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No. No I won't. I promise.

[That rage burns in him again. Sitting on the floor he puts his head in his hands because he wants to go over and comfort her. He wants to go hold her but he doesn't trust himself.

A hand drags across his face.]

I did that once. On accident. My father beat me senseless. I broke some stupid artifact from Iraq? Maybe China? I don't remember.

[His voice goes dead.]

He claimed it was valuable. That it had some kind of supernatural power. [His tone is angry.] It was just clay and dirt and stone. That's all anything is at the end.

[Staring at his hands before looking back at her he swallows. He is still emotional.]

If this is supernatural, what's happened to us? What does that mean for anything else? For...the end of our world? For Nic and Amalia? ...For my daughter?

For you?

[For me. Me. All the things in life. He stares at his hands before rising.]

I can't think of this now. I can't. I just - You know I'd never hurt you right?

[With him sitting on the floor like that, Alex just slips from the bed. Her movements are more graceful than they otherwise would be, stepping easily between the piles of things that he'd made. Normally it would have been far more of an issue, but Alex walked like it as though it was the parting of the sea.

Naked and not caring about it, or the stupid flowers that were now a tangled and matted mess in her hair, she just kneels down in front of him.

Carefully, gently, Alex reaches out and captures his chin, holding it and forcing him to look at her. The wreckage of the makeup is still present and there, but her eyes are calm. They're serene almost and when she wraps her arms around him, there's a calming hum to her tone. Just soft, just enough to soothe out some of his edges before she speaks, the same melodic notes there in her tone.]

I know you wouldn't, Richard. I know you wouldn't. And everything else can wait until you're you know, more you again.

[Later, much later, he will thank her for this. For that calming notion. Now he dimly registers that this isn't normal. That her voice should not be this calm, but it is, she is, and when she holds him he leans into her and purrs. It feels like a natural noise to make as he catches her hand against his.]

I meant what I said.

I wanted us to be together. I just didn't expect it to be so...grr.

[He offers that familiar soft chuckle but he squeezes her fingers.]

Listen while we ride this out I'm going to make decisions, but I need you to ...I need you to be my conscience okay? Behind...something something is a strong woman and that's you. That's not me. I'm not my father. I'm not Coralee. I don't like feeling this...this out of control.

[He kisses her knuckles.]

Okay. I’ll help. I promise. But that means that you need to listen to me, yes? You always need to listen.

[The melodic calm is in her voice, and she just rubs her thumb along the inside of his palm slowly and gently, the calm there too as she just hums softly again, reenforcing it.]

Listen, my Hades and know that I’m yours and have been from before we ended up here. Listen and know I’m yours and that I’m safe and that you’re safe when I am with you. Whatever else happens I’m here. I’ll help. We’re going to get dressed, go to this tea and calmly talk to Jon. You can disagree with him all you want as long as you’re you know you about it and not what just happened.

I don’t know what his world is like, but he’s seen some things, Richard. And he’s covered in scars and you’re going to be calm when you argue with him.

And I will be there holding your hand while you do it. Because I know you’re not going to scare me like that again when you’re holding my hand.

[Yes.

Yes.

His hand reaches for hers and he squeezes it before leaning against her.]

Persephone.

[He chuckles] In the myth she also pleaded to prevent Hades from hurting people. She was also capable of incredible acts of wrath herself though. Turning the nympth Minthe into the mint plant.

We really will need each other here. And I am not letting you go. Even after all this ends.

Good. [The word comes with a soft laugh and Alex just kisses him gently.] Because I am pretty hard to get rid of. I went to Chicago to make sure you were okay and to drag you back to the world of the living. I’d do it again here you know. And I’d brave whatever monsters there are to do it.

And while I may lack the powers to turn someone into a plant, I am feisty and scrappy and will fight for you so don’t get any ideas, mister.

[He stares at her, tilting his head before leaning against her.]

Get dressed we're going over to my place.

