Last Stop New Vegas

[Interstellar Bun]

She had blacked out. Or, at least, she had been in too much pain to realize what was happening. One moment she was feeling every nerve in her flesh screaming at her, and the next they were out in the cold air, numb legs stumbling and tripping as she tried to sprint along side Ben. Tears were cutting lines down her dirty cheeks through no accord of her own. She didn't have the ability to stop them even if she tried.


Down in the hole, Darling was starting to truly get control of her thoughts once more, her motor skills returning. Ben had curled up next to her holding her close, and she wrapped her arms around him in the tightest hug her muscles could manage. She was shaking, half from the electricity she had been flooded with, half out of pure terror. She couldn't even justify it as needing to take up less space, right then, she just needed someone to hold on to, someone to reminder that she was still alive.


Pain was setting in, then, the feeling of her burned flesh twisting in on itself, the sharp pain that flooded her palm and torso. Every bit of her hurt, and yet, she couldn't cry about it, not now, not when she could hear the sounds of the Legionnaires approaching their hiding space.


She realized, then, that she had lost not only her knife, but her gun as well. They were defenseless, at the mercy of those who might find them.


Hiccuping on a sob, she hid her face in the side of Ben's shoulder to try and silence herself. God please don't let them be found.


She heard his whispered thank you's but dared not try to respond verbally. Her face still tingled from the electricity and trying to talk wouldn't help either of them now. When this was over, he could thank her then, for all she knew she might have just gotten them in to even more trouble. Until then, she'd be trying to tell herself this was all just a nightmare. If she shut her eyes long enough, maybe she'd wake up.


Maybe she wouldn't hurt any more.


The noises got louder and Darling held her breath, willing her twitching muscles to still for the fear that even the softest sound might alert the Legion to where the two hid.

 

[CortezHorse]

Ben could feel her twitches, the wet tears on his shoulder and he moved a hand up into her hair. Threading his callused fingers into her curls, he rubbed her scalp soothingly as the sounds of footsteps shuffled right above their heads. Dirt and sand was kicked into the den as the legionnaires milled about, obviously having lost the trail. Hope sprang up in Ben’s heart; they didn’t know where they were.


“They couldn’t have disappeared!”


“They’ve got to be hiding somewhere.”


Ben’s muscles tensed and he squeezed Darling a bit tighter as he waited for their next step.


“Well, they’re obviously not here so what do you suggest we do?”


“We keep searching until we find them. They couldn’t have gotten far. Fan out!”


The voices and the footsteps began to move away and soon it was quiet. They’d escaped, it was done. Ben pressed his face into Darling’s hair, finally able to make noise now and quietly shushed her.


“We’re ok, it’s ok. We’ll stay here for the night and move in the morning. We’re ok.”


They didn’t have anything to treat her wounds, nothing to ease her pain for the night. So in the only way he could take care of her right now, he continued to hold her, to pet her hair and murmur to her. She’d come back for him and he didn’t know why.

 

[Interstellar Bun]

They hadn't been found. The legionnaires had walked right past them.


The sudden shift from fear to relief was enough to leave her head spinning, swimming in emotions. Through it all, the pain and the blind plans, they had both come out of it alive. Ben didn't have to go back to the people who had enslaved him, and the other three were probably free as well. She felt her body relax into his.


It was nice to feel his hand in her hair, to feel his breath. It was a reminder that, not only were they alive, but she wasn't alone.


She heard his words and, instead of comforting her, they only served to remind her of one detail they missed.


"Have to go get Freckles first."


Her words lacked the precision she usually spoke with, half the sound lost into his shoulder. The reminder that she had left their dog out there, in a back pack, alone, still managed to beat out all of her other worries about her own wounds. They could get their dog, and then hide and wait until morning came and the Legion were truly gone. Maybe their luck was enough to last them for one more blind sprint.

 

[CortezHorse]

Have to go get Freckles first.


