how good it feels to hurt

For: Henry @earnedpain Location: Out and About

Nights like this was one of her favorite ways to spend time with him. She had been able to get a rare night off, and she wanted to make the most of it. "Did you like dinner?" She smiled and squeezed his hand as they continued to walk back to the car. "Wait." She stopped and looked up at him. "Didn't they open an ice cream shop around the corner?"

#corrodeddream #henry.#henry x avery.

he liked spending his nights with avery. he was glad that the two of them had established something new together. it was solid , and unlike last time , he wasn't going to let anything or anyone stand in their way. he wanted to be with her , and that wasn't going to change. ❝ yeah , dinner was fine , ❞ he answered , smiling slightly. when she said to wait , he paused , furrowing his brows. ❝ oh , i'm not sure. maybe ? we can stop and get some , though. whatever you want. ❞

"Do you really want me to turn around and walk out like I don't know you?" The thought of doing that hurt her. She had been on her own since she left in the middle of the night. She had taken everything that she could to to help her escape. She had planned it for almost a year before she finally had the courage to leave. She wiped her face and shook her head. "I wasn't followed. Matthew wouldn't wait to force me to return if he knew where I was." She was sure of that. "He deserves to have family around." She bounced the boy in her arms and sighed. "He deserves better than all of that."

❝ yes , that's exactly what i want , ❞ jack told her , nodding in confirmation. he didn't know if he could trust her. it was difficult for him to trust a soul , but especially one from his past. how was he supposed to be around her and feel relaxed ? he would find himself looking over his shoulder even more. the realization that they were in public where anyone could hear them truly sinking in. ❝ we cannot talk here , ❞ he told her , shaking his head. ❝ it's too dangerous. ❞ he couldn't take any chances , even if she was convinced she hadn't been followed. paranoia was taking the lead.

There was no way it wasn't him sitting in front of her. She had grown up a lot since he left, but she thought he would still recognize her. She wanted to sit down and ask him every question she had kept to herself since he left. "I don't think you do." She shifted her son to her other hip and shushed him when he started to complain. "I umm... I left a few months ago." She smiled and looked at her son. "This is my son, Levi." He was her entire world, and the reason she had risked everything. "I'm sorry. I'm bothering you, aren't I?"

jack was on edge. he never thought he'd see anyone in his family again. he ran so far and had run for so long. what the hell was any of it good for if he just happened to casually run into his sister ? he couldn't help but wonder if she'd sought him out , or if the meeting was purely coincidental. clearly , she wasn't interested in playing jack's preferred game of pretend. ❝ why are you doing this ? ❞ he asked , shaking his head , keeping his voice lowered. his voice bordered on desperate. ❝ why are you introducing me to your kid ? why did you run ? do you even know if you were followed or not ? ❞

She would know him anywhere. Her brother had been gone for so long, but he was still so easy for her to spot. She didn't know what to say. Her son squirmed in her arms, and she tightened her grip on him. "I umm..." She continued to stand there. "I thought you were dead or something." She whispered the secret she had held for so long. They never spoke about him after he left. Any question she tried to ask was ignored until she stopped entirely. What was the possibility of running into him here?

he kept his distance , eyes darting between her and the small child in her arms. he couldn't have been all that old , definitely a toddler. he had a million questions running through his mind , but he refused to acknowledge that he recognized her. if he did that , he might have to run all over again. he didn't want to establish a new identity. he had put so much work into his current one. ❝ sorry , i think you've got me mixed up with someone else. i probably just have one of those faces. ❞

For: Jack @earnedpain Location: Diner

Gemma had been trying to stay off the grid since she left. It was harder than she could have imagined with her son. The two year old liked to ask too many questions, and she still hadn't figured out the right answers to tell him. He wanted his father and his grandparents, but he didn't understand she left to keep him safe. "Levi, sit down." She begged the child and tried to guide him into the booth. But he squealed and pulled away from her. He ran to the opposite end of the diner, and she apologized to those near her as she chased after him. "I'm so sorry." She reached down to scoop him up and looked at the man beside her. "Sorry about -" She stopped, and her eyes widened. "It can't be."

jack had been blending into the city comfortably enough. he kept his affiliations limited and spent most of his time working at the hospital. he had been gone for years , had been living comfortably enough under his new identity. he hadn't seen people from back home in so long. he was used to kids running around in his preferred diner , it was a family - friendly space , after all. he thought it was a little funny for someone who separated himself from his family to visit a family - owned spot so frequently , but he knew not every family was as fucked up as his own. he stopped in his tracks when his eyes landed on her , a flicker of panic discernable in his gaze before he composed himself. he could maybe get away with pretending like he didn't recognize his own sister. that was what he would try to do , anyways. ❝ sorry , can i help you with something ? ❞ he asked , feigning confusion.