writing_shadows

OOC: A write-up from a recent scene between Trick and Carl Swanson, where she reveals a side of herself which, ahem, didn't go down with him too nicely! My contribution to the September writing challenge, enjoy!

Carl rolled over onto his side and curled his legs right up to his chest, the bruises and oozing cuts on his arms and hands healing quickly. He didn't look at Trick, and he didn't say anything. Trick felt the atmosphere in the blue-and-cream bedroom darkening and hardening, and the faint smile on her face vanished in a single instant. Awkwardly, she stepped up to the bed and crouched down next to it, cautiously reaching out her hand to gently touch Carl's body. He almost instinctively seemed to recoil away from her.

"Hey, baby... you feelin' okay there?" she asked softly.

Carl stretched himself out on the bed, and Trick's gaze flickered over him, taking in the entirety of his form, his slightly tanned skin, still warm beneath her touch.

"No, not really," he mumbled, returning himself to a curled-up ball again. He still didn't turn to look at her. Beginning to feel the first tiny twinges of shame creeping across herself, Trick pulled her hand away from him, slowly, almost unwillingly, like breaking physical contact would break something even bigger than that. Instead of walking away and taking her anger at herself out on, well, something other than Carl, Trick stood up silently and then lay down on the bed, wrapping her arms around him and gently rubbing his aching hands and arms.

"It's okay now, baby. You're free," she whispered. It was directed at him, but sounded a lot like she was talking to herself. It came as something like a humiliating surprise that when she lay down, Carl didn't pull away, almost like he was prepared to forgive her.

"You actually enjoyed that," he said to her, in a quiet, accusing tone. Then he turned to look at her. The pained expression in his eyes chilled Trick right through to her very core. "Does torture come so easily to you? Zagreus has taught you well."

Trick closed her eyes as he turned away again, turning his words over and over in her mind, wondering what she was supposed to say now. Sorry wouldn't quite cut it, not this time. But she said it anyway, pulling him in closer to her, trying to soothe and comfort him, trying to take some of the pain away.

No, she thought, as they lay there, bodies entwined together. They were never going to agree on that one thing.