ATH Not-So-Temporary Thread

[Lady Mimicry]

Tokka laughed again, grinning genuinely and splashed her. "So, Clover, would you? Date me? I'm horribly depressing, but I'm pretty good with my hands." He hadn't meant it in a dirty way, but once he said it, his eyes lowered of their own accord, admiring her body the way any male would.

Gabriel struggled half-heartedly. "Lucy," he coughed, "******** off. Go back to...whoever that was. I want Aramis. I-I want my father, where'd he go? I need him. Don't touch me."  

[Felixitous]

Clover blushed and shrugged. "Uh...okay. Sure. Yes." She kept her gaze away as best she could, but her eyes found their way back, but rested on his face. He was a sight. She couldn't breathe right, but she didn't care. She even chanced a smile.



Lucy shook his head. For once, he wasn't smiling at all, didn't look angry or sad or anything at all--aside from determined.

"No. No, I'll apologize for that later, but it doesn't ******** matter right now. I can't very well talk to you if you're dead." He burst into the hospital and charged up the the desk.

"Skip the procedure, I need to see Dr. Umeda, and fast. If this ******** dies, you had best bet there will be blood." He narrowed his eyes and bared fangs. "Lots of it."  

[Lady Mimicry]

(Simply because it would be funny...)

Tokka positively glowed with happiness. "Yes!" he cried, standing from the tub enthusiastically. Water cascaded down his body, looking oh-so-yummy against his tanned skin. Being OCD about cleaning and exercising, Tokka body screamed eye candy.

So, Umeda fixes Gabriel! Later, within the room, Umeda's flipping through Gabe's charts and frowning very deeply. He eyed Gabriel, who resembled a mummy after surgery. Then, he eyes skimmed over Lucy. "Several ribs were broken, lots of internal bleeding. Once he's healed enough, we'll start cancer treatment."  

[Felixitous]

Clover looked away, her face entirely red. Don't look and you'll be okay. You've pent this stuff up since day one. You can hold back a little longer.

But she still peeked a little.



Lucy blinked. "Wait, what?" He looked at Gabe, worry and anger in his eyes. "What?!" He raised a hand to hit him, but sat back down and placed his head in his hands. "How bad is it?" he whispered, face hidden. Today just couldn't get any worse, could it?  

[Lady Mimicry]

Realizing where his enthusiasm had gotten him, Tokka's face reddened and he covered himself, trying not to embarass himself further as he submerged himself in the water again.

"Sorry," he mumbled shyly.

Umeda frowned, removing his glasses to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Well, Lucy, I'm not going to lie. It's serious. While doing the surgery, I took some liberties and checked his lungs. Black as asphalt. We could replace them, but that doesn't mean the cancer will go away. He'd better watch his alcohol intake too, his liver's looking alittle rough. I'm sorry."  

[Felixitous]

Clover smiled back. "It's all right. It was cute." She scooted closer and took his hand awkwardly. She was going to try this, dammit, even if it killed her. Which it probably would.



Lucy let out a sigh and nodded. "Thanks. You mind if we're alone for a bit?"

Once Umeda had left, he looked at Gabe. "You know what sucks worst out of all of this? I still love you. It doesn't go away, it just stays there, even when I'm mad, and it just makes me madder sometimes." He scooted his chair closer so he could look at him, so Gabe could see him. He was being completely serious without being angry. It was kind of strange. He sighed again and cracked his neck. "Maybe I'm crazy, but I still want to try, you know? Even though I'm an a*****e, and you're an a*****e who's ******** dying on me." He chuckled dryly and looked at him. "Is this what it's like for you when I slice myself up? Because if it is, I swear to god, I'll stop." He looked down. "I think I'm going numb. I can't feel anything." When he looked at him again, he looked sad, pathetic. "Please don't die."  

[Lady Mimicry]

Tokka grabbed Clover's other hand too, lacing their fingers. "It's cute," he repeated, eyelashes framing amber eyes, "is that all you've gotta say about it?" He smiled, kissing her knuckles.

Gabriel was floating somewhere between reality and sleep. Drifting. He'd only heard bits and pieces of Lucy's conversation, but just enough to put the pieces together.

"Lucy," he wheezed, "you're such a hypocrite. Daddy told me about you slitting your throat. I'll die if I ******** wanna. What would've happened if you'd been successful? Never thinking about anybody ********, how does your family handle it?"  

[Felixitous]

Clover didn't think it was possible, but she flushed more. She was afraid of what she might say if she opened her mouth, so she looked away, her hair hiding her face, and nodded.



Lucy closed his eyes a minute, then stood up. "Fine." He was angry again. Angry worked. Angry he knew how to handle. "You know what, I'm sorry for trying to apologize and trying to change, because obviously, you never will." He had been fighting the tears all night, he was sick of crying. He refused to let them fall. As he reached the door, though, he turned back. "You know, I think I figured it out. I probably try and off myself to get your attention. You never seem to bother with me otherwise." With that he left, finding the nearest club he could, and nestling into the heat of the pulsing bodies swaying in time to the song. This was where he belonged. This was the only place where anyone cared about him.

((where the hell did Lucy get so goddamn dramatic i don't even))  

[Lady Mimicry]

Taking their hands, Tokka wrapped Clover's arms around his neck, pulling her closer until their noses brushed. "So," he breathed, "if I were to kiss you?"

Gabriel would've followed him, but it was getting to be a vicious cycle. Besides, he couldn't have moved if he wanted to. Silently, he began to cry, biting his lip until it bled. Life was just looking ******** fantastic, wasn't it?  

