“What the fuck happened to the house?” Jack’s voice shouted. As one we turned to see him jogging over to us, eyes wide and confused.
“Octavia burnt it down.” Theo muttered.
Jack had already crouched beside Stryker “S? You okay?”
Stryker bent over to hug him, hiding his face in Jack’s shoulder “Andy, Sandy and Storm are dead.” He mumbled “in the fire.”
Jack stilled for a moment, but didn’t pull away from Stryker.
“We got any food on us?” He asked Octavia quietly.
“No.”
“He needs some sugar.” Jack murmured “is...is everyone else out?"
"Yes." Octavia replied in a small voice.
"Okay," he swallowed hard. Theo shifted closer to me, and I had to resist the urge to look at him when I rested my hand on the small of his back, meaning it to be a comforting gesture. He didn’t pull away.
"We- we should head back." Jack announced.
"And you can explain to Johnathan why Andy's dead." I added harshly, glaring at Octavia. She nodded once, tears beginning to gather in her eyes.
I jumped when, suddenly, Theo disappeared from beside me, knocked to the ground by a set of heavy looking paws that were currently pressed into his chest. I watched his knee twist on his way down, heard the “shit” that followed, butStryker got therefirst, crouching beside him and muttering for the others to back away when he got a good look at his face.
“No…no.” Theo breathed, shaking his head and pinching the bridge of his nose as he reached out to try and touch his knee “I’m okay.”
“Like hell you are.” Stryker grumbled.
I stood by anxiously, wanting to help but knowing that there wasn’t much I could do.
“Fuck off.” He whispered weakly.
Stryker frowned, opening his mouth to snap but Theo waved his hand in his face “not you. Him.”
My nervous expression morphed into a scowl.Of course.“Jesus. Sorry for giving a shit.”
Theo didn’t reply,he just lowered his head to rest on his hand and let out a shaky breath.
I could feel Stryker’s gaze on me- studying, sharp- but when he spoke it still startled me.
“I don’t think he meant it like that.” He stated,“he’s embarrassed. Give us a minute, yeah?”
It made sense. I just didn’t like it. Heshouldn’tbe embarrassed with me. He should be embarrassed with Stryker, notme.
Nonetheless, I backed away and sat a few steps away from the others, watching them from a distance.
He almost stumbled right into me when he got to his feet a short while later.
“Jesus.”
“Not Jesus. Just me.” I smiled tightly, “you okay?”
“No.” Theo replied shortly “but I’ll live.”
We stood in front of each other awkwardly. I was staring down at him, brow furrowed, not knowing why he was being so hostile all of the sudden.
“I…know I’m nothing but a warm mouth to you.” I said, words coming out through clenched teeth despite knowing that we’d technically moved on from that.
