There was nothing okay about the dark circles underneath those eyes, and his eyes strayed downward until it hit where the bite lay bruised and ugly, with little streaks of blood still dried from where teeth dug in and broke skin. Riley took this in with those disassociated blue eyes, though the swirling miasma-- he caught that, and he wondered if it was his imagination, except they looked far too real and pressing to be a figment of a nightmare.
His hand was caught and then he was dragged up the stairs.
But he stayed there, stayed there rooted and did not follow him, not yet. He had rain dripping from every point on his face, and he looked a mess as well but that was not important, no of course it was not.
"You are not okay." He spoke this and it had an almost hollow sound to it, "Are you?" this was a question, but he knew that Liam likely had his pride as well, he tried to get Liam to turn around and face him, there on the steps leading up to the apartment. From where they were standing, Liam's face was in shadows, and Riley's held the outline of the light that backlit Liam, like a nimbus around him.
He reached with his free hand and dug into his pocket, finally remembering it was there-- and then he clicked the play button. After all, he had not tabbed away from their texting messages. In the desolate staircase it played, first Liam talking to Maurice, and then Gregory-- for a long moment it played before the message was ceremoniously cut off.
Then Riley spoke and it was quiet. "You deserved none of that." and even more quietly, a whisper. "I do not think I should leave you alone tonight."
no subject
There was nothing okay about the dark circles underneath those eyes, and his eyes strayed downward until it hit where the bite lay bruised and ugly, with little streaks of blood still dried from where teeth dug in and broke skin. Riley took this in with those disassociated blue eyes, though the swirling miasma-- he caught that, and he wondered if it was his imagination, except they looked far too real and pressing to be a figment of a nightmare.
His hand was caught and then he was dragged up the stairs.
But he stayed there, stayed there rooted and did not follow him, not yet. He had rain dripping from every point on his face, and he looked a mess as well but that was not important, no of course it was not.
"You are not okay." He spoke this and it had an almost hollow sound to it, "Are you?" this was a question, but he knew that Liam likely had his pride as well, he tried to get Liam to turn around and face him, there on the steps leading up to the apartment. From where they were standing, Liam's face was in shadows, and Riley's held the outline of the light that backlit Liam, like a nimbus around him.
He reached with his free hand and dug into his pocket, finally remembering it was there-- and then he clicked the play button. After all, he had not tabbed away from their texting messages. In the desolate staircase it played, first Liam talking to Maurice, and then Gregory-- for a long moment it played before the message was ceremoniously cut off.
Then Riley spoke and it was quiet. "You deserved none of that." and even more quietly, a whisper. "I do not think I should leave you alone tonight."