Stay out of it

Rhys had been washed clean, and it was obvious now how hurt he had been, his face and body littered with cuts and bruises that had been hidden by all that blood. He was laying rather peacefully, sleeping or rather passed out still from the bullet. At least it was out of his body now. The bedroom was quite simple, just grey walls and a bed along with a small table with a tray on it filled with small tongs and scalpels. Once Emily got closer she would be able to see he was shackled to the bed by his feet.

"Miss, y-you c-can't go in th-," but the poor guy was cut off as if this crazy woman had a tracker on the hybrid. Rhys groaned softly, the noises being loud and he was still a bit away. Even though he couldn't really react yet, he had felt those gentle lips. Lips he had only felt a few times, but they felt safe to him. It made his body relax, just feeling her close seemed to have such a good effect on him - not that he could emote it in this state.

“Oh shut up!” She yelled at him, sending him a deadly glare though she had never hurt anyone in her life ever. Didnt make her less crazy or less frightening. She barged in to see Rhys with.. some girl?! Her surprise was as big as Emily seeing her crazed eyes. She had looked as what Emily would describe as a rabid dog, though without seeing one. And Elaine couldnt believe she was looking at some face tattoo bitch holding Rhys’ hand. “Who the hell are you?” Elaine demanded to know. Emily blinked a few times, realizing the angry girl was talking to her. “I’m… uhm..” she said, unsure what to even say. “Get your hand off him!” Elaine demanded, walking over to swat Emily away from him. “Who are you?” Emily asked, rubbing her hand that had gotten a firm smack from the other girl. “His girlfriend of course.” Elaine frowned. Who did this inked chick think that she was?

Rhys was laying still, his breathing still rather heavy. Oblivious to what was going on in the room, and that was perhaps for the best so he wouldn't lose his temper. He laid unconscious for the time being, but that didn't mean there would be quiet in the room. Isaac stepped in, frowning at what he saw until he saw Elaine. He sighed, "what are the two of you doing in here?" he was clearly annoyed, having a bruised ego from the failed mission earlier. His eyes shifted between Elaine and Emily, gritting his teeth as he found it absurd that Rhys had two women fighting over him. Were they serious about this shit? Both of them seemed to be aware of how much of a monster he was!

Girlfriend? Emily almost couldnt believe it. Why would he be taking her on dates and be so sweet to her if he was already seeing someone else? Elaine however didnt budge, looking at Emily with an icy look. She was jealous and annoyed. Most of all she felt betrayed too, not having expected to see some random girl stand here and hold his hand like she genuinely cared. Isaac entered and both of them looked at him. “Checking on Rhys.” Elaine said before she looked at Emily. “And she wont say why she’s here.” She pointed out, looking to ghoul girl who was starting to get annoyed. Elaine reminded her a lot of the girls she used to spend so much time with and it was annoying her. It seemed that the annoyance was mutual and Elaine started pushing Emily in Isaac’s direction. “Get her out.” - “You dont get to boss me around bitch.” - “What did you just say? Just then? What did you call me?” the two girls just looked at each other in anger, Elaine considering whether to dish out some kind of reminder not to fuck with her.

Isaac wasn't comfortable, anybody with eyes could see that. He knew very little about what was truly going on, but the way Elaine seemed so demanding made him frown, "you're not my boss," he just said as she gave him an order. Did she think she had any authority here? That she could just wave her hand and dish out orders? "Besides, boss said to keep her safe, and taking her out of here would be going against that order," he wasn't the brightest, but he knew how to follow orders that was for sure. He looked at Emily, trying to understand what was going on.

Not his boss? She grit her teeth and Emily wasnt helping. But then Isaac said something that Elaine hadnt expected. Rhys wanted this girl protected? This annoying girl that didnt even seem to relish in the fact that someone had her back? She scoffed. Emily just kept looking at her with annoyed dead eyes. It just pissed her off. Safe he said? She glanced at Rhys before looking at Emily. She lashed out and Emily backed off but Elaine’s nail caught her cheek making a small cut. “Ow… Fucking… bitch!” Emily muttered, placing a hand over the bleeding cut. It wasnt that it really hurt but Emily had to act the part and it had been surprising to say the least. “I guess you failed.” Elaine said as she looked at Isaac, sending him a fake smile, not caring if anything would happen to him. Then she looked at Rhys. “Fine. Have it your way Rhys. But dont come crying to me once this cunt find out that you’re not all daylight and sunshine.” She told the hybrid regardless of him hearing her or not. She sent Emily a glare, Isaac one as well on the way out, before she left.

Isaac watched in shock as Elaine went ahead and actually caused harm to Emily. Fuck, his head was going to get served on a silver platter, and his worry showed as he didn't even make an attempt to follow Elaine at first. It wasn't before it dawned on him that it might be a good idea that he ran out of the room to go after her.

