Stubborn Love

[Judah Dashiell]

Watching [member="Thessa Kai"] work her way to their bathroom, Judah sat there in near disbelief. In fact, he was fairly certain his mouth was slightly ajar, and not from the sight of his half-naked wife. He couldn't believe she waltzed back into his life and started to dictate who he could and could not trust. While he appreciated the gesture on some level -- needing to be cautious -- it struck a nerve. Resentment lingered from her being away for so long, for not contacting him, for the sleepless nights.


"So....you can run off to who knows where, not contact me for months on end....come back with the smallest of explanations. Yet the minute you come back, I'm grilled about a single woman like a petulant child."


There was a small scoff, a mental chide for himself, as if deep down somewhere he knew this would happen.


" I'm glad that was the first thing on your mind. The first thing after being back home with your family. I don't know what happened out there, those months you were gone. You might want to get checked for space madness, especially after that speech. You act like I'm some spineless, untrustworthy scum. I never thought you'd be the one not to trust me, to trust my decisions."



A part of him knew she was watching out for their son. Watching out for her husband. The delivery had pushed him over the edge ever so slightly. Months of worry and the first thing on her mind was [member="Danger Arceneau"] ? Shaking his head at his own stupidity, Judah got up to leave. Thessa had made up her mind, he wasn't going to be able to change it.

 

[Thessa Kai]

[member="Judah Dashiell"]

She cringed, keeping her back to him so he wouldn't see the pain on her face. Hadn't she just warned him to be careful? She didn't say she didn't trust him. This was part of the blow-out she expected from him last night. And he was....sticking up for the other woman. What happened when you were sworn to secrecy? When you had come back from so much clandestine work? When she had almost died a thousand times over on such dangerous missions it was a wonder she was able to sleep at all? When she was probably suffering from some deep, DEEP PTSD...barely keeping it in check? Barely keeping the monstrous things she had seen and lived through from overtaking her dreams and waking hours?

Yes, this Danger woman had been there. Been present. But was Judah so blinded now he wouldn't even listen to a word of caution from his wife, even though estranged? She knew Danger had shady-dealings and if Judah wouldn't listen to reason, so be it. And who the feth gave a child a company besides Chump Trump?! Super sketchy. Apparently years of being together was nothing compared to the last few months. And it stung - hurt as much as she knew it would, even though she tried to prepare for Judah's frustration and his anger.

She didn't blame him. Somewhere. But it still fething hurt. She could feel herself wanting to shut down. Wanting to just let him walk out. Let him leave. Let him have the last word. Would that be better? Would it let him be more at peace?

The problem was, she was fething Thessa Kai.

Angry tears filled her eyes and she prayed Makai was downstairs so he wouldn't hear this.

"When did I say I didn't trust you?!" She spun around, jacket slipping to the floor. "And when is me saying be careful grilling you about ANOTHER WOMAN? If you want to see a petulant child, look in the mirror Mister Dashiell."

Fingers trembled as she fiddled with the buttons on her shirt. Why wouldn't these gorram things come off? Why did people even wear shirts with buttons?!

 

[Judah Dashiell]

[member="Thessa Kai"]



Well, that had done it. Frustrations were boiling over on both sides of the spectrum. Judah had taken the attack personally, feeling as if it was an affront to his decision making skills. Skills that had been unquestioned for some time. It was foreign at the moment, knowing his wife was really back home and back into their friendship, their partnership. The realization hadn't sunk in quite yet that she wasn't headed back out the door without a second glance.


Hands came to steady hers, stopping the fumbling with her shirt, a battle she was clearly losing.


"Listen." Voice was quiet, measured. More heat wasn't what this fire needed. "I'm not sticking up for another woman. I'm....I'm trying to get you to see things my way and failing."


"How would you feel if I came home after several months and nearly immediately warned you about some new pilot friend you were in contact with. I don't know this person. I've only heard second hand information. You'd be a little upset too, right? Like I didn't trust you because of this friend.....that I didn't have enough faith in you to make the right decisions."


" Am I frustrated? Of course. It doesn't mean I hate you or I want a divorce or anything like that. I'm frustrated because I want to spend time with you catching up, not talking about someone that doesn't really matter in our day to day lives. You're focused on her and not us....frankly I like us a whole lot better."

 

[Thessa Kai]

[member="Judah Dashiell"]

"I know. I know." She squeezed his hand. "Wait. Whoever said anything about a divorce? And I'm NOT FOCUSING ON HER." Hands slipped from his. "Stop putting words in my mouth." Driftwood-brows crinkled in frustration.

