greer (greerlove) wrote in shadows_rpg, @ 2020-11-11 09:31:00 |
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Entry tags: | #group scene, #may 2018, devlin, greer, rostislav |
Who: Greer and Rost and Dev
When: late morning, mid-May
Where: the cemetery, then home
Status: Complete
As he often did these days, Rost had struggled to get out of bed that morning. It was just so much easier to sleep, to stay unconscious flopped next to Devlin. They were both happier that way, and had spent more than one weekend just tangled together in bed, sleeping for as long as their bodies would allow and then some. They still had sex sometimes, but it had taken on some dysfunctional quality that Rost couldn’t put his finger on -- sometimes far more aggressive than it had ever been, often involving tears during or right after. It was never more than a temporary physical comfort. The gaping hole that Greer had left in their lives was impossible to fill. They’d made some loose plans to leave Point Pleasant, move somewhere else, but those plans had never come to fruition. They were stuck in their grief, and it was too thick to wade out of.
All through this time, Rost had been struggling to keep his job. Things had been busy at the cemetery for a while, as those unlucky victims of the energy-draining fog people died off, but now things were unusually slow. Not having many new graves to dig for those lost made it even more difficult for Rost to stay motivated to work. The only upside was he worked alone, he could talk out loud and sing to Greer -- something he’d started doing early and never stopped -- and cry to himself without an audience.
He pulled his truck into the small parking lot and cut the engine, taking a nip out of the pint of whiskey he kept in his glovebox. He tucked it into the breast pocket of his coveralls and got out of the truck. Rost unlocked the gates and headed into the cemetery, headed toward the tool shed. There may not be people to bury, but summer was starting and there was plenty of landscaping work to do.
Greer had woken before Rost arrived to start his day at the cemetery. With the warmth of the sun beating down on her, she had opened her eyes to stare up at the blue sky, hypnotized by the simple beauty of it before the confusion and concern had settled into her bones. There was a muddled sort of memory clouding everything else. One of darkness and fog and fear. But she saw none of that here. Here she saw color. She felt grass beneath her. She could smell... was that salt in the air? But that was all. She struggled for her own name and came up empty. All she had was long, tangled hair, oily from the lack of washing. Her clothes were filthy, her long, gauzy skirt ripped at the hem. Greer pressed her fingers to her cheeks as she looked around, noting the headstones. Then she realized she was laying on top of a grave. It had a beautiful headstone. Marble with a deep engraving of an angel. Annie Goad. She had died young. But the name meant nothing to her. How could it, when she didn't even know her own name?
Groaning, Greer got to her feet, aware of how wonderful the grass felt beneath her bare feet. And then she began to walk, noticing a small shed in the distance. She had no idea if there were people around, or if this was still Over There just... different. Was it possible she could be free of that place?
She just wanted a destination. The shed. From there, she would pick another, and then another... until she either found someone to help her, or something else presented itself. Something that would tell her what to do. When she spotted the tall man headed for the shed as well, Greer exhaled sharply and picked up the pace of her steps. It was possible the sight of her would frighten him, wandering through a graveyard, weaving around the headstones in his direction, but that was a chance she would have to take.
"Hello," she called. "Please...can you help me?"
The gates had been locked, so Rost wasn’t expecting anyone else in the cemetery. That wasn’t always how it worked out, of course, people broke in often enough. But none of them had looked like the woman Rost saw when he turned toward the voice. She’d given him quite a start, and his eyes widened further when he saw her. She was filthy and pale and looked afraid and lost, but she was unmistakably Greer. He could scarcely believe his eyes, and a sharp ache stabbed through his chest and started to throb there. Rost let out a soft curse in Romani and fell back a step, his mouth open as he stared at her. She had to be a ghost, Greer’s spirit finally finding its way back home after she’d perished gods-knew-where. Was he becoming a medium like Dev?
Oh, she had frightened him for sure. Greer could see it in his face, like he had just seen a ghost. But she wasn't dead, was she? There wouldn't be the feel of the breeze on her skin, or the ground beneath her feet. Surely she wouldn't be a filthy ghost, right? Unless she was in hell, but Greer felt like she had already been there, and somehow escaped it. As not to scare the man further, Greer stopped and clutched her skirt in her fingers. "I'm sorry," she said, wishing she could pin her hair up out of her face, or least wash the dirt away. "I woke up here and I don't know where I am. I just need some help, please. I promise I'm not dangerous."
She certainly looked solid for a dead woman, that didn’t escape Rost’s notice. There was also the possibility that he was hallucinating, that she wasn’t there at all. How many times had he rounded a corner in the house and thought he saw her in the kitchen for a split second, or walked through a bubble of air that smelled like her. Rost had never seen her just standing there before though, looking very human and dirty and frightened. She was speaking to him, but it took his brain a few extra seconds to catch up with the words as he blinked rapidly. She didn’t know where she was? She didn’t seem to recognize him, either. Rost’s hand lifted to briefly touch one of the necklaces resting in the V of his coveralls. It had been hers, something small he’d found in her jewelry and had taken to wearing. Except when Dev wanted to touch him, of course. “... Greer?” he asked slowly, still staring hard at her. “Is that ... do you know me?”
Greer. Was that a name? Was that her name? She studied him, trying desperately to place his face, or his voice. She heard the accent and it sent a pleasant sort of warmth through her, but no, there was no actual recognition. But she realized now that it wasn't really terror in his face. Just shock. He knew her. It gave Greer some hope, but it was also a little disconcerting, considering she knew nothing. Was he dangerous? "No, I'm sorry," she said, taking another step forward. "Greer... is that my name? I don't... know where, or who I am. That sounds a little crazy, I know, but I woke up here."
She woke up there. Not knowing her name or where she was or who he was. There was both incredible joy and sadness quickly welling up in Rost’s chest. He wanted to lunge for her, grab her into the tightest hug, but she looked afraid already, and he didn’t want to make it worse. He took a couple steps toward her as well, reaching out a hand, though he didn’t fully expect her to take it. “It does not sound crazy,” he told her with a half-pained smile. “Not compared to ... well, the circumstances. I am amazed, but you are not crazy. Yes, Greer is your name. I am Rost. I know you very well. And I am ... I am so glad to see you.” The last part came out with more emotion than he intended, but gods he was feeling so much all of the sudden.
