SHATTERED | RILEY AND VINCE

Juliet was in front of him and she was telling him how they both had screwed up, and that she didn't want to lose him again. He turned his head away, she was just saying that, he was the one who make the mistake. He was the one who left her. He simply pushed her to far and she wanted him go away but she was just to kind to tell him that. Why did she even want to help him get cleaned up? He wasn't worth her attention or love, he caused to much pain and trouble. To think after all this time she was still strong enough to help his drunk ass get cleaned up. He felt ashamed and embarrassed that he allowed himself to fall this far. She kissed his temple and he sighed a little thinking she didn't really want him here but was trying to make him feel better. When she let him go he settled on the edge of the tub. "I'll be right here."

created by rynstone

@juliet

Her brow furrowed as she heard his tone. If she didn't think he would lose it again over her using her powers on him, she'd try to help him understand. Right now it wouldn't do them any good though. Closing the door behind herself, she quickly made her way down stairs. It looked like he had already used a burn pad, but his hand would need cleaned and properly bandaged. With the fairly large kit in tow, she ran back upstairs to her room to grab the towels and some soap, both of which would probably come in handy. Luckily he still had clothes in the room, so she could grab those for him when she got done.

True to his word, Riley was still sitting on the side of the bathtub when she got back, looking more miserable than ever. From where she was standing, it looked like his very soul had been shattered. "Riley." She whispered, setting everything down on the counter before walking over to him. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I never meant for things to happen this way." At first, she had intended to walk over and hug him, but something held her back. A small part of her knew that he wouldn't believe her, at least not if he felt she was trying too hard.

"I really do want for this to be a second chance. That's why I didn't want to tell you yet, because I wasn't strong enough to handle the truth coming out." It was a weak explanation, but it was the truth, and she hoped he would hear her out instead of continuing to blame himself. "And when it did, I hurt you worse than you hurt me. Even if I came back, it was wrong. I never should have left." Turning the water on in the sink behind her, she dampened a towel before closing the distance between herself and Riley. Laying the towel on the side of the tub, she began to tug on his shirt, attempting and failing to pull it over his head.

Juliet was apologizing to him, she was saying how she wanted a second chance with him and that she never should have left. While that may have been true he understood why, he was a failure as a partner and father. How could he even hope to ask her to marry him in the future. He still wanted to after all these years and yet still nothing he did would fix the pain he felt. "Why are you being so kind. After all I did to hurt you. I should be left to rot in the inferno." He turned away but lifted his arms to help her out with his shirt. Her kind and gentle hands made him love her all the more, even after everything she made him feel whole, though he never wanted her to feel pain again, not due to him. He should just leave, he made to stand in the middle of her treatment and he gasped in pain and nearly fell but she managed to catch him. "Why? I should be broken, I should hurt just as much if not more than you did. I left you alone for two years with that pain and unnecessary guilt. You should just let me feel the pain. Even still your touch your kind words make me love you more than anything, it is the only thing that has let me keep breathing right now."

created by rynstone

@juliet

Helping him settle back on to his former perch, Juliet let her arms linger around his shoulders for a moment before pulling away to look him in the eye. "No one deserves this. It happened, Riley. One day you wake up and it gets easier. You learn how to cope." Grabbing the towel, she began wiping off his arms and chest where the blood had remained, trying to figure out what to say next. "I don't want you to feel that pain, or any pain. Ever. I love you. If you had intended to do this, then maybe it would be different." Her current task completed, she threw the towel in to a waiting hamper before turning back to him.

Her hands found his good one, grasping it tightly. "If you don't hear or remember anything else that I've said tonight, please let it be this. You are the missing piece of my heart. I need you to continue on, to heal. Please don't leave again. Please. I can get better, WE can get better. But only if we are together." If it wouldn't hurt him so bad, Juliet would have wrapped his arms around her, attempted to get him to hold her. His hand though, that was going to be a problem. He needed a healer, she was almost certain of that now. She was almost afraid to mess with it. It would hurt him more.

