Blinded By The Light

[Kieron Sharpe]

In the past few months Kieron had really learned to treasure his days off. He had never been a very big fan of his job before but working at Hammel was a whole new level of stress that he hadn't really been able to comprehend at first. Even though Kieron had attended school there, he had never seen behind-the-scenes and had never really had much of a clue just how bad things could get at times. As if pyro's accidentally setting things on fire sometimes wasn't bad enough, Kieron had quickly learned that the water manipulators without much control had it very difficult when they were faced with a world blanketed in frozen water.

Even though it was only four pm Kieron was exhausted, having been on since six that morning, and as he shrugged into his coat he smiled as he thought about going home, curling up on the sofa with Raising Steam for an hour or so and then having a nap for a bit. He chuckled softly to himself as he secured the brown and turquoise-striped scarf around his neck. What a dramatic, eventful life he led...

The first snow had fallen over Pilot Ridge and there was a definite joy in Kieron's heart as he stepped out into the brisk afternoon air. The sun was low in the sky, it's long rays glaring painfully brightly against the crisp new snow, and Kieron pushed his shades closer to his face as he squinted against the uncomfortable onslaught. He had always loved snow and how new and fresh it made the world look, but at this time of day when the glare was brightest it played hell with his eyes.

Stepping out to cross the courtyard, Kieron shrugged his coat closer around him as he watched his breath curling lazily into the air. The sound of kids playing and yelling and having what sounded like a snow-war nearby filled the air, and he was surprised to find that he didn't mind. The first snow of the year brought out the kid in him, and he could understand their joy. Kieron was snug and warm under his layers and there was a bright bounce in his step as he crossed the parking lot towards the main gates.

What he could never have expected was the full force of a snowball colliding with the side of his head. Kieron startled, staggered and slipped sideways in the snow, landing hard on his side and letting out an agonised yelp of pain as his wings tore their way through his coat, shredding the fabric and sending the nearby kids scattering as they realised what they had just accidentally caused. For a long moment the nurse lay on the ground, getting his wind back and waiting for a little of the pain of the panic-induced manifestation to pass. After what felt like an eternity, Kieron tried to open his eyes.

They slammed shut immediately, the nurse squeezing back the bright dots dancing on his retinas from the intense glare of the sunlight without his sunglasses to protect him. Scrabbling around in the snow, wings draping miserably and painfully on the ground, Kieron eventually found the shades... only to discover that the frame had been busted from the snowball impact and one of the lenses was missing. And he didn't have a spare set on him. Panic set in, the nurse crouching still in the snow and his breaths coming hard.

He would be stuck there, blind, until darkness fell.

[Deleted]

The white carpet decorating the landscapes and surroundings of Vermont was beautiful. It truly was. Maebelle loved to marvel over its delicateness and the magic touch it added to the scenery. To be more specific, she happened to be especially fond of this while behind a barrier, like a window, that kept her from getting in touch with the change in weather. It had nothing to do with how walking on the crunchy and fresh snow layer gave her goose bumps, and she even happened to be okay with the occasional lack of balance when a slippery ice patch went hidden underneath the frozen water. Her main dislike towards the approach of winter had to be the fact that it limited her ability. By using it, she defied Mother Nature. Normally this was acceptable. Defying Her during these periods, however, would only harm the plants. They needed to experience the change of seasons; all Mae could do was support them as good as possible.

It also was too cold to be outside for hours in a row, and in turn it gave her a better excuse to spend time inside the Hammel Institute. Of course one who was part of the staff did not need reason to be, but at any other time, she would avoid doing so. She also judged it to be an excuse because the young woman did not need to justify spotting Kieron more often. Spotting as in being willing to guide hurt students to the nurse office – something the gardener would have never done before until now. While not being a major fan of snow, it did lift her spirit. And it made her all warm inside. A simple thought already unleased a batch of butterflies, and yet she had difficulty with acknowledging the meaning behind it all. This was typical and very in-character for Mae. The question was how much longer it would take for her to fully open her eyes.

After having drank a hot chocolate in the staff room, Maebelle shrugged on her dark blue coat and then twirled a maroon-colored scarf around her neck. She double-checked if there were some coins in the left pocket (for the bus ride home), and then effortlessly slipped outside into the cold winter breeze. Feet avoided stepping on the untouched parts of the white carpet, planting themselves on the imprints of shoes where others had walked before her. It made her anything but elegant, yet it had to do. The crunching always sent chills down her spine; avoidance was the solution.

What the brunette also avoided were the youngsters and their snowball fights. Their laughter and shrieks broke through the silence, and for a second Maebelle cherished it. Her own childhood had lacked this. The soft smile that had appeared to grace her lips, however, did not stick around too long. A small group of students had rushed by her, obviously entertained, but she hadn’t thought too much of it. At least not until blue eyes drifted ahead, after she stopped looking over her shoulder and landed on someone in the snow. Someone familiar – the wings could not be ignored. Nor the shredded jacket and shirt.

