Looking at the ceiling, Talbott ran a hand across his forehead, his heart still hammering inside his chest. Closing his eyes, he tried his best to still his mind, forcing all his thoughts back under the mask he had created for himself. Groaning, he got up, not being able to stay in the bed she had been sleeping in any longer. The sheets carried her scent, lingering softly, a perfume he knew with his eyes closed.
If he was not so focused on denying everything, he might have seen the signs earlier. How she was helping, sending notes not only to the order but to his friends as well, knowing fully well one of them would be able to reach him. She trusted his judgement and attention to details or else she would have went directly to Moody or someone else.
Getting out of the room, he found her leaning against the rail, waiting "You're right." It felt as if the admission was raw, that it hurt when it left his mouth. But at the end of the day she was right about many things "I need to focus, I need to train more in order to help."
"Good, glad to see you finally admitting something." As she pushed herself off, he placed a hand in front of her stopping Talia from advancing. A small crease between her brows was the only indication that she did not appreciate his gesture.
"And about Rosier, even if something did happen" her eyes bore into his, a menacing look in them telling him to watch his next words "that's none of my business."
"Damn straight." She answered pushing his hand away "Now are you ready to get your butt kicked?"
Smirking, he followed her down the stairs "Are you certain you can fight while still being hurt?"
Talia stopped in her tracks, Talbott grabbing onto the rail to steady himself as she turned to look up at him "You're asking redundant questions Winger. I thought you knew better than to dwell on the unnecessary."
"It's not unnecessary, you don't heal like the rest despite being able to perfectly heal others." Talia frowned at the obvious thrown in her face before resuming walking to the basement. There Talbott found she already had a few items and had more than likely been training below the house since her arrival. He should have guessed as much, she had never been the type to just sit back and wait for things to happen.
Talbott removed his sweater, unbuttoning the sleeves on his shirt to roll them up, stopping when Talia took off her shirt. He felt the air from his lungs being forced out, eyes taking her in. Where violent bruises used to paint her skin, she still had faint yellowish marks left behind as a testimony of her fights. The stitched up wound still was not properly healed and based on how she moved, it was clear it still put her through a lot of pain. Wrapping her abdomen, she lifted her eyes to look at him, stopping mid action.
His eyes softened gradually "Can I get you anything to help?" Talia just shaking her head, eyes lingering on him as he rolled up his sleeves revealing his forearms. Shaking herself out of her thoughts when he ran his fingers through his hair, she finished getting ready, grabbing a black shirt just to hide any blood that might paint her clothes.
Her hips swayed as she walked in the centre of the room, eyes checking out how he wrapped his hands, finally learning how to do it properly "Anything goes?" she asked, Talbott contemplating the answer.
"Even the face?" he positioned his feet, testing the grip of his shoes on the damp floor.
"Death Eaters don't care." She smirked when he nodded, apologising in advance for anything that might happen "Don't, just make it worth my while Winger."
Taking the opportunity to attack first and not let her hinder him further, Talia blocked his first punch, forearms clashing painfully, a bruise surely to form on her skin later on. Pushing his arm away, she threw a punch at his sides, Talbott protecting his ribs with his arm, taking a step back. He knew that if he allowed her too close, she would have the upper hand, Talia being better at close hand to hand combat than him.
She lunged forward, Talbott going in for a kick, Talia grabbing his leg, elbow digging deep in muscle, a groan leaving his lips as pain radiated up his leg causing him to lose balance when she let him go. Managing to dodge another one of her attacks, he threw a punch with too far of a wide arch, Talia ducking below his arm, a punch in his stomach being delivered in full force.
Creating distance, Talia held up one finger, Talbott nodding, acknowledging the first win she got.
Positioning themselves once more, he gestured for her to attack first. Cracking her neck, she actually made a run for him, Talbott bracing himself, trying not to leave any openings. Sliding on the damp floor, Talia crutched before he could understand what she was up to, kicking the feet from under him, grabbing his arm, stopping her punch before she hit his face "Two."