He smirked against her scalp; there was the Darling he knew. Despite everything they just went through she was worried about a dog. Well, at least if they went to get the pup tonight then he could get her some medicine for the night as well. They’d be further away from the camp and the further away the better.


“Alright, don’t worry we’ll go get here. Come on.”


Without a thought to it, almost like an instinct before he left, he pressed a quick kiss to her forehead before shimmying out of the den. Had this been any other situation he would have been wracking his brain about what he’d just done but tonight a young woman he’d known for a few short days had just rescued him from slavery. His mind wasn’t on anything else except the awe he held for her.


He helped her ease out of the hole and let her lean against him as they walked. The night air was deadly silent but Ben was on high alert for any sort of sound. The large rock was in sight and Ben grinned as the approached it. It seemed like they were in the clear for the night.


They rounded the rock as there stood Freckles, awkwardly standing guard on top of their packs. Her nubby tail began to wag so fast it almost vibrated and she seemed to be smiling at the sight of them.


“See? She’s fine.”


They couldn’t stay here though, had to keep moving but he’d treat Darling before any of that. A quick peek at the packs told him that the three other captures had taken some supplies but thankfully left enough for the two of them. He took out her first aid kit, digging through the contents before pulling out a syringe of Med-X, ointment and bandages.


“You ready?”

 

[Interstellar Bun]

He kissed her forehead. The tips of her ears warmed slightly, though over all, the expression left her feeling comfortable. Grabbing his hand with the one that wasn't still raw and covered in her own blood, she pulled herself out of the hole. The journey was a short one and if nothing else got her spirits up after all that, seeing Freckles wiggle in excitement would do the trick.


Darling felt herself smile weakly, leaning against the rock as she reached down to gently scratch the pup's ears, wincing at the strain it put on her side that had been shocked. It seemed anything she did hurt.


She offered him her arm, barely considering the risks of using Med-X. Always on the straight and narrow, Darling had never been addicted to anything, though she had heard stories about how awful the substance could be to those who weren't careful. Surely one injection wouldn't hurt her, it wasn't as though she had packed an endless amount of the stuff. It would just take the edge off.


"Yeah. We can wrap my hand first and," she let out a hiss through her teeth, "maybe I can take care of my side after we find a place to sit and hide out. My ribs are killing me."


She was starting to sound better, if nothing else.

 

[CortezHorse]

After the injection, Ben set to work on doing his best to clean and wrap Darling's hand then smeared a bit of ointment gingerly to her side. It wouldn't do much but soothe the seared flesh and help keep out infection but it was better than nothing. Once he'd done all he could do, Ben packed away their things, pulled his duster on and then both the bags, placed Freckles into one of his large jacket pockets, slung his rifle over one shoulder and supported Darling with the other.


"Alright, here we go. Nice an' easy."


Then they set off, their pace slow and gradual, the line of travel arching to get them as far away from the camp as possible. They'd been set off the path for the Strip and with the current trail they were taking, while safer due to its distance away from the legionnaires, it was much longer. Ben was unfamiliar with this area anyway and to be thrown so far off track was more than troublesome. He could get them there, sure, but were their enough stops in between to buy enough supplies? Would they run out and die under the hot sun?


The cool night begin to give way to daylight and as the sun began to crest Ben felt exhaustion catching up to him. He knew if he was zapped then Darling was really feeling it. They'd been walking for so long that surely it was safe to rest and really tend to her injuries. A ramshackle barn was the first shelter they came upon and Ben didn't give it a second thought. He nudged the door open with his foot, cautiously peeked inside, when nothing but dust and silence greeted him he helped Darling sit down, plopped Freckles out of the pocket and began unloading their supplies.

 

[Interstellar Bun]

It didn't take long for the drug to take effect, leaving darling a bit too weak on her feet to walk properly. Leaning on Ben, she fought the waves of exhaustion that washed over her as they walked forward in the darkness. Things seemed to blur, though if that was a result from a lack of sleep or the Med-X, she wasn't quite sure. All she knew was that she wanted to stop. She wanted to lie down on the cold, hard, dirt and shut her eyes for days. That, however, was not possible.