Normally Mae’s legs would go weak when encountering him, but right now she grew tense. Protective and worried even. Heck, the woman did not care about the crunching of the snow as she moved around the draped wings. The risk of slipping as a decent pace set in did not bother her either. “Kieron?” Maebelle called while even engaging in a small attempt of a sprint before she reached his body and was able to squat down in front of him.

A hand immediately settled on his shoulder while the other reached for the broken sunglasses in his hand. “Oh no... What happened?” Her gaze then darted to Kieron’s face, and the extremity soon enough followed to gently brush some snow from his hair. And off his clothes on the side he had fallen upon. Afterwards it cupped the nurse’s jaw, carefully lifting his head some to inspect his face. The way Kieron squeezed his eyes shut made the biggest problem dawn upon Mae. His sensitivity to light!

“Hey”, the woman spoke softly, hardly above a whisper, while her thumb caressed his cheek in a caring manner. At the same time she carefully balanced herself while hunched down, wobbling a tad bit closer. “Do you think you can retract your wings?” It would make helping him easier, but Maebelle wasn’t sure if they contributed to the painful expression on his face. Screw awkwardness. She actually managed to function normally at this point.

[Kieron Sharpe]

It had been quite a long time since Kieron had been forced to deal with the trauma of a forced manifestation. They occurred only occasionally, usually when something startled him enough that it was a panic-response. It was why he never watched horror movies or went on scary rides or anything like that. As if the crippling pain and torn clothing wasn't bad enough, he had to listen to the disgusted gasps and see the parents dragging their kids away and, on more than one occasion, he had heard the screams...

Kieron loved his wings, he truly did, but sometimes they were far more of a burden than a benefit. Anyone else would have taken the snowball to the head, maybe slipped and fallen, but then gotten right back up and carried on their way. Instead Kieron was momentarily paralysed with pain, the sheer agony of his vast wings tearing themselves out of his back multiplied double by the fact they had been forced to tear their way through his coat and shirt. He couldn't even blink back the tears because every time he opened his eyes the fierce glare of sunlight on snow felt like it was stabbing into his corneas.

How long Kieron hovered in the snow, panicked and blinded into stillness, he could not say. The pain and fear turned seconds into minutes, minutes into seconds. The side of his face where the snowball had collided throbbed and he had little doubt he would end up with a black eye, but that was by far the least of his concerns. Then he heard the soft crunching of footsteps on the snow.

Sniffling hard to try to will away the agonised tears that were trying to fall, Kieron tensed himself for whoever or whatever might happen next. The oh-so familiar voice calling his name was like a blessing and Kieron answered quickly, turning slightly in the direction of the sound even though he couldn't see the person speaking. “Mae?” He lifted out his left hand in the direction he thought he heard her coming, but it dropped feebly back into the snow as he realised that he might have just been hearing things; that it might have simply been wishful thinking that had made any old random person's voice sound like the one he most wanted to hear in that moment.

The crunching against the snow got closer and Kieron heard the person kneeling down in front of him, and he did not panic or move away when the hand settled on his shoulder and then took the broken sunglasses from his hand. Then the woman spoke again and, despite the searing pain, the corner of Kieron's lips curled ever so slightly. The relief was clear in his voice. “I think one of the kids got me with a snowball... I didn't know... I couldn't stop my wings...”

Kieron stayed still as Mae dusted him off, the nurse focussing on trying to relax and calm down now that there was someone he knew and trusted here. He was still in a lot of pain and effectively blind, but he was in a slightly less dire position than he had been moments before. Kieron didn't move away when Maebelle's hand cupped his face; if anything he leaned slightly into the gentle contact and lifted his head as she guided it up, his hazel eyes still scrunched tightly closed.

Maebelle's question gave Kieron a moment's pause, but he eventually gave a small nod of his head and rested both his hands flat on the floor in the snow. He knew this was going to hurt, retracting his wings after a forced manifestation always did. Breathing slowly and deeply, Kieron steadied himself before concentrating and willing his wings to be drawn back in. Even though he was biting hard into his bottom lip a quiet whimper of pain floated into the air as the gigantic wings slowly folded and disappeared, Kieron's nails digging hard into the frozen dirt as he battled against the agony tearing up and down his spine.

After the wings had finally disappeared Kieron stayed very still and very quiet, breathing heavily, and after a long moments silence a single whimpered word left his lips with a pathetic attempt at a chuckle.
“Oww...”

[Deleted]

Maebelle could not even distinguish nor label every single feeling that raced through her body the second eyes had fallen upon the man. His wings remained intimidating and it might have been incredibly inconvenient for them to have forcefully manifested, but if it were not for the latter, the gardener might have not experienced the rush of concern nor the instinctive reaction that followed soon after. If anything, she quite possibly would have been reluctant to step closer and faith would have been put in her plant buddies to nudge the person on the snowy ground in order to gain a better insight of the situation at hand.