Glaring at her, he accepted her hand when she offered it. Once back on his feet, Talbott turned the tables, knocking Talia to the ground, his knee on her chest preventing her from moving. He knew it was a dirty move, but then again as she said, Death Eaters don't care.
Having left her hands free, she pulled on his shirt, causing him to lose his balance, falling over as she lifted her leg, catching him in a head lock between her thighs, immobilising his arm. Freeing him after a few moments, they both scurried to get up, at it at each other's throats as they attacked once more.
He got the wind knocked out of him when a forceful kick threw him back. She cursed when he punched her in the sides consecutively. The more they attacked, the more they let go of any inhibitions they had. Spitting the blood from her mouth, she glared at him, Talbott blinking realising he could not see very well out of his right eye after being punched.
Forcing herself, she managed to get him back on the ground, Talia getting on top, pinning his hands above his head. Breathing heavily, he did not struggle against her, instead taking the moment to catch his breath "Looks like you have improved slightly."
Smirking, he looked at her as slender fingers unravelled from his wrists, back of her hand pressing against her broken lip. Pushing himself halfway up, Talia was forced to adjust her position on his lap, Talbott taking her hand away from her mouth. As his thumb brushed against her lower lip, her brows knitted together when he apologised for hurting her.
She could feel her heart fluttering from being that close to him, from having him touching her. Talbott lifted his gaze, realisation finally reaching his eyes as they widened. What was he even doing? It all came naturally, his want and desire to not see her hurt stronger than his control over his cold exterior. But what in all that he knew was he doing?
She blinked once, pulling her face away from his touch, palm slamming against his chest, pushing him back down to the floor "You don't get to touch me like that." Getting up, she exited the room, slamming the door with force, its echoes resonating inside the dungeons.
Getting up, he considered himself mad for even going after her. He knew better, everything inside screaming at him to just let her go, to allow her the necessary time to calm down. Having her so close was playing games on his mind, Talia the forever element wherever he went.
Catching up to her as she just re-entered the house, he extended his hand to take hold of her, Talia turning around abruptly, grabbing him by the shirt, pushing him against a wall, arm pressing against his throat. Her eyes were dark, anger simmering in them as she glared at him. Swallowing slowly, she pushed harder causing him more discomfort "What do you want?"
Not even he really knew, he just acted, body on autopilot, always following her, always worrying.
"Do you really think you can intimidate me with this act?"
He witnessed her tensing slightly, Talia edging closer to his face "And do you really think you can act like that around me? Nothing gives you the right."
Hearing someone clearing his throat, both turned to see Bill "Glad to see you two sorting it out." There was a deep frown on his face despite the worried look he was giving both of them "What in Merlin's name is wrong with you two? Look at the state of you." He gestured to their dirty clothes, bruised, bloody faces watching him as they created some distance "Go do something about it before mom sees you because you won't hear the end of it."
Turning on her heels, Talia bit down on her lip, pain radiating in her abdomen. Pressing a hand against her wound, she found the dark t-shirt soaked in blood. She had been so mad and adamant on getting to him that she ignored the signs. She thought she was just getting dizzy from the exhaustion, she tried to focus her vision when attacking Talbott, adrenaline shooting up inside her veins, which had the opposite desired effect.
Walking up the first few steps, Bill's voice was somewhere at the back of her head, Talia being able to hear herself breathing loudly. Shaking her head, she took another step, feeling as if she was floating on air before a sinking feeling took over the pits of her stomach, mind unable to grasp at anything, the feeling of falling sinking deeper in her bones.
Strong arms caught her, Talbott repeating her name over and over as he settled her down on the floor, Bill kneeling next to them. Lifting her hand, it felt as if her mind could not catch up, her mouth uttering nonsense "I'm hurt."
