laytonxcastillo :
she seemed fine. hours spent examining and running around trying to deal with whatever sickness was sweeping the town like the purge, made it easier for him to tell apart those in need of help and those too stupid to stay put. her mere presence made him angry, concerned, not in the mood to argue and debate all the reasons why she should or shouldn’t be here. people were dying. he was sick. daniela was sick. esme was sick. best thing she could do right now was to stay out of their way. and perhaps it was selfish to think that, perhaps it was not his place to decide. but he couldn’t handle another body on his hands, another worry on his mind. layton tightened the mask covering his face slightly tighter. partly because he needed to protect her and partly because he didn’t want her to know just how sick he’d been. he didn’t want anyone to know. they needed him. “ no. ” he replies in a firm tone, the kind he had very rarely used. especially with her. but it meant no, and that no was final. “ they’re both fine, alright? esme’s busy, dani’s alright i’ll… ” he looks around amidst the confusion and the chaos and thinks fast, pulling her into a small examination room on the side. “ come here…” the door shuts the noise out ever so slightly and he focuses on her, letting go of her arm the second he realised it may actually harm her. “ wait here, alright? i’ll bring dani here and tell esme to come and check you out…alright? you got to stay right here though, okay? you have to promise me.”
stubbornness is delicate in waves , and she knows better than to attest to the way his voice shifted . her eyes narrowed , the muscles between her jaw twitched , and it was a battle to the finish line . “no?” she asked, repeated, incredulously . “what the hell do you mean n–” and suddenly, his grasp is tugging her forward , and her mouth dropped agape . “layton – let go-” with no avail, she finds herself being forced over the threshold of a door. “i said let go—” a repeat, this time harsher than before, snatching her arm back as he released . it didn’t hurt , not in a sense of pain , or physically . but her chest ached, and she had studied him , just briefly , behind a mask . his eyes were darker than before, and her heart began to leap . before she can even question it – she’s turning her back on him and running her hands through her hair. she’s frustrated, beyond belief, beyond poise, beyond any rational thought. “fine-fine i’ll wait-” turning on her heels, she catches a glimpse of the future . it passes her by so quickly , she’s barely able to grasp it . eyes widen , and he’s already at the threshold of the door . “layton —-” voice cracks , and the panic assumed position . she’ll lunge forward against the tile floor, but her retreat out wasn’t quick enough . “LAYTON—” it’s louder this time.