As it were, the brunette had recognized Kieron, which in turn had made her effortlessly approach him. The words and actions felt so natural as optics did a quick scan to reassure herself no external wounds were present. Much to her relief, there was nothing to be seen. That, however, did not eliminate the fact that the nurse appeared to be in quite some pain. He might not be able to blink eyelids enough to get rid of a tear gathering in the corners of his eyes, but Mae was able to have her second hand cup his face as well and for both thumbs to gently smooth them away. She did so while carefully wording the request; a request Kieron complied to.

Maebelle subconsciously bit her lip, practically holding her breath before hands slowly retrieved themselves. They moved to the maroon scarf, starting to unravel it from around her neck before folding it double in width. In the meanwhile she made sure to observe K through eyelashes, constantly having to reassure herself that he still managed. Of course the woman felt bad about the question, but it wouldn’t really be doable to guide him through the town like this. And despite the fact that his wings were slowly being drawn back in, there were still some details that had to be taken care of.

Smiling weakly at his attempt at a chuckle, a hand sympathetically reached out again. This time her index finger curled under Kieron’s chin to straighten his head some more. “Sorry for having made you do that”, Maebelle spoke up as hands both settled at an end of her scarf. “I’m… um, going to blindfold you, okay? Don’t startle.” It would lessen the amount of light that still managed to slip through thin eyelids. With that, the maroon fabric covered his eyes while Mae leaned in far enough to be able to tie it at the back of his head. Pulling back went down much slower; a moment during which she latently took in the man’s scent and had her gaze drift over the profile of his face. Given any other context, the tension might have been of a different kind.

With an appropriate distance between them again, Mae rose and shrugged off her coat. It was cold out, but she did not care. Her only concern was Kieron right now. The piece of clothing got draped over his shoulders before she hunched down again. One of her own hands got wrapped in the long sleeve of her cardigan while the other reached out for his. She used the fabric-covered extremity to wipe the snow off. After that, fingers gently lingered in his palms with her thumb on the back while the brown-haired girl straightened up again, trying to get him to do the same thing. “Come on”, Mae ushered reassuringly, giving a little tug at his arms to support her words. “I’ll help you home.”

Once Kieron seemed to make an attempt to stand, one hand let go for her arm to sneak underneath his, supporting him that way if necessary. “All good?” She asked, concern evident in her voice.

[Kieron Sharpe]

Sparkles still danced behind his eyelids as Kieron tried to shake off the pain, agony slowly being replaced with embarrassment that he had been so monumentally thrown off and incapacitated by nothing more than a snowball. Most young children would have bounced back from that within moments. For as much as Kieron adored his wings, sometimes he did just wish he could clip the bloody things off and be done with it. That wouldn't solve his photosensitivity, but it would be some sort of start.

With the exception of his boss, there was no one at Hammel that Kieron knew or trusted quite as much as Maebelle. His relief that she was here was evident on his face and in his voice, and yet it definitely served to fuel the embarrassment. Of all the people to come to his aid, it would of course be the one he least wished to see him in this state. It was shaming, and that knotted his stomach almost as much as the pain did. Still, the obvious concern in her voice was oddly comforting and reassuring, as were the touches to his face, and Kieron gave a short shake of his head as Maebelle apologised.

“Don't be sorry... It had to be done. I can't really go walking around town with them trailing along behind me.” Once more he lifted his head at her indication to do so, eyes still tightly scrunched closed. Kieron doubted that he would be quite so put at ease by anyone else, but at the same time, what little choice would he have? He either complied and did as directed, or he'd be left to sit in the snow until darkness fell and he could find his own way back. That was not a particularly appealing concept.

When Mae made her little announcement about what she was going to do, Kieron's mouth opened wordlessly and, despite his attempt to stay still, he found himself leaning back ever so slightly. The thought of being blindfolded wasn't exactly a welcoming one, but his common sense screamed at him that it was right. His head was starting to throb with the effect of keeping his eyes so tightly closed, and if nothing else it would help alleviate some of the pressure there. After a moment's hesitation Kieron leaned forward again, staying still as the scarf was bound around his head. In any other situation the nervous feeling would likely have been morphed into anticipation of a completely different sort, and a light blush started to shade cheeks that had been paled by the sudden shock of pain.

