Analise Gordan (crazyonyou) wrote in the_colony, @ 2011-04-03 21:27:00 |
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Entry tags: | ^ week 35, analise gordan, andrew kirke, louisa may smith, | ana and drew |
Week 35 - Thursday
Characters: Drew and Ana Kirke, Louisa May Smith
Location: In and out of the farmhouse
Summary: Ana's home. She speaks to the doctor briefly and then she and Drew discuss future plans.
Rating: PG-13 for some language and sensuality
Ana kept her distance and, for the most part, her silence with the men in the truck on the ride back to the farm. She leaned her forehead against the cool cool window glass and looked beyond the haze of her own bruised reflection as landmarks became more familiar. There was a feeling of expectation, as if Tom and the other expected her to chatter away at their question. Ana was quite tired of expectations.
Tired of expectations and just plain tired. The last night had been spent balanced upon the edge of a knife when her mind filled the darkness with monsters. She’d been wound up and now that feeling had nowhere to go. Her body was a spring on the verge of crossing the line and being too tight. Ana watched the scenery and tried to bury those feeling behind the image of Drew’s face.
Ana remembered their reunion those short weeks ago. Drew’d been there like a ghost from her imagination and Ana could think of nothing else than occupying the same space he was in. The memory should be more distant, separated by more time than it had been. That was her fault.
This second reuniting was not the same as the first. Ana climbed out of the truck and looked for Drew but didn’t move. She was afraid for some reason she couldn’t understand and aware of every mark on her face. The door barely slammed shut before Drew was sprinting out of the house at top speed, his face pale and strained. The moment he saw Ana everyone else around him faded from his interest; she was the only thing in the world that mattered. Arms were thrown around her as he pulled her tight against him.
Ana felt like a balloon: overfilled until everything stretched too tight and exploded. She collapsed against Drew and his familiar weight was the only thing keeping her standing. Her voice shook. “Baby...”
Drew said nothing, simply holding her tighter, his face buried in her hair. He was trembling all over. Louisa May wasn’t far behind, her bag swinging from one hand as she half-walked, half-ran over to the embracing couple. She gave them their distance -- sensing that both Ana and Drew needed a moment -- and the fact that Ana was able to walk on her own meant that there wasn’t an immediate danger. Even with the other woman’s face buried in Drew’s shoulder, Louisa May could see the marks standing out sharply against her too-pale skin.
Drew finally pulled back and pressed his mouth against hers firmly, nearly frenzied, one hand pushing up into her hair. Ana’s fingers curled into Drew’s hair, pulling the strands harder than she realized as pain spiked sharply from what had made her mouth bleed earlier.
Watching the two reunite with a slightly wistful smile, Louisa May noticed a small spot of fresh blood on Ana’s mouth when they finally parted. She cleared her throat and stepped forward. “I know y’all have a lot of catchin’ up to do, but I’ll just be a sec,” she said, raising an eyebrow.
Ana kept one hand around Drew and touched the sore spot on her lip gingerly with the other. “I’m fine.”
“Like I said, just a sec for the time being,” Louisa May replied. “You’re gonna be sore after the adrenaline dies down. Go ahead and take four of these tonight, and four in the morning.” She handed Ana a packet of Ibuprofen and a foil packet of Neosporin. “And here’s some antibiotic, too.” Louisa May paused. “I’d also like you to stop by in the next two days for a more thorough check-up, make sure you’re healing up okay.”
“There ain’t nothin’ to heal. I’m fine.” Ana intended to crawl into bed and not leave for the next couple of days at least. Drew finally registered Louisa May’s words and found himself frowning at Ana’s insistence. She had a strange tone to her voice, as though she was trying to convince instead of reassure, and he didn’t like it. He didn’t like it at all.
“Maybe you should let the doctor look at you,” he said, his voice soft but insistent.
This was a delicate matter. Louisa May didn’t want to talk to Ana in public, especially with Drew around, but if she’d been assaulted in any way while she was there, she wanted to make sure Ana was aware of some precautions that were time-sensitive. Anti-virals, for one. Plan B, if it was asked for. Not to mention that any infection was best dealt with sooner rather than later. “It is important that you stop by for a quick check-up sometime in the next two days,” Louisa May continued. “It won’t take very long, but I’d like to make sure nothing gets infected.”
Ana didn’t want to disagree with Drew, not now, but she didn’t want to talk anybody, either. “Can you check now?” She waved a hand at her face. “This is it. People’ve survived a busted lip and black eye before.”
Drew looked between her and the doctor, his expression torn between relief for her return and concern. He needed to hear from Louisa May that Ana was okay. He trusted Louisa May; she’d been there with Molly, too.
