[IC] shadows.

[Rystelle]

Sophia looked at Tim with eyes wide, surprised that he was being so straight forward and honest with his feelings. But his motions were so sluggish, his voice heavy and words a little slurred.

"You definitely need sleep," Sophia stated adamantly. Still, she felt happy--really happy, insanely happy--that Tim wanted her to stay.

"You'll leave," Tim repeated, pouting a bit almost.

Sophia shook her head. She looked at him with a small smile, her eyes gentle as she said, "I won't leave, Tim. I promise. I'll stay here as long as you want me to. But you still need sleep."

After a bit of arguing with the sleepy Tim, reassuring him that she was not going to leave, Sophia sat down on one end of the couch. With a bit of coercing she managed to get Tim to lay down on the couch with his head cradled in her lap. She hummed quietly, no song in particular, and soon felt Tim fall asleep.

[DELTED293y5gds]

Out like a fucking light.

That was a phrase that passed through Tim's head as he slept. It had been a good 48 hours since his last rest, so this was a very welcomed change from his previous two days worth of work. He slept soundlessly, without so much as a snore or a movement. He dreamed, however. It wasn't the usual nightmare, with the blood and the darkness and his mother. That was a welcomed change. The dream was...a bit strange, though.

He found himself in a strange landscape, full of colors and blank space and geometric shapes. He wasn't too sure what to make of it. He was confused in the dream, and he was running from something. He didn't know what. When he looked behind himself, he saw whatever it was, but the moment he looked away, he forgot. And he wasn't scared. He was excited.

It was a weird dream. Not good, not bad, just weird.

[Rystelle]

It didn't take long for Tim to pass out. Almost as soon as his head was in her lap Sophia could feel his body relax, hear his breathing slow. She continued to hum a gentle, soft melody in hope that it might help keep Tim's nightmares at bay. At first Sophia had been unsure of what to do with her hands, but eventually she had rested one hand on Tim's side. She rubbed his side gently, a ghost of a smile on her lips as she let herself enjoy this simple closeness, this blissful peace.

At some point she started nodding off, the long day of work and worrying for Tim having worn her down. Sophia leaned her head back on the couch, closed her eyes, and let herself follow Tim into dreamland.

[DELTED293y5gds]

Tim, slowly but surely, found himself waking up. He adjusted his position a bit, taking note of the strange surface his head was resting on. He rustled his brow, then opened his eyes a bit.

It was a bad decision.

He found himself staring directly at Sophia's stomach. Her breathing was slow, and she wasn't moving. It took him a moment to connect what was happening, but eventually, he realized what it was that was happening. But he didnt freak out. For once in his life, he didn't freak out. He simply sat up, slowly, as not to wake her up too. He moved over to the other side of the couch, blushing profusely.

Absentmindedly, he took out his phone. A distraction. It was 3:30. He had been out for more than an hour. So had she, apparently. He looked at her for a few more moments, watching her sleep before snapping out of tat strange trance he was in. This happened a lot around her.

He wondered why.

[Rystelle]

The sleeping Sophia let out a small noise of satisfaction before she shifted, curling up and turning sideways to lay on the couch. Her head now rest on the arm of the couch in the corner between it and the back. She buried her face in the corner before rubbing against the material for a moment, similar to a cat, before letting out a heavy sigh of contentment and curling further into herself, apparently still deep in sleep.

A moment later and...

Sophia sprung awake, surprised that she had fallen asleep. She sat straight up on the couch, her legs still tucked under her, and quickly looked around in confusion. After a moment the shock had worn off and Sophia relaxed again, only to realize that Tim was awake and sitting on the other end of the couch.

"Good morning," Sophia said a little stupidly, a blush coloring her cheeks at the thought of Tim having just seen her jumping like a crazy person. She would have been blushing worse if she knew what he had seen just a bit before she had woken up.

[DELTED293y5gds]

Tim pressed back against the couch at Sophia's sudden movements, her deep slumber suddenly broken. He caught a surprised shout in his throat just before it came out, so at least the situation wasn't as awkward as it could have been. His eyes were a bit wide, and he was still shrinking back against his side of the couch a bit.

