adreamthatrots:
Cathal let out a gasping groan as air flooded back into his lungs. His ribs lanced with white-hot pain. Cracked, maybe. Almost certainly. But nothing punctured. Lights were still boring into him. He felt that someone had drawn close to him, felt the shreds of their warmth. His ears were ringing. He couldn’t hear what they were saying
A massive, damaged hand lashed out, grabbing Pepper’s tiny wrist before she could touch him. The grip was like iron, and…sticky.
“I’m fine,” he hissed, letting her go just as suddenly as he struggled to right himself. The headlights glared across the white expanse of his expressionless mask, flecked with someone else’s blood. A ragged cough tore out of him, hacking and wheezing on the freezing air as it bit into his bruised lungs. Black ichor mixed with blood on the snow. “Don’t touch me.”
Pepper froze. She couldn’t see them, with the way the headlights cast her shadow over the hand clenching her wrist, but she could feel it. The way the fibers of her gloves clung. She could feel the strength in his grip, see the mask on his face. The steel in his voice, however ruined his lungs sounded.
He’s not human. The realization came with no relief.
“I won’t, hon.” The Grey’s voice was a whispered chime in the thick snow. She glanced at the blood flecking his mask. Okay. “You need medical help. I—” She swallowed. “—I have medical supplies, in my car. You can use them. I won’t touch you.”
“No.” Cathal’s iron-like grip finally released her. He got to his feet slowly, coughing and retching. He had no choice but to lift the bottom of his mask away from his face, spitting black ooze onto the snow. Pepper would see the white flash of exposed teeth, skull-like.
“You are. Not human,” he said in a sudden and unintentional mirror of her own thoughts. “I can smell it. You can’t tell anyone. That you saw me. Do you understand?” He turned, looming over her in an impenetrable wall, hand reaching out once more to grab a fistful of her coat. “It is not safe. If you do.”
