flame on.

mumu w/ audi.

[wingedforyourpleasure]

Javi stepped forward with a bit of a smile at her confidence, sensing the silence around them still stood despite how often it would flicker and disappear under pressure. "That's what you think?" He shook his head. "You know there are others who have tried to hold their own against me for years and only ever end up getting their egos hurt."

[manwithinthefire]

The slightest of smiles laced his features and it caused one to grace her own lips. "I think my ego will be just fine," she replied and stepped an inch closer towards him. The noise around them was still nearly silenced by her as she made it so he didn't have to hear or sense what all was going on outside of this room. "Your ego might not do so well. Is that okay with you?"

[wingedforyourpleasure]

"You'd be surprised by what you'll find here when you get out of this room." It looked misleading from the outside, which was the point with all who they kept inside and safe from being found. If it hadn't been for their connection and the pull that he'd felt on it, there was no telling if they'd ever find each other again. "Promise me you won't do that again. You won't hide from me again," he spoke after a moment as he glanced up again from their hands to meet her eyes with a faint smile. "I don't care about anything out there. I care about you."

[manwithinthefire]

Halle hadn't been able to see what it all looked like from the outside, nor did she see any of it when she was being carried in there. All she had seen so far was the room they were in and Jackson. Everything else was a mystery and one she was willing to let stay that was a bit longer. "I won't," she replied quickly with her gaze lifting to look at him. Giving his hand a gentle squeeze, she offered him a small smile back. "We don't have to go out there now. I want to stay here a little longer. At least, until they start banging down the door."

[wingedforyourpleasure]

Javi watched her with a shake of his head before he picked himself off the steps and headed towards the middle of the gym where the other was wandering around. "I want to not be here at all, but it's not really an option so I'll choose train." If he even thought to step out, even if it to put the place behind him for a few hours meant having to wade through a sea of people and questions that he didn't want to answer. "What do you want to start on?"

[manwithinthefire]

Her head nodded carefully because she understood. Stepping out at any point meant any number of people would be headed in his direction with questions he didn't want to answer and maybe even questions he didn't have the answers to yet. "Hand to hand combat," she spoke after a moment and met his gaze. "I think I can take you now."

[wingedforyourpleasure]

"So whatever we decide for me, it's got to be something we can do with only three hands? I think that means no rock climbing in the training gym either," he joked, though he wasn't upset by them being side by side again. It was an ache that never went away, not enough for him to forget all the years they were together as he smiled slightly at the thought. "We weren't meant to be apart, you know. So it's been weird to think about what's happened for years to us and we don't know the half of it."

[manwithinthefire]

"There's a gym here where you can do rock climbing? I might need to venture out and see this place after all." Her tone was light and she didn't pull away, only keeping her hand pressed to his instead. After the years they had been apart, Halle still couldn't imagine letting go right now. "No, we weren't," she murmured and dropped her gaze to their hands, giving his a gentle squeeze. "But we don't have to worry about that anymore and we've got all the time in the world to talk about everything we've missed."

[wingedforyourpleasure]

Javi glanced up from his position and watched as she walked further into the empty gym, listening to see if the sounds trailed behind her but they were still gone. She was getting stronger. "It's usually that or I train." Though there hadn't been anyone to train that day, most having been sidetracked or completely neglected to show up. "Sometimes there's someone that makes me go outside, but it seems like they don't want to be out there either."

[manwithinthefire]

"Maybe they realize you're stubborn and learn to let up when they know you don't want to go outside." It wasn't exactly him being stubborn right now though and she understood that. If it felt better for him to remain in there, that was fine by her. He would have to leave and face everything going on outside those doors eventually, but it didn't need to be now. "So, sit here or train," she spoke with a nod. "Which one do you want now?"

[wingedforyourpleasure]

Jackson shook his head with a bit of a laugh. "I have hobbies. It's not as if I sat in here and mourned after you all the time," he joked, though there was a dull ache in his chest that reminded him how much he did miss the other. "I meant more like having to find something to fill that space that's been empty for years." His voice lowered slightly, not wanting to drop the conversation back to the past but it was hard to escape. He grinned. "I could only do that if you let go of my hand but the death grip you've got means that I'd have trouble painting with that hand." A slight tease then and he raised their clasped hands up between them before pulling them back down towards his lap.

