homecoming

Finding a snack was... admittedly, a bit harder than Dread had anticipated. The kids were growing like weeds, for all the evidence strewn around the treehouse. Eating them out of house and home. A rueful smile, a pang of regret, and then the bitter realization that he'd missed so much. All of it aches, and Dread doesn't know how to put things into words. Biting back the emotion as best he can, he's able to find some dried goat stashed away in one of the cabinets, setting the salty meat beside Mercy and sitting beside her while she ate.

Satisfied that she'd eaten, and seemed to be settling alright, Dread pulled a thick blanket over the girl. The chills still overtook her, rolled over her like the waves. It had been too long since she'd been left to sleep on her own, and parts of him still feared that death would take her in her sleep. More stable than she'd been for much of their time away, but still not... not whole. Not by any means. The water that had gotten into the girl's lungs had made a home there, and Dread still had nightmares of her drowning.

Footfalls behind him on the wooden planks, steps he knows all too well. Mercy already snoring on the pallet bed before him, Dread's heart leaps in his chest as he finally pulls his attention from the girl. Stomach in knots, chest soaring, a mixture of regret and apologies... there are too many things to say, and Dread doesn't have the words for all of them. Turning to look Deluge in the face, she looks... rough. Always slight, she verges on sickly. His heart breaking all over again, the man moves to her side. "Fuck, I'm sorry. Deluge I'm so sorry."

Dread reaches for her, gaze pleading. So many emotions he's nearly sick with them, seeing the pain his absence caused written all over her. "I didn't mean to leave, we got swept out to sea." It's the only explanation he can give, the emotion in his voice enough to crack it around the edges. There's no hesitation in the way Dread reaches for Deluge, as he has so many times before.

"speech"