Flight

Who: Tensiel
Where: Lockwood's Residence.
When: 5:00 a.m.

Angling her head until she could see a little of the sky through the window, Tensiel worked out the time. An hour until dawn, at least. She'd been awake for a while, just lying on her back with her eyes closed, trying to think. Her head hurt from thinking so much, but her heart hurt worse - of course. And Tensiel wasn't used to heartache. But she had been lying there, enduring it, trying to think of what to do about it. She was so much more tired now than she ever had been, and felt so much more alone - somehow - even though she had company. Good company. People she cared about, and who she didn't want to risk hurting.

In the end she decided there was nothing else she could do, not feeling like this. She had to get moving.

There was a quiet moment as she let herself rest and spend one more moment in bed, and then she was up, crawling out the sleeping bag and then rolling it up so it sat neatly at the bottom of the air matress. She got changed into her own clothes, her cloud t-shirt and her old shorts, and picked up her shoes by their loose laces in one bunched fist.

Keys and shoes in hand, she crept on her bare toes through the house, and automatically made for Caleb's room. The door was ajar and she slipped in very carefully, pausing suddenly when she realized there wasn't anything to trip over anymore. His entire room was unpacked, with posters on the walls, and all little bits and pieces of Caleb's set in their new places around the room. Tensiel paused, suddenly glaringly aware of the space for what it really was for the first time since she'd been there. It was Caleb's own room, and he'd let her stay in it three times in the nearly nine days he'd known her. Given up his bed for her twice, and stayed awake with her there the last time. Just... because. He was like that.

She looked around at it, turning in a small circle as she took in every little bit of it, and then shut her eyes for a second and shook her head before silently padding to the side of Caleb's bed. He was asleep, one arm hanging off the side of the bed, and breathing deeply. Tensiel reached down and picked his arm up and settled it more comfortably beside him, then looked away from his quiet face.

It was hard when the biggest reason to stay was a bigger reason to leave.

So she climbed over him lightly as she could, trying not to knock into his knees like she did every morning if he was still asleep and she had to leave for work. A light twist and the window opened with a quiet squeak of wood on paint. Tensiel tossed her shoes and keys through onto the grass and was almost out when sure as always, there was a murmur of 'bye' in Caleb's sleepy voice.

Tensiel paused, but didn't look back.

"Bye, Caleb."

Nobody on the street heard her start her truck and leave.