[manwithinthefire]

She heard the joking tone to his words, but she could also feel the ache that told her everything she needed to know. It had gotten to the point so long ago that she didn't even need to tap into him to feel the truth, especially not if she was right next to him. Her gaze lifted to look at their hands as he lifted them before letting them fall by his lap. "No painting for you, I guess." Her tone was light and there was a small smile on his lips before she shook her head. "Because I'm not letting go." Certainly not in this moment when it had been years and she couldn't imagine doing so.

[wingedforyourpleasure]

"We?" He glanced up over at the other, knowing that the gym was the last place that anyone was going to head with the commotion outside and upstairs, but eventually even others would end up there. He'd have to move to a new space, keep his distance, and hope that things would work out on their own but it wasn't always the case.

[manwithinthefire]

"We," she repeated the single word. Lara let her gaze trail over him for a moment longer before she let steps carry her a few steps around the gym. She didn't want to step on his toes and would leave if he wanted to be alone, but she also didn't mind staying there. In fact, she liked being in there without having to deal with all the noise. "Of course, I can leave you to sit there and keep doing... absolutely nothing. If that's what you prefer."

[wingedforyourpleasure]

"Easier said than done," he replied with a bit of a smile when he could feel her by his side but also the warmth from her hand in his own. "We've never really been able to pick one up before, even though there's plenty around here to choose from." There were others like them, ones that picked up hobbies and chores around the safe house so they could pass the time inside. "Maybe you can help me find a new one."

[manwithinthefire]

Her gaze lifted to look at him with brows pulled together. "All these years and you haven't found one?" Even when he was surrounded by people who had their own or could find something to do to pass the time, his focus was still on her. Halle dropped her gaze and inhaled a deep breath, trying to push the feeling away that she caused him to linger for so long that he couldn't do anything else. "Maybe... we could get you some paint," she said and looked back at Jackson with a smile. "You know, finger painting might be your thing."

[wingedforyourpleasure]

"You wouldn't be so keen on getting out of here when you know what hangs in the balance if it comes down to a tie." Or the fact that there was never a consensus that he made the right decision. It was only his opinion which was often unbiased if he could help it. "People know what happens if they can't make a decision, which is why they start to seek me out ahead of time for an answer that matches their own regardless of what it should be."

[manwithinthefire]

Her head ducked down, knowing he was right and wishing it wasn't true. He had an unbiased opinion of things, strictly because he kept to himself and avoided situations such as this one. "Okay." Her voice was low as she tilted her head to look around the gym. He found so much comfort in this place and she started to feel it as well. "Then we stay in here until something comes up."

[wingedforyourpleasure]

"Now what do I do?" He smirked then, trying to make light of the past few years where he felt empty on the inside and pretended that he was fine for so many others around him. Too many had lost enough that they didn't need to be reminded of others still in that state of loss, or the fact that the two of them had a hand in a few of those losses. "That's taken up a lot of my time since being here, now you're here and it's like I have to start over."

[manwithinthefire]

It had been the thing that took up most of his time and the thoughts in his mind over the years more than anything else. She could practically sense it before, feeling him all those times she tapped in to see how he was. She didn't need to know what he was so sad about when she tapped in because she felt the same. "Find a new hobby, weirdo," she spoke, trying to lighten the tone as she smiled softly at him.

[wingedforyourpleasure]

"Might have a lot more to do with the student than the teacher," he commented with a shake of his head though a flicker of a smile touched his lips then before it was gone again. "You'd know more than I would at this point if it would." Though he always knew there was a risk that he'd be called in, which was all the more reason to avoid it for as long as possible. "They'll figure it out and if they need me, they'll come find me."

[manwithinthefire]

It was only there for a brief second, but she caught the small smile that flicker and quickly disappeared. That was always rare to see, yet Lara could count a handful of times when she saw it all on her own. "Then this is it until they maybe come find you?" With a quirked brow, she pushed herself to stand up and looked over at him. "And if they never need that tiebreaker, then you sit here like this forever? How fun."

[wingedforyourpleasure]

It had always been like that, wherever one went the other was sure to follow and he did as they both sat on the edge of the bed. "Some did. Not many, but a few. I saw them as they came through here over the years and never recognized me but I remembered them." At least to the best of his ability. Every time that someone new came through, Jackson always looked to see if they were Halle even with the flicker of desperation that he'd never see her again. "Even with what happened, there was a part of me always looking for you."

