Realistic or Modern Taking it Slow [P]

[Admiral_Jesus]

"Hey, it's okay. I literally just shattered a bottle against a wall, I'm not judging," she said, still suppressing the fact that she was in tremendous pain, and doing it rather well considering the circumstances. She helped him wipe away some of the tears, and sighed."This isn't- don't... don't say that. You don't have to make up for anything. This isn't... I don't do that. Things got fucked up, both of us did things that... weren't ideal, but... we're okay. I'm okay, you're okay. I don't... I don't want you doing things because you feel you owe me. What we did tonight on the cliff, I did because I wanted to. And we both aren't... feeling perfect, and I know that sucks, but- we can't make each other feel better on the spot. Especially not by making this whole thing... transactional, okay? I wanted what happened as much as you did, and I don't regret it. Don't pay me back for something that doesn't have a price, okay? I didn't... sell you anything. I didn't sell you... that," she said, leaning back against the wall in an attempt to undestroy her back, a wince finally escaping her lips as she clutched her back, pulling away from the embrace as Gabe finally calmed down.

"I think everything happened... so fast, and we both thought it was ready, and it was a way to blow off steam, but... it's obvious in hindsight that it did way more than that. We just- rgh, we just need to adapt, and... try to figure something out that works. And I don't know what that is yet, and you don't need to know either. But... if we go out tomorrow, it's not going to be like tonight," she warned, her eyes screwing shut as she laid her back flat against the wall. "I am- in so much pain, and I can't exactly get it on when... you know, pain," she said, the activity of the day they'd just left behind, combined with the emotional thrashing she'd just received not leaving her body, which was sore at the best of times, in mint condition

"Okay?" she asked, reopening her eyes.

 

[Gary Sue]

Gabe was nodding along to what she was saying, until it started sounding like a breakup. "No, I- I didn't say you- I just don't know how-", the boy couldn't articulate whole sentences at this point. Thankfully, it wasn't. His heart still felt like it was about to crack, but he did his best to hold the pieces together as she finished. It was only when she laid back that he realised he'd been squeezing her this entire time, his eyes widening and his expression switching to one of guilt. He didn't speak on it, but he looked down at the ground shamefully, only to meet her eyes again when she opened hers and asked. "... Okay... I-I'm... I'm so, so... I'm so sorry for this... I didn't..."

He stopped himself from having another breakdown on the spot, knowing it would be coming his way otherwise. He let out deep and shaken sighs one after the other, knowing he'd hurt her today. And worst of all, he had no idea how or what he did to hurt her this much either. He felt so close to her, yet he knew fucking nothing. "I'm horrible...", he thought in the back of his mind, the statement echoing in the back of his mind at a deafening rate. "I fucked it up.", he continued as he looked at her. He couldn't hug her or do anything to relieve her pain, just... Watch, and try not to look hurt so she wouldnt feel worse again.

"If I can-", he winced slightly at his inability to do something, feeling mentally worn out and like a used, torn rag. "If I can help... anyhow, just... Please, tell me.", he asked with a small bow of his head, looking at the door over his shoulder and then back at Cal. He didn't want to leave, but she probably wanted him to... Otherwise who knows what he'd tell himself again to feel even worse next time something happened. "... Wh-What now..?", Gabe asked cluelessly with a wide frown on his face, looking at her in utter loss and confusion.

 

[Admiral_Jesus]

"It's okay, it's okay," she said, before laying out one of her hands next to him, sighing as she did so. She tensed up when he looked at the door, and found herself speaking before she could think, imagining that he was about to leave, or at least wanted to before things got worse. She didn't want to be alone in here, in pain and weak. She'd been in that situation before, and hearing all the bumps in the night, knowing that in this part of town, break-ins could and would happen... she hated that feeling, to say the least.
"Wait- don't leave... don't leave, please. I don't... want to be alone, like this. Please, look at me, it's okay. And... just hold my hand?" she asked. "Just stay with me. That's all I need," she said, brushing his hand with hers, before holding hisin a gentle grasp
Her heart broke for him. It had been a long day, and he clearly had no idea what was going on, what was going through her head. She closed her eyes, the wall she'd leaned up against somehow proving more comfortable than the bed now that she'd let it all out.

"Stay close. That's all I want, okay?" she asked. She looked across the room, where glittering shards of glass now lay, before closing her eyes again, and leaning her head into Gabe's shoulder. It felt better, with him here. It was hard to let him see it at first, but now that it was over... it was helping. It was helping a lot. She yawned, nestling into the crook of his neck.
"Now? We relax. We really, really need it," she said, a wave of exhaustion just now hitting her, as she eased a bit into Gabe, not applying an excessive amount of weight into him, but leaning into him enough to alleviate some of the pain.

