#◜&&. 𝐤𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐲𝐧 𝐛𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐲◞ aaron c.

[huntrcssqueen]

@cursivebloodlines

[huntrcssqueen]

@cursivebloodlines - @elegancemultimuse - @eternityszn

[huntrcssqueen]



Plot ⇥ someone give me a plot where muse a is a cop/firefighter/military/etc whose partner/best friend gets killed in the line of work. before they pass, their friend makes them promise to take care of muse b, their spouse. muse a takes the promise to heart, helping muse b make the arrangements and becomes the rock while muse b’s entire world is turned upside down. but soon muse a begins to fall for muse b, despite their fear of crossing a boundary or being the reason for their friend’s death ( and bonus points if muse b is pregnant when their spouse dies )

Starter for ⇥ @cursivebloodlines

Everything stopped. The way the rain came down on the house, she couldn't even hear the pitter patter of the droplets. Her husband died. Here she was standing there completely at a lose. She was four months pregnant at this point in time. Her heart had stopped. The voice she was listening to stopped. It was just pain that sat in her chest as she blinked a couple of times. What was Kaitlyn supposed to do? She was trapped alone in the world now. Husband gone and nobody else to have. ❝ How... ❞ She muttered as she just physically couldn't process it. Her hand landing on her belly. What was she to tell their child? How was she to raise a child on her own

[huntrcssqueen]

☎️ kaitlyn/aaron <3 :) (LOVE ME TOO<3)

Send ☎️ And I Will Tell You:

What My Muse Has For Your Muse's Contact Info: Aaron Carter. She feels guilty if she were to put anything else on his name.

What Their Ringtone Is: Andante, Andante, herself singing it because he's cracking down her walls slowly. She likes to add her own music as ringtones or someone's voice to make it more personal..

The Last Text They Sent Your Muse: ❛ 𝚃𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚔 𝚢𝚘𝚞…𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚊𝚕𝚠𝚊𝚢𝚜 𝚋𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚞𝚜. ❜ She's not big on texting. She would rather just call or talk on the phone so there's less miscommunication. She would keep her sound on just to ensure that she wouldn't miss a text or call.

What Image My Muse Has For Your Muse In Their Phone: She couldn't help it with the photos. They were so sweet that they put a smile on her broken hearted face.

[huntrcssqueen]

@cursivebloodlines asked: [ 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐭𝐡 ] - for kaitlyn/aaron <333

[ 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐭𝐡 ] : sender drapes a coat / cape / etc. around receiver’s shoulders.

Going out for a walk was exactly what the two of them needed. She was finally getting better about being alone in her house without Grayson. Without him there and with Aaron there it made everything so much easier. She was finally smiling once again and she was already six months pregnant at this point. She was tired of just sitting down at home. When Aaron got off it was like her home was his at this point, expecting him to be here with her. She had a distant look on her eyes as she looked out to the world. Everything seemed so quiet and there was a nip in the air that she was not expecting. She felt his coat drape over her shoulders which drew her attention back toward him with a soft smile on her lips, her fingers wrapping around the edge to hold it on her body. She wasn't allowed to feel this was toward him. She wasn't allowed to start to feel something. ❝ Thank you, I was not expecting it to get this cold this fast. But... I think we can catch the sun setting soon. ❞

[huntrcssqueen]

@cursivebloodlines

@ruinedsoulsrp

[huntrcssqueen]

This was never a world in which Kaitlyn thought that she would be alone. Not technically alone but it felt it physically and mentally right now. She didn't have her husband anymore, she didn't have parents, step parents, siblings, she hardly had friends because most of them would only use her just to ogle Grayson or to share gossip in which she was never one to partake in. She never cared for gossip because you never knew the real story, the true story. Right now it was a process of Grayson. Of how his death meant that he wasn't coming back. It meant that she would never get to say I love you to his face again. Never would she get to see his face, smell his smell as she hugged him. She wouldn't get any of that back and she couldn't blame anyone, she could only blame the person on the opposite end of that weapon that made him draw his last breathe. It was like she could visually see it happened. She could see him being the hero that he was and it tore her apart. The only person whome she felt any kind of possible comfort was Aaron. This was like his house the amount of times that he would come over and she never complained, she would offer him a beer, make dinner, the three of them spending time together or Grayson and him while she could see the laughs and smiles coming from their direction. Everything was changing and she was gutted. She felt so sick to her stomach from the pain that it was sometimes hard to tell if it was pregnancy or from the pain of his death.

