting on a bit a brave face but all in all he’s been good.” As the topic turned more onto her Kaia stood up and begun rummaging through the cabinets. Kaia was an open book, but she’d been trying to avoid how recent events were making her feel and doing her best to take her mind off things. Unfortunately, it wasn’t always possible. 

“Yeah, I’m, I’m good,” Kaia replied, finding a spare water jug in one of the cabinets. She put some water in it and began arranging the flowers in it. “I mean, it’s been sucky. It’s been sucky for everyone but you know me. I’m a tough old bird,” Kaia joked with a smile. “Now, I believe we mentioned jello.” She said picked up her handbag to turn it upside down, a handful of jello pots she had swiped falling onto the bed.

“Honestly, do, it’s amazing.” She laughed gently before nodding. “Of course, I’d probably end up having more than one. I feel so grimy and gross.” She smiled at that looking down to her baby boy. “It’s a great rhyme, but yes, he’s strong.” She wished she could be as strong as him. Half the time she thinks he already knows what’s going on. But then, he’s only a few years old.

“Good I’m glad to hear that.” At least one of them was okay. She couldn’t stop smiling at the flowers she had placed by her. The shifter snorted, “I thought I was the bird here.” She did love a good pun. Reaching around Cooper she clapped gently displaying a small burst of excitement. “Yay!” She giggled hearing Cooper’s little chimes of excitement too. “What flavour is it”

“Say you’ll take me up on my offer.” He answered back without a moment of hesitation. It was a bold thing to propose, in some ways the two were still borderline strangers, but Sheamus couldn’t shake the overwhelmingly urge to protect for both Lisbeth and her son.·“You’ll be safe living with me. I can introduce you to a world full of other shifters. I can help with your son.”

“I already said I won’t why do you keep insisting.” She frowned looking over to him. “You can’t guarantee that. You just can’t. -- How do you expect to help with Cooper?” She sighed. “Look, I get it I do. But I just... Don’t believe you.” There it was, the reason for her distrust, she didn’t believe anyone could keep her safe. Or not use her after promising to do just that.

There was something oddly calming about spending your time in a room with quickened heartbeats and breathing. The original, who normally trained somewhere more reclusive, had found himself in a public gym more often now. Perhaps that had been his new year resolution: spend more time in public and less time alone. He’d spent some time at the punching bag when he heard someone behind him, looking over his shoulder before fully turning.  “Sorry, am I hogging?” 

“Hello,” Levi grinned as he greeted Lisbeth in return. He wasn’t sure at first if she had seem him or if she was busy and wouldn’t be able to stop and talk to even for a few minutes. He knew if he was busy with work or set to meet wit his family then he’d only smile or wave before continuing on. He wouldn’t want to be rude but he had his priorities. But she stopped and Levi was thankful they’d be able to talk for just a moment. “How are you?”

“Honestly, I wasn’t expecting company,” the wolf admitted sheepishly, hand uselessly motioning to his shirtless form adorned with loose sweatpants. The male shut the door behind the guest as he moved through his loft to the fridge, “what can I do for you?” Bran asked, eyebrow raised as he opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water, “want a drink?”

The shifter coughed slightly her cheeks heating up as she blushed. “I’m sorry. I uh... I actually... -- Can’t remember why exactly I came to bother you.” She laughed gently. “I think maybe I was just going to bug you for some company. -- Yes please, what do you have?”

“Sorry we’re late,” Kaia said as she entered the hospital room letting go of Cooper’s hand as he ran over to greet his mother. “He wanted to get some flowers out of the gift shop for you,” She explained gesturing to the bunch of flowers in his hand. It had been quite the cute thing to watch, his little face screwed in concentration as he picked them out. 

“See, what did I tell you. It’s just like a hotel. One big sleepover,” Kaia commented, sitting down in one of the chairs next to Lisbeth’s bed. She knew Lisbeth had been worried about Cooper seeing her in hospital, even if she was looking a lot better now, so Kaia had done what she could to take the scariness out of hospitals. “We might even be able to have some jello.” 

Leaning back Kaia let Lisbeth have a moment with her son before properly greeting her friend herself, “You’re looking better. I mean seriously, how do you get your hair to look so good in hospital. Mine would be like a bird’s nest by now.” @cagedbirdlisbeth

Lisbeth instantly smiled seeing the two enter the room. By that point, she was feeling just fine and was almost ready to leave she just needed to be there for one more night. At least that’s what they promised. She didn’t want to have to face her boss if she had to stay any longer than that. A little omf left her lips as her son practically steamrolled her to the bed. “hey little bird.” She giggled kissing the top of his head gently.

“They’re lovely, thank you both. They’re just what I needed.” She smiled over to Kaia not letting go of her son. Though, she did shift slightly so he could get comfy. “Wow, a sleepover... I haven’t had one of those since...” She cut herself off with a short awkward cough. She hadn’t had one since before she met her ex. She did her best to keep her smile covering it by kissing Cooper’s head again. “Nevermind, we’ll have a great one now. -- And with Jello. How could anyone object.”

The shifter hummed in acknowledgement laughing softly. “Well, sweat becomes a good shampoo after a while, and mixed with the dried blood? Great combination.” She laughed, that’d be the very first thing she did once she got back. “How are you holding up? How has he been?” She motioned to the boy in her arms before looking back to Kaia.

“Ha-ha, nice try, Lisbeth.” Addison smirked at the blonde shifter, “it doesn’t count if I ask because I’m the one who thinks he can do it anyway. I think it’d be more satisfying if you did,” she prodded jokingly, “you’ll always remember tonight as the night you worked up the courage to ask Yo-Yo Ma to play Brittney Spears. I don’t know what more you could want,” the Vale teased good-naturedly.