Even though Kieron wanted to protest about Maebelle draping her coat around his shoulders, he really couldn't bring himself to. Walking around town with a torn and shredded shirt was bound to draw attention that he really didn't want, and as much as he tried to shrug it off, the cold was already seeping in and causing goosepimples to rise on his bare skin. Kieron took the hand that was offered to him, cherishing her warmth and nodding as Maebelle tried to get him to stand. The nurse was a little wobbly on his feet at first, like Bambi on ice, but after a moment he re-found his centre of balance and managed a small smile in Maebelle's general direction. “All good, I think... Thank you.” He managed another soft chuckle, this time with a little more life and warmth in it. “Please don't walk me into any trees. I don't think they'd be as kind to me as they would be with you.”

[Deleted]

Maebelle felt really concerned, and she was not sure to which extent this should please her. The fact that so many feelings could be stirred, simply because of Kieron ending up in the situation that he had, made her fear attachment. Growing dependent had never done her any good and she tended to end up with wrong assumptions and expectations. All of that combined might have been what caused the gardener to sooth her mind with a lie. It was common courtesy to help others; this not being an exception. Surely that explained her tending to him right now. While lying was a strong skill of hers, however, even Mae could not completely ignore just how genuinely distressed she was at that point. Nor the fact that this emotional state kept her warm, even without the coat that was now draped around Kieron’s shoulders.

When Kieron stood up and finally was on his feet again, the brunette retrieved both hands and reached them up to adjust the scarf. It should grant his eyes some extra darkness and hopefully limit him having to squint them together. She made sure the fabric did not reach past the tip of his nose, wanting to keep it from covering his nostrils and mouth. “Don’t worry”, Mae mused as arms sank again. The curl on his lips got mirrored on hers as eyes fell down to check if she was reaching correctly before a hand slipped into Kieron’s. Fingers effortlessly laced together and no second thought was put into the action. “They’ll be kind to whomever I like.” Given the condition that this person did not harm them on purpose. Who cared though?! Mae just subconsciously expressed some fondness towards him.

After that, the young woman began to walk, full with confidence that she would be able to survive this walk. Kieron was worth it, she kept telling herself. Every step was taking with caution though, and her second hand now reached to her other side to settle on his lower arm. If Maebelle were to go down, there was a chance he would be taken with her, but at the same time this also granted her assurance that the risk was being limited. What it did not seem to limit, however, were the many times that Mae did end up gripping his arm tighter whenever a foot slipped from where it normally should be standing. Every single time, she muttered a quick apology.

“Do you want me to stay with you for a bit? I mean, you know…” It was a simple question; it did not require some extra information. Of course Maebelle did not reason as far at first and added a tad bit of awkwardness to the question. She had wanted to word it into a suggestion, but maybe he rather dealt with this by himself. Personally, the gardener would feel more comfortable if he were to grant her permission to stick around. That way she could observe and wouldn’t make herself go crazy while wondering how he would be doing.

“Oh… did you happen to see who threw the snowball?” Because that was another issue to address. It might have been younger students, but Mae still found it irresponsible that they had not lend him a hand. "Or maybe I can ask the plants..." Blue eyes had drifted ahead of them as she mused to herself. She was willing to approach others to lecture about this... which said a lot.

[Kieron Sharpe]

The scarf did provide an immediate relief, Kieron being able to relax his eyes without the risk of being once more blinded by the glare of the sun on the snow. To anyone else the glare would have been, at most, a minor hindrance. To him however it was like staring at the sun itself, and he was immensely grateful for the chance to be able to cease scrunching his eyes without the risk of causing extra pain and discomfort. Even if he did undoubtedly now look exceptionally strange sporting a ladies coat and a scarf tied around his head.

Despite the oddness of the situation, Kieron was visibly relaxing as Maebelle gently took control of what was going on. Her concern was underlined by, what sounded to Kieron, like her obvious grasp of a plan of action and it was reassuring. He was still in a large amount of pain and there was still an anxiety rippling through him, but the shock of the situation was calming and his shoulders began to slowly relax as he found his feet and allowed Mae to lace her fingers with his own.

In a way it was a rather beautiful mirroring; as he had led her through the darkness of the trees at night, now she led him through the bright of day. Despite the pain and the awkwardness, Kieron felt that familiar stirring in his mind and the urge to put pen to paper was great. He smiled fondly as Maebelle spoke about the trees and he nodded softly. “I promise I'll try not to bump into them and disturb them. I don't want to give them any reason to not want me near yo-”

Kieron's mind did not catch his words in time and his teeth fretted slightly with his lower lip. The nurse quickly tried to change the topic. “I... went through the courtyard on my night shift a few weeks ago... The winter pansies looked really pretty...” It was a rubbish subject change, but it was the best he could manifest at that moment.

The journey towards his house was slippery and treacherous, but Maebelle was leading him well and despite all their skidding, so far they had both managed to stay upright. Which was nothing short of miraculous considering Kieron literally could not see a single thing. At Maebelle's question he paused for a moment, but there could be no denying the slight curl of his lips. “I would like that, if you wouldn't mind? I won't keep you any longer than you wish to stay, just until I've settled down a bit, maybe?”