She wasn't sure if she was being selfish by saying that he couldn't overstay his welcome or not but she needed him here. If he wasn't here she would be on the floor, motionless just staring off into nothing. She would stay there for hours on end, not eating, not sleeping, she would just be this numb thing in an empty house. Her body was so mentally tired that her brain was shutting itself down, she could hardly find the will power to get up and take action, to move and find the motivation to continue on through a normal day. She wasn't herself, she was this foreign object just trying to be lucid and continue on a day to day basis. Hearing that she wouldn't be alone let her take a breathe of air, let her fill her lungs with the air that her and her future baby needed. Her nimble fingers were shaking as they brought themselves up to wipe her eyes. She had to try and find her voice, one that wasn't breaking or quiet. One that wasn't saying that she wasn't okay, that she might break at any given moment in time. She let our a breathe of air that she didn't realize she was holding but now... Aaron was all she had left. She didn't just lose her husband, he lost his best friend and partner. ❝ Like a human pillow. ❞ She tried to joke as she let out a half laugh finally.

Processing grief was never taught to him but he had lost friends on the job before, so he dealt with it the best that he good. But this… this was different. It was personal. It was because of Aaron. His fault. His stomach churned every time the reminder entered his mind - which it was doing continuously, on a neverending loop. On the outside, he looked seemingly okay. Definitely gutted, but he also felt like his movements were robotic. Automatic, almost mechanical. Numb. The pain was raw like a gaping, open wound but he willed it within himself to pull himself together. For Grayson’s sake. For Kaitlyn’s sake. He imagined what his father would tell him. How he would chastise him endlessly, ridicule him, yell at him. Make him feel like that little boy he once was who wanted nothing but his father’s approval. Or any member of his family, really. But never received. Instead, he would get nothing but demeaning comments. Hurtful words that would feel like knives, and a reminder to man up and Can’t you do anything for once in your fucking life and Stop whining about it and do something. And so on, and so on forth. No comforting words, no you did everything you could. No ‘I’m sorry for your loss.’ None of that. They never were an empathetic, caring family filled with love. No matter how things may have seemed to outsiders. Either way, It would rub salt into wounds. To be ridiculed for feeling any semblance of human emotion for his deceased best friend. Being here, trying to help Kaitlyn to the best of his ability…In a way, she was all he had. As much as he was there to help her, there was a selfish part of him that was trying to help himself, too. 

A weak smile traced his lips at Kait’s assurances. He could never overstay. The smile was barely there, and there was certainly no light in his eyes at this point. But it was still visible. A glimpse. Something, anything. “I - Thanks…thank you…” Quite often, Aaron would joke at how this place was like a second home to him. He probably spent more time here than at his own home, though he obviously knew when he overstayed his welcome - he wasn’t that bad. Yet still, her words touched him. Her reassurance calmed him, like the stroke of a warm touch. Another puncture wound to his heart as she spoke. She sounded so crestfallen, so fragile and delicate. As though she would break if she spoke any louder. As if he could knock her back with as something slight as a poke. Part of him wanted to tell her she needed to sleep, regardless. However, when she spoke. He just knew. He understood because Aaron knew he probably would never get another good night’s sleep again. Every time he so much as blinked, all he could see was Grayson. One way or another, they would succumb to it eventually due to sheer exhaustion. But he wasn’t going to remind her of that, nor put any pressure. Clearing his throat, he uttered gently, “You won’t be alone.” Even with clearing his throat, he sounded croaky. His words wavered, so he cleared his throat again, hoping to regain the ability to speak again. He promised he would stay as long as she needed him. And if she needed him here to be able to sleep, even for ten minutes, then surely it was better than nothing at all. Anything was something. “I’ll be right here; if that’s what you want. Whatever you need. I'm here, so you might as well use me however you want, while I'm around” he half-joked at the end, even cracking a slightly more visible but wobbly smile. (@huntrcssqueen)

