managing not to

[warmfeelings]

Aelise keeps Harley in her room, and allows visits - mostly Corona, sometimes Tima - but doesn't let him run around being obnoxious to anyone. Chelsa avoids him. Corona is home, after all, and he's just as warm and isn't horrible to her. And now she can invite more friends in. There's that girl she rotated out to make room for Tima, still alive, in Wales - there's that pleasantly sparky boy she met on her trip to Egypt - Chelsa is able to content herself with the situation.

Comments

[her_imperial_radiance]

Elspeth's arms do-not-tighten in the manner of someone who is working very hard at not-squeezing.

"Did she get you?"

[pythbox]

He nods miserably.

[her_imperial_radiance]

"I should be able to undo anything she added." Elspeth swallows. "If you would like me to. I can't put back anything she took." She lets him go.

[pythbox]

Harley grabs her and clings, sobbing.

[her_imperial_radiance]

She hugs him again, instantly, as soon as it's clear that he wants the hug.

[pythbox]

"Get rid of her, get rid of her," he whimpers. "Get rid of everything she did to me that you can."

[her_imperial_radiance]

Elspeth tries.

It's harder - Chelsa soaks in deeper than Chelsea ever did - but Elspeth does not let up.

She keeps pushing until there is nothing to push against.

[pythbox]

Harley curls up in her lap and cries.

[her_imperial_radiance]

Elspeth -

Holds him.

And resolutely declines to cry.

But she does, after a few minutes, ask:

"Should I leave Zeus asleep?"

[pythbox]

"I don't - I don't know," he sniffles. "I don't wanna hurt him."

[her_imperial_radiance]

"Okay."

Hugs.

[pythbox]

Cuddly cuddly hugs.

"I love you, Elsie," he whispers.

[her_imperial_radiance]

She shuts her eyes tightly.

"I love you too."

[pythbox]

He wraps his arms around her and squeezes as hard as he possibly can.

[her_imperial_radiance]

She doesn't squeeze him as hard as she possibly can.

But she matches his own hug.

[pythbox]

"That world was so fucked up," he mumbles.

[her_imperial_radiance]

"It sounds very much so."

[pythbox]

He is pretty thoroughly too big for Elsie's lap.

He stays there anyway.

"I think... I think I wanna see Zeus," he says softly. "I don't know. Can I just... see him?"

[her_imperial_radiance]

"Yes."

She picks him up. He's awkwardly sized, but not hardly too heavy.

And she teleports to his room in the Québec house, which, except for a handful of perishables that would have rotted away if they hadn't been picked up, hasn't been touched for nearly a year.

[floofcoaster]

Zeus is sleeping, arms wrapped around Harley's pillow, tucked under Harley's blankets.

[pythbox]

He gives Elsie a hug and a kiss, and then he crawls into bed with Zeus and snuggles up to him.

"You're my best fluffy buddy," he murmurs, "and - I - "

He starts crying again.

[her_imperial_radiance]

[pythbox]

Harley doesn't say anything more for a while.

[her_imperial_radiance]

Elspeth waits.

[floofcoaster]

Zeus, oblivious, sleeps.