Nightshift 40 - M31-M40 Hallway

[kindalikedit]

[From here]

Dean's flashlight flickered as he focused it on the room's door. M31. He had a winner. Normally he'd just let himself in - either by picking the door or kicking it down - but for some reason he didn't. Instead Dean knocked, rapping the door with his knuckles and waiting to be let in. Standing here felt good - he was supposed to be here and, his new-found confidence told him, he'd report. To who and for what? Dean didn't remember quite yet but it didn't seem to bother him at all as he waited outside in the dark, keeping an eye and ear out for anything that went bump in the night and needed to get bumped back. All the aches and pains from the last couple of nights here ceased to bother him as much as they had earlier: the cuts, the bruises, the bandages, everything took a backseat to getting into M31 and answering that compulsion.

Comments

M34

[purgatio]

[from here]

When the door opened, Albedo went in, easily navigating inwards. Now which would be his twin's bed? This one, or...? Albedo started, teeth showing in a snarl of surprise. Someone else was here. Sleeping. His eyes narrowed further in indecision before his body stiffened. Fine then. There wasn't much choice at this point. His patience was breaking. If the roommate woke up, Albedo would simply have to kill him. With the decision that simple, the boy relaxed, carefully walking towards the other bed.

Surprisingly, Albedo did as Rubedo had wanted in the first place, and released him after settling him gently on the bed. Albedo, for his part, clambered on the other end, laying on his stomach with his hand in his hands. He looked at Rubedo for a moment, the smallest flash of uncertainty showing before disappearing. For this, Albedo would be carefully blank.

He couldn't know that trying to do this in front of Rubedo was telling; that he looked younger in this instance while his eyes aged. The boy swallowed unconsciously. "So," he said, voice almost normal--free of any other tones. "What was your answer?" Here, Rubedo couldn't ignore him.

Re: M34

[udo-retrovirus.livejournal.com]

Junior was almost relieved that the Commander was still there, asleep, when they returned. Someone else there at all meant that he would probably be safer than he would have normally. Not that it was really all that much. He set his things to the side when Albedo finally set him down on the bed, then sat down.

Having his twin watching him like this was eerie, definitely like looking at Albedo's adult self. The redhead had hoped that Albedo had forgotten the question, but he should've known better. This was something that had been at the forefront of his twin's mind for years, when Junior was from, so there was no way he'd give it up when it hadn't happened very long ago.

"That's..." he started again, hesitating. The infected units had scared him, his twin had scared him, but... "You've got it all wrong, Albedo."

Re: M34

[purgatio]

Albedo had watched, entranced, as Rubedo moved and finally sat. It was like he was noticing details that he never had before--and that couldn't make sense, could it? Rubedo was smaller, it should be harder to notice things. Maybe it was just because.... Albedo hadn't seen Rubedo, been near him and spent time with him for a long while, in the boy's mind. A week without his twin was maddening; the other's waveform was comforting just by its presence. And Albedo had wondered why he couldn't sleep since they had parted ways.

He swallowed again, unconsciously reaching out a hand to touch Rubedo's side. He had assumed that... sleep was just not for him, and yet, here, he rested easily with Rubedo's heartbeat echoing within him. He hadn't....

Albedo jerked, his hand sliding away. His eyes clouded with a sharp pain and fierce resentment. "Wrong, am I? Correct me then. In what way was it that you didn't break away, didn't leave-" His eyes narrowed dangerously, and he cut himself off, choking the syllable. Not there. Not yet. "What did Nigredo have that I didn't? How did his value trump my own?"

Re: M34

[udo-retrovirus.livejournal.com]

He should've expected his twin to respond like that, but that didn't mean he liked seeing his reaction, much less hearing his accusations. He knew how it looked, but it hadn't said shit about Nigredo having more worth than Albedo. As maddening as his twin could be, as much as he wanted to scream at the white-haired one to stop playing up the victim act more than was justified...

"I never said I didn't do that!" he replied. "But it doesn't have anything to do with his value. I came back for both of you." Came back for two of them, but left with only one. Nigredo had been bleeding, dying, needed help. He'd planned on going back, but then Canaan and chaos had shown up. "He's my brother, and you're my twin. You're both just as important to me, got that?"

Re: M34

[purgatio]

Everything had receded to a silent drone; the buzz of his blood rushing through his veins drowning out all other noise. His thoughts had slowed to a stop, the pounding of two heartbeats crushing everything else inside of him. Silence. Something throbbing (something breaking); some hope being denied, crushed underfoot.

Albedo shifted slowly to his knees, leaning over Rubedo. "No," he said. "I don't think that's true." He leaned his weight to the left, raising his right hand off the bed. "Because you left me."

But he was already alone by that time. Rubedo had left him far before that.