She didn't notice the light, didn't even notice the barn until Ben lead the way towards it. The idea of being safe, even here, was one she found she couldn't quite fully believe in. Not any more.


Sitting on the ground, the blonde all but toppled over, laying on her side as she stared off at the far wall. The medicine was starting to ware off, and with it came the dull throbs of pain. Ben worked to get things set up, to make sure things were okay, and she couldn't have helped if she wanted to. Darling had been pushed to her limit of what she could take and do in a single day and it was the exhaustion that truly crippled her in the end.


"Can we just stay here for the day, Ben?"


Her eyes had fluttered shut by then, as keeping them open proved to be too much of a struggle.


"I don't think I can keep going like this. I just...need a day."

 

[CortezHorse]

I dont think I can keep going like this. I just..need a day.


Ben looked up from unloading their gear, Darling was already splayed out on the ground and on the cusp of sleep. His face twisted into an expression of concern as he walked the few steps to her then knelt down again, the first aid kit clanking down beside him.


"Yea, we'll stay here and get some sleep. Dont worry yerself."


He brushed the hair from her face before gently pushing her up into a sitting position.


"Sorry Darling but I need to get the vest off of ya."


Ben knew she was hurting and did his best to be as gentle as possible with his motions. The vest came up over her head without little trouble, thankfully it was too large on her and was easy to keep away from her side as he pulled it off. Now that he had better access to her burn he set to work cleaning every inch of it before injecting her with a stimpak and covering the sight with a bandage.


"There ya go. You'll be good as new before ya know it."


He offered her a weak grin before standing back up to go back to work on securing their temporary hide out. After securing the door with some old bulky equipment around the barn, he came back and sat beside Darling once more and without a word offered his lap as a pillow.


"I'll keep watch, you just get some sleep."


Freckles toddled over after make sure the place was secure herself and cuddled up next to Darling, giving a loud, squeaky yawn.

 

[Interstellar Bun]

A few winces were drawn as he doctored her wound up, but nothing more. By the time he had settled down beside her, she was almost asleep already. Scooting just enough to let her head rest on him, Darling let out a sigh, her arm moving to drape across Freckles and hold her close. She mumbled something mostly incomprehensible that might have sounded like a 'thank you' before losing the battle of sleep for good.


Perhaps it was a good thing she was so tired, after all, it meant she was too exhausted to dream. There was no mulling over what she did, and in her sleep, she could forget just how much her skin hurt and the fact that no matter how good Ben's handy work was, she'd still come out of this with a brand new, ugly scar on her side. Save for her breathing, a sound that was slow and steady, she was all but dead to the world, completely oblivious of the fact that she had been out for hours. Freckles woke before her and moved, leaving Darling's arm to drop limply onto the ground without so much as a huff of reaction.


It wasn't until the barn started getting uncomfortably warm from the sun glaring down on them that she actually began to wake.


Eyes slowly opening, it took Darling a moment to realize where she was. The place was unfamiliar and it took a second for her memory to catch up with her. The pain had died down, mostly due to the simpak she figured, but it was enough to make her grumble uncomfortably. Not sitting up, as she figured that would be far too much effort just yet, Darling settled for turning to rest on her back, stretching out her legs that had been tucked up close to her for far too many hours to be comfortable.


"Oh Christ." The words came as Freckles suddenly decided Darling was interesting enough once more to clamber on top of her, tiny paws hitting a few aching spots on her torso. There was no fighting the dog, though, not when she was licking Darling's face. The most she could do was keep her from stepping on anything too tender.


"Alright, I'm up- 'm up."

 

[CortezHorse]

Ben had sat patiently still for hours as Darling slept. Her head in his lap he found himself looking down at her more often than not, palming back sweaty hair from her forehead. She could have been killed because of him. Why would she risk it all? He'd known people longer than he'd known Darling, been closer to others, had more intimate relationships with others and still those people wouldn't have done what she did. This small, scrap of a woman was definitely more than she appeared.