"Ah...good afternoon, um, actually." He said, smiling softly, trying to relax a bit again. "How was...um, my couch?"

[Rystelle]

Trying not to seem so tense, Sophia made herself relax although it took a bit of effort. Laughing at herself a bit she explained, "Sorry, I didn't realize I had fallen asleep. I guess I was just worn out and tired. Your couch was pretty comfy too."

She looked around the room a bit and wondered what to say next. They hadn't finished cleaning yet, but they could take care of that soon.

"Do you feel any better after getting some sleep?" Sophia asked with honest curiosity. She really hoped he did. After what he had dealt with he deserved it.

[DELTED293y5gds]

Tim barely heard her question. He was a bit too focused on her... well, everything. Her hair was a bit messier that it usually was, sticking up oddly on one area of her head. Her eyes were still only half open, her body still trying to wake up. She was curled up on the other end of the couch, her knees drawn up to her chest. He couldn't stop observing all of the little things about her. She was cute, he thought.

His heart was beating a bit faster, and h felt a smile just barely spreading across his face. This wasnt the first time he felt this way around her. Ever since their initial meeting, he's been flustered around her every now and again, he realized, but not because he was embarassed to be around her or to say things around her. But because she made him...happy, for a change.

Maybe he was in love with her.

Tim breathed in sharply, suddenly.

maybe I'm in love with her.

"Oh, I-I do feel better, way better, now, thanks, Soph. Sophia. Thank you."

Oh, fuck, I'm in love with her.

[Rystelle]

Hearing that Tim felt better made Sophia extremely happy. She smiled brightly, her whole countenance cheery. "I'm glad!" She chirruped. "I know you had a rough morning. It's good for you to finally get some rest."

Secretly Sophia hoped that maybe it was her presence that had allowed Tim to get some rest. She really liked being a source of comfort to others. It made her feel useful. In truth, Sophia really hoped that she would be able to help Tim be happier and more relaxed in general if she was around. Maybe it was a selfish want to be the one to help him open up, but it was still what she wanted.

Suddenly Sophia tried to imagine any other girl sitting in Tim's apartment, on his couch, with his head in her lap as he slept. And she got really jealous. Her crush on Tim was quickly growing stronger, she realized, to her slight dismay.

"You called me 'Soph'," she commented with a smile as she tried to quickly bury those jealous feelings. "That's your first time calling me by a nickname. You can use it if you'd like. I don't mind."

[DELTED293y5gds]

Tim nodded, looking away, smiling awkwardly, blushing a little. He liked that she liked the name. He liked that he could call her that. He liked her, and he really cared about what she thought about him, and about what he said. He nodded again, looking back at her again, making eye contact, then looking down at his arm, tugging at a loose thread he found, distracting himself.

"Oh, okay. I, um, I can do that, yeah." He said, unsure of what to say to her, trying to push down his obvious and confusing feelings that he was only now starting to fully realize. He couldnt just go out and just tell her this. They had known each other for the better half of a month, and thats it. He'd come off as crazy, and he'd scare her away, and he'd be alone again, and he'd have to deal with all of this alone, and he really, really didnt want to be alone. He couldn't be alone again.

"S-so, um, Soph--Sophia, how--what do you wanna do, uh, now?"

[Rystelle]

"Hm..." Sophia hummed in thought. They could go back to cleaning, or they could watch something. As she tried to decide what they should do, Sophia occasionally felt her attention slipping back to Tim himself. She liked him calling her by a nickname even if it was one others before him had used. He was cute when he was embarrassed and flustered, but at the same time Sophia wondered what it would be like if he was more assertive and vocal. Just more confident in general.

She thought of how shook up he had been over the morning's incident. Sophia was sure that Tim wanted to be more confident and less afraid too. But that thought connected her to another, one that they had kind of neglected recently.

"We should go to the library soon," she said, straightening up. "See if we can't find anything related to those portals, or even the runes. We can always check local lore, but it's a possibility that whatever is happening isn't a singular event. If that's the case we could check other lore books too, or books on supernatural phenomenon."