Riley leaned his head against her hand, while his good one attempted to grasp her other hand before she pulled away, he felt empty with out her touch even if her power was not in use she alone seemed to calm the raging storm. "Jules it isn't about the child anymore, yes that would have been amazing, but it is the pain I put you through." He said trying hard to focus on his speech so she would understand, "I feel pain because the woman I pledged my heart to, first day I saw her, was hurt. That's why I don't deserve her, you." He watched as she tossed the towel she used to clean up his arms and chest in the hamper, he smiled at the knowledge her aim had improved.

When she grasped his good hand tightly he moved his bad one to cover hers as she told him that she was the missing piece of her heart and that she needed him to continue. "I don't deserve you, but I will not leave you. We are stronger... together, you are right." He held her hand tightly and leaned in to place a kiss on her forehead and took a few steadying breaths, "I think I could walk to the other spare room so you don't have to...to...to stay here, my hand doesn't hurt at least." as he added the last part he smiled but it wasn't really a proper smile.

@juliet

Leaning in to his shoulder, Juliet shook her head. "No. You can barely stand, babe. Let's just go to bed. Things will be better in the morning, you'll see." Helping him stand up, she lead him out of the bathroom and in to their room. It was way past time for her to face it, and now he was with her. At least she wouldn't be alone when she did it. As soon as she could sadly let go of him without risking Riley falling over, she grabbed a set of clothes for each of them out of the dresser. Her favorite pajamas felt reassuring in her hands, though she hadn't worn them since Riley left.


Handing him his clothes, Juliet kissed Riley on the temple. "Two minutes and I'll be back. Just let me change really quick." She promised before quickly leaving to change. Her heart ached at the thought of Riley sitting in the room by himself, but she knew it was necessary. While she had two years to handle everything, it was all new to him. Between that and the alcohol, Riley was in a much worse place mentally than she was.

Taking in Riley's appearance as she returned, Jules sighed before crawling in to the bed and patting the space beside her. "Will you let me help?" She offered. Her power couldn't take away the pain, physical or mental. It could, however, calm his mind enough to let him sleep.

Juliet took him to the bed and she told him that no they were not leaving, she kissed his head and left to change. There was a time when she didn't have to leave the room, things truly had changed and it was the hardest thing to accept. He stood to take off his pants and boxers and then pulled on the pajama bottoms he staggered over to the crib and held onto it for a moment, he sighed knowing he was a fool. Juliet wanted to help she wanted him despite it all she wanted him, she said she needed him. He moved to sit back down and pull the t-shirt over his shoulders when Juliet exited the bathroom.

Riley lay down next to her, "I'd like your help. I need you as much as you need me."

@juliet

With a nod and a sad smile, she wrapped one arm around his neck before placing the other one over his heart. She didn't have to use that particular focal point, but it still helped her, especially with Riley. When she knew her power had sufficiently calmed him, she leaned her head against his. "Do you want to talk now, or should we wait for the morning?" It didn't matter to her either way, but if he wanted to, she would listen. "Whatever you need to do, I'm here. " snuggling closer in to his chest, she found herself being slightly optimistic. Maybe things could get better, even if it wasn't right now.

Riley closed his eyes as she used her power on him, he was comfortable, he was home. When she asked if he wanted to talk he really did but what could he really say to her. She snuggled closer to his chest an he sighed, "I need you. That is it, I can't live with out you any longer, I was slowly dying with out you. Always on edge, getting ready for a fight when it wasn't there. Nothing was right with out you and I knew that from the first day. The first time in two years that I actually slept through the night was with you, I just honestly need you. I want you, but would never force you. Your touch alone with out your gift is intoxicating, but when you add your power I feel whole again." He stopped rambling and shifted her body so she was laying on top of him for the moment and he looked at her and sighed.

"Despite all of that, I can't forgive myself for all the pain I caused you and that was before I found out about..."

"Don't say the word. It makes it easier." Juliet commented, pulling back so that she could see his face. The struggle between him and his emotions was evident, and she couldn't help him figure it out. She could only make his head clearer. "Riley, you've only had a few hours to process everything. I can't promise that things will be better in the morning, but I can promise that it will make more sense." Leaning forward, she kissed him softly before continuing to speak.

