“ i could have helped. it’s not like i’m just some helpless girl- i…i’m frostbite. at least i was…but…” shaking her head some, she nearly had to pry herself away from him to give him distance, keeping the door open and letting him inside. her emotions were in such a twist- happy, upset, even a little angry that it was showing with her powers. not noticed to her ice had began to trail up her arms, and were she walked left patches.
“ so much has happened…i put frostbite on a break because i couldn’t go out there and be safe with myself. my powers were on fritz, an i jus’ i kept gettin’ injured because i could barely feel it. i did try looking for you…i called everyday.”
erika found herself plopping down on the couch and just looking at him, tears still in her eyes, trying to bite back the ramblings. she should just be happy that he was back, but her heart ached so deeply.
“ are you going to leave me again…?”
he let his arms slip from around her, following her inside. it had been forever since he’d been there, yet nothing had changed. besides maybe the two of them.
“i-i... you’re right.” jonas sighed heavily-- a feat of strength at this point, seeing as the combination of his binder and the crushing anxiety his guilt was causing him were making it rather difficult to breathe. “i should’ve tried harder t-- to get them to understand, but erika, I just--”
no. no, he needed to stop defending his actions. he’d picked up and left without telling her, he’d hurt her, and now he was facing the consequences. jonas just had to accept the fact that what he’d done was wrong (no matter what lee and dick and bruce-- all of them. no matter what they said.)
jonas paused to take off his hoodie, his shirt, and then his binder before sitting down next to her, letting his wings stretch out to their full length. he’d always been very careful not to knock anything over at erika’s-- her father had not been appreciative of that time jonas admitted to having broken a vase. not good.
“i’m sorry. what i did was wrong. i thought i was protecting you, but i hurt you more than i ever---”
just hearing those words, her voice. she sounded so broken, tired, scared. and this was his fault. it was all his fault.
“babe, erika--- NO. i-i’m not.” he found himself scooching even closer to her, wings wrapping around her chilled body, shrouding them both in darkness. “i’m sorry. i can’t say that enough. i ruined everything. i-i... g-god damn it...”
and suddenly his head is nestled against her shoulder, wings trembling, eyes squeezed shut in a failed attempt to stop the tears. he just can’t believe he’d caused her so much suffering---
“i-- i do n-not deserve you.”

















