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 Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2016 11:56 pm
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Thorne laughed again, a soft sound, his entire body hurting from the effort. He wanted to reply - to all of it - gooseflesh rippling along his skin at the sound of his first name from Chris's mouth. It had always been a double-edged sword, something that could cut or soothe depending on the one who held it. But Thorne had always trusted Chris with himself. From him, he would like to hear it again and again and again.
He was about to reply when Chris said his name again - and it took him a long moment to realize Chris wasn't saying it in his head. He was actually saying it out loud. Thorne scrambled, caught in the others arms before he could even make a noise in response.
"Chris," he returned, the sound of the others name in his throat bleeding out with relief, with the ease of terror, "Chris." He wrapped his arms around the other, tight, fingers gripping hard at the others clothing, at the edge of his shirt. He buried his nose into Chris's collarbone, closing the space between them that had been left behind. He could feel their exhaustion together - it was a force that might have knocked him off his feet if he wasn't so relieved.
Pulling his face back, Thorne knocked their foreheads together and let out a shuddering sound.
"Are you alright?" He asked, his tone trembling. He searched the other for signs of abuse, but apart from the exhaustion in his eyes, bleeding from the small of Thorne's back, he couldn't see anymore physical damage.
"Thank god you're here," Thorne said when he had checked the other over for signs of damage and had come up empty handed.
Thank god you found me.
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Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2016 12:09 am
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To hear Thorne say his name, to just have him here at all was such an overwhelming relief that outside of saying it at first, he just stood there silently. Just clung to Thorne and confirmed he was alright, that he was real, that he was there. It wasn't a trick of Other Ashdown, wasn't a trick of his mind or something from the garden. Thorne was real and there and Chris was going to get them out of there.
"I'm fine," He managed after a minute, voice strangled. He was exhausted but Thorne was too and well, he was better now. He'd manage, they'd manage together. He closed his eyes at the forehead touch but pulled back to look over Thorne himself, mouth thinning into a line as he saw everything he had missed in his desperation to just touch and confirm it was Thorne.
"What happened to you? You're - Am I hurting you?" He asked, releasing his admittedly tight grip on Thorne. He was missing his jacket and the collections of cuts and that starburst of a bruise on Thorne's shoulder, that all had to hurt. "Why didn't you say anything?"
I'm sorry I found you so late, I'm sorry.
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Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2016 12:13 am
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Thorne was barely aware of the pain now that Chris was here. It buzzed through him like an afterthought, so easily handled that he could press it down beneath the weight of relief. He leaned against Chris, and when the other tried to pull back, he kept him close, only sliding his hands forward to cup the other mans face, tracing his thumb across Chris's jawline.
They were both exhausted, and all he wanted to do was go home with Chris. All he wanted to be was somewhere safe with Chris.
"No, you're not hurting me," he said softly, "It's alright. There were shadows at the end of this maze that didn't seem to like me, is all. It's in an apple orchard. A rotting one."
He shook his head and looked up at Chris, leaning his forehead to the others and closing his eyes.
You were never too late, he thought back, too exhausted to question the open connection between them even here, You have nothing to apologize for. You found me. That's all that matters. You found me. You came back.
He exhaled softly.
"Let's go home."
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Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2016 11:40 am
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Chris let himself be pulled back into Thorne, let Thorne slide his hands up and just rested in the feel. He brought his own hands back to Thorne's shoulders, gentle, not trusting himself to not be too rough with Thorne. He didn't want to bring any pain to Thorne.
"Oh," He said back, quiet, still feeling nervous that he was hurting Thorne. Thorne may have said he wasn't but Chris still wasn't sure. "I didn't know that was there. I wish I didn't know, actually. You didn't deserve it."
He took a breath at their foreheads together again, took in the smell of Thorne, his heat. He wanted to leave, he needed to leave with Thorne. It was time to go.
I will always come back, He thought back, I will always look for you. Every time. He didn't want the words out loud, he didn't want them to go to anyone but Thorne. They were for only him.
"Yeah. Yeah, let's go." Chris grabbed Thorne's hand and pulled away, pulling them towards the exit. To leaving. It was time to get out.
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