darker_london | Natural Painkillers (Flynn, Camellia and Lurky!John)

Camellia was still unaware she was being watched. John Doe was learning her routine and she went about it in complete ignorance. Camellia always spent most of her days in the shelter she worked in, spending time with people, helping them feel less alone. Today, she was even lucky enough to have the ever wonderful Flynn join her. They handed out lunch together and then they retired to a quiet corner to chat while happy sounds of people enjoying their lunch filled the cafeteria.

"How are you?" Camellia asked carefully, knowing that Flynn was likely to be feeling any number of things right now. She hadn't been around him so much after he had found Quinn again. Her experience with Flyn was much more before he had friend and a home and a Quinn. But she still knew enough to know that Quinn had been everything to him and now he wasn't there anymore.

Flynn shrugged. "Some days are harder than others." He said softly. "Helping people helps me though." He said, gesturing to the room. "I always wanted to do what you did, I just had to get myself out of the position of being the person you did it for."

Camellia smiled gently and she patted his hand. "And you did."

"Not by myself. But...I guess that's true enough of anything. How are you?"

"Oh, you know. Catching thieves stealing from the tithing plate, helping Sister Sheila with her garters...the usual."

Flynn raised his eyebrows so high they disappeared into his hairline and she laughed her high-pitched belly laugh which Flynn couldn't help but smile at. "Helping nuns with their garters. That one sentence could be so...innocent and wrong at the same time."

"Try not to think about it" Camellia said with a wink.

"Fair enough. I...I've been spending a lot of time with my ex-girlfriend. She's...interesting. Like yesterday she gave me pot to calm me down. I don't do drugs anyway. But slipping them to me for this bothered me even more. I don't believe in dulling pain, you know? I don't mean physical pain, that you can dull. But emotional pain...sometimes life just sucks a mother f-...a..mickey fickey."

Camellia put her hand over her mouth so she didn't giggle. Flynn was so funny when he was trying not to swear for her benefit.

"Er...anyway, I don't think life gets easier when you pretend it doesn't hurt. I...don't want to pretend losing Quinn doesn't hurt. I don't want to take away that pain. I want to mourn for him if he's lost. It doesn't feel...fair to him if I don't. Like...if I cover it up...he never meant enough to me to go through the pain in the first place. Does that make sense?"

"More sense that you know, Honey." Camellia nodded. "You're a very wise man. People could learn a lot from you."

"I think that's the second time in two days a red head has said that to me." Flynn said, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "And the truth is, that Quinn meant more than enough to me to feel pain for him. So I will not pretend it doesn't exist and relax myself by loading my system with crap." Flynn took a deep breath. "Holy f...fudge. That felt good to say." Flynn gave Camellia was was quite possibly the easiest smile he had smiled in a long time when not with Tristan. Tristan made it easy to smile.

"I'm glad you said it." Camellia soothed. She reached out to pat his shoulder, and then she glanced towards the group in the cafeteria which was gradually growing louder. "I think they're finishing up. You free to do dish duty?"

"I'll be your dish wench whenever you like." Flynn said with a wink.

"Naughty!" Camellia said with a laugh and she gave Flynn a playful swat. "I just might spray you with the dish hose for that one."

"Oh, you're on!" Flynn grinned, his eyes shining. He wasn't going to dull the pain. But some days were easier to get through than others. Especially when he was with wonderful, shiny people. And today was certainly an easier day.

And from the back of the cafeteria, John Doe exited the door as quietly as he had come in, contemplating to himself about what he had just witnessed.