𝐌𝐜𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐘 ── |

͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ❝ ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ꜱᴛɪʟʟ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴍᴇ, ᴀꜰᴛᴇʀ 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 ɪ’ᴠᴇ ᴅᴏɴᴇ ? ❞ @INFINITVMMORTEM ͏ ͏ ͏

[𝐌𝐜𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐘 ── | @GRIEVEDYOUTH]

͏ ͏
͏ 𝐇 𝐀 𝐘 𝐃 𝐄 𝐍 𝐌 𝐜 𝐂 𝐀 𝐑 𝐓 𝐇 𝐘

─────────────

ɪ’ᴍ ꜱᴄᴀʀᴇᴅ ᴛʜɪꜱ ɪꜱ 𝐚𝐥𝐥
ɪ’ʟʟ 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 ʙᴇ .
͏ ͏ ͏

[️️ ️️️️️️️️️ @ichortale]

what do i do, after all this survival?

[𝐌𝐜𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐘 ── | @GRIEVEDYOUTH]

͏ ͏
͏ perhaps he’d finished preparing dinner a little too early, as he waited for @INFINITVMMORTEM to come home, still sitting on his side of the dining table.
͏ ͏ ͏

[ً @holyaches]

i think he's very lonely. lonelier than he lets on. maybe lonelier than he even realizes.

[𝐌𝐜𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐘 ── | @GRIEVEDYOUTH]

fingers carding through soft curls, nails gently scratching his scalp.

“feeling tired?”

[𝐌𝐜𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐘 ── | @GRIEVEDYOUTH]

͏ ͏
͏ amidst his reading, he’d stopped in surprise as he looked down. he should do something, but did he dare? this wasn’t something they did often.

carefully, he tucked a bookmark between the pages and set the book aside, before he lifted a slow hand, his
͏ ͏ ͏

[𝐃𝐫. 𝑾𝓮𝓵𝓵𝓼 .ᐟ @INFINITVMMORTEM]

͏ ͏ ͏
͏ cautious , mindful . head rested on @GRIEVEDYOUTH 's lap . a sigh of slight exhaustion , if he could even feel such .͏ ͏ ͏closed eyes , just give him a few minutes .

[𝐌𝐜𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐘 ── | @GRIEVEDYOUTH]

͏ ͏
͏ another sleepless night, it seems.
͏ ͏ ͏

[𝐌𝐜𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐘 ── | @GRIEVEDYOUTH]

͏ ͏
͏ so used to being left to his own devices, he felt his heart leap at the offer, as he followed close beside him.

“we could — we can,” he corrected. “i don’t mind it at all. perhaps under your supervision, i’ll be careful not to slice my finger again.”
͏ ͏ ͏

[𝐃𝐫. 𝑾𝓮𝓵𝓵𝓼 .ᐟ @INFINITVMMORTEM]

͏ ͏ ͏
͏ trying to hold back a titter , he waited patiently , and began his walk once hayden was at his side .

" it's going to be cold tonight . how about a stew ? simple and filling . we can prepare it together . "
͏ ͏ ͏

[𝐌𝐜𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐘 ── | @GRIEVEDYOUTH]

distinguish as real or mere dreams, if i was awake or asleep when they happened, until they started to blur with older memories. it was as if time didn’t exist when i was down there, before you came… perhaps i’ve gone mad after all.”

[𝐌𝐜𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐘 ── | @GRIEVEDYOUTH]

͏ ͏
͏ was it courage? hayden didn’t have the answer, even after so much time had passed since that night.

it was always going to be either him or us… he couldn’t bear to think of the outcome, had it played out any differently than it had. perhaps he
͏ ͏ ͏

[𝐃𝐫. 𝑾𝓮𝓵𝓵𝓼 .ᐟ @INFINITVMMORTEM]

͏ ͏ ͏
͏ had tightened his embrace on the other . quiet shushing sounds whispered .

" you did what you thought was right . it was always going to be either him or us . that was brave of you , not everyone would've gotten the courage . "
͏ ͏ ͏

[𝐌𝐜𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐘 ── | @GRIEVEDYOUTH]

was fortunate he’ll never have to know, but his mind still felt fragmented, uncertain.

“i only remember pieces of my time with him,” he said softly. he rested his chin upon logan’s shoulder, closing his eyes as if trying to fill in the gaps. “there are memories i can’t

[𝐌𝐜𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐘 ── | @GRIEVEDYOUTH]

physical. we try to catch them as early as possible so we can treat them more effectively.”

but then he shook his head and stood up to discard his latex gloves in the waste bin. “of course — there might not be anything to cause alarm, either. just… better to be sure.”