Greer was her name. She wished the knowledge had sparked something inside of her, some memory, but everything remained foggy. Her gaze ticked to his offered hand and though she was confused and exhausted, the emotion in his voice didn't escape her. Studying him for a quiet moment, Greer recognized the kindness in his eyes and she reached out to take his hand. There was a deep-seated instinct that he was someone she could trust. And if not? Well, she had escaped something akin to hell already... she wasn't afraid. But Greer had so many questions and she wanted to ask them all. Except her stomach cramped slightly and she grimaced before offering him a faint smile. "I know I look like I just crawled out of a sewer--" Maybe she had? "--but I'm starving. I feel like I haven't eaten in months."
A jolt of something strong ran up Rost’s arm when Greer’s hand met his -- she was solid and warm. She was real, not a ghost, and she was right there in front of him again. It had ‘only’ been three months, but Rost felt like she’d been gone for years, they’d been mourning her so much. She looked just as beautiful to him as she had before, even under all that dirt. He squeezed her hand, moving in closer as he fought against the urge to kiss the back of it. Rost’s free hand clutched at one of the breast pockets of his coveralls in an effort not to touch her too much. He didn’t want to scare her. “I have some food in my truck,” he said, nodding in the direction he’d been walking from. “Not much, but ... it is something.” Rost wished he could take her to the trailer on the property and let her eat her heart out, but he’d moved out of there and there wasn’t any food to offer. He had an apple and a few granola bars in the truck though. “Come, if you like.”
If she were thinking rationally, Greer might have been wary about going with him to his truck. But it felt right and he felt right, and she was becoming increasingly hungry. So Greer nodded, eager to walk with him. "How do you know me?" she asked as they headed for his truck. "I mean, I can see in your eyes that we were at least friends, yes?" Any information about who she was would hopefully help jumpstart some kind of memory. From what she could see, at least in the cemetery, it was a lovely place and she so desperately wanted to remember what it meant to her.
Rost started to walk with her back toward the cemetery gates. He felt like he had to treat her delicately, in spite of the incredibly strong urges to hug her tight and squeeze her and kiss every inch of her dirty face. It was obvious that she really didn’t know him, or she would’ve been doing those things herself already. Her question made him flail mentally for a moment -- should he be honest? Or say they were just friends so as not to freak her out? It didn’t take Rost long to decide he couldn’t lie to her. That would just be confusing for her later. He looked over at Greer, still shocked in the best kind of way that she was there. This all had better not be a dream. “We are much more than that,” he told her gently. “We are together, in love.” Rost watched her face closely, a little worried about a bad reaction to that. “Which makes it ... even more amazing that you are here now.”
She hadn't expected to hear that she had been in love with someone, let alone the first person she saw when she woke up in this place. Greer blinked, more taken aback by the revelation than surprised. Her brows drew together curiously as she studied his profile, wishing for some spark of recognition. Her name was Greer and she was in love. It wasn't frightening. It felt nice to know, actually, but at the same time, the knowledge twisted painfully in her gut because she didn't feel it... the love. It made her feel terrible, for her and for him. "I'm so sorry I don't remember," Greer murmured. "Is that why I woke up in this place? Where you work?" Who sent her back? Why did they choose the cemetery? She still had so many questions, though she knew he wouldn't have the answers. "I don't expect you to know," she added with a faint smile. "I'm just... confused. How long have I been gone?"
Somewhere mixed in with all of the amazement and cautious relief, Rost had a flare of fear that Greer would be disgusted by the idea that she’d been in love with him. It faded quickly, just an old insecurity rearing its ugly heads. If this woman would judge his appearance harshly, she wasn’t his Greer. As much as it stung, he couldn’t expect her to feel anything but mixed up and lost at the moment. Rost had never lost his memories exactly, but he’d been in plenty of scary and confusing situations, not quite in his right mind. He glanced over, giving her a warm smile in return and hoping all the emotion he was holding back wasn’t too obvious on his face. “You have been missing for ... almost four months,” he said. “It was the end of January. So I am confused as well, I was ... well, I did not expect you to return.” Rost looked a little apologetic. “How you got here, I have no answers. But I am overwhelmed to find you.” They reached the gate, and he let her go to open it for her and nodded at where he’d parked. “My truck is there.”
"Four months?" The confusion deepened. "It felt... longer. At least from what I can remember, which isn't much." It occurred to her then that if she had been gone that long, if he truly thought she had gone and was never coming back, then he must have been feeling a lot of emotions despite how well he was hiding it from her. Rost had said they had been in love and he must have thought she was dead. An instinctual need to comfort him had risen in her, so perhaps he wasn't completely erased from her memory. "I hope it's not too terrible, being overwhelmed," Greer said quietly, but with a small smile. "I'm overwhelmed too. I can't remember the last time I felt sunshine on my skin... or even grass under my feet. Over there it was... dark... I can't really explain it. Do you know what happened to me? Why I disappeared?"
Rost’s heart was still beating too hard and fast and he was already wondering how devastated Devlin might be to learn that she didn’t remember them. It was upsetting enough for Rost, and he was relatively new to this relationship -- Greer and Dev were the original partners, traveling everywhere together. Maybe seeing him would trigger something in her memory? Maybe. Rost was going to have to warn him though. What Greer said next broke his heart and made him think the situation on their side hadn’t been that bad. They would take care of her, whether she ever remembered them or not. He had a million questions to ask her about what it was like, what had happened to her, but it seemed more important to answer hers first. “It is a story difficult to believe,” he admitted with a wan smile. Rost opened the passenger side door to his truck for her with a soft “please, sit,” then hurried around to the driver’s side to climb in and start rummaging around for the food he knew he had stashed. “There was a, uh, problem here. A fog came in, and there were dangerous beings in the fog. You were hurt by one of them. Then, over weeks, you began to change. We came to think of it as infection. You were not the only one, and they all -- you all -- drained the people around you. It became dangerous, and some others performed some powerful magic to lock you all away. Were you alone there? Do you remember the others?”
If she hadn't just woken up in a cemetery with no memory of who or where she was, Greer might have agreed his story was difficult to believe. There was a sense of shock and confusion, but also shame, if what he was saying was true. Had she been hurting people? Was she that kind of person? There was also an indescribable feeling that spread through her chest, hearing that powerful people had... locked her away? In that place? Greer exhaled softly, her eyes staring out the windshield in front of her. It took her another moment to realize he had asked her a question. "I wasn't alone," she murmured. "I know there were others. I remember... a man...he stayed with me. And a very large... dog? Some kind of beast, but he wasn't dangerous. Not to us anyway. I can't really remember much else." She scrunched up her face thoughtfully. "If I'm back, maybe they are too. I wish I could remember who they were." Greer's gaze ticked to Rost. "How do you feel now? I'm not draining you, am I? What if I'm still dangerous?"
