Wanted: One redheaded gazelle to comfort me..

[AUGUST WITT]

August regretted what he'd said to Maxine the moment he left her that night at the Masquerade. She had not been a mistake. He was angry, and even as he regretted what he'd said, he was still furious. He knew if he went to apologize it wouldn't be sincere, not until he'd calmed down some. He would have only made things worse when she began to cry.

A storm broke out not terribly long after he'd gotten home and for awhile he wondered if Maxine had gotten home safely. Despite his anger towards her, he still cared for her safety, and Sebastian was still out there. If something were to happen to her he would never forgive himself. He didn't have much time to worry about her, though. August received a phone call explaining the tree had opened and a black cloud had come out, which was causing the raging storm overhead. There was no rain, but thunder crackled almost nonstop. It was certainly a peculiar storm, one that meant trouble.

The rest of the evening was spent out with the council trying to figure out what to do, and there he stayed until day broke and he turned to stone, but things went from bad to worse very quickly. August woke up feeling drowsy still, something he had never experienced before. One look at his watch confirmed that it was three hours before he was due to wake. A mild hysteria seemed to run through the Gargoyles. Why had they been woken so early? Where was the sun? The storm seemed to be blocking almost all sunlight from the earth and it seemed almost like night time already despite the early hour.

The day went in a blur, and by daybreak the following morning he was exhausted, only he never changed. His internal clock told him it was time, but the shift never happened. He was afraid to leave in fear something might happen, afraid to do anything, really. No one seemed to know what was going on, and he found himself wanting Maxine more than ever. There was a comfort in being with his gazelle, and he was exhausted and wanted to feel her cradled in his arms. He would finally be able to sleep, something entirely new to him, but not her. August had no idea how to simply go to bed. She hadn't called him since the masquerade, and he had been so preoccupied with things that he hadn't tried to call or come by.

Scruffy from a lack of shaving, August piled into the car, deciding he had to go out sometime. It was two in the afternoon, but looked much more like two in the morning. He drove the familiar route to Maxine's house and got out, knowing he would need to apologize, knowing he would need to explain himself to her, but he hadn't thought of anything. He was tired and weak and frankly scared out of his mind and he simply wanted to be with the single person who had ever showed him compassion... the single person he had shown compassion for. He knew he would likely frighten her by arriving at that time a day, but he didn't care. Shivering from the bitter chill despite it being the middle of summer, August moved to Maxine's door and knocked loudly three times, his breath escaping in a puff of smoke before him as he watched her door expectantly.

Hopefully she was home.

[MAXINE MCMANUS]

The days were running together with the storm outside. She stayed in bed for a whole day, not eating, just wanting to sleep. Maybe she could make it all a dream somehow. She had seen the tree in the park the night it split open and she had seen the body the group near the tree was trying to desperately to hide. As if hearing from the love of her life that she was a mistake wasn’t enough, she saw Mordecai dead and mutilated as well. The man had always been so admirable in her eyes. She had dreamt of him a few times in her vegetative state, but whenever she woke, she cried herself to sleep again. The pain was almost unbearable. Becky had come by a few times, urging her to eat, but all she could manage was some soup. She just wasn’t hungry; her sorrow filled her belly just fine. But after an entire day of sleeping, she got up and wanted a movie marathon. It was summer break, so it wasn’t like she had anything else to do. It was cold, though, and she found herself not only turning on the heat but wearing a sweatshirt and cuddling under blankets. She wanted to watch films about war and pestilence, a dark topic to match her mood. She knew she would be okay in the end…she just didn’t know when the end would be.

When Gertie called her in the morning on the second day, he was panicked. He and Gus weren’t able to blur and Maxi tried herself…to no avail. Her power was gone. She felt drained, like it would take too much out of her to blur, and it frightened her. Maxi had been able to control her powers for a very long time, since she could remember. How on earth was it that she couldn’t blur? She asked Gertie if there was anything she could do to help, to try and get the word out or something, but Gertie told her to say nothing to anyone. When the Blurrs received the message, it would be from him, and there would need to be a leaders’ meeting before he could decide what that message would be. Maxi agreed, confirming she would act as secretary once more and hung up the phone. Without August there, she could easily agree to be on call. The thought depressed her again, and she began her movie marathon after taking a shower.

In the middle of Henry V, the Kenneth Branaugh version, there was a knock on her door. At two in the afternoon, perhaps Gertie had come by to talk things out before the meeting. On a stormy day like this, she wouldn’t think Gertie would want to be outside, but stranger things had happened with that man. Bundled in flannel pajama pants and a sweatshirt from her college, she shuffled to the door. Who she found when she opened it was not who she expected. It was August…at two in the afternoon. She just blinked at first, certain she was seeing things, but no amount of blinking could wipe his image away. How in the hell was he standing on her porch?! While that question flickered in her mind, a swelling anger and tears rushed even stronger throughout her body.