"What I can promise you is that we will try again some day, when everything calms down and goes back to right. It won't be the same, but it can be good again." No, in her heart she still saw Riley rocking a baby to sleep, a tired smile on his face. Even if it hurt to think about, she knew it needed to happen some day. "We just need time, and to forgive ourselves as much as we've forgiven each other. You need to work on giving yourself a break, otherwise we'll be stuck in the past forever. I love you, you just need to learn to love yourself again."

Trying not to say the word was a hard thing, he didn't want to forget or have that emptiness it wasn't right and it was a part of them. Shaking his head he said, "I have to say the word, it would create an empty hole or bitter memory which could poison what we hope to create. Right now I can't but I will need to and it will be hard." He held her waist and pulled her close to him part of him wishing he could release the desire he had and his body wanted to respond when he knew it was not the time, he groaned as he sifted her again so that she wouldn't think he was accepting his bodies idea.

"I would like that, but only when you are ready. I'd do anything for you." Time and forgiveness will come, that was the truth but how could he be open to it when he caused so much damage to his own heart and had never forgiven himself for breaking hers all those years ago. "You are right, time and forgiveness will be needed but in two years I have never forgiven myself for breathing your heart, for breaking mine. I never stopped loving you, I never stopped caring for you. Hell I would mow your lawn and take care of the trees and all the gardening that I knew you didn't love doing just so I could try to be close to you."

"I'm going to tell you a secret." She whispered, a small giggle escaping her lips as he moved her away. Though it was funny, she was also glad he made the move. Not yet, not tonight, but some day they would be ready to go there again. "I wouldn't have waited for you, even a little bit, if I hadn't thought there was a chance that you still loved me. No matter how bad things got, I knew you would come back, and I knew that I would let you. Things may be different, but that doesn't mean we have to let them stay that way."

Grabbing the blanket that had been thrown across the bed whenever they laid down, she wrapped it around the two of them and sat up, still close to Riley. Her hand was still laying over his heart, though her power had stopped long ago. "I've never been more sure of anything than I have been of us. Even now, there is no where in this world that I would rather be, Riley. So please, stop trying to distance yourself. If not for yourself, than because of me."

He pulled her closer burrowing his face next to her shoulder, "No more distance, I will be here for you. I will be here for me. Even if we need to be in separate rooms to start, I will be here with you. If you will have me in the house." He held her close not wanting to let her go even though his bad hand was starting to ache he couldn't let her go, her closeness was exhilarating his hand moved to hold the one she had over his heart. "I'm sorry about earlier, I never meant for my power to affect you." He lifted her hand to kiss before letting it find its place again over his heart with his. They were together again, even if they couldn't officially say as a couple they were together and that was the best medicine he could think of.

"Same rooms." She stated, kissing his forehead as she spoke. "I don't care if it's here, or elsewhere, but I want you close. We've spent too much time apart for something like that, even if things aren't 100% back to normal." Her heart ached at the sight of him being in pain, his bad hand obviously bothering him. It wouldn't do him any good to have her look at it though. She was no healer and could only make it worse at this point.

The mention of his power though, that was something different. "You know you can't affect me easily, not unless I want it to. That's my fault though, not yours. I should've done something, even if it would've made you mad. This was a preventable disaster."

Riley thought for a moment and then realized nothing happened with out a reason, they were children of the gods after all and so were especially prone to the fates whims. How he wished he could avoid them like the plague but that was not in their cards. "The fates took us down the path and we chose which one would be followed. Nothing happens with out a reason, maybe when we aren't hurting as much we will look back and see that this made us stronger than we would have been." He kissed her forehead and lay there for several minutes.

Right before he was going to doze off he said, "I'd like same rooms as well, and I would like this one where we planned it together but I know it is to soon for you. I just have one question, does this mean we are together again, no tiptoeing around, are we a couple again? I know there is work to do but would you say we are dating?"