skin.
The movements were numb.
Jarring, they should have been. But he hardly felt his own body make the change from desperate running to rigid forward propulsion. Straight and narrow, unwavering. Like a ship, really, he pushed -- a solid figure alone, silent but sturdy as it made its journey. What he wouldn't give to be sailing now, that comfort long forgotten in wake of this city yet missed all the same. At least those feelings were simple and comforting; they made more sense than what had been suffered this evening.
It was not too long, then, that he reached the address that had been sent to him in what felt like only moments before. Much longer, it had been, as he entered the seemingly empty Inn in the dead of the night. Exhaustion wore on his head and his heart but he trudged forward, the single ship, mast carried by the wind of his own resolve. His own great need to see with tired eyes the relief that had been promised via text message. Fear, however, did not leave him with this. It could have all very well been a lie, a fabrication meant to further harm the situation-- ✖
He trusted Maxie. Too much. ✖
He nevertheless hoped his suspicions would be wrong. Perhaps the one time he truly wanted to be wrong, pride be damned. Room 246... a desolate hallway with poor lighting but a strange welcome feeling. Close, he was so close; his pace quickened, heart now in his throat. 242... 244... there. There. His knocking came immediately, the previous nerves returning as his figure trembled. What was here? Was it what he wanted, what he needed to know as the absolute truth? All he needed was a single look, just to know, just to see-- ✖
The door opened and his breath caught. ...Safe. Only safe and only Maxie. His ship could dock, successful and assured, closing an embrace around the smaller man as a choked version of his name left his lips. He felt different. This was different, strange and new. This frame he had nearly memorized -- stiffened shoulders, posture upright and attentive -- was softer to touch. Warmth he did not expect given how hardened it always seemed. ✖
Embracing magma itself. ✖