A dog beast made Rost worry by reflex, but Greer seemed to be whole and she was here alone now, so obviously she’d been right about it not being dangerous. Part of him was kind of glad that she didn’t remember much about the place she’d been, both for her sake and his own. He would’ve hated for her to remember all that darkness but not the love that had been left behind. “I feel fine. Full of energy,” he told her with what he hoped was a reassuring smile. The draining was so gradual, he didn’t know if he would feel it right away now, if her affliction was still in place. But even if it wasn’t ... “If you are danger, we will get you help. Faster than before. Please do not worry about that yet, I am only concerned for you. Here, eat.” He offered out two wrapped granola bars and an apple to her. He wanted to take care of her immediate needs first,
then they could figure everything else out.
Greer didn't want to be in danger, but she didn't want to put anyone in danger either. Despite her confusion, however, she didn't feel strange. Would she know if she were... draining someone? Taking the food he offered, Greer bit into the apple before groaning happily and letting her head rest back against the seat. "Oh my god... it's so good." Some of the juice ran over her lip, causing her to lick it quickly. "I don't think we ate over there... I don't know if we needed to. There was nothing, not even water. The air was so thick." She took another bite of the apple and eyed Rost. "I like your mustache," she said, because she did and she wanted to say so. It was extremely odd, sitting there in a stranger's truck, eating his food while knowing they'd once had a loving relationship. He was handsome and she wanted to run her finger over his nose. Maybe that was a good sign. Maybe it meant some flicker of recognition was still there, deep down.
Watching her enjoy the apple put a warmth in Rost’s chest that he hadn’t felt in months. Even filthy and tattered, she was so beautiful. He wanted to kiss that juice off of her lip so bad he could taste it too. Rost’s brows flexed at the idea that she hadn’t had any food or water at all -- that didn’t seem possible, but what about any of this seemed possible? -- but the compliment made him smile reflexively. Greer always had liked his mustache, it was like getting a tiny glimpse of the woman he’d fallen in love with. She had to be in there. She was just disoriented and confused for now. They could help her, the both of them. Gods, Devlin was going to be over the moon, Rost felt so sure. His fingers itched to find his cell phone and call him right away, but he tried to pace himself. One thing at a time so as not to overwhelm her. “Thank you,” he said. Rost lifted his hand to rub at the stubble on his jaw. He hadn’t exactly been concerned with his appearance lately. “I would have shaved the rest, if I knew I would see you.” He paused, nibbling on his bottom lip for a second. “I have so many questions, and I am sure you do also. But there is time for that. Will you come home with me? For more food and you can clean and change ... or do you feel you need a hospital? What can I do for you?”
Greer might have given him a smile if her mouth wasn't so full of apple at the moment. She knew she would eat the whole thing, and then probably the granola bars. And then she might ask for more. But the offer of a shower made her groan again and Greer nodded. "I could use a shower," she said, once she swallowed and could speak again. "I don't feel hurt, but, I suppose if I can't remember anything, I should see a doctor? But maybe... do you mind if we wait? At least until I can get cleaned up and change. I don't want to go anywhere else like this." She gestured to her clothes with a faint smile. "I don't think I've bathed in months, and I'm sure you don't appreciate the smell." If her memories didn't resurface, she would definitely need someone to check her out. What if she had something wrong with her? Something worse than what had been happening.
If her memory didn’t return quickly, Rost was sure there would be doctors involved. Even if it did, it would probably be best that she get checked out anyway. Not eating or drinking for months had to do something to you biologically, didn’t it? Even in some bizarre world where it didn’t outright kill you. But Greer’s eyes were bright and alert and she was speaking coherently and didn’t seem to be in pain, so Rost thought they could wait. He waved a hand to dismiss her concern about the smell -- it was definitely present, but he couldn’t care about it in the slightest. She was back, that was all that mattered. “We will go home first, yes,” he said, but didn’t move to start the truck just yet. Rost took a breath and met her eyes steadily. “But I should tell you something before we get there ... it is not just you and me in love. There is another, ah, boyfriend. To both of us. His name is Devlin, and you were with him first. A long time first. You traveled here with him, and that is how I met you both.” It wasn’t some dire warning, he just wasn’t sure how she would take it, if she would believe they were all equally in love with each other. It was better to tell her it was coming than to make her more confused once they got home.
Greer's chewing slowed. She stared at Rost, trying to comprehend what he was telling her. Another boyfriend. She had two boyfriends? Devlin. As surprised as she was, at least at first, Greer couldn't help but feel a sudden ache of sadness that she couldn't remember either of them. She had no memories of either relationship and she found she so desperately wanted them. Swallowing her bite of apple, Greer couldn't help but smile a little. "Okay. That's... interesting. Were we... I mean, are we happy? No bad feelings, or jealousy? You love him too?"
It was hard enough for people who had all their memories to accept, Rost was a little worried that Greer would show some disgust or something. A rejection. Now was not the time for him to fret about himself, but his insecurity was trying to remind him yet again that if it came down to a choice between them, Greer would surely choose Dev. They had more history and Dev was beautiful and younger and all of those things Rost knew didn’t truly matter, but he worried that they would. Greer’s questions were so Greer that it made him smile and feel like he might cry at the same time. “We are happy, yes,” he confirmed with a nod. “We do not know jealousy, any of us. It is just love in all directions, and it is beautiful. Beautiful when we are together, I mean. We have both been in a bad state without you.”
Taking in all of this information so soon after waking up in this strange place was a bit overwhelming and Greer had to pause and focus on eating the apple for a few moments as she weathered her emotions. She had two people who loved her. Two people who she loved. She wasn't alone. Would she eventually remember their life together? Greer hoped so. It felt like such a loss to see the love in this man's eyes and not reciprocate it immediately. Who was the man who had stayed with her Over There? His name eluded her now, but she could remember parts of his face and how his hand felt in hers. Instinct told her it hadn't been romantic at all, but they had depended on one another for comfort and safety. Was he from this place too? Had he returned like she had? After taking a deep breath. Greer looked at Rost again. "Can we go home?"
At Greer’s silence, Rost got the impression that he’d said too much. He didn’t blame Greer for that, or himself, really. It was all going to be a lot for her to take in, if she didn’t remember anything at all. He just hadn’t wanted her to be completely confused at how Dev would surely react to her. He just hoped their other partner could be patient and understanding through his own emotions, and not hurt by what Greer couldn’t help. “Of course,” he answered with a gentle smile. He re-settled himself in the seat and started the truck up. Now that he’d warned Greer, it was only fair to warn Dev as well, so he pulled his phone out and glanced over at Greer again. “I should call him so he is not so shocked,” he told her, hoping she didn’t have an issue with that. Rost hit the call button and put the phone to his ear, then started to back out of the parking space while it rang.
