[ reverie inbox ]

[wentnuclear]

[ text | voice | video | action ]

Comments

[oorah]

[ it sounds absurd because it is absurd, but that's the reality he's dealing in, raleigh. he can't watch the other man's sympathy, eyes drawn immediately back down to his hands. but that's when the other man pitches forward to embrace him. it startles him, though he doesn't jerk away, remaining stock still even as max squirms away from them with a distressed little whine in protest. HOW DARE ]

Uh. [ he utters lamely, but then he's dropping his own knitting to the bed and letting his head fall heavily to the cap of the man's shoulder. it eases some of the pressure in his chest, breaking up all the ugliness converging there; and he's able to let out a soft sob of pure despair. frank hadn't allowed himself to truly grieve, he couldn't while the men responsible were still out there. it takes a moment, but then his fingers are curling in the fabric of raleigh's jumpsuit as he scoots closer to the man and his heat in desperation. tears are soaking through his sleeve in no time at all, frank's shoulder's jumping as silent cries rack his whole body back to front. ]

I shoulda... I should've saved 'em. Shoulda never been in danger at all. May as well pulled the trigger myself. [ he babbles incoherently against the other man's throat, eyes squeezed tightly shut as raleigh holds him. ]

[wentnuclear]

[ Oh boy. At the first sob Raleigh realizes that this... has escalated a bit more than he was anticipating, honestly, but he's got it. He's not much of a crier himself, it just makes him feel kind of stuffy and sick so he nips it at the first prick of tears, but he won't begrudge someone who is comfortable enough to do so. Who might get some kind of release from it. Max moves out of the way and Frank scoots close enough that the hug becomes more natural, that Raleigh can just focus on holding him steady.

...that's a serious load of bullshit, though. Grief and guilt tangled together making the other man blame himself for the actions of murderers, which Raleigh sort of gets but is just objectively wrong. He wonders, quietly, if this is how Mako feels when he says he was responsible for Yancy's death. That kneejerk instinct to deny the possibility, except he's used to being on the other side of things where it feels like reality. So he doesn't try to argue it, just rubs Frank's back a little and lets him get it all out. ]

[oorah]

[ the tears start out strong, but he's deflating fast for the shelter raleigh's arms provide him. it's easy to just stay, suspended there, leeching what comfort he can from the other man's warmth. a man who'd been through almost exactly what he had. he appreciates that raleigh doesn't argue with him, even if it leaves him with an empty spot in the pit of his belly, perhaps somewhere an empty assurance would have gone. he prefers the silence, or even david agreeing with him - that he had killed them - only to take it back with an apology moments later. ]

I was... I was on my way to the VA when I came here. [ it's ridiculous. his first real therapy session and it had been usurped by a space kidnapping. a wet sob morphs into an unsteady laugh as he slowly pulls back, wiping his face on his jumpsuit sleeve and patting raleigh's arm with the other hand in gratitude. ]

[wentnuclear]

[ They can stay like this as long as Frank is comfortable -- for all his fight and swagger, Raleigh isn't actually very macho. Not anymore. Now he's the kind of guy that'll go right up and hug an old friend and let it linger in front of everyone, that'll admit his faults in advance of anyone calling him on them. There's really only one thing he keeps locked down at this point. ]

This place has shitty timing. [ But then Frank's pulling out of his arms and wiping his face, and Raleigh's not sure how to handle the moment anymore. He lets his hands sink back to his lap, a tiny worried frown on his face. ] Look, man, I'm not a therapist or anything -- and our nonexistent support group needs don't exactly match up here, but. If you ever just wanna talk about them, what you've lost and how to keep going... I've been there, you know? Still working on it, so maybe we could together.