Don't Let Me Go

“See- you, you are good in the country, me? I’m going to die there. That’s how this is going to work, I’m going to go back there, and everyone who hoped I would get impeached in my life is going to be ready with a stick to burn me alive for no other reason than the fact that I probably found some way to make their lives miserable during my four years in office.”

“You know, I’ll never understand it.” Elias mumbled after Kennedy finished his explanation; rather his tirade. “I will never understand how someone as mind blowin’ly amazin’-- how someone so wonderful can be so god damned hard on themselves.” Placing his hands on his hips, the country boy let out a heavy sigh as his shoulder’s slumped. “You know I would never let them hurt you-- and, hell, I don’t even think they’d want to since you’re one of the most popular president’s to serve but if you feel this strongly about it we don’t have to go back. I just want you happy.”

“Well then- I’ll just go.”

“Kennedy, wait--” Roy called out, after pushing his ex off of him. Wiping the remnants of her lipstick off his lips, he turned to face Kennedy as he smoothed down the front of his shirt. “It’s not what it looks like. She just-- came out of nowhere and kissed me, said she wanted to know for herself if I’d changed teams or something tacky like that... I promise,” he explained, ignoring as she rolled her eyes and huffed behind him as he moved closer to the man he was in love with. “I shouldn’t have let her kiss me, and I’m sorry for that, but I wasn’t expecting it... really.”

People liked to remember him when he was needed, they liked to remember that his fate made him a slave to their whim because when you’re meant to save the world everything become’s life or death. Lauren knew it wasn’t fair to hate people, to loathe everyone that crossed his path, but he’d lost all of his patience. His body, his mind, his soul was stained by the grips of their greedy, grimy hands and all he could do was put on a brave face and power through. All he could do was smile as each and every person he knew pull their ropes tight around his neck, forcing him to gasp for breath as he struggled to choose what was more important.

His sanity, or their safety...

Often, his days were spent with bittersweet daydreams and fantasies of ending this torment; of driving off a cliff just so he could find peace at the end of the fall. They were never more than that though, they were never more than wishful thinking. It might have made him a coward for not following, in his own eyes anyways, but sometimes being a coward had it’s worth; one of those, worth’s if you will, was the love of his life. 

With a heavy sigh, Ren pushed the anchored weights of the world off his shoulders-- of their shoulders-- as he made his way back into the apartment he shared with his familiar; his boyfriend; his better half. Rusty was the only person in this world that silenced the screaming in Ren’s head, he was the only one that could keep him away from the cliffs edge. It might have been selfish to throw everything away, to shut everyone out for him, but Rusty was the only one he truly cared about. 

“I don’t mean to be rude- but I’m almost positive you’re following me around, and I’m not sure exactly who you are- so…” Carmen watched the other careful, his footing shifting from one to the other. The other looked familiar, as if he had seen him in a dream, somewhere far off and away. The dark haired male tilted his head as he paused in thought, how could you be so sure you had an interaction with someone before, when you didn’t even remember who they could possibly be? His thoughts twisted as he gave a small sigh, looking around at the city around him- bustling, and yet slowing down slightly- as if some were watching the interaction from their peripherals. “Do I know you?”

“I’m sorry,” Elliott replied back with a soft smile on his lips, his eyes caring a glint of the gentleness in his words, “I should have said something sooner, I wasn’t trying to make you uncomfortable by following you around, but I just couldn’t shake this-- this feeling, this phantom memory if you will, that I know you from somewhere; or maybe that I knew you.” He hummed a bit under his breath, the nerves rising in his throat as he began to think that maybe just maybe he really was losing his mind but then the man looked at him. There was something in his eyes, a kindness that couldn’t be watered down by time; a kindness that left Elliott feeling home again. “I’m insane, I have to be insane,” he admitted with a weak-willed chuckle as he chewed his bottom lip, “but there is just something so damn familiar about you. It’s like I can see you, in the back of my mind, but I can’t tell if it’s just a dream or if it’s some long lost memory... and now I know I’m weirding you out, I have to be, so just-- I don’t know-- forget I made a fool of myself here. I really didn’t mean to bother you, I should be going...” Yet, despite his words, Elliott made no move to leave; part of him was still hoping, still holding on to that fleeting possibility that he wasn’t crazy.

Pushing through bodies was easy when you had superpowers- a slight push that people would even see as you made your way to the bar- god, Harley hardly even thought they would feel it if they were truly that far gone with the amount of alcohol most of them had consumed. How had he been even talked into coming here- was this hiding? Or was it finding a mark? That wasn’t something he was even sure of himself, all he knew was the faster the night ended, the faster he could make his way out of this drunken hell hole and back to his hell hole apartment instead- they smelled about the same. Next time- no club, that was for sure. 

Garrett did not want to be here, he hated being thrown into large crowds like this-- especially when everyone was drunk off their ass-- but it was his friends birthday and they had demanded he come out with them and, well, who’s heartless enough to tell their friend no after they use the It’s my birthday so do this for me card? Garrett certainly wasn’t, sadly. Still, instead of suffering with his friends and making himself into the sole spokesperson for unwanted sobriety, he ventured away from their group so he could get himself a drink at the bar. It was a good plan, a great one really since it put distance between him and the drunk horde while also let his friends continue to enjoy themselves-- that is, until, he finally had a drink in his hand only for the glass to freeze immediately under his touch before shattering from the sudden shift in temperature. Apparently he was so stressed out right now that his annoying powers, if he could even call them that, were starting to act up again. Of course the bartender said it was his fault, but instead of touching the new drink brought to him as an apology he turned to find his next escape.  Garrett was about to push himself away from the bar when a stranger slid into place beside him, keeping him technically trapped at the bar by his own, sudden, curiosity. “Long night?” Garrett found himself asking, without much thought, as he leaned over so he was close enough to the other that he didn’t have to really yell over the clubs obnoxious noise. “You look like you need a drink more than I do, but you’ve already got one so I can’t play the smooth card and offer to buy you one... so mind if I buy you the next drink?”