Dev had recently woken up and groggily made his way out of bed to use the bathroom. He fully intended on sleeping a little longer since his new job often had him staying up late but by the time he returned to bed his phone was buzzing insistently. There weren't many people who actually had his number and he wasn't really surprised to see it was Rost. He crawled back up on the bed as he picked up, flopping back on the pillow with the phone to his ear. "Hello love, are you alright?" It might not be strange for Rost to call him but to call him before noon did strike Dev as a little odd though his first guess would have been that Rost needed something he'd forgotten at home or was worried he'd left the gas on or something.
He sounded sleepy and lovely and the sound of his voice at that moment almost made Rost cry. He wished he could just give Greer the phone and let her say hello to her longtime love, but she didn’t know him yet. “I am, ah ... I am good,” he said with a shaky little laugh. That word didn’t even begin to describe it, but Rost didn’t want to make Greer feel weird by gushing on and on. Rost put the truck into drive and started out of the cemetery parking lot. “You will never guess what is going on ... I found her, Dev. She is home, we are coming home right now.” He couldn’t help but grin but kept his eyes on the road. Even if it didn’t look exactly like they wanted it to, this was what they’d dreamed of, and Rost wanted to share the moment of joy with Dev.
Greer was still savoring the juicy taste of the apple in her mouth when Rost began to talk. She listened carefully, finding she enjoyed his accent quite a bit. But she was also curious about this Devlin person. What did he sound like? Look like? What history did they have? For a brief moment, Greer shut her eyes tightly, as if she could force the memories to the surface. But again, there was nothing but vague images of fog, dark spindly legs... claws. Thick air. It was as if someone had painted over the world with dreary colors. The man with the dark hair and gentle hands. She wished she could remember his name. Martin? Michael? It felt like it was on the tip of her tongue but she couldn't quite get there. Opening her eyes again, Greer began to peer out her window at the town around them. She was eager to be home, wherever that was, if only to try and get some sense of equilibrium.
Dev knew something was up the moment Rost said he was good. It was the way he said it, a bubbling happiness that had been lacking in their lives for months now, a sort of joy he hadn't expected to hear or feel for a long time yet. He sat up slowly as Rost spoke, running his fingers through his mass of long and unruly curls. His emotions changed rapidly as Rost spoke from surprise to disbelieve to overwhelming joy to... Oh shit. "Now?" he said and all but flailed off the bed without putting much thought into it. He needed to brush his teeth, his breath was abysmal since he'd fallen asleep drunk and there was no way he was meeting the love of his life with a bad breath. He bit back a curse when the charger cord snapped from the phone but at least he didn't seem to have damaged it. "Oh my god, Rost, I'm here, I'm here I'm home - you're bringing her home?" He was already padding hurriedly to the bathroom, grabbing some underwear on the way there. "Oh lord, how..." No, he didn't need to know how, laughing a little hysterically as he started the water. "Where are you now?"
Rost was grinning from ear to ear by the time Dev got through his questions, able to hear the sudden urgency in his voice as he moved around on the other end of the phone. Rost knew that feeling well, already having to be careful about speeding as he drove toward Seaview. Greer was looking out the window as though trying not to interrupt, and some of Rost’s joy was tempered by the reality they were facing too. She was back, but not fully herself. Or she at least didn’t know herself yet. He hoped that would change, but they had to brace themselves for the possibility that it wouldn’t. “Just leaving the cemetery,” he told his boyfriend. “Will be a few minutes to get there. But listen to me Dev ... she is not hurt, but at the moment she does not remember us. Please be soft when we get there, okay?” Rost hoped that Dev would understand what he meant -- the joyous hugging, bouncing, crying reunion they’d been yearning for wouldn’t be happening today. At least not with Greer crushed between them, not yet.
As strange as it was, Greer felt oddly guilty for not being in the right mind for group hugs and happy tears and joyful reconciliations. She felt lucky to have found Rost in the cemetery, one of the men who meant something to her in this life, but she couldn't quite bring herself to pretend to be who they expected her to be. Greer wasn't even sure who she was yet. But she found she wanted to see this man. She wanted to see him smile the way Rost was smiling, because it was clear she meant something to them. It felt good to have that knowledge after being in that Other place for so long. She was loved here. Maybe she would be safe. Greer's lips twitched softly when Rost told the other men to be soft with her. It was a strangely sweet way to tell someone to be gentle.
"Absolutely," Dev said. "The softest." It hurt his heart to hear she didn't remember them but love extended beyond memories and he was sure that given time they would heal one way or another. He would get the bouncing out of his system before she got there and then tone it down, he decided as he started brushing his teeth, lamenting the fact that the kitchen was messy and the bathroom not much better. If only he had time to clean before she got home - but at the same time, could he have waited that long? "I'll see you in a few," he said around his toothbrush and hung up, knowing Rost would understand since he could hear all the commotion. Dev needed to get clothes on now, if Greer didn't remember him it was even more vital he not meet her at the door in his birthday suit.
Rost slipped in a quick ‘goodbye’ and then hung up as well. Still grinning, he glanced over at Greer, and then tried to temper his expression a bit, clearing his throat and shifting in the seat. He just hoped it all went well and they didn’t accidentally upset her or overwhelm her or something. She needed to get clean and fed and rest, those were the first steps, he reminded himself. He and Dev could let their happy energy out on each other -- quietly! -- while Greer was resting. He knew he needed a tight hug and he was sure Dev would too. “He is happy you are here,” he told Greer. A vast understatement, but he was trying to be soft too.
"I may not... remember... but I'm happy to be here too," Greer murmured. "I wish I could remember this. Remember you. You don't frighten me. I don't feel wary, so I wonder if maybe deep down, you're still there." Or maybe she just had a good judge of character? Logically, it made sense but Greer tended to think maybe she knew him on some subconscious level. Greer studied him before reaching out with one hand for his. "Do you mind?" She didn't know if he would want to touch her again, with how filthy she was, but she wondered if maybe touching would help trigger some memory of him.
