synthneon | oceanview || ❝ i must guide my love through the night. ❞

oceanview || ❝ i must guide my love through the night. ❞

OCEANVIEW II

into the dark, dark, dark.

I’m fighting to save my love somеhow
I cannot feel her by my side
Even in this placе inside my mind CODE BY TESSISAMESS

[ She nods as best she can. The motion makes her head swim and a dull ache form. The brief discomfort that forms on her face before she decides to rest against the pillows again. ] Then, we stay in bed a few hours. We'll sort the rest out later.

[ Ultimately, she isn't sure what their next move in terms of recovery should be. She's not used to down time in the middle of everything. She imagines the field agents will send someone, have her be checked up on, offer updates. Once they get to that point she'll have an idea of what to do. Other than that... all she can really think to do is. Time for them. ]

I bought one. Red and black. [ Jesse's expression almost looks playful. Hadn't she worn it in one loop? Maybe. They all blur to a weird dream of images that seem to never end. ] Not exactly matching, but, close enough. Once we replace yours.

It would be something. I've never been to something like it.

[ Part of her worries he doesn't want the time the way she does. In that sense that perhaps he's just going with the flow, and she's distracting from sleep or his need to take care of her. Once it's clear he wants to stop or no longer interested? She'll stop. The last thing she wants to do is make the wrong move and push him away. Especially not now, not with how long it's taken them to come back to this point.

She moves to her back, gently guiding him to join her. She doesn't mind if he's above her, needing to lean on her as well. Her side isn't damaged. It's just her head that comes and goes in terms of feeling heavy or not. Heavy, drifting, floating. Sometimes it feels like mud, and sometimes it feels like she can't focus. Well, can't focus on anything other than his mouth on hers.

There's a tinge of hunger she can't keep from any of her kisses. That ever present need to touch him or be close. Maybe once they're finally able to be together that will lessen. For now, however, both her hands move to curl into his hair at the back of his head. It's soft. Usually it's dirty or wet due to whatever the hell is going on. Now, though... now it's how it should be. Soft, clean, and maybe still needing to be a little shorter. ]

[ He nods too, but his attention zeroes in on her almost immediately. She's always hidden what she's thinking or feeling behind an inscrutable expression, but sometimes Alan feels as though he sees things slip through. Maybe it's because he believes he knows what to look for, or maybe he's just fooling himself, but he thinks he sees a hint of discomfort in her eyes as she nods.

Alan makes a mental note to himself then, because he'd be lying if he said he isn't worried about Jesse. Make sure she doesn't move too much, or push herself too hard. I don't know exactly what kind of damage a psychic event like that does, but I can imagine it's not good. I can shrug off a bruise. What she's dealing with shouldn't be shrugged off. I get the feeling that Estevez wouldn't be the only one ticked off if something happened to her on my watch.

He pulls himself back to the present and to Jesse, and his eyebrows lift in surprise. ] You did? Red and black, huh? Are those your favorite colors?

[ Another layer of the Jesse onion. Maybe one day I'll peel all of them back. Or not. Everyone should have their secrets, things they won't tell anyone else. I don't need to know everything there is about her. It's enough that she's letting me in. ]

It would be something. I've never been to it either. [ Not the real Deerfest, anyway. Alan doesn't consider anything with flying deer heads a good experience.

He wants all the time that they can manage to have, which he knows isn't going to be very much. So he intends to be grateful for what they have, instead of wishing for more, when that's not possible.

When she moves to her back, he watches her closely, moving with her almost automatically when he feels her guiding him down to follow her. The only problem is trying to find a comfortable position that agitates his side less, but even if he never manages to find one, Alan's not really worried about that. Even a little discomfort is worth being able to be with her like this, especially since the next time they have this chance, he might not be himself. He might not be awake. I might not even remember.

But now he's awake, and he remembers, and there's just as much hunger in his kisses and the speed with which he gives them as there is in hers. He leans in, being careful not to lean on her too much, but the feel of her hand at the back of his head, curling into his hair, is more soothing than any ice pack could ever be.

His hand slides around her back, curling around her hip, while his other hand twines itself in her hair too, as he presses another kiss against her mouth. ]

[ Psychic injuries like this are definitely a first for her. She's been on the brunt end of objects thrown, cement thrown, pieces of ...whatever the Astral Plane is made of. Polaris has never directly injured her, so, she can't say she knows the right way to proceed. Laying down and trying to keep things somewhat steady in her movements seems to be the best idea. She can already hear Emily freaking out but also wanting to study the damage.

Another smile is his reward for the question. ] Not... exactly. I just thought it'd match, y'know. [ A hand raises to gesture to the red hair. ] I usually wear blacks and blues.

Oh. [ A look of understanding crosses her face then. Right. The AWE in 2010 happened right before Deerfest--just like this one. Her lips press together for a brief moment before she nods again. The look of discomfort crosses her eyes briefly. ] Then, we'll definitely need to stay here a few more days. A good welcome home memory, right?

[ Her gaze flicks down to his side, trying to adjust in a way that might help with his injury. Medical professionals would say that this might not the best activity, but Jesse could really care less. The exhaustion will most likely catch up to them before their injuries anyways. As much as she hates to think it.

You can let go.

She can't pin the exact moment he said that to her. But, it's definitely Alan's voice, and not just a memory wearing his voice. Something he told her in that way he asks for her to trust him. It still takes a moment for her to convince herself to lower that wall, and that's hardly his fault. At least she can lower the wall now. There was a time she was unable to do that.

Her hands move from his hair to his shoulders so she can wrap her arms around him as she finally does let go of that control. The motions are still not as quick as she'd like due to the insistent pounding in her head, but, she deepens the kiss. Hopefully he won't pull or shy away from her now. ]

[ Maybe that's half of Alan's issue with this whole thing. He can fight off Taken, and he can write things to fix other things that he may or may not have made happen himself, but he can't fix or heal the lingering damage that Jesse's still dealing with. What good am I if I can't do that? Am I even helping her at all? ]

I bet it looks good on you. [ He smiles at her in return as his gaze travels briefly to admire her red hair. ] I bet most things look good on you.

[ He allows himself another minute or two of just looking at her, taking her in and trying to memorize all the details he sees. Maybe it won't do any good, with how easily his memories get pulled from him, but he does it anyway. ]

Do you think you can do that? [ Can I do that? Will the story let me? ] That would be a great welcome home memory. But as far as memories go? This one is already great.

[ He's awake, and she's with him. Kissing him. Touching him. He feels safe, even if safety is never a guarantee. It's more of an illusion, in his mind. But right here in this moment, he feels like it's real.

Even if all she's doing is touching his hair, and then his shoulders as she wraps her arms around him, he can't stop the low contented moan that escapes him and the breathless way he whispers her name against her lips. She draws reactions from him that he'd forgotten he knew he was capable of, and he's not complaining about it one bit.

I wish that this could just be forever, instead of something temporary. I don't want this to end.

But Alan can't shake the feeling that this will end, sooner or later, and all the wishing in the world won't keep that from happening. It makes him want to hold onto her tighter, kiss her deeper, and not let her go for anything in the world. ]

[ She would argue he is doing her plenty of good. Healing psychic trauma may be nothing more than rest and relaxation. Something they definitely don't have much of at the moment. The thought had crossed her mind that maybe the injury was the price paid for changing the story--saving her, Saga, and putting them back in. If so? She'll pay the price. Saga is a key component somehow, and well, she will fight tooth and nail to keep Alan. ]

Just good on me? [ She gives a smirk, but, doesn't expect much playback from it. ] I usually don't wear dresses. There's never been a real good time to wear one, and, the job isn't really dress friendly. