Finding Closure (open m/m)

James shook his head faintly, checking on the two dishwashers. "It doesn't matter if I had to... more to do with the fact that I wanted you too." He had two installed to deal with the amount of dishes that needed to be done in the house, especially during the full moon nights, with the amount of food that needs to be made during those times. "The full moon will be coming soon. Our roaming members will be returning to the pack lands until it passes. You can leave before then, but if you want to stay until after... Mai has already say she will take temporary residence in one of our empty rooms so you can stay within her room, where you will be... safe from unwanted contact that night...."

Turning her head a little at the sound of someone walking closer Clara looked over at Mia when she said hey to her, giving a small wave back she didn't say anything before she turned her attention back to her food and continued to eat. When Mia said that she was going to be in the infirmary she gave a small nod of her head before she looked up at James again her eyes flecked with the gold of her wolf. "Thanks...for the soup and for letting me stay here even though you don't have to" Clara said softly with a small frown before she looked back down at the soup in front of her. "Honestly, never thought we would be in the same house as you and your wolf again" she laughed softly with a small shake of her head. Clara knew it would take her a while to get used to the idea of being near James again.

James paused his eyes flickering back to his human ones for a moment, before returning to the gold of his wolf. "We have plenty of room, and lots of places to hide if you get overwhelmed." Hearing sock-muffled footsteps coming down the hall, he looked over at the kitchen door as a freshly showered and wide away Mia entered the room. "Oh, hey." She waved faintly at Clare, looking over at James. "Travis called to update. The jet got him there in record time." The two stared at each other for a moment, and Mia sighed faintly, when she could see it in James' eyes. "I had a feeling he was going to her." Going over to the stove, she filled up a bowl, grabbing a spoon as she went. "If anyone needs me, I will be in the infirmary." She smiled at the two of them before leaving the room.

"It actually was the first day I met him in his club...he gave me a job after that just to keep an eye on me" Clara said with a shrug of her shoulders and continued to eat the soup happily she smiled softly when he gave her the bottle of water she put her spoon down and opened it taking a swig before she started to eat again. "You can drink, I don't mind" she said with a soft laugh as she gave him another gentle smile, she didn't mind having people drink around her as long as it wasn't something she could get drunk off of. Being quiet for a little bit she glanced at James a little once again, "I think...I might stay here for a couple days longer...if you don't mind" Clara said softly hoping that he wouldn't mind if she did stay around for a couple more days. There was something in the back of her mind that told her to stay a bit longer in the pack with James.

The man moved over to the fridge and was quiet as he fished passed all the fancy tea, flavored water and energy drinks inside. "It's good to know you had someone out there that cared enough to tell you when you were having problems." Pulling out a normal 1 liter bottle of water, going over and handing it to Clare. "Well, if you ever come back to visit, I'll be sure to refrain from the stuff myself." Even though they were able to talk normally to each other, he didn't let himself believe that she might stay after all.

Clara blushed a little when he mentioned hearing her stomach growl and she dropped her head a little letting her hair fall into her face. Glancing up at him when he placed the bowl of soup in front of her Clara picked up the spoon and began to eat slowly. “Just a water please” she said softly as she flicked her eyes up to him and gave him a gentle smile, “Eric said I am not allowed to drink alcohol anymore because last time I got into the stuff I can actually get drunk on” she laughed with a shake of her head knowing that if Eric did find out she had drunk alcohol again he would flip out on her since the last time she had been a complete mess that he had to take care of.

James looked over his shoulder at her for a moment, before turning the attention back to the stew, adding the spices for the last two minutes of cooking. "An old family recipe, on my mother's side." He heard her stomach's growl, and he chuckled lightly. "By the sounds of that stomach of yours, not only are you hungry, but I got the recipe down pretty well, despite not cooking it in years." After it was finished, he filled up and bowl for her and brought it over, setting it down in front of her with a spoon. "Anything in particular you want to drink?"

Clara looked over at James when he got up and stretched, just by the tone of his words she knew he didn’t believe her. Waiting for a bit after he left the room she sighed and got up and slowly made her way downstairs to the kitchen, her pace much slower than normal showing how little energy she had. Getting to the kitchen she walked in and sat down on a bar stool at the island and rested her elbows on the counter top so she could cradle her head in her hands, “What did you cook?” Clara asked softly her mouth watering a little at the delicious scent that had filled the house.

She had missed homemade meals so much that just the idea of having one now made her stomach grumble showing how hungry she really was.

