Wallace
They were touching her, so soft and little with persistent taps, and she tried not to care; tried not to feel it tickle at her heart or dare to make her believe something good could come of what had been done. But there they were, gently prodding at her and lipping at her, because they needed her. It was not like being loved, but they did need her and perhaps that was enough.
The man's laughter startled her, the sound of distant thunder from within his deep chest. "So nothing like Klaus or William?" he teased lightly, and she immediately followed his thoughts to her own name. Wallace. Her twin Dharwyn. Typically names for boys. Wallace is no name for a girl, he'd said, and named her Lacey.
Lacey.
She suddenly didn't feel that flicker of hope in her breast anymore as shadows clouded her eyes; hope that maybe she could laugh again. One day. So she said nothing, kept her gaze downcast.
"Kylin," he said finally, and she tentatively spied him in the corner of her eye as he tended the little girl with a soft smile. Again, she was soured with herself that even this stranger was a better mother than her. He reached for the boy then, played at his little forelock, before that warm and gentle gaze was falling to her. It burned, that warmth, that tenderness, and she glanced away again. It was a beautiful name though, fitting for such a beautiful girl.
"Can you stand, dove? I believe they're hungry." He stepped a mite closer and her heart began pacing a little quicker, her muscles tightening. Anxious, uncertain. Maybe..no, not afraid. She held her breath as she waited an eternity to see if he would touch her, unable to look at him. But he didn't. Only settled near. "Take it slow. I can help, if you need."
Her ears buried in her hair a moment as she tilted her head further away from him, hiding the cruel emotions in her eyes. Hating herself for her weak reactions to him, like some beaten and pathetic creature. I don't need help, she replied flatly with a bite to her tone, dragging herself stiffly to stand. Too quickly, it seemed, as she stumbled into his solid shoulder and her head began to spin. Seemed he was right to warn her to take it slow, but that certainly didn't help her mood.
She shrank away from that touch with a gasp, snapping her teeth at him as though it had been him pressing into her and not the other way around. Guilt came with that, only making her more frustrated with herself, avoiding his sea-blue eyes yet again. She steadied, pretended the walls were as still as they were supposed to be, and felt the little ones shuffle in beneath her. Their eagerness startled her and she almost jerked from their touch too, but managed to hold herself rather than fall into him again.
Dull, brown eyes could not be piercing, though they did give it a try as she finally lifted to meet his gaze, forcing herself to hold it. Who are you, she demanded, maybe even believably firm. She thought he may have said his name before, but she couldn't remember. Couldn't figure out why he would be so familiar with her as though she would know him. Did she?