Without thinking, she slapped her hand across his scruffy face, glaring at him afterward. The tears burning in her eyes fell onto her cheeks. It felt so good to hit him but just the sight of his face made her sick with hurt. “How dare you show your face to me?” she demanded, her voice thick with tears. “Get the fuck off my porch.” With that simple command she stepped back inside and moved to slam the door in his face, kick him out the way she knew she should. Seeing him made her weak with hurt and fury and she wanted nothing more than to curl up on her couch and disappear. If only she could disappear…

[AUGUST WITT]

He expected the look of surprise on her face. He was supposed to be stone, locked away in his high level appartment, tucked in his office, but there he was at two in the afternoon, all flesh and blood, standing at her door. He expected her to blink, to be startled, and likely to be upset, but the reaction he received once she had gotten over the fact he was there, was not exactly what he expected.

She slapped him hard across the face, which even he could admit he deserved but surely Maxine was not the type to offer such a blow. The part that got August most was not even so much that she hit him, but that it hurt. The lack of sun had clearly weakened him and he opened his mouth wide, stretching it as he turned his storming eyes back at her, doing his best to contain the anger he suddenly felt for having her hit him like that.

“How dare you show your face to me?” Her angry tone took him by surprise again and the fury in his own disipated, more shocked by her words than anything else. “Get the fuck off my porch.”

August had never seen the girl act like this before. Then again he had never said anything so cruel to her before. Honestly, she was overexaggerating, though! Or so August thought. When she went to slam the door in his face he flung his hand out instinctively, stopping it from slamming shut. His head was bowed dangerously low though his scorching eyes never left her. "Don't." He growled menacingly at her. Did she not see that state he was in? He knew he should have come off as more apologetic but she hadn't givin him a chance to, and now he was annoyed.

"Don't." It was softer this time, the angry look disipating into something resembling anguish as he forced the door open enough to step inside, still stronger than her despite his lack of strength. "I've had, obviously, some very strange days and I've come here to apologize for my behavior. Does that count for nothing with you? Attack me before I so much as have the chance to do what I'd come to?" As always he talked down to her, but there was something desperate in his voice, something that wasn't typically there when August spoke to anyone. "It's two in the afternoon!" He spat, his arms raising in the air as if that alone should have been reason for her to shut up and listen. "And I'm here! Flesh and blood!" He slapped his own arm so she could see as if him standing there wasn't proof enough.

He grimaced and looked at the ground, shaking his head and shutting his eyes. "Please... don't turn me away.." He said softly, still standing in the threshold of her home. "I came to talk to you.."

[MAXINE MCMANUS]

When August’s hand flung out to stop the door, Maxi’s eyes flashed to his. She saw the anger there and it made her even angrier. What did he have to be mad about? He deserved everything she dished out to him. “Don’t.” Maxi pushed the door harder, trying to keep him from coming into her house. But his face changed from angry to desperate, bordering anguished. When he pushed again on the door, letting himself in, she was too surprised by how weathered his face looked to fight back. “Don’t.” It was softer this time and she swallowed hard, watching him as he stepped through her door. Why was it so hard to ignore that look and just kick him out where he deserved to be—in the cold? “I’ve had, obviously, some very strange days and I’ve come here to apologize for my behavior. Does that count for nothing with you? Attack me before I so much as have the chance to do what I’ve come to?” Maxi’s jaw set, ready to retaliate. Why should she give him the chance to apologize? She had every right to slap him the way she had! He sounded desperate, but she hardly cared. She was pissed. “It’s two in the afternoon! And I’m here! Flesh and blood!” He was frantic, which surprised her enough to calm her some as she watched him. It was bizarre…very bizarre; but she was much less focus on how he was there than on why he was there.

He calmed, grimacing and looking at her floor, shaking his head. “Please…don’t turn me away…I came to talk to you.” Maxi was a talker. She was all about talking out your differences with another person and coming to a compromise. Her door was always open to help mediate her students and to help them with their own personal issues. She was the friend that everyone came to with their problems and she always helped them work through them. Maxi had very few enemies because if she had a confrontation with someone, she would approach them and say she was sorry and try to work out their issues. Right now, she felt that part of her personality grappling with the sheer hurt and fury she felt for August. She felt her eyes brimming with tears as she gave a sarcastic little laugh at his words. “Don’t turn you away?” she echoed, her brow lowering over her large, teary eyes. “Who turned who away, August? Because if I remember correctly, you were the one who walked away from me.” She bit the inside of her lip, trying to hold in her tears, but they were already falling onto her cheeks. “And for what? For not telling you I’m serving as secretary under Gertie? That just happened, August. That meeting was my first one. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I was there, but I’m not sorry that I hold that position. Gertie is my mentor and believe it or not, I have my own interest in politics and I have goals of my own.” The words were just flooding out of her before she could stop them, but she bit her lip as her breath failed her and it came in as a sob. She felt her face melting to one of sheer anguish.

