"We'll be taking a break today."
Benedict relaxed back into his chair, legs crossed as his hands laid comfortably within his lap. A sense of serenity covered him, that blanket of warmth and security his presence gave welcomely wrapped around them both. A sluggish nod came in response, baggy eyes watching him behind intertwined fingers. Dwight had his hands pressed against the lower half of his face, using them as support for leaning into for he needed something to keep him physically supported.
A soft yet harsh pearly light made its way into the room; the lamp turned off, unneeded despite high contrasting shadows looming alongside the furniture. Eerie yet peaceful music played distantly, almost unnoticeable and incredibly hard to pinpoint the location of. This accompanied by the smell of faint willowwacks brought about an odd feeling, a sense of illusion and disconnect from his emotions.
"How so?"
Intrigue crossed Dwight's face, tired tone reflecting his curiosity as he spoke. Relief washed over him, shoulders relaxing yet a sense of disappointment mixed itself with. It's presence a mystery, or it would be save for the nagging desire for a shoulder to share his burden.
"I want to know about the present, how your situation has been doing as of late."
The question was simple, yet, he found himself at a loss. The memories of his time back within reality were hazy at best. When was the last search for a job? The last outing to a public place? Snow danced outside, a strange sight for Autumn. Maybe it was Winter now.
He had to squint to observe the window's view. His location on the couch providing only the sky's endlessness filled with dancing flurries.
"I…" he whispered, voice distant. "It's, strange."
"What in particular has been strange?"
His voice laid against his ears, heard but not. The clock began ticking, a dreadful rhythm. It's sound, in turn, grounding Dwight faintly.
"What are we?"
"What do you think we are?"
He finally moved, eyes torn sheepishly from the window to him. His hands shifted, finding themselves underneath his chin. This giving more leeway to lightly rock his head, now more comfortable. A faint frown painted his lips.
"I honestly don't know, we have no purpose here."
"Did you have purpose in the Entity's realm?"
A light hum fled his throat, the feeling atop his chest an unknown one. Its sensation suggested it had ill-intentions, but it held nothing but comfort. Maybe it would stay if they continued to sit, if time froze completely. The snow disappeared from the window.
He watched Benedict's lips move, the man clearly talking. No sound drifted about the room beside the clock's tick and faint melody. Dwight watched in curiosity, mouth slightly agape. His heavy eyes remained half-lidded, a pressure attempting to close them. Momentarily he gave in, allowing them a second's rest.
Upon reopening he saw Kate within Benedict's chair, her hands folded in her lap. Her voice was soft as she greeted him.
"Who…?"
"If you had stayed, you'd know." despite the capacity the words had to be venomous, her voice remained soft.
"I…" he sat up fully, eyes no longer heavy as they held a mixture of guilt and confusion.
"You're sorry, I'm aware." She stood from the chair, throwing her hands behind her back. Her walk was slow, a light bounce to her step as she came closer.
A hyper-awareness settled within him, his spacial awareness in overdrive. The music from before had stopped, along with the ticking of the clock. This void creating an unsettling level of silence around him. The willowwacks scent faded, replaced by something more floral as she reached him, setting herself down beside him.
"I could make it go away," She softly took his glasses, something within his gut felt off
"The pain," her fingers felt the skin around his left eye, a strange apathy settling his intuition.
"The guilt." Her soft voice became harder, emphasizing the point well her fingers slipped into his hair gently.
A frozen moment overtook, time itself a statue. All sensations felt as though he were a mere second from sleep, a peaceful break he had never experienced prior. Her lips moved, but they were not her own, a different yet familiar voice greeted his ears.
"You should head home, they're waiting for you."
A/N: UTN will now be regularly updated every Saturday! I have almost all of the chapters written at the time of updating, with only 2 and a half left to write up. Admittedly these next few chapters are shorter, under 1000 words each, a little forwarning there. The last 2 chapters will likely be released on the same day but that should be End of October/Early November if this method works out!
Thank you to everyone commenting & continuing to read despite my frequent and long hiatuses 3.
Bonus points for those of you who can see where I'm getting my chapter naming inspiration from.