Work Text:
August 3rd
"Hnn...its too hot, Jordan, turn the fan on…" Eva groaned, half awake. When there was no response, she squeezed her hands around nothing. Slowly, she opened her eyes to see a blurry view of the empty side of the bed. This woke her up, & she looked around the dark room, Jordan nowhere to be seen.
She grabbed her phone from her bedside table, clicking the lock screen on. The time read 3:23 AM, so him rising early for breakfast or class was out of the question. She rose from the bed & checked the bathroom, the living room, basically the whole apartment. No sign of him.
"I guess...there was an emergency on Oban, or something," she said to no one. It wouldn't be the first time Jordan had disappeared for his duties, but he usually was able to tell her in advance or leave a note. Something. But there was nothing.
Odd, but it would be fine, she assumed. He might be back by morning, even, depending on the situation. "Welp, I'm going back to sleep," she grumbled, flipping their standing fan on before slipping back into her side of the bed. It was a tad lonely without him, but she managed to fall back asleep by hugging his pillow. It still smelled like him.
When she awoke the next day, he wasn't there.
Nor was he at class. He didn't come back to their apartment that night, either.
August 4th
Or the next day.
August 7th
She left the main campus with a handful of papers, received from Jordan's professors this semester. "Jordan had a family emergency & needed to go back home, he's not sure when he'll be back…" A piss-poor excuse for his disappearance, but thankfully most of them were understanding.
By now, Eva was a tad worried. Being gone for this long was unusual for him, even when he had to deal with something big. Maybe it was just even bigger than usual…? But still manageable, right? He would be back soon…
Right…?
Eva carried on through her classes & daily life, but worried over Jordan constantly. Where he was, how he was doing, & when he would be back wormed his way into her brain whenever she tried to keep her focus on schoolwork.
These thoughts & worries would be making a home inside her head soon enough.
August 10th
"Tonight's the night...for sure, right?" The words almost sounded like pleading. On the stove, sealed with tin foil, was Eva's own rendition of chicken & biscuits, hot & ready for when Jordan would arrive home. If he did.
Hours still passed with no sign of the Avatar. Eva stared blankly at her laptop, trying hard to concentrate on the class modules she had been procrastinating on. Her mind was too constantly preoccupied with...nothing but Jordan.
"He's coming back, right? He wouldn't leave for good, he would have told me...if...But no, he'll be back. Tonight! If not tonight, then tomorrow...He'll come home…"
Before she realized it, she had been typing her own thoughts out into her assignment. She sighed, exhausted physically & mentally, & clicked out of the document for now. The deadline was tomorrow, so she would probably throw something out there for it last minute. At least a C would suffice.
It was late, & time for bed before she knew it. She cleaned up the kitchen a bit, sealing the food up for leftovers to be eaten tomorrow. Somehow, slipping the uneaten dish she had made into the refrigerator was the most depressing thing in the world right now. It just made her heart sink.
So, without changing out of her clothes or even washing her face for the 2nd day in a row, she went to sleep.
August 12th
"I-I don't know Dad, he's been gone for over a week...I'm sure he's back on Oban, but he's never been gone this long…" Her father's heart ached for her, hearing the pain in her voice on the other end. It stung especially bad, for Don couldn't help but wonder if this was how she felt as a child.
If she felt abandoned, again.
"I'm sure he'll be back soon, Eva. You know that boy thinks the world of you. He would never be gone longer than needed, so he must be dealing with something serious. Take some pride in knowing he's doing his best for the galaxy, & he'll be home before you know it."
"Or I'll personally fly to Oban & murder him myself for worrying you so," he thought, gritting his teeth.
Her sniffling could be heard on the other line. She could only half believe him, but her father's support was more important than sugar coated words right now, "Yeah...thanks dad. Can you & Rick come stay for a few days, maybe..? I don't want to be alone right now…"
"Of course, we can be there as soon as tomorrow. Do you mind if we let ourselves in if you're at class?"
"No, not at all, thank you…" he heard a slight smile in her voice, & quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
Unlike a past Don Wei, he was immediately prepared to drop everything for his daughter to prevent her from feeling alone again. She already endured so many years by herself at Sterns, so he was determined to never have her experience a repeat of that again. Together, him & Rick would try their hardest to keep Eva's spirits up during Jordan's absence.
