[Fin] Not such a good evening

[BlackFireKitsune]

There, much better. Abel returned the smile - not as weak given he wasn't the one with unknown substances in his system - but his expression gained a hint of curiosity when Zevran requested a minute. Ah, clothes.. that... he couldn't undo himself. This was oddly familiar, but unlike the night before he didn't feel like a terrible person for helping - not that he was going to mention it, of course - so he nodded and turned to help undo the buttons with far steadier fingers than his friend apparently had at the moment. "Don't worry about it - about either thing, that is. We're definitely not doing that," he stated firmly, because absolutely not, "or at least, not right now. Maybe in a few days once whatever it is is out of your system," the blond suggested after a moment as he withdrew his hands once he'd finished with the buttons. A thought occurred to him then, so he voiced it. "D'you want some different clothes to sleep in?" Zevran had worn those clothes for some length of time the day before, had slept in them all night, and based on the layer of sweat just on his forehead before, he could only imagine how uncomfortable his clothes had gotten since he'd put them on the previous day.  

[TawnyAngel]

The buttons on his jeans were larger, easier to grip, and so he managed those while Abel was helping with the shirt buttons. "Oh-ho, is that a promise?" he asked with a smirk, still tired around the eyes but definitely genuine. "I will have to hold you to that or perhaps tie you up for it? Or you can tie me up, whatever is your preference." As he spoke Zevran shrugged out of his shirt and then squirmed out of his jeans, considering Abel's question as he tossed each article of clothing across the room. "Yes?" he said eventually, his tone making it almost a question as he continued to ponder the question. "Yes," he said again with more certainty; he was still sweating quite a lot, he would make Abel's sheets a bit less disgusting if he wore something besides his underwear.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

"It is if you want it to be," he replied with a more suggestive smirk than was probably appropriate given the circumstances for his friend's visit, and he reached a hand up to trace the curve of Zevran's chin with his thumb as he stood up, then padded over to his dresser. "I'm not so sure about tying anybody up," he went on uncertainly as he rummaged through a drawer, "or at least not myself." Once he found a neutral-colored short sleeved shirt that would fit his friend relatively well - they weren't so different in size besides height, and his shirts were more suited to his normal frame than his current one anyway - he tossed it towards the bed before moving down to rummage through another drawer before throwing a pair of dark gray sweatpants onto the bed as well. With that done, he moved back to the bed - the opposite side this time, to give Zevran room to change and also lie down - and flopped onto it on his back with a sigh. Oh yes, the bed was much more comfortable than the floor.  

[TawnyAngel]

Zevran pulled the clothes on slowly, smirking a bit at Abel's response. "Well, no matter, as you know by now I am most flexible," he said as he eased himself down onto the bed and curled up on his side. After a few moments he shifted across the bed until his back rested against Abel side. "Thank you for saving me, again."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Abel gave a breath of a laugh in response as he pulled the blankets over both himself and Zevran, then rested his hand on his friend's shoulder. "You're welcome," he murmured softly. After a bit of a pause he added, "Just.. Promise me you'll be more careful? Or at least call me if something seems wrong, or... I don't know. Something." Because if they hadn't gone to get groceries at that exact moment, then...  

[TawnyAngel]

More careful. Zevran tensed a little, closing his eyes tightly; he had been careful, he always was, but this time not careful enough. Just a moment of distraction was all it took and he knew it well, he had used that moment himself often enough though for a different purpose.

"Nothing seemed wrong, that was the problem," Zevran replied eventually, his voice subdued. "Everything was normal until... until I woke up here. I was careful, it's not my fault." Wasn't it? He knew these things happened but he had allowed himself to be diverted; stupid, stupid, stupid. "I should have been more careful," Zevran amended, curling in on himself a little more. "I should never have taken my eyes off him even for a moment."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Ah s**t. "No, it isn't your fault," he agreed hastily, rolling onto his side to curl an arm around his friend in a hug, "so please don't ever think that it is. That isn't what I meant and I'm sorry if it sounded that way. It isn't your fault, you didn't ask for it or do it to yourself, it was his fault entirely to choose to inflict that sort of s**t on someone else to do.. whatever it was he was planning, I don't know and I don't think I want to. I just meant... I don't know," the blond admitted after a moment, expelling a breath as he turned his head and flopped his face into his pillow. "We were just really worried," he said in a muffled voice when he found the words to speak again, "and to be honest it scared me because we might never have even known if we hadn't gone out to get groceries when we did."  

[TawnyAngel]

It wasn't, but it was. It felt as though it was.