To her second question Kieron shook his head, giving a quiet sigh of mild frustration. “No, I didn't get a chance. They were away off to the side and I wasn't really paying them any attention. Which was rather stupid, in hindsight.” He gave a small shrug. “I'm not too bothered about it really. Kids will be kids, I guess.”

[Deleted]

Awkwardness had seemed to be missing ever since Maebelle had rushed over to him through the snow. Instinct made her function normally. Now that she was growing more comfortable and less stressed, the automatic pilot got replaced by the more emotional part of her brain again. It’s why the words had slipped from her mouth, yet still subconscious enough for it to go by unnoticed. What Mae did detect, however, was Kieron’s little slip. And if she had not, his way of coping that followed would have made it obvious. He might not see the smile, but surely he heard the gentle chuckle that broke free. “Oh yes, winter pansies are really beautiful. And, if it would make you feel better, I don’t have any control over wood.” Roots, however, was a different topic.

Anyhow, his remark had given her that extra little boost that she had needed to offer her presence some longer. Kieron’s face might mostly be hidden, but the gardener could still detect a sign of approval, other than the reply that soon followed. “Mhm. Until I am certain that you will be okay.” And perhaps even longer after that because, let’s admit it, any excuse would be great to enlighten herself with his company some longer. As for the kids… yeah, nothing could be done about it anymore. “They shouldn’t have left you like that…” The statement came out in a little grumble, making it clear that Mae defenses were still high.

Luckily they soon turned into the street where the man lived. Maebelle was grateful for legs were starting to grow tired from constantly tensing them up with every step taken – everything in order to prevent falling. Being too careful usually backfired though, but luck appeared to be on her side for once. Within a minute or two, the brunette was instructing him on where to put his feet with hands clinging tighter onto his lower arm as they stepped onto the small porch at the front of his house.

“Where are the keys?” Like, Kieron could have just told her that he could easily unlock the door himself, but instead he informed Mae about them being located into the pocket of his jeans. A quick pat was given on the man’s hip to locate the right pocket, and after that she poked her index and middle finger behind the thin layer of fabric to fish out the key. “Hold on, okay?” All contact was broken as Mae turned her back to him before unlocking the door. Spinning around, both hands reached for his, and once she got a hold of them, a few steps were taken backwards to guide Kieron inside. After that, a hand let go to give the front door the little push it needed to end up closed again and to keep the light out.

“D-do you need help going upstairs or something?” The question only being asked because she figured his first stop would be the bedroom to get changed into dry and untorn clothes.

[Kieron Sharpe]

Kieron had never really been particularly interested in plants. He had a decent working knowledge of some of the more common aquatic species but beyond that they had never really appealed to him. They were always just sort of... there. Like the trees dotted around town. Sure they looked pretty but he'd never really felt the urge to know more about them. Lately that had changed ever so slightly. For one thing he had actually found out just what the delicate purple, yellow and white flowers in the courtyard were. Ever since Maebelle had taken him for the late night stroll through the woods to the flowery meadow, Kieron had found himself appreciating the horticultural world more.

Maebelle's grumbled little complaint caused a quiet laugh to escape between Kieron's lips, and he gave a gentle squeeze of her hand as they walked. “You're right, they should have helped... but I think at their age I would have ran too.” Kieron hadn't been a bad kid, but he was sure the sight of bus-sized wings suddenly flying out of the back of an adult you'd just hit with a snowball would be enough to send most people scattering, whether they were used to meta-powers or not.

It was by nothing short of a miracle that they finally found themselves at Kieron's front door with no major slips having happened and no broken bones to have to tend. It had been a truly bizarre and surreal experience, walking home utterly blinded and having to rely on someone else to guide the way, and yet Kieron would be lying if he said it hadn't been a quiet thrill. It had certainly got the adrenaline flowing at least, and it had been a not unpleasant distraction from the pain that still skated up his back and through his shoulders.

Once the front door had been shut behind them Kieron let out a breath he wasn't aware he had been holding in. It was quiet and warm inside the house, as it always was, and Kieron reached up to remove the makeshift blindfold from around his eyes. The raising of his arms caused fresh tremors of pain to shoot through his shoulders and the nurse muffled a gasp behind clenched lips. “I...” Kieron let out a quiet huff of a breath in frustration at himself. As if this wasn't all embarrassing enough as it was. “I wouldn't mind a hand getting this off, please? I'll be fine in a bit, once I've warmed up and stretched out a bit.” Quite how he was going to get his shredded shirt off and a fresh one on remained to be seen.

[Deleted]

It was not funny! Of course Kieron’s quiet laugh got Maebelle to look at it more positively, but the fact remained that she highly disapproved of the lack of aid being offered to him. “If those were my kids…” Her grip grew a tad bit tighter during that statement. Oh, they definitely would have received a lecture! Perhaps the gardener was biased at that point, but still! “I don’t think I would have liked you as a child.” At least that remark housed a more gentle tone of voice; one that wasn’t overly serious either.