“I don’t want to give you the chance to apologize, August. If I let you apologize then I’ll actually think you’re sorry and I’ll let you back in. And then I’ll love you again and you’ll just say something else hurtful and break my heart all over. I can’t do that. I can’t feel like this again! Like I’m just lost and broken and worthless!” She covered her face with her hands as she stopped yelling and just cried, sobbing as she tried to breathe. August wasn’t the one she talked about her feelings with and she was certain she had never spouted off so many of her emotions in one long speech before, but she couldn’t stop it. She didn’t even notice that she admitted she loved him in her whole spiel, she was just that emotionally charged. It felt surprisingly good to tell him how she felt though, however hard it was to look at him now. She just kept her face buried in her hands as she cried.

[AUGUST WITT]

“Don’t turn you away?” He frowned at her reaction as she mirrored his words sounding as though she were almost mocking him. making him from further. “Who turned who away, August? Because if I remember correctly, you were the one who walked away from me.” It was hard for him to keep calm with the tone she as using. August didn't allow anyone, aside maybe his superiors, to talk to him this way and Maxine was far from that. He took shallow, even breaths to stay collected enough not to lash out, knowing it would only make things worse for his case. Couldn't she shut up and take him to bed and be done with it? Sure she knew that was where this evening was headed. Did she really think he would leave without a fight? Clearly it was a fight she wanted, though.

“And for what? For not telling you I’m serving as secretary under Gertie? That just happened, August. That meeting was my first one. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I was there, but I’m not sorry that I hold that position." He had the urge to slap her, but he grit his teeth and let her keep on with her tirade. How long would she need to rant for? How long until she simply broke?

“I don’t want to give you the chance to apologize, August. If I let you apologize then I’ll actually think you’re sorry and I’ll let you back in. And then I’ll love you again and you’ll just say something else hurtful and break my heart all over. I can’t do that. I can’t feel like this again! Like I’m just lost and broken and worthless!”

He was angry with her, but not because she was wrong. He was angry because she was forcing him to do this, forcing him to give into those stupid fucking emotions he avoided like the plague. Forcing him to have to say things he wasn't comfortable so he could attempt to make amends in order to not lose her. It made him so furious that her tears didn't even tug at his heart like they should have.

It took every once of control not to lash out at her. August took a few deep breaths trying to keep his tone even when he finally did speak. "I had a right to be upset, Maxine." He started, his voice low and firm, "But I was wrong to call you a mistake because clearly you're anything but." He wanted to reach out to her, but he feared it. He feared losing himself in those petty emotions she so desperately wanted him to feel, the ones he already did feel but was afraid to show.

"Baby, please.." He was caving and so soon. "I won't.." He wasn't sure if ti was true or not and he shook his head, wanting to leave, wanting to give up.. He was too tired for this. He felt sick and weak and all he wanted was the one thing that would make him feel whole once more and she wanted no part of it. "What do I have to say, Maxine? What do you want to hear? That I'm a fucking idiot for having turned you away? You don't think I know that? I just crawled back to your door, surely you must know how much effort that took. You know me, you know how I am, you..." He wished his anguish could come out in tears like hers instead of the urge to punch something inanimate. "I am sorry... baby I wouldn't be here otherwise. Please... just... I'm too tired for this, I don't have the energy to fight with you all nig....day... I miss you. I was wrong to get so angry. I don't want to hurt you, Maxine. I don't.. I don't like knowing I've caused you this much distress." His voice quivered lightly with his emotion and he shook his head. "Perhaps I'm the mistake, but you're mine, dammit! And I'm fucking yours, and...Fuck, Maxine!" He turned to go putting his hand on the doorway and unsure if he should or not.

"I can't do this with you right now. I haven't slept.. I haven't turned... I don't know which fucking way is up so if you want me to just go I'll do it. I'll try again when I've sorted this all out and I can handle it, but know this won't be the fucking end if you tell me to leave." He looked over his shoulder at her, allowing her to make the decision of letting him say or go. She must know how much he wanted to stay..

[MAXINE MCMANUS]

There was a long pause where Maxi just cried and August was silent. It was almost like he had walked away again and she was just standing there in her doorway crying. “I had a right to be upset, Maxine.” She felt angry again. That’s not what she wanted to hear and she looked over the tops of her hands with brows lowered, her deep blue eyes bearing into him. “But I was wrong to call you a mistake because clearly you’re anything but.” Her knitted brows moved upward on her forehead, feeling pathetic for how much those words affected her. “Baby, please…I won’t…” She felt him pulling at her heart with his tone and the way he called her, “baby.” It made her want to yell that she wasn’t his “baby,” and it made her want to fall into his arms at the same time. Her tears were leaking out of her again and she wiped at her face, trying desperately to make them stop. She looked at him again as he started his own tirade.

“What do I have to say, Maxine? What do you want to hear? That I’m a fucking idiot for having turned you away? You don’t think I know that? I just crawled back to your door, surely you must know how much effort that took. You know me, you know how I am, you…” She wanted to believe he was telling the truth and she wanted to believe that she was the only woman on the planet who had ever made August swallow his pride and come back. But she knew if she believed that, it would only make her want to give in more. And why should she? “I am sorry…baby, I wouldn’t be here otherwise. Please…just…I’m too tired for this, I don’t have the energy to fight with you all nig…day…I miss you. I was wrong to get so angry. I don’t want to hurt you, Maxine. I don’t…I don’t like knowing I’ve caused you this much distress. Perhaps I’m the mistake, but you’re mine dammit! And I’m fucking yours, and…Fuck, Maxine!” That was why. She knew he meant it, every word he said. The way his voice quivered and with how much effort it took for him to say those words, she knew he was telling her the truth. He missed her and he was the mistake, but he was hers and he was sorry. She hated how much that made her want to forgive him. But when he turned to go again, she felt her heart stop.

