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It's been a few weeks since everything happened. Life didn't exactly go back to normal, but with Skye's ears to the ground, it was finally safe to return home. Well.. somewhat. It was rather odd.
One day Skye walked into work and put herself on vacation to avoid the inevitable. And the next few days that vacation was about to end. But they spent their time together, Skye was mostly silent.
Weirded out.
Slightly afraid.
But she put on the bravest face she could.. (save for when she slept, if at all) ..despite things shaking and rattling around the house when she allowed her mind to slip too far.
But this morning was just like any other. Skye woke up, took a shower, and sat down at the kitchen table, nursing her large cup of coffee in silence.
*
It took a very long time for Alex to return to any kind of normalcy. The experience had shaken him to his core. He'd seen things in that nightmare that made him question who he was, what he was. Human? No. Olympian? No. Monster? Maybe. He didn't talk for days after Skye pulled him out. The scar in his chest remained, though when he emerged into reality, there was no wound. The sword, stained red with blood from both of them, had been pointedly ignored; he couldn't bring himself to take hold of it again. For the first week, he did little more than sleep. Mercifully dreamless sleep, as if Morpheus and the other gods of that realm had abandoned him; and why shouldn't they?
But that had been weeks ago. Alex had recovered at least enough to be up and about, to help out around the apartment. He still hadn't gone out for more than a cursory walk around the neighbourhood, and even that seemed to take its toll. They didn't speak much about the ordeal, about how Skye had to kill herself to get to him, and then kill him to bring him back. The sword was still stained red with both their blood, and Alex couldn't bring himself to go near it. He'd never really felt fear, not like this, but there it was. And he couldn't control it. This morning was like any other in the last few weeks. He woke up, he showered, and sat down at the kitchen table across from Skye. Eyes lift to try to meet hers, but he doesn't know what to say, still after all this time. His own mug of coffee is sipped slowly. And then, finally, he speaks. And for once, not just idle pleasantries and chit-chat, as they've suffered through for some time now. "I need to see my father," he says, eyes casting down to the mug, as if he was ashamed to say it.
*
It was almost sad. Skye had a hard time looking at him, there were times where she could barely stand the sight of him. The look of him reminded her of the children she had to kill. The children that may as well be theirs.
So when he spoke, there was a slight rattle to the table, a deep inhale of her breath taken as she internalizes it, causing the mild tremors to stop.
"Okay.." She says quietly.. her teeth gritting in a slight grind. "Why?"
*
"I need to know what's wrong with me. And Thalia's gone, gods know where. My father might know. Or he might be able to find out. Or take me to Olympus. Or something. Unless you have another idea." Certainly, seeking out Ares is not high on Alexander's list of the desirable activities. It must be bad if he really thinks that is the best plan of action. He grimaces somewhat at the rattle of the table; Skye's apparent disgust of him is evident. He's not blind to it, but he doesn't know what to do about it. Since coming out of the nightmare, he's had no visions, no insight. His powers are clearly on the fritz. Not himself, to say the least. He can totally understand how Skye would think less of him. Or at least, he thinks he knows; the fact that she had to kill their supposed children doesn't even enter into his mind. Typical man. "I want you to come with me."
*
Skye reaches for her coffee to take a sip, the cup soon put upon the table as she slowly begins to turn and twist the cup. She listens.. though, her mind slowly begins to wander, the room itself shaking and rattling as she takes in another breath. With a wince, she draws her hand away from her cup to rub against the palm of her hand, feeling at least a small part of the bone to give.. her hand was broken yet again.
This she hides, stuffing it beneath the table as she looks towards him, a slight shake of her head given. "I.. I can't." Aka. Skye was scared shitless of them. "I.. we.. should just leave it alone. Talk to someone at work. We have to go back, though. Our vacation is almost up."
