Unpromised Home

cloudy with a chance of consequences

'in which you ally with a plant'

Your arms stung from the cold. You hadn't been outside for long, but your lack of movement and bare arms allowed the cold to sink deep into your bones. A foggy breath floats above your eyes. Beyond your fog lays the grey cover of clouds. A sigh falls from your lips.

Sitting up you shudder at the feeling of your wet shirt clinging to your back. You rub your frigid arms, flinching as you rub across your bruise. You poke at it apprehensively. To absolutely no surprise, it still hurts.

The most prominent sections of the bruise were the small dark purple circles that rested on the outside of the main bruise. The bruise was equal in pain, but the places where America's fingers had dug into your forearm were a stark difference to the colouration of the rest of the bruise. Gently, you trace around the bruise.

A sigh falls from you as you lean back into the snow. Your entire backside was saturated with melted snow, and your hair and clothes clung uncomfortably to your cold skin. Goosebumps flood onto your bare arms as a shiver shoots through your bones.

You should just go inside before you catch a cold. You've always been miserable when sick, even with just a minor cold. Even with that fact, you struggle to find the will to go back. When's the next time you're going to get an opportunity like this? Likely never, if you had to take a wild guess.

You turn your head toward the door, before draping your arm over your eyes. You focus on your breathing and the darkness that you sank yourself into. Your joints ache from a combination of the cold and your unnatural sleeping position from last night. A sigh falls from you.

You remain there for a long time, unmoving in the cold snow. You couldn't feel the stinging of your arms after a while. You couldn't feel much of anything really. You could hardly tell if you were breathing, or if your heart was still beating in your chest. Everything felt...

"[Name]?" You shoot up. The blood rushed from your head, causing you to hunch over as your pain returns to you.

A droning ring sounds in your ears as whoever had approached you kept talking. You stare at him blankly for a moment, watching his mouth flap. No words came out.

As the ringing slowly dissipates you stumble to your feet. The elevation change caused your head to spin and the ringing to return to full throttle. You trip over your feet, almost crashing into the ground.

"Are you okay?"

"'M fine..." You push back to your feet, using the brunette's shoulder as support, "Just stood up too fast." Wait... brown...?

You shove away from him, stumbling over your feet. The ground beneath you spun as you glare weakly. The figure before you held an almost sad expression. That caught you off guard.

"Can I help you?" You hold your head as your vision continues to spin. Your head began to pound furiously as Tennessee flounders over his words.

"America was looking for you."

"Of course, he was," You mutter, anger seeping into your tone, "What does he want?"

"He... Didn't say." Tennessee crosses his arms, staring at you with a confused look, "But... Uh... What are you doing out here?"

"Does it matter?"

"I... Guess not" You huff as he shakes his head, dismissing his previous question, "Let's just go then." He trails off, mumbling something as he walks off.

You hesitate following him for a moment. Quietly you glance down the paved walkway. Freedom is so, so close. And yet, so far away.

You take after him as the heavy front door swings shut. You yank it open, following him into the warm building. At the change in temperature, your arms feel as though they've burst into flames. You grip tightly onto your upper arm, hoping for the pain to go away quickly.