One that was easily triggered from injuries and illnesses which crept o

ng first hand experience had made him realize

s broken and sinkin

et as he stood by the bedside studying her with an empty, bottomless gaze. So

ead, but there was a transfixing way in which the rivulets of perspiration trailed d

ut her seemed

aka

emed to slope slightly at the tip. The way her soot lashes fluttered restlessly a

iefly what she migh

ns, p

s mouth corner quir

pk

over and over, and sometimes he heard her whisper mum just at the threshold of

lination towards her voice was the glint of curiosity like a flickering light in those d

ed to be i

behind him. His mind lingered briefly on her before moving

as he

he vehicle thoroughly and remove all her articles, which were not many. He sorted through them with

ould need the

truck a match, lighting it as the glow briefly

ld be simp

he glided from one corner to the next, preternaturally reaching for condiments and ingredients,

bowl in hand and tortilla. He scooped the beans with the tortilla and ate with eyes steadfast

pk

u

to wake up and

r and then another began to wink into vision, twinkling in the blanket of eter

d be quiet,

t updated him on their needs. He assumed they were satiated by what he m

r

nine. Pushing off the frame, he turned back in and shut the

e locks and windows, drawing the curtains and satisfied by th

lked down the hallway with one hand toweling off hi

lance was brief, seemingly casual, and any other person wou

without thinking and twist

spilled in from behind him casting his ominous shadow ac

the light even r

he k

eone who was sleeping– yet desperately trying to control it. It was the hick of fea

he doorway as he stood there, eyes casua

oo flushed

oo tense f

med to curl along his nape raising fine brown hairs. The corner of his scarre

was

good preten

ading back to his room where he would lie on his bed wide awake listening to the

e did

edly that he noticed a deepening

pt for quit

on that sustained the silence. It seemed to jar her awake for her eyes wid

ithin the dome of L

ne shoulder against the doorway and looked briefly around

inally met hers

hed. Poor birdi

ble as she cleared her throat, licking at the cracks on her lips. He noticed the struggle of he

broke

r her eyes as they returned to him. She did not want his help, or m

ory of beasts that once hunted humans, he co

nd it came just as expected, that shiver of fear which surfaced beneath the proud mask before she cou

ly?"A

d her thin throat jerk spasmodically. Again

er a long silence, she met his stare briefly. A

hing delicious in the base of his belly. These reactions were seemingly so normal and open but it had been so long since he had any k

be heading into

t if you could bring..." that clouded expression and disconnected silence. It seeme

uns

wil

nk y

ither of them were leaning into but the prospect of it felt too intimate... and yet, they would be seeing each other more than o

d not

nd tilted his head in a parting

-h

not look back, no

o know that she was biting on the corner of her lip, gnawing

houlder at her. When he smiled she caught a

eki