He was glad to hear her say those things, and even more glad that she wanted to touch him. The filth didn’t bother Rost in the slightest. She couldn’t help it and she would be able to get clean very soon. He gave her a gentle smile and took Greer’s offered hand, wrapping his long fingers around it with a soft squeeze. “Give yourself time and patience,” he told her. “You have been through a lot. Perhaps it will all return to you. If not ... we will find our way forward.” He didn’t quite want to entertain the possibility that Greer might never recover her memories and end up wanting to leave them, but Rost knew it was on the list of outcomes. He didn’t know what the future would hold for all of them, just that he and Dev would love her through it and do their best by her.
Dev went around the house like a hurricane after he was done brushing his teeth and getting dressed. There wasn't a whole lot he could do in a few minutes and the place really needed a good clean but he could tidy up a little and make it just a touch more presentable. He rushed outside when he heard Rost's truck pull up, images of Greer rushing throgh his mind as hope and anxiety waged a war in his chest. He wasn't expecting her to look like she did but it made sense given what little he knew of where she'd been. It broke his heart when he caught a glimpse of her, so dirty and lost but they'd fix that, they'd fix everything if she let them. He kept Rost's words in mind and stopped himself from running outside to meet them but there were things he had less control over, like the tears in his eyes. He waved, let out a little laugh and then hugged himself as he waited for them to get out of the truck. Gods, it really was her and he didn't know what to do with himself if she didn't remember him.
As they pulled up to the small house, Greer's gaze was drawn to the dark haired man waiting outside for them. She didn't know why but she smiled instinctively, like something deep inside was happy to see him. Squeezing Rost's hand gently, she then released him to climb out of the truck. Temporarily forgetting about her physical state, Greer walked towards Dev, ignoring the way the ground felt beneath her bare feet. "You're... Devlin." It was more a statement than a question, because obviously he was. But she wanted to hear the name on her tongue.
Dev pressed his hands against his face, staring at his love as she came closer. He felt overwhelmed and the sheer effort of not pouncing on her was making those feelings even more so intense. He drew a deep breath and nodded. "Devlin Molony," he told her, his hand on his chest as if it was a somewhat formal greeting. He was unable to keep from smiling even as tears flooded his eyes and god his face hurt, those muscles so sorely out of practice. "And you are Greer Loveridge. It's wonderful to meet you again." He wasn't sure how he was supposed to go about talking to someone he knew and loved so well when she was essentially meeting a stranger but in this moment he had a feeling everything was going to be okay. Whether she remembered or not, this was Greer, there was nothing about her but the dirt that wasn't familiar to him.
Rost got out of the truck, a smile that felt permanent still on his face. Dev looked so happy he might cry and that made Rost want to cry and they might get Greer going too, so he was going to try not to start that avalanche. Tucking his keys into his pocket, he stepped up beside Greer, glancing between them with a smile. He’d forgotten to tell her her own last name, so he was glad that Dev had remembered. He wondered idly what she thought of this threesome relationship, the fact that she had two foreign-sounding men who adored her. “Come in, please,” he said, gesturing toward the front door of their mobile home. “We will get you a hot shower started, and make some food, and you can rest.” He didn’t want to tread on this moment for Dev, but he also didn’t want them to just stare expectantly at Greer and make her feel awkward. She was filthy, and he was sure she wanted to take care of that now that they were within reach of a shower.
Greer Loveridge. That was good to know. She was studying Devlin's face. He was handsome. They both were, in her eyes. Devlin had an accent too and it was as lovely and soothing as Rost's. More than anything Devlin's eyes were kind and full of emotion and it made her want to hug him, to try and comfort him through all of this. "I'm happy to meet you too," Greer said, a smile playing at her lips again. "I'm trying really hard to remember all of this. But yes, a shower would be really nice right now." Greer glanced down at her clothes. "And maybe some clean clothes so we can burn these. Then... maybe I can ask some questions? If that would be okay." She was tired, yes, and definitely hungry still, but she didn't think she could lay down and sleep in this place without finding out more about who these two men were, and who she was.
Dev nodded and stepped back, gesturing at the two of them to go inside. "You have a lot of nice clothes just waiting for you to use them," he said. "And I'm sure you'll remember but we won't rush you, you can have all the time you need, all the space you need, anything." He wiped at his eyes and gave Rost an incredulous and happy smile. He thought that if she turned out to still be infected and she started draining their energy again he would rather die like that than lose her again but nothing about her said she was still Wrong, she seemed every bit like the Greer he loved and missed and he knew he could verify that just by touching her he just wasn't fully ready for that. "Come on in, come on in, we'll get you a towel and clean clothes to start with, then we can order some food and talk all you want."
Eating and having some wine while a clean Greer asked them questions sounded like a pretty fucking perfect evening to Rost. There was a bittersweetness to this, of course, and he hoped Greer’s memory didn’t take long to come back ... but Rost was still deliriously happy about it. She was home safe, that was all that mattered. He followed Dev and Greer into the house, pausing at the door to get his boots off and leave them on the mat. “Dev, will you get her set up in there?” he asked, then shot Greer a smile. “Enjoy your shower, love.” Rost wanted to give them a moment alone, since he’d had quite a few to himself already. He started for the kitchen to pour Dev and himself a drink, thinking his boyfriend probably needed it just as much as he did, he didn’t give a shit what time it was.
Their patience was more appreciated than she could ever tell them. Greer was sure anyone else might have been frustrated or upset that she couldn't remember them, but Devlin and Rost were being so understanding and accommodating. Greer could see why she had fallen in love with them. Once she was inside the home, Greer glanced around. It was cozy enough. She looked to Devlin to show her where the shower was and her skin seemed to thrum with excitement at the mere thought of standing beneath a hot spray of water. With soap. At this point, it felt like an extravagance.
Dev was really glad he hadn't had time for a shower before they arrived and he regretfully told her their water heater wasn't terribly big so the water would be cold too damn fast. He was trying so hard to not overwhelm her with information and he stopped himself from telling her which of the shampoos were her favorite, she could sniff her way through all the bottles and take her time as long as the water allowed for it. Maybe longer, if she was content waiting for the water to heat up again. He told her that too of course, it was warm enough inside today that it wouldn't be too uncomfortable. After stubbornly stopping himself from overwhelming her further he took all his excitement to the kitchen and straight into Rost's arms. "I'm going to explode," he exclaimed, his nearly frantic voice muffled against Rost's chest.