When she began to stir he pulled his focus away from the far wall and looked down at her, quietly waiting as she brought herself back to the waking world. He softly shoo'd Freckles off of her who ungracefully plopped to the ground and settled for awkwardly bounding about the barn. Ben rolled his eyes at the goofy pup and leaned over, plucking a bottle of water out of his pack before shaking it above Darling's head.


"Thirsty, sleepin' beauty? And not that I'm complainin or nothin' but my legs have been asleep for bout an hour now."

 

[Interstellar Bun]

"Hmmm? Oh, sorry."


One hand braced on the ground, she pushed herself to sit up, rolling her neck to either side to stretch it out.


"But you know, it's your own fault for being such a good pillow."


It was amazing what a bit of sleep could do to make her feel better. Taking the water, she cracked the top off and took a long, glorious drink. Even then, something stopped her from indulging too much as she was reminded that their water was more than limited. They'd have to be careful, now, especially since Ben wasn't overly familiar with the area.


Handing the water back, she let out a quiet sigh, eyes staring at the floor pensively for a long moment before they flickered back to him.


"How are you feeling?"

 

[CortezHorse]

How are you feeling?


Ben stayed silent for the moment as he stood up with wince and a stretch. How was he feeling? That was probably one of the more loaded questions he’d been asked in awhile. Physically he could have been better but it wasn’t hard for him to push through the pain. The three angry welts on his back had swollen until the skin broke and were now turning a dark, ugly bruised color; easy to see under the thin fabric of the dirty, used rags the legion had give to all the captures. His neck and wrists where his collar and bindings had been were sore and raw. All of the wounds of an abused dog.


He was free though, thanks to Darling he didn’t have to worry about enduring such treatment day in and day out. The thing that bothered him the most, that truly worried him, weren’t the lashes or the marks around his neck; it was the fact that he’d give in so easily. Ben had always thought that after he was free of that life, after the years of pushing past the conditioning the legion had put him through he truly thought he was stronger than that. He believed that he was no longer a beast of burden but that simpering slave had apparently always been right beneath the surface. It only took the flip of a switch and he followed orders without a question again, allowed humiliation without even the slightest hint of anger because he deserved it. The conditioning was still there, still telling him that he was only a tool, an animal and that whatever the legionnaires did to him and gave him he should be thankful for.


For years Ben had put off going to the Strip because he feared leaving the safety of the areas he knew, feared being captured again. Now that he knew how easily he would cow down and allow himself to be taken back into that life again; he was scared. Now that Darling was in the picture, he had to ask himself if he was as grand of a protector as he thought himself to be. Could he really get her safely to the Strip? After what she’d done for him he had to. He had to keep her safe and get her to her destination. He owed her that and so much more.


“I’m, fine.”


He finally answered half heartedly as he pulled out small helpings of jerky for each of them from his pack, coming back to sit by her.


“Eat somethin.”


He handed some jerky off to her then smooch to Freckles, smirking as she toddled over as quickly as she could, then shared some of his dried meat with her.


“So, how you feelin? Had to do a bunch of stuff you never thought you’d have to do I reckon.”


It was an uncomfortable subject for her he was sure and if she didn’t want to talk about it she didn’t have to but he wanted her to know he was there if she did. She’d had such a hard time with the raiders and that was only shooting them. This time she’d killed men with her hands, that was an entirely different level.

 

[Interstellar Bun]

"I want to say I'm fine, but...I'd be lying."


She had gone back to staring off, intentionally not looking at him or Freckles as the dog happily gnawed at the meat. Darling, in all honesty, wasn't feeling that hungry. She should be, and she knew she had to eat something, but the idea wasn't appealing. Fingers absently messing with the jerky, she rolled her lips as she tried to put words to what she was feeling. Expressing herself had never been difficult before, she was more than ready to tell people if she felt happy or uncomfortable, if she was angry or sad, but this was something different.


