#david002

[thrallttleme]

[ 17. ] || for: @thebloodborn || location: playground

He wasn't sure how this happened. One moment Virgil was watching Bloodborn from across the Playground, watching the sweat cascade across the shirtless and built man as he bounced around from weight machine to weight machine. Watching his body swing from one end to the other with each rigorous motion David's workout entailed. Virgil might not admit right away, but there was a chance he was actually only looking at a specific region of David while he conducted his fitness regimen. Whatever the case might have been, Virgil was sure the other man knew exactly what he was looking at. For the next thing Virgil knew, he had Bloodborn plowing inside of his guts with the same anatomy he's been ogling at this entire time. Brought over the top of a table, Virgil braced his hand flat on it's surface as he took each incoming thrust of his fellow agent. One foot somehow loosing a shoe and another holding onto Virgil's skimpy workout shorts and neon green jockstrap. Caught along the heel of his shoe, they swung to and fro, matching David's hearty thrusts. "Fuck.. David! You're so deep.." Virgil whines, pushing his hips back into Bloodborn. Each meeting of their hips filling the physical training room with sounds of their skin colliding together. His hole squeezed around David's cock as the head of his cock pushes towards the bullseye inside Virgil's ass. "S-so good.."

[vallaurent]

starter for: @davxdalexander

location: David's house

Some things were different when coming back from the ranch. Maybe that was a given, considering what had happened there, but it still caught Val off guard in ways she hadn't expected. Like the restlessness. As if something had taken ahold of her, driving her around and only getting worse when she wasn't doing anything. It was easy enough to keep busy during the day, even with things slowing and settling. The nights were the worst.

And that was why she was here. It wasn't quite night yet, rather late evening when she knocked on David's door. Nestled in the rather big jacket she'd grabbed from the supermarket a while back, she blew out white clouds of smoke until the door opened. "Hey." Val gave him a smile. "Hope I ain't botherin' ya. Or knocked ya out of bed. Literally."

She chuckled at her own joke, which was a probably a lot funnier due to lack of sleep. "Mind havin' me for a while? I brought some cookies and grape juice, since ya don't drink wine. They're oatmeal-raisin, though. The chocolate chip one's been decimated."

[vallaurent]

Val wanted to protest as soon as David told her that he'd be taking the couch, but he had already wandered off, leaving her in the living room by herself. With a sigh and a soft shake of her head, she leaned against the backrest of the couch. It left her to sit with what'd just happened. The sweet offer to help her.

Which was why, when David reappeared and offered his hand, Val took it and held it up until they were in his bedroom. For a moment after entering, she just looked around. She'd never been in here, only his living room. It looked... nice. Comfortable. Lived-in. Val didn't let go of David's hand.

"I can't let ya sleep on the couch. Ya need rest, too. Your back ain't gonna thank you." Val turned to look at him, her smile unable to hide how tired she felt. "Let's share the bed. It's big enough for both of us. Ain't like we're strangers, either."

"It's no trouble at all, Val. You need rest and I'm more than happy letting ya stick around until you feel better." David gave her a smirk and was on his way to the bedroom when he stopped and turned. Her comment made him chuckle and he shook his head. "No, darlin', I mean bed. I am a gentleman, first and foremost and there ain't no way I'm making ya sleep on my lumpy old couch when you're going through it. You are taking the bed and there ain't no room for discussion on this."

He disappeared for a moment, getting the bed made and grabbing a pillow for himself as well as a blanket so he could situate himself on his couch after Val was set up in the bed. "Alright, missy, let's get you tucked in. Come on," he said, holding it out his hand for her to take so he could help her stand and get her into bed. "And none of this 'I'm fine on the couch' nonsense because if I hear that, I am picking your ass up off this couch and carrying into that bed. Don't think I won't resort to that."

[vallaurent]

Val relaxed into the feeling of his strong arm wrapped around her, the way he was rubbing gentle circles across her back. Just now, she realized how tired she actually was. Bad sleep, mixing in with a day of work and the toll of everything. David was right, she probably did look like she was about to fall over. She wasn't the only one who looked exhausted, though.