"Yes you are you bloody idiot." Lifting her shirt, his eyes widened seeing the blood soaked bindings, Talbott's hand shaking as he inhaled sharply "That's it." Picking her up in his arms, Bill helped him with the door as they both ran outside, Apparating to the hospital. He would not let her struggle like that, he did not want to let her die so she could come back with healed wounds, he did not wish to have her in a place where she could never receive the proper care since there were not enough medical supplies.
Guiding Bill through some backdoors and corridors, his friend trusted his judgement. Talbott knew his way around the hospital, he knew people there, who to trust and where to go to exactly.
Inside a private reserve, two doctors worked to heal the damage done, Talbott watching them like a guard dog, paying attention to every action performed. Bill waited outside, on the lookout for anything suspicious, his mind churning constantly from not knowing what was happening inside.
Talbott leaned against the wall, latest potion he took slowly healing the damage inflicted on his body. He watched her pale face still showing signs of pain, his eyes closing for a moment. At least she was unconscious, the doctors giving her something strong to knock her out completely. Their potions were stronger, healing the damage almost completely despite the dose they had to give her being higher. Yes she would still need a few days to recuperate, but that was something good, Talia actually needed some time away from everything.
Once they were done, Bill was finally allowed inside, him heading to Talbott who was sitting by her side, eyes never leaving her "Are you alright mate?" him just nodding wordlessly "Well then, I will let you be, go back and tell everyone what happened. You alright with that?" another nod, Bill resting a hand on Talbott's shoulder "Take care."
It took her a few hours to wake up, Talia suddenly sitting up right causing Talbott to flinch "Easy, easy, you're safe."
Looking around, she pushed the covers off her, Talbott taking hold of her shoulders to push her back down on the bed "Let go of me."
"I said you're safe, I have people here I trust, no one knows you're here alright?" he thought it was enough to calm her, however she pushed him away, forcing herself to get out of bed, her head spinning with the sudden movements, Talia falling back on the soft mattress, feeling as if she was out of breath, all colour leaving her face "Can you please just relax for a second, you are still weak."
Lifting her eyes, she had a hard time focusing on his face as he came before her "You should have let me die, it would have been easier, now I am a liability."
"No, you're not." His hands hovered, not knowing if he should touch her again or not.
Her head hung, the urge to lay back down almost impossible to resist "You should have let me be, not risk exposing us like this." Pushing the hair from her face, he lifted her chin, worried eyes taking her in "I am one second away from slitting my own throat so I can function. I am an immortal Winger." the word felt heavy on her tongue, Talia having the sensation that her air way was closing up.
She had never uttered the word, did not entertain the idea. She barely had the time to understand everything, how her body reacted after the resurrection and how limits she knew she had have been pushed. But now as she was staring into his eyes and the idea lingered between them, she blinked rapidly, fighting back tears.
"I'll always be alone." Hot tears fell, Talia removing his hands away from her as she pressed the palm of her hands against her eyes, seeing only darkness and phosphenes behind her lids. She opened her mouth wanting to scream at the top of her lungs, however could not produce any sounds. In front of her sadness, Talbott felt as helpless as ever. She would not allow for him to touch her, would not let him comfort her in any way, yet he still lowered himself on his knees in front of her.
"Talia, you're not alone. We're here, I'm here." Placing a hand on her knees, he added softly "Don't focus on what's to come, be here in the present with us."
"Get me out of here please." Extending her arms out, Talbott got up, lifting her in his arms. Despite him wanting to keep her in the hospital for longer, he did not wish to hinder her further and in a sense she was right, he risked exposing her. Even if he trusted the doctors who healed her and they in turn did not ask any questions, fear had a way of making people talk. In the end they would offer Talia up on a silver plateau if it meant saving themselves.
From building tops, two figures watched Talbott leaving the hospital with Talia "Are you certain she will be able to participate?"
"This is Talia we are talking about, she will be right as rain soon. You just ensure everything is ready."
"Do not tell me what to do, I know my role quite well. You ensure you have the capability of dealing with her rath."