Deep Sleep [closed]

Preston openly scoffed, shaking his head and letting the pills drop to his side. For pain, she said. What pain? Did she stub her toe in the middle of the night? Did she seriously need fucking narcotics for a papercut? If the girl was ever seriously hurt, he sure as hell would have known about it. The infirmary had practically known him by name from his Butler visits. It hadn't taken a moment's thought to see straight through her bullshit.

"Nah, Nah... You take vitamins for sleep... You drink warm milk for sleep... These aren't for fucking peaceful snoozing." He didn't flinch from her stares or her angers, nor from the flashes of lightning that warned him off. He didn't for a second.

She was un-fucking-believable. None of his business? "You think I want to see you like that? Crippled up and dead in the bathroom lile some street junkie?" He waved his hand around, gesturing in the direction where he was sure Jane's body still lay. "Why would you hide that shit?"

They gave her peace. When she came stumbling back home, all kicked to pieces, it gave her peace. When all her bruises and cuts started to ache, it gave her peace. When she spent nights staring up at the ceiling, wide awake, it gave her peace. When she couldn't close her eyes without seeing blood and ruby eyes, it gave her peace. What the hell would he know? Why did he think he could talk to her like that? When he spoke, she felt herself tensing up, her fists shaking... What did he say? The girl in her bathroom, dirty blonde hair and pinpoint pupils. Kayla's hand shot forward, yanking him by the collar. "Don't you ever fucking call me a junkie!" she shouted, a sudden storm of wild fury in her eyes, her voice strained. She let him go, pushing him away and turning her head, grinding her teeth. "Why should I tell you anything? I'm fucking nothing to you, and you're fucking nothing to me. So why don't you just go fuck yourself?"

He gritted his teeth as her hand suddenly shot out, grabbing him by the collar. The Autumn didn't bother to move then, his blue-green eyes holding down her stare. His face twisted up sourly once she pushed him away. What the fuck would she call herself then? The pills were obviously stolen and if she used them as often as he thought she did...

Kayla let him go and couldn't seem to stop there. She might have just been being stupid, stubborn, and trying to push him away, or at least that occurred to him in the back of his mind. But fuck it was working. Her words pierced him like cold steel, leaving him wounded and feeling almost weak, and he didn't know what to make of it. It only served to piss him off all the more.

"You are a fucking junkie," He spat, reaching out and grabbing at her shoulder, not caring if she shouted or flinched or what the fuck ever. He took a step forward, pinning the girl to the wall. "You don't think I give a shit? After fucking years of being stuck with - God damn it, I -" Preston found himself choking on his own words, his voice threatening to break, and he stopped. And then he smiled, shaking his head and laughing humorlessly. At what, he wasn't exactly sure. At himself, maybe. She was right. Why the fuck did he care?

And so he let go of her, too calmly, taking a step back and looking her over. "Whatever. Keep your fucking pills," Pres said dryly, taking all his anger and channeling what he could into his arm as he threw the small bottle to the wall behind her. The plastic snapped and the pills went scattering out into the carpet.

He held his hands up, openly inviting her to shout or cuss or throw bolts his way, whatever. He didn't care. This was what she wanted. Although he didn't wait long, turning and heading straight for the door out. He needed to get away from her. And get some heavier cleaning products, probably.

He didn't dare. He didn't dare. He didn't dare. She should've smashed his face in the moment the words left his mouth, but instead she froze up, every muscle in her body tensing. Kayla was shoved into the wall as he reached out to grab at her shoulder, and she sucked in her breath, bracing for the hit she knew was coming, flinching away. When it didn't come, she looked up, meeting his eyes, her teeth bared in a crooked, feral snarl. Electricity flared around her, as wild as her racing thoughts. Just shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up...

Preston let her go. She still kept her back pinned to the wall, watching him through dull eyes under the shadow of her bangs, reaching up to rub her shoulder where he'd gripped her. The bottle went crashing into the wall, and the pills scattered to the carpet in a rain of white. Kayla staggered away from the wall, watching him as he turned and walk away. In, out, in, out, in... It all exploded out in a burst of rage, and she kicked the pill bottle, watching it fly into the darkness to smash against the kitchen wall and clatter somewhere against the tile floor. Her shoulders were shaking as she stared down at the floor, breathing shallow, ragged, rapid breaths. What the hell did he know?

At first, Preston thought that she was aiming something straight for his back and he paused, turning to look at her just as the room snapped blue, the lights of the blinding flickering in an out for a mere moment, and the empty plastic bottle being kicked off, bouncing off the wall and into the kitchen.

Naturally, his eyes followed it, seeing it land like a sad broken remain before the countertops. It wasn't the only thing that bad caught his eye. On the counter he could see a few candy bars and a six-pack of Kayla's favorite soda. He had forgotten it was left there at all. As him and Jane had stopped into town for drinks, he'd made her wait to pick the junk food up - and some chips to make it even for him as well, although they'd also found their way to the countertop, right for her to find. Wasn't he an idiot?

He turned, his gaze finding Kayla standing there, her teeth and fists clenched and near entire body trembling. Her cheeks were still tear-stained and the sounds of her screams were still fresh in his mind. Despite the cold anger spiking him in his gut, he found himself watching and waiting for one more shot, trying to find his voice again.

"Pikachu...?" He could only call out her stupid nickname.

He should've been gone by then. Right now, she didn't want to see him, didn't want to see anybody, didn't need anybody, didn't, didn't... Kayla wanted to punch another hole through the drywall. God damn it. She tore her gaze up to look at him, her throat raw. What did he want? Wasn't this his cue to leave? Right then, frozen in place, she wasn't even sure to him. Junkie, pill-popper, idiot. Pikachu. What the hell was he just standing there for? "I told you not to call me that," she finally murmured, the first words that crossed her mind passing her lips. What a stupid nickname... It felt like she was getting torn apart from the inside out. "What do you want?" Didn't he know how much looking at him pissed her off right now? Idiot. Idiot. Idiot.

Standing there, doing nothing but staring her down he still struggled to find the right words to say. He should have left already, just being in the room with her was gut-wrenching on it's own, but a stupid, soft spot of his kept his feet there until he could give her something.

The blankets were in the closet. She needed to wash her face. At least he could tell her again to stay out of her room. Until he could get a power wash and a gas mask, it had to be growing more awful in there by the minute. And whilst a smile threatened to peak at the corner of his lips, ultimately it was empty. He felt too bitter to do or say any of those things. He merely chewed back a sigh, pulling his gaze away from her again.

"Nothing," Preston murmured. He reminded himself he wasn't supposed to care, even though it hurt all the same when he turned and opened the door, leaving and letting it shut itself behind him. While it was a relief to get away from her, every step felt heavier than the last. He'd never felt so torn, but it didn't stop him from walking.