Louisa May raised her free hand. “I know you’re in no mood for a check-up right now. That’s why I got you something to tide you over, so you can get to your room with your husband and be by yourself. But I will need to see you sometime in the next two days. That’s all I’m sayin’. And that’s all I’m askin’.”
“Okay,” Ana gave in. “Okay. Can we go now? Please?” Instead of confrontational, she just sounded tired.
Making a mental note that she might have to track Ana down in two days and repeat her demands, Louisa May backed off, walking back into the house with her bag swinging at her side. She’d seen that sort of denial in the eyes of assault victims before, and even though the other woman would probably refuse to talk, she had to at least give her a space where she could if she wanted. She hoped with all her heart that she wasn’t overreacting -- but better to overreact than let Ana face the possible consequences of not doing a thing.
***
Once Louisa May had finally released them, Drew bypassed every part of the house in favor of taking them straight to their room. From there things had rapidly progressed to the same frenzied touching and kissing out in the yard. In no time they were stripped and tangled in each other on the bed, nothing but limbs and lips, his hands in her hair and hers on his hips. It was almost as intense as their first reunion, only this time fear cut through it like a knife, leaving scars in its weight.
Even after they had exhausted themselves he refused to untangle from her, spooning up against her and holding her tight against him with a leg over her hip. He pressed his face into her shoulder and forced himself to keep breathing and not sob. Ana struggled not to tremble against him. She wanted to keep her feelings tucked away and not spilling out of her. She needed to sleep but couldn’t seem to shut her eyes.
“I’m sorry, baby.” Ana was grateful not to be looking at him right now. “I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t,” he whispered against her neck. “You didn’t do a thing wrong. Not a thing. Don’t you dare.” He kissed along her neck, his arms tightening around her even more. “I love you. I love you so much. I’m so glad you’re here. I thought--” his voice choked off as he turned her just enough to find her mouth and kiss her again.
The pain from her mouth had lessened and Ana kissed Drew back hard if only to avoid telling him how she thought the same thing. There’d been lots of thoughts while she sat chained to a pole in the dark.
“We haven’t had enough time and it’s my fault,” she said, pulling away.
“I have no problem hushing you all night if I have to,” he said, trying to inject humor into the dark spots in both their hearts.
“Just don’t say you’re goin’ tie me up.” She’d meant it as a joke but the words fell flat as soon as they left her mouth. Drew kissed her again, softer this time, one hand gingerly going up to cradle her face. He stayed within inches of her, his eyes rapidly passing between her gaze.
“Let’s leave,” he whispered. “Let’s just get out of here. The traders’ve been sayin’ how the settlement up north is much more established and safe. Let’s just go with them.”
Ana didn’t answer directly. “I can’t stand the idea of everyone talkin’ ‘bout me. I don’t even want them lookin’ at me like this.”
“Then let’s go,” Drew pressed, his hand sliding off her face and back around her to hug her against him. “They’re leaving some time next week. I overheard. Let’s go, yeah?”
“You really want to?”
“This is two times we’ve had something so bad happen to us since we came to be here,” he said into the junction of her neck and shoulder. “With these people. I just-- I can’t lose you again. I can’t. Molly wants to go, too. Let’s just go.”
And then that thing Ana had been trying to hold back broke. “I am so sick of bein’ crammed in here with barely our own space and everybody fightin’ with each other. I don’t care about whatever it is. I don’t care.”
Ana took a shaky breath and felt tears when she blinked. “Baby, they kept me locked to a pole... And - and they blindfolded me and all I could do is sit in the dark and think about all the bad things that could happen. I thought I’d never see again. I don’t care ‘bout anyone else. I just wanna be with you.”
Drew nodded against her, but his body had started to tremble again as she retold what had happened to her. He pressed kisses to her neck, shoulder, and jawline, his hands stroking her with the intent to comfort her.
“Whatever you want to do, I’ll do it. I’ll go wherever you go, I’ll stay wherever you stay.”
“I want us to have our own space. Somewhere safe and less crowded so we don’t have to worry about all these damn people all the time. ‘Cept Molly,” she added. “Let’s go away.”
Drew continued to do his best to console her, trying to stay strong for her sake, nodding and kissing any bit of skin within reach. If it were up to him, he’d have them leave that night, but he wanted cover. The traders would give them that.
“I’ll talk to Evie tomorrow.”
Ana nodded back. “Stay awake with me tonight? I don’t wanna be in the dark. Make me forget, okay baby? Make me forget.” Drew turned her in his embrace, pulling her above him and circling his arms around her as he swept her up into a kiss again. It was going to be a very long night.