#infold please

A beat of silence follows. Maybe he called by accident? Or there's no signal? Or-

A heavy sigh interrupts your thoughts.

"Hi, sweetheart." The words reach you rugged and cut, like they've been forced out. "You doin alright?"

The question renders you speechless for some reason. You can't put your finger on it but something is different and wrong.

"Uh, yeah, I'm okay." You glance at your bedside clock. "It's four in the morning though. Are you alright?"

More silence.

"Val?..."

You're starting to get concerned. "You there?"

"-Yes, I'm okay, I'm fine." You hear what you can only describe as an interrupted sob break through the line.

"Listen, I'm just calling to let you know that I'll be going away for a while."

Your brows furrow in confusion. "Going away? Where? Why?" You wish you didn't sound as childish as you just did, but you can't help it.

"Doesn't matter, I guess." You hear the rumbling of an engine in the background and you can picture him clear as day, one hand with the phone up to his ear, the other on the steering wheel. You wish you could see him.

"Just thought you should hear it from me."

You sit upright in bed, covers still half covering you. "Well, when will you be back?" Your question hangs in the air.

"I don't know."

The answer has only more questions popping up in your mind but you don't get to voice any of them.

"Go back to sleep, I shouldn't have woken up you up."

"But-"

"Don't worry about it. I promise this will all seem like a bad dream when you wake up."

A beep cuts through and you look at the screen. He hung up.

You want to call him back and demand answers, demand he stays. But you know that's not what he wants. Maybe there's even a part of you that knows it wouldn't change anything.

You plug your phone back in and set it on your nightstand, eyes closing faster than you anticipated when your head meets the pillow. Theres a strange melancholy feeling in your chest but it washes away with sleeps embrace.

You hoped this would be a bad dream when you woke up.

Goodbye Valko, we hardly knew you. Literally.

Still hurts though I was actually psyched for his release :(

Infold please return himmmmm.