"I'll let you go now, get some sleep, ok? I love you, Eva," Don said in a soft voice. "Love you too, dad, goodnight."
They hung up, & Don immediately went to inform Rick of their plans.
Eva slumped further on her couch, glancing over at her text books. There was a test tomorrow, but she had little desire to study. Or do anything, really. Her stomach rumbled faintly, but she ignored it & went to bed.
August 15th
The dryer dinged, making Rick cock his head towards her small laundry room. He got up from the couch to retrieve the sheets, & Don called from the kitchen, "Eva should be back from class in about half an hour, can you make the bed up for her?"
"Already on it!" Rick called back, walking past the doorway & into her room with arms full of freshly cleaned fabric. Hidden behind his sunglasses, there was worry in his eyes. Nothing besides the bed, thanks to Rick, looked as if it had been touched in weeks. There were dirty clothes scattered all over the floor, mostly Jordan's, some wrappers of meal bars on the bedside table, & text books shoved off to the side of her desk.
They had only been there for a few days, but Eva seemed to touch so little of anything. She would come home, eat whatever Don or Rick had made, make little headway on her school work, & go to sleep. It didn't even look like she disturbed the other side of the bed at all, Rick noticed, before he had stripped it clean.
Letting out a sigh, he replaced the clean sheets & made the bed for her. Then he picked the clothes off the floor, tossing them into a hamper to carry off into the laundry room, " 'A tidy home makes a tidy mind', or some shit Don would say."
The door squeaked open a while later, & Don had just finished cooking, plating up baked chicken breasts & steamed vegetables, "Ah, welcome home, Eva. How were classes today?"
"Fine," was all she responded with. Don's eyebrows furrowed in concern. "Well, that's good...I hope you don't have much homework, would you like to watch a movie with Rick & I?"
She quietly made her way to the couch & sat down on one side, never looking towards her father, "Sure." Cracking open her laptop, she booted up an essay she had been gradually pecking away at. It was due in a few days, so she would need to turn something in.
Rick exited the bathroom, smelling faintly of bleach & cleaning products, "Hey, little mouse. Cleaned the bathroom for ya, since it was getting a little nasty in there." He balled up & tossed a rag he had been using down the hall into her laundry room.
Something made her flinch internally. The numbness she had grown accustomed to wavered, like ripples on water from something swimming underneath. This feeling, however, wasn't pleasant.
"...Thanks, Rick…" The large man flopped down in her old loveseat & leaned back, "No problem. Try & get a shower in tonight before bed." His suggestion was sound, since she had been neglecting any sort of self care recently due to lack of energy or desire. Either way, she probably didn't smell too great & her hair was quite greasy, "Ok."
Don came over, handing Eva a plate of food. She closed her laptop & took it from him gently, "Oh, thanks dad." He nodded & sat next to her while Rick got up to retrieve his own plate from the counter.
Eva picked away gently at the food, taking small, slow bites. Her eyes stared blankly towards the ground as she ate, paying little attention to anything around her. "Is it good, Eva?" Don asked, treading carefully around her emotional state. "Mhmm, thanks…"
She only answered to keep him from worrying. The food wasn't bad, though, she just couldn't taste much. A faint trace of salt was about all her taste buds could detect, but that had been the norm for her for a while now. No food or drink had much flavor at all, not that she had much of an appetite to entertain anyways.
They mostly ate in silence. Don tried periodically to make some light conversation, with Rick attempting to keep it up, but Eva's short replies always killed it. The silence almost made the clinking & scraping of silverware on ceramic plates feel like nails on a chalkboard.
"Oh," Don piped up again, "Rick cleaned your room a bit for you today." Eva's head shot up, & she looked over at Rick to confirm. He nodded, still chewing away at a piece of broccoli, "Yup, even washed your bed sheets."
"W-what?!" Eva jumped up from the couch, barely noticing her food tumble onto the carpet. "You did what!?" Don set his plate down on the coffee table & raised his arms, "Eva, what's wrong?"
She didn't give him a response, instead she stomped off to her bedroom & swung the door open. Indeed, her bed had been cleaned & made, with the floor clear of any lingering trash or clothes.