"I mean, I know people kill all the time, and I probably seem like a...a child getting so upset about it, but I slit their throats, Ben. It wasn't even spur of the moment, I had planned to kill them and what really scares me most is how- how easy it was at the time."


The grip on the jerky tightened.


"I just kept telling myself I had to do it, I had to get you back, that I couldn't just let this happen and I-I couldn't be a burden. I couldn't be the reason you got hurt. Then in the tent..." she shook her head, falling silent before forcing herself to speak up once more, "I've never been so frightened, so sure that I was going to die. I thought of the girl who got shot, the one that we just tossed out, and I realized I was going to end up just like her. No one was going to remember me, no one would even know what happened to me. Now? Now I don't know how I'm feeling. Thankful to be alive and have you with me, I guess, but everything else just makes me feel-" Darling just shrugged.


She continued to search for a word that would sum it all up, a single word that could express just how empty she felt, just how sick she became when she looked at her own hands. Maybe she was still tired, maybe she shouldn't even be talking about it. He could have stopped listening long ago for all she knew, after all, she was probably just rambling at this point.


Darling frowned as she found the word that had previously eluded her.


"Broken."

 

[CortezHorse]

Ben’s brow furrowed with concern as Darling continued to speak. He hated she had to go through all that and even more that she went through it because of him. His eyes flicked to her hands and he slipped his own rough hand over her wrist, giving it a squeeze.


“Well..”


He began, pausing for a moment, not truly knowing what to say to her to make her feel better. To let her know that she shouldn’t feel the way she was feeling.


“I dunno if it makes it better but if there’s anyone who deserves to die it’s the legion.”


He pulled his hand away from her wrist and rubbed at his raw neck.


“They took away my sister, my dad, my mom. Everyone. I lived for almost twenty years believing that my purpose was to serve them and that if someone laid a hand on me then I deserved it and I was to thank them for correcting me.”


His eyes became distance for a moment as he stared at the far wall.


“If you hadn’t come, if you hadn’t planned it out then there’s no doubt I would’ve died there and thanked them for every lash. Those women would have become sex slaves and had the same fate as my sister.”


Ben then turned to her, his eyes focused on her as he reached out and ran his fingers through her curls; his rough calluses snagging onto her fine hair.


“I would’ve remembered you though Darling, you don’t gotta worry bout somethin’ like that. You don’t gotta be scared of how easy doin what you did was. You were fightin for somethin’ and that’s what made it easy and I owe you my life because of it.”

 

[Interstellar Bun]

She felt his eyes on her and finally was able to pull her gaze from the floor to look at him. They had been far too close to one another the night before when they were hiding, of course, but that had been different. Now, he willingly touched her, something that struck her as odd since he had never seemed too keen on physical contact before.


But, she supposed going through all that would make them a bit closer.


"You don't owe me a thing."


She had promised, after all, had given him her word that she wouldn't abandon him. He didn't owe her for keeping her word.


Breaking off a piece of the jerky, she held it out and let Freckles eat it.


"It's just something I need more time to really get over it, I guess. But I don't regret it. I'd do it again in a heart beat if I had to because I couldn't just let you get hurt like that again. You deserve better."


And for whatever reason, she needed him to know that. Despite the fact it had been a living nightmare, despite the fact it left her feeling sick and wanting to just turn around and go home more than anything, she'd do it again. They had both come out of this alive and that's what really mattered in the end. They had a chance to get better.

 

[CortezHorse]

You deserve better.


Ben let his hand drop back to his side and he smirked, his eyes going to the floor. Yet again his bubbly travel partner had surprised him by telling him something no one else had ever told him. He deserved better; that phrase was so simple but it meant so much.


"Thank you."