[Because even in the worst moments, he's still - made of terrible decisions. Including leaving this warm space.]

...Please. Pack a bag.

[Yeah. Yeah. He rises and runs a hand through his hair.]

Okay.

[Alex just leans over and presses a kiss to the top of his head as she stands up slowly. It makes sense that he would want her in his space, but hers is... Well, better but she's not going to open things up to such a terrible argument when the wreckage of the last is still around her.

But she does pack a bag, even if her normal clothing feels really odd to her. Frowning at it as she throws button downs and blazers and jeans into the bag, she just looks to him, confusion warring with annoyance through their bond.]

You know. I think I have to go to the market, Richard. None of these things feel right and I don't like it. This is what I wear. It's what I've worn forever and...

[She just rubbed the mark on her neck absently, before letting a brightly colored shirt just drop onto the bed.]

[What disturbs him the most is that he's tempted to let her go naked. Andgo naked himself.

Damn this place because it doesn't look right to him either. Agreed. But he can't say that and he won't. Agreed Agreed Agreed...

Baring his teeth, he fights down another urge I don't want you going out, I'll buy what you need. - but instead he looks at her and reaches for his shirt.]

Alright.

what will you wear in the meantime? While we get you a few nice dresses.

I... I don’t know really.

[Alex just frowns down at her clothing until she finds a white shirt that’s longer than the rest and puts it on. It doesn’t escape her notice that she doesn’t button it all the way.

That she kind of really can’t button it all the way right now. Her shirts were brought when she had more of a flat chest and she frowns.

But when she looks at him, Alex gets an idea.]

I could wear your shirt. And it’s a double bonus because it smells like you too.

[Alex has always been good looking. Richard has liked her eyes, the way she smiles. His throat works when he glances down at her chest before he nods. It was tight on him-

(It's an infection. It's a damn infection)]

Let me button it on you.

[He wants to be close to her no matter what.]

Then we'll go and get you...some things. And me. I suppose.

[Alex just steps forward and gathers her hair to one side so that he can put it on her with a knowing smile. He's not the only person who wants to be close to the other, not by a long shot. It's a reflex for Alex to stand far closer to him than would be needed in order to simply put his shirt on her, which she knows is part of whatever is going on, but she does it anyway.

And she cares about him on a baser level than that. Even before all of this. One thing that whatever the hell is going on is good about is removing those obstacles, even the ones in her brain that normally carry the voice of Nicodemus Silver reminding her about her pesky little journalism ethics.]

Okay. Honestly I'm pretty sure your shirt and underwear actually covers more than the dress they put me in did.

It's better then everything being too tight on you.

[It's so weird to flex his bicep and watch it look like it did in his 20s. His hand unconsciously gropes her chest and he shudders.]

Or maybe you do know what that feels like.

When we're both not in this headspace we need to have a talk Alex.

[He cups her cheek.]

Nothing bad.

I know. We need to talk about is. The real us whenever the hell is going on isn’t going on. But honestly.

[Alex just sighs for a moment, and looks down, trying to find the words for her that are her own and entirely free of what this is. What the bond between them is. How annoyingly right the bond between them actually feels. Because it does and Alex can’t deny that.

But she also can’t deny the flirting and everything else of the last two years. How deeply down the rabbit hole she’d gone with him. How deeply she’d gone down the rabbit hole for him honestly.]

But we’re something even without it. Even if we don’t know what that looks like right now.

[He leans in to kiss her. One long slow kiss before he hugs her tightly. Pulling away, he takes her hand - staring at himself - shirtless wearing those armbands.]

We shop, then we go back to my apartment.

[He should give a reason.]

I want my kitchen.

Well, I mean it's definitely loads better than trying to do it in mine.

[The one failing of her nest apartment: the ability to actually do anything more than make coffee in it. Or heat something with any sort of actual microwave or whatever. So, she's just going to agree as she leans up and kisses him once more.]

Alright. Shopping. Hopefully now that...

