WHO Will & Luna, then Tuck WHEN Late Saturday night, after this WHERE Luna's car / the parsonage WHAT Pick up the phone, Will. WARNINGS mentions of Ares violence
Ares felt impossible to shake. Luna supposed it didnโt help that her cheek was on fire where heโd hit her - once again backhanded hard enough to hit the ground, once again on the same side of the face. Heโd made himself rather memorable tonight, just as heโd wanted to.
Luna tightened her grip on the steering wheel and took a steadying breath.
Driving angry was a bad idea, as was driving scared, but Luna had needed to get out of the apartment and away from everyone. And since walking the streets around her home seemed too dangerous right now, driving would have to be the solution.
She didnโt know if she had a destination in mind, or if her plan was just to slowly cruise the busy city streets, windows up and locked. Was that worse than any other ideas she had?
Every โideaโ felt muddled and twisted and there was an ache deep down in her stomach that had nothing to do with pain.
When Luna felt like all her emotions were becoming too much to bare, she pulled into the closest parking lot and stopped the car.
She was glad for the tinted windows, because she cried and raged for a long time, covering her mouth with her own hand to try and keep somewhat quiet. But screaming into her hand brought little satisfaction and she eventually felt nothing more than utterly bone tired, all the fear and anger leaving her exhausted instead.
With a sigh she looked up at the brightly lit shop in front of her.
It was a Dunkinโ Donuts.
Jesus Christ, Luna thought, getting out of the car after grabbing her phone and credit card. Is there always going to be a Dunkinโ Donuts post-Ares?
Inside the shop the fluorescent lights were far too bright, and the few other customers and staff were all looking at Luna: the heavily made up and fully tattooed woman in 6-inch stilettos and skin-baring black latex, browsing the donut selection. Not the weirdest thing any of them had seen in the city, but perhaps the most interesting tonight.
She started filling a box with different donuts, remembering how sheโd talked to Will about hiding out and not even buying any last time. With a brief smile she took a photo of the shelves and texted it to him, along with the message โhow are there so many lemon frosted left when theyโre CLEARLY the best ones?โ
It was a dumb message. A message sent just for the purposes of getting a reply back, any sort of reply, even though it was late.
She bought a six box of donuts and an iced macchiato, taking them both out to the car, one of the lemon frosted already between her teeth.
In the car she didnโt know where she was going, but she realised that sheโd driven to Willโs place. Not quite there, but only a few blocks off.
Should she?
When she thought about walking up to the door, about his face when he opened it and saw herโฆ it made her feel better. It made all the fear and the anger and the exhaustion sort of drift away, just a little.
Besides, she could offer donuts.
So, sitting in the car on the side of the street, Luna called her friend.