[huntrcssqueen]

In the moment, many many moments later, all Kaitlyn wanted to do was down a bottle of alcohol. Numb her body. Numb her lips and their feelings. Numb her fingers so that everything just felt funny. Numb her mind so that she just forgot everything, numb is so that everything would just go black. But she couldn't. Not without hurting her baby. The last bloodline that was Grayson Thorne. She had to honour him somehow, had to bring their baby to life, love it unconditionally. She was gutted about everything right now. Her whole world had changed. Not only hers but also Aaron's. It wasn't just her husband, her best friend but it was also his. His partner, his best friend. The two of them shared the pain in their hearts. Their lives would ever be the same again, they would never have the three of them together again. She could remember all the times that they were altogether or even just her late husband and him together. She remembered the smile on their faces, even her own. Not anymore. Now it was just tears, frowns and anger toward the world.

Holding onto him, holding onto that human contact felt so wrong but also so right. Holding on for support and comfort for each other. Her hands clung onto his clothing for dear life. They clung onto him to try and ground herself because her mind was high up in the sky. She needed to put her mind set in being there for him as well instead of just being a widowed woman.

She was anything but a laugh and smile, she knew that she needed to try. She knew that she wasn't the only one that was hurting right now so cracking a joke felt like the right thing to do. She had to fight through the sick, gutted feeling in the pit of her stomach. She cared about Aaron, she did and she was being cruel it felt like with the lashing out, with using him as comfort. ❝ That's just what makes you special. ❞ Her words were barely there with that sentence but a fraction of a smile was on her lips like a ghost. Kaitlyn's arms were wrapped around him like a warm embrace she almost forget what it felt like, holding him close and tightly with a sense of safety and security. Each of them needed this moment. As they lay entwined on the couch, a fragile sense of peace washed over her. It was a fleeting moment, a brief respite in the storm of life's challenges that was thrown at her. But in that instant, she found strength in his embrace, a glimmer of hope in the darkness that surrounded them. ❝ Good. ❞ The way she whispered her words, barely audible, as her face found solace against his chest, speaks volumes of comfort, trust and exhausted she had.

Truthfully, Aaron wondered if he was overstepping by ‘offering his services’ as a human pillow or a punching bag. But the suggestion and offer only felt natural and if Kaitlyn had told him to back off, he would’ve respected that. And he would have tagged an apology on the end, just to be on the safe side. He didn’t mean anything by it other than offering a source of comfort, yet there was a voice in the back of his head with an uncanny resemblance to Grayson that was telling him to watch his step, don’t get too close. He supposed that had something to do with the grief working it’s ridiculous magic, trying to suffocate him. It’s not like he was trying anything with Kait - god, no, he wouldn’t dare to dream of it - but to add a little joke to lighten the dark mood looming over the two of them whilst also trying to make sure he was being useful to her. Or at least semi useful. Another traitorous thought nestled in the back of his mind: would he offer her the same if Grayson was here with them, alive? Maybe the punching bag, he silently mused to himself. Then again, if he had been there with them in that moment, they probably would not have been having this conversation in the first place.

The next thing he knew, Kaitlyn opted for the human pillow approach (though he knew the other option was still an option if needed… why that kept entering his mind, he’ll never know), and Aaron hadn’t quite braced himself for impact. A genuine, actual smile tugged at the very corners of his lips and he couldn’t help but pull her in closer. They both needed this and there was no point in pretending otherwise. Humans needed comfort, especially in trying times. It was something he never received a lot even as a kid, and so he tried his best as an adult to do what he was never given. Sure, he screwed up at times (a lot, even) but he vowed to do the opposite with her. For his own sake and for hers.

