Wrap your teeth around the pavement

hide your secrets, disguise your weakness

and lose yourself inside your busy head

The return squeeze, at least, is a good sign. And the way she doesn’t dive headfirst into the next drink is also a bonus. But he can’t let his eyes drift from her when she coughs, watching with some idle curiosity if the sickness that Nate had mentioned she was coming down with had begun its worst yet. He doesn’t comment on it, figuring she might tell him should she wish to – not wanting to push her when she’s in a state like this… Heartbroken, likely. Lost. Alone. He’s felt them before, too, pushed through them with fighting and boxing and sleeping around – but he had been healthy then.

But he follows her gaze around the bar, watching as she notices a decent amount of people begin to filter out. And while the whispers and chats sound like buzzing to Maea, he can hear them fairly clearly – enough that he shakes his head to some of the comments happening in the back of the room, standing up a bit straighter to get a quiet glimpse of what’s occurring. Her comment, however, drags his gaze back to her as he thinks up anything to distract her.

“Good for business.” He offers on a deep hum, a lighter smile sent her way. “We’re closing up soon, though. Then you’ll have me all to yourself.” He offers her with a wink, slipping away from standing across from her to take a few of the discarded glasses from more that begin to filter out and set them in the sink behind him to deal with later. He returns to her after a few moments, resting his forearms on the bar and lets his gaze wash over hers, a lighter cloud of storms hidden beneath.

burn your bridges, and leave no witnesses

all alone inside your busy head

SuNJATA