Adstringendum voice mail

[leashed]

If you require my services and have tried to contact me without a response, I may be unavailable.

Please leave a message and I will get back to you as soon as I am physically able.

Romulus Hart, 1st lieutenant

Comments

[danseur]

30 minutes. I'll come home.

[leashed]

let me come get you then

[danseur]

Im just out walking rome i already left the lab

[leashed]

what if you get attacked or get hurt

[danseur]

I wont

[leashed]

you dont know that

there are lots of things that can hurt you

[danseur]

Ill be home in 15

[leashed]

ill wait for you

[And he will- right outside the door as soon as he sends the text, alert, trying to sniff the air and sense him coming.]

[danseur]

[ And a good eight minutes later, he'll be smelled approaching. ]

[leashed]

[Rome definitely moves out to meet him- wide-eyed, eager to see him and to sniff him all over and catalogue everything and make sure he's not hurt and... the way he moves is quick, territorial, almost shy now.]

Morgan- are you alright- are you hurting?

[danseur]

[ He's moving slowly, stiffly, but he doesn't seem to be in any pain. He does reach out for Rome, though, trying to draw him closer. ]

I'm fine. C'mere. He said it's been a few days?

[ He has no recollection. ]

[leashed]

It has. I-

[He lets himself be pulled, but he doesn't reciprocate, tensing up a little at the sudden closeness with a human.]

-you're different.

[danseur]

I told you it worked.

[ He notices the tension, but doesn't release him, sort of clinging to him. ]

I'm still me.

[leashed]

Yes, I know.

[It's hard, though- he's been so conditioned as something beneath humans, being here, in Morgan's human arms, breathing in his remarkably human scent (mixed with antiseptic, some strange surgical tools), it's... disconcerting. The familiarity is there in his conscious mind, but beneath the surface, on an instinctual level, it's just- gone, replaced by tension, panic.

He takes a deep breath.]

You should... you should get some rest.

[danseur]

[ Rome smells like -- nothing to him anymore. He can feel his warmth, smell his hair, but conditioners and perfumes are rare here. There's a spike of almost-panic when he realizes that he can't discern his scent at all, and then he quashes it down.

No, no. That's normal. ]

Lay with me?

[leashed]

I don't know.

[He tries to pull away gently.]

Can I sit on the floor instead?

[danseur]

[ This was why he hadn't wanted to see him, hadn't wanted to come home. He knew this was how it would be, and he releases Rome, hands falling limply to his own sides. ]

Yeah. Wherever you want to, man.

[leashed]

No- it's not that I...

[He runs his fingers through his hair.]

I just need a little while to get used to it.

[danseur]

[ He holds his hand up, palm out, taking a step back. ]

Don't have to explain shit to me.

[leashed]

No- Morgan-

[He moves forward for him then, reaching for his hand.]

Just... give me a little time. Please.

[danseur]

[ It's Morgan that recoils then. If asked, he wouldn't be able to say why, exactly, but he's bristly, exhausted, and he shoves his hands into his pockets. ]

I'm gonna finish my walk, 'kay?

[leashed]

Come home.

[He swallows hard.]

I'm sorry- just come inside.

[danseur]

Nothing to be sorry for.

[ His voice is a little raw. ]

I just don't wanna sit down right now.

[leashed]

Alright. We can- do something else.

[Rome tries to reach for him again.]

What do you want to do?

[danseur]

[ Morgan hesitates, then takes his hand, absently squeezing his fingers. ]

Walk.