"Is it okay, if we stay like this?" she asked.

 

[Gary Sue]

If that's all she wanted and she felt comfortable asking it, then that was enough guidance. He gave her a nod and curled his fingers around hers, letting the two of them just rest quietly. He still felt somewhat weak in the legs from the scare he'd been given and more than anything else, from the poor sleep he'd had so far. It was catching up with him, the same way it appeared to be catching up with Cal. "... Yeah, okay...", he agreed happily and got as comfortable as he could, knowing they'd probably be falling asleep like this.

That was still more than he felt he had the right to ask for, and he'd agree to it at any point in time. Maybe he made that point clear when his eyes felt just heavy enough to close from the exhaustion, and he fell asleep almost immediately. He was still with a firm stance though, strong enough for even her to hit the hay on the spot. With soft breathing and the occasional purr, probably what should have sounded like a snore, he was tranquil once again. When he woke up, he'd surely have a headache waiting for him after all the emotional distress tonight, but it finally felt like the two of them could share a break together.

As soon as he fell asleep, the nightmares tried to make their return, but there wasn't any crying or alarming noises. It was just the memories the two made today, of sitting there on the cliffside and taking in the view, the atmosphere, the stars... Without any interruptions. And much like before, a tear came out of Gabriel's eye and started to stream down his cheek. He felt like he was still lost, but at least happier with how things were right now.

 

[Admiral_Jesus]

Cal's pains persisted for some time after Gabe dozed off, so she settled to simply sit there and simply feel the fact she wasn't alone in the room. That more than made up for it, in her opinion, as she slowly, slowly grew more and more attracted to the idea of sleep. Gabe's head was rested on her shoulder, even as she herself leaned into him somewhat as well. It had been the most comfortable she'd felt in... quite some time, which was extraordinary considering the circumstances and the fact they were on the floor. She wrapped her arm around his shoulder, nestled in, and closed her eyes, falling to sleep.

She was still in her sleep, and utterly silent, unlike Gabe. Other than the whistling of air through her nose at times, there was nothing. A blessed kind of true sleep which contained nothing but rest. The kind of sleep that had so often alluded Cal. But not tonight. Tonight she'd found it and grabbed it, with a resolution to never let go if she could help it.

Her head floated on dreamless black, carrying her through to the next morning painlessly.

 

[Gary Sue]

As the next day came around, Gabe groaned in the morning from light shining through the ripped curtains. He opened his eyes, feeling his body almost glued to the position he was in as he remembered what had happened last night- the ringing on his head wasn't going to let him forget anytime soon, probably. He was being hugged firmly, smiling slightly and returning the gesture loosely to Cal, as best as he could without waking her up if she hadn't by this point. "This... I haven't ever felt like this before."

It probably hadn't been more than a good few hours that they were asleep, and being able to sleep like that on its own was quite surprising. Hell, it was even better that she seemed to have been sleeping soundly for a good while, too. Maybe next time, he should just sneak in bed with her, wherever they are. This house wouldn't do though. He was thinking about this from yesterday, but this house... no, this building, maybe the entire block, they seemed to be on the verge of collapsing. She couldn't live here, especially with how far it seemed to be from downtown... It was too much.

Maybe he had an idea though. He looked down at his pants' pocket, raising an eyebrow at the lack of pressure. Was his phone not..? Oh shit. By the time he figured he'd left it over on the cliffside where they had their fair share of fun last night, it was a bit late. He should probably go and get it whenever, but... There came the ringing again. So he just closed his eyes and nuzzled his head into her shoulder, silently doing whatever he could to keep his head empty and calm down for good.

 

[Admiral_Jesus]

"...Rrgh," Cal grunted, slowly waking from her slumber, every joint seeming stiff and uncooperative as she suddenly processed the presence of someone touching her. About a split second before she jumped to full wakefulness and lashed out, she remembered it was just Gabe. She released the breath she'd sucked in suddenly, relaxing back into the huddle they'd formed. She cracked an eye open, almost reluctant to remind herself of the room they were currently in. After observing the peculiar pattern the sunlight formed on the floor through the moth-eaten curtains, she turned her gaze to Gabe, grinning softly.

