Holly - RL for Ken and Aya

[minesprettier]

[Apparently, there's supposed to be a cold spell tonight and Chloe didn't finished preparing the plants for it because of his injuries. The others did most of the work, true, but they knew not to interfere with his roses.

He rests on his hands and knees to pile mulch around the base to keep the roots warm enough to survive. The smaller climbing roses will need to be unwound from their wooden frame, set on the ground, and covered in more of the same material afterwards.

This would be easier if he had another skilled set of hands. Nana hasn't yet said when Ken and Aya will get home, though.]

Comments

[redlikecrimson.livejournal.com]

That sounds like them.

[Aya notices what Chloe is doing and reaches over to take the directions away, putting them in his pocket. Then he's giving Chloe the directions aloud. He'll talk about what he just saw in a moment.]

[minesprettier]

[He frowns, but continues anyway. Aya telling him what to do is easier although he'll never admit it.]

They're even closer now than they were before the wedding.

[redlikecrimson.livejournal.com]

You've taken good care of them and it shows.

[He knows from experience that it takes a caring hand to see to it that they grow properly.]

[minesprettier]

[Well that's a compliment he didn't expect. Chloe doesn't feel like he does much to help them grow, but apparently it's enough.]

Thank you.

[redlikecrimson.livejournal.com]

You're welcome.

[He looks over the roses as he moves on to his next topic.]

You seem to be doing well physically.

[minesprettier]

Someone from the community offered to heal me. He was by this morning and it was perfect timing. I could have finished all of this on my own if I needed to thanks to the help.

[redlikecrimson.livejournal.com]

[Aya's not thrilled by that and it shows. But he refuses to question Chloe's judgment on this.]

[minesprettier]

All he saw of the house was the garden. And as far as he's concerned, it was a mishap from working around a ladder and heavy boxes.

[Maybe that will slightly appease the grumpy leader?]

[redlikecrimson.livejournal.com]

That affected your eyesight?

[Yes, he noticed.]

[minesprettier]

I didn't mention that and it wasn't treated.

[Now he's a little grumpier.]

I got poison in my eyes, Aya. I'm amazed I can still see at all.

[redlikecrimson.livejournal.com]

We'll get you reading glasses later today.

[That's the solution to that.]

[minesprettier]

Assuming I can find ones that look good enough.

[He'll never stop being vain, sorry.]

Is that all you're concerned about?

[redlikecrimson.livejournal.com]

You're jealous.

[Yep. Just like that.]

[minesprettier]

I'm happy for you two.

[But also completely jealous at the same time.]

[redlikecrimson.livejournal.com]

And still jealous because you're convinced you can never have anything like that after what happened recently.

[minesprettier]

[Chloe's voice goes cold to keep himself from getting too emotional.]

I killed the only person I wanted to have it with. There's no convincing needed.

[redlikecrimson.livejournal.com]

[Aya doesn't seem at all bothered by the tone, used to getting it from people.]

So you are sure that there is no one in the entire world that can make you happy.

[minesprettier]

Not like she did. And not with the work we do.

[He couldn't keep up a lie about this job for long. They get hurt too much for a lie to work.]

[redlikecrimson.livejournal.com]

I knew a man once who had the love of his life. She was his everything and he didn't let her know it. It was at that time that he thought he'd lost her forever. Years later, he came across her again but she'd changed and become his enemy. He was forced to kill her with his own hands.

[He looks over at Chloe.]

I have seen what this can do to someone, Chloe.

[minesprettier]

[He flinches at the story and draws a slow breath.]

The difference is that she was innocent and I still had to do it to force "Cedric" to expose his true self.

You couldn't save the other man, could you?

[redlikecrimson.livejournal.com]

This is not about what I could or could not do. This is about how I am watching you let this kill you.

[minesprettier]

I'm not letting it kill me, Aya. If I wanted that, I would have let my injuries do the job rather than struggle to make it through them and end up being mostly healed now.

[redlikecrimson.livejournal.com]

Death takes on many forms, Chloe. I have seen most, if not all of them.

[minesprettier]

Whatever form it is, I'm not interested in it. Giving up at all would be the ugliest thing I could do, no matter how much what I did hurts.

[redlikecrimson.livejournal.com]

[Aya reaches out to touch one of the roses.]

What I see when I look at you currently is a thorn. Something sharp that keeps people away. Before you were the rose itself. That beauty you treasure.