A breathless laugh escaped his lips at her rebuttal, a sincere smile spreading across his face. Only a small one, but it was there nonetheless. Of course she would be the one to do that in this situation. She was the one who lost everything and yet she still managed to crack a joke. Aaron wondered if it was for his benefit. Either way, he wouldn’t question it. Didn’t really want to know the answer either way. “Well, surely you should know now that I’m very good at that.” Like being the reason his best friend was dead and Kaitlyn was without a husband, for example. Adjusting his position slightly so both of them could feel more comfortable, Aaron pulled her closer to him. It was automatic, like an instinct if you will. Hearing the desperation in her voice as she asked him to stay where they were, he gave her a gentle, reassuring squeeze. “I’m not going anywhere, Kait,” he murmured into her hair, rubbing soothing circles against her back. “We can stay like this for however long you need.” In all honesty, he really didn’t want to move any time soon either, so it made him feel much more at ease knowing that this was what she wanted too. Having her nestled close enough to him, he could hold on to her like a lifeline too. Because as much as he wanted to be there for her, as much as he was keeping a promise to his best friend, he really needed her too. Maybe this way both of them could get some rest from the hardship of the day? Only time would tell.

[huntrcssqueen]

There wasn't a single thing that Kaitlyn could do to bring Grayson back. No matter how hard she tried, no matter how hard she even prayed, if she did, nothing would bring him back. The memories of him waking up and getting ready for work and her laying in bed watching him, getting a peck on the top of her head before he went out the door or her pulling him back to bed for an extra ten minutes just to get some more cuddles in with him. He had such a strong heart with the life he lived and she respected it so much and admired how strong he was. He was her everything and he was ripped away from her. Someone killed him in cold blood. She felt like she wanted to trade placed with him, have her life taken instead of his but she couldn't ask that either because of the death that loomed over him. She was just speechless. She wanted nothing more than her cheerful smile back on her face but it was like this dark cloud that loomed over her, raining down and soaking her to stop the happiness in her life. She wasn't meant to be happy with him gone it felt like.

All Aaron was doing was being someone whome she couldn't be right now. Supportive and there for someone but all the felt was the shattered heart. The sickness in her stomach, the tightness in her throat that made it hard to speak, breathe and even swallow. Nothing felt easy right now. She didn't mean to over react but it was something that Grayson would do to try and reason with her when she was being unrealistic. All he had to do was say her name. Just her name and she would calm down but not now. Now it was like her own name was a dagger waiting to execute herself. The only thing that was keeping her more at ease was Aaron. His presence was keeping her at a, if possible, more calm state. Someone of an anchor in the moment. Had he not be here and she felt like she might be lost. Might throw things around, bust into complete tears. She could envision it now. Throwing her photos to the ground, breaking them, shattering them into the smallest shards that equalled the amount that her heart felt before laying on the ground in the mess and falling asleep there. She had no idea where she was to sleep because she couldn't in her bed. There wasn't going to be a way that she could with how empty it would feel. ❝ You're not... you could never overstay. ❞ She whispered in a quiet voice, quiet but loud enough for him to hear. He wasn't overstaying. This place was as much his as it was hers with how often that he would come over here. She got use to his company and could laugh, joke about with him. Things were easy. It was like she could read his mind at times when he came into the room she was in. The two could share a laugh but it was like the laughter disappeared. Their joy slipped away from their fingertips. ❝ I can't... ❞ She stated as she wiped her wet face from the tears. ❝ I can' t sleep alone. ❞ @cursivebloodlines

They got away. It was something that invaded his mind incessantly. Grayson died and they hadn't even fucking caught the guy that did it yet. The man died for fucking nothing and it was all Aaron's fault. Determined, he would be the one to put that bastard in handcuffs, it was hard to choose what to go for first. He knew he would do both, look after Kaitlyn - or try his hardest - and go for the culprit who ripped her beloved from her arms. All he felt was emptiness but somewhere, deep deep down was the burning fuel of anger. Like a pressure pot, waiting to combust and burst. But he dampened any emotions down, the vast weight of emptiness - what a funny combination of words - felt easier to settle on. If he felt nothing, then he couldn't fly off in a burning rage. For her sake. She was all that mattered for now. Part of him was still in denial, even though he'd been there, had the searing image in his mind on a loop, replaying over and over and over again.