Something hot, burning slowly bubbled in her stomach. This wasn't their room, now. This wasn't his room now. Any obvious trace of him was gone, washed away or hung up in the closet.
"Eva, are you ok?" She spun around to see Rick standing a few feet from her in the hallway, his face filled with concern. Don stood behind him, equally worried, "What's wrong?"
The barrier snapped. The fire boiled over, filling her throat & lungs, "What's wrong?! " The searing hot venom spilled from her lips with every word, "Why did you go into my room without asking?! Why did you clean, I never fucking asked you to!"
Her voice boomed in the doorway, visibly shaking the two men, "It's not our room anymore! Some of those clothes were still clean! Now the sheets...the sheets! They're too clean!"
Her mind was frazzled, overwhelmed with the anger that had filled her entire being. Rick attempted to move forward & place his hands on her shoulders to calm her, "Eva, hold on, look I'm sorry, but-"
She slapped his hand away sharply, eyes stinging with tears, "Fuck your apologies! Jordan won't come back now, not when it doesn't feel like home anymore!"
Don's eyebrows lowered, his quick temper being set off & settling in, "Now, Eva, you're overreacting, Jordan will-" "Shut up, dad! You don't know, you never even liked him. You don't know how it feels to be abandoned!!" She screamed back, hands balled up into white-knuckle fists.
Like a spear to his heart, her words attacked him in the most vulnerable spot. He was frozen solid from guilt, but quickly started to heat up in anger as well. Their relationship had been long repaired, so he thought, & hearing her dig so deep just heightened his fury. His face contorted in frustration, & he took a step forward, "Now, young lady, you will-"
He stopped mid sentence thanks to Rick's hand gripping his shoulder. Hard. "Don, don't," the taller man said flatly. Don took a deep breath, many deep breaths actually, attempting to settle himself. Rick was absolutely right: fighting fire with fire would only make everything burn faster.
"Jordan wont come back...he isn't coming back...Fuck... Fuck!" The hot tears began to spill out now, running down her cheeks in streams. Her knees threatened to give out, her entire body seething & trembling.
If this was acceptance, she hated it. She wanted to throw up.
"Eva...we're sorry," Rick said, still keeping his grip on Don. He could feel the man nervously tremble through his palm, so he lightened the pressure of his fingers slightly. His hand attempted to reach out to her, but Eva quickly shot him down, "Dont."
They were silent. Don & Rick stood still, hearts heavy with worry for this poor girl they cared so deeply for. Seeing her in this sorry state strained their hearts, already so sick with worry. They would do anything to remedy the situation, but that was so much easier said than done. After all, a father's love cant summon a God.
"I'm going to bed," she said in a horse tone. Turning around, she slammed the door behind her.
Don's shoulders fell, freeing himself of Rick's grip. Silently, they went back out into the living room where their food had gone cold. Don walked over to Eva's spilled meal & began cleaning up, "I just...I don't know what to do."
"We let her be. She doesn't know how to handle this, so don't get upset with her for acting out" Rick replied, taking their half-eaten plates into the kitchen. The older man sighed; He was right, again, as much as it stung to know.
"I won't. Do you think she'll be ok?" Don's voice was low, his tone dejected. "Eva's strong," Rick answered, pinching the bridge of his nose, "but she's going to hurt. For a while. And it'll probably be messy, but you should understand."
Yet, Don didn't, thanks to his stubborn selective density. But he decided not to have Rick elaborate further.
Inside the bedroom, Eva laid atop her bed spread, sobbing pathetically into Jordan's pillow.
It didn't smell of him, only of fresh ocean breeze. It was foul to her.
She barely slept that night.
August 17th
Don & Rick gave Eva tight hugs, which she reciprocated weakly, before leaving for the evening to go to their hotel. They were still staying in the city for her, but Rick thought it'd be best for them to not overstay their welcome. He didn't want to alter things in her home anymore & have a repeat of the other night.
"Call us if you need anything, Eva," Don said, hand on the door knob. "I know," she replied with a small false smile, waving them out. The door closed, & she was alone again.
It was quiet.
She walked past her homework that lay on the couch, & into her bedroom. Though she wanted nothing more than to just sleep, as she felt so exhausted, their room still never felt right since Rick had cleaned. It wasn't right.