[Felixitous]

She chuckled once, nervously, staring at him. She had never in her life been this close to someone, even a patient. She didn't have carefully stocked plans hiding up in her head like she usually did, so she had to run entirely off of instinct.

So she kissed him first.



For the first time in his life, he couldn't really lose himself in the dancing. All he could think about was where the stranger's hands were going, and who was it that was rhythmically pulsing up against him, and how black Umeda had said Gabe's lungs were. Maybe he could go back. Maybe they could try to start from the beginning. Maybe not even the beginning, but at least before it all went to s**t.

Suddenly, he fell over. People that knew who he was staredin shock: Lucy never got out of sync. Lucy was always right on time with everyone else. He didn't trip and fall.

He got up and pushed past them all, making his way back to the hospital. He'd just annoy Gabe until they both stopped being dicks. That was how they'd gotten together in the first place, after all.

But instead, when he walked into the room, he sat down and took Gabe's hand. He didn't say anything. He didn't want to. He laid his head next to Gabe on the bed and closed his eyes. Couldn't live with him, couldn't live without him--they were ******** either way, so might as well take the one that didn't make him want to die quite so much.



At the Shop, a small gray-haired boy turned into a great gray-furred dog and walked out. Nevin was tired of being pushed aside. No one loved him any more. He'd liked it back when it was just him and Trigger and Aiden and Clover and Basil. Even when Saber and Dominique and Zero had shown up, it was okay. People had still paid attention to him then. But now, he was expendable, invisible. No one would notice if he went for a walk and never came back.  

[Lady Mimicry]

Tokka returned Clover's kiss, his hands encircling her waist and massaging her hips. He'd never been in a situation like this before, but once her lips touched his, it felt natural. Tokka loved how Clover's curls clung to his shoulders. Or how nice she felt pressed against ******** you," he cried, struggling to pull Lucy into the hospital bed. His arms wrapped around Lucy's shoulders, his fingers digging into his shirt. "I hate you, I hate you." Yet with every 'I hate you' Gabe only held him closer.

While window shopping, a kind stranger spotted the great gray-furred dog and he followed, realizing he was alone. "Hey," he said, "where's your family?" Digging through his grocery bag, he protruded several sausages and offered them to him.

"It doesn't matter, fella, I don't have a family either. Eat up." Standing, he ruffled the dog's head and walked home.  

[Felixitous]

From then on, Clover did not think, analyze every second, plan ever moment, every action. She squirmed and acted, reacted, and enjoyed Tokka and his touch.



Lucy climbed onto the bed and curled up, wrapping his arms around Gabe, face pressed to his chest. "I know," he said, clinging to him. No, he'd lied before. Even in the midst of turmoil, this was home. There was nowhere else besides this that mattered. Even if it hurt, he was going to stay, and by god, they were going to come out on top.

When it was quiet, he said, "I love you. I don't know how else to be, and even if I did, I wouldn't want to." He trailed off, not sure what else to say.



Nevin looked at the food and ate it quickly. Then he decided to follow the man. Might as well. Maybe he could love him? Not like he'd be any worse off if he didn't. He was used to it by now.  

[Lady Mimicry]

Balancing his groceries upon his knee, Koga unlocked the door and almost entered until he spotted Nevin. He smiled and placed the grocery bag inside the doorway.

"Wanna come inside, boy? There's a fireplace, real warm."

A week passed by, Koga, as the stranger was called, didn't mind Nevin. In fact, he welcomed the company. He didn't have anybody else, it seemed. There was a milkman whom flirted fiendishly with him, but Koga was either dense or really didn't give two shits.

Gabriel had started his chemotherapy. It was okay at first, but eventually he couldn't keep anything down. His injuries didn't help him any either. Finally, Umeda had perscribed a drug that would help with the sickness, but had...a peculiar effect.

Arms encircled Lucy, Gabe cuddled him, smiling dreamily. "Baby, I love you," he cooed, "you smell amazing." He was sickeningly happy. Grotesquely so. Their typical arguing had ceased entirely.  

[Felixitous]

Nevin had settled into Koga's home nicely. He loved the company, the attention, and it delighted him to no end that he was part of a family again. He growled openly at the milkman each time he came, bristling and looking rather ferocious. He knew what significant others did to family. They made them forget about the dog, they did. He wouldn't let anything jeopardize his newfound happiness.


Lucy frowned at Gabe, poking him in the eye. Gabe's good cheer was really weird--not to mention annoying.

"Get away, weirdo. I don't love you. Go away, get off, don't touch me." He wasn't angry; he didn't mean anything he said. He just wanted to rile him, to incite the old Gabe, his Gabe. This happy-monster was actually horrifying.  

[Lady Mimicry]

Lounging on the stoop, Koga watched the clouds drift by, his gloved fingers nestled in Nevin's fur. Despite the weather, Koga never took off his gloves. Not even inside. It was a beautiful day, perfect for being lazy and sunbathing with the dog.

"Koga," came the familiar voice of the milkman, "there you are."

Koga rolled his eyes. "I'm exactly where I've always been."

"Is t-the...oh, you've still got that stray?"

"Ain't no stray," he replied, "he's mine."
***
After placing several butterfly kisses against Lucy's neck, Gabriel, unfaced by Lucy's heckling, rolled over and off the bed. Usually, this would be followed by several very loud curses, but instead what followed was laughter.

"My ribs," he laughed, "I probaby shouldn't try that again."