She'd be alright,with time they both would. The easiest thing about this was they had someone to lean on as they healed. There was no heroically bearing the burden alone, there was now someone he trusted to talk openly with and that filled him with so much hope he wasn't sure what to do with it. He was scared of their journey to the Strip, afraid of the conditioning that lurked under the surface in his mind but knowing he had Darling, someone he could trust and count on, made it seem that much easier to take on the challenges ahead.


"How's that side of yours feelin'?"


They could stay here as long as she needed, there was no rush now and honestly Ben wasn't in a rush to get back out in the open with angry legionnaires actively looking for them.

 

[Interstellar Bun]

Her hand lifted, gingerly touching her side. That proved to be a bad idea, though, as the pain was enough to make her wince. So long as she didn't touch it, she'd probably be fine.


"Well you probably can't hug me for a while, but I don't suppose that's too much of a problem."


The words came with a smile, a gentle nudge to his arm with her elbow. Moping about wouldn't help her any no matter how tempting it was. She couldn't go back, couldn't make Ben keep going on past that hide out so the Legion never found them, couldn't undo the choices they had made. What they could both do, though, was move forward.


Finally, she ate.


"It still stings, but it's not so bad. So long as I'm gentle with it, I think we'll be able to get moving just fine. Did you get hurt at all during all that mess?"

 

[CortezHorse]

She nudged his arm with a tease and Ben smirked, staring at the floor while he grunted in response. Honestly he hadn't taken much notice into the ease with which he now approached physical contact with her. It was like a wall had came crumbling down after last night and all of the small touches he was showing towards her were second nature and done without much thought to them. Despite this he still smirked, blushed and muttered when Darling insinuated that there might be any hugging between them at all. It seemed something inside of him had clicked open when it came to being more free towards her but as far as it went, Ben was still a huge dork when it came to pretty women.


He looked back up to her when she began talking once more but it didn't last long. Once she asked if he'd been hurt a look of shame came over his face and his gaze diverted to the floor once more, his hand going up to rest on his shoulder. He could feel the ache on his back, the pull of swollen skin when he'd move. It was humiliating to have marks like this.


"No, I'm fine."

 

[Interstellar Bun]

She frowned. There was no mistaking the change in his expression, and if that didn't give it away, the fact that her question had made him touch his shoulder did. Drawing one leg in from where it had been stretched out on the floor, she turned to look at him better.


"Let me see."


The words were tender, her resolve subtle as her brows furrowed in concern. It would have been easy to let him be, to silently accept that Ben wouldn't ever be completely candid, but Darling wasn't one to take the easy path. He was hurt, and though he didn't want to admit it for a reason she probably couldn't understand, that wasn't going to stop her from trying to make it better. If he asked her to leave it alone once more, she would, but she'd had to at least try.


"Please."

 

[CortezHorse]

Ben was struck with the genuine concern in her voice and expression. He looked up, his eyes locking with her grey ones for a moment before he looked back down and, with a sigh, began pulling his shirt off. His face was pinched in a look of discomfort as the fabric slid over his head, revealing his marked back. It was hard enough that he was letting her see his scarred, ruined body but the darkening welts on his back was only a reminder of how weak willed he was. They said, not only am I ugly, but I'm also a coward.


He kept his eyes locked onto the tattered shirt balled up in his lap. The legionnaires had made all four of them change when they'd made camp, burned their personal clothes while they stood naked then had them slip into these filthy, tattered excuses for clothing. If it wasn't for the fact he had nothing else to wear he would have already been out of the horrid things, all blood and dirt stained from him and those of the past.


It felt almost wrong to have Darling worry over him after everything she'd already done. She'd killed and was injured to rescue him now here he was showing her his own wounds.


"It..it's fine, Darling. You got your side and everythin' to worry about. I'm just..bruised up a bit is all."

 

[Interstellar Bun]

The sight of the welts on his back made her suck in a breath through her teeth.


"Oh Ben."


