#mindslayed

[brandishes a bat] its nap time, steeb

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The girl had snuck up on him, that’s what he’d insist if anyone asked or made fun of him. But on second glance, there was a fire and fury in her eyes that made him nervous still. “Huh?” He mused his mouth falling open as she asked him such and unexpected and perplexing question.

He put his hands on his hips and took a long moment to walk a circle around her, his face scrunched in a super-serious look, just to give her a taste of her own medicine. 

     Maybe he didn’t have the same bond with El as he had with some of the other kids, but that wouldn’t stop him from being worried. Even now he wasn’t sure how he came to be the one in charge of the neighborhood children, but Steve had taken his babysitting duties in stride. There were people that needed him, people he cared about, and that was important. This girl really wasn’t just a part of their group--she was the heart.

     “A...a power problem? Like...powers power, right?” Okay, well, that was a little bit outside of his wheelhouse, but he could at least lend an ear if nothing else--right? At the very least he might be able to help calm El down, considering how she looked. And if he could get her to calm down and open up a little, maybe--just maybe--he’d have a little advice to offer.

     “Okay, well, uh...you wanna start by telling me what’s going on? I can’t promise I’ll understand it all, but hey--let’s give it a shot.” He paused, offering her what he hoped was a reassuring smile. 

FIRST FIVE ASKS GET A KISS - accepting

      WRETCHED AND RAGGED breaths left him in waves - everything felt heavy. submerged. His body was pulled from the wreckage, battered and ruined - fighting - as they sat outside and waited. The panicked voices were all there. Max was there. But it was steadily fading to background noise - electric and pulsing like the dull, roaring ache in his chest. But in spite of it all, in spite of everything, he felt a presence by his side. And when dull blue eyes rolled to fixate on it, he felt that tug deep in his mind. El. The one thing he had kept seeing down in the dark. The one person who he heard over everything else. The person who saw the worst of him. The one who saw him. 

      A wet, low groan fell from him as he slowly shifted - arm a leaden weight yet somehow managing to reach upward. Trembling and cold as it slowly pressed to a tear stricken face. The world was white noise and fading, but still he could see her somehow. 

      “ You – ” he croaked out, black ichor-like blood seeping from his lips. Panicked voices faded to nothing as the world seemed to shift. To the dark place. “ You were here – always… always here. I heard you… ” a rattling breath and grimace, as his eyes watered. Pain and effort. “ – down, down in the dark. It was so cold - terrible. But you weren’t. ” A wet inhale and a sharp noise left him, a sob. The world came back into focus and it was pain again. Wretched pain. 

“hey el?” he sat up moving the comic book out of his lap to gaze towards her. “do you wanna go to the arcade or something?” he wasn’t really sure what she liked to do. arcades, reading comics? he was only thinking of what the others would do.. would they do the same? he rubbed the back of his neck. “if you want?” he questioned offering a small smile.

   “ listen , i know hop can be a little — uh , rough around the edges , sometimes . but he loves you , you know ? he has clumsy ways of showing it , but he truly loves you . & we — i do , too . you’re not alone anymore . ”