forum One-On-One (Closed)

Started October 24, 2018 by @Imperfect_Autumn group

tune

Barry clamped his jaw shut, tightening his grip on his girlfriend's hand again.

Breathe… you're safe… she won't hurt you…

This process took longer than the last. The words were not carved too deep, but they were deep enough. They healed one at a time, sealing themselves shut. There would be scars, but they would at least be healed.

When will this end? he broadcasted in the direction of Kasey, biting back a whimper of pain. I miss you… I want to hold you….

Kasey sighed again, grasping his hand in both of hers. She brought it to her lips for a long, gentle kiss.

Soon, love. She's almost done with your chest. All that's left is your face, she said, her mind's voice gentle, though she was shaking slightly.

I'm so sorry…… he told her, then closed off his mind so she couldn't argue. "Th-Thank you–Doctor—-for–"

"Didn't I tell you not to speak?" Madeline said without taking her eyes off of his chest. She was nearly done… There. That was the last of the wounds on his chest. "I'm going to start on your face, now…"

Barry winced, sucking in a sharp breath. “Alright…” he whispered, then promptly shut himself up.

Madeline moved her hands to his face, pressing them to his cheeks. She looked over the words drawn into his skin, wishing he hadn't had to have gone through this. The poor man must be in so much pain throughout this process…

This time, the wounds were much shallower, and there were fewer of them. The healing didn't take as long, and Madeline tried to put some extra energy into them. Maybe she could make it so that he didn't scar there..

The deranged woman who’d kept him captive…. she’d left scars on him, marks that didn’t only run skin-deep. He was wounded, changed, damaged. A freak, if the words on his chest were to be believed. He just wanted to forget… to cleanse himself….

Kasey sighed as Madeline finally took her hands from Barry's face. She turned to the other woman and gave her a grateful smile.

"Thank you so much, Madeline. You have no idea how much this means to me. To us," she said softly.

Barry tried to push himself into a seated position, wanting to tank her, but his weak arms collapsed beneath the weight of his body. “Thank you,” he croaked from the table. “For healing me. I—I’ll pay you back, I promise.”

"No need. Just rest and recover," Madeline instructed before gathering her things. "I'm going to head out now. You two get comfortable."

Harper followed her out, finally leaving the couple alone. Kasey looked down at Barry biting her lip.

"Do you want me to help you to the bed? It would be more comfortable," she offered softly. "And I'd really like to hold you right now…"

Barry forced his failing limbs to cooperate and pushed himself up from his previous position. He tried for a smile, but in the end…. it looked more like a pained grimace than anything. “I can—Yeah. That would—That would be nice.”

Kasey offered him her arm, biting her lip as she looked over him. “I’m sorry,” she whispered again. Would she ever stop apologizing? Probably not… After all, it was her fault he was like this…

“Stop…” he whispered, taking hold of her arm as he stood. “Stop apologizing. I’m taking the blame. My fault. Don’t argue. Please.”

“You can’t take the blame. It’s not your fault,” Kasey protested as she slowly started to lead him toward the room. Their room, again. “How could it be your fault? You couldn’t have known what I was doing, and you respect me enough to not ask me about it. There is nothing wrong with that. You had every reason and more to believe what you did. I gave you those reasons. I was the one who didn’t get home until midnight. I was the one avoiding you. I was the one you found pressed against a wall by another man. This is my fault and mine only. Okay? No arguing.”

Barry cut her off by pressing his mouth firmly on top of hers. Electricity shot through his weakened body; this was the first time they’d kissed in over a month.

“Shush,” he murmured shakily when he finally pulled away, swaying dangerously where he stood. “Please. Don’t argue. I should have trusted you, and that’s final.”

Kasey closed her eyes and let out a slow, wavering breath. So long… It’d been so long since they’d kissed, or even hugged. She let a small smile take her lips, and she opened her eyes to look at Barry.

“Okay… No arguing,” she whispered. “Just cuddling in bed with the love of my life…”

“Please,” he croaked, motioning towards the bed. “Let’s—Let’s do that.”

Kasey nodded slowly and helped him into the room. She gently closed the door behind them, then led him to the bed.

“Did you want to change into something more comfortable?” she asked gently, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

Barry was about to shake his head, then realized how disgusting it would be for Kasey to touch him in the soiled, bloodstained clothes he was wearing.

"That—That might be a good idea."

“I’ll grab you some. Do you just want me to grab you some sweatpants?” Kasey asked gently as she stood and made her way to the dresser.

“Yes, please…” he murmured, trying to lower himself slowly onto the pillows.

“Would you prefer to not wear a shirt? Because of the…” Kasey trailed off, biting her lip as she turned back to him with a pair of gray sweats in her hand.

Barry shook his head once. “I don’t want you to have to look at… you know.”

Kasey nodded slowly, making her way over to him. “They’re not true, you know. The words,” she said after a while, having sat down on the bed beside him. “They’re lies written by someone who doesn’t know you at all.”

Barry, who had somehow managed to change, tentatively placed his head on her shoulder. “I—Yeah. Okay.”

Kasey leaned down to kiss his nose gently before standing once more. “I’ll be right back. I’m going to go change, okay? I want to sleep in pajamas tonight.”

Barry nodded, adding a mental ”Please come back…” before releasing her hand.

Kasey’s eyes filled with pain at the unspoken words. That just showed how much she had managed to lose his trust in the month she’d been… away… She needed to work up to gaining it all back again, and she didn’t know how long that would take…

A few minutes later, she walked back into the room from the bathroom. Gray sweatpants if her own adorned her legs, while she’d pulled on one of Barry’s hoodies over a tank top. She crawled into bed and curled up against his side, sighing as she buried her face in his neck and breathed him in. It was so good to feel him beside her, to smell his scent again… She’d missed it terribly.