[manwithinthefire]

Each time he mentioned looking for her or wondering about her, it had a weight pressing down on her. She wanted him to move on and be safe, living some kind of life that was better than what they had been dragged into, but he never fully could. Her thumb brushed over the back of his hand and she kept her gaze locked on their hands. "You don't have to look for me anymore."

[wingedforyourpleasure]

"Someone's been practicing." Javi's gaze lifted when the world around them quieted down, glancing back at Lara with a hint of pride in his eyes before it was shifted away into a far off look. "I will." It was a matter of fact that if it came down to it, he would have to be involved to the point of knowing both sides to make the final decision. "Only if it comes down to a split between them."

[manwithinthefire]

There was a small smile on her lips for a moment. "I've had a good teacher. He's better at patience than he lets himself believe." Though, she knew this situation wouldn't be easy for him or anyone else. Even in the time she had been there, it was rare anyone was turned away, but Lara knew this could be a tough situation. "Maybe it won't come down to that."

[wingedforyourpleasure]

"I always wanted to know where you went." It haunted him, the not knowing and thinking the worst with how they'd been split up and hadn't heard or felt anything from her since that night. "And if you were okay. I ended up here, eventually but it wasn't the same. I could never get a feel if you were okay or not, but only heard reports that no one survived." Not other than the handful that escaped. "Though part of me knew that it was what they had to say but still. It wasn't easy without you."

[manwithinthefire]

With her hand still in his, Halle gave a slight tug before turning back towards his bed. Once she sat on the edge, she gave another tug to pull him down so he could sit next to her. "I went everywhere. In the beginning, I couldn't stay in one place very long, so I hid and moved around a lot. I could sort of sense where to not go, which made it easier sometimes." Only ever easier in the sense that she might not get caught, but never in the sense that she felt okay when she always felt alone. "I don't think too many others actually survived. I couldn't... feel any others around that time."

[wingedforyourpleasure]

"That's only to add to the whispers." And he was doing everything that he could to keep them away from him, seeing as he might be called in on the situation sooner rather than later as Javi breathed out a sigh. "How many people you know go out without a word and come back with a half dead girl in their arms?" He shook his head. "Not many. Not without a lot of questions that they're going to have to answer and people most likely won't like the answers."

[manwithinthefire]

Even in the gym, Lara could hear hushed whispers far off in the distance. As best as she could, she pushed a bubble out around them, as if drawing them in to themselves and blocking out the noise outside. "Then they're going to have questions for him and her and they will have to answer them," she said and turned her head to look at him. "You don't have to be the one asking the questions." She certainly knew he didn't want to.

[wingedforyourpleasure]

"I think that came out wrong," he replied with a bit of a shy laugh, having been caught admitting how much he thought about her and held onto them despite being separated. Or gone forever. Jackson shook his head as he squeezed her hand. "I didn't think about how tall or not tall you might have been, more like how much I wanted to talk to you about everything." It felt easier to think that she was still out there somewhere rather than dead and gone for good, even if he was often lying to himself. "You getting taller was something I hadn't thought about but it's hard to not notice now." That and so much more about her as he met her eyes. "That and you're here now."

[manwithinthefire]

Truth be told, she was glad her height wasn't the thing at the top of his mind. It was obvious for both of them, but there were so many others changes she could notice. His laugh, for starters, and the way he smiled when he did laugh. It had her head ducked down again, looking down at their hands for a moment before glancing back at him. "Well, I'm here now, so you can talk to me about everything and ask me anything." If there was only ever one person she could talk to, it was Jackson, and she knew that had once been the same for him as well.

[wingedforyourpleasure]

"They'll only need an answer to the problem that got carried through the door so then everyone has someone to blame when they don't get their way." He knew that wasn't the exact reason, but it felt that way often enough that it only kept him outside of it all on purpose. Too many weren't happy when he was called to make a decision, only because they didn't trust it was the right one. "I'll leave eventually."

[manwithinthefire]

"You stay here to stay unbiased." It seemed obvious, though she still pointed it out. Javi never liked getting in the middle of things and she noticed that long ago. He kept to himself, but then she arrived and kept close to him without him pushing her away like he might do to others. "I think you have time. No one knows anything yet other than he brought a girl here and she didn't die when she probably should have. They haven't even come out of his room yet and she's probably still unconscious."