[DELTED293y5gds]

Tim nodded in response, tugging at a loose thread on his shirt again. He thought it was a good idea to go to the library, check things out, figure out what's going on. Because as of now, the two of them knew very little about these things. They were portals, they were following them, and they took them to weird, fucked up memory versions of their past. Why? Where did they come from? What happened to them that made it want to choose them? There were so many unanswered questions, and it was making his head hurt.

"Yeah, thats a fantastic idea." He said, nodding a bit as he focused on what was going on again. "I, um, I think we could go today, it's still pretty early. When do you wanna go, Soph?--ia?"

[Rystelle]

Sophia smiled gently at Tim's failed attempt to try to use the nickname. "It's alright," she assured him gently. "You can use the nickname. I don't mind. But you don't have to force yourself to either."

Standing up, she took some time to stretch before relaxing again. "I think going to the library today would be a good idea," she agreed. "Perhaps first though we should change clothes. Or maybe you should, at least. Though I would like to wash my face, if that's alright." After working in the cafe all day Sophia's face was greasy from sweat and various things that had managed to get on her face. It was beginning to bother her.

[DELTED293y5gds]

"I really just need to shower." Tim said, looking down at himself. HE had nearly forgotten that he woke up this morning, freaked out, then sat in a corner all day. He probably smelled like sweat and tears and B.O. and he hated it. His hair was a mess, his face was as greasy as Sophia's, and he was overall not pleased with the current situation, now that he was realizing just how unpresentable he looked. "A shower would make things thirty times better for me, right now."

He stood up, stretching, letting his bones pop and shift as he did so. He needed to look like a human before he researched creepy mythological runes.

"But, uh, yeah, you can wash your face." He said, motioning to the sink.

[Rystelle]

"Thanks," Sophia said with a relieved sigh before walking over to the sink. With her back to Tim she pulled off the shirt she was wearing and set it on the counter. She had a tank top on so she was still fully clothed--she just didn't want to get her shirt wet. To make it easier to wash her face Sophia put her hair up in a ponytail.

She turned on the water, and as she bent forward a scar that had been hidden by her shirt and hair was now revealed.

It ran from the top right of her shoulder at a downward angle toward her spine for six inches. The scar was rather light, but it was there. It remained as a testament to some darker, scarier times in Sophia's past. It belonged to a memory she wished she could forget. But as the scar was on her back, it was out of sight and therefore out of mind. As Sophia washed her face she wasn't thinking of the scar, or if Tim saw it. She didn't even know if Tim was still in the room or not.

[DELTED293y5gds]

Tim stopped for a moment as he noticed the scar on his way to the bathroom. It was almost unnoticeable with how light it was. He wondered what she did to get it, ad for a moment, he thought about mentioning it or saying something about it, and he started to open his mouth to say something, but he caught himself. What if she didnt want to talk about it? People dont usually want to talk about their scars, do they? And she never brought it up. She hid it, even. She didnt want to talk about this with him probably.

He never talked about the ones on his arms.

So, he decided to drop it, for the time being, instead opting to go right for the shower. God, he was dirty.

[Rystelle]

Having finished washing her face Sophia put her long-sleeved shirt back on and took her hair out of the ponytail. She looked around the living room while running her hands through her hair to fix it, but Tim wasn't there. After a moment she heard running water and knew he must be in the shower. Left to her own devices, Sophia went back to straightening up the room. Once the living room seemed nice and neat she sat back down on the couch and amused herself with daydreams.

Sophia started to wonder what it would be like to date again with a certain someone as her boyfriend. She thought of all the things they could do, places they could go, situations that might arise in the future. Some were happy, some were sad as she imagined the two of them arguing. Given over to her overactive imagination and habit of running through what seemed like every scenario possible, Sophia was well and distracted.

Then, out of nowhere, a familiar face popped into her mind. Sophia suddenly sat straight up, pulled out of her relaxed state by the sudden rude appearance of an unwanted intruder into her daydreams. She banished the face to the back of her mind and tried to relax once more. But now she was a bit antsy. She needed to get out. To get to the library. To go anywhere really..

