[ closed thread w/ @latachete ]
he sat in the passenger side of jill’s car for a long time. part of it was out of the physical pain he was in. they had offered to give him a set of crutches as well as a bottle of painkillers, but he had declined. he was black and blue, bruised bones and a fractured ego, but he’d live. at least for the time being. the other part was just the paralyzing fear of what he needed to do.
‘ you should have fucking told her a year ago when i said you should have. ‘
jill’s voice fractures the silence. he nods, face in profile. she’s right, he should have told circe everything but it never felt like the right time… and because you are fucking terrified she’s going to leave you. he is too tired to argue with himself.
“ yeah. i know. i just kept putting it off, thinking that maybe i would find the right words to say and then it would all make sense. and honestly, i didn’t think she’d stay with me this long. “
she scoffs in the darkness.
‘ get the fuck out of my car, byrne, and go tell your fiancee the truth. ‘
nods again and grabs the door handle, the interior washed in yellow from the cabin lights. groans as he slips out of the vehicle and hobbles up the step towards the entrance. casts a glance back over his shoulder, her car still sits there. he wonders if she’s watching to make sure he gets in safely or to ensure he doesn’t chicken out at the last minute. split knuckles fish through his pocket for the keys and slips inside.
the alarm chirps in the darkness. his hand finds the keypad on instinct and pushes in the code. the light turns green, the status: ACTIVE. gently he lays his keys down into the candy dish beside the door, a little ceramic fox sits in an orange sphere of warm light. an electronic candle flickering within it. a little nightlight she leaves on for him when he’s up late.
moves deeper into the house, trying to stay quiet in his lopsided gate. passes the kitchen and see the time in neon: 01:18. shrugs off his jacket through stifled moans of pain and drops it onto the edge of the couch. his eyes adjust quickly and he moves down the hall. their bedroom door is propped open slightly, silvery moonlight falling in strange angles along the corridor.
her form lays beneath the blankets, phone charging on the nightstand. he moves over to the bed and sinks down at the foot. closes his eyes and reconsiders. maybe after he’s slept. maybe in the morning when she wakes up. maybe after breakfast. maybe after redfield calls her into his office.
“ circe… babe. you gotta wake up… i have to talk to you. circe? “
his voice pulls her from a somewhat peaceful slumber and straight into a sleep ridden daze. catching the time on the clock at her bedside, she emits a soft groan. “ don’t tell me you just got home… “ her groggy voice chokes back fatigue.
from the moonlight, the room took on a blueish hue. lights and shadows dance along the sheets as the curtains sway in the breeze of the ceiling fan. eyes begin to adjust and eventually his form becomes a bit more pronounced in the darkness. not noticing his injuries just yet she did however spot how tense he held himself. that in of itself did not sit well with her.
she shifts, getting into a more comfortable position on bed. legs crossed underneath the duvet, her head rests against propped hands. she was giving him her full, undivided attention...however much it may be at this time.