Rost had mixed them up a couple of drinks and pulled the top half of his coveralls down to get more comfortable. Since Greer was in the bedroom, he wasn’t going to go change until she was done. Not that he was dirty, he hadn’t had a chance to do any work today, and gods knew he wasn’t going back to the cemetery. Today was definitely a day to take off. The glasses were safely on the table when Dev glommed onto him, and Rost gave a deep chuckle as he squeezed the other man and thumped his back, grinning so hard his cheeks hurt. “Me as well,” he said, able to feel that same excitement humming in Dev’s body. They were practically vibrating together. Rost pulled back a bit, cupped Dev’s face in both hands, and kissed him soundly. If they couldn’t drown Greer in affection, they could take it out on each other.
Dev laughed into the kiss, his voice a little watery and his face salty. It was moments like these where he didn't really understand how people functioned in monogamous relationships, he wasn't sure where he'd put all this love bursting out of him if it was just him and Greer and he had to give her space. Kissing and hugging Rost was such a relief of all those feelings and he felt his body relax just a bit when he got rid of that excess energy. "Where did you find her?" he asked, still squeezing Rost around the middle and gazing up at him. Had Rost already said? He'd been so flustered when he called, all he knew was that Rost had gone to work and... "The cemetery?" he guessed and what a strange place to wake up. Not unpleasant really, to some it might feel ominous but there was something about that place that went beyond mourning and religion, he wouldn't be surprised at all to find a gate to other worlds there.
Grinning again, Rost reached up to ruffle Dev’s hair as he nodded. “I was just walking to shed, and she came down one of the rows asking for help,” he told him. “My heart almost fell out of my ass.” Rost laughed and twisted a bit to reach for the drinks he’d poured them. He didn’t want to pull very far away from Dev, so he didn’t, just offered him the first glass and then nabbed the second one. It was still early, but they deserved a stiff one, for gods’ sake. Rost clinked their glasses together with a murmured “to Greer” and took a sip of the amber liquid. “I thought she was a ghost first,” he went on. “But then I got to touch her, and Devlin ...” Rost put his glass to his chest and shook his head, his eyes filling up again and so much emotion in his smile. He couldn’t even describe that feeling.
Rost sure had a way with words and Dev laughed too before he pulled back to take the glass. He didn't need Rost to describe, he could easily imagine it and he smiled at the thought and nodded enthusiastically. "It's her," he whispered, giving Rost's waist a little squeeze where he still held on with one hand. "Whatever powers there be gave her back to us." He hadn't touched her yet but he would when she was ready - and when he was ready and if all went as he hoped there would be no bad visions of a different place, just Greer and the familiarity of her soul and body.
Though Rost had no idea what sort of powers to attribute this miracle to, he felt the same sort of immense relief. It had felt like everything was working against them for so long, and now this. Rost pulled Dev in closer to kiss his forehead, then smacked his back a couple more times before he turned to head toward the living room, snagging his drink on the way. “Come and sit, let us at least look relaxed when she is done,” he said with a chuckle. “Should we get ... photos? Her tarot cards? Anything that is her?” Greer had questions, and while Rost couldn’t fill her in on a lot of her history like Dev could, he could definitely try to describe her to herself.
"Let's have her cards ready and within reach if she wants them," Dev replied and while the urge to shower her with mementos and memories was strong, they both knew they needed to go at her pace. "They were such a big part of her life, they might help nudge her a little. I just count it as a blessing that she seems at ease with us so I think... I think she'll remember." It wasn't so much what he thought but what he had to hope for in order to not lose his mind and he had to remind himself that even if Greer never remembered they could still build new memories with patience and love.
The shower was exquisite. Greer took her time under the hot spray, washing her body, her face and hair. There were various body washes and soaps and a razor she assumed had once belonged to her. Despite being gone several months, neither man had gotten rid of it. It made Greer smile a bit and once she felt clean, she began to smell the soaps, hoping something might trigger her memory of this place. The woodsy scent of one bar did something to her, sent a warmth into the pit of her belly. She could almost imagine pressing her nose against someone's chest and smelling this. There was some sort of recognition deep down, something that made her comfortable in their presence. Greer didn't feel awkward or unsure. That had to mean something.
After her shower, she dried off and pulled on the clothes Devlin helped her find in the bedroom. Tying her long hair up out of her face the best that she could, she left the bathroom, hearing their low murmurs from the front room. When she found them on the couch, she gave them a tentative smile. "Would it be all right if I made a sandwich or something?"
Rost had gotten Greer’s tarot deck and set it on the coffee table, making sure a photo album was in reach too, though he left that a little more out of the way. Dev was right, they didn’t want to overwhelm her. All of this had to go at Greer’s pace, in spite of how eager they both were to really have her back. His heart squeezed almost painfully when their love appeared, finally clean and wearing fresh clothes -- she was just so fucking beautiful. Her request for food had him moving quickly to stand up. “Yes of course, I will get,” he insisted, gesturing at Greer to sit. “Relax, please. Talk to Dev, he knows you longer.” Rost wasn’t going to have her rummaging around in the kitchen with no guidance to make her own food when he could do it for her.
Greer would have probably protested and been willing to make herself something to eat, but she was feeling a bit tired and she did want to find out more about these two men, and this place where they lived. Besides, she knew this was her home but she didn’t feel right just helping herself to the things in the kitchen just yet. So she murmured a thanks to Rost and moved over to sit down in the chair, her eyes falling on the deck of tarot cards. Her fingers twitched, eager to reach out and grab them, but instead she curled her hands in her lap and looked at Dev, a small smile on her lips. "Do you read cards?" she asked, gesturing to the deck.
"No, love," Dev said with a little smile. "Those are your cards." He hadn't exactly hoped that she'd take one look at them and start remembering but he still felt a little disappointed that she didn't. He couldn't let himself go there, not for every little thing; Greer was alive, that was all that mattered right now. "You're good with them, you read palms too. I'm more of .. touch objects and go a wee bit loopy, hence the gloves." He wiggled his fingers to show off the fingerless gloves he usually didn't wear at home much but the occasion might possibly call for more protection. "Don't want accidental visions." It didn't occur to him until after he'd spoken that this might be too weird for Greer if she didn't remember it but he just had to hope that her core character was as intact as it seemed.
Greer's lips parted in a soft "oh" as she looked down at the cards again. She read cards? And palms? Was she some kind of psychic? Or did she just pretend to be? Did she try to scam people out of money? Greer certainly hoped not. Licking her lips, she brought her gaze to his again, noticing for the first time that he was wearing gloves. "What do you mean by accidental visions? If you touch things... you see things?" That was incredibly fascinating and momentarily distracted her from the tarot cards.
