Don't Ask Questions

Writers: Dana, Eimi
Date Posted: 5th March 2007

Characters: Larken, Ojisan
Description: Ojisan finally lets his frustration show
Location: Harper Hall
Date: month 2, day 20 of Turn 4

Ojisan considered pulling the blanket off the back of the sofa to cover Larken as she slept. But not again. Not three nights in a row. Three nights spent on the sofa. He couldn't help but take it personally. Ojisan could live with the fact that his wife just wasn't interested when he reached for her. He could give her space when she rolled away from his arms. But for her to stop coming to their bed at night? What could he have done to warrent that? He had not forced her to do anything. He left her alone when she wanted to be alone. But she was his _wife_. Surely she could at least share the same room if not the same space.

Perhaps he needed to take her to the mindhealer. This was far beyond just simple homesickness. After all, wasn't _he_ part of that home? Shouldn't she _want_ to be close to him? Faranth's name he wanted to be close to her. Close like they had been. But he couldn't help the feeling that she was pulling away from him. Every night, it seemed they drifted further and further apart. He was tired of it. She wouldn't talk to him. She wouldn't let him hold her. Now she wouldn't even let him share the same bed. And this had to stop.

He knelt down beside her and looked down on her face. She looked so tired. But from what, he couldn't guess. Larken hardly moved when she didn't have to. She slept most of the day. She rarely smiled anymore. Not even Pisky could draw her out, and she used to take such delight in the little feline. **What is happening to you?** Gently he leaned down to kiss her cheek softly. "Wake up, love. It's time to sleep in your own bed."

His voice penetrated the fog of her dreams, and she frowned, burying her cheek against the pillow, not wanting to wake completely. She didn't want to wake up. To wake up would mean to be aware--to feel tired, lethargic. Guilty. And when she was sleeping, she didn't feel any of those things.
So she kept her eyes closed and tried to drift off completely again, hoping he would leave her be.

"Come on now," he said as he shook her gently. "It's time to go to bed."

"I _am_," she muttered, still half-asleep. But, in some distant part of her conscious thoughts, she could feel his hand on her--a physical link that was forcing her to wakefulness. She tried to shy away from his touch, to break the contact that held her rooted to the spot, but she couldn't shake him.

"Larken, enough of this." Ojisan's voice was much sterner this time. "You need to wake up and sleep in your own bed."

Her eyes finally opened, and it was like someone else was looking out from them. "Is that the only reason you woke me? To tell me that?" Her words were soft and slurred from sleep, but that didn't make the meaning behind them any less sharp.

"Yes. That's why I'm waking you. You're going to sleep in your own bed. This is becoming ridiculous, Larken. Now come on. Sit up." He reached under her and began lifting her up.

Stifling a growl of frustration, she pushed herself up and curled her knees under her chin, shifting, trying to get his hands off of her. She couldn't have him touching her. She couldn't. It would only bring all of the guilt back to the forefront of her thoughts. And she didn't want that. Not now. Not ever. "Don't do that. I'm not a child."

"No, you're not my child, you're my wife. And this is not your bed, this is our sofa." He shook his head in frustration. "What is happening here, Larken? Who is this person? I... I don't _know_ you anymore."

She could feel a lump forming at the back of her throat, and she quickly averted her eyes from his face. Larken couldn't let him see just how much his words stuck her. She couldn't let him see just how shredded she was inside--just how empty and vulnerable she truly was. And all because she sharding couldn't reconcile her desires and her knowledge of what the right thing to do was. But he could never know that. Never.

He reached out to turn her face towards his. "Just tell me what I need to do to get you back. Just tell me what you need. I just can't take this silence, Larken."

The lump in her throat grew, and tears welled in her eyes. **I can't take it either, Ojisan. I don't know what to do...** With a soft whimper, she came forward and buried herself against him. Shards, she wished he hadn't woken her! Guilt poured out of her and she clutched him tighter, slender body pressing fully against his. **Please...just don't ask questions...**

But her husband's mind was full of questions as he wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly to him. "It's all right, love. Everything will be all right." He just wished he knew what that everything was. At least she was letting him hold her again. That alone was a step in the right direction. Wasn't it?

Last updated on the March 10th 2007

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Don't Ask Questions