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

[floofcoaster]

Zeus, oblivious, sleeps.

[pythbox]

Eventually, he says,

"I... I want to sleep here. For a night. And then wake him up tomorrow."

[her_imperial_radiance]

"All right," says Elspeth. "I'll tell everyone you're home again. Do you know how you disappeared?"

[pythbox]

He shakes his head.

"I was just falling asleep, and thinking about a kind of teleportation from a book I read - and then - " He shrugs. "But when I tried to do the same thing on purpose, it didn't work."

[her_imperial_radiance]

"That sounds - maybe a little like what Sue does," she murmurs. "If he were accessible - but he isn't." She sighs. "Thank you. I'm sure Mama will want to talk to you tomorrow."

[pythbox]

"Okay," says Harley. He snuggles up to Zeus again.

[her_imperial_radiance]

"Let me know if you need anything," Elspeth murmurs, and she runs her hand over Harley's hair, and she ports away.

[pythbox]

Harley goes to sleep.

When he wakes up in the morning, he says, [You can wake him up now.]

[her_imperial_radiance]

[All right.]

[floofcoaster]

Zeus stirs.

When he meets resistance in the form of Harley cuddled up to him, his eyes snap open, and he abandons the pillow in favor of its owner.

"Harley."

[pythbox]

Harley bursts into tears and hugs Zeus as hard as he can.

[floofcoaster]

"Harley, Harley, my Harley - what happened - where did you go, are you all right, you disappeared right out of my arms - how long has it been -"

[pythbox]

"It's been like a year," he says, "a month or something for me, I went to another world, I dunno how I did it, I tried again and couldn't, and then I guess I managed it but I ended up in Milliways - lots of awful shit happened but I'm fine now, I love you - I love you," and he dissolves into incoherent sobbing.

[floofcoaster]

"I love you," echoes Zeus, and he holds Harley tight.

[pythbox]

Harley just cries.

[floofcoaster]

Zeus wants to know what happened.

But he will be cried on if that is what Harley wants.

[pythbox]

"There was an alt of Chelsea," he sniffles.

[floofcoaster]

Wolves react to the name "Chelsea" about like Jewish people react to the name "Hitler".

"Harley."

[pythbox]

"It was horrible," he says, "she had her whole world done up all lovey, she did it to me too - and the other thing - " He clings, pressing his face against Zeus's shoulder.

[floofcoaster]

Zeus doesn't stop hugging him, but he's now much more confused about why he's doing it. "My Harley," he murmurs.

[pythbox]

"I love you," he says helplessly. "But it's like - like she cut off all my feelings and now they're just growing back."

[floofcoaster]

"Can you tell me how to help you?" murmurs Zeus, tucking his face in where Harley's neck and shoulder meet. "I'll do anything to help you."

[pythbox]

"Just... be you," he says. "You're good at that, right?" He laughs shakily.

[floofcoaster]

"I can be me," agrees Zeus. "I love you, I love you, I love you."

[pythbox]

"I love you too," Harley says hoarsely. He curls up close and hugs Zeus some more.