Page 19 of Found In Destruction

They all looked at me expectantly, waiting for my answer. I was torn. The six of us were a family, dysfunction and all. But could we move past everything, start over again?

“I’m not sure if I can. You didn’t see her break down. You weren’t holding her while she cried herself to sleep every night. You didn’t have to beg her to get out of bed or eat. She was a shell of herself, and she’s still healing. All the pain you caused broke my heart, too, because I had to watch her suffer. I can’t let her get hurt like that again.”

“I didn’t realize we hurt you…” Bash trailed off.

“Yeah, you usually don’t think of how your actions impact others. That’s the entire issue here. If you four can prove to me that you’re serious about being better men, I’ll help you win herback. But I’m telling you right now, I won’t help you cross her boundaries or disrespect her.” I meant it. I refused to put her in any more pain.

Desmond crossed the room, then wrapped me in a hug. His scent surrounded me and even after everything that happened, his arms still felt like home. “Thank you for being there for her.”

“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be than by her side,” I confessed, taken aback by his affection and gratitude. Desmond wasn’t the warmest, fuzziest of the four of us. He wasn’t Bash’s level of cold, but he kept his feelings close to the vest.

“At first, I was so mad you left with her. You got to be with her and I didn’t…I missed you both. Then I realized she needed you…because of the awful shit we did.” Ares teared up as he wrapped Desmond and I in his big, hairy arms. His body heat was a humid summer air swirling around me.

“I’m not going down without a fight. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep what’s mine,” Bash promised us all as he reluctantly joined our hug.

I searched for Azazel, finding him in the same spot on the intact end of the couch. “I don’t think there’s any hope for me. I shattered her trust beyond repair, and she deserved better. I’m still giving this war one hundred percent… Whatever way she needs me, I’ll be there for her.”

Ares broke free from our man-hug, then lifted Azazel to his feet. He gripped his shoulders and stared into his honey eyes.

“If the world ended tomorrow, would you regret not chasing her?” He demanded.

“Ares, it’s pointless,” Azazel responded. “You saw how it ended…”

“No, don’t think about it. If Red attacked the compound again—decimated the entire thing and ended us right here and now—would you regret not making things right? You’re her compass, Feathers. She needs you!”

Azazel wiped the tears in his eyes. Ares brought him into a hug, resting his chin on top of Azazel’s head. “Yes. I already regret every day we’ve been apart.”

“That settles it then. You four need to make a plan for how you’re going to win her back.”

“No, the five of us are going to make a plan,” Desmond corrected me. “I understand where you’re coming from, but we don’t work unless it’s a team effort. I won’t lose her, or you. We need you, Mal.”

I sighed, knowing that I was caught in a catch-22. After several moments of silence spent contemplating my options, I realized that without my help, they were bound to make it worse. Their expectant, anxious gazes were the final nail in my coffin.

“Okay, where do we start?”

Their ideas were…garbage.After hours of brainstorming, we didn’t get very far. Ares wanted to bombard her with love and affection, giving her no space or room to breathe. He called it “Operation Greek Glue”. I shot that down immediately, because it would only push her away. Bash wanted to trespass into her dreams, and subliminally influence her decision to give us another chance. He was the only one who didn’t understand how his plan was a gross invasion of her privacy.

“Both of your plans are too much.” I took a sip of the Cherry Coke I grabbed from the fridge.

“Diana is a cat, you can’t force her to do anything,” Desmond explained to us. “If you do, she’ll scratch your eye out. If we keep a consistent presence around her day in and day out and be on our best behavior, she’ll come around on her own.”

“Add in waiting on her hand and foot, and you’re onto something,” Azazel added.

“Or she’ll act aloof toward us because like a cat, she doesn’t actually need us,” Bash grumbled.

“What about a grand gesture?” Ares suggested. “I’ve always wanted to flashmob her. Maybe throw her a welcome back party? Or whisk her off to a private island vacation,” he mused.

“We can table that as a backup idea,” Azazel offered, patting Ares’ shoulder. Ares gave him a hug, and I realized how touchy feely they’ve been since I got here… Interesting.

A knock at the door interrupted our planning.

“It’s Judas,” Bash huffed in exasperation. “Fuck off, you twat.”

“Let me in, fuckers. I have news about your lady,” he teased through the door in a mocking voice.

Desmond must have lifted the fade wards, because Judas materialized into the room a few seconds later. “Judas.”

“No ‘Hello, how are you, my favorite vampire bestie?” He pretended to be hurt. “You wound me.”

---