Desires of Men ~SEQUEL TO THE LIFE I LIVE~

Something New

When Law awoke the next morning, and only because bright light was blinding him from the porthole, he immediately noticed something was wrong. His eyes flew open, and he found himself laying in his bedroom. Alone.

Turning to Summer's side of the bed, he could see the sheets were undisturbed, or at least placed back neatly. Placing a hand on the fabric, he frowned when it was cold. So she hadn't slept there in the past hour or two. Her scent was just barely detectable too. The clock said it was only 5:00 in the morning. When had she left the room?

Rising from under the covers, he rubbed at his face, wincing when his shoulder lifted above a resting position. He'd forgotten about the injury, and judging by the swelling and numbness, he'd have to redress it before too long. Standing, he went to get dressed.

...

Casper closed the door to his room, stifling a yawn as he scratched at his goatee. The halls were still dark, no one being up as early as him. He treaded the metal halls, the same walk he took everyday to the kitchen. A stray snore or two from nearby rooms made him grin. Upon arriving at the mess deck, he reached left and flicked on the light.

He stopped, spotting a certain blonde slumped over in one of the seats. "Summer?" She looked up slowly, revealing a watery set of violet eyes. She sniffed, wiping at her nose with her wrist.

"How are you holding up, lass?" He asked gently, moving to sit across from her. It was then he noticed a coffee mug between her curled hands, though whatever she'd been drinking had apparently been finishing awhile ago.

She sniffed again, trying to stop the tears from sliding down her cheeks. "Alright." She muttered, refusing to look away from the ceramic mug. Her cheeks were blotched red. She never wore much makeup, but the minimal mascara was smudged on the edges of her eyes, proving she'd been rubbing at crying eyes.

"You sure don't look alright." He said, giving a small grin. Glancing at the mug, he tapped the table to get her attention. "How about I make you another coffee?" He offered.

She huffed out a short laugh, tracing the top of the mug with her finger. "It wasn't coffee." She admitted. It was then that the familiar smell of alcohol found it's way to the cook's nose. He sniffed the air, just to be sure he wasn't imagining things.

"Have you been drinking? And...is that...scotch?" He questioned. She shrugged, tilting the mug left and right, inspecting it from all angles.

"Might be." She murmured. "Found it in the cupboard."

Casper rubbed the back of his head, deciding that he wasn't going to admit that it had been part of his secret stash of stronger alcohol. After drinking a whole mug of it, she probably wouldn't remember that detail anyway.

"You know it's a bit early in the day for alcohol?" He suggested, slowly reaching across to take the mug away from her. She let him, returning her hands to her lap where she probably twisted and fidgeted them unseen. "Why don't you just go back to bed and get some-"

"What does any of this matter anyway?" She mumbled, leaning her head against the back of the seat. Her eyes wouldn't focus, staring off to the side with the sort of concentration only someone who was drunk could accomplish.

Casper said nothing, waiting for her to continue. Eventually, she did.

"Why am I still fighting? What-hic-What is it that I'm looking for? Nemesis is gone. Madeline's gone. Viper's gone. The Doctor's gone! I'm the only one left!" She tried schooling her face back to indifference but only ended up looking more upset.

"Summer-"

"I don't get it!" She ranted, rubbing at her face roughly. Casper tried prying them from her face but she only set her head down on the table instead. "Why don't I just end it all just like the rest of them? There's no point in-"