*
"Fine," Alex says, and clams up. He finishes his coffee, setting it back down on the table roughly, before standing, his expression steely. He doesn't make any further eye contact with Skye, and moves from the table without taking any care to keep his steps quiet. He slips his shoes on, and throws his jacket on. There's a bit of a pause, and then Alexander strides through the apartment again to find the sword. "You know what? Fuck SHIELD. Nobody there is going to know anything, or be able to help, and you know it. You want to pretend nothing is wrong, that's fucking fine. You're rattling yourself into a million pieces and I'm a broken god who can't think straight. But sure, let's just leave it alone. Even better, let's tell a bunch of mortal humans about it. GREAT FUCKING IDEA." There's a fire in his eyes as he finally looks down at the girl, more emotion than he's shown since he came back. "I'm going to find Ares. Either he's going to fix this, or he's going to shove this thing through my heart. And for real this time," he says, before turning swiftly toward the door.
*
Skye wasn't expecting that. She really just wanted him to let go, to forget. So that she could forget. She loved him so much that she just wanted to forget all of the bad and go back to what was familiar. But it was clear that something had changed. Did they grow up, just then? She died for him..
But with each word he speaks, she shrinks lower into her chair, her good hand lifting to cover her face as she breaks down into sobs. Sobs that unleash the full weight of how much she could shake their little apartment, including the way she bends and doubles over within the chair so that he couldn't see her face.
*
Alex had his hand on the doorknob. It was turning. And then he releases it, and steps back to the table. He kneels beside Skye, even as the room shakes. His hand presses against her back, sliding up to the back of her neck, and he leans closer to her as he pulls the young woman against him in an embrace. "I'm sorry, Skye," he says quietly, fighting back tears of his own. "We need to fix this.. and I don't know any other way. We can't go on this way.. you know that, right?"
*
She really didn't want to leave, and she tried to tell him that through her sobbing. Her limp hand lifts to rest upon his shoulder as he nears, leaning in to the hug as she cries into his shoulder. "I.. I .. know.." She whines out quietly.
"Buh..buh.." She snuffles, trying to hide her face. "..I.. Im s..sk..sku.." She breaks down into tears again, hugging him tightly against her. "I.." Cue tears. More of them. The ugly broken down sobs that were reserved for just a party of one.
*
Tears are freely flowing from Alex' eyes now as well, though he at least has the decency to not break down into a sobbing mess. Eyes are leaking. That's all it is. Manly eye leaking. "I am too," he says quietly, his voice a little bit hoarse. And even as she cries, he tries, in vain to use his powers to calm both of them. Eyes light up, but it's faint. Almost nothing. "I can't do it on my own.. I need you with me. I can't face my father alone. Not like this.." Alex doesn't let Skye go, and presses his cheek against her head, holding her tight.
*
Skye couldn't help it, after all that time, everything was built up and finally started to flow. But once the tears were out, it was almost hard to come down, but she did for the sake of him, and at least herself. The hug was enough to calm her, to not internalize all of her vibrations, to slowly breathe and let it out, and to hug him even harder than before. They'll go together. She won't be afraid.. they'll go together.. "Okay.." She says quietly. "I'll.. I'll go.."
*
It takes a moment or two for Alex to pull it together enough not to sound like he's on the verge of breaking down too. Can't have both of them turn into weepy messes, right? He clears his throat a bit after a moment, and quietly replies, "Thank you." There's a final little squeeze back, and he stands up, still resting his hand on Skye's shoulder. "Let's fix this." And he holds out his hand for Skye to take, to help her up, a tired little smile slowly forming on his lips.
*
She nearly grasps for him again as he pulls away, her weepy eyes looking up towards him as she feels the hand upon her shoulder. It was a comfort, something that she needed, her eyes closing as she tries to steele herself, her good hand lifting to wipe away the tears as she tries to put on a smile. "Alright.." She says quietly, then slowly draws to a stand, her other hand lifting as she spies the bruise that slowly begins to clot upon her skin. "Lets.. bandage me up first? Then we can go.."
*