bend and break

"Why are we not going to the hospital." It's less of a statement, and more of a warning. Somewhere in her mind, her subconsciousness knows why, but her mushy brain can't quite figure.

The question comes - though much less a question and more.. what is in her voice, frustration? Exhaustion? Theo grimaces and keeps going, one step at a time towards his car. He gets the door open with some awkward fumbling and gets her in the passenger seat with even more. Taking her face in his hands, he says, "Look at me. We're going to my place because the hospital isn't safe. If this has anything to do with me.." God help him, if it does. "..we gotta get you taken care of somewhere they won't call the cops."

He can't deal with all of that. Not again.

"Did you?" The skepticism is heavy in her voice because she'd rather not start this conversation with something that feels like a lie. Logically, she understands Theo's reasoning, knows that it goes beyond just him and to thinks that mean more, but the hurt is all the same because Riley is just really tired of feeling like a second choice.

"I did." He confirms it after he takes a few more bites, but does not make a move to turn and face her until he's ready to answer their next question.

Mother be damned, unfortunately. "No." He shakes his head, glances down to the cigarette and decides against reaching for his own pack. "You didn't." Not so much a reassurance as it is just pushing the conversation forward. "Mhm - I usually only stop by for my mother and her.. eccentric tastes. Did I ever catch your name?"

The signs are there, glaringly obvious in hindsight but maybe Riley had just been too blinded by finally meeting someone who seemed to give a shit about the same things they did. That actually cared about their politics instead of wishing they'd shut up sometimes. And now, Riley can't tell if they hadn't known, or if they'd just convinced themself otherwise.

The knock brings them back, and there's no one else it could be. There's a phantom flinch instinct when they look through the peephole and see Theo's tired face, their body remembering what it was like to be in this position a few nights ago and seeing Tristan Zaire on the other side.

They open the door and step back wordlessly, giving Theo space to enter. After everything, it hardly feels like there's a place just for them anymore.

"I got Chinese. Figured you haven't eaten something decent in a minute." They point over to the still wrapped up bag of takeout sitting on their bartop but make no move to get any closer.

Swallowing, he moves over to start to pull out the food. It's instinct and pure hunger fueling him forward as he gingerly sits down and takes a slow bite.

After a minute, he looks up to them with a sigh. "Thanks." And then, "I wanted to tell you before." An impossibility - he's too loyal, and that's always been his fatal flaw. That's what ruined his last relationship, what made him swear off of them.. until Riley.

Brotherhood guy. Oz hasn't seen him in so long that he's forgotten his name. He remembers that face, though. Sharp, interesting. He leans into one forearm crutch, standing somewhat stable as he holds a cigarette with the other hand. A little nod towards him. "Your mom end up liking those books? Don't see you around the book store lately. Did I scare you away?" A tiny grin.

"She did." That much he does know. "But no." He's not scared, just smart. "Figured it wouldn't do well for me to keep showing up in places where I might be unwelcome."

His own run for coffee is meant to be a quick stop before heading back to the warehouse to make sure everything's in order, get shipments going and deals ready to make.

Looking down at the man sitting, he lifts one brow and decides - fuck it. Might as well. "On you?" His voice is practically a grumble, but he sits anyways. "A worse person would order the most expensive thing on the menu."

Tears started streaming down her face, a mixture of relief and panic, "I-Is he gone?", she asks, fingers grabbing Theo's leg, then his arm, brown eyes quickly scanning the room as she tries to sit up once again, but the strong strike of pain makes her crash back down once again. Then she notices it -- the change in his demeanor. "You're scared.", she points out, voice becoming a little more high-pitched, "Am I dying?"

Yenna can't quite tell, with the way the pain is eating her up. She allows herself to close her eyes for just a moment as she starts to feel sick -- there's cold blood everywhere. Her heels are gone. She opens her eyes once again, and everything is spinning.

If there's one thing that he hates - it's that he can't hide his own fear. Maybe it's for the best. Maybe it's good she can see that she still means a lot to him. "Nah, I'm not gonna let you die." His accent is a little thicker, what with the stress of the moment."

He can't bring himself to respond to the rest of it, but he presses hard on that wound, rips off his hoodie and ties it around her torso to keep it in place. "Keep your eyes open, Yen. Keep looking at me."

When Yenna opens her eyes again, the carpet floor around her is starting to soak with blood, and everything hurts so much that she can barely move. The shattering pain in her side almost rips her apart, and still, everything Yenna can think about is Isaia.

How she's only a glimpse away from him now, how she can almost hear his voice in her head. And then suddenly, it's almost like she can hear Theo too -- or at least the familiar echo of his shoes on the tiles. Then the noise gets louder, and Yenna realizes he's actually there.

She tries to speak, tries to raise a hand, but all she can get out of her mouth is a weak gasp for air. She doesn't quite remember how she ended up here, or why -- and then suddenly she remembers, and panic takes over her body in a final rush of adrenaline.

The woman starts breathing out panicked gasps, afraid it is in fact the stranger who came back to finish the job -- and she can't smell, can't quite hear, can't quite feel, at least not anything other than pain.

Her mind is racing, and she's starting to feel dizzy -- eyes fluttering shut, thoughts circling around the carpet floors, Isaia, and blood. Why is there so much blood? Who is bleeding?

Theo cares about her still, more as a close friend than a would-be wife, and often he wonders if they had left it at that, if it would all be fine in the end.

When he arrives, the first thing he sees is smashed plates and blood, which gives him that ice-cold feeling as he searches the place for Yenna.

It's only when he sees her does adrenaline kick in, rushing to her side. The wound is horrendous, and he looks around and grabs a clean dish towel that had fallen in the chaos and shoves it to her side, holding pressure. "Easy, easy, Yen."