tampered | Log; Incomplete

Reeve, as it turns out, makes it first. He doesn't see Gren anywhere, but he's not suspicious. Yet.

He makes his way to Lestat's table, managing a weak smile for the man. After all, there's no reason for him to bring everyone else down even if he is the most miserable creature on the face of the planet right now.

Sure enough, Anita appears a few minutes later. She rushed a bit through the shower thinking that if she the quicker that went, the quicker she could go and be social and that much faster be back home and curled up on the couch. As nice as the bed looked, she's not sure she's ready to sleep in it.

It just feels.... weird.

She finds Lestat quickly, barely focusing on him, much less who else is sitting with him. Honestly, she isn't really looking at all. Neat vampire sensing powers for the win, right?

"Alright. Social hour starts now."

How nice that they both came so quickly. He offers them both a smile.

"Good. Anita, Reeve..." There's a long pause and he leans forward on his elbows.

"...let's chat."

When he sees Anita, Reeve realizes he's been duped. And then he realizes Lestat is doing what Lestat does best; that is, meddling. Alert the media.

At least there's some comfort in the fact that she got caught, too.

Still, he's surprised to see her here, since she took enough clothes for several days. She must have been staying somewhere near bye. It only drives home the reminder that she doesn't want him. He can't handle this. In a week, maybe, but not the next day. It's just too soon and the wounds are just far too raw.

"Lestat. While I appreciate what you're trying to do --" Don't. Unspoken, but unmistakably there.

Anita sees him at the same time, dark rimmed eyes going wide. For all her fearsome reputation, the Executioner looks ready to bolt again. Crossing her arms over her chest (more a protective gesture than a defensive one), she drops her gaze, afraid to end up looking too closely at Reeve even if she wants to.

".... I knew you were up to something. Damn it, Lestat."

"Alright. I will begin the conversation."

He looks at Reeve. "You are absolutely miserable. What you want more than anything is to see her again. What happened between you hurts terribly."

Anita gets his next look. "And you want him to come to you. You miss him. But you wouldn't have gone to him for fear that it would screw things up further."

Sitting back he pauses. A deep breath and he crosses his arms. "You two are here. In the same place. I set you up. Now, you two want to be together. It's so obvious that it's painful to watch. You're both idiots in my opinion. No, you don't want to hear that. I don't care. How long are you going to be foolish enough to just let your love for each other slip away like water through your fingers?"

How nice for Lestat that he has their relationship all figured out. Maybe he should just be both of them, and role-play the situation to the whatever he wants it to be.

Oh, wait, that's what he's doing. Somehow Reeve and Anita have just gotten caught up as pawns.

What's worse is that it's true -- every word Lestat has said, about Reeve, at least, is absolutely accurate. Having her this close and knowing he can't touch her physically hurts.

"You make it sound much simpler than it actually is, Lestat."

Lestat's just as correct about Anita as well and for once, she doesn't argue back. Between that and how she looks should be an obvious sign of just how numb she's feeling. Her arms tighten a little at Reeve's words.

"I've already fucked it all up anyway. What could I say that would help?"

He looks back and forth between them.

"You could start by admitting that I'm right."

Then he sighs.

"Are you two really going to just sit around in misery while wanting each other? My God. That is worse than what Louis and I used to do. At least he and I talked."

Reeve closed his eyes as though that could block out her voice, her presence, the fact that she was sitting just beside him. It had only been 24 hours. He needed more time.

"You're not wrong, Lestat, but that doesn't mean it can just go away." He needs to know why she did this to him, denied him information and took away his ability to chose. Especially about this, especially yesterday. And why she'd left him when he needed her.

With a sigh, she lowers her head to rest in her cupped hands, elbows taking the weight.

"What can I say? I've apologized until my throat hurt. I can't apologize enough for everything I messed up. I made a choice and I thought it was the right one and it should've been the right one, but it wasn't and now everything's screwed up. You see? This is why I can't be with someone. This is why I couldn't ask him. Everything fucks up every single time and I can't...."

