His steps were heavy as he turned into his building, the twitch of his body subsided to a dull exhaustion. There was an urge to call his mother, his sisters, everyone he loves, just to hear their voices, but he couldn't bear the emotional weight of that tonight.
He wasn't expecting her, leant against his door with a curtain of hair covering her face. His shoes scuffed on the floor and her head snapped towards him. There was a short smile on her face that didn't reach her eyes and had he not spent years learning to read the every turn of her neck and curve of her mouth he may have missed the emotions cycling across her face. Neither of them moved for a beat, two beats, three, how do you move from that? How do you face each other after a day like that? Smooth metal to his temple, warm blood across his face. The neighbours door pulled him out of it, prompting a step toward her - one foot after another. That she made the first move surprised them both but her arms were tight around his drawn shoulders, her nose nuzzled into the crook of his neck with sharp breaths. He didn't hesitate, another surprise. He grabbed at her desperately, hands clenching onto her, whole body bending into her. A huff at the absurdity of the moment changed its mind half way out and turned into a strangled sob. Whole minutes passed. He retracted slightly with a gruff hand rushed under his eyes. "Where's Jessie?" She didn't answer, just grazed a hand down his flushed cheek.
Dodd's death was too recent upon them, the wound too fresh, the grief too exposed. When she lets out her breath she hates the unevenness of it. Her fingers brush through his hair, eyes steadfast on the spot that had been stained red just hours ago. "God, Dominick.."
He wants to kiss her. It's an urge not entirely unfamiliar to him, he's learning to live with the ghost of it as it appears throughout their days. But on days like today where her eyes are pricked red and his throat is raw, it takes all his willpower to not crane his neck down and draw her to him. He thinks he could love this woman, with her spine of steel and her southern drawl, could spend a lifetime cooking dinner and watching atrocious television with her.
Tonight though he just roughs out a "Drink?" and relishes in the knowledge that he is still here to offer, that she is here to accept.