But then he looked over at her, saw the pure pain and devastation in her eyes, and reality set in like a slap against his face. Aaron unknowingly leaned back slightly in his seat, seeing her hands fly up in the air before he recomposed his posture, sat straight. His throat ran dry, swallowing but there was nothing to swallow. "Kait-" he went to say her name again in protest but stopped halfway through, a shaky sigh falling from his lips as he ran a hand over his face, along his cheek, across his jaw. It hadn't been his intention to...to 'Kaitlyn her' as she worded it - but when she said it, he knew exactly what she meant. "I didn't mean to-" he broke off his words, the inability to voice aloud. Didn't mean to do a Grayson. The last thing he wanted to do was act like he was...what? Taking his place? No, he could never. No one could. Weakly, he attempted a smile, nodding once when she suggested trying later, to have something. "Later it is, as long as you do." Relief enabled his shoulders to sag, he could stay. Without her company, he was unsure what he would be doing. Something reckless, knowing Aaron. Going on a rage trip to get justice. Something, anything. It was a good job he had her really. "Thank you, feel free to kick me out when I've overstayed my welcome," he said half attempting a joke, watching as she curled up on the chair again. Looking around the room, his best friend's presence was everywhere. Everything reminded him of him. What now? For so long, he'd gotten used to making himself comfortable there, wandering around like he owned the place, maybe got a bit too comfortable from time to time. But now? Everything felt so different... so wrong. A vital piece missing. Silence filled the room, he tried to let his eyes close, maybe even try and get a few moments of peace, or hopefully sleep. But he couldn't. As soon as his eyes closed, the memories filled his vision. He was sure he wouldn't sleep again. "You should try and get some rest," Aaron suggested kindly, saying anything to fill up the quietness.

[huntrcssqueen]

Everything fell apart the moment that she was told. The moment that it was someone knocking at her door, telling her that he died in the field, not even making it to the hospital for a fighting chance. The pain just sunk deeper and deeper with every second that passed by. It made her sick to her stomach and it wasn't because of the baby. She was torn apart. Torn into a hundred thousand pieces, crumbling under everything. She was waiting to wake up. Waiting for this nightmare to finally be over and for Grayson to be standing there with open arms to her. There was no waking up. She was living the nightmare. Aaron was a great man, he was kind and supportive. He was funny and she would laugh along with him when he was over before Grayson came in and the two of them hung out. Their bond made her smile but now... now it was all too hard. It was the agony that overtook her as the world was spinning faster and faster. She was a broken vase held together by just holding it there, one wrong move and she would shatter all over the floor once again.

❝ No... ❞ She waved her hands up in the air when he said her name. It reminded her of Grayson in a way, when she was being stubborn and he would just softly speak her name to try and reason with her, to get through to her. ❝ Please, please don't Kaitlyn me. ❞ She pleaded as she felt like she was about to implode. She was just a ticking time bomb and could only imagine what Aaron himself was going through. ❝ Maybe later... ❞ She spoke after trying to cool her mind down from whatever it was trying to do. It was like this empty pit in her stomach was forming, getting bigger and bigger but also this huge weight that was sitting on her shoulders, weighing her down and back as she tried to find a steady voice in herself. ❝ Yeah, yes.. stay. ❞ She couldn't find it. Couldn't find her big voice she once had. She felt like she was being selfish in a way by not being there for him. She lost her husband yes but he also lost his best friend, lost his partner. Finding her feet moving, she found herself curling up into the chair as she rested her head against it, her mind going blank as her hand rested on her stomach.

