After The Fire

## Content Information

Arsling lay in bed hoping that time would pass, everything hurts, her ribs were broken and fractured in several places, she was concussed so badly the doctors wouldn't be shocked if she had permanent brain damage and emotionally she just felt so...alone, nobody she loved or cared for even knew what was going on, and those that do know are either too busy with their own trauma or betting against her.

she hadn't slept well, nightmares of her being caught by the wolves and made like them, her body and mind changing forever, or if she had missed the truck, she wasn't as strong as the wolf that hit the road that night, if it were her she'd be a ghost right now

Lay open on her lap is her two most recent sketches of the people offering her advice, disgrace and an offer respectively and a partly sabotaged piece, her thoughts made as blunt as possible, despite being concussed while drawing them they might be some of Arsling's most powerful feeling sketches

A soft knock sounded at the door and in came Didi, in simple jeans and a red plaid flannel over a tshirt.

“Ash, are you awake?” she asked, quietly.

"Define awake, I'm not sure if I'm honest" Arsling says sounding disoriented as she turns her head towards Didi a little smile on her face "but if I'm dreaming it's f- fitting my fantasy girl has shown up" Arsling smiles properly, glossing over the stutter she had while saying fitting "sorry about that Docs say my head is still pretty fucked up"

Didi didn’t have to fake her expression of sympathy; Arsling looked a mess. Yes, it was her doing, but she’d never wanted to hurt the other girl -- and she certainly didn’t want her to risk her life like that. Why couldn’t she just ‘’cooperate’’?

“I heard… a concussion? You’re not supposed to think too hard after one of those.”

She stepped over and kissed Ash on the cheek. The scent of antiseptic chemicals almost overwhelmed the rest, but beneath it all was Arsling, hurt and scared. But she didn’t seem angry… how hard ‘’had’’ she hit her head?

“I brought you some modeling clay to fidget with, and some cookies. Do you like chocolate chip?”

One of Didi’s first reactions to the concussion was to research treatments, but then she realized that being awakened would set Arsling’s body right. She herself had broken a couple of bones on impact with the street; her long sleeves and pant legs concealed some fading bruises that looked pretty nasty but would be gone by moonrise.

"It's fine wasn't thinking much last night so I'm safe on that front" Arsling sits up properly on bed, knocking her sketchbook onto the floor "depends on the chocolate in it, is it European?" Arsling regardless gladly accepted the gifts "thanks, could use something sweet after the night I had, and the sleep I had, turns out a concussed brain really knows how to freak me out, how long was it before you came outside?" Arsling thinks for a couple seconds "dumb question, I'm sorry if you felt abandoned or anything it was that or let the wolves maul me" Arsling says seemingly oblivious to the fact she was talking to the wolf that chased her, the wolf that nearly bit her, the wolf that dived after before everything went fuzzy, Arsling pulls the blanket up on her "god it's fuckin freezin"

“Don’t apologize, I-- I thought you were just being your weird creative self making up stories until I saw the picture on twitly! I should have believed you, been there for you. You could have died! But why the hell would wolves want to chase you? Not that you don’t look delicious…”

"I don't know, my arse just must be that great to stare at" weirdly enough being concussed made Arsling a better liar, not that it mattered considering Didi already knows what happened "you'd have just gotten hurt as well if you were there, I'd rather be hurt by myself than us both be hurt" Arsling smiles "yeah my Twitly sure was something definitely, most popular twits I posted, I should get concussed more often" Arsling says sarcastically

Didi laughed despite herself, then shook her head. “I dunno, I feel like if I’d been there it might not have happened? You wouldn’t have been a lone tasty ‘arse’ in any case. Next time I’m not letting you out of my sight.”

She rubbed the blanket between her fingers. “No wonder you’re freezing, this blanket’s about as good as a kleenex. Hang on a sec. Then I want to see more of your concussion-induced art.” She nodded towards the sketchbook, then turned, first searching the cupboards and then stepping outside.

