Divorce ✶ five hargreeves

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Delaney extended the damp cloth to Inanna when Inanna turned her head an inch to see who had joined her outside.

Inanna took the cloth from Delaney, giving her a thankful nod. "Are you okay?" Delaney asked, although she knew it was a stupid question to ask.

Inanna didn't respond as she scrubbed at the blood that had dried on her fingers and under her nails. Luther had taken the silence as a bad thing, but Delaney knew that Inanna was just thinking — Anna did the same thing when everything got too much, she'd fall silent for hours, sometimes even days.

Inanna wasn't thinking about the blood or Harlan's lifeless body, she was thinking about the burn that once tore apart her body with every breath she took. Inanna hadn't noticed it at first, too focused on everything else, but in this silence of the car as Allison drove them to the Sparrows, Inanna had realised that her body was no longer phasing and that the tearing pain no longer ran across every inch of her body.

"I didn't know how you like your coffee" Delaney glanced down at the mug next to her. "Anna hates coffee but occasionally she drinks it black, so I-" Delaney shrugged, realising that she was rambling about the coffee.

"I don't like coffee" Inanna's voice was quiet but it startled Delaney who hadn't expected a response from the red head.

"Oh!" Delaney shook her head, going to pick up the mug again so she could make her a different drink, but Inanna stopped her.

"I didn't say I wouldn't drink it" Inanna turned her head to look at Delaney. "You shouldn't waste coffee" Inanna repeated what Five had said to her.

Delaney gave Inanna a small smile. "My mother used to say the same thing" Delaney's smile grew at the memory of her mother drinking a large mug of coffee every morning.

Delaney's mother had died six years ago, unexpectedly and suddenly from a heart attack while working at Hotel Obsidian with Delaney's grandfather. Delaney had taken over her work afterwards, knowing that her grandfather needed the help as he got older.

"Anna didn't send me to spy on you" Delaney said, noticing how Inanna's shoulders tensed slightly. "And I didn't tell Anna that you were staying at the hotel either" Delaney continued as Inanna looked at her. "I never wanted any harm to come to you or your family and if I had known how bad things would have gotten I would have warned you".

"Well, that's over and done with now" Inanna muttered, scrubbing at her itching skin again.

"Careful" Delaney sat her hand hesitantly over Inanna's as she shifted closer to her. "Let me help" Delaney knew she was over stepping but she knew Inanna would tell her to leave if she felt like Delaney was invading.

Inanna loosened her grip on the cloth as Delaney took it from her fingers. Delaney held Inanna's wrist and turned over her hand. Inanna opened her hand and Delaney began gently scrubbing at the dried blood on Inanna's palm which had sunk into the faint lines and the crescent scars.

It fell silent between Inanna and Delaney, until Delaney decided to speak again. "You know, you even sound the same" Delaney said, her eyes locking with Inanna's as she glanced to her face. "I didn't expect you to sound so alike but I guess I shouldn't have been so surprised, right?".

Inanna didn't respond and she averted her gaze back to her hand, watching as the blood slowly disappeared with each swipe of the cloth.

"I don't expect you to tell me anything, Inanna, but if you keep it all bottled up, from someone who has loved another version of you for five plus years, I know it will only make you feel worse" Delaney said, stopping her movements for a moment as she spoke. "Violence doesn't have to be the only outlet for your anger and pain, you have people who love you-" Delaney glanced to Luther and Sloane. "-and if you speak to them, i'm sure they will listen".