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]

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.

[minesprettier]

[He raises an eyebrow and doesn't say anything for a moment. Chloe isn't intending to keep people away, but he hurts and knowing that his friends found something he suddenly finds himself craving hurts too.]

Roses need their thorns to stay safe. They don't mean to hurt, but they need some sort of protection from anyone who wants to damage them.

[redlikecrimson.livejournal.com]

Mm. [He closes his eyes for a moment or so.]

Ken wanted us to stop being together after you two talked, you know.

[minesprettier]

Why? What I feel shouldn't determine your relationship with each other.

[redlikecrimson.livejournal.com]

Because Ken is too good a person to hurt a friend.

[minesprettier]

I'm sorry if I caused any trouble for you two.

[redlikecrimson.livejournal.com]

You are never any trouble, Chloe.

[minesprettier]

[That gets a brief smile from him.]

I'll keep that in mind.

[wasabloodknight.livejournal.com]

Good.

[redlikecrimson.livejournal.com]

[Aya looks back at Ken before returning his attention to Chloe. He's waiting to see how this plays out first.]

[minesprettier]

I see Michel wore his arms out for now.

[Chloe gathers up empty bags of mulch, not bothering to clean himself up yet. He can get the dirt off his clothes later.]

[wasabloodknight.livejournal.com]

Yeah right. He only let me go once I promised him I'd help him with cookies later on if he let me come out here to help you finish up.



.... it's good to see you, Chloe.

[redlikecrimson.livejournal.com]

I'm amazed he didn't follow you out to come find me.

[He looks past Ken as he rises to his feet to brush the dirt off of him.]

[minesprettier]

It's good to see you too, Ken. We're almost done, but thank you for thinking of lending a hand.

And I'll bet he's hiding somewhere to ambush you, Aya.

[wasabloodknight.livejournal.com]

Oh, he's busy. I told him Aya hid a present for him in his stuff, so I bet he's busy digging through his bag right now. Free even seemed interested.

[And there's Ken's usual grin.]

[redlikecrimson.livejournal.com]

[Aya stares at him.]

...Ken. [He would facepalm but he's too busy heading inside to make sure they don't get in his things.]

[minesprettier]

[And that's enough to make him laugh. At least it's Aya's things and not his own.

Once Aya leaves, Chloe looks at Ken seriously.]

I'm sorry I upset you the last time we spoke.

[wasabloodknight.livejournal.com]

You upset me often, but... I know I'm not really the easiest person to deal with. We were both recovering and that leaves even the nicest person short tempered. It's all good.

[minesprettier]

I'm still happy for you two, even if I didn't come across that way.