โYou always say things like that,โ he mumbled under his breath, though there was no real complaint to it.
How could there be, when all of him had long since belong to his husband. Whatever @Trachelast desired of him, Judah would give willingly, gladly even.
โAlright,โ he promised, โIโll remember next time.โ
And then came that whisper near his ear.
The meaning behind it settled slowly over him, made Judahโs face grew warm almost instantly, his eyes dropping again bashfully while Emerysโ kiss still lingered against his cheek.
Judah lowered his gaze almost instinctively beneath the reprimand. "I'm sorry." So noโโthe answer to the second question was that he had not been good after all, @Trachelast.
But Judah had done everything Emerys asked of him while he was away. Truly, he had. It had only been a small lapse in judgment on his part; he had meant merely to rest his eyes for a moment, only for it to turn into an entire nap.
@Trachelast It was only at the sound of his name that he began to stir. Still drowsy, albeit reluctantly, Judah blinked up at the man whom he called husband. The moment he saw Emerys, a soft smile found its way onto his face, "...Hi."
@Trachelast As it turned out, your assumption had been entirely correct. Judah was fast asleep, curled into himself upon the couch you had so thoughtfully placed against the window, basking in the sunlight like a languid cat.
There were times when breathing was easy. Where all he needed to do was follow what he was ordered. That was how it worked. That was how his sister was kept aliveโโat least in the stories he told himself to sleep.
Judahโs jaw tightened, teeth grinding hard enough to ache. He wanted to scream. To shake Ilya until sense rattled back into him. To carve the idea of staying into his bones if that was what it took.
โBut you? You still have people who need you alive.โ
( I need you alive )
It made his anger twist into something desperate, because Ilya's surrender rob the future he had gambled everything on.
โGet up,โ ๐ฑ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ข๐ด๐ฆ. โEmerys is waiting.โ ( @foulcaust )
Ilya was supposed to emerged victorious, take Emerys and Nine far away. Keep them safeโall of themโwhere Motherโs reach would never find them.
If Ilya fell here then all of it would be in vain. Emerys. Nine. The fragile hope that had kept Judah moving when nothing else could.