“Everything? As in parents, school work, you and your perfect hair and good looks?” Cameron slipped his hands into his pockets with a laugh, not looking at the other as he trudged along the back road- a road that he was positive he memorized by now. Each little dip in the ground, every pot hole you had to jump around- you think things would change as you grew up, but Cam never noticed a difference, not even the tiniest of ones to the town both boys called home.”Oh- like your pick up, how completely coincidental that you have one that could take you anywhere without telling anyone. I’d say it’s a bit problematic though, because you’re telling me right now…So a plan like this? I’m not sure it’d work on someone like us.”

"Everything as in everything-- well everything other than a few essentials but you get what I’m saying,” Jordan grumbled as he reached over with his right hand so he could lightly punch Cameron in the arm as they walked down the path both had memorized years ago. “I don’t think me telling you is problematic, plus how could I not? I tell you everything.” Well, he told his best friend mostly everything-- everything accept for the fact that, a month or two ago, Jordan began to think that maybe-- just maybe-- he didn’t want to just be friends with him anymore; which, of course, he kept to himself. They were young, he didn’t have many friends outside of Cam, so of course that confusion would work it’s way into his system... right? “And that’s my point, when you said us-- I’d want you to go with me. I mean, I did say I’d take the essentials didn’t I?” Stopping dead in his tracks after the words left his mouth, he reached out once more to pull Cam back so he was now facing him. “Come on Camn-- what’s keeping you here? We could leave in the middle of the night, when no one’s looking for us, and just drive. We’d make it out of the state, easy, before anyone even realizes we’re gone if they even realize...”

“Well this place is absolutely adorable, now isn’t it. Figure’s that the boy knight in shining armor would end up with the most powerful witch of his time- then again, he’s not doing much magic- and you haven’t done much to stop bad things from happening in the world around you, have you?” Moore paused as he let his hand run across the glass case, tapping at it.”I’m not sure the others around would notice if you were gone- Oh, by the way, I gave your husband a good evening kiss before coming in here- he’s not my type though, don’t worry.”

The first thing Arthur wanted to do the moment he heard Moore’s voice was to reach for his gun, or unsheath his sword, but that would have only given his twin the reaction he wanted. He almost did it anyways, when he heard his brother had kissed James; in fact it took all of his strength not to shoot him right then and there for even thinking about touching his husband, whether he was Moore’s type or not. Once the other was finished with his little speech, Arthur let out a heavy sigh as he pushed himself away from the counter he was behind. “What do you want Moore,” he questioned while he did his best to ignore everything else that was said, “I’m sure you didn’t come here just to talk...”

“Well, if you’re goal was to get me drunk- I’d say you succeeded- or I succeeded- I think it was me. Now, I’m trying to flirt with you, so you should probably take your shirt off, because that’s how things work in this place.”

“You’re an idiot, you know that right? I don’t know how my being at worked translated to an attempt to get you drunk, and now that I’m here you’re flirting with me-- poorly might I add. Think I can get a raincheck on that strip-tease there Sheriff, I need to get you to bed.”

“Just because my pack is dead, doesn’t mean that I need a new one- of any kind- so I suggest you stop trying to sweet talking me into your little house of feelings.”

“I wasn’t going to try and sweet talk you into staying, that’s what the red-head and her girlfriend normally do around here, me? I was just going to see if you wanted to grab a drink; that’s all. Everyone around here is a little too sharing with their feelings for my taste. Don’t get me wrong, Val’s great and the pack is family I just-- don’t do that so well; figured we might get along because of that with the way you keep shutting our members down when they try to ask you to stay with our little house of feelings.”

“Listen- I’m sorry? I over react, and then I under react because I think it’s what you want- or what you should be hearing- I just…I know, I get it- I feel the need to protect everyone and it’s fucking everything up and over.I’m just- I’m sorry.”

-”You need to stop apologizing Kennelly-- Rusty, you need to stop thinking I’m bother by that.” Ren was still trying to piece himself back together, the darkness was still clinging onto him despite his husband bringing him back-- but he was trying here, and that was the important thing right? “None of us would be okay without you, I wouldn’t be okay. We-- I-- need---- we need you to be over protective...”

“I …miss you, okay? And not the way I’m supposed to miss you either, and I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do about it.”

“I don’t know what to tell you Park Ranger-- you aren’t supposed to miss me at all.” Austin mumbled as he let out a deep sigh. “You were supposed to move past that, I thought you had Peter-- I thought he’d be enough to keep us from going through this phase.”

“When are you going to learn to just shut up and know that I’ve got this all handled…” The former president said with a smile, leaning in for a kiss.

“I know you’ve got this,” Roy finally admitted with a slight smirk, “but that doesn’t mean I’m just going to up and stop worrying about you-- that and I’m a sucker for the way you always try to remind me.” He teased as he subtly called Kennedy out for trying to distract him with a kiss, though it was not a complaint. Leaning in, his hands finding the former President’s (and his former boss) waist, Roy pulled him step closer as he pressed into the kiss.