Opening the closet, Eva tore Jordan's clean clothes & flung them over the flood, trying to make it look as natural as possible. But it just make the room smell more like laundry detergent, much to her displeasure.
She then made her way over to Jordan's side of the bed & tossed the sheets over, intentionally disturbing them as if someone had been sleeping there. It brought some semblance of normalcy, but it also hurt. Her hands balled into fists into the sheets. If she had the strength to rip the bed spread up, she would.
Her sleep was rough that night.
August 20th
Insomnia had her wide awake, so to fill the void, she scrolled through pictures of them on her phone while she held his pillow. Memories of happier times, times when they were together, gave her bittersweet nostalgia. She wished now that she had taken more.
The ones she had, though, were treasures. Jordan almost glowed with such life & happiness in the still images. His silly cocky grin, his deep laugh, his immense well of kindness, his ability to uplift her & help her find strength in herself…
She would do anything to have him back.
"Maybe..," she whispered to herself in the dark room, "I can wake up tomorrow, & this was all a dream…" Salty tears seeped out of the corner of her eyes & down her face.
Even she physically cringed from how pathetic she sounded. But the tears wouldn't stop, soaking Jordan's pillow.
A sudden wave of guilt crashed over her, her body trembling as she sobbed. "I-If I had been stronger...If I had b-become the Avatar," she choked, "He would b-be here…! God...If I hadn't been so weak...He would...be home…"
She hopelessly bargained with a God that would never answer, making impossible promises & offers she knew no one could keep. Sleep exhaustion & heavy heart made it all seem possible, however. How foolish.
Her morning alarm halted her pleading. And despite her lack of rest, she went to class.
That day was a fog.
August 22
Don & Rick left to go back home early that morning, seeing Eva off with as much love & support as they could muster.
She skipped class that day.
August 25th
The click of keyboard keys was the only sound in the dark apartment. Blue screen light seared her eyes, though she didn't care. These assignments were late, & she needed to take advantage of her professor's mercy to turn them in for a partial grade. It was only a month into the semester, she couldn't fall behind.
Yet, she didn't care. She couldn't care less, even.
Filling out the modules felt robotic. A phantom was making her fingers move, detached from her own thought process while the sentences formed themselves. Her answers were basic, mediocre, but good enough.
Even just the bare minimum felt like a lofty goal. It exhausted her.
Her stomach growled, but she didn't pay attention. She didn't have the energy in her to bother with making anything, not even unwrapping a meal bar. Hunger would just come back again later, so what was the point?
That was a question that haunted her a lot lately: what was the point? Often, her answer was "there isn't one".
She submitted the assignment, indifferent to her potential grade. It was done, so that was good enough. There were other assignments on her plate, but her eyelids were too heavy now.
On the way to her bedroom, she stopped in front of the bathroom door. It had been a few days since she bathed. She should probably shower, get clean, refresh herself before bed.
But her fingers slipped off the door handle. Again, she found no point in it.
Instead she slept. A blank, dreamless sleep.
August 26th
"3 missed calls from Dad" blinked on her phone, accompanied by a "2 voicemails" alert. She didn't bother with them. The only thing she even used her phone for these days was to check the time, or painfully sift through photos of her & Jordan. Daily, she would do this, afraid she would forget his face. The chances of that were slim, but this was a habit turned compulsion.
She stopped bothering to go to her bed to sleep. It was too far, & too empty. The couch suited her better.
Dirty dishes & disposable instant food containers littered her countertop. The cooking utensils lay in drawers & cabinets, clean but dusty. The same pair of jeans she had been wearing for the past week lay on the floor beside the couch, atop old school papers & her backpack.
At least she had bothered to change the rest of her clothes day to day. She did wear the same shirt twice in a row, however.
Some sitcom played noisily in the background while she lay curled up on the couch. It was late, & she was attempting to sleep, but her mind wouldn't rest. Her face was buried into Jordan's pillow, only her glazed eyes peeking out from the top to stare at the screen, hoping it would lull her to sleep.
This failed, bitter thoughts & reminiscing about Jordan keeping her awake. He would have scolded her gently if he saw her like this, but only out of love & concern. He would have made her something to eat, carried her to bed, tenderly pet her hair & let her hold his arm as she fell asleep.
"Great. Made myself sad again," she thought, letting out a sigh.
