#warbitwidget

( @warbitwidget / @wxnderxwxnder )

Her face grew serious, causing her to look up at the grey face giving a heavy sigh.  “Don’t you think I know what cancer can do?”  She snapped, voice growing cold for a moment.  “I watched my grandmother wither away from the very disease that Aaron has.  I’ve seen him go through pain, nearly die -- everything.  I’ve been through all the hurdles.  I know that cancer could take him from me in an instant.”  

Continued from here. Hallucination Starters!

The night sweats had taken him from the general safety and familiarity of the Citadel garages to the open sand, following after strange sounds and voices. The sand talked, of course it did. They all heard it when it whipped around or slid from a dune or ‘sushed’ under their feet. But it never had spoken so clearly and articulately. Widget had been drawn out into the sand as if beckoned by a siren’s call. It agitated him, the way he couldn’t see the source of the sound, and left him shouting at the desert. His breathing was that of a steam engine as he stared out into the cold expanse of blue tinted dunes, waiting for a reply.

Widget growled when he heard a voice behind him, wide eyes trained on the irradiated desert stretched out before them still. There was something out there, he’d seen it with his own two eyes and heard it with his own two ears. Beads of sweat dotted against his skin, little white polka dots reflecting the moon’s rays.  “Go away, Rook,” he rumbled lowly, gaze still fixed forward like a sentinel.

What was even remotely going on?

Something between confusion and irritation flitted through the blackthumb’s senses as he watched the other man act the prime example of a fool. It had been the shouts that had roused him from where he’d been working late on his own car, implementing a few new modifications to test out during the next skirmish, and had caused him to trail after the other War Boy.

It was Widget’s growl that brought one returning to his own throat, a low rumble that was more instinctive and born from frustration than hostile itself, and he paced several light-footed steps to his immediate right. A semi-circle almost... but still not in threat. Not towards the other War Boy. “No.” He hadn’t seen anything, still couldn’t see anything, but perhaps the other man had. However this change in trajectory placed him close enough that even he couldn’t miss the beats of sweat that dotted across the other’s skin, the trailed paths through the taller man’s clay.

@warbitwidget

He wasn’t really even working on the engine even though he was up to his elbows in the hood, checking all the tubes and wires and reminiscing about his dad popping the hood of the family car and showing him all he needed to know in their cramped little garage. It was a little bit of nostalgia that beat the heat and the lifted hood of the Humvee provided some shade. Widget pretended to look busy as he lounged on and halfway inside the Roarer’s hood but really he was dozing and thinking back to his old life. His family. The hospitals…

There was a sudden smack to the seat of his sagging pants and it startled him more than he would ever admit later. A startled, pitiful yelp was loosed from his throat and he hit his head on the lifted hood of the Roarer in his haste to turn around and see just who was the culprit.

He nearly toppled off the front bumper he was using to perch on to get a look into the Roarer’s brains, arms pinwheeling to regain his balance before he landed on his ass in front of the whole camp. Angrily, he scanned the area before seeing a swatch of dark hair disappearing into the Humvee. Scowl turned to smirk and he reached up to scratch under the backwards baseball cap on his head that was protecting from the sun.

Sneaky Lei. He closed the hood of the yellow car and pointed at where he thought she’d be through the tinted windshield. “She’s going to get it now.”He pulled himself onto the hood and stepped over the glass of the windshield until he was on the roof of the car and out of sight above her.

After weeks of feeling like she could barely move without feeling some ache from the way that her body was healing itself, Lei wanted to have fun.  She wanted to be playful.  While Widget was overlooking the insides of the Roarer, Lei had been napping and drawing some.  That only lasted for so long until she grew bored.

Sneaking out of the Humvee, she worked her way around to Widget, smacking him on the arse, before she dashed back inside of the Humvee.  Sprocket looked at her like she was crazy, before hopping into the front seat.  The dog had learned when it was best to get out of his owners way.

( @warbitwidget )

They were camped for the night, and Widget had left her in the cab of the Humvee while he went outside to check on things.  Her boredom got the best of her rather quickly, leading to her leaving to go find him.  It didn’t take long, seeing as he was checking out the tires of the Humvee.  She followed behind him, head cocking to the side as she watched him work.