“I can’t do this with you right now. I haven’t slept…I haven’t turned…I don’t know which fucking way is up so if you want me to just go, I’ll do it. I’ll try again when I’ve sorted this all out and I can handle it, but know this won’t be the fucking end if you tell me to leave.” He was going through the changes too. Maxi couldn’t blur and he couldn’t turn. Everything was so screwed up and she couldn’t be blamed for needing him, could she? When he looked over his shoulder, ready to go if she said the word, but promising to be back…she couldn’t take it. She couldn’t watch him walk away again. He was there and she never wanted him to leave again…ever. She reached out hesitantly, grabbing hold of the back of his shirt with both hands, hating herself for being so weak but loving him for coming back. Maybe this darkness could feel better if there was someone there with her…if he was there with her. “Don’t leave,” she all but whispered. Her eyes were filling with tears once more as she looked up at him. “Don’t leave me again.” It was a quiet plea, but betrayed everything she felt at having him with her again. Becky would be mad and exasperated and she felt like a battered wife always believing her husband when he said he was sorry…but this had been their first major fight. If he ever said something like that again…she wouldn’t think about that. She was exhausted by her anger and her sadness. Maxi wanted nothing more than for him to hold her again and adore her like he had before.

[AUGUST WITT]

He didn't want to leave, but he didn't want to stand there begging all day. It was too hard to do and he was just too exhausted. His head wasn't on straight and he wasn't feeling himself, though he was desperate to hang onto the shreds of the man he was prior to the darkness. Had he felt better he might not have come back due to his own pride, or maybe he would have been harsher when he did come back. Maxine was almost like a drug to him. He cared deeply for her, and he found he loved the way she made him feel. How powerful she made him feel, yet weak at the same time.

He felt her tug at his shirt, stopping him from walking back into the bitter chilled air. “Don’t leave,” It was a quiet plea that made him sigh with relief that he didn't have to go back home, that he could just relax for a moment. “Don’t leave me again.”

He looked over his shoulder at her, frowning. She had taken this all much harder than he had expected her to. Yes, he'd been unnecessarily cruel, but he felt her reaction was a little over the top. Then again he had a colder, harder heart. She was soft and warm and kind; a complete contrast to him.

August took a step backwards into her home and shut the door, sliding the lock in place. Her home, despite the door having been opened, was warm and welcoming, even if the woman who owned it was unsure. He turned slowly, looking fatigued and took a step towards her. With slight hesitation he reached to wrap her in his arms, drawing her close into a hug. He cradled her body close to his, sighing into her hair as he relished the fact he was holding her once more.

"I am sorry I hurt you." He told her gently, pulling his face away and moving it in such a way that he could see her face. His fingers combed through her hair, pushing it behind her ear. He watched as the red tendrils slipped through his fingers back to her shoulder and back. His eyes grazed over her cheeks and down to her lips, almost as if he was studying her to make sure all was in place. "I'll try and control my anger better." His thumb slid over her bottom lip, rubbing back and forth. "I have no intention of letting you go so easily.. my gazelle." A ghost of a smile flickered over his lips as he leaned in, hesitating to see if she would stop him, but when she didn't he kissed her gently. It wasn't the hungry kiss he often fed her, but one that was weary, adoring, just firm enough for her to know he cared without making it seem he wanted only one thing from her. "I'd like to sleep here.." He said softly into her lips. "If you will let me."

[MAXINE MCMANUS]

She watched, breathless, as August stepped back and closed the door behind him. He would stay. Thank God he wouldn’t walk away again. He stepped toward her and wrapped his arms around her, and she clung to him as she sniffled into his chest. He was there, with her again, and she sighed to be back in his arms. She felt his sigh brush through her hair, and she welcomed it. Her chest pressed against his warm, hard chest as she closed her eyes as her hands gripped his back tightly. “I am sorry I hurt you.” She felt him pulling back to look at her, and though she didn’t want to move away from him, she pulled back a little too to look up into his face with big eyes. His fingers combing through her hair, pushing it behind her ear and she felt a warm relief rushing through her. He studied her face and she did the same, noting again how very tired and weary he looked. So when they turned to stone, that was their sleep. One of her questions had been answered. She wanted to hold him until he did fall asleep and for the first time wake up next to him.