"One second you're gentle and understanding and the next you're flipping out. Which, I get. But I can't come back with you swaying like a pendulum from one side to another. If you're mad at me get it out now. Right now."

Mentally, she braced herself, arms crossing over a half unbuttoned shirt.

 

[Judah Dashiell]

"Yeah,I'm frustrated. I wouldn't go so far as saying mad."


He watched as her arms crossed across the shirt.Bracing herself for the worst,he could see it in her body language.Judah was at a loss for what to do. Being angry wasn't working. A gentler approach didn't seem to work either,it just made her on guard.


"What do you want me to do? I don't even know what to say anymore."


Staring at her,it was true. Yeah he probably looked like a drooling idiot right now. If he said anything it only seemed to make her angry. Or act as if he was putting words in her mouth. Somewhere along the way their way of communication got crossed. They had always relied more on actions than words,not something that worked after a period apart.


[member="Thessa Kai"]

 

[Thessa Kai]

[member="Judah Dashiell"]

"I don't know." Fingers tugged at her hair. "Fine, frustrated. Whatever it is. Just, if you have something to say, say it to me."

Turning around, she tugged off the last buttons and let the shirt fall to the floor. Hands still trembled. She clutched them closely to her stomach. Blinking, she saw flashes of crimson turbo-lasers. Blink-red-RED. Blink-blink-RED.

 

[Judah Dashiell]

[member="Thessa Kai"]



"I....I already said it....this is just becoming circular. You already know how I feel on the situation. I just told you."


Eyes drifted across her form. Even from the back she was making him distracted. It had been a long time, a real long time since....well, since he had any type of company. It didn't seem she was paying attention to his words. Maybe she just didn't care. Maybe there were other things on her mind beyond their argument. Judah was a little worried about Makai overhearing his parents fighting. Thessa had just come back, he didn't want the boy worried to death about his mother leaving again.


"I...uh..." Damn she was distracting. "I'm just going to go downstairs....There really isn't a point to this, you're going to believe what you want..."

 

[Thessa Kai]

[member="Judah Dashiell"]

There he went again, blaming her. "No, please don't leave me." She turned, blinking and pushed her hand through the air as if to wave a nightmare away. "I mean. You don't have to stay. Just. Do what you want to. I don't want to cause you anymore pain."

Wincing, fingers came up to pinch the bridge of her nose.

 

[Judah Dashiell]

[member="Thessa Kai"]


Judah watched her fight with herself. It wasn't the first time in their relationship, she was a stubborn woman, a lot of her personal burdens she kept just that -- personal. He understood to a certain point but where was his role in this? While he was standing there staring stupidly at her barely clothed form, something clicked in his head.


She was pushing him away. On purpose. It was just taking him longer than usual to understand her actions.


Judah moved closer to her, hand reaching out to pull her closer. Hand slipped along her form, frowning slightly as they ran across her rib cage. It was clear she had lost too much weight but it was different to feel the bones underneath his hand. Head bent down to meet hers, lips meeting. He kissed her gently, lingering along her bottom lip. He kept her close to his form, moving down to kiss along her neck. Warm breath blew across her scale-speckled skin.


"This. Been waiting to do that since you stepped in the door..." Another kiss fell on her collarbone..."but it seems we got distracted along the way..."

 

[Thessa Kai]

[member="Judah Dashiell"]

His arms felt strong. Steady. Like they always had. Lips met his - a physical reaction that didn't wait for her mind to catch up. "Oh Judah," whisper grunted from her mouth, warm breath cascading down his neck. All her earlier concerns were gone.

All arguments and insecurities and pain melted away with every touch, every kiss of his lips. Fingers moved to take off his shirt and whatever was left to take off. "I've been waiting too and it's been hell." She grinned against him before planting another long kiss.

 

[Judah Dashiell]

"I think we have a few minutes."


He wasn't sure what [member="Thessa Kai"] was going through. There was a bit of a struggle going on internally, feeding his own frustrations that had lay dormant under the surface. Fed up, he had ended up kissing her to get her to come around and one thing had led to another. Clothes had scattered on the floor and across their room. Scale speckled hand lazily drifted through his curls, causing eyes to droop, drifting back off to sleep....


........that was, until they both realized a little Tadpole had been sent downstairs to rally breakfast. Neptune only knew the potential state of their kitchen, but one would suspect pancake batter had somehow made it onto the ceiling.