hawkeyekate | (no subject)

Just quiet breathing, and she curled more, starting to shake. She was fighting the lump in her throat.

Everything is left as it is as he lays down on the bed beside her and starts stroking from her hair to her back,

"I'm 'ere an na leavin'."

She stiffened and curled up more. There was then a cry as she turned towards him.

"Will," she got out before she hugged him tightly again. Shivering against him with more deep breaths, and a warning sound that was half-hiccup and half-sob.

"Shh, just let it out, love."

His hand never stops, a constant soothing as he keeps his voice calm to not betray how he's hurting for her.

She shook more, and once again, finally let go as she finally sobbed against him.

He holds her as she cries, not saying anything just letting her cry until she's ready to talk.

All his anger at whatever or whoever made her feel this way is a fire in his chest, but that will wait, she needs him first.

She sobbed, sometimes loud, sometimes quiet intermittently against him. Finally it started to fade out, and she continued to cling to him, taking more slow and deep breaths in and out.

As her cries grow quieter, he starts to sing a lullaby about a Princess finding her way home.

She closed her eyes, and relaxed against him. Using the music to help control her thoughts and her breathing. She started to hum a counter melody.

So he sings, changing the song over time though the worry keeps eating at him.

She hummed a little longer, and her voice faded out.

She finally said, "Xaldin's going to stay away from my teammates and I. Good thing. I wanted to help, but I don't care now. If he fades, that's on him."

Xaldin, full of arrogance and pride like a Sheriff's man but without even hate behind him.

His grip on her tightens and fire flashes in his eyes as he searches for words.

Kate tightened her grip on Will.

"Will. Don't. This is why I didn't want to tell you in the bar. He's a waste of air. He's nothing. Literally. Let him stay that way if he wants."

"'e 'urt ye."

The words are sharp.

Kate considered her words before she admitted.

"He grabbed me. For a moment, and let go when I attacked him." She then frowned, "He let me punch and kick him, slashed him with my sword, and stabbed his foot."

Will's quiet but the anger hasn't left his voice,

"Aye an 'e'll say that 'e did na wrong an let ye 'urt 'im so tis all fine. Doesna work like that."

"I had offer to spar with him, and he said that wasn't enough. That I had to hurt him just short of torture for it to work. Or there was one other way, then grabbed me, and asked if I'd be intimate with him." Disgusted expression crossed her face.

Kate snorted, "Now the whole reason he was embracing Billy like that and sticking his tongue down his throat makes more sense. And Billy told me that Xaldin was 'playing nice' because he asked first and didn't just take. Starting to wonder if any of them are worth bothering with."

"Why'd 'e accept the offer if 'e knew sparrin' wouldna be 'nough? Sounds like we're all just toys for 'im, way to get what 'e needs."

"It is, he needs to use something, including people to exist. No better than some parasite or vampire."

She shook her head, "He accepted my help, but not the sparring part. That's when he said it wasn't enough."

"Should 'ave been clear what that 'elp meant. Seems there's a way 'e prefers to get that aid an that is ne'er right. I dinna care if 'e's na 'eart, 'e's a fargin' brain!"

"I know, but Will? Don't go after him. I saw him use his six lances to attack a target at once and it exploded on impact. He's on his own to not disappear. Let him."

There's a long and complicated moment before he answers, his voice harsh,

"Willna, but only for ye."

"I don't want to lose you. Not because of some parasitic worthless bit of air."

She hugged him again.

"If he hurts Billy again, then? If we have to get an army to take him down, we will."

"Aye."

He holds her tight, running out of words and ways to not go and hurt something.

Kate stroked his cheek.

"Stay with me. Please."

She hugged him tighter, and then kissed him with passion and desperation.