James looked at her in silence, an eyebrow slightly raised, his expression showing her that he didn't entire believe her, but he wasn't going to press the issue. "Okay...." He stood to his feet, slowly stretching his arms above his head and wincing slightly when he popped some of the tension out of his back. "Take a little bit to get woken up properly. I have something made to eat for you, to chase away any possible trace of sickness left over."

Leaving Mia's room, he went to his own, took a quick shower then headed down to the kitchen to make the finishing touches on the stew that was almost perfect.

Clara yawned softly when James confirmed that she doesn’t dreaming and he figured she would rest easier with him there, “That was nice of you” she said with a soft smile as she sat up a little more. Raising a brow when he asked how she was feeling she tipped her head to the side as she looked at him, “Tired…we’re tired but…we’ll be okay” Clara said softly as she gave him another smile. She and her wolf were in agreement that they didn’t want to worry him, “You don’t need to worry, I promise” she said gently as she moved a little on the bed some more ignoring the deep ache that was in her bones telling her that she had been cold for sometime before being warmed up.

Feeling the faint stirring of her before she even opened her eyes, and he opened his own, having fallen into a twilight kind of sleep about a half hour after she had fallen asleep. All the tension that had been inside of him had made him far more tired than he thought he was. Hearing her words, tinged with confusion, he smiled faintly with a shake of his head. "No. You are not. I figured you would rest much better... if we were nearby. How are you feeling? Any body aches? Achy nose?"

Clara made a small noise in her sleep when James began to stroke her hair but she didn’t move away instead her body relaxed more against his all tension leaving her body as she slept with him. Waking up a few hours later Clara sniffed at the air a little before she opened her eyes, James scent was strong and it confused her for a moment. Moving her head she looked up at James with a small frowned a confused look on her face, “Are we dreaming?” She croaked out her normal brown eyes flecked with gold showing she and her wolf were both awake. Sitting up a little more on her own Clara kept a small portion of her body against his as she looked around the room slightly, “We’re not dreaming are we?” Clara asked tipping her head to the side before she looked at James again looking a little more awake.

The man let out a light sigh after she fell back asleep. He stared up at the ceiling for a while, thinking about what had happened in the past forty-eight hours. It had completely upended everything... but at least Travis would be free of Louis... and Clara had been willing to come there until she was ready to move on. Lifting his hand, he hesitated for a moment, before gently stroking the woman's hair. She may not care if she got sick, but he... he knew he would be stressed beyond belief if she ended up sick.

Listening to him Clara fought to keep her eyes open, looking at him when he sat down on the other side of the bed she moved when he said for her to get more sleep she looked at him with the golden eyes of her wolf and she snuggled up against him with a small sigh as she closed her eyes. Her wolf feeling content to just cuddle up with him. “I don’t mind if I get sick” Clara mumbled with a small shake of her head, “I just…I just want to sleep” she continued with a small yawn. “Don’t leave me…I don’t want to wake up…alone” Clara whispered as she dozed back off to sleep feeling safe now that she and her wolf had James close to them.

James glanced up from where he had been sitting there with his eyes closed, looking at her with the eyes of his wolf. "Not too long. Your friend brought Mia home and then went and brought you in. I had one of the pack ladies get you changed out of your wet clothes, then I brought you here to Mia's room." The man stood up, sitting down on the empty side of the bed, his back against the headboard and his legs stretched out straight. "You should get some more sleep." He said in a soft tone, looking down at her. "We don't want you getting sick now, do we?"

Clara made small noises in her sleep as she was moved and had the blanket put on her, smelling something delicious nearby along with the scent of James she slowly woke up. Rocking her head to the side she looked at James with tired eyes, “How long have I been inside?” Clara asked groggily with a frown. The last thing she really remember was the soft falling of rain which sent her to sleep, groaning lightly she forced herself to sit up even though her body was screaming at her not to and to just go back to sleep. “You can sit on the bed if you want” she said sleepily as she rubbed at her eyes.

After she had been dried off and changed, he took her to Mia's room and and set her down in the bed. He pulled out one of Mia's weighted blankets and put that over the blankets to just at her waist. He didn't want to overheat her, but he knew the added blanket would help warm her limbs, facilitating better blood flow. Going off into the kitchen, he set a quick stew on simmer, knowing it would be ready by the time that she finally woke up. After that, he pulled a chair up to the edge on pf the bed in the room and sat down it, his wolf too worried about pushing boundaries if he sat on the bed while she slept.

