"None of that, baby. No sorrys. Just listen to my voice and breathe."
He wishes he could sing, or something. Like Katniss. She could calm anyone with that voice of hers, even on their deathbed.
"I know how much it hurts. But you're gonna be okay. I'm here for you, we all are."
He channels a little bit of healing magic into the hand on her back, which he thinks will give a warm tingling feeling there, despite her not being physically hurt. If only healing magic worked on hearts.
His voice was enough. His warmth was enough. The surge of healing magic was enough. Night Sky closed her eyes and continued to focusing on breathing, her grip on him loosening just enough that she wasn't digging her nails into his skin.
"Thank you." She finally lifted her head, eyes red rimmed and hazy with tears, and wriggled a hand up to cup his cheek. "I'm so glad you're here." Lehna wasn't and it fucking hurt, but Finnick was right. He was here, just like the others.
"I... I don't know." Then he would just be... gone. And she wanted to take him with her wherever she ended up going. Gods she couldn't even think about this now or she'd panic again.
He squeezes her shoulder, then rolls over on the bed to open his nightstand drawer. He pulls out a length of rope, about a foot long, cut from rope that he bought from Sky's shop. He also grabs his own length of it from the top of the nightstand.
He rolls back toward her and hands her the newer length.
"This is how I stay sane when stuff like this happens. I tie knots."
He ties a few simple ones to demonstrate, incredibly fast and practiced, even with the prosthetic hand.
There was a brief moment of panic when he moved away from her, but she managed not to lose her mind in the few seconds he was busy rifling through the drawer.
She sat up, taking the rope and holding it between her hands. Despite the words coming out as a sob, she managed to joke:
"If you wanted to tie me up you could have just said so." And smiled faintly. "Sorry. Show me?"
Finnick holds back his joke about the rope intentionally not being long enough for sex or tying nooses. He knows Night Sky wouldn't like a joke like that, especially not at a time like this. Instead, he smiles softly.
"Not this time, sweetness."
He shows her a basic knot, not the most basic overhand knot that most everyone knows, but one less known but still simple enough to learn easily. He explains it step by step, demonstrating with his rope, then looks to hers to help her with her attempt.
Night Sky's hands were shaking, her tears unceasing even while she tried to follow his instructions. More than once did she drop it into her lap and debated leaving it there, only to pick it up again a moment later.
Her own knot looked right, but maybe a touch too loose. She held it up for him to examine.
Poor Sky. He looks at her hands and remembers when his own would shake like that while tying. The memory feels haunting and terrible.
"You got it. Looks great." He smiles encouragingly at her, rubs her thigh gently.
"Maybe it won't be helpful for you, but I find it meditative, to tie and untie over and over. It gives me something to focus on, to keep my mind from completely leaving my body or going down a spiral. But if it's too much right now, we can try again later."
She smiled back at him, letting her hand drop as she fiddled with the knot.
"No it's... it's good." She murmured, still toying with the rope even as she shifted positions, aiming to lean herself back against Finnick and slouch while she untied and tied the rope. "Show me more? If you want."
Finnick shifts so she's sitting between his legs and leaning back on his chest, his hands in front of her with his rope. He leans against his headboard.
"Mm, no, first practice that one. Over and over. It needs to become muscle memory."
He himself also ties that knot, over and over. Tying, untying. The meditative process begins now, here, in bed. With him holding her, and something for them to focus on, something to distract her.
She was almost amazed by how well it worked. How soothing it was to just mindlessly tie and untie a simple knot. Of course it helped that Finnick was there, warm and alive and still here with her.
It did not make her forget Lehna - nothing ever would - but it helped to keep her grounded. After what felt like ages, she let her hands drop again, knot tied tight between her fingers, and turned her head to nose into the curve of Finnick's neck.
Night Sky loved easily, and sometimes she wished she didn't. Sometimes she wondered if it would be easier to steel her heart from the heartache when she lost people she loved so dearly. But then he said it back, and all she could think about was how warm it made her feel; how safe she felt in his arms and how perfect his kiss was. The pain was worth it for this - it had been worth it for the time she had with Lehna, and it had to be worth it for the time, however long or little, she would have with him, too.
She raised a hand to cup his cheek, his kiss returned with a soft hum against his lips. she parted just enough to speak, to make sure he knew in case the world whisked him away next. "I'll always love you."
Finnick feels similarly. Losing Annie, and then losing Eren, hurt so fucking much, and still does. It would be easy to close himself off to love entirely. But that would be denying himself so many beautiful things, transient as they are. He can't imagine denying himself this easy, open love with Daeleth, nor denying her, for that matter. She deserves this.
"Me, too."
And then, with a little dryness:
"I never fucking stop."
It's true. Everyone he has loved, he still loves, regardless of worlds they're in, regardless if they're alive or dead. He always will, for better or worse, no matter the pain it causes him.
She smiled and stroked her thumb along the curve of his cheek. "Never." She agreed. Worlds apart or right here, right now, she never stopped loving any of them either. She missed Lehna and Halsin and, gods, Connor from so long ago he had not even made it to this world but he was always there in the corner of her mind. Wedged in her heart forever just the same as everyone else.
"I wish the universe had been kinder to you, my heart." She murmured. "But I am glad it brought us together, at least."
That makes his eyes misty. He curls more around her, his lips to her shoulder, and speaks around the lump in his throat.