Zevran's fingers found Abel's and held tight.

What had that b*****d been planning? He could guess a few things, that much was obvious, but the end result? Perhaps he would just have vanished and Abel would never have known what happened, maybe he would have thought he had simply got bored and left Kodo without a word. He didn't like that thought but he liked it better than the idea that his friend might just have been left wondering. Better to be thought ill of than to cause suffering to somebody he cared for.

After a heavy silence Zevran exhaled quietly and ran his thumb over Abel's. "I don't know what to say," he admitted quietly.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

"I haven't really known either," he admitted again as he turned to face the back of his friend's head, curling his fingers around Zevran's hand when it sought out his and giving him a gentle squeeze with his arm. It was a shitty experience to go through, having those sorts of things running through his system, but it was arguably just as shitty - if not moreso - to have to face the facts of just why it had happened. Or maybe not facts, but the what ifs and reasoning behind it; they might never know them themselves because he kind of doubted they'd see that guy again.

"Well," he began after his own thoughtful silence, trying his best to latch onto the positives and focus on them rather than dwell on what might've been, "whatever he was planning didn't happen, and you both are safe even if you're not exactly feeling that great, so that's at least one good thing, yeah?"  

[TawnyAngel]

"Ah, yes, this is true." Zevran chuckled quietly in the darkness, it was a dry sound devoid of anything that could be called mirth but perhaps there was an edge of black humour to it. "That which does not kill us makes us stranger and we live to fight another day. If we live enough days perhaps we forget." Ignoring unpleasant things such as last evening's events had generally worked in the past so there was no reason it should not now. For now as Abel said both he and Amigo were safe, and more than that he was with somebody who cared for him. "I expect I will feel better after some more sleep," Zevran added, hoping silently that he spoke the truth.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Abel was briefly puzzled by the quote; stranger? Not stronger? Well, that wasn't entirely inaccurate, so he didn't comment. "Ah," he began somewhat uncertainly, his tones quite doubtful, "I guess." It wasn't always better to forget, and sometimes one never could forget, but that wasn't really anything that needed to be pointed out or discussed or dragged out. Zevran needed sleep, after all, and he wouldn't sleep if they were having rather pointless discussions. "I think you will too," he agreed instead, silently hoping the same for his friend. With the arm already wrapped around the shorter blond, Abel gave him a light squeeze of what he hoped was reassurance. He'd be okay - he was okay - and getting more sleep would only help.  

[TawnyAngel]

"Mmmh," Zevran agreed vaguely, relaxing a little more at Abel's gentle squeeze. He felt safe here and, strangely enough, that probably wasn't an illusion. Exhausted as he was the comfortable bed and comfort of Abel's presence soon saw him drift into a heavy sleep.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Not too long after Zevran fell asleep, Abel soon joined him.


A few hours later, at a more normal hour for someone to wake up at who didn't have to work that day, the taller blond awoke and eventually, carefully extricated himself from the bed. He murmured soft assurances that everything was still okay - he was sure Zevran wouldn't tackle him again, but just in case the few hours of sleep had caused him to temporarily forget where he was and he got it in his head to try it again - and that he should go back to sleep, if his friend stirred at the disturbance. Once assured that he was asleep - or at least seemed to be asleep - Abel silently padded out to the other room to do a few things. He made sure his various Pokemon were fed, he showered, he made coffee, stuffed a piece of dry toast into his mouth as breakfast, and eventually returned to his bedroom with his mug of coffee and a new glass of cool water for his friend, if he was awake to drink it.  

[TawnyAngel]

Zevran stirred and frowned slightly when Abel moved away from him but the quiet words of comfort seemed to do the trick and he stilled again with a soft sigh.

When Abel returned he would find Zevran sprawled across the space where he had lain earlier, and Amigo occupying his pillow. The tattooed blond had probably been dozing rather than truly asleep because he cracked an eye open as soon as Abel stepped through the door. "Morning," Zevran said hoarsely with a wry smile; "I cannot say it is a good one. My head feels as though one of those big rock pokemon has sat on it." He still felt vaguely sick too and very weak but not quite as bad as he had when he had woken earlier on which was a good start.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

"I don't imagine it is a very good morning," the taller blond replied somewhat ruefully as he sat down on the edge of the bed again. "I brought you some more water in case you wanted it cooler than room temperature. 'Fraid I don't really have anything to give you though," he added apologetically. "We had a bottle of painkillers somewhere but I don't know where it went." Which was partially true; he had no idea where it went once Alyssa took it. After a pause he asked, "Do you still feel sick?"