Aaron didn’t know what to do with himself. If it hadn’t been for Kaitlyn, he would have been an ever more colossal mess than what he internally already was. The only reason he hadn’t succumbed under the weight of losing his partner and best friend was because he knew he had kept a promise. A promise to look out for the love of his partner’s life, to be there for her and their baby. Being here, in their home, without Grayson there honestly made him feel sick to his stomach. Sure, he had been around Kaitlyn before, had been in the house more times than he could count. But usually, Grayson would make an appearance sooner or later. Being there felt like he was just waiting. Waiting and waiting and waiting for him to walk through that door. So, if Aaron of all people was already trying not to buckle under the weight and pressure that hung heavily on his shoulders, he couldn’t start to imagine the inner turmoil Kaitlyn was facing. That made him want to help more. Aaron knew nothing he did would make a difference in the end. The one thing both of them wanted was for him back. But it was something they would have to come to terms with on their own terms. Grief affects everyone differently. And for now, he still felt emotionally numb. Mind on overdrive because he was filled with distractions, trying to help do whatever he could. If it made even the smallest bit of difference, it was worth it. Whatever he needed to do, he needed to be strong for the three of them. If she couldn’t, he would. He owed it to all of them.

“Kaitlyn…” Aaron sighed as he rubbed his tired eyes, understanding her reasoning – because he didn’t feel like either. However, he knew it wasn’t the healthiest of options. He also knew that least of all, she didn’t need to be reminded that she was eating for two; he was sure she already knew that. “You must have something,” he urged softly, his voice barely above a whisper. “It’s okay if you don’t want anything right now but…I need to make sure you get something a little later, okay?” If she didn’t want anything now then she didn’t have to, but he had to try. But he made a mental note in the back of his head to make sure she would have something, even if it was a bite out of a piece of toast – it would be something. He would force himself to if it meant encouraging her to take care of herself too. His heart physically ached when she said she had no one. Families were tricky. So, there was no one to support her at all? Not even her family? Sure, he knew Grayson’s parents were no longer around, but he hoped at least she had some support system outside of Aaron. Where did he go from here? Trying to swallow down the lump in his throat, he scrambled for ideas. Something. Anything. It was hard; Aaron didn’t want to overwhelm her more than she clearly already was, or bombard her with too much but he didn’t want to just sit there doing nothing either. It was tricky, to get the right balance. “Is it okay if I stick around for a while? I just –“ Him? At a loss for words? Definitely a new one. “I don’t know what else to do.” And I want to make sure you're...okay. he silently tagged onto the end.

[huntrcssqueen]

Everyday watching Grayson leave for work was a battle of if she was to see him at the end of the day. He always promised her that he would be safe, that he would return to them and she felt sick. Sick in a sense that she would never see him again and that terrified her. She couldn't register the fact that he was gone, that his car wouldn't be coming up their driveway, that he wouldn't be walking through their door and kiss her temple. He was simply just... gone. She blinked away her tears, feeling the tightness in her throat of tears that wanted to just flood down her cheeks.

Bringing her hand to wipe her mouth her heart was beating too fast. She felt dizzy now at this point that she grabbed the door frame to support herself. ❝ I... ❞ She started but couldn't really form any words. What words could she say? It's okay. It's not his fault. I'm glad you're okay. There weren't any words to really state how she was feeling. She knew Aaron. She knew the friendship that he had with her husband, or late husband at this point. All she could do was lean up against the door frame to try and just hold herself up. She couldn't just fall into his arms but she was sure he needed a hug just as badly as she did. ❝ Thank you... for telling me. ❞ Her voice was unsteady as she felt the tear roll down her cheek shutting her eyes.

Being in Aaron's line of work meant that the cost of life was inevitable. Often he would be put in precarious, life-endangering scenarios - that was the risk he took when he first joined the police force, though this career move had never been his first choice. What he never prepared for though, was to lose his best friend in the line of duty. The operation to bring in a fugitive had gone terribly, terribly wrong. Aaron had been too late, his friend noticed the danger before he did and shoved him out of the way with brute force, force that even he couldn't fight back from. And it cost him his life. A man with so much to live for: a beautiful wife and a baby on the way. What did Aaron have? Really? A dysfunctional family: a father he could never please no matter how hard he tried, constantly looming in the shadow of his golden boy brother, and his mother who barely acknowledged his presence. No partner to love, and no prospect of building a life with someone he loved, and now he had the burden of survivor's guilt. It should have been me. And yet his friend and partner in the force deemed him worth saving? He couldn't fathom it.