"Morning, pretty boy," she murmured, sweeping some hair away from his forehead with a soft chuckle, before leaning her head against the top of his, taking a deep breath, unfolding her legs, feeling her joints crack and click as she did so with a wince.

"Mh... What's the plan for today? Sit here for the next week? I could go with that," she said, only half-joking, such was her comfort in their current position, despite her current aches. she turned her head to kiss the top of his head, before closing her eyes again, with another deep, steady breath.

 

[Gary Sue]

He started to leave his weight on her less and less when she moved around and signalled that she was quite clearly fully awake, smiling somewhat and enjoying her affectionate touches, how she rested on him and kissed his head... it was definitely nice to have someone this close to him, to be this affectionate and treat him like that. "Good mornin'... Caaaaal.", he greeted back and drew her name out a little while he stretched his back, yawning at the same time and feeling tears come to his eyes.

As for plans... well, it would probably be beyond helpful to go retrieve his phone, for a start. He neared her neck with his head once again and let a soft kiss before starting to nuzzle it with his cheek, smiling slightly while he spoke with what seemed like a purr in his voice. "I... think I left my phone back over where we had our fun last night. Your special spot, right Mistress Cal?", Gabe repeated what name she'd given herself on his contacts, letting out a chuckle and leaving another peck on her collarbone to make sure she realised he was just teasing her.

"There's an important call I have to do today, so... urgh, we'll have to go pick it up. And hope it has enough battery, mhm? If it does, we can see from there. I keep track of all my activities or hang outs on it cause I'm a scatterbrain, although I shouldn't have anything to 'attend', y'know.", he chuckled lowly with himself, slowly pulling his weight back once again and thinking about his schedule. He really didn't have any plans for today beforehand, but that was the funny part. From going to wanting to be alone most days, all day, to wanting to spend as much time as he could with Cal while not worsening his own family situation. What a funny predicament he'd found himself in, after all.

 

[Admiral_Jesus]

Cal yawned, rubbing the sleep from her eyes with a free hand, similarly stretching her back with a few conspicuous cracks as she winced softly, narrowing her eyes at the feeling of stiffness across her back. Her grin widened at his jovial waking greeting, and she chuckled, ruffling his hair once her hand was free, her eyes still closed as she felt his cheek against her neck. "Awwh, shit, you left your phone?" she groaned, a second yawn extending the start of her sentence as she leaned her head back against the wall.

"'Least you know where it is... but the mistress isn't exactly shipshape for hiking, so you might need to give me a hand on the way there," she warned, leaning into his affectionate peck slightly, letting out a contented hum as she relaxed from her prior stretch, starting to draw her legs beneath herself to get up.

"An important call, huh? You with the feds?" she joked, tilting her head. "Because if that's the case, I'd have to say you'd never take me alive, and it'd be this whole foot chase thing," she said, before chuckling. "But, yeah. Probably a good idea to go grab that. I mean, in here with someone like me without a connection to the outside world? What would become of you?" she asked with a smirk, before she rolled her neck, resulting in more than a little crackling, before looking ready to get up.

"Righty, come on. If I sit there for any longer I'll turn to stone."

 

[Gary Sue]

With each yawn being more contagious than the last, Gabe found himself yawning again and again alongside his girlfriend, putting a hand in front of his face to cover his mouth. "It's a good thing that even as your twink, I can help carry you around then.", he joked and gave her a warm smile, watching her prepare to get ready and wincing somewhat at the cracks sounding from her neck. Although before he helped her up, he did want to get one final tease in. "If I'm lucky enough, somebody 'kidnaps' me and it's a while before I'm left alone again.", he leaned in and although hesitantly, left a very shy peck on her lips before he got up and helped her do so herself.

Even once he'd gotten on his two legs, he felt like he had to stretch them out, cramped from the way they slept last night. It was something new and warm, fuzzy, but it was just as much that as it was uncomfortable a position to wake up in. "Mm... You'll appreciate the call too, methinks. Do you want to grab breakfast on the way out, or are there no bakeries nearby? I could do with some donut to hold me up for a while, sugar helps get the brain working and all wide awake."

While he asked, he made sure to dust herself and then him, looking towards the exit of the room and starting to make his way over. The house was as much a mess as yesterday, maybe it looked even more so before it was no longer all that dark. But it was a bit ironic- it reflected her mental state pretty well... When he got his phone back, he'd be able to help a bit, too. "... Hey, Cal? What time is it exactly?", he raised a hand to scratch the back of his head, tilting it somewhat as he turned to look at her in confusion. It really threw one off balance to not have a phone around in the end, much more than he expected. Probably more than enough to cause a panic attack too, if he weren't with Cal at least.

