Who: Helios and Rhode What: Helios wakes one morning and plays out a reel from 50 First Dates when he doesn't reckonize his wife. When: Sunday, February 12, 2012 Where: Helios' apartment Warnings: Confused Helios and fluff.
It wasn't the first morning Helios had woken in a confused state. It was the first that Rhode had actually whitnessed since they'd been reunited. He had spells, but this morning nothing felt right. The first clue was the puppy that trampled over his feet as he tried to wonder around his bedroom. The second clue was the array of womens clothes strewn on his floor.
With one finger he picked up the dainty underwear. He didn't remember bringing anyone home the night before. In fact he couldn't remember the night. These definitely weren't the underwear of his previously pseudo girlfriend, even the perfume in the air was not the same. It was a familiar smell, but he couldn't tack it to anyone.
He wondered where the bearer of these possessions were, he was ready to seek them out, not cower and wait for them to appear. Helios tossed the garment aside, making his bed and following the pretty, seaside-like perfume that hung in the air.
Rhode had woken up before Helios, and, pulling on one of his shirts, had slipped into the kitchen to make breakfast. Pancakes, she thought. And maybe some bacon. She didn't begrudge him the extra sleep at all, the cloudy, cold weather made him groggy and confused, so if he wanted to sleep some more, than she was going to let him.
She had just flipped the pancakes over when she heard movement coming from the bedroom. Turning, she saw Helios coming out and she smiled. "Morning, love," she said. "Sleep well?"
He wiped the sleep from his eyes, shuffling toward the kitchen where breakfast changed the air. There standing in the kitchen was the woman he'd invisioned all his life. She had become a figment of his imagination, but this was real. He felt his mind had run away again. It was the puppy locking his feet that proved he wasn't imagining this.
Her tone was soft. It was intimate. His hand braced the kitchen counter, still keeping a distance between them.
"You stayed here last night?" His voice was commanding, cautious and curious. She was as beautiful as he envisioned.
She raised an eyebrow as she felt her heart sink. "And the night before, and the night before that one, and so on and so forth." She made a soft noise and called Teddy over to her. She scratched him between the ears while the silence stretched between them.
"You don't remember, do you?" she asked.
He hated to see that scorned look on her face, it was gut wrenching to witness on her pretty face. The way her brows moved upward, her sweet eyes dropping with disappointment. He searched her face for the answer he wanted to give her but it would be dishonest. "I do not. I'm sorry." He wasn't even sure how long this episode would last. Recently it had only been in passing. This was the first morning he'd awaken this confused. Usually he was just forgetful with Rhode around. Perhaps with the unbalanced within her family it affected him as it kept Rhode distraught.
She swallowed the sigh as much as she could. "It's fine, love. It's just a bump in the road. Honestly, I'm amazed we made it as long as we did. We can look at some of the cruise pictures after breakfast, OK?" She slid a plate of pancakes in front of him, dishing up some for herself and taking the seat across from him.
Rhode was a strong creature, the Helios inside would be proud that she continued to stick this out. "You must think a great deal of me to not be deterred." He took his seat begrudgingly, focused on her as she set the table. It was an uneasy feeling to have someone so intimate that he could not recall. "What is your name?"
"I do," she agreed simply. "You've always been there for me when I needed you, so now I'll be here for you."
She made herself talk around the lump that had formed in her throat. "Rhode. My name is Rhode."
It was hard on her, he could see it in her eyes. Eyes that he was sure he'd studied a million times in his head. Was she real? His hand reached out from it's perch to touch hers softly. Compelled by his emotions alone and not at all with his head.
They had been through this before but Holden had no idea. "I've only ever seen you in my mind."