Silently, Sonya entered Hellboy's room, wheeling the cart of food as usual.
"Hey," Hellboy smiled broadly as he hopped off of the bed and went over to her. She shifted uncomfortably on the balls of her feet, before she leaned up and kissed him on the cheek, a human gesture that she didn't understand but she was beginning to.
He stabbed a fork into a few pancakes and began to eat.
"Has Manning found anymore leads?" Genuinely hoping that he did not find anything.
He shrugged one shoulder. "I don't know," he admitted.
From outside of the open heavy metal door to his room, he heard the balding man call out her name, "Sonya!"
She turned her head in his direction. "Yes?"
"You've got the day off today," Manning said.
The day off? Hellboy's mind could hardly comprehend the words. Never had he heard Manning give someone the day off, but he knew that Manning actually had grown to like Sonya, and after all, she had just lost her sister.
"Thank you," She smiled softly and he nodded and turned away.
Hellboy frowned. "You know, he's never offered me the day off."
"That's because you're not as easy to get along with as I am, Red," She teased.
"Ooh, sarcasm, that's a new one."
"Who says I was being sarcastic?" She nudged him with her elbow before moving past him and plopping down on the bed. She rubbed her hands together. "Hey, can we...uh, go out some place?"
"Out...? Out where?"
She shrugged. "I don't know, anywhere, I hate being cooped up in here when I should be out there on the Earth." In what little time I have left.
"There's not many places I can go without being seen..." He murmured, "But there is one place I can think of."
The drive to wherever he was taking her wasn't very long. And they arrived there in a little under an hour. She yearned for the air beyond the windows of the car, and as she stepped outside she turned to see his face.
"What is this place?"
"Some abandoned factory place," He shrugged, "We're only here for the rooftop."
They went into the building and climbed sets of stairs until eventually reaching the rooftop. Hellboy pushed open the small square door and emerged onto the roof, pulling Sonya with him.
Gold, as far as the eye could see. The trees in the distance lay in tall, dry, golden and red leaves falling, and were carried softly in the breeze. And the sky was like an oil painting, all cream and gold and deep purple, the sun a bloody red disk on the horizon.
A gentle breath of air rose and greeted her face as she stepped out further. Sonya felt light and tranquil, like a falling feather defying laws for a moment. Hellboy nudged her arm and she looked up at him, "What d'you think?"
"It's amazing, how do you know about this place?" She questioned.
"Father took me here once when I was younger."
"I wish that I could've had experiences like that," Sonya sighed. "But I never had a childhood or anything like that, Angels are warriors, we're not supposed to have leisure time."
"Well, now you have this memory," Red smirked.
"I'm glad."
Red reached out and drew her to him. Peace of mind—sometimes it felt as if the idea was a burden, but with Hellboy it seemed like it was no trouble at all. Her muscles slowly unknotted, her headache spawned from frustration beginning to fade as he merely put an arm her shoulders. She looked up at him with a smile, and he caught hold of a strand of her hair and tucked the strand behind her ear.
"I would like more memories like this if you don't mind," She beamed.
"Yeah." He smiled and her heart lurched.
"I have to admit that I'm jealous that you have more memories than I do."
"You're jealous?" He looked amused now.
"Of you? Always."
A hand shook Hellboy's bed; his head burrowed into the pillow, torso rising and falling. He roused, reluctantly at first but he sat up fully and gazed blearily into the the dark. He rubbed eyes, and though he tried to, he failed to stifle a yawn. Sonya was standing by his bed with wide-eyes and her dark hair mussed by sleep, clad in a black tank top and short pajama shorts.
"How did you get in here?" He asked, peaking around her and seeing the door pushed open. "The door was locked."
"Well, I forced it open." She mumbled.
His hand reached out in the dark and moved down her arm, just to confirm it was her and she really there. "You okay?"
"Can I sleep over here?" She mumbled. "I just...can't seem to sleep in my bed anymore."
He hesitated a moment. "I...uh..."
She crossed the small space and climbed onto his bed, her heart pounding, an electrical thrill flickering in her muscles. She sat on the edge of his bed for a moment. He shifted over without saying a word, lifting the sheets to let her in. From there they came together like a zipper: she pressed against his body and he wrapped an around around her. He soon found himself being draped upon as she cuddled in closer to his warmth. Nuzzling his chest as her dark hair tickled his chin.
Slowly, she allowed sleep to consume her.
As she fell asleep, she was jolted into Michael's presence. Her ever-perfect older brother looking down at her. Poetic prayers murmured in her head, she started to back away from him.
"Relax, sister, this is a dream," Michael smirked. "Apparently, you've taken to etching echnocian sigils into yourself to hide from me but I'm getting closer."
"What do you want, Michael?" She asked, stepping backward
"This is your big plan?" Michael shook his head sadly. "Side with the demon and the humans." He clucked his tongue. "It is truly pathetic."
"Do you have suggestions?" She asked sarcastically.
"You know I don't," He quipped. "You've been a hindrance to me, the other angels are starting to question me too, and you killed one of my lieutenants, Ambriel."
"You know the difference between wrong and right, Michael. Think of what Father would want."
"Look how far you've fallen."
"This is our only chance."
"You're going to lose this battle. I'm warning you now, if we ever talk again. That breath will be your last."
She stared at the ground as though it might open up and provide her with an answer. She had been through conversations similar to this one a thousand times, but it's the first time he had ever actually stated that he going to kill her. Gathering herself, she looked at him, pleading. "It's not too late for you to do the right thing."
Incredulous, he stared at her, retorting, "Always the one who tried to smooth things over, Sonya," Nothing was settled, nothing was calm, and he looked away from her, letting out a breath. "I am truly going to miss that about you when the time comes."
A flash of light and then she awoke, the sheets ruffled up around her as she sat up, effectively waking up Hellboy as she did so.
Hands buried in her hair, she trained her gaze to the floor, a wave of nausea sweeping over her.
"Hey, hey, you're okay...you were just sleeping," Came Hellboy's voice, a warm hand resting on her back.
"He's going to kill me...and you."
"Sonya..." This sort of discussion was uncomfortable for him, he was never the type to reconcile and clearly he done such a bang-up job of it last time she was upset. But when Liz would have her nightmares and set things on fire, he was the only one who could calm her. "Look at me."
She couldn't, guilt rising fast within her. This was all her fault.
"It's only a dream." Desperation and concern infused his words. She knew she should turn her head, let him comfort her and make her feel better. "You're safe."
Rigid and alert, eyes still focused on the flooring, she spoke stiffly. "I only feel safe when I'm with you…"
"I'm right here," A hand grabbed hers.
The lump in her throat started to subside, but it cut off any further words she would aim at the floor, and her eyes flickered, faltered. Slowly, she turned to him, let out a choked sigh and rested her head against his shoulder. "I'm sorry."