"If that's alright with you, sweetheart. I don't... wanna bother ya too much, ya know?" The thought of not having to sleep alone in an apartment that was empty except for herself was a comfort though. When David stood up, Val stood with him, faintly missing the feeling of his arm wrapped around her shoulder.

"I really don't need much, if you'll have me. Just a blanket." Something prickled her, in that moment. Her brows furrowed. He'd said 'bed'. And by this point, Val knew him well enough. "I hope you by 'bed' you mean 'couch'. Cause I definitey ain't lettin' you kick yourself out of your own bed. I'm the guest here." She said it with a hint of her usual energy, though there was a softness to it. "You should sleep in your bed, sweetie."

As soon as Val's emotions starting to show and David could see the relief on her face, he offered her a gentle smirk before reaching his hand around to wrap his arm around her shoulders and draw her in for a side hug. "You got nothin' to be apologizin' for, Val," he assured her as he gently gave her shake, "At least not to me. I'm glad ya feel comfortable enough to tell me these things."

David kept his arm draped around her but loosened his hold just a bit when she went to take another sip of juice. He didn't want to cause her to accidentally spill on herself. At least until the mug was put safely back down, in which case he started rubbing small circles between her shoulder blades. He saw the tired look in her eyes. "I know, darlin', promise. Why don't we get ya to bed? You look like you're about to fall asleep sittin' up and speaking from experience, it ain't the best position." He stood up to go prep his bed for her. He could take his couch no problem.

[vallaurent]

Val wouldn't have blamed him if he'd said he needed space. She knew having an addict who said they weren't gonna get better as a friend wasn't easy. Especially when you had your own issues with alcohol. David didn't say he needed space. He accepted it. Didn't judge her, even offered her a place with him if she wanted to drink, because it meant she'd be safe.

"Okay. Yeah, I'm gonna; I promise. God, sweetheart-" Val felt her eyes burn, her vision blur for a moment, and she looked down again at her hands. Sniffling, she wiped away some tears away with the back of her hand. "Sorry. Sorry. Didn't mean to get like this." She took a moment, a long breath to gather herself again.

"Thanks. I just... Thanks for bein' there. That's real kind of ya. I mean it." Her voice was shaking the slightest bit, but she felt steadier again, and she grabbed her mug to take a sip from the juice. The sweet taste was soothing. Her hands still shook when she put the mug back down. "You're already helpin' me a lot. I want ya to know that. I'm glad I got you as a friend. I'm the luckiest gal in this town, it feels like."

She smiled, not an entirely happy smile, more tired than anything. "Same goes for you, darlin'. Don't ever feel like ya can't come to me for anythin'. Or feel like I got too much on my plate already. I'd be mad to hear you're keepin' stuff in." She gently nudged his healthy shoulder with the palm of her hand. "Lemme take care of ya too, from time to time."

David sat back and just listened. Let her get everything out there. That was all he could do, really. In the end, words could only do so much. When it came to drinking, actions really were louder than words. Although David had to admit that Val could vocalize all of this - her problem, her admittance and her expectations - so eloquently was rather admirable. He didn't need to say anything. Val said it all for him.

He gave her a minute, let her words hang in the air before he lifted a hand and put it on her shoulder. "Honestly, Val, I'm glad you told me," he said, making sure she saw his face to know that he was being genuine and honest with her. "I ain't going anywhere. I'm right here for whatever you need. Even if it's you needing someplace stable and safe to binge, I'll be right here holding your hair back so you don't vomit in it."

While David didn't like drinking or partake in it whatsoever, it didn't mean that he hated anyone who did it. Spending time in the military, he hung out with a fair share of alcoholics. He was just there to help them through the ride so they didn't get themselves hurt or worse. "Just promise me one thing, alright?" he asked, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze, "that you tell me what you need when you need it. You're my friend, Val. I'm always gonna be here for ya, no matter what."

