Re: Log: Ashleigh/Louis
"No, no, come in." No one was limited by the salt except him, he he came no closer than the furthest spread of its grains. Sam had come, and stepped beyond, and not been bothered. For him, though, the ring almost glowed, and he could only come so close before being repelled.
He stepped away, further inside, picking up the bucket of ice. When Ash came close enough, he gently took the box from her and set it down on a chair, tipping the lid up just enough to add more ice, without showcasing the contents. He didn't know how obvious they might be, and, honestly, he didn't really want to see what was in it.
He swallowed hard and set the box aside, leaving the bucket of ice on its lid as extra security and for better, cooler insulation. "You've done more than just something," he said, turning to face her at last. His relief was palpable.
Things with Alexander had been such a mess, but he already had cut one sister from his life, and things with Ash had always been different than they had with Iris, however similar they might have seemed on the surface. Ash had been foolish and naive, but she had never deliberately helped the Murphys hurt anyone. The same could not be said for his biological sister. Blood wasn't always thicker.
After a moment's pause, he closed the gap between them and enclosed her in a tight hug. He hadn't ever been a particularly physically demonstrative man, but he'd missed her, and he was truly grateful that she'd delivered the box safe and sound, without even insisting to know what was in it. "It's good to see you," he said, into her shoulder. Really, just as much as it was a grateful thing, it was a comfort to him to hang on to good, familiar Ash.