“I’ll try and control my anger better.” That was enough for her. She couldn’t guarantee she would be as forgiving the next time he spoke to her as he had, but she hoped there wouldn’t be a next time for that. His thumb dipped down and rubbed over her bottom lip as it often did, making her feel adored once more. “I have no intention of letting you go so easily…my gazelle.” She remembered that nickname he had given her and it made the corners of her mouth turn up some, happy tears coming to her eyes now. How long had he called her his gazelle before he actually said it? It seemed fitting for her and she found she loved the uniqueness of it. It was his nickname for her and no one else. She didn’t have a nickname for him, though. He was just her August, but he seemed perfectly fine with that. He leaned in slowly and she watched him come closer, knowing that if he kissed her, it would all be over. She would be his again and they would be where they were before, but perhaps a little wiser. She pressed forward a little too, wanting that desperately, and her last couple tears dripped down her cheeks as he pressed his mouth to hers. It wasn’t a heated kiss, though it was passionate, and she could feel how much he cared and had missed her in that kiss. She returned it gently and with as much passion, knowing she would never adore anyone else’s lips the way she adored his. His mouth was still close when he spoke.

“I’d like to sleep here…If you will let me.” Maxi’s smile grew a little, her lips still against his lightly, and she nodded. “You can sleep here.” Her arms moved to wrap around his shoulders and hug him tight as she kissed him again. It was still a sweet, passionate kiss, not letting it get too heated. He appeared too tired and exhausted for that. When she pulled away, she opened her eyes and smiled at him, combing her fingers through his thick hair. She loved his hair. “Let’s go upstairs,” she suggested softly, pulling away from him and taking his hand. For once as she was guiding him up the stairs, though, she didn’t have sex in mind. She just wanted to put him to bed and sleep there beside him. Once in her room, she let go of his hand to pull her sweatshirt off her head, leaving her in a camisole and her flannel pajama pants. She glanced at him and smiled. “Well, get comfortable,” she invited. If he wanted to take his clothes off or leave them on, she didn’t really care, but she did know he wasn’t going to sleep if he was uncomfortable. Tossing her sweatshirt to the floor, she crawled into her bed, pulling the covers back and waiting for him patiently.

[AUGUST WITT]

August was glad the fighting was all over, that she was his once more and that he wouldn't have to fear her swatting him again. He was still a little thrown that it had hurt the way it had, but he wasn't going to think on that now. A flittering thought of he would make her pay for it later in bed crossed his mind, but he wasn't thinking properly enough to consider fucking her.

“Let’s go upstairs,” she suggested softly, taking his hand and leading him upstairs. He went willingly, trudging up the steps. It had never taken effort for him to do anything until now. Once in her room, she let go of his hand and pulled her sweatshirt off. He watched silently from his stance, not moving. He'd done this many times with her, but often he was naked and it was after they'd had sex or right before. This was different, and in a way it made him uncomfortable. He felt so...human.

“Well, get comfortable,” she invited but he continued to stand there for a moment, his lips pursed. Finally he kicked his shoes off and moved them neatly under her window. He unbuttoned his shirt and pulled it off, draping it over her chair and lastly his pants which got draped over his shirt. It felt awkward, like he should get naked and simply drill her, but that wasn't what this was about. His eyes moved to stay on her as he crawled into the bed. It was warm and comfortable, as his own had been, though he noted his was far superior. He sighed as he laid down and pulled her into his arms, keeping her close.

"My body doesn't know how to do this." He admitted to her softly. It wasn't as simple as shutting his eyes as he had thought. Part of his problem was he constantly thought about it once his eyes were shut, which kept him up despite how tired he was. After laying for hours he would give up, or nod off but it was always a light sleep and never restful. He often woke within an hour or so as if it were simply a nap. "And now I'm wondering if you'll be a distraction." He teased lightly, yawning as he snuggled into her more. August tangled his legs with hers and found her lips once more. "Will you be able to sleep?" He asked, his mouth still hovering dangerously close. "I know it's the middle of the day when you'd normally be up."

[MAXINE MCMANUS]

Maxi waited as August undressed to his boxers and then climbed into bed with her. She had to admit, she was excited for this. Maxi and August had never actually slept together, and she wanted to know what it was like to wake up next to him. She lay back as he climbed in and he snuggled close once there. Maxi was still uncertain about letting August back into her bed, for caving so easily, but when had she not caved so easily? Especially when it came to August, she just couldn’t keep herself walled up and unavailable. Now, curling into his embrace, she let that worry go. “My body doesn’t know how to do this.” She gave a light giggle, her arms coming around him to keep him close. “It can be difficult for some people,” she informed him, her voice soft and calming. “And now I’m wondering if you’ll be a distraction.” She giggled again as he snuggled closer, seeing him yawn for the first time. His legs tangled in hers and she admired how strong his felt twined with her soft, skinny ones encased in warm flannel. He kissed her and she let one hand come to his face, feeling the scruff beneath her fingers. She actually kind of liked that on him.

