ARCANE

016

Since they are the only two with a car, Wesley and June make it to Jamie's first.

"I can't beleife that wemadeit in onepiece," June remarks. Her words are slurring together, and her breathing is too heavy to speak properly. "Or, Iguess two? There're twof us."

"Shut up," Wesley wants to roll his eyes, but he can still feel his hands shaking as he brings June to the elevator.

The doors close and open. Wesley carries June inside. When he knocks on the door, it opens immediately. Erik doesn't hesitate to scoop June out of Wesley's hands. The blonde boy glares at the other while he practically carries June.

June doesn't bother to tell him that she can walk, because she isn't sure how much longer she'll be able to stand.

Jamie pulls Wesley into a tight hug. He is much shorter than the other boy, so his head rests in the crook of Wesley's neck. Now, Wesley's shanking hands grab hold of the other boy, becoming fists that cling to Jamie's warm sweater.

Even though he is helping June, Erik can't take his eyes away. He watches on until he closes the door. Erik can feel his heart sinking into his shoes. If the sheets on the bed weren't white, Erik would put June on them and leave Jamie's apartment now.

"Can you stand?" Erik asks.

June grins, leaning into him. He's tall, and angry, and he is hard to read and for once she likes that. "Doesit look like Ican stand?"

"You look you fell from Heaven and landing on your fucking face," Erik retorts quickly. If June is in good enough shape to make jokes, then he can definitely make fun of her. "Funny, I didn't think a demon could fall from Heaven."

June pries herself from Erik's arms, leaning back against the wall. She begins to pull her shirt over her head. "Wow, that joke stuunng morethan the jump. Did'cha think of it the whole time I's headin' here?"

Erik turns his back and heads out of the room at the sight of June's pale but bruised stomach. Her skin looks like a galaxy, complete with a purple nebula. Erik isn't really good at metaphors, so he can't decide if the patches of blood on her are the stars, or if her freckles are.

If June falls, Erik decides that it's her own damn fault. He doesn't dare tell her that while they were coming here, and Jamie and Erik had heard back from everyone but them, Erik had hoped that it wasn't June who was hurt, and not just because that would mean it was Wesley.

It isn't until there is another knock at the door that Jamie pulls back, Wesley feels himself deflate.

"Go get something of Kyle's," Jamie tells the other boy. He fakes a smile. "Can't get blood on the rental carpet. We're putting June in his room."

Wesley waits until the door opens to see who has arrived. Since it is only Hope, he walks towards Kyle's room. Erik nearly stops Wesley from entering, but when he sees the scowl on Wesley's face, Erik lets him aside.

Inside the room, Wesley realizes he hasn't been here before. This is not the room he slept in last time, which means that he slept in Jamie's bed That Night. The satisfaction of this revelation is lost on him when he looks at June. She is sprawled out on the bed. Her eyes are closed, and she is shivering since she is wearing nothing but one of Kyle's t-shirts.

Quickly, Wesley changes. He throws his dirty clothing in a pile with June's, thankful he has only ruined a set of workout clothing and not one of his precious pairs of jeans. He throws on sweatpants and a graphic tee, much like June's though it actually fits him. Before he leaves, Wesley tucks the sheets up over her. He rests his dirty, blood-stained hand in her bright hair, stroking it out of her face.