A short time later, she came back with two more blankets and two more pairs of hospital socks. “Let’s get you bundled up properly! Let me know where you’re hurt so I don’t make it worse…”

"My chest and head mainly, my legs are fine though, I think they writ on my chart exactly what's fucked" if Didi looks at the chart it will tell her about the severe concussion and broken and shattered ribs as well as general irritability and annoyingness "just throw it over me, I'm starting to think I would've been better off keeping my ripped attire on, and I'm glad you plan to keep me in sight, you make me feel safe" Arsling smirks warmly "would've been awkward if Tamzen was still here...I just said that outloud didn't I?"

Didi froze in the middle of tucking in Arsling’s double-socked feet. She tried to keep her expression from showing her concern.

“Tamzen… yeah…” Her mind was racing. “She told me she talked to you about… me. I think she and I are gonna be okay, for our part. What about-- what did she say to you?”

"Oh that she had a crush on you...I can't help but feel bad about it, like I fucked over something nice by being in the way, like a lightning rod of hurt, Tamzen had the bad luck to be holding on when I was struck" Arsling's eyes well up, a clear sign of guilt on her face "why are you with me? You deserve someone like Tamzen"

The guilt was reflected on Didi’s face; there was no way Arsling was ‘’this’’ good of a liar. Could Didi be so lucky as to imagine that the concussion had made her forget what Tamzen told her? That Didi was a werewolf?

Of course, it didn’t much matter. Arsling would be hunting her in one form or another.

But right now the redhead was just ‘’hurting’’.

“That’s up to her,” said Didi, not able to keep her voice cheerful. “I’d-- I do like her, and... relationship anarchy and all that. Not to mention that no one’s asked me out on a ‘’date’’ lately -- though you get a pass; getting hospitalized is an okay excuse.” Her attempt at levity didn’t manage to brighten her expression, and her frown only deepened as she continued. “Anyway, I don’t think she’s interested anymore.”

"How could anyone loose interest in you? You're a beautiful mysterious athletic and strong girl, who could carry me…" Arsling drifts off in thought as she begins to fantasise about Didi before snapping back "regardless of relationship anarchy I don't deserve someone like you who...cares about me" Arsling says beginning to full on cry

“No, Ash…” Fuck Didi had gotten caught up in her own head. “I didn’t mean-- you do, you deserve to be cared for and protected. Why wouldn’t you?” She wanted to give the girl a massive hug, but settled for a hand on her cheek, wiping away a tear. “You’re strong and gorgeous and artistic and you have a quick wit and -- don’t tell anyone -- but I don’t really hate your puns.” Her own tears were starting to well up in sympathy and shame. Once Arsling remembered or found out again or whatever, once she knew what Didi was, it would crush her.

Not for the first time, Didi wished she’d been just a little faster, that she’d awakened Arsling’s wolf right then and there, a clean hunt instead of this miserable chase, this injury, the lies.

"Because I just don't deserve it, I wish I could tell you, I wish I could bu-but I'm too selfish, you make me feel so normal and if I told you why i-i don't deserve you it would ruin that" Arsling says forcing herself up and hugging Didi as tight as she can mumbling out threw the pain of trying to support her own weight "I'm sorry"

“What are you-- Ash--” Didi could tell what a strain it was, and she reached around Arsling to support her as best she could. “You’re gonna hurt yourself.”

Her heart was pounding in her chest. Ash was so sweet, trying to protect her. She could almost forget that the redhead would be out patrolling the forest with that enormous sword or something worse to kill her pack as soon as she recovered.

Didi swallowed hard, knowing there would be no coming back from what she was about to say.

“I think I know what you’re holding back,” she said, laying Arsling down and holding her hand. “I’ve lived here for a year and a half, I know there are some… unusual people around. And I know enough to say that, even if someone isn’t exactly… like everybody else, that doesn’t mean they can’t be a good person. There are scary ones, too, just like any group of people, but…” She shook her head. “I can tell you’re not going to hurt me. Whatever your special thing is, you don’t have to share, but it’s not gonna scare me off.”