“Will you be able to sleep? I know it’s the middle of the day when you’d normally be up.” Maxi smiled against his lips, her hand gently stroking his cheek. “Crying always makes me tired. I’m just emotionally exhausted right now, so I can sleep. But if I wake up before you, I have a book on the nightstand,” she assured him. She kissed him again lightly, her fingers moving along his strong jaw. When she pulled back, she looked into his stormy eyes and smiled gently. “I’m not going anywhere, I promise.” August could leave whenever he wanted, but she would always be there waiting; it was how Maxi was. She was patient and she didn’t mind the wait. And for August, she felt she could wait forever; in fact, she knew she could. She kissed him again, gentle and adoring, her fingers still lightly caressing his face. Her smile was sweet when she pulled back, running her thumb over his stubbly cheek. “I kind of like this scruff you have going on,” she told him, her nose wrinkling cutely as she said the word “scruff.” One more brief kiss and she knew she had to stop before he got all riled up. He needed to rest.

With a sigh, she readjusted so she could cradle his head beneath her chin and comb her fingers through his hair. She lay there like that, wondering if she was helping at all. Her cheek rested against the top of his head and she watched her fingers work gently and rhythmically through the deep chestnut locks. “Just close your eyes,” she said softly, hardly above a whisper. “Don’t think about anything. Just kind of let your mind wander.” A rhythm was always soothing for Maxi, whether it was a heartbeat or someone’s fingers in her hair. Her mother used to put her to sleep this way, combing her hair and she found herself feeling drowsy too. As the quiet rolled by and she was certain he was asleep, her fingers steadily slowed until she was lulled to sleep as well.

[AUGUST WITT]

“Crying always makes me tired. I’m just emotionally exhausted right now, so I can sleep. But if I wake up before you, I have a book on the nightstand,” She was stroking his cheek gently and he looked into her eyes, annoyed and sad she was bringing up her tears. He knew he'd hurt her and in a way he felt like she was throwing it back in his face. He didn't want to think about having caused her so much grief, but he had a feeling she would hold it over him for a time, at least until he snapped and asked her to stop. She kissed him and he felt what little annoyance he was feeling slip away. “I’m not going anywhere, I promise.” He gave a light nod, glad she would stay with him and wondering if it would aid him in his sleeping.

She pulled back a little, watching his face and he did the same, looking her over. “I kind of like this scruff you have going on,” She liked him looking disheveled and poorly groomed? That was a surprise. August usually took such great care of himself. He didn't like to come off as unpolished, but he just didn't have the energy to do anything about his facial hair growth the last few days. "I don't, it itches." He explained softly before she kissed him again. Her kisses got him started on that riled up feeling he got with her, but he didn't have the energy to take her as he normally did. It didn't mean he didn't want her; quite the opposite. If anything he wanted to get the pent up feelings of anguish out through the only way he knew how, but it just wasn't happening for him now. He was glad when she pulled away, not wanting to have to try and push himself further than he had to.

“Just close your eyes,” she instructed gently, her voice calm and adoring. “Don’t think about anything. Just kind of let your mind wander.” She combed his hair with her fingers and he took a large, deep breath, letting it out slowly as he relaxed in her arms. Perhaps it was the comfort of having her there, or the fact that he was so completely drained, but August found that he was able to relax enough with Maxine that sleep took him.

The sleep wasn't a restful one. August was restless and at times he thrashed, moving around and rolling in his sleep. His body seemed to want to reject this sort of hibernation, and only two hours after he'd fallen asleep he found himself on her floor, dazed and awake. It didn't hurt, but it took a moment for him to really remember where he was. He was at Maxine's. They'd made up. He sighed, his heart racing as he slid a hand to his forehead. "And to think I always wanted to have the decision to sleep. I'd take changing back in a second." He said sitting up and rubbing his eyes generally feeling pretty miserable, but at least he had regained a little energy. He moved to his knees and climbed back into Maxine's bed, resting his head on the pillow. "Maybe you should tie me to the bed before I try that sleeping thing again." He suggested before letting out a weary little laugh. "Though I don't know if I could trust you to tie me up. I fear you would abuse power like that."

[MAXINE MCMANUS]

August apparently moved a lot when he slept. Maxi tried to keep a hold on him, but he didn’t seem to want to be held, so she just kept her arms out in case he found his way back into them. For her, this was really just a nap, but it was a good one. His moving woke her on occasion, but she always just ran her hand along his arm or back to get him to calm until she fell asleep again. After about two hours, a loud thud woke her up. She blinked, trying to figure out where August went, when she heard a sigh from the floor on the other side of the bed. She pushed herself up onto her elbow, craning her head to see. He was on the floor, his hand on his forehead and she was worried maybe he had hit his forehead on the way down. “And to think I always wanted to have the decision to sleep. I’d take changing back in a second.” The way he rubbed his eyes made him look like a little boy and she stifled a giggle as he made his way back into her bed.

His head rested on her pillow again and she just watched him for a moment, smiling at him. “Maybe you should tie me to the bed before I try that sleeping thing again.” He gave a little laugh and she smiled wider. “Though I don’t know if I could trust you to tie me up. I fear you would abuse power like that.” She giggled, scooting closer and snuggling up to him. “I probably would. You shouldn’t trust me,” she said playfully. She smiled bright before leaning down to kiss him, feeling like everything was okay again. Sure, August hadn’t slept and she felt groggy and there was a darkness hovering over their heads, but she was with August again. That mattered most in the world. Her kiss was sweet and passionate, but she tried to keep it from getting too heated. August still needed more sleep.