She didn't look freaked out at all so Dev relaxed a little and nodded. "Visions, sometimes memories, ghosts even. It can be really nice or it can be really unpleasant so I try not to do it too often." He was still itching to touch her, to find out if he could still see that dark place or not but it was risky and it could wait. She certainly seemed to be herself again, memories or not. "Rost knows a lil bit of old Eastern European protective magic so the three of us are what you might call a power team." He grinned at that and glanced over to the kitchen area where Rost was cooking up something that had already started smelling good.
Greer had only asked for a sandwich, but what made every sandwich better? Becoming a panini! Rost was a little obsessed with their small appliance, he loved making grilled sandwiches, and he wanted to give Greer some good food to fill her up. He looked around at the sound of his name and focused on their conversation for a moment, then laughed a bit as he stepped where he could see into the living room to smile at them. “He gives me too much credit,” he said with a lopsided grin. “You are both magic ... I just know my traditions and have stolen from many more.” Rost was even more glad now that they had moved into this place -- seeing the way his trailer was set up and covered with protection might have freaked amnesiac Greer out a bit.
A power team. Greer smiled and glanced at Rost, who was making something that made her stomach growl and ache. Hopefully she wouldn't eat it too quickly and throw up, but she was so hungry. Her curious gaze came back to Dev's. "Am I magic? I don't feel different, or... like I could touch someone and have visions." She had touched Rost earlier and felt nothing but warmth and comfort but she knew that was much different. Greer motioned to the tarot cards. "Is it from those?"
"Yeah, you can read the cards and people's palms," Dev told her and his face kind of ached from all this smiling but there was no way he was stopping anytime soon. "You're intuitive, able to see more than most. We are all somewhat taken with the occult and supernatural, is why you and me - we traveled all the way here from California." Maybe dropping little snippets of information wasn't too bad and he wondered if she even truly knew where she was; what state, what town. "From one ocean to the other," he added and gestured to her that she could pick up the deck if she wanted.
Rost popped back into the kitchen to finish off the panini for Greer, and grabbed a pear from the fruit bowl -- only very recently restocked after a shopping trip they’d forced themselves to make. He brought it all on a plate, along with a glass of tea from the pitcher in the fridge. “Here you are my dear,” he murmured in his mother language as he set it all down in front of her. Rost flashed her a gold-toothed smile and joined Dev on the couch, draping one arm along the back cushion behind him.
Hesitating briefly, Greer reached out to pick up the tarot cards. They felt strange in her hand, but not in a bad way. Sort of the same way Rost's hand had felt when they touched. The cards felt like they belonged there. Shuffling through the cards, she paused every now and then to look at one in more detail. "Is that... why I disappeared?" Greer glanced at Rost. "I know you said I was hurting people. But the occult, believing in those things... could that be why I was vulnerable to it?" Nothing about the occult seemed scary to her, although she couldn't recall what her involvement in such things were at the moment. The cards didn't feel wrong and being in this place with these two men didn't feel wrong either. "We... we don't do anything bad to people, do we?"
"No, love," Dev said urgently and he really couldn't say that fast enough because no, nothing about Greer was bad. Sure, they might have swindled some people in the past but they'd never taken anything from them that they couldn't afford to lose and usually they left them happier than they found them with placating little lies. "What happened was not your fault and it had nothing to do with your - or our - gifts. You and a whole bunch of other people got hurt when a bad fog rolled in, you were infected with something. I never truly understood the extent of it but that's about what happened. You've always been a good person, Greer, the best people I ever did meet."
Rost was shaking his head as quickly as Dev reassured her out loud. Greer was an angel, nothing she ever could have done would have made her deserve being in that place. Not that Rost knew much about it, just that it wasn’t good. “You were not yourself,” he added, his hand slipping down a bit to gently squeeze Devlin’s shoulder. He wanted to touch Greer so badly, but his man would do for now. “None of it was your fault. We tried to get help for you ... but everyone was helpless.” He didn’t want to really get into all the details of how Greer’s sickness was hurting them, not wanting to put her through any unnecessary guilt. She would remember eventually, or they could just let it stay forever vague.
She wanted to shuffle through the cards some more, but the sandwich looked and smelled delicious so she set the cards down to pick up her food. Murmuring a quick thank you to Rost, she took a bite, trying really hard not to moan with her mouth full. Shoving the entire thing in her mouth, despite the heat of it, was ideal, but she had some manners Greer took another two bites before speaking again. "I remember some of them," she said, licking her lip of the taste. "Who I was with. There was a man... I think his name was Max? Do you know him?"
Dev reached up to clutch Rost's hand, similarly in dire need of the physical contact since he was holding back on touching Greer. And oh it was hard, losing someone only to reclaim them and having to be so cautious. "Max, yeah," he replied and he hoped that man had been some comfort to her and not a burden. She'd had a fling with him at Christmas but it wasn't in Dev's nature to feel jealous about that, they were free spirits and she didn't love anyone the way she loved Dev simply because nobody else was Dev. "His sister tried to help you, I hope he comes back too. We can check, if you want. We still have their number here somewhere."
Rost was glad to hear that Greer and Max had connected over there. He knew about the Christmas party, but he doubted there had been much joyful sex where she’d been. It definitely hadn’t sounded like some sexy party vacation. Like Dev, Rost hoped that Greer had found some comfort somewhere. He hoped it was a good sign that she remembered that much. “Their family is friends, good people,” he added with a nod. “We can check on him very soon. Do you remember anyone else?”
Greer nodded at Dev with a grateful smile. "I would like that, yes. He helped keep me sane, I think. I'd like to know that he was okay, if he is back." It occurred to her that she had no idea how she came back from that place. Who, or what, saved her from Over There? Greer took another bite of her sandwich as she thought about what she could remember. Fog. Max. A wolf. The cop. How were those memories coming back to her so much more quickly than her life here? "I remember a cop had been there. Some women, a teenager... maybe two. We were in this... hotel? But everything was dark and filthy. No water, no food, but we didn't need any." Greer took a breath and exhaled slowly. "I remember a three legged wolf, but he never hurt any of us. I can't remember everything, but there might have been... ten of us? Maybe a few more."
Dev was similarly hopeful that this meant Greer would start remembering and the fact she was remembering something from the other place without having a complete breakdown was probably a good thing too. From what little Dev knew it had been a horrible place and until today he'd had no hope whatsoever that she could survive it yet here she was, fully herself even without her memories. "That sounds about right, a lot of people went missing around the same time you did, we only really knew of a few of them though." Mostly through gossip and Dev had heard a few things after he started working at the Back Porch. "We'll call the O'Reillys later in the afternoon, in case they're not early birds."
