Ry/Chloe - So long as you do talk

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He had been annoyed when Jocelin had not reacted with the heartbreak over Chloe that he'd expected. He'd thought he'd remembered -three years ago, when Justine had been taken from him and he'd had to remember what it was like to operate as a single person, rather than one part of a couple- he'd thought he'd remembered, but three years had paled his memory some, and his friendship had almost been ruined with Jocelin over a stupid thing. He should have been happy to see that Jocelin didn't go through this pain.

Walking over to Cherry Orchard Lane now, he thought of these things.

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[toey-chloe.livejournal.com]

Chloe's body had decided that perhaps it wasn't going to cool back down to normal after her shower after all, which was a pain in the arse because it made her feel far too hot in all her clothes. And not the kind of hot she was used to feeling either. She hated being sick, she hated it. But she had to put on so many clothes anyway, long sleves to cover her arms and a old black floaty scarf around her neck and over her head which looked stupid but hell, she had horrible rashy spots all over her and was going to do her best to hide them all. She'd never been a self conscious girl but she'd never had much cause to think of herself as ugly before now, either, and right now she hated the way she looked.

So no way she was letting Ry see her all gross, especially if it was going to be the last time.

Which she hated thinking about, because it hurt as bad as being sick felt. "You," she said, as she opened the door, "remind me of Del. Oh god," she closed her eyes as she felt the cold air from outside. "That's so nice."

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"Okay," Ry said. "Not exactly what I expected to hear." Of course, he'd found Del attractive enough to have sex with back in the day, so he didn't take it exactly like an insult either. He leaned against the door frame and gave her the time to feel the air from outside patiently.

[toey-chloe.livejournal.com]

"Well, you should have, you're both running away." She made herself pull away from the cold air and shut the door, because Ry was probably cold. It hurt that he was leaving and she couldn't hold it in, maybe if she was well... but she wasn't, so she just said what she was thinking. "Although at least you're not leaving a kid, just, you know, all your friends. Why are you going, Ry?" She looked at him and although she'd started feeling accusing, she felt more like pleading, now. It hurt every time someone left her and instead of getting used to it each time it just hurt afresh.

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Ry gave a sore smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. He'd known someone would ask him this, which was mostly the reason why he'd kept the goodbye parties down to the minimum he had. "I don't wanna stay," he said, as he'd told Deirdre. But there was more to it. "Every place here, I've been with Stephie. Every share house... all of my friends' houses." He broke eye contact, because he needed to concentrate on the words, not the sadness. "If I stay, I'm going to beg her to take me back. She thinks she's better off without me now." There were no words to fit for that feeling.

[toey-chloe.livejournal.com]

"Aww, fucking Jesus," said Chloe, because it was hard to be angry at someone when they looked so puppydog sad. She went forward and hugged him, first to comfort, then to squeeze him tight and cling. "Are you going forever?" Her voice sounded ten years younger than she was, though not on purpose, damnit.

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"I don't know. I don't know." It was slightly easier to talk to her shoulder, though. Easier to talk about things not Stephie related. Quickly. Anything. "It's crazy, I spent most the time I knew about supernaturals trying to get away from it. Now I'm gonna go to Wales, and any supernatural within 50 feet is going to know exactly what I am. Any partner I ever have, I'm going to have to lie to, because who would believe... Good thing I'm not planning on taking a partner then, isn't it?" The hug ended, and Ry pulled back. "You know, you don't look so bad, for having not seen the sun in weeks."

[toey-chloe.livejournal.com]

There had ben so many times in the past week where Chloe was sure she was hallucinating or hearing things. Probably because the week before that she had been... But Ry had just said what she thought he'd said, hadn't he? "You... know about all that stuff? You are part of that stuff? Whoa." She ignored the comment about not being in the sun for weeks, because, hello? Goth.

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"I figured you knew I knew," Ry said. But if she hadn't known he knew, she wouldn't know other things particular to him... "Oh." Apparently his tendency towards foot and mouth was no improved since the breakup with Stephie.

And this was exactly what it was going to be like from now on. Jocelin didn't know. Justine didn't know. And if he wanted a conversation other than with Welsh demons trying to sniff out their turf, this was his pretty much it.

[toey-chloe.livejournal.com]

"Huh," said Chloe. "No... I don't think your name ever came up." She gave him a bit of a stare. So what are you then?"