The wounds looked bad, but more than that, she was starting to really understand how much they had hurt his mind in addition to his body. He had lost everything to the Legion once, and to be in that same powerless position was a horror she couldn't begin to imagine. If she had any hesitation when it came to touching his ruined flesh, it was hidden by her leaning to reach over for her kit. Rummaging through it, she found what she had been looking for. She squeezed the contents of the tube onto her hands and started applying the salve to the welts, hoping to sooth any stinging and pain that was still there.


She kept her touch light, her motions smooth and languid as she tried to refrain from making things worse than they already are.


"We're a really unlucky duo aren't we?"

 

[CortezHorse]

He winced when her fingers made contact with his tender flesh, his eyes squeezing shut, the muscles in his back tensing at the unfamiliar sensation of a gentle touch. His reaction wasn't really one of pain but one more of anxiousness. Ben was never touched like this, not since he changed into what he was now. Rightfully he knew that Darling wouldn't hurt him but at his core his body tensed, waiting for the blow that always followed after any touch and when the strike never came he opened his eyes. Her touch was still light as air and as smooth as silk. Visibly, his body relaxed and he sighed out the breath he'd been holding in.


We're a really unlucky duo aren't we?


Ben huffed his raspy laugh then gave a brief nod.


"S'pose we are. I've never had no luck so it's prolly just me rubbin' off on you."


He leaned back, just a bit, into her touch. It was to tempting not to, he was practically putty in her hands.


"Guess you made the wrong choice when you helped me at the beginning, hm?"

 

[Interstellar Bun]

"If anything, it was you who made the wrong choice when you let me tag along. Surely you're smart enough to know not to let any girl who flutters her lashes at you just follow you about."


Darling was, without a doubt, teasing.


She could feel it when he finally relaxed, leaning into her hands. It was odd how easily she could forget that Ben was affected so heavily by time and radiation despite the fact that she saw him every day. She had become accustomed to his features, but this was one of those moments when she realized he was, in fact, a ghoul. Wounds tended to, she let her fingers drift just a little bit away from the lashes, tracing the lines along his back. If asked why, she'd be unable to give a better answer save for the fact that it was interesting.


"But it hasn't been all bad, right? We've managed to survive this long, we got to listen to the rain once, and we even found a dog."


She smiled, never able to be anything but optimistic for long.


"There's only so much bad luck one person can have, we're bound to get another break of bliss soon."

 

[CortezHorse]

Surely you're smart enough to know not to let any girl who flutters her lashes at you just follow you about.


Ben scoffed but seemed to be in agreement.


"Don't I know it. You women are trouble, let me tell ya."


He teased back at her but went silent when her fingers began to wander along his back, away from the ugly welts and onto the uneven planes of skin surrounding them. He could feel her tracing the scars and grooves of his deformed back and while he would have expected to be self-conscious, he found that he couldn't control the tremble that his muscles gave when she began her exploration. His head dipped down a bit, back arching to subconsciously offer her more area for exploration.


Her bright, optimistic tone was back at Ben grinned to himself at hearing that.


"Nah, not all bad. Yer pretty good company sometimes."


His voice sounded almost sleepy as he sat there, arched like a cat into her touch.


"Maybe with our next stroke of luck we'll find a dog that can actually do somethin'."

 

[Interstellar Bun]

In all honesty, she had expected Ben to flinch away. The fact that he leaned in to her touch was a surprise enough to make her stop for more than a beat, hands simply lingering there. Realizing she had been given permission to continue, that he was comfortable enough to allow this, Darling went back to following the lines and dips, drawing small pictures as she went along. It was like he had a road map spanning his back and there was something oddly nice about just taking a moment to breathe, to see Ben relax.


"Do something? I'm offended on Freckles's behalf. She does plenty, like bite your fingers and wake me up for example. Really, she's a vital member of this group, I don't know how we got along without her."


She smoothed her hands across his shoulders before breaking the contact in full.


"Does your back feel any better?"


The question was posed as she leaned back to give Ben his personal space once more, not quite realizing until then just how close she had gotten. It wasn't a problem by any means, but she assumed after the almost tired reaction faded away he'd want some room to breathe.