[Nope, Alex isn't going to say mated. No way in hell.]

That we're taken the people will leave us alone about that.

[One benefit to whatever physical thing he'd been exposed to was that he's comforting. And she fits in the crook of his arm. Snuggling against her, he gestures for her to follow him out the door, growling at people looking in their direction.

He holds her even tighter when they're outside, eyes watching everyone else.]

I don't like this.

I don’t like it either.

[But Alex moves up onto her toes and kisses his jawline gently.]

Calm, my Hades. No one can take me away from you. No one ever will.

[Leading her down to the market takes far too long for his liking. At least the place is lit up and it's pretty. He bares his teeth at someone for getting too close before they find a booth with that same gorgeous body decor.

He begins to collect flowers and trinkets for her - without her permission.]

[Normally Alex would have frowned at the flowers and trinkets. She's not really someone who wears a lot of jewelry most ever, and only starting wearing makeup within the last few months as her dark circles and looking so tired had gotten to the point of strangers commenting on it. Even then, Alex kept it basic most times: nude eyes and lips to match so that the foundation and concealer didn't make her look washed out. Her only jewelry was her watch or earrings.

But right now, Alex doesn't mind this. This is what he's supposed to do as her alpha and mate.]

[All of this is too flowery and too...hippie for him. He likes maturity. He likes Alex's wild attitude and weird Seattle chic.

Now she's covered in flowers and pearls and she looks beautiful but rifling through these things and growling occasionally at the stall owner, he stops short.

There's a neat little necklace. Picking it up, he buys it and passes it to her.]

This is you.

You. For you.

Please stop growling at people.

[Alex just says the words softly, and she gives him a quick frown but doesn't protest the pearls and flowers that definitely feel too hippie for her too. She's definitely not this--this is way more Nic's department than her own. But it also feels right in some ways and that's frustrating as hell. She's too damned told to have her tastes being changed by whatever the hell this is.

And Alex Reagan had never been a hippie. Not even as a kid.

But the smile that she gives him is her normal Alex smile, one shared over coffees and tapes back home, the soft kind that means that she's really touched by something.]

You remembered I like dogs.

...sorry.

[But then he smiles a little shyly before nodding mutely. The stall stand owner incites a glare as he puts one arm in front of her.]

Take my money and don't look at either of us.

[Later he may apologize but for now the stall stand owner just smirks at him.]

[Alex shifts her weight on her feet and she just gives Richard another frown. When they walk away from the shop order, she pauses. The pause turns into a stop and she just moves onto her toes and kisses him demandingly, passionate. The kiss is a statement in and of itself: this one is mine.

And when she pulls away, she looks more herself than she has during all of this and gives him the look she gives him when he's about to get punched.]

Listen to me, Richard. My Richard. My Hades

[Through their bond there's a calming insistent feeling.]

I know that you can control yourself more than this. The man I love who believes in reason above all else can control this. When we get home, you don't have to control it. I don't want you too. But you can't keep growling at people. You can't keep letting this thing turn you into something that you're not. I'm yours, Richard. If nothing else, you can feel safe in that. No one is going to take me away from you. Ever. Just like no one is going to take me away from you. So please, use all of your stubborn ass skills to try.

[When she kisses him he could take her here and now and she looks so beautiful and she is a perfect match for him, for this pack they could build. Then she speaks.

I know that you can control yourself more than this. The man I love who believes in reason above all else...

Howard was more passionate. His son approached reason because his father had corrupted it. He was determined to be what Howard hadn't been, pursuing reason at the expense of others. He'd only fought against him like this.

Every time he tried to think of a reason for this he got a headache as he wraps his arms around her.]

Persephone.

[He moves to hold her close besides him.]

I know. I know this isn't me. This is more Howard if you ever wanted to get an idea of what my father was like.

[his voice is soft.]

Thank you for being here for me.

God I hope your parents weren't like this. They raised you to be so ...strong. And ...funny and smart.

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