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Description
His long body dangled over the couch, the blanket exposing his legs that tipped over the arm. His pale hair spilled over the edge, brushing the floor. His breathing was regular, his face relaxed, peaceful. The usual furrows and creases that always had covered his face were gone, making him look much younger. He hadn’t slept this well in more years than he could count.

She watched him from the doorway. Her stance was relaxed, her arms folded easily over her chest as she watched him sleep. Her head cocked to the side as she took in the sight, the usual gruff and harsh leader whose mere presence in the room was almost stifling was trying to fit himself on her little couch. A smile touched her lips. The barrier between them was almost gone. Not broken completely, but she felt the change.

“Mhmm… Andy…” She looked up at the sound of his voice, soft with sleepiness. “Get… your pet…” he mumbled. She stifled a laugh as Jeremy’s pink head poked out from the other side of Rufus’ broad back. His pleased expression and smug look towards Rufus signified he was quite pleased with himself. Andy shook her head and stepped away from the door, reaching down to pick up her small Skitty. He gave her a lick, reminding her who was the most important person in her life, but she merely smiled fondly, patting his head, her eyes all the while on Rufus.

She wasn’t used to seeing him like this. He was always distant, always too stiff to take a joke, too stiff to even smile once in a while. The same could be said about her, but she didn’t always push herself into people’s way, like the infamous Rufus. She lightly flicked a strand of hair out of his face, and he frowned slightly, his eyes slowly opening. They looked at each other for a moment, Jeremy now quite upset at being ignored. They couldn’t interpret the other’s expression, or maybe they simply weren’t allowing themselves too.

She blinked, and smiled, breaking the silence. “Hungry? I just put on some tea.” He let out a sigh, pushing himself up to a sitting position, his long legs stretching out in front of him to get the kinks out.

“Mhm, sounds good,” he said quietly. She nodded a bit, watching him for a moment, then returned to the kitchen. He watched her leave the living room, then picked up his coat, pulling it around his shoulders.

When she came back with the tea and breakfast, he was gone.

--

One, two, three.

He counted the rhythm in his head, his limbs moving at command. The night air felt good on his bare back as he threw himself into the maneuvers. His leg swung up then down, sending him into a flip. He landed securely, then did a series of flips, the exertion of training pushing the tight grip on his mind and chest.

He didn’t remember much of what happened the whole day. Once he left Andy’s house, everything went back to routine, checking on recruits, going through paperwork, patrolling the borders, whatever else his leader duties tossed his way. He didn’t see Andy once, which he was glad for. He didn’t know what to say, didn’t know how to handle these things. He said he didn’t deserve it, didn’t deserve the happiness. The other part of him said that was bullshit. Surprisingly, it had Andy’s voice.

He came to a stop, the chill air causing his sweaty skin to shiver. He stared without actually seeing at the sky, the star stained blackness always holding some kind of fascination for him. Maybe he could fly up to that bright moon, leave this land of dirt and dryness for the unknown, leaving all the problems of the living behind. Wasn’t the first time he contemplated this. He sometimes welcomed the thought. But now he wished he’d just stop.

“Rufus?”

He turned at her voice, and there she was at the entrance to the training grounds. She watched him, the tension back in her body, her eyes looking at him almost accusingly. He steeled his mind, trying for a blank face, but she noted his quick shift in expression. She stepped into the training grounds, putting on an air of aloofness.

“Training alone?” she asked.

He shrugged slightly, watching the confidence of her movements, the sureness where she put her feet. Then he looked at her expression and saw the strain. He cursed himself for being an idiot. “Not if you’d like to join me.”

She arched an eyebrow, expecting to be told he was done or to leave. She still didn’t feel like she wanted to forgive him. “Gave your food to Jeremy,” she said, stopping a few paces in front of him.

He nodded slowly, trying to stop his chest from tightening, making it hard to breath. “Did he enjoy it?” he asked.

She noticed the slight forcefulness of the little joke, different from how he usually talked about her pet. “Probably. You would’ve too.”

