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[renegade_reaper]

Beat oughta known somethin' was goin' to happen. He'd gotten too comfortable where he was, too content to let things jus' happen instead of worryin'. The reminder hit him like someone had thrown a brick at him, leavin' him to jus' stare numbly at the thing he found at the foot of his bed.

The pin was exactly how he remembered it. Hanekoma had done

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[turnthebadinme]

She wasn't looking for him. Having not seen him all day, not even when she'd gone to his hut, Serena was keeping an eye out for Beat, yes, and that fact, these days, meant a little inherent panic sitting low in her. These days, that didn't mean much at all. She'd fallen into a habit of worrying over nothing, which meant refusing to worry. So she wasn't looking for him.

Out on the beach, where she wound up sooner or later most days, she was wandering aimlessly, barefoot through the sand. She'd successfully set aside all worries and cares, determinedly cheerful, until she spotted him, sitting not much further up the beach. Walking quickly toward him at first, she soon slowed and then stopped, hanging a few feet back, uncertainty bringing her relief to a crashing halt. "Beat?"

[renegade_reaper]

Beat oughta known he'd eventually be found out by someone he knew. Part of him wasn't surprised at all it was Serena, even. Didn't mean he found himself at a loss of what to do now that someone noticed him. In a way, her presence was both a comfort an' somethin' that added to the guilt he was feelin'. Why did he have all this, and Rhyme still be dead? All he'd ever been was an idiot an' a coward. It jus' wasn't right.

"Yo," he finally managed out, though he didn't look over at her. He'd tried to sound put together, but even he knew he'd failed at that real quick.

[turnthebadinme]

This wasn't worrying over nothing. What it was, she didn't yet know - almost didn't want to know, though that was a horrible thing to think. She'd just never been very good at dealing with things until she had to. Whatever this was, she had to.

Closing the last few feet, she dropped down beside him, laying a hand on his arm and a kiss on his cheek without stopping to think about it. With her chin on his shoulder, she bit her lip, falling quiet for a few moments. "What's wrong?" she asked finally. The silence shouldn't have felt so heavy, not with the sound of waves still evident nearby.

[renegade_reaper]

There wasn't any way he could think to say he suddenly had a real need to go back an' have it not sound bad. It was the problem he'd been gettin' real good at ignorin' lately - it wasn't so simple as waitin' to be sent back anymore. He had stuff here, whether he deserved it or not.

"Island's messin' with me real good," he said, voice soundin' hoarse as he looked down at the pin again. It occurred to him only then that she didn't know any of what happened at all, or why he be upset 'bout what he was carryin'. At the time, keepin' her in the dark 'bout the things he'd done had been a good idea. Now he had no choice, not really, an' all he could think was that he'd have to deal with her lookin' down on him, too. Takin' a deep breath, he kept his eyes on the pin in his hand an' not at her. "There's...there's a lot I ain't been tellin' you, Serena. Ain't good stuff, neither."