Pulling the thin blanket up around her shoulders, she turned over to face the back of the couch. Background laugh tracks & scripted banter faintly filled her ears until a restless sleep overcame her.
August 27th
She skipped class again.
August 30th
"Are you still watching The Office?" hovered over her TV screen late into the night.
Her body was curled up against the couch, attempting something akin to sleep. It was never deep enough, & she never felt rested, but she wasn't entirely conscious either. There were no dreams, which she was almost thankful for. The potential of dreaming of him, only to awake with him gone again, was something she couldn't take.
Silence was the only thing that greeted her while she wavered in & out of NREM for hours on end. It almost made trying to sleep an exhausting task within itself. All she wanted was some rest.
Then, just when she was about to drift off again, the door opened. Eva bolted straight up from the couch, heavy eyes adjusting to look at the figure illuminated by the faint light of the TV screen.
There was no excitement, no fanfare, no great bolt of light teleporting him before her. Nothing but the squeak of the door hinge, the cool breeze of night air that flowed in, & the faint sound of his breathing & footsteps.
It was all so anticlimactic. It felt all too real. Was this a dream? A cruel joke played by her own subconsciousness to make her sink further into the abyss she had been descending? If so, it was a nightmare.
"Eva…" the name spilled from his lips with the deepest tenderness & longing. Hearing it, she felt someone was squeezing her heart, trapped in a vice.
He took no time running over to her, scooping her into his arms & squeezing her more tightly than he should. She almost yelped out in pain & sickly surprise, but her emotions overrode such a reaction. Together they were dragged to the floor, Eva staying still while her mind tried to process everything right now.
But this pressure, these aches, they were proof this was reality. He was finally back.
As gently as he could manage, he cupped her cheeks so he could get a good look at her face. His throat tightened, seeing how fast she had deteriorated thanks to his absence. Her hair & face were an oily mess, dark bags dragging her eyelids downward. The only thing keeping him from drowning in guilt was the bright spark in her crimson eyes, a spark that told him "welcome home".
He pulled her into a rough & messy kiss, which she reciprocated forcefully. Perhaps he could beg for forgiveness this way, better than any scrambled words of apology. They pulled apart after a few moments, Eva needing to breathe as she cried.
"Eva, Eva, Eva...I missed you, I missed you so much," he whispered, fast & breathlessly into her hair as he held her, a steel grip keeping her glued to him. She clinged back just as tightly, a nauseating mixture of happiness & anger pooling in her gut.
Through broken sobs, she called his name back with equal emotion, "J-Jordan, Jordan…! Where were you, are you ok? What happened? I missed you so much. I hurt, it hurt so much…"
He squeezed her tighter, caressing her back in a feeble attempt to calm her, though he was barely calm himself. Swallowing his guilt, he spoke in a low tone, trying to keep composure, "I know, I'm sorry, I'm sorry...I'm so sorry." He buried apologies into her neck, with a shaky voice, barely audible under her cries.
She kept attempting to barrage him with the same questions, over & over, sometimes shaking his body weakly out of anger & frustration. More than anything, she had missed him with all her heart, but she couldn't help but feel some sort of resentment over the whole situation. He had left her for so long, without a word, so didn't she deserve answers?
"Shh, Eva, calm down first...I'll explain, I promise…" He patiently waited for her sobs to subside, but was also gathering his words during this time. He honestly wasn't expecting forgiveness, but he wished deeply for it. Hopefully she could understand his explanation & grant him mercy.
Eva eventually calmed, taking a few deep trembling breaths to settle her nerves. She pulled back from Jordan's hold & sat back on her legs, looking into his bright gold eyes that she had missed so dearly, "I-Im calm now...Jordan, please, tell me what happened…" Gently, her hands trailed down his arms & fell into his palms, where she curled her fingers into fists around his.
He nodded, expression turning serious to match his tone, "Oban...was sick. I know that sounds crazy & impossible, but it's the truth…" Her eyes were wide with shock, mouth slightly agape. Oban was alive & created new life itself, she understood, but she never imagined it would be able to contract illness or anything of the sort.
"Oban is a lot more like a body than a planet, really. But something went wrong with the planet it was currently incubating," he continued, "and it needed to be...culled. The Creators had been watching over it & thought it would pass through, but at some point in the process, things had deteriorated fast." Slowly his gaze fell downward, eyebrows wrinkled together in agitation.