As she speaks, her shoulders slump a little more.

"It doesn't matter anymore."

They really are idiots. This is unbelievable.

"You two are delaying me from what should be a very pleasant daytime. The pain is fresh and raw and believe it or not I understand that. But you two are so revolting when you mope. Must you really be like this? Anita the self defeatist and Reeve the private man of pain. What a pair. She fucked things up. As if it matters. I've done far worse in my lifetime. He hurts so much he can't go to her. Lovely. So things will get worse and worse."

He kicks the leg of the table enough to break it. He'll pay for it later.

"Now, when are you going to stop talking to me and talk to each other about how stupid you are?"

Okay, that's it. Lestat is trying to help, but reminding himself of that does not help Reeve out. At all. And he can't do this. He can't sit here and have this entire mess thrown in his face.

"Thank you, Lestat, you've made some excellent points and I'll consider them." He stood from the table.

"I'm sorry, Anita." The words squeezed against his heart. She'd never apologized. Not to him.

"For what? Yelling at me last night? I did what I did for a reason. If I thought you would've actually listened instead of starting in on me again, maybe I would've told you instead of leaving."

There. She's gone and said it. Her stomach drops low into her belly, knowing he'll walk away, more than likely for good this time.

".... I wanted to help him, but I couldn't. I know I should've. I'm no friend but... I just couldn't. Thomas feeds like me and yeah, I could've helped him but I chose not to because I wanted to stay faithful."

She's on her feet now, head down and so wanting to avoid looking at anyone. This isn't like back home. She can't run away for half a year to think.

"I wanted to stay faithful to you. Lestat knows why. He knows what happened last time. You don't and I honestly never wanted to tell you because I'm ashamed of it, alright?"

Well at least someone is talking. And not to him. It's a start. When the chance comes he'll slip away. For now, he sits where he is.

Eyes roll over to look at Reeve now.

If he has to, he can stop the man. Physically or mentally.

What he doesn't do is say anything.

"I did not yell at you last night!" And that's true, even if he's yelling now. He punched the wall, but he never raised his voice to her. What she'd done -- the position she'd put him in -- had hurt him too deeply for that.

And since when was he encouraging his girlfriend to sleep with another man?

"You could have told me. You could have discussed this with me. Shiva knows I'm not eager to send you off to another man, Anita, but you didn't give me the opportunity to choose."

Her skin prickles at the tone of his voice, making her curl tighter into her own arms. Something beyond the 'fight or flight instinct' is pulling at her now. It's a sickening mix of grief, guilt and an almost always buried shame and to someone gifted like their now silent watcher, it's all openly visible.

".... no, you pretty much accused me of putting more blood on your hands, but at least you saved the yelling for today."

A shaky chuckle rises from her, cut off by a quick intake of breath.

"You're right. I didn't. I didn't think I should. I don't think you honestly would've been able to think about it. Not with the state you were in. I did it... because I love you. I'm sorry... "

Anita tilts her head to look at Lestat, eyes ringed and watery looking.

/I wasn't able to do the right thing before and I tried to do it this time and it still didn't work. I can't...

I can't do this, Lestat./

"You could tell him that. Saying things to me mentally isn't going to do any good. I only came here to make you two talk to each other. I am terrible at the neutral mediator seat."

He rises to his feet. He was going to wait until they were occupied. It seems he's about to leave when he stops and smiles.

"You two love each other. Reeve, she never meant to hurt you. Anita, he wants you so badly he can taste it. I love you, cheri. I hope things work out for you." Before she can stop him, he kisses the top of her head gently.

Then he leaves. What happens between them isn't up to him anymore.

Shit. He pretty much visibly deflates, and he wants so much to hold her but he knows she'll never let him.

"I wasn't able to handle this yesterday. That's why I needed you there, but I wouldn't --"

He needs her to understand this. "I swore I wasn't going to sit passively and watch anyone die, Anita. I can't be that person anymore."

And she had taken that from him. She could have at least told him what was going on, kept him from getting blindsided by it. But -- isn't it over now? Even Thomas is backing off. Reeve's never been one to hold onto grudges on principle. It's a waste of time and energy. And maybe he's weak, but he can't hold one against her too.

"I love you, too." Very, very softly. "I miss you." Like hell, and it's been one day.

"... I couldn't handle it, either. I... God, I almost feel sick. I heard you in the shower, you know. I couldn't stay after that... I'm sorry I couldn't. I let you and Thomas both down and I really did think I made the right choice. I didn't last time with Richard and everything went bad so..."

She takes a breath and shakes her head.

".... what would you have chosen if it'd been me and Vincent? Him dying but would be brought back the next day, or me covered in blood and reliving one of the worst parts of my life?"

Her dark, dull eyes swing up to his face.

He wants to say that he'd have given her the choice, that he'd have talked it over with her. And he probably would have, but only because he can't lie for shit. She'd have known something was up.

"You. I would have chosen you."

"And yet when I chose you, it all went to shit. Everyone turned on me."

She sighs and reaches up to rub at her forehead, feeling that hot throb starting in her skull; a sure sign of payback for too many tears.

".... I'm sorry I didn't tell you what was going on. I made the choice and it backfired all over the place. You didn't deserve to be caught in the middle like you were."

Without thought, she huddles in a little closer, hands going into her pockets.

"... uh. Thanks for the furniture. It's... beautiful."

Oh no, two can play this game.

"How would you react if I made that choice, Anita? You know Vincent. If I sacrificed him for you --"

He reaches out hesitantly, but decides to go ahead with it and pushes her hair back, his fingertips running gently over her forhead.

"It was the least I could do."

"I would've been upset, but I wouldn't have let anyone else run over you about it."

Her throat constricts at the gentle touch and she tries to swallow around it, glancing down as her hands clench in her pockets.

".... you didn't have to. I was joking about making you buy me a new bed."

In Reeve's defense, he did try to stop Thomas. He hadn't wanted the other man to be so harsh to her.

"I don't mind. I hope it serves."

He's close to crying, too, as he pulls his hands back from her.

Before he can move anywhere else, she steps closer, feet moving her until her forehead rests against his chest. She wants to wrap her arms around him but she's still so undure what he'd do.

"...... I came back today to talk to you and you were gone... with all your stuff. I... just knew I'd fucked up again and that you weren't coming back."

He takes the dilemma away from her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and holding her tightly.

"I didn't know if you'd want me there when you came back," he murmured quietly, gently stroking her hair. "I didn't want to invade your privacy if you didn't." And it hadn't felt like home without her.

Finally, her arms circle his waist, draping loosely as she leans into his embrace.

"... always want you there."

He's cursing his own stupidity and choking back tears as he buries his nose in her hair, hiding her face.

"Would you like to go home?"

"Only if you come with me."

Her sharp ears pick up the soft noises from him and she reaches up to cup his face, fingers scattering a few stray tears.

".... oh, don't... let's just... walk for a little while. Wander a bit on our way home... Did you notice the lanterns? They're... beautiful."

Darn her ears. He's caught, but he doesn't look too upset by this. Tightens his arms around her, reaching up to cover her her hand with his, lacing their fingers together.

"Sure. If that's what you want." He'd give her anything, right now. Moreso than usual, that is.

Her thumb absently slides across his skin.

"What I want is you."

"You have me." He rests their foreheads together, his hands exploring her back and shoulders as his eyes slip closed. "So if you want to aim for something else, like a home spa or a pony, I think that would be reasonable."

She can't help but smile a tiny bit at that as she tilts her head up to brush a kiss across his forehead.

"I've never wanted a pony, or at least I don't think I did."

He notices that she's said nothing about the home spa. He'll get right on that.

"I love you, sweetheart. Let's go home."

Log; Incomplete

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