 

[Admiral_Jesus]

Cal smiled as he found her yawning contagious, her expression growing a bit more sly as he decided to speak of carrying her around.
"I might have to take you up on that. No fireman carries, though, that'd be hell on my back," she shot back, before he continued, prompting a laugh.
"If you're lucky? Mhm, mhm. Yeah, I think you've been lucky enough," she said, although she eventually chuckled, shrugging. "But, hey. You can always hope, right?" she asked, before being promptly pecked on the lips. She noted his hesitation, prompting another chuckle as he helped her up, once she steadied herself, still a bit wobbly from the cramped position she'd been in, she smiled.

"Getting shy on me now? C'mon, if you're gonna keep me awake, you'll have to give me a bit more than that," she said, pulling the hand he'd so graciously extended to help her up to give him a much more bold kiss on the lips, pulling away after a moment with a grin. She left her own hands around his waist, cocking her head slightly at the mention of a bakery.
"Babe, I dunno if you noticed, but I'm not exactly in a bakery neighborhood. Anyways, lemme guess... hmm. Pizza? You callin' for pizza?" she guessed blindly, laughing for a moment before catching his question.

"Oh, uhhh, time. Right, uhhhh- oh, shit," she said, as she pulled out her own phone to check. "Well- I sure hope you didn't have plans, because it's fuckin' one P.M," she said, before chuckling. "Ah, late nights out... and their consequences," she said with a sigh.

 

[Gary Sue]

Her teasing got a grin out of him, before she left it at 'you can always hope'. With a sigh once he pulled back, he helped pull her up to be pulled into a surrpise kiss, leaning into her and wrapping his arms around her back as he did, making sure to return it as lovingly as he could before she pulled away. And now that she had, she was looking at him all funny.

"A-Ah, right...", he flinched and wanted to move a hand back to slap his forehead, groaning and shaking it in disapproval of none other than himself. He'd really fallen asleep like a log to the point where he forgot where he was, why her house looked like this and even what had transpired the night before. Thinking back to it, he shuddered and frowned somewhat before hearing her guess, staring at her blankly for a minute before giving a slow nod. "Uuuh... Not quite but... it's good enough, suuure."

He might as well go with the idea now that she'd put it on the table, right? Hearing the time, he cringed and looked at the door with furrowed brows. "Fuck. Let's get going then, I- Sorry if I'm being pushy, but my family's gonna be all over me again and urgh... It'll be shit if I don't call them back to tell them to tell them I slept by Jay's last night or something along those lines again.", Cal could hear the slight anxiety in his voice as he moved a hand to rub his elbow quietly, pulling away in full and putting his shoes on quickly. It's not like he had anything else to take with other than his phone, which was... well, already waiting on him. Hopefully, it still was least. "No plans, I just- my family'll be mad. L-Let's get going, just slowly so your back doesn't... you know."

 

[Admiral_Jesus]

Cal wasn't overly upset by Gabe's bakery question, but her initial smile faded a bit as Gabe had a visible upset, pulling away and rubbing his arm. It turned into a frown at his talk of family and whatnot, but she pulled her face back into a more neutral expression by the time Gabe had looked up from putting on his shoes. "Sure, yeah. We can get going," she said, detecting his anxiety but not knowing what she could really do about it at this point, putting on her own shoes once they'd made their way to the door of her apartment, along with her hoodie.

What had occurred last night, before they went to bed... God, Cal didn't even want to think about it, let alone talk about it, and she was hoping Gabe didn't want to either. At least, not now. "Er- was just kidding," she said, a bit confused at his reaction to her jovial guess, though part of her mind dwelt on last night, the bad more than the good. God, he was thinking about it, wasn't he? The concept of someone else ever seeing her act like that had always petrified her, and now that it'd happened she had no idea how to deal with it, but it was sitting like a stone in her chest.

"Right. Family... we can- we can double time it a bit, if it's important. I'll be fine, really," she promised. At the mention of his family's potential anger, she fell to wondering. What kind of mad? Like, her family mad, or normal family scolding mad? If it was the former, what would she do? Anything? She pulled her hood over her head as she cracked her door open, looking both ways with something bordering on caution.

"Yeah, let's go," she said with a nod over her shoulder. "And- hey, uh... we're good, right? So everything's fine. We'll worry about it when we get there, and then we'll sort it out, yeah?" she said, wanting to say atleast something to potentially calm his nerves.