Nyx had gotten stitched, sighing as she hated wearing that stupid patch to protect the stitches. She opted to go check up on Rhys and Emily, however coming closer she saw Elaine storming out of the room. "Fuck," she muttered, hurrying towards the room. Opening the door she saw Emily still inside, eyeing Rhys that was still out cold. "You're hurt," she said, grabbing a piece of paper tissue, handing it to her, "did that bitch to this?" Looking back as if she considered running after her to give her a piece of her mind.

Emily didnt object as Elaine left but she had to admit that her mind began spinning with thoughts. Blood was slowly trickling down. She was a slow healer so it could take weeks before it finally closed up. Or it wasnt even healing, it was just her returning to the state she woke up in. Nyx entered and Emily took the tissue as it was handed to her. “Uh.. yeah, but it’s fine.” She said, feeling the paper soak up the blood. She honestly couldnt be bothered with losing more blood.
She definitely needed a moment after the confrontation with the mean girl, just walking out of the room without a word and heading down the hall. She stopped by a random desk with a stapler that she took with her. Some guy went outside to smoke in what seemed to be a small rundown yard and she followed, needing the fresh air. She walked a few steps and closed her eyes, inhaling deep. Fuck. She took her phone that had died a few hours ago, using the reflection with the stapler as she just stapled the small cut shut. Two did the job and she barely flinched.

Nyx frowned, however she let Emily leave the room, instead moving over to look at Rhys. She was worried for him, even if she was feeling that fear in her, it seemed that she had gotten a bit used to it. Not that it didn't scare her, of course it did, but she was associating it with Rhys, so she knew she was practically safe. "I'm sorry .. If I had just made the right choices .." she sighed, looking down, feeling rather shameful. She looked at his hand, seeing how it wasn't under the duvet. Had Emily really been sitting here holding his hand? Not that she had doubted her, but this seemed like something she could relate to. However seeing this also reminded of the guilt she felt in regards to Jason. She hoped she would hear something from him or about him soon enough.

She dropped the stapler on the ground, looking up at the sky as she just drew in deep breaths. Frankly, had she known that this was going to happen, she would have coped better, but she hadnt and now she was here trying to avoid a panic attack in some place she didnt even know where was! The doors sprung open and Jason was hurled out, right into a puddle, though it hadnt been raining today. He had a black eye and some other bruises, coughing and spitting blood on the ground. Emily only glanced at him but decided to turn back to her stress relief. “A little help please?” Jason grunted, not quite enjoying feeling beaten and soaked. Emily decided to go pull him out of the puddle and away. He looked at her to then see the cut, gritting his teeth as he complained in frustration. “Fuck man, you’re going to get my ass beat twice.”

Nyx felt a little broken inside, but that was when she noticed Rhys' hand twitching and his eyes moving under his eyelids. Her eyes widened, "Rhys?" she asked softly before it dawned on her that maybe she should go get someone. She headed out the door, asking around if anyone had seen Emily and following the clues until she ended up by a door leading to the outside. She opened the door, seeing Jason and Emily, feeling the need to push all her emotions down. "Rhys is waking up," she said, though her face found it hard to emote, so she perhaps looked a little blank.

Helping Jason away from the puddle and closer to the wall where he could sit seemed to be grounding her a little. He didnt speak but neither did she so it was fine. She was sitting down next to him when Nyx found them, getting up as she hummed. “Okay. Thanks.” She said, walking past Nyx, knowing where to go. Jason wasnt going anywhere just yet. “Nyx, sit down with me.” He just said, rather wanting her here than in there once Rhys saw that small cut, even if it seemingly was stapled up, which had been an odd choice of care if you asked him. Emily just made her way to the room, entering without saying a word.

She frowned as she saw how her face looked, but didn't comment on it. About to turn to join, she heard Jason's plea, making her stop moving. Her jaw trembled, turning around to look at how he was right now. The bruises, the spit mixed with saliva still on his chin. However she moved over, sitting down next to him. She felt like she wanted to do or say something, instead she just leaned her head against his shoulder, staring in to the alley. "You're an asshole," she muttered.

Rhys had his eyes open, looking up at the ceiling as he seemingly tried to recall what had happened. His body hurt, all over it seemed, but he wouldn't complain. As the door opened, he feared it was his father, but turning his head he saw Emily. He moved, grunting as he sat up. He could see the cut that had been stapled shut on her cheek, and yet all he cared was that she was here. "I'm sorry," he said, his voice raspy and strained.

"Like shit," he scoffed, looking down as he wasn't sure what else to say. She had moved closer, but she seemed to hesitate. Had he scared her? Was she afraid of him now? He couldn't recall much of what had happened just yet, his body still needing to remember everything from the bits and pieces. "I didn't .. I didn't hurt you, right?" he needed to know. He needed to be sure that he had tried to stay true to his promise. Reaching down he took her hand, carefully and gently, mostly because his hands were aching from the bruises and cuts. "Be honest with me," he pleaded, just needing to know how much he was going to hate himself.