Eric couldn’t help but chuckle as soon as James came and took Clara from him, he took notice that her shivering stopped almost as soon as he touched her. Turning his attention to Mia he smirked at her a little, “As pleasing as that sounds Mia, I assure you, should I need to get in contact with you I will do so in other ways” he said softly before he leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her cheek. “Now, off to bed with you young lady” Eric said pretending to be firm, with another chuckle he vanished from in front of her determined to do what he had said he would and try and get in contact with Fenrir.

Clara had been sleeping soundly when Eric got her but as soon as she was in James’ arms she opened her eyes slightly and looked at him for a moment before she drifted back to sleep without saying a word a small smile on her face.

Mia stepped out of the way of the door behind her, and James walked out. Going over, he carefully took the girl from him. "Thank you...." He muttered, turning and heading out the door, another female from the pack following after. She was going to get the girl changed and then leave her with James. Mia looked over at Erin with a faint smile. "No need, see?" She let out a sigh and carefully stretched her arms straight out from her with a faint yawn. "I would normally give people my number, but I can create a separate space in my mind, and you can contact me there." She said with a faint smirk. "You'll be the only person to get that privilege, since my mother passed away."

Eric couldn’t help but give a hearty laugh at Mia’s impression of James, “She’ll be fine” he chuckled. Watching as she finished her drink he stood to his feet when she did, “Ladies first” he said with a small bow as a portal directly into pack houses lounge room opened before them. Once she moved through Eric followed suit, once they were in the house the portal closed behind him. “Right, I’ll go get this troublesome girl. Give me a moment” Eric said with a gentle smile before he headed out of the house, after a little while he came back in carrying a shivering but sleeping Clara in his arms. The both of them soaked to the bone, “Would you mind yelling for James?” He asked Mia softly “Wolves in her state need to be close to the ones they are meant for.”

This one kept completely destroying her expectations, and that was a weird feeling for her. "Then if she did get sick, James will blame himself. Why didn't I go out and give her a rain coat or something? I'm a fucking asshole." She mimicked James' voice with a faint chuckle. Glancing down, she smiled faintly before pulling her hand away from his and taking her glass in hand, she downed the rest of it. Setting the glass back down, she stood up, smoothing down her dress and picking up her handbag. "Alright then. I really don't want to have two wolves in my infirmary, one because they got sick and the other because they had a panic attack."

“The fae aren’t the only ones who believe that words carry power” Eric teased back, reaching out he grabbed her hand that was playing with the hem of her dress and he held it gently. “You are far too kind Mia” he said gently before he nodded to her drink, “Now, drink up so I can get you home and get that silly girl out of the rain because knowing her, she’s fallen asleep out there” he laughed with a shake of his head. It would not be the first time he had found Clara fast asleep in the rain, “I know you have runes around the territory but I will make up a different ward for your pack, one that only responds to vampires that have ill intentions. I’ll tether it to you and James” Eric said casually as if doing so was just a walk in the park for him.

Mia looked down at her lap, her right hand gently playing with the bottom hem of her dress. Even though it would be silly to even entertain the thought, she really hoped beyond hope that the two of them would be able to form some kind of connection, despite the trauma between the two of him. Hearing what he said, adding her to that protective equation, she smirked faintly. "You shouldn't say things like that, you know. Like the fae say, words carry power. Words can tether a person to their statement." It was obvious by the look in her eyes that was teasing him, but she also appreciated the thought. "Despite the path, she is family, in a way. I will do whatever I can to keep her safe myself."

Listening to her he nodded his head slowly taking in her words, “She is very fragile…I would not be surprised if just having talked yo James sends her into a depressive episode” Eric said with a frown. He had seen how she got in those moments and it had broken his heart to see her so incapable of taking care of herself. “Just keep trying, I want her safe” he added with a sigh, “She is one of the only wolves I would die for…you’re the second” Eric said with a grin knowing full well if it came down to protecting both girls he would give up his life for them even though he barely knew Mia. “But it is nice to know someone else is looking out for her too.”

When he mentioned them convincing her to stay at the house with the rest of the pack, she let out a soft sigh. "With as fragile as she is, I have been trying to be gentle." She finished off the drink and set the glass down on the table. "She was going to leave town earlier today, so I was surprised when Travis came down to the kitchen and told me that she had shown up with her bag. With that, and the fact that the two them managed to have a conversation calmly... I am really hoping that it is a good sign. I don't want her to leave, not after seeing how... different she has become over the years. Like I said, she's fragile, and I still feel a bit on kinship with her, since her, James and I all came from the same pack...."