dire engagements

I don't know who I am, I don't know who I'll be

Remi starts to speak, but the words fizzle in his throat. "That could just be the—" he begins, before his voice fades and a tight, uncomfortable smile tugs at the corners of his mouth. What he wants to say is that when someone dies—even briefly—they get a little closer to the other side, and sometimes the veil doesn't fall back into place the way it should. That cold spots and strange silences are just the aftershocks of having been too near the grave. But Ronin doesn't need that right now, not with the bruises on his neck clear enough to make out fingerprints. ""It's probably just the room," he says instead, voice too neutral to be convincing.

When Ronin says he’s not good for another episode, the words hit harder than Remi expects. His cheeks colour briefly, then go pale as he leans forward, shaking his head fast enough to blur the curls at his temples. "No—no, of course not," he stammers, tripping over the reassurance. "I was just joking. That’s all." He doesn't meet Ronin’s eye as he scrubs a hand down his face. "My bad."

At the mention of checking himself out, Remi’s brows lift and his mouth forms a silent oh of protest that never quite makes it into a word. He hesitates, shoulders tightening with the sudden awareness that he doesn’t even know where Ronin lives. The idea of staying at the hospital feels wrong, but the thought of asking to follow him home feels worse, but leaving him alone feels absurd. It’s only the memory of pulling Ronin’s half-dead body from the pit that finally gives him the nerve to speak.

Raking a hand through his hair again, Remi says, "What if we stop somewhere first? Grab some supplies. I can hang out for a bit at your place, make sure you’re good." He tries to shrug like it’s no big deal, like he hasn’t already made up his mind. "You can kick me out the second you get tired."

but there's a light in the attic and I swear it's calling me

Code 100% taken from the queeeeeeen herself, Sky <3