Rost nodded along as Greer listed off what she could remember. It wasn’t much, but he didn’t expect it to be. It was just a good sign that she was recalling something. “You stayed in a hotel?” he asked, tilting his head thoughtfully. If the other side had been laid out like Point Pleasant was, that left only two options for a hotel. “Inside room doors, or outside?” he wanted to know. When Greer confirmed they were inside doors, Rost gave a toothy smile and glanced over at Dev. “She was in Juniper,” he murmured. His gaze turned back to Greer. It probably hadn’t been anything to smile about while she’d been over there, but he couldn’t help it now that she was safe and home. “That is where we all met. Or where I met you two,” he explained, waving a finger between them. “I was getting coffee and you came and grabbed my hand to read my palm. Beautiful stranger.” He chuckled faintly.
Juniper. The name had some familiarity to it. "You mean there's a place like that here?" Greer hadn't seen much of where she had been. It had been so foggy and once they were inside the hotel, they hadn't left. At least she hadn't. "It had this wide staircase and not many rooms. I suppose it felt more like a bed and breakfast than an actual hotel." Greer glanced around before coming back to focus on Dev and Rost. "I know it's a lot to ask but... how did we meet? How long have we lived here together? There are things that feel like they're just under the surface, like I could remember."
"It's not a lot to ask at all," Dev reassured her and that tickling of hope he felt did a little jump in his chest. If it was all just under the surface, they could gently unearth it. "You and me, we met in California. You were friends with my grandda, grandpa Morrow everyone called him. You lived in the same building. I flew out here to take care of his things after he died, he left me his apartment so I stayed there for a while. First time I met you was in the hallway. I had my hands full of groceries - the old man didn't leave much in the way of foodstuffs - and I was trying to get my keys out of my pocket when I look up see this gorgeous girl just down the hall, sizing me up like she'd reading my life story from my posture." He let out a little laugh, emotions welling up just at telling her this, at remembering the way she looked that day. "First thing you said was, 'you must be Devlin' and I swear to you I've never been so happy that was my name."
Greer couldn't help the smile that curved at her lips. She couldn't remember the actual memory, but she could picture it in her mind anyway. And Greer could see the affection in Devlin's eyes. He adored her. It was so strange to know she had a life, and a love, before the place with all of the fog and she couldn't recall it. "And then we came here, across the country... and met you?" She turned her gaze to Rost. "It looks like we've settled here. This is our home now?"
Rost had heard the story a handful of times before, but it had never carried as much emotional weight as it did now. He felt his nose sting and his eyes got damp even as he smiled. Greer and Dev’s love was beautiful, he’d always thought so, and he loved them both so much. “This is home for now,” he answered Greer with a warm smile and a nod. “We have spoke of all traveling together, but there is interest here for you both. We have been together ... seven, eight months? It sounds long, but you have been missing from us since January. We have not been complete.” His expression had gotten more sober, and he glanced over at Dev, one hand moving to stroke through those dark waves of his. “I have lived here long, but I would go anywhere with both of you,” he murmured.
"And we wouldn't go anywhere without you," Dev told him, leaning into the petting for a second. They'd had their ups and down without her, like they'd been hobbled, but he could feel it healing now, the sorrow and the anger washed away by her presence alone. "It's a strange little town, we've become a bit attached," he added and it was too heavy to tell Greer everything about Point Pleasant and their experiences here. If it came to it, if she wanted to leave after what had happened, both of them would follow her anywhere. He knew this but it was still good to hear Rost say it again, reassuring in a way not many things had been lately.
It seemed as this relationship was pretty solid, as unconventional as it might have been. Greer was sure there were a lot of good memories there and she took a moment to try and dig deeper, wanting to find something. But all she could remember was fog and filth. A large wolf and Max. Surely the other part of her life would come back to her. Obviously Devlin and Rost meant a lot to her, so they had to be in there somewhere. "Strange little town sounds intriguing, at least," she admitted with a small smile. She set her plate to the side and picked up the cards again, simply holding them in her hands. "Maybe... maybe after I get some rest, could we take a walk? Anywhere is fine. I just wonder if I get outside and get some fresh air, if I take in some sights, maybe that will help."
“We can do anything you wish to do,” Rost assured her with a soft smile. “Take your time with everything, try not to worry about it. If it comes back, it comes back, and if not ...” Well, he wasn’t sure what would happen then. If Greer was still Greer at her core -- and she seemed to be -- then perhaps she would fall in love with both of them again. It would be painful to lose their history, especially for Dev, but Rost had faith they could all support one another through anything. He and Dev had survived some of the worst months of their lives, he didn’t doubt they could all begin again if they needed to. Maybe here, maybe somewhere else. Rost was determined not to think about what might happen if Greer chose not to stay with them. “... then we will be crossing bridges,” he ended with, and gave a faint chuckle. “Just know you are safe and loved here. And you just have to say, if you want privacy.”
Dev wasn't even thinking of the possibility that Greer might go her own way. She was still very clearly Greer, the thought that she might leave them now didn't even cross his mind. She just needed time, privacy. Sleeping would be weird for a bit, their couch wasn't terribly accommodating of two but it went without saying that she was getting the bed. "Just hold on love, I should... I'm gonna change the sheets." He was on his feet before she could protest because no matter how much she might tell him he didn't need to, god he needed to. He didn't remember when they last changed them, both of them too depressed and their tolerance for dirty things high. To be fair, apparently so was hers but she deserved fresh sheets, a clean bed to sleep in.
Greer understood the implications of her memory never returning. Of not understanding their relationship, or history. It was devastating to think that could never happen. That there would always be blank spots in her life. But it was something she didn't think was worth thinking about at the moment. Not until it was clear she would have to start over. Thankfully it seemed as though she had two men who genuinely cared about her, and they would be patient about this. "Thank you," she murmured to Dev, watching him hurry off to the bedroom. Her gaze turned back to Rost. "This has been a bit overwhelming... but you both have made it a lot easier to handle. I really do hope I remember you both soon."
Rost winced a bit as Dev went off, glad that he’d thought to do that. They hadn’t been keeping house very well with Greer gone, too wrapped up in their grief to see how gross things were getting. He wished the sheets needed changing because of a bunch of wild sex, but it was more the stink of depression-sweat and the two of them not showering as often as they should’ve been. The only sex they’d had while she’d been missing had been strange and sad and desperate, a very temporary distraction from the black hole surrounding them. Rost gave Greer a gentle smile and nodded. “I really hope so as well,” he told her. “But you seem to still be you, and we will care about you no matter what. Get some rest and see how you feel. One day at a time, yes?”