Once inside the house, Maebelle’s cold hands immediately began to rub her upper arms. She only kept it up for a split second before deciding that, hey, that did not warm them up fast enough! Instead fingers covered the ones from her other hand, balling them together before bringing it against her lips to blow in some warm air. Only now that the adrenaline was subsiding thanks to him being safe within the walls of his house, did the cold catch up to Mae. God, she was close to freezing. She was quite oblivious to Kieron’s attempt of removing the scarf, yet she was not deaf when it came to the muted gasp. The young woman was on edge again, completely ignoring her own needs to prioritize his.

“Wait”, she immediately stepped over to stand in front of him. Hands reached past both sides of his head to undo the maroon colored scarf. “I’ll remove it now.” Mae warned him. There might hardly be any light in this house, but she was nevertheless cautious about the transition. Just like informed, she ever so slowly plucked the fabric away. With the door to the living room open, the aquarium lights faintly illuminated the hallway they were standing in, enough for the gardener to outline Kieron’s features. That was when she also noted her coat. “Oh!” And with that the brunette moved around to peel it off his shoulders, hanging it where it had been a couple of weeks ago. With that out of the way, blue optics effortlessly drifted back to the torn shirt and jacket. And the fact that they were wet and clinging to him with their ice cold grip.

“We need to get you out of those clothes and into dry ones.” Screw being cold as well. Maebelle simply made the assumption that Kieron would agree, and so her hand once more reached for his. Now that they were inside, icy skin would be more obvious. Ascending the staircase was simple for no direction were needed, but the second they reached the upper floor, she did need his guidance as to where his clothes were being kept. It would be out of place to go poking around. Or perhaps Mae should wait downstairs… because she might be pushing the limits already. It made her stop with eyes falling to their hands. She did not let go, but instead looked up at Kieron's face for as far as some gentle light beams distinguished it.

“Do… you need help?” Trying to remove the scarf had been a painful experience. Shedding a shirt sounded even worse for it would require nearly all his arm and back muscles.

[Kieron Sharpe]

Despite the pain the smile that crossed Kieron's lips was a warm one as he shook his head lightly. “I don't think you would have liked me either... I wasn't a bad kid, but I wasn't half as nice as I try to be now.” That was not at all a lie. Kieron had always been a reasonably well behaved kid but when he was younger he had been somewhat argumentative and temperamental. Never to any real extent, but he was well aware that he had lacked the refinement that he tried to embody now he was older and wiser.

Kieron had been so occupied with the huge discomfort of trying (and failing) to remove the scarf bound around his head that he had missed Maebelle's attempts to get herself warm. The chill had been creeping into him but the coat had helped shield him from the worst of it; however, it had done little to help his side that was already soaked with ice cold water from his meeting with the earth.

The nurse kept his eyes closed as the scarf was removed, and once he felt the fabric moving away he slowly blinked hazel eyes open again. Even though his house was kept dark it still look him a moment to adjust, and Kieron stood still as his eyes focussed in the gloom and the dancing pinpoints of light faded away once more. “Thank you... That already feels a lot better.”

Kieron stood still as Maebelle removed her jacket from his shoulders and hung it up, and with a vague achey shrug he managed to knock off his own tattered and torn jacket so it fell lifelessly to the floor. Kieron looked down at it with a tired sigh. “I suppose I should be glad it wasn't one of my favourites... which is more than I can say about the shirt, sadly.” What had once been a bright and happy Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy shirt was now hanging feebly across his torso, the back completely decimated from where gigantic wings had torn through it. Perhaps one day he would be able to find another of the same to replace it.

“I would be very glad of some help, but only if it wouldn't be a problem for you. I mean, as long as it wouldn't be awkward or weird. I mean...” He sighed, rolling his eyes at himself. “Only if you really don't mind.”

As Maebelle offered her hand as she began to head for the stairs, Kieron took it and stepped ahead of her to lead the way. Somewhere in the back of his mind that odd feeling rumbled again, that strange sense that if this were any other situation the tension would be entirely different in its nature. At the top of the stairway was a small veranda with doorways leading to all the separate room, and Kieron gently broke their grip before heading towards the one at the far end that led to the master bedroom. As he opened the door they were greeted by pitch darkness, the windows shielded completely by the wardrobe in front of them blocking all light and not a single aquarium offering any break from the dark. “Ummm... It might be easiest if I get it and then come back out here?”