[vallaurent]

David was sweet, and Val couldn't help but smile and shifted to squeeze his hands right back. "That's real kind of ya sweetie. You're a good person, ya know that?" His advice was sound, logical, practical. His offer friendly and kind. Pain shared is pain half felt, she remembered the saying in that moment.

"I wanna tell ya something." Val said suddenly, and shifted on the couch so she was facing him properly. She looked in his face. Slightly rugged, the usually stoic expression having fallen open for a kinder, softer one. He looked tired, probably exhausted from the long day. She took a deep breath. "I know you wanna help me, and you are by bein' there for me and offerin' me all of this. It's sweet and mighty kind."

She paused, biting down on her bottom lip, letting it slip out from between her lips. "I got a problem. And it's gettin' worse." That was the first step, wasn't it? Admitting you had a problem. She just didn't quite know where the next steps would lead. "I don't know if you've noticed, I don't think people tend to, and I don't blame 'em. I'm-" She paused again, the word hitching on something in her throat. "I drink."

She probably didnt need to spell out what she meant by that. He knew. "I've been doin' that for a long while. That's my way of shovin' the stuff in a box. And I don't know if I got it in me to stop anymore. I don't got it right now."

David sipped on his grape juice slowly while he kept his eyes on Val. He'd seen this more times than he cared to count. He noticed how her hands were clutching the mug so tightly it was starting to shake just a bit. How her smile seemed dull and hollow and not at all the bright joy he had come to recognize when it appeared on her face. He wasn't gonna pry but he did feel like she needed to talk about it rather than let it seep through her bones.

Thankfully he didn't have to press as she started to go on about it. He set down his mug and carefully pried hers from her hands to set on the coffee table in front of him. "I know what ya mean, darlin'." New but not different. How many times had he seen something on a mission that he could categorize just like that? New but not different.

With both of their hands now free he took hers in his and gave them a reassuring squeeze. "Better is relative," he said, looking at her to try and get her eyes to meet his gaze. "Let's face it, hun. We're livin' in dark times that bring out the worst in people. It's hard to think anything could get better when things seem to only get worse. But better don't always mean the bad is going away. Better might mean you take the bad and stow in a box. Or it could mean you look it dead in the eye and tell it to go fuck itself because you ain't gonna let it control ya. Better could mean you let the bad take over for an hour with a friend by your side so when time's up, they sit there to remind ya that there's good people here for ya, no matter what."

He ran his thumbs along her knuckles. "Just know you ain't alone, Val. I can sit here and listen all night if you need to talk things out or I can let ya cry into my shoulder. Whatever you need. There ain't nothing you can ask for that I wouldn't mind doin' to help you out."

[vallaurent]

"Don't worry, my lips are sealed." Val smiled, slightly absent. She knew it probably didn't look to well surrounding what was going on outside the walls. She hadn't been able to worry about it much, trusting that the council had it handled. Her focus had been on working and the clinic. "Glad to hear ya all healed up again. Ya must be pretty busy right now. With a kid and jumpin' in for Ermano and huntin'."

Val took a sip from her grape juice, finding it as cold on her tongue as the winter air outside. Part of her ached for something to warm her up from the inside - mulled grape juice, the prickle of alcohol, but she suppressed it, focusing on the sweetness. "It ain't like I haven't been through bad stuff before." The mug was clasped tightly between her hands, as if she was scared of dropping it. There was still the hint of a smile, though it wasn't joyous anymore. More tight, sad.

"I was a nurse. I've seen bad things. I've watched people die, seen things I can't really forget anymore, that's always gonna be there." She took a long breath, the sweet aroma of grape filling her nose, faint but yet biting. In the yellow light, the juice almost looked like blood. Val put the mug down on the wooden table with a soft thock. "There's been things before that too. The ranch, it's... it's new, but it ain't different. Does that make sense?"

She didn't know if it did, but then again, she thought David would understand. He'd been hurt by different people, in different ways. He was a soldier, and there was a reason he didn't touch a drop of alcohol anymore. For the same reason she'd often enough needed her own joy juice to go to sleep at night, to unwind from everything. "I don't know if it's gonna get better anymore. It feels like things keep gettin' added on. And the old stuff doesn't go. I know I'm gonna make it through, 'cause I'm here, but... I don't know if it's gonna get better."

