it knocks the air out of her lungs, everything frozen in time for a second as arms wind around her frame, holding her close, tight. there is hesitation, touch does not come easy to her, rejection having made her weary, the pain of it magnified by time &. repetition. it’s natural though, her arms around his waist, her temple pressed against the column of his throat and her eyes closing tightly, trying to hold onto this, touch - starved kid with sorrow that seems to leak from her pores. a sniff, trying to hold back the tears that falls softly against the fabric of her shirt, sneaking an arm between them, rubbing her nose against her sleeve. ❛ you really think that ? ❜ her voice sounds meek against the certainty of his, her heartbeat slower now, her anxiety feeling manageable ( she remembers reading somewhere that being hugged actually lowered the heartrate, that it helped with panic attacks ) and her tears are silent remains of her turmoil, arms both back around his middle, tightening slightly, hoping to provide him with the comfort he’s just offered. ❛ or are you saying that just to make me feel better ? ❜ she wishes to scream her strength, to unfold her life story, to show him the scars that prove the battles she survived. but there are no word, fear of being ridiculous making her tongue heavier, feeling powerless &. useless, a recurring theme in the running script in the back of her head. eyes close, enjoying the warmth, as if strong arms held pieces together. brown eyes flicker open to catch the sight of tear tracks, slight widening of hues before she takes a small step back, ❛ i’m so sorry, i cried all over your shirt, ❜ fingers useless as they press against fabric, trying to swipe away wetness, sleeves of cardigan trying to wipe her face clean, too embarrassed to look up. little lexi, feeling small against his strength, feeling sheltered as she looks up to sky blues eyes, feeling a mess with red eyes and rosy cheeks. ❛ thank you, fez, for, ❜ shrug cannot be helped, filling the space she doesn’t have the words for.
❝ i really fuckin’ think that. i ain’t the typa person to tell you shit just ‘cause i think it’ll make you happy. shit, if i was tryna do that, i’d tell you that i didn’t sell her the drugs and she prolly got sold fake shit. ❞ that would prove him innocent when he’s guilty, but he can’t blame himself for how rue used what he sold her. HE DOESN’T HAVE THE TIME. fezco feels the tension slowly leave her body through her shoulders dropping against his frame and her breaths becoming more even, letting his eyes close to relish the feeling of RARE PHYSICAL CONTACT. ❝ i swear on my life, lexi. i just saw her yesterday, and she ain’t suicidal. i’ve seen it way too goddamn much, i ain’t see it in her. ❞ he nods his head, affirmatively, blue eyes that are certain fixated unwaveringly on her. it’s inappropriate timing and he feels like a fucking creep, but now more than ever he takes into notice how goddamn gorgeous this girl is. maybe he’s just trying to distract himself from another tragedy in his fuckin’ life, but it’s what he has to focus on right now. NOT FOR HIMSELF, BUT FOR LEXI. when he pulls away completely, he doesn’t know why he did. he finds himself wanting to reach back out and take her back in his arms, but now that it’s gone, he knows the moment is too. he looks down at his shirt, shrugging and wiping at it with his thumb. ❝ no sweat. cheap ass shirt anyways. ❞ it wasn’t, but she didn’t need anything else on her plate to eat herself alive over. ❝ what d’ya need, lil’ howard? i can close up shop, we can go visit her an’ make sure she’s good with your own two eyes. ❞ he hopes he hides the fear, sadness, in his own voice well enough. FEZ, ALWAYS THE PROTECTOR, NEVER THE PROTECTED.