Though he knew it was unlikely to help, he smiled the moment the door opened, despite himself. She was clearly not taking this well, and considering he was the one that was injured, he wasn’t sure how to help. He knew that she was feeling guilty - excessively so - about something he also knew she had no control over. Dwelling on it wouldn’t help. He wasn’t sure anything would at this point.
“Hey Lee Lee.
Did you forget I was coming over today?”
The question is simple, aided with a smile and a slightly step forward. It isn’t that it’s awkward between them; her feelings of guilt have put a wall between them that he isn’t sure how to tear down. There’s only a few options, and one he isn’t able to finish as a thought. He’d hate to leave her - but if it was all that helped her —-
He can’t be selfish. She’s in pain, far more pain than he is. It’s unbearable to witness, and yet, he knows that she must be suffering when he’s not around. He has to be there to help her —- though he’s just as certain his presence hinders her.
“Want to go for a walk with me?”
The question is simple, and he holds a hand out towards her. She might refuse, but he knows that he’ll spend the day with her regardless, even if that means silently sitting on the couch, watching mindless TV and avoiding saying anything. He’s tired of saying nothing. If he were capable of it, he might be furious with her for this. Her guilt wasn’t doing anything but tearing them apart, both inside and from one another. But he can’t hate her for it —- he could never hate her for anything.
He just hates himself that he can’t help her.
There is an awkward silence between them, one he knows he has to break. He has to get what’s going through his head out in the open. He was the one that was injured, and he had lost a lot of blood to bring her back to herself before he even thought of getting help. It had hurt, letting himself transform with such large, open wounds, but there had been nothing in his mind except get to Leah.
Those were the same thoughts he had now.
While she hadn’t run away physically, something he was immensely grateful for, although he knew he could find her - the mental link between them easily giving her away - she had certainly run away mentally. There’s nothing he can do now except try and get through to her. He had succeeded then - he was confident in his ability to do so now.
Reaching forward and taking her hand, he shrugged his shoulders.
“You actually don’t get a choice.
The fresh air would do us both some good.”
And the walk would get them far enough away that, if she got angry with him, there was space to phase, and space to run. That might be what she needed. Accepting what she’d done, and realizing it was an accident would help, but accepting herself, and this new body that would become necessary before she knew it, would likely always help. When he’d first phased, acceptance had helped him. His own acceptance.
Leah wasn’t there yet.
It pained her to be distant, especially to him. It was much easier to ignore the talks and lectures that were given to her by her family. Even Seth, however she held a special place in her heart for him; despite how much he annoyed her. Her father was really the only one who understood her, but all the checkups he had been giving her were enough to drive her crazy. Harry never hovered, but due to the recent events that had scarred not only Sam, but Leah as well.
Sam seemed to recover easily, mentally, not physically. The scars still looked painful, and yet there was a part of her that wished to kiss them and pray that time could reverse so she wouldn’t do such a stupid thing.
No, not stupid, monstrous.
The touch of his hand forces her to crack a smile. A facial expression which hasn’t graced the features of her face in quite awhile. It was almost as if the entire world had been shuttered out and it was only the two of them. Long copper members reach around his palm as she holds him tight, not too tight, but tight enough to show her longing. Due to his persistence she pulled away from him for just a slight second and grabbed her sandals, slipping them on and resuming her hold.
“Since when do I not get a choice?”
Her tone was teased, allowing her humor to peak through just a bit. How could she not be herself around him? Especially since she was in love. It was almost as if they were destined. However, she didn’t recall feeling this strongly about Sam before he left. It wasn’t that she wasn’t into him as she was now, she was, but it was a schoolgirl crush. She felt lovely around him, yes, but it wasn’t an in love feeling.
No, now she knew what being in love felt like.
They left the porch without a second thought. There was a slight chill, but not enough to make her shiver. As of late her body temperature had been through the roof. It was uncommon, but her father had assured her that it was her body adjusting to the second form that laid beneath her skin. Which wasn’t alarming at all, every nineteen year old girl goes through it.
Every nineteen year old girl who happens to be a shapeshifter.
That was another thing, Harry had mentioned that in a long line of shifters and all of them were men. All male shifters, and it appeared she was the only female. What a curse she had been blessed with, the she wolf mocked within her head. Speaking of male shifters, she had come to terms that her brother may turn as well. Not soon, but soon. Within a year or two, Harry had presumed.
The longing wrenched hard on her chest, which forced her to let go of his hold and instead hug his upper torso. At last, she found relief. A place she had been searching for since she had grown to hate herself. And finally, she found it. As long as she was with him, she knew he would be her haven.
Sam Uley would always be her haven.
“ I love you.”