He sighed a bit, saying nothing. He watched her expression shift slightly, her brows going down, then flipped back as she sent a quick jab at his chest. She gave him no respite as she came at him, swinging a kick, her tail whipping behind her. He brought up his arm as her foot smashed into it. He quickly retaliated, swiping his foot under her other one to knock her to the ground. She turned the fall into a roll and swung up, quickly blocking Rufus’ sudden punch to her shoulder. She locked onto his arm, skin against skin and pulled him over her, her knee jamming into his stomach to flip him over. He skidded to a stop, then jumped, almost flying, straight at her. She ran at him, there movements becoming a blur as they hammered each other.

Neither one gave ground, neither gave mercy. The few hits they may have received were ignored, the pain forgotten in their adrenaline rush. No one used their abilities, each just using their physical strength against the other. They looked as if they were performing a dance of sorts, their bodies moving in synch with the other, responding to a kick there, a punch here, as if they knew were the other would hit.

Andy’s foot snagged under Rufus’ and he fell back, Andy falling on top of him. Their breathing uneven, they stared at the other, her expression that of worry and hurt, his reflecting his raw, vulnerable emotions. Her head dropped, the tips of her hair brushing his chest as she tried to catch her breath, not wanting to look at him. “Why’d you leave?” she murmured. He said nothing at first, feeling her weight on top of him. He stared at the stars, her breath warm on his skin. She slowly took the weight off her arm, lowering herself to rest against him, her head fitting against his neck. “Rufus?”

He closed his eyes, not daring to move. What could he say? The words tangled on their way to his mouth, that tight barrier always surrounding him almost choking. He sighed slowly, the said, “I’m… afraid.”

She looked at him, her arm braced against his chest. “Of what?”

He met her gaze, his shoulder shrugging slightly, “I don’t know. Maybe because I’m a coward.” His mouth quirked up a bit, his attempt at a smile.

She lowered her head again, nestling against his collarbone, her whisper barely audible. “You have nothing to worry about.” She closed her eyes as she felt his hand brush against her hair. His arm wrapped around her middle, his head resting gently against the top of hers.

“Not anymore.”

Description
His long body dangled over the couch, the blanket exposing his legs that tipped over the arm. His pale hair spilled over the edge, brushing the floor. His breathing was regular, his face relaxed, peaceful. The usual furrows and creases that always had covered his face were gone, making him look much younger. He hadn’t slept this well in more years than he could count.

She watched him from the doorway. Her stance was relaxed, her arms folded easily over her chest as she watched him sleep. Her head cocked to the side as she took in the sight, the usual gruff and harsh leader whose mere presence in the room was almost stifling was trying to fit himself on her little couch. A smile touched her lips. The barrier between them was almost gone. Not broken completely, but she felt the change.

“Mhmm… Andy…” She looked up at the sound of his voice, soft with sleepiness. “Get… your pet…” he mumbled. She stifled a laugh as Jeremy’s pink head poked out from the other side of Rufus’ broad back. His pleased expression and smug look towards Rufus signified he was quite pleased with himself. Andy shook her head and stepped away from the door, reaching down to pick up her small Skitty. He gave her a lick, reminding her who was the most important person in her life, but she merely smiled fondly, patting his head, her eyes all the while on Rufus.

She wasn’t used to seeing him like this. He was always distant, always too stiff to take a joke, too stiff to even smile once in a while. The same could be said about her, but she didn’t always push herself into people’s way, like the infamous Rufus. She lightly flicked a strand of hair out of his face, and he frowned slightly, his eyes slowly opening. They looked at each other for a moment, Jeremy now quite upset at being ignored. They couldn’t interpret the other’s expression, or maybe they simply weren’t allowing themselves too.

She blinked, and smiled, breaking the silence. “Hungry? I just put on some tea.” He let out a sigh, pushing himself up to a sitting position, his long legs stretching out in front of him to get the kinks out.

“Mhm, sounds good,” he said quietly. She nodded a bit, watching him for a moment, then returned to the kitchen. He watched her leave the living room, then picked up his coat, pulling it around his shoulders.

When she came back with the tea and breakfast, he was gone.

--

One, two, three.