When he opened the hood, she stood on her tip toes to look inside of it with him.  There was so much.  She had never been interested in cars before, and her dad hadn’t been one of those gearhead men.  So, this was all new.  

@warbitwidget

Her near bored tone made him pause, face smushed against the window of the Roarer as he looked at her in the Humvee’s modified backseat. He knew she’d been feeling pretty shitty the last few days. It was all in her eyes, the muscles around her mouth. They’d twitch into a quick smile rather than support a stable, lasting one. Something was up.

“Yes?” He grinned and pressed his face against the glass more, squashing his nose flat and up so he looked like a pig. Widget sucked in his bottom lip for effect and bucked his teeth out, crossing his eyes. “It’s her good morning face. Good morning, Lei. How is she feeling today? Better than he looks?”

Lei had been dealing with the after effects of her detox, and it was taking it’s toll on her body.  Some days were good, some days were bad.  The last few days were bad days.  She knew that she couldn’t ask Widget to stop traveling.  They had to keep up with the other members, especially with Widget being the go to man.

Looking up at him, she smirked, especially at his continued antics.  Lei pressed the switch to lower the window then, laughing softly at him.  “I’m feeling a little better.  It feels like I have the flu ten times over.  I know why, but it doesn’t make it any easier.  Body aches,” she admitted, knowing that the past few days had been mainly filled with her complaints and sleeping.  “Thank you for putting up with me,” she said, stretching her legs out when Sprocket jumped into the floor board of the Humvee.

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{ @warbitwidget }

warbitwidget

He’d never seen her cry with his own two eyes.

She had made a sob through the bag as he snuck her into the Citadel but he hadn’t seen her and back then he wouldn’t have been as affected if she had broke down once she was out.

Widget was quiet as he stayed squatted in front of her, nearly her height even though she was sitting on the bed. For a while he tended to her tears, reaching up and methodically wiping away each one when it fell. When they didn’t stop and came with more ferocity he stood with an angry grunt, tossing his head.

“Who did this!?” Who had made her cry? He paced, he breathed. He postured. Seeing her this way made him feel too many things at once and he couldn’t sit still. It was like watching her wield the knife to peel the apples all over again.

“I will make them cry ten times as hard!” He vowed it to her bedroom, rolling his shoulders. Swinging his arms. “Until they have no more water to give!” He stopped in front of her with his shoulders squared, bull breaths leaving his nose. Counteractive his anger, he placed his palm on the top of her head and let the soft strands bring him down some. “Who did this?”

It wasn’t often that nightmares haunted her sleep so vividly, but they did still happen.  She had hoped that she wouldn’t have one until Widget was more adjusted, but on their first night back in her home, one hit her.  Hatta could only guess that the safety of being home had allowed the walls she placed up in her mind to finally drop, and with everything she had seen in Widget’s world, her sanity was done.

She had sat up in bed, trying to stop the tears before he saw them, only for his fingers to touch his cheeks.  “Widget -- “  The hatter murmured, trying to settle herself enough so that she could explain the nightmare to him.  Her breathing was becoming erratic, and she struggled to take a deep breath.  

warbitwidget

His arms and legs wrapped around her without question, pulling her smaller frame close to his body so she was burrowed into his chest. His chin rested on the shelf made by the top of her head, pulling her even closer until he could feel the bridge of her nose against his adam’s apple and her mouth against his collarbone.

Calloused palms rubbed over her back and arms for a moment before just squeezing her, staying stock still so he could feel her heartbeat against his own. Widget didn’t move, not even when strands of her dark hair tickled and tangled his nose.

“Is she warm yet?”

It had been a long few days, or maybe it was longer by then.  The desert was cold at night, and her body was still recovering from the withdrawals.  Lei could never seem to get warm enough.  

She was surprised when Widget took her into his arms as she shivered under the blanket.  Things were till a little tense between the two of them, which was understandable.  On top of all that, Lei was still not used to being comforted -- or even helped.