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"Vampire," Ry answered, watching her carefully as he gave his answer, and adding for just in case she didn't know, "It's what a demon becomes when he's not a demon anymore."

[toey-chloe.livejournal.com]

"I know that," Chloe said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Well, with living in the same house as Von's Book O' Weird Shit it sort of was one of the more obvious things. "Demon, huh? While I've known you, or before that? Want a drink?" She offered, too, as they made their way into the kitchen. "Help yourself- I'm just gonna," she sat down heavly at the table and lay her head on her arms, tired.

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"Before that," Ry said, then shook his head against a drink. He looked at her pityingly as she all but fell down in front of him. "I don't have to stay much longer if you're tired," he said. He stroked her hair lightly, a gesture meant in comfort.

[toey-chloe.livejournal.com]

"No!" Chloe raised her head. "I can sleep any old time. You're leaving, this could be the last time I see you in- in ages. I'm not too fucking tired I have to cut this short." SHe grabbed his hand and squeezed it and frowned. "Stay as long as you can. Cos I'm going to miss the hell out of you."

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Ry hesitated, squeezing her hand in his, but gently, because he didn't want to press on potentially sore skin. "I... have another online journal. I don't know whether I'm going to close it to private posts only or..." He looked at Chloe. "I'm not going to use my old journal anymore. The new one's shadows sun, with an underscore between."

[toey-chloe.livejournal.com]

Chloe gave him another look. She really hadn't thought he'd be the kind of guy to run away from something he couldn't handle, to block it out so much he couldn't even keep the same journal. But then... he didn't seem the type to be a demon either. Although she hadn't forgotten why Del didn't like him. It made her realised how much she didn't know about him, which almost hurt worse than the fact he was leaving. "Shadows sun," she repeated, glumly. "Got it."

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Both the look and the tone hurt him. And he'd been pretty sure he'd had his quota already. "What? Is it just the fact that I'm leaving? I'm telling you beforehand. Hell, I'm even here." He tried a puppy look on her, this time deliberate, but in its way genuine. He really didn't like to see her so glum.

[toey-chloe.livejournal.com]

"Yes, it's the fact that you're leaving," Chloe said, as her mouth did something weird, like it might have been a smile in another life. It was more of an anknowledgement that she'd seen his puppydog look and recognised it for what it was.

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"Look. I'm going to be with Rhea and Kate tonight, but if you want to catch up again before I go..." He'd started talking before he thought, and now he'd thought, and he knew she wouldn't go for it. Still, he could hardly finish half way through the sentence. He shook his head, a recognition of that fact. "I'm going to be at Jocelin's. And I know you guys don't do the same room thing anymore, but tomorrow, if you decide to, that's where I'll be."

[toey-chloe.livejournal.com]

Chloe stomach twisted almost painfully at the mention of Jocelin's name. "Ry, I'm sick," she protested, because it was unfair of him to make her cross town to say goodbye, moreso that he'd make her go to Jocelin's and let him see her all weak and gross looking. She tugged at the scarf round her neck and head. "I'd collapse half way there and die in a gutter."

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"Yeah." Ry winced. He really hadn't been thinking. "I'm sorry. I just... I'm not thinking." At least his thoughts and his words were in the same place. "Here, is there anything I can do to make you feel better?" Because he really didn't want to leave her looking so unhappy.

[toey-chloe.livejournal.com]

"Not leave?" Chloe suggested bitterly, then shook her head. "Blah. Yes yes, I know you have to do the go away and find yourself thing, I know. I'm being selfish. So. No. Ry. I don't think there's anything you can do. Just stay, and talk, and make the most of the time we have." She thought this sounded very grown up and mature and not horribly upset at all.

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"Okay," Ry said quietly. "And I'm going to start by making sure you've been eating, and keeping up fluids. Can I get you anything like that?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow.

[toey-chloe.livejournal.com]

"Thanks Von," Chloe said, with a crooked smile. "I'll have some juice," she added, though, because one should never let a personal stuff-getter go to waste. "It's in the fridge. You can put vodka in yours if you want. That's in the freezer."

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"Not drinking," Ry said as he turned towards the fridge, then pulled out juice and shook the carton. Glasses he knew the location of because of the absinthe night, which was why he had no problem with being called 'Von' one time, and he poured them both a juice. "There you go, my lady," he murmured, a devilish gleam in his eye as he dipped his head.