She would have been surprised if he had said peachy and not been all sarcastic about it. But she appreciated the honesty. The question made her frown a little; though he couldnt know why. It could seem like he had hurt her, but maybe he had, just not in the sense he was thinking of. “You didnt.” She said, looking at their hands for a moment, considering what she wanted to say. Frankly, just thinking about it made her a little angry. “Your girlfriend came by.” She said, maybe a little monotone. Was it really a girlfriend? Had he really been juggling this, acting like he really cared but also having someone else to return to? She maybe looked a bit more hurt than intended, even before he had answered.

He hadn't hurt her. Was there something else wrong? She seemed so distant. And she didn't hold back delivering what was on her mind. Girlfriend. He grit his teeth, shaking his head no as he could barely believe what he heard. "That crazed woman is not my girlfriend .. She has never been my girlfriend," he said, already knowing it was Elaine. Who else would claim to belong to him in such a manner? But the damage had been done, as Emily looked hurt. He pulled softly at her hand, wanting her to come closer, his eyes pleading. "I guess it's no use to hide her anymore," wanting to be honest with her, but he also felt so angry because someone had snitched on him. He looked at their hands, feeling ashamed at how broken and bruised his were.
If she would, he would have her sit down on the bed next to him, explaining roughly what him and Elaine had been. Not that he was proud, but that much was clear. He spoke about his addiction, how she had been the one he would crawl to on his lowest. How she indulged him, wanting him to be high and malleable. "But I don't want that anymore .. You've showed me a kindness I'm not sure I could ever be deserving of," looking down as he clearly felt ashamed of who he was and what he had done.

He called her crazed, so he knew exactly who she was talking about, but hearing him call her not his girlfriend, she didnt quite know what to say. Why had Elaine said that then? She did look hurt and as he pulled at her, she considered not giving in. And yet she did, because she was weak. At least when it came to him. “She sounded certain that you would come crawling back.” She said in a quiet tone, seeing how he was looking at their hands. Her sleeves were dirty with dried blood and she hadnt washed her hands, so unlike his wounded but clean hands, hers looked dirty.
She moved over to sit down next to him, ready to listen to what he had to say. Even if it was something that had been forced on them now. When he was done, she was looking away in thought but clearly listening. She turned her eyes to look at him. “Look at me.” She said, as she didnt want him to sit here and feel undeserving. “I dont know what shithead has told you that you dont deserve kindness, but that shithead is wrong.” She said before she leaned over to press her forehead to his. “Everyone looked at you like you were a monster when you got here, but I couldnt see that.” She said before leaning a bit away, lifting her head to carefully kiss him between his brows in a soft peck. “I still dont see it now. And I dont think I ever will.”

Rhys wasn't sure how to really react, but Emily made herself so effortlessly kind, listening to her he could feel his eyes burn a little. The gentle kiss made his heart beat faster, feeling that need to just have her close. He wanted her as close as he could get her, but perhaps now was not the right time. She spoke about not seeing him as a monster, and he felt tears gather in his eyes, looking to her in almost disbelief. Like he thought for sure it was either an elaborate joke or a lie, which would be worse.
But looking at her, he could see that she was being genuine. "I really wanna kiss you right now," he whispered softly, reaching his free hand up to cup her cheek that wasn't cut. He hated seeing the cut on the other cheek, but he could also guess who had given it to her. And that was enough for him to plan revenge. "But I don't want our first kiss to be in this lousy safehouse," he muttered.

She could see the tears and disbelief, and she knew that someone must have beaten and thrown him, calling him exactly that a monster for so long that he believed it too. She wanted to say it over and over, remind him that he wasnt. The whisper made a smile spread on her lips and she felt the hand on her healthy cheek. The mutter however made her sigh as she looked around. Maybe not the ideal place. She muttered something incoherent before she moved out of his grip. Instead she moved over to sit on his lap, looking at him with a softer look in her eyes. If he hadnt heard her, she would just have to repeat herself. “Fuck perfect.” She said, shifting between his eyes.

She moved up, sitting in his lap and his hand rather instinctively moved to grasp at her hip. He still held her face, looking surprised but also somehow relieved. Sitting up a bit, he had to grit his teeth, but he didn't complain. He pulled her down closer to him, taking his time even though he knew he could just rush into it. But that wasn't what he wanted. His breath haltering, he felt nervous, but it also felt right. He leaned in closer, their lips so close and yet so far, breathing her in and taking a second to just relish in the moment. "Fuck perfect," he repeated before carefully and rather tenderly pressing his lips to hers. It felt as if his heart stopped for a good second before kicking in double speed. Had he ever kissed someone this way?