[Deleted]

The forced manifestation must have drained quite a big amount of Kieron’s energy. Maebelle’s protectiveness never fully faded and she also seemed to struggle with not maintaining some sort of physical contact. Her reflexes were not as flawless as they could be, but for some reason it still reassured her to know she could at least attempt to catch and support him if he were to sunk through his legs. Perhaps Mae should have taken K to a doctor to get a general checkup done to make sure no severe damage was done, but how might that professional have reacted? She rather didn’t submit Kieron to any consequences that could probably lead to. No, she would tend to him herself. At least then she would be pleased and approve of the efforts.

With a weak and sad smile, the brunette placed a hand on his shoulder, giving it the smallest of squeezes. “Rather the shirt and jacket than you.” Of course it was sad. Both items were materialistic though. It would have been way worse if something had happened to him. Mae wasn’t going to lie or hide her emotions on that matter. The fact that the man got away with pain, broken glasses and shredded clothes was something to be thankful about, just like the fact that he accepted the help being offered. If he had refused, Maebelle wouldn’t have had a lot of options but to oblige, despite not wanting to, so his approval simplified things. “Would I have offered if I did mind?” The rhetorical question got asked with a gentle smile.

Once upstairs, Maebelle grew incredibly reluctant to move. Kieron let go of her hand, which to her was a sign that emerging further would be like stepping out of line. In turn she only took a couple more steps forward, until he reached his bedroom. From where the woman stood, nothing on the inside could be distinguished, but she doubted it would have made any difference if she were standing right next to him. Did he ever bring anyone home with him, up here? It made Mae wonder if he had any relationships beyond the platonic level. Because, you know, it was weird and unusual. If she were someone who he brought home and who did not know about his ability, she would have assumed that he did not want to see her naked. Now that wasn’t exactly a flattering assumption, now was it?

Only when Kieron spoke up did Mae snap out of those thoughts. “Oh, um… mhm. I would only hurt you in there. I mean with taking off the shirt. Not something else.” Fearing that her reply had been awkward led to it becoming worse when she tried to justify something that did not need to be. Therefore, when the man stepped out of sight, she gave herself a little grumble. Her mind should not be drifted off like that. So, in an attempt to stay focused, Mae momentarily paid attention to her own priority.

“Hey”, she called. “I’m going to wait downstairs, okay? It’s warmer there.” Surely the man would be able to safely make it downstairs again. Maebelle would also see a tad bit more thanks to the fish tanks, so it turn it would work out in more ways than one. With that, she spun around to descend the staircase again, as careful as possible. Within a minute, she found herself located in the living room, gazing at the zebra eel.

“How’s Stripey whose real name I forgot?” And talking to it as well.

[Kieron Sharpe]

Conversation had never really been Kieron's strong point, and it was at times like this that it really showed. He could more than hold his own in a debate or at work, but socially words often failed him. Or the opposite happened of course; in times of anxiety or nerves he often had serious troubles finding the end of sentences and rambled on until he was either interrupted or he simply had to stop because his oxygen levels were failing him. Maebelle seemed to particularly inspire this trait. Kieron was fairly certain he knew why but he was still struggling to admit it, even to himself.

“I thought you'd have felt more sorry for my poor jacket. You do seem to have something of an affinity for wearing them.” The humour was evident in the curl of Kieron's lips, his usual cheerier nature slowly returning now the initial stress and shock were beginning to ebb and fade away. He was home and safe now, and soon he would be warm and able to stretch out to dislodge those lingering aches and pains. Though he wouldn't lie; the company was certainly a real help. “Not that I am complaining, of course. Thank you for your concern.”

Kieron had let go of Maebelle's hand purely because it would have felt incredibly strange to him to be leading her upstairs and towards his bedroom. It was amusing, in a very odd and somewhat mildly frustrating way. It had been a long time since he had brought a lady friend home, and these were the circumstances that the streak was ending on. Life was weird sometimes. Maebelle's comment about the risk of her hurting him in the bedroom caused a soft chuckle to leave his lips; had she not specified, his mind wouldn't have even begun contemplating other possible meanings to the words. “I was more worried about you walking into a cabinet or something, but I guess that's true too.”

As the nurse stepped into the darkness he heard Maebelle's announcement that she was going to head downstairs where it was warmer and he internally cursed at himself. Damnit, he should have made sure she was okay first! He had her coat all the way home, of course she was cold! With a soft huff of frustration at himself Kieron wandered to the wardrobe and opened it, pulling out a long-sleeved crimson and white baseball-style shirt and a pale blue woolly sweater. After slowly making his way back downstairs, Kieron couldn't help but smile warmly as he saw Maebelle watching the fish. The sweater got offered out to her. “So you don't get any colder.”

[Deleted]

Kieron was right. Maebelle did seem to be prone to end up wearing his jackets. It had been different today, but no complaints were being filled. She rather did not walk through town with shredded clothes exposing half her body to the cold. Technically that was what Mae had done now though, except for the torn fabric gracing her. By having draped the dark blue coat over the man’s shoulders, she had put herself in a vulnerable position. Goose bumps had struck within seconds, but the adrenaline had kept her going. Either way, she could not hide the grin in response to his humorous statement. “I do… but this one wouldn’t have complimented my body. So, eh.” The smile expanded at that point, making it more than crystal clear that no offense should be taken.