When she pulled away, she ran her fingers across his scruffy cheek with a smile, her index finger dipping into his chin gently. He looked so weary and she wished there was something more she could do to help him. “I don’t know how to put you to sleep so you’ll stay asleep,” she confessed. “Maybe I could read to you? Or sing? I’m a good singer.” She smiled a little more, biting her lip. “I don’t want to treat you like a child, though.” The idea came to her like a light bulb turning on and her eyes went wide. “Oh! I have really bad nightmares sometimes, so my doctor prescribes me sleeping pills. I don’t use them often, so I have a bunch of them. Maybe that could help you sleep and stay asleep. Would you like to try?” she asked, her look making it obvious that she was eager to help.

[AUGUST WITT]

He smiled a little when she confirmed he couldn't trust her tied down to the bed. August sighed into Maxine's mouth as she kissed him, allowing himself to get lost in the comfort of it. He'd missed that feeling over the last few days. He'd miss the gentle way her fingers explored his face as well, and he shut his eyes and sighed again as she stroked the scruff on his chin and the dimple in his chin. “I don’t know how to put you to sleep so you’ll stay asleep,” He didn't know either. He briefly considered drinking enough alcohol to kill a horse, but he didn't know how his body would handle the alcohol intake now that he was practically human and not healing all day.

“Maybe I could read to you? Or sing? I’m a good singer. I don’t want to treat you like a child, though.” He wrinkled his nose slightly. The thought of her singing to him seemed odd. He'd heard her sing before, but being sung to didn't sit well with him and being read to definitely felt like something you did with a child, and he would likely become engrossed in the story or frustrated. "I don't think either of those will help me sleep." He told her honestly. He didn't know what would help him sleep. He knew nothing of sleep!

“Oh! I have really bad nightmares sometimes, so my doctor prescribes me sleeping pills. I don’t use them often, so I have a bunch of them. Maybe that could help you sleep and stay asleep. Would you like to try?” Her outburst surprised him and he looked up at her, brows furrowed. Sleeping pills? Would it be dangerous for him? He supposed if she could handle them he surely could. "Sure." He said after a moment of thinking it over. "Maybe two.. I don't want to wake until this darkness is gone." He grumbled, though he didn't think that was possible.

August watched Maxine go fetch him the pills and when she brought them back he took them in the hopes it would be his solace. Afterwards he welcomed her back into his embrace, laying on his back and holding her head to his chest. His nose nuzzled the top of her head as his arm cradled her neck, sliding his hand to her arm and stroking it gently up and down.

"What do you have nightmares about?" He asked softly into the dark, staring blankly at the ceiling, genuinely curious about what haunted the beautiful girl in the crook of his arm.

[MAXINE MCMANUS]

August seemed to think over her offer briefly and Maxi just waited for his answer. “Sure. Maybe two…I don’t want to wake until this darkness is gone.” She giggled a little and rolled out of bed. The pills were in her bathroom, so she had to walk out to the hallway and slip in there to fetch them from the cabinet. She filled her clean toothpaste cup with water and brought them into the bedroom for August to take. As he took them, she moved to the other side of the bed and crawled back in. She slid beneath the sheets once more, welcoming the warmth. When he laid back, she snuggled into him and rested her head on his chest as his arm came around her. Her own arm draped over his torso and his hand ran up and down along it, easing her again. She listened to the steady beat of his heart for a few moments, enjoying the rhythm of it. Maybe this was a good thing…maybe now she and August could have a normal relationship. She could be awake in the daytime and sleep at nighttime and he could do the same. First step was to get him to sleep, though…

“What do you have nightmares about?” The question surprised Maxi and she looked up at August, her eyes slightly wider in surprise. She settled back on his chest once more, happy he really wanted to know more about her. “Well…I told you my parents and my sister died. They went out on the bay and were blown out to sea by a sudden storm. I supposed to be there but I got sick that weekend and I had to stay here with my grandparents. They found their boat a week later, abandoned and no sign of where my family went,” she explained softly. “In my dreams, I’m on the boat with them. The waves are crashing all around and the wind is just making the boat rock from side to side horribly. There’s water everywhere and my dad is trying to use buckets to get it out of the cabin, but he gets swept out to sea. My mom goes after him, but she’s swept away too. Maureen and I are left trying to figure out what to do when the mast breaks and falls on the cabin. Of course once we step out on the deck we’re swept away and it’s terrifying. I can’t tell which way is up as I’m sucked underwater and I don’t have enough air. When I finally get to the surface, my family is around me, all bloated and drowned, and I just scream for them to wake up…but instead I wake up.” Her voice was soft and low, but she just stared ahead as she told him her nightmare. It didn’t frighten her to tell it, just to dream it.