Aaron had taken it upon himself to deliver the gutwrenching news. After all, moments before his demise, knowing he was too late to be saved, that he'd be gone by the time the paramedics came, he made him promise to look after his beloved wife, Kaitlyn, and look after her at all costs. He figured he would make a start here, now. It was the least he could do. Up until that point, he'd felt too numb to even process what had happened. Aaron knew full well, the gravity of what happened and had the events on repeat in the back of his mind, but he couldn't - or wouldn't? - believe it. It wasn't until he was standing there, in front of her, to deliver the heartbreaking news... that he felt a speckle of anything. She looked so...fragile. Lost. And he found himself blinking back tears that he never even knew were there. "It all happened so fast," Aaron murmured, his voice low and gravelly. It felt like he was swallowing stones. He couldn't admit it was his fault, was too ashamed of the reality. This wasn't about him and his grief, anyway. He could deal with that later. Right now, his focus was Kaitlyn and whatever, however, she must've felt "I'm so sorry..."

[huntrcssqueen]

How was one supposed to breath? How could she find the air that was all around her when it couldn't even find her lungs. She had nobody left... Gray was all she had. He was her last family, aside from their unborn child. She desperatly wanted a drink. A drink to just numb all of this, make her black out and forget this conversation. She wanted to feel nothing. She wanted to just become numb but she couldn't. She had a baby. She had somebody who was going to come into this world that needed her, that was depending on her to make it through this. She knew what could happen with him being in the field. She knew what she walked into when marrying him but never did she imagine that it would actually happen.

Feeling the gentle touch of Aaron to guide her into a hug she had no one else to depend on. Nobody else's warm touch she could feel. She clung to him for life. Her arms gripped onto him to try and found her ground. She looked pathetic. She looked like a real widow in this moment... She couldn't blame him. How could she? She knew how Grayson was. A protector of all people. She couldn't blame anybody but Grayson or the person who killed him. She couldn't let him go at this point, he was the only thing that was keeping her stable as she rested her head on his chest sure that she would stain it with the tears that flowed from her eyes. She felt like she was going to throw up at this point in time once again. She walked into her house, letting the door shut behind them, hearing the click of it as she moved to the living room to sit down. Her hands finally let him go as she dried up her eyes and sniffed them away before trying to keep herself calm. ❝ Do you.. need anything to drink? We have water, tea.. I think there is some beer somewhere. ❞ She felt like she looked like a blubbering mess. Her face red, her eyes puffy as she rubbed them to try and sooth herself.

At that moment, nothing felt real. It felt like he was having an out-of-body experience, floating on air, vanishing into nothingness. That's how he felt...nothingness. The vast emptiness of an abyss caused by the gaping hole left by Grayson. One he was supposed to just...bounce back from without so much as a dent? Hardly. Aaron was the type of guy who could simply bounce back whatever was thrown at him without so much as a shrug of his shoulders. Often, people told him he was so laid back he might as well be lying down. Nothing compared to what he looked like in that moment: posture stiff as cardboard, jaw clenched so tightly he may fracture a bone. Trying to keep himself together for both of their sakes, he didn't know what to do with himself. He couldn't just stand there idly by, looking at Kaitlyn as she struggled with her own emotions as she came to terms with the most horrific news.

As soon as she went to hold the door, Aaron reached for her, a silent call pleading with her to latch on to him instead. What else was he supposed to do? He made a promise to her husband in his final moments. She needed this... and as much as he hated to admit it, maybe there was part of him that needed it too. "Kait...come here," he croaked out, barely registering the voice as his own as he reached for her, taking a couple of steps forward before he bracketed her delicate frame in his arms, gently tugging her towards him yet leaving a small amount of space so she could wriggle free if she didn't want his attempts at comfort. "I..." What could he possibly say? There were no calming words, a magic spell that would bring him back. And he'd already apologised. Sorry I'm the reason your husband is dead. Sorry I couldn't save him. Sorry for being such a fuck up. Sorry. None of it mattered. Aaron rubbed soothing circles against her back, holding her there for a few moments. It was then and only then he allowed the first tear to fall, though he quickly wiped that away with one hand. "Let's get you sat down, yeah?" he murmured against her, genuinely concerned she may fall over with grief or shock or a mixture of both. "I've got you... hold on to me if you have to, yeah?" He'd never been the best at comforting someone but he had no other choice but to try. He owed it to Kaitlyn and most of all, he owed it to Grayson.

