simplestgift | Twenty Bells: [Action/Voice]

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Twenty Bells: [Action/Voice]

[He'd won her a stuffed penguin. She'd been hanging on his arm and squeezing it with a giant grin on her face. Everything felt, finally, like it was going to be okay. Like this trouble between them since sleeping together was just a little thing.

He turns away to grab a strawberry daiquiri for her, still holding her hand. When he turns back, she's gone.

He wanders Lucetiland for a while, looking for her, shaking, still holding the drink, but he knows what's happened. When someone dematerializes while you are touching them...

She was just there, grinning, cheeks rosy. The warmth of her hand hasn't quite faded yet.

He sits on a bench in the middle of the park, staring into space, and nothing in the world draws his attention until, mechanically, he draws out his journal. He's shaking too badly to write, so he has to voice it, and he sounds weak.]

Dawn Summers was sent home.

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[Horatio stands with Archie, his hand never leaving his shoulder. And he sees the drink.

Not Archie's. It would have been drunk by now if it were. Which means...

So damn sudden.

He squeezes Archie's shoulder again. He has nothing to suggest with the drink.]

Let's go home.

[Archie nods, numbly. But it's Dawn's drink. So he clutches it and starts walking with Horatio, too drained to know what else to do.]

[And Horatio says nothing about the drink, only leading Archie with him. Every so often, his hand moves to rub Archie's arm.]

[Most of the walk home is quiet. But when they're headed from the barracks to the house, Archie speaks, his voice low and quiet.]

I had her hand in mine, Horatio.

I'm sorry, Archie.

God.

I'm sorry.

[He shakes his head softly.] Perhaps I'm mistaken.

[He knows he's not.]

[So does he.]

Perhaps.

[He suddenly feels like he's about to cry again, and his breath goes ragged.] She was here an hour ago, Horatio.

[Horatio hugged Archie to him again.]

I know. I'm sorry, Archie. I wish... I wish I could do something-- anything.

[It's been hard enough on Horatio, having a lieutenant vanish overnight, but a sweetheart in minutes...]

I'm sorry, Archie.

[A few tears come, but he's too exhausted for more this time. He lets out a shaky breath.]

You are doing something..

Edited 2011-08-23 23:27 (UTC)

Not enough.

[But it's said without force. Even Horatio Hornblower can acknowledge a situation he can do nothing for. He doesn't often, but he's capable of it.

He half strokes Archie's hair, just keeping him in that hug.]

This place...

[A voice rings in his ear, but the words fit.]

This place is damned heartless.

[A shuddering breath.] But it gave her to me, for a little while.

It did.

[A pause.]

I'm glad it did.

[Which doesn't make up for taking her away, but...]

As am I. [He eases up on the hug so they can keep walking.]

[Horatio keeps an arm around Archie's shoulder as they resume walking.]

[He's quiet till they get home. Once there, he sets the drink on the coffee table and sits on the couch.]

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Twenty Bells: [Action/Voice]

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