Fallen Skies

Beginning Trust

After she had eaten, Ahani sat in silence for a few moments. Something lingered in the surrounding air, and though neither of them had spoken, she could tell there was something that Emmanuel wanted to say. It was visible in the posture that the Fallen had taken, his cleared plate moved to the side and his arms rested on the table, hands folded. It wasn't long before she heard him clear his throat softly as though to get her to look his way without using words. She looked up from her plate, her eyes resting on his mask.

After catching Ahani's attention, Emmanuel spoke. "There are some things we need to talk about. I understand that you need time to adjust, but this is something that can't wait," he said. Ahani nodded once, though she already felt the welling of unease rising in her stomach. She knew it was something about what she was to become, and despite her uneasiness, she knew he was right. Emmanuel shifted in his seat, looking at his hands where they rested on the table. "You are no longer human. This you have found out. I am sorry that it came to you as it did. I had every intention to tell you when I had the chance..." He started, the glow of his eyes moving from his hands to her face for a moment before he continued. He found it hard to look at her while he spoke, the feelings of guilt and responsibility prickling at every nerve in his body. He forced himself to keep his composure. "Like I have said before, you are safer with me than on your own, especially now that the General has forced himself into the picture. He knew of your arrival, but until he saw you for himself, he kept out of it. I know that it is hard to trust someone that you don't know, and for all it seems, don't want to know..." Emmanuel's words drifted off at this point, an unfamiliar feeling of pain at the words that left his lips making it hard for him to continue for a moment before he sighed.

Ahani listened to Emmanuel, subconsciously drawing her arms to cross over her stomach below the table. It was as though she were guarding herself from the reality of the situation, but it would do no good. Part of what he had said was true. She didn't know him, so taking his word was difficult enough as it was, but to say she didn't want to know him? Something in her had begun to shift, and she found herself wanting to know a little about the Fallen as he sat across from her. He had shown a streak of rebellion against the General, something about that nature drew her in a little now that she was willing to remotely begin to accept that there was no turning back. Ahani's thoughts were snapped back when Emmanuel began to talk again.

"That being said... things are going to get a little more difficult in the coming weeks. When I rested my hand on your shoulders, I could feel your wings were beginning to grow. It's... going to be uncomfortable at first. I won't lie to you when I tell you that it's going to become painful when they do begin to sprout. Wearing a shirt is going to become hard for a little while, but I'll talk to the tailor and have him make a shirt for you that should help. The young around here go through the same changes when they reach the age when their wings begin to grow. It will be no different with your outfit, though the modifications will be made for an adult rather than a child," Emmanuel chose his words as carefully as he could, not wanting to make it seem as though he were calling her a child, though her changes were much the same. "I want you to be there, he will need to get measurements to make sure the outfit fits,"

Ahani shifted uncomfortably in her seat, one hand moving to rest on her shoulder. She hadn't felt anything yet, but she knew that that was something that he would be able to feel before she would, being a Fallen. It was in his nature, he sensed things long before she would be able to even put thought into the same subject. Nodding that she understood him, Ahani looked down at the table between them. "What do I do about clothing when my... my wings are grown?"

Emmanuel shook his head slightly. "I'll have some clothing made for you by then," he said, to which she gave another nod of her head. The pair of them fell silent after a time, Ahani waiting to see if Emmanuel had anything left to say. When he didn't speak up, she shifted a little in her seat, the hard wood under her creaking softly and breaking the silence. Emmanuel sighed, looking from the door he had been watching back at Ahani. "I'll clear these," he said, getting up from his seat. As he reached for the plates, Ahani stood and stopped him.

"You made me something to eat, the least I can do is help," She spoke, her voice cracking a little from disuse. Emmanuel watched her closely for a moment, reaching for her plate regardless of her words. Before she could stop herself, she reached out and placed a hand over his, shoving it palm down onto the table. At the touch, she felt what felt like electricity rush up her arm. The sensation sent goosebumps up her arm and across her body, her skin prickling beneath her clothes as her face began to warm. Swallowing hard, she made to move her hand, though Emmanuel placed his free hand over hers. She looked down, the Fallen's hand seeming to engulf her own. It was then that she realized more clearly how large he was compared to herself. Her hand under his own was dwarfed, appearing like that of a child.

Ahani tried to pull her hand away, though as she did, Emmanuel tightened his grip on her hand. Looking up, she watched him, the chills that had been present a moment ago returning as she made eye contact with the large being. He was watching her with an intensity that made her heart skip. Emmanuel loosened Ahani's hand before he drew his fingers over the back of her hand, as if tracing the tendons that ran from her wrist to her knuckles. This made Ahani's breath hitch, and as much as part of her wanted to recoil from his touch, part of her welcomed it. With his hand flat against the table, Emmanuel began to lift Ahani's, simultaneously drawing his fingers to the tip of her own and pressing them beneath her fingers to lift them off the back of his hand. Sliding his fingers so her own rested flat against his and eventually pressing his palm against the remainder of her hand, Emmanuel spoke again.

"I promise you... there is nothing that is going to hurt you here, as long as I am with you," The words left Emmanuel's lips, and instead of an informative tone, the Fallen's voice was hushed, nearly a whisper. Gentle. It was a tone Ahani had never heard before. There was something in his voice that made Emmanuel different in Ahani's eyes. Softer. It made her see him less like the monster she had been taught they were and more like an actual being. "And even when it seems like I'm not, like I'm out of reach, remember that I am always close enough to help you,"

Ahani swallowed with a lump forming at the base of her throat. She opened her mouth to speak, but couldn't, resorting to giving a faint nod. Emmanuel stepped closer to Ahani. His movement was slow, thought out. He didn't want to make Ahani run, not at a crucial moment like this. Not when he had just broken through the walls she had built to keep him out. It seemed to him as though Ahani was finally willing to trust him, and he didn't want to chase off his chance. With this in mind, he lifted his palm off the table, gingerly raising his arm to rest his hand on Ahani's shoulder. She flinched slightly, making Emmanuel freeze up as if he had blown it. However, when she didn't move further, the Fallen relaxed a little. With as much gentleness as he had been following before, he drew her close to his chest.

There was a moment of tension, like Ahani might pull away, her muscles tightening against his touch. However, it didn't last long. She seemed to relax against him, a soft breath leaving her lips as though she had been holding her breath. She drew her hand away from his, burying herself into his chest. Emmanuel swallowed a knot in his throat when he felt her begin to tremble, the warmth of tears on his skin soon following. He drew his arms around her, holding her closer. "I'm here," he whispered, hiding the crack of his voice.

Ahani was silent, trying to compose herself, though she couldn't. The warmth from the Fallen was something she had never experienced, and as she finally allowed herself to accept that he was there to help her, not hurt her, her emotions got the better of her. She let out a choked cry, wrapping her arms around his waist as best she could. The soft fabric of his cloak and the silkiness of his feathers met her hands and arms, seeming to add to her comfort. A lot had happened in the past day, and as much as she wanted to keep her distance from the Fallen and all of those like him, she found that she couldn't. Not when he was willing to put himself in danger to keep her safe.

Emmanuel gently wrested his arms around Ahani's shoulders, one hand rested on the back of her head, the other placed over the space between her shoulder blades. He could feel beneath her skin that the beginnings of the wings had already begun. It wasn't noticeable on the surface just yet, but he knew it wouldn't be long. With a sigh, he pushed the thought away and put his focus into comforting Ahani. For now, that was most important.