Upstairs, Maebelle hadn’t really bothered to muse a reply anymore. Seeing Kieron disappear in darkness made her feel weirdly comfortable. It was his place to be and in turn she found herself relaxing a considerable amount. If the darkness had not been as fierce, she would have sucked up priorities concerning herself to first look out for him. But it was, so the brunette was grateful to be downstairs again. And even more so when Kieron reappeared. A caring and gentle smile mirrored his with the same warmth as she straightened to step away from the fish tank. It was good to see him smile – he had no idea.

Eyes were actually too focused on Kieron’s lit up face to immediately take notice of the sweater. When he spoke up, Mae dumbly blinked and quickly gazed down at it. In addition, a soft chuckle could be heard as she reached out and took it in her hands. “Sorry.” Of course it was not her fault, but she felt ridiculous to not just have mentioned it. She was grateful though, and quick to tug it on, adjusting it as it was a couple of sizes too big. With a sheepish smile added, it must have looked ridiculous. Maebelle did feel like that, hence the reason she was quick to distract herself by taking the white shirt that was still in his hands, draping it over the back of the sofa. “Maybe…”, she began as eyes drifted back to him. The same second she shifted to stand in front of Kieron, mulling on how to do this. First hands reached out to take the bright blue fabric by its hem, raising it some, but it soon enough hit the woman that her arms would make him obligated to lift his. At least while standing where she stood right now.

“Can you turn around?” From there, Mae could lift that what was left of the shirt and pop it over his head without him having to move his arms too severely. Once Kieron did turn his back on her, she first did try to rip it off though. The hems as the neck, sleeves and waist formed an obstruction though. “When I say now, you have to dip your head forward, okay? It will make it easier and less painful?” For a second she had looked up to catch a faint glimpse of the profile of his face. If she were going to hurt him, Mae would never forgive herself. It was why the brunette ever so slowly inched the blue fabric up, trying to keep track of every single reaction or sign that might indicate that he was in pain.

“Are you okay? You can dip your head now.”

[Kieron Sharpe]

Maebelle's comment caused the smile on Kieron's lips to brighten and he gave a vague shrug at her statement. Before it had been decimated the jacket had been fairly thick and bulky, dark blue and quite obviously a men's jacket. Whilst she was quite right in that it would hardly have been flattering on her, Kieron had to very quietly voice his thoughts on the matter. “I find it hard to imagine anything that wouldn't look nice on you... not that I am imaging you in different things. Or anything. No, I didn't mean that; I meant I think you would look nice in anything. Or anything. And I'm going to go now.”

The darkness of his bedroom had allowed him a moment to regather his thoughts, and by the time he was once more downstairs Kieron was convinced that he would be able to speak and remember where he should stop. The pain in his back and shoulders was slowly ebbing away, and he decided to focus on that rather than on trying to keep making conversation along those lines because it was clearly not going very well for him. Surely if Mae was also feeling those over-erratic butterflies she would have said something by now, right?

Kieron looked away as Maebelle slipped the sweater on despite the fact that she didn't have to remove any layers in order to do so. It was only polite after all. When he looked back it served only to prove his point in his mind – yes the sweater was several sizes too big for her, but in an odd way that just added to the charm and innocence of the look and hazel eyes turned to the floor for a moment, a soft flush colouring his cheeks, before he looked back up at her.

The flushed moment ended abruptly though when Maebelle asked if he would turn around. Based on what she said it made sense to at least attempt to get the wet and torn shirt off that way, but if she saw his back then she would see the large patches of distorted and warped skin that ran from his shoulder blades down to the centre of his spine, where his wings manifested against his flesh. Whilst some people were okay with seeing them, some very much weren't and the thought that Maebelle would possibly react badly caused a ball of dread to land in his stomach like a lead weight, crushing the butterfly swarm. If she had been so awkward and uncertain when she had thought he might be blind, what the heck would she think about such ugly marks on his back?

Still, he supposed one day or another there would always be the chance she would see them anyway. Perhaps it was best to get it over with now – like ripping off a bandaid. If she did turn and run at least now it might be a little easier to handle than if it happened weeks or even months down the line. Kieron turned shortly after being directed and stood still while Maebelle pulled at the shirt and tried to rip it off. When she requested he ducked his head, Kieron took a deep breath in (mainly to steady his nerves) before doing so, letting the material get pulled over his shoulders and head before standing upright again.

There was no way Maebelle would not have seen the ugly skin on his back, even with the pretty poor lighting in the room. Now it was up to her whether she stayed or made her excuses to leave. "I'll be fine, I think... How are you?"