Her eyes moved to watch his hand move up and down her arm, wondering what her parents and sister would think if they could see her now. Would they like August? Chances were no, but maybe he would be different with them than he was with her friends. “Whenever I wake up from that dream, I’m crying and sweating and I can’t get back to sleep. I’d also thrash around so much I actually bruised myself a couple times from hitting different things in my sleep. It used to happen a lot, but it’s calmed down a lot in the past couple years. Now it only happens maybe once or twice a year. My doctor still keeps me well stocked, though. Better safe than sorry.” She looked up at him again, her cheek rested more on his shoulder as she did so. “I think Becky and my doctor were the only ones who knew about those nightmares until now,” she observed, smiling a little. Her hand came back up to his face and traced the line of his jaw down to the dimple in his chin, which she ran her fingers over before running them lightly beneath his bottom lip and back across his cheek. It was a simple gesture, but she didn’t get to just lay with him like this often. She already had him memorized, but she liked refreshing her memory, and it was adoring too. If only she could say she loved him without him getting freaked out…

[AUGUST WITT]

Maxine went into the dream she had of her family and the boat. It was certainly a morbid dream and he could easily see why it would upset her so much. August hadn't lost his family so traumatically. He hadn't lost them at all, but he would imagine if he did it would be very upsetting. He wouldn't have nightmares, though. That was definitely a perk to being a Gargoyle. In fact, he'd never dreamed. He wondered briefly what it was like. The way she described her nightmare sounded more like a movie playing in her head and there was part of him that hoped he would get the opportunity to experience it with her now. Of course he wouldn't want it to be anything like the ones she had.

“Whenever I wake up from that dream, I’m crying and sweating and I can’t get back to sleep. I’d also thrash around so much I actually bruised myself a couple times from hitting different things in my sleep." He wondered if that was what he'd been doing when he slept; thrashing. He must have been to have fallen from the bed. He couldn't recall any dreams, though. Maybe that was reserved for creatures who were intended to sleep. Perhaps his mind wasn't wired to do that.

He genuinely felt bad for Maxine. It didn't show in his face because he didn't care to show pity, but he certainly disliked the thought of her getting so upset. He found he was pulling her closer to him as if he could somehow protect her from that ever happening again. He felt so overprotective of the woman. It was a wonder he had been able to hurt her so severely, but in his mind he felt he was the only thing allowed to hurt her. Even she wasn't allowed to her herself, but somehow it was okay for him to do so. August had an odd way of thinking about things.

“I think Becky and my doctor were the only ones who knew about those nightmares until now,” The delicate touches made him relax and he shut his eyes, enjoying them deeply. She was the only one he would allow to do this. "Then I shall consider myself lucky for having been privy to your innermost secrets." He told her lightheartedly as his head turned in the direction of her face, leaning in and finding her lips with his own.

August moved slowly, shifting to his side and pushing her head from his shoulder to his arm, wrapping his other arm over her and drawing her close as he deepened his kiss. His legs intertwined with hers as his tongue danced over Maxine's, showing how much he cared with his mouth and fingers, with danced over her too soft skin. He pressed them hard enough so she felt it, but not so much that it would hurt.

The pills kicked in quickly and he felt that dizzy groggy feeling before he could get too far with her. He began to slow down instead of speed up, knowing the sex just wasn't going to happen now. "I think they're working.." He offered before planting small pecks on hr lips and then her cheek, chin shoulder... but he couldn't support his head anymore and had to rest it onto the pillow with a sigh.

"Mine.." He said softly, his eyelids far too heavy to keep open anymore. "Always." He drifted off peacefully, and he stayed that way, turning very little in his sleep as his body gave in to it's exhaustion and the drugs.

---

When August woke up, it was slowly. His head was spinning still, never having felt like that before. It was almost like waking up from stone, but different. Much, much different. He groaned feeling stiff from lying still for so long. He didn't feel the familiar weight of Maxine's head on his shoulder and he looked over at the clock. Seven. Seven at night or Seven in the morning? Had he just slept for two hours or fourteen? Judging by how he felt, fourteen was most likely. He groaned, sitting up and pressing one hand out behind him for support, the other rubbing at his eyes. He didn't feel nearly as weak as he had before he'd slept, but it was still a strange feeling. He turned his head and saw Maxine cradled in the bed still. She was in a different position than when he'd left her, but then again she might have shifted. The book on her nightstand told him that she had likely been awake at some point. With a sigh he flumped back down into the bed and turned on his side and cradled her from behind.

August had never woken up beside someone else in bed. He had never woken up in bed before. It was such a new, thrilling feeling and he felt so human, and found he wasn't disgusted by it. In fact, he enjoyed this feeling. It helped that the grogginess of sleep was beginning to wear off and was replaced with a feeling of freshness and some much needed energy.

His hands groped at her chest gently as his face buried into the crevice between her jaw a shoulder. He kissed and nipped gently until she stirred. "I bet you never thought you'd wake up beside me." He breathed into her neck, his hand moving south up over her side, exploring her body. He realized how little she was wearing which only excited him further. "I have to admit.. this is certainly a treat." He smiled devilishly as his fingers crept down over her stomach, pushing below her cami and sliding just barely into the waistband of her panties. "Mmm... I think I could get used to this.."