[closed] There's a million things I haven't done

[slipshot]

WHO: Gavin and Maxwell
WHAT: trouble in paradise
WHEN: NOWISH basically after Gavin visits Galadriel
WHERE: Location
NOTES: There's gonna be a FIGHT.

It was in the deepest part of the night - the moon had set but there were still hours before the sun rose, and despite the fact that the air was growing warmer in general, it was still bitterly cold when the wind blew strong. Running through the courtyard chilled him right to the bone, but once he made it into the hall, and into the gardens, the wind had at least stopped.

It didn't mean he was any warmer.

He found Maxwell tucked in a little closet off of the garden, and shook him awake.

"Maxwell - Maxwell, I need to talk to you --"

Comments

[serannas]

Ellana was out in the courtyard when Gavin ran past, so fast she nearly pulled a neck muscle from her head whipping to look. Her heart sank when she saw it was him. What was he running from now? She tamped down any old bitterness she could have felt at the way Gavin had always been and followed him up the stairs, albeit at a slower pace to give him a chance to catch his breath.

Once on the battlements, she approached, dragging her booted feet a little to alert him to her presence.

"Gavin?"

[slipshot]

The tears had turned into not-so-silent sobbing, by the time she came up to him, and despite the fact that she was purposely making more noise that usual, he didn't hear her. He just sniffled, rubbing the snot from his nose with his sleeve. He visibily winced when he heard his name, but relaxed a little when he turned his head to see that it was her.

Then he just looked incredibly ashamed and looked away again, sniffing.

"I'm fine." It was the worst lie in the history of lies.

[serannas]

Oh, it must have been really bad to cause Gavin to cry like this. And to lie and say he was fine meant he didn't wish to speak of it. That gave her pause. Whenever she pushed Gavin too hard, he snapped. But she couldn't just leave him here.

Moving up beside him, she slipped her hand into his and looked out at the mountains without saying a word.

[slipshot]

He hated anyone seeing him like this, least of all Ellana. Least of all his clan. The whole point was that they were only supposed to see the smiles, the grins, the jokes. This part - he hated this part, and a witness to it...

But she slipped his hand in his and he couldn't stop the sob, shuddering down his spine, as he gripped it.

[serannas]

She drew her thumb back and forth against his skin, fighting the urge to ask for an explanation just yet. She couldn't press him. He seemed so fragile. Certainly more fragile than she had ever seen him before. It probably wasn't something he ever wanted her to see, but she was tired of being the one always left in the dark. Maybe she couldn't make everything all right, but she could at least offer her support and an ear to listen if he did want to talk.

For the moment, she didn't make assumptions or try to guess at what had put him in this state. She waited, looking out at the mountains, and continued making a circular pattern against his skin with the pad of her thumb.

[slipshot]

He didn't say anything, his hand incredibly tight around hers, his shoulders shaking as he tried his best to hold back the sobs, the tears blurring his eyes.

Eventually, however, he finally managed to pull himself together (at least somewhat), his breathing ragged but growing more even.

[serannas]

And still she waited; waited until he could breath easier before she dared to speak. This was new territory for her. She was used to his ears drooping and knowing he had somehow gotten himself into a mess, but that didn't fit this time. He had been sobbing. What caused this? Who had hurt him?

"Gavin, what can I do? You're hurting and I want to help you."

[slipshot]

"There's nothing to do," he mumbled miserably, his eyes falling to his feet.

"I can't - I can't change anything. I never have been able to."

[serannas]

"What is it that you're trying to change?" she asked, turning her head to look at him stare at his feet. She moved her other hand over to touch his arm above the wrist, giving him all the support she could. In the past, she'd failed to do that, and she hoped that whatever he had to say wasn't something she couldn't support him on. She wanted to, but sometimes Gavin got ideas in his head -- about running away, about drastic actions -- and it was frustrating.