[𝐌𝐜𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐘 ── | @GRIEVEDYOUTH]

͏ ͏
͏ he gently pulled out the needle with a precision that could only have been achieved through years of tedious training, and was quick to stop the bleeding with a sterile ball of cotton. he mumbled something about holding it there before he was capping the sample
͏ ͏ ͏

[❝ 𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐑𝐎𝐁𝐄𝐑𝐓 ── @DISTXRTEDFXRCE]

͏ ͏ ͏
͏ neglected it .

" and what is it exactly that you'll miss ? "
͏ ͏ ͏

[𝐌𝐜𝐂𝐀���𝐓𝐇𝐘 ── | @GRIEVEDYOUTH]

for lab testing, and labeling it accordingly.

phew. he managed to endure it better this time.

“internal concerns,” he specified. he reached for a bandaid and patched robert up as he continued, “there are plenty of illnesses that can go undetected during a

[𝐌𝐜𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐘 ── | @GRIEVEDYOUTH]

͏ ͏ ͏
͏ “i suppose i was meant to stay buried in paperwork behind my desk. i was never really a people person, if that wasn’t already apparent, but i had considered it, being more hands-on around here. my father was a doctor himself, in fact.”
͏ ͏ ͏

[𝐌𝐜𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐘 ── | @GRIEVEDYOUTH]

͏ ͏ ͏
͏ “well, i wouldn’t want to keep you too long from your cats, either. you must not be so lonely at home, i imagine.”

her reassurance did put him somewhat at ease, however. it wasn’t often he did hold conversation with anyone apart from…
͏ ͏ ͏

[𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒃𝒊𝒓𝒅 @N1GHTINGEAL]

ㅤ
ㅤellie leans against the doorframe, making it clear she doesn't mind a conversation.

ㅤㅤ"and it entails more paperwork than there usually time for, a lot of patience, managing people. patients loved ones. not exceptionally glamorous, but definitely fulfilling."
ㅤ

[𝐌𝐜𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐘 ── | @GRIEVEDYOUTH]

@INFINITVMMORTEM

[ꨄ @lostaffections]

if you asked me, i’d fall into hell with you. i’d go anywhere. i could do anything. anything! but i can’t stand it if you’re not here. don’t imagine i could be happy without you. don’t run away. don’t run from me. please… i beg you… please don’t leave me alone.

[𝐃𝐫. 𝑾𝓮𝓵𝓵𝓼 .ᐟ @INFINITVMMORTEM]

͏ ͏ ͏
͏ ( @GRIEVEDYOUTH )
͏ ͏ ͏

[𝐌𝐜𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐘 ── | @GRIEVEDYOUTH]

@INFINITVMMORTEM ooc. i’m the lucky one ❤️ happy anniversary, and thank you for loving me, for supporting me, and for being my better half these past five years — and many more to come.

[𝐌𝐜𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐘 ── | @GRIEVEDYOUTH]

͏ ͏
͏ he made speedy work of packing his books back into his satchel, and slung it over his shoulder before he grabbed his blazer from his chair.

“what should we do for dinner tonight?” he asked.
͏ ͏ ͏

[𝐃𝐫. 𝑾𝓮𝓵𝓵𝓼 .ᐟ @INFINITVMMORTEM]

͏ ͏ ͏
͏ you did not .

i'll wait until you're ready .
͏ ͏ ͏

[𝐌𝐜𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐘 ── | @GRIEVEDYOUTH]

finally gotten what he’d wanted all along, he never would have let you leave. i… my body had moved before i even knew what to do. i hadn’t realized what’d happened until you stopped me.”

[𝐌𝐜𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐘 ── | @GRIEVEDYOUTH]

͏ ͏ ͏
͏ why? why was he still taking the blame after he’d witnessed what hayden had done? none of it would have happened had hayden believed in him, if he hadn’t picked up the phone that night, if he’d only stayed put and carried on in ignorant bliss.
͏ ͏ ͏

[𝐃𝐫. 𝑾𝓮𝓵𝓵𝓼 .ᐟ @INFINITVMMORTEM]

͏ ͏ ͏
͏ hayden feels . )

it was a terribly awful moment , hayden . that no person should experience . you shouldn't feel guilty for going through this .

i am sorry i could not protect you better .
͏ ͏ ͏

[𝐌𝐜𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐘 ── | @GRIEVEDYOUTH]

͏ ͏ ͏
͏ ultimately, it wasn’t logan who grabbed the knife when the opportunity presented itself. it was only because of logan that hayden had to. a life for a life…

“he would have killed you,” he said, his voice breaking against logan’s shoulder. “he’d
͏ ͏ ͏