"I... Appreciate you saying that, love. I wish it was kinder to both of us. But we're both strong people alone, and even stronger together. We'll make it through."
She would love to lie in bed with him and cry all day, actually, and she very nearly said as much aloud. Just lie and rot in his arms. But then she thought about it. Lehna wouldn't want her doing this.
"I like the beach." She murmured. "We can go to the beach."
He'd definitely be rotting if he was her, but a change of scenery seems like a good idea. She does love the outdoors, and a swim might be nice for her.
Tempting as it was, in the end she knew Lehna would want her to live her life instead of rotting away in bed for gods knows how long. Night Sky nodded.
"Thank you, my heart." She murmured, settling into him for now. They could take their trip to the beach soon.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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He wishes he could sing, or something. Like Katniss. She could calm anyone with that voice of hers, even on their deathbed.
"I know how much it hurts. But you're gonna be okay. I'm here for you, we all are."
He channels a little bit of healing magic into the hand on her back, which he thinks will give a warm tingling feeling there, despite her not being physically hurt. If only healing magic worked on hearts.
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"Thank you." She finally lifted her head, eyes red rimmed and hazy with tears, and wriggled a hand up to cup his cheek. "I'm so glad you're here." Lehna wasn't and it fucking hurt, but Finnick was right. He was here, just like the others.
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"I am, too. And I can't go back to my world, if that helps at all."
It doesn't mean he won't disappear, but maybe it's a little less likely.
After a few moments of quiet, he speaks again, softly.
"Can I show you something?"
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She sniffled. Nodded slowly. Yes.
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He squeezes her shoulder, then rolls over on the bed to open his nightstand drawer. He pulls out a length of rope, about a foot long, cut from rope that he bought from Sky's shop. He also grabs his own length of it from the top of the nightstand.
He rolls back toward her and hands her the newer length.
"This is how I stay sane when stuff like this happens. I tie knots."
He ties a few simple ones to demonstrate, incredibly fast and practiced, even with the prosthetic hand.
"I can teach you some, if you want."
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She sat up, taking the rope and holding it between her hands. Despite the words coming out as a sob, she managed to joke:
"If you wanted to tie me up you could have just said so." And smiled faintly. "Sorry. Show me?"
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"Not this time, sweetness."
He shows her a basic knot, not the most basic overhand knot that most everyone knows, but one less known but still simple enough to learn easily. He explains it step by step, demonstrating with his rope, then looks to hers to help her with her attempt.
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Her own knot looked right, but maybe a touch too loose. She held it up for him to examine.
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"You got it. Looks great." He smiles encouragingly at her, rubs her thigh gently.
"Maybe it won't be helpful for you, but I find it meditative, to tie and untie over and over. It gives me something to focus on, to keep my mind from completely leaving my body or going down a spiral. But if it's too much right now, we can try again later."
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"No it's... it's good." She murmured, still toying with the rope even as she shifted positions, aiming to lean herself back against Finnick and slouch while she untied and tied the rope. "Show me more? If you want."
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"Mm, no, first practice that one. Over and over. It needs to become muscle memory."
He himself also ties that knot, over and over. Tying, untying. The meditative process begins now, here, in bed. With him holding her, and something for them to focus on, something to distract her.
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It did not make her forget Lehna - nothing ever would - but it helped to keep her grounded. After what felt like ages, she let her hands drop again, knot tied tight between her fingers, and turned her head to nose into the curve of Finnick's neck.
"I love you."
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The words make his breath catch, and he pauses his tying, putting his knot down as well.
"I love you, too."
It's easy to say. It's easy to feel. She's easy to love. He wraps arms around her middle, tilts his head down to kiss her.
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Night Sky loved easily, and sometimes she wished she didn't. Sometimes she wondered if it would be easier to steel her heart from the heartache when she lost people she loved so dearly. But then he said it back, and all she could think about was how warm it made her feel; how safe she felt in his arms and how perfect his kiss was. The pain was worth it for this - it had been worth it for the time she had with Lehna, and it had to be worth it for the time, however long or little, she would have with him, too.
She raised a hand to cup his cheek, his kiss returned with a soft hum against his lips. she parted just enough to speak, to make sure he knew in case the world whisked him away next. "I'll always love you."
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"Me, too."
And then, with a little dryness:
"I never fucking stop."
It's true. Everyone he has loved, he still loves, regardless of worlds they're in, regardless if they're alive or dead. He always will, for better or worse, no matter the pain it causes him.
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"I wish the universe had been kinder to you, my heart." She murmured. "But I am glad it brought us together, at least."
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"I... Appreciate you saying that, love. I wish it was kinder to both of us. But we're both strong people alone, and even stronger together. We'll make it through."
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She felt the tears coming again, inhaled deep and sighed it out shakily. "Did you... do you have plans today?"
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It's not like Finnick does anything remotely important with his time at the moment. He'll have a job soon, but not yet.
"I'm here as long as you need." He tightens his arms around her middle, making himself basically her backpack.
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"I like the beach." She murmured. "We can go to the beach."
can prob wrap soon? Will tag camping l8r tn
He'd definitely be rotting if he was her, but a change of scenery seems like a good idea. She does love the outdoors, and a swim might be nice for her.
He kisses her temple.
Works for me
"Thank you, my heart." She murmured, settling into him for now. They could take their trip to the beach soon.