@riverheld āyou know if he had done it, I could have killed him.ā from quINN
ā Ā QUINN⦠ DONāT Ā TALK Ā LIKE Ā THAT. Ā ā Ā it Ā could Ā be Ā an Ā empty Ā threat haphazardly Ā tossed Ā out Ā of Ā rage toward Ā their Ā captors ( Ā he Ā hopes that Ā it Ā is Ā ) Ā but Ā regardless, Ā it Ā sends Ā a Ā chill Ā down Ā his Ā spine. it Ā disturbs Ā luke to Ā hear Ā threats of Ā such Ā violence wielded Ā like Ā theyāre nothing. Ā
still, Ā best Ā not Ā to Ā focus Ā on Ā the Ā what-ifs. Ā what matters Ā is Ā that Ā quinn Ā escaped and Ā that, Ā at Ā least Ā for Ā now, Ā theyāre safe. Ā
he Ā reaches Ā for Ā quinnās Ā hand, Ā enveloping Ā it Ā between Ā his Ā own. Ā he Ā cradles Ā it Ā against Ā his Ā heart Ā like Ā a Ā most Ā precious Ā thing, searching Ā the Ā otherās expression. Ā quinn Ā is Ā not Ā made Ā of Ā brittle bone, Ā but Ā the Ā experience Ā would Ā at Ā least Ā rattle Ā anyone. for Ā now, Ā making quinn Ā feel Ā safe Ā again Ā is Ā what Ā matters.
whatever Ā they Ā must Ā do Ā to Ā truly Ā protect quinn Ā from Ā this Ā ever Ā happening again Ā can Ā wait Ā until Ā theyāve both Ā rested. Ā behind the Ā drawn, Ā flower-patterned Ā curtains, the Ā first Ā ribbons of Ā dawn Ā bleed Ā through Ā the Ā inky Ā horizon. itās Ā been Ā a Ā long Ā night Ā and Ā it Ā is Ā not Ā yet Ā over. Ā
ā Ā are Ā you Ā okay? Ā what Ā can Ā I Ā do Ā for Ā you? Ā ā
āI mean it,ā and this is meant to reassure themself more than him, surely, knowing how much of a pacifist Luke was.Ā āI canāt - I wonāt let it happen again. Iāll kill him if he ever touches me again. I donāt care.ā So much hurt and anger breathed from their chest as they slowly ducked their shoulders, curling themself smaller and smaller to lean against him.Ā
āYou donāt have to do anything,ā briefly glancing up at him, to sign when words would not come, still not meeting his eyes.Ā āJust - stay, please.ā Even though they were in his house and had found him here and felt safe to come here, to come to him - maybe he didnāt want them, still. Quinn would understand. Nobody really wanted more of a mess to clean up after. But ... mm. Their hand was in his and it was still dark and they couldnāt fathom moving much further from where they were now. It was the closest place they could imagine to being safe.Ā


