He counted the rhythm in his head, his limbs moving at command. The night air felt good on his bare back as he threw himself into the maneuvers. His leg swung up then down, sending him into a flip. He landed securely, then did a series of flips, the exertion of training pushing the tight grip on his mind and chest.

He didn’t remember much of what happened the whole day. Once he left Andy’s house, everything went back to routine, checking on recruits, going through paperwork, patrolling the borders, whatever else his leader duties tossed his way. He didn’t see Andy once, which he was glad for. He didn’t know what to say, didn’t know how to handle these things. He said he didn’t deserve it, didn’t deserve the happiness. The other part of him said that was bullshit. Surprisingly, it had Andy’s voice.

He came to a stop, the chill air causing his sweaty skin to shiver. He stared without actually seeing at the sky, the star stained blackness always holding some kind of fascination for him. Maybe he could fly up to that bright moon, leave this land of dirt and dryness for the unknown, leaving all the problems of the living behind. Wasn’t the first time he contemplated this. He sometimes welcomed the thought. But now he wished he’d just stop.

“Rufus?”

He turned at her voice, and there she was at the entrance to the training grounds. She watched him, the tension back in her body, her eyes looking at him almost accusingly. He steeled his mind, trying for a blank face, but she noted his quick shift in expression. She stepped into the training grounds, putting on an air of aloofness.

“Training alone?” she asked.

He shrugged slightly, watching the confidence of her movements, the sureness where she put her feet. Then he looked at her expression and saw the strain. He cursed himself for being an idiot. “Not if you’d like to join me.”

She arched an eyebrow, expecting to be told he was done or to leave. She still didn’t feel like she wanted to forgive him. “Gave your food to Jeremy,” she said, stopping a few paces in front of him.

He nodded slowly, trying to stop his chest from tightening, making it hard to breath. “Did he enjoy it?” he asked.

She noticed the slight forcefulness of the little joke, different from how he usually talked about her pet. “Probably. You would’ve too.”

He sighed a bit, saying nothing. He watched her expression shift slightly, her brows going down, then flipped back as she sent a quick jab at his chest. She gave him no respite as she came at him, swinging a kick, her tail whipping behind her. He brought up his arm as her foot smashed into it. He quickly retaliated, swiping his foot under her other one to knock her to the ground. She turned the fall into a roll and swung up, quickly blocking Rufus’ sudden punch to her shoulder. She locked onto his arm, skin against skin and pulled him over her, her knee jamming into his stomach to flip him over. He skidded to a stop, then jumped, almost flying, straight at her. She ran at him, there movements becoming a blur as they hammered each other.

Neither one gave ground, neither gave mercy. The few hits they may have received were ignored, the pain forgotten in their adrenaline rush. No one used their abilities, each just using their physical strength against the other. They looked as if they were performing a dance of sorts, their bodies moving in synch with the other, responding to a kick there, a punch here, as if they knew were the other would hit.

Andy’s foot snagged under Rufus’ and he fell back, Andy falling on top of him. Their breathing uneven, they stared at the other, her expression that of worry and hurt, his reflecting his raw, vulnerable emotions. Her head dropped, the tips of her hair brushing his chest as she tried to catch her breath, not wanting to look at him. “Why’d you leave?” she murmured. He said nothing at first, feeling her weight on top of him. He stared at the stars, her breath warm on his skin. She slowly took the weight off her arm, lowering herself to rest against him, her head fitting against his neck. “Rufus?”

He closed his eyes, not daring to move. What could he say? The words tangled on their way to his mouth, that tight barrier always surrounding him almost choking. He sighed slowly, the said, “I’m… afraid.”

She looked at him, her arm braced against his chest. “Of what?”

He met her gaze, his shoulder shrugging slightly, “I don’t know. Maybe because I’m a coward.” His mouth quirked up a bit, his attempt at a smile.

She lowered her head again, nestling against his collarbone, her whisper barely audible. “You have nothing to worry about.” She closed her eyes as she felt his hand brush against her hair. His arm wrapped around her middle, his head resting gently against the top of hers.

“Not anymore.”