“Im hunted by werewolves and monsters in general and im scared of getting you drawn into the crossfire” Arsling manages to spurt out “they were werewolves an-and they almost caught me and im scared, im so scared of being changed...i-i lost my mum to her being transformed into a monster and i can’t let that happen to me or you or anyone i love” Arsling confesses her heart rate going up on the screen clearly stressed from the admission

“Your mum? Oh, Ash, I’m so sorry.” Didi didn’t have to fake the sympathy. She let some of the anguish she was feeling reach her face and held Arsling’s hand in both of hers, against her chest. Her own heart was racing, too.

“I've seen transformation and the friends i have that are already monsters that were basically born monsters saying that theirs no change atall but ive fuckin saw it with my own eyes how my mum changed, all of her basically gone, it wouldn’t be the same if i was turned i know that but i’ll still become someone im not”

“Fuck, that’s just about the worst trauma you can have, and not exactly something you can talk to your therapist about.” Didi’s stomach was tied in a knot. Her instincts were telling her to strike while Arsling was vulnerable, to exploit her weakness, while her heart was telling her this was wrong.

Not only that, but that the old Dany never would have lied to a traumatized, injured friend. She really had changed, and she’d always thought it was for the better. From doormat Dany to Didi: confident, strong, assertive… having a short temper or being territorial and distractible, these were small prices to pay to stop being afraid. But she had changed, and she’d never asked for it.

“From what I hear… it’s really different with different creatures. Like, zombies, there’s nothing left of the person. Vampires, you turn into an asshole and you feed on people but you still remember who you are.” She shuddered, not acting. “Now you know why I go so heavy on the garlic most of the time. Werewolves are supposed to be benign unless they’re provoked, and they hunt the bad stuff. I mean, that’s just what I heard, I’m not saying you did anything wrong, who knows. You definitely don’t deserve to be concussed and miserable and retraumatized about-- what happened before.”

“I know i don’t, i was born cursed these wolves won’t leave me, i could beg them and they’d still come after me...and to save myself im scared about what i might have to do a-a-and i don't want to anymore, its been so long since i was forced to-to” arsling can’t finish the sentence bursting into a flurry of tears “i don't want to hurt anybody anymore i just want to stay myself!” Arsling manages to squeak out threw the tears almost partly curling into a ball, the 6ft woman appearing so small like a hare trapped in its burrow

Didi stood and leaned over Arsling to hold her. “You’re gonna be okay. And you do deserve to be happy, even if things are hard and scary. I’ve made it this long on campus; I’m not getting scared off that easily. And hey, I’ll still care about you if you’re a werewolf, okay? Don’t you feel like you don’t deserve this just because of all that stuff.”

"Th-thank you, I love y-you s-so much...a-and if any one th-threatens you to try and get to me" Arsling clears her throat and says clear as a bell 'ill do whatever it takes to make sure you're safe…" Arsling tries to smile warmly but can only seem to muster a small 'I'll protect you' smile

The wolf-girl’s cheeks flushed at the confession, at the promise. Her brows furrowed with a tangle of emotions, deeply touched, disbelieving, and still taut with guilt. “Arsling… you really are too sweet,” she said, her voice resonant with emotion. She leaned in and kissed Ash’s lips, taking her time and savoring the moment.

Arsling raises her hand and places it on the back of Didi's head pulling Didi further into the kiss, wanting the moment to last forever,

Eventually, the two parted. “If you still feel that way when you’re done being concussed,” said Didi, with the first hint of shyness Arsling had seen from her. “Then I’ll gladly have you for my knight, and I’ll do what I can to help you, too.”

Arsling smiled "I'd have to have only half a brain to turn that down" Arsling says winking at her greatest love and her biggest enemy