Is Tim done yet? Sophia wondered to herself as she fidgeted with her phone.

[DELTED293y5gds]

Tim sighed a bit as the water hit his back, relaxing a bit after his eventful, rather stressful day. As the water assaulted his back, he let his mind wander, his body on autopilot, going through the motions of what a shower is supposed to do. Mainly, he found his thoughts shifting to Sophia and the tunnel.

Okay, mainly Sophia.

It was becoming increasingly clear to him that his feelings for her were more than just friendly friendship feelings. The way he felt when she was around, the way she made him feel when she spoke, the sense of calmness he felt when she touched him or caressed him. HE thought of the way h saw her. The night she was illuminated by the streetlight, in the falling snow. Or just a few minutes ago, when she had just woken up from her nap, curled up on the other end of the couch. His mind raced, and he noticed he was blushing.

Oh, fuck, she's beautiful and I love her.

HE composed himself, shutting off the shower, drying off, and pulling on his pants. HE quickly towel dried his hair, and, upon reaching for his shirt, noticed that he hadn't brought one in with him. She sighed, looking down at his arms, and the jagged scars that ran up them. Each of them were vertical, with a few offshoots here and there. He managed to miss major veins. He lost a lot of blood, but not enough to kill him.

Tim shook his head, clearing out the darker thoughts. He didnt want them. Instead, he focused on the present. He needed to get a shirt. He needed to go past Sophia to get it. She was going to see all of his scars, and he couldnt stop that. But it was okay. Everything was going to be fine because he trusted her. And so, he composed himself, breathed in, and pushed through the door.

"I forgot to get a shirt." He said, his hands in fists at his sides as he walked. "I'll be back, gotta get one."

[Rystelle]

Sophia had been waiting patiently, if a little tensely as her peace of mind had been disrupted, as she waited for Tim to finish. Finally he came out of the bathroom, but he was not fully dressed. He had forgotten to bring a shirt, he explained.

This was the second time Sophia had seen Tim like this. The first time was only for a brief second. She had noted the scars that time, but hadn't mentioned them. Sophia had also notice how broad shouldered Tim was, and even though he was a bit lanky he had a good form. This time she could see him fully, scars and all.

Her eyes took in the scars without really appearing to stare at them. Once more Sophia said nothing about them. She knew without having to ask where they came from--there was no need to make a spectacle over them. They were apart of Tim and always would be, but scars were not the only part of him. He was cute, definitely, but as Sophia looked at him now she also found him really handsome and masculine. Although he might be antsy and nervous at times, Tim was still kind and caring. In Tim Sophia could see an enduring strength that even he might not have known was there. Being around Tim made Sophia feel calm. Safe, even. She liked him, and perhaps in her own way she loved him already, but those feelings were buried down a little further so they were still out of sight to her.

"It's alright," Sophia said with a gentle smile, her eyes focused on Tim's face rather than his scars. "I'll just keep waiting here." Then, a bit teasingly she added, "Try not to forget your shoes, though. I don't think they'll let us into the library if you don't have them on."

[DELTED293y5gds]

Smiled a little, a bit embarrassed as he traversed the room to his bedroom, closing the door behind him with a quiet click. He let out a breath that he didn't know he was holding in, exhaling loudly into the empty space in his room. He brought his hands to his face, rubbing at his cheeks, trying to get the redness out of them. His breath was a little shaky, and so was his body. But he also felt really good that he had done that, a small smile spreading across his face as he regained his composure. He walked over to the drawer across the room, pulling out a dark red v-neck t shirt, the image of a sketchy flock of birds flying off onto the shoulder on it. HE grabbed a plain gray zip up hoodie as well, pulling that on over it, covering up his arms.

He turned around, noticing the small indent in the wall above his bed. HE sighed a bit, remembering the events of last night, then quickly pushing them out of his mind. He had to go, and he had to be happy.

HE was happy.

HE pushed out of the door, giving Sophia a small wave as he did.

"Hello, I'm decent now, no need to shield your eyes."