[huntrcssqueen]

It was a horrible time. Not that there was ever a right time for somebody to die. It wasn't like they had a lot of time to celebrate their pregnancy, time to celebrate them and growing their family. Everything about this house reminded her of him. The photos that hung on the wall or were places on the shelf, the coffee mug that he would use every morning that had a slight chip broken from it, the shoes that sat at the front door, his towel that hung on the back of the door. Everything about this house was him. She couldn't even sleep in their bed anymore, half the time she was falling asleep in a chair or on the couch if she could even fall asleep. She wasn't being smart of healthy right now and she knew she needed to but her body just wouldn't function to to so. She knew how close Aaron and Grayson were, knew the bond the two of them had and with her empty heart she knew that he felt it too. She just couldn't deal with it all. She felt done. She felt like she was just going to be numb and lay in the same spot for all eternity, not having the mentality to deal with the world or her baby.

Rubbing her eyes and using the back of her hand to stuff away the pain, stuff away the gasps of air or runny nose she felt like she was chocking. Chocking for some air, clean air. Air that would help her through this pain. Sniffing she shook her head. ❝ It's uh, it's okay. It's not like I can drink it anyways. It's just... It's just going to sit there. ❞ It was something that Grayson would drink time to time and herself as well but not anymore. Not it would just be a reminder of him not being here. She had to stand up, had to move because if she stayed seated for too long she wouldn't ever move. She had to get the feeling out of her body as it was crawling all over her. Pulling her deeper and deeper underground. ❝ No.. I-I'm okay. I'm not hungry. ❞ It was't like she had a large stomach. She was only a couple of weeks. Still in the first trimester but she knew that Grayson would tell him about their baby. ❝ No.. there's no one. ❞ Grayson's family passed a long time ago and her family well... her parents disowned her a long time ago as well and she was pretty sure that her mom passed away last year.

Feeling how tightly Kaitlyn grasped him only shattered his heart more. Aaron knew he could never be who she wanted him to be. Her husband. And god, he would never - could never - be even a fraction of the man Grayson was. (Not that he ever tried to be... he had looked up to his best friend, though. The perfect role model). If he was here, he would know what to do. But then he had to remind himself that if he was here, Kaitlyn wouldn't be in this position to begin with. She wouldn't have been in need of comfort. Her life would have been normal. Not in... not in ruins that he was partially responsible for. More than partially responsible for, if he really thought about it. None of it felt real; it was like he was frozen in time, the memories were in full force whenever he tried to let a single other thought slide through... but on the outside? He looked...hollow. Felt it, too. Exhausted mentally and physically, everything had taken a colossal toll on him, and in all honesty, he just wanted to slip into bed and sleep for a thousand years. But Aaron was sure he would never get a single decent night's sleep ever again, quite frankly. At least, not anytime soon.

He said nothing, just let Kaitlyn get it all out. He would do whatever she needed him to, no questions asked. Truthfully, he didn't really want to let her go either. When she led the way inside, Aaron followed suit, his arms still wrapped around her as he gently kicked the door closed. He sat next to her quietly on the chair, his hand still rubbing soothing circles against her back even as she let go of him. It was unlike him to be without jovial words and amusing remarks, anything to see a smile on anybody's face. Shaking his head at her offer of a drink, he offered her a forced, weak smile. "I'm good - I would've settled with the beer but... I don't think that's entirely fair on you." He half-joked, though no laughter fell from his lips. Sniffling slightly, he used his free hand to wipe at his eyes really quickly. "Do you... have you eaten? I can order us something. Anything you want, my treat," Aaron offered kindly. "Is there anyone I can call for you?"