Terrified. Yeah, that was one way to put it. She had been holed up in her room almost the whole day, hiding under her blankets. David had no idea what he was doing - he had never been a parental figure before and didn't know really how to make a kid feel better but he sure as hell tried. At least it had worked - for now, at least. There was no telling what tomorrow would bring. "Yeah, and ya can't blame her. After everything and how we found her. It's hard, that's for sure. Hopefully things settle and she can start believin' it too."

Now David took his ability to get her to chuckle as a win. Sometimes a laugh was good medicine, even if it was a small one. While he hadn't seen what happened at the Ranch or the state of it, finding Clint the way he was had given him a clue. Everyone came back with scars and if anyone knew what that was like, it was David. He'd be here to help whoever needed it. "No one is expectin' ya to be good after what happened. Not a lot of people are equipped to deal with it. But it gets better. And if ya ever need anything, my door is always open. I'll sit and listen or whatever ya need."

His promise was pure and true - Val was his friend and he wanted to help her out as much as he could. "Me? I've been good, yeah. Shoulder's finally healed all back up so back to the huntin' rounds. It's nice having Zack back to help out now - although don't tell him I said that. Might go to his head. I've also been helpin' cover for Ermano since he's out on bedrest. Maybe seein' about recruitin' some more help for hunting once Spring comes 'round."

[vallaurent]

Val whispered a soft "sorry" when he put his finger to his lips to shush her while she stepped inside his home. She'd been here before sometimes, back when she'd taken care of the scraps and bruises he'd gotten during his escape from the Daybreakers. That felt like ages ago. Still, she sat down on the couch with familiarity. "Poor baby. She must've been terrified, with everythin' goin' on. Guess it ain't easy for her to believe it's over now?"

She took the juice gratefully - it looked like wine, and part of her wished it was - and sipped on it, the sweetness spreading on her tongue. David's question, his own answer to it and the offer made her chuckle softly and avert her gaze. She looked down into her mug, watching her own mirrored face distort when she shifted. She clasped the mug tightly in her hand, as if that might fix her image in place.

"I'm holdin' up okay, actually." She said, still not looking up, still that hint of a smile on her face, tugging on her lips. "Not good. I don't think I'm gonna be good for a while. But I'm okay. Just been kind of hard sleepin' lately, 's all." It wasn't like she hadn't dealt with it before. The sleepless nights, the nightmares, the restlessness and hyperactivity. It'd gotten better. Alcohol helped. She lifted her gaze.

"You been holdin' up okay, sweetheart? Heard your shoulder's doin' better."

David was sitting in his living room, sharpening his hunting knife while Roxy curled up in Meg’s bed with her in her room. Since David came back with an injured Clint and the others arrived after with their own marks, word had spread about the Daybreakers and poor Meg was scared. He couldn’t blame her - after what she witnessed at their hands, he would be scared too. It took a lot to get her to bed and he ordered Roxy to keep an eye on her which Roxy was more than happy to oblige. So he was being as quiet as can be so as to not wake her. He didn’t want her to freak out.

Of course, when there came a knock at the door he quickly looked to Meg’s room to make sure she hadn’t woken. Thankfully, she hadn’t. He put the knife down and quickly, yet quietly, walked to the door and pulled it open. Val. God, he was glad to see her. “No, not at all,” he muttered, holding his finger to his lips before ushering her in, “Meg finally got to bed. Poor thing’s been worried since y’all came back.” He took the cookies and juice from her. “Don’t mind at all. Y’know you’re always welcome over here anytime.”

He closed the door behind her before setting the cookies and juice down on the coffee table to go grab a couple mugs for them to use. “I would ask how are ya holding up but I think we both know I already know the answer to that.” He sat down and poured a cup full of juice before handing it to her. “Ya want to talk about it or ya want to hear about everything that’s happened around here? Although if that is the case, I’m afraid to tell ya not much exciting shit has happened.”