"I had to leave immediately. I thought it would be an easy fix, just take care of the womb & I would be back before morning, but…" Eva blinked & looked down to see Jordan's hands trembling under her's. "Everything was...Oban had spent too much of its energy trying to pass the planet it was incubating, & the rest of it felt the effect. Remember when Canaletto turned the whole place into a wasteland?"
As much as she would love to, she never could forget Canaletto & everything he had done. The picture of desolate, empty Oban full of sandstorms & wasted life was still vivid in her mind. She nodded quietly.
"It was close. Thankfully I managed to treat the womb & redirect Oban's energy into reviving the environment, but it took time...I wish I could have left to come tell you, give you a sign or something to let you know, but…" He let out a deep sigh & rubbed his thumbs over the back of Eva' hands, more so for his own comfort, "I had to stay. If something else went wrong, & I wasn't there, things could have gotten worse...I'm so sorry…I should have said something before I left, I should have found a way to tell you, I..."
Tears were falling from his eyes for minutes before he noticed, silently soaking into the carpet. He felt like a failure on all fronts. Oban had gone to hell while he was on Earth, & Eva was left wallowing in depression when he left. How could he call himself The Avatar when he fucked up so badly? How could he call himself her partner when he hurt her so?
Eva gently placed her palm onto his cheek, pulling his face up to meet her eyes. She brushed her thumb below his eye, pushing away a tear, "Jordan...It's ok, I understand…I forgive you."
God, he didn't deserve her or her kindness. He closed his eyes, squeezing the last of his tears away before putting his own hand over Eva's. Fingers curling around her hand, he brought it to his lips, kissing her palm, ever thankful for her forgiveness.
"Thank you, Eva...I don't deserve you, heh." For the first time in so long, a small but genuine smile pulled at Eva's lips, "Idiot. Don't say that." Jordan looked up at her & returned her smile with his trademark goofy grin. Her heart jumped, & her hand that was still curled into his palm squeezed his fingers.
Both of them had missed this more than words could describe. This familiarity. Comfort. Finally, they were home.
"Don't ever leave again without telling me, though. I'm still mad about that," she huffed, pulling her hand back from his face. "I was worried sick, & thought...maybe...you'd never be back." Jordan shook his head frantically, "Never?! No way, I'll always come back for you, no matter what. Really, you're pretty much stuck with me forever," he chuckled. That's exactly what she wanted to hear, a slight blush brightening her pale cheeks "Good!"
"Oh!" Jordan pipped up, shoving his hand into his jeans pocket, "Almost forgot, I grabbed something for you." She tilted her head, curious, but let out a small gasp when he pulled the item free.
Dangling between them were Jordan's dog tags, the same ones he had worn during their adventure. Moonlight from the window glinted off of the etched letters, & Jordan smiled softly, "It's really cheesy, but uh...I wanted to give these to you." He took her hand & held out her palm, setting the tags & chain into her hand.
The metal shine reflected in her eyes while she gazed at the gift, picking them up to examine them herself. "I wanted to give them to you before you left Oban way back when, but there was never a good time...But hey, this way, maybe you can look at these & think of me if I leave again…? Or a part of me is always with you? Gah, I dunno, I'm not good at this mushy stuff."
Jordan rubbed the back of his neck, an embarrassed blush spreading over his cheeks. Eva blushed as well, totally finding his words to be overly sappy, but the gesture touched her deeply. Without a word, she reached behind her to clasp the chain around her neck, letting the dog tags fall to her chest, "You aren't good with it, you're right. But thank you...I'll keep them with me, always…"
He smiled & leaned forward, placing a soft & steady kiss on her lips, "Thank you...It's late, should you get to bed?" Eva was left with a warm smile after the kiss, & she shrugged, "I don't have classes until the afternoon, but...probably…" Sleep had been a difficult task, & the excitement of Jordan being back would do nothing to help. She knew he wouldn't let her pull an all nighter, though, especially when she probably looked like a hot, exhausted mess.
She yelped when he suddenly curled his arms around her & lifted her into the air, grinning proudly, "Then allow me to carry you off to our chambers, my princess!" Eva laughed & smacked his chest lightly, "Oh my God don't talk like that, you sound like Aikka!" He stuck his tongue out at her while walking to their bedroom, "Excuse me for trying to be charming, then."
"I don't want charming, I want my big, stupid, idiot," she teased while he laid her onto the bed. He took his own spot next to her & wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close, "Well, you got him."
Eva sighed & smiled, snuggling into his chest & wrapping herself around his arm, as she did every night. Their bed finally felt like their bed again. "Hmm, did you wash the sheets?" He blinked, sniffing in the stale detergent scent. "Rick did. I actually got really upset about it...God I felt like such a bitch after."
One of his eyebrows raised, "Do you wanna talk about it..?" She sighed & looked up at him, melancholy guilt painting her face, "It was just...really hard when you were gone. Anytime dad or Rick messed with the apartment, it just...really made me mad. I didn't want any trace of you to disappear, I guess…"
"...Makes sense. I'm still sorry about that…" he mumbled. She shook her head, squeezing his bicep, "I already forgave you. Just, please, tell me next time. That's all I ask." There was a slight tinge of pain & anger in her voice, barely detectable. Jordan heard it, though, crystal clear. She was still upset about it to some degree, but she had every right to be. Time would heal all wounds, though, as they say, but he would prove himself worth her trust with his actions.
Leaning his head down, he placed a kiss on her forehead, "Of course, I'll let you know every time from now on, no matter what." It was an easy request to fulfill, & he would do anything to prevent Eva from spiraling down like this again.
"Its hard for me to fully understand your responsibilities as Avatar," she admitted quietly, "but I know they're important...And I know you want to do your best. So I can't stay mad about that, it's unfair to you." Jordan was a bit surprised he had such a mature & understanding view on it. Her emotions still had a tendency to cloud her judgment a lot of the time.
"Besides, I said I knew what I was in for when we started this relationship. It'd be shitty of me to get on your case about your actually-godly duties." Plopping her chin on his chest, she looked at him with a weak grin, "No relationship is perfect, but I'm not trading this one for the world."
Jordan really didn't deserve her. What on Earth or Oban did he do to receive such acceptance & love from the most wonderful girl in the universe? Truly something he would never understand, not in ten thousand years or more.
Once again, he gathered her up in his arms & squeezed the life out of her, "Evaaaa! You're too good for me! You're so smart, understanding, beautiful, wonderful, and-" Her laughter filled the room & she shoved him playfully, "Shut up, Jordan! I'm just saying what I'm thinking is all!"
He chuckled & lightened his grip on her, still keeping his hold, "I know, I know, but still...Being The Avatar is harder than I ever thought, & I'm still learning, so...This reassurance means a lot."
Eva smiled & looked up at him, their eyes & smiles meeting, "No problem. I'm always supporting you, no matter what, because I love you." He set his head atop hers, a warmth blooming in his chest. He missed this feeling more than anything, "I love you too...now, you should try to get some sleep, ok? We can talk more in the morning, if you want…"
Her mind immediately went to "But he won't be there in the morning." much to her dismay. A few hours of reunion wouldn't be the cure to all of her anxieties, but...she had to trust him. She had to believe I'm him.
Gripping the dog tags around her neck, she adjusted into her usual sleeping position, tightening her grip around his arm. He could feel her heart beating frantically against his muscles, assuming she was nervous. Of course she would be, he wasn't that dense. There was still a lot of repair to Eva's mental stability to be made.
He lay on his side, reaching over to gently stroke her hair in an attempt to relax her. "I'll be here in the morning, I promise," he whispered before nestling another kiss upon her forehead. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes & settled in, resting her head upon his shoulder, "Ok...Goodnight, Jordan...Missed you."
"Missed you too. Sweet dreams, Eva.." he whispered, watching her form slowly relax as she drifted off fully. Jordan decided not to sleep, & instead kept watch over her for the rest of the night, drinking in her silent company. His eyes never left her peacefully sleeping face.
A startling anxiety awoke her late the next morning, her eyes not yet open. But the second her fingers felt his skin under them, & the brush of his hand through her hair registered in her mind, she was immediately calmed.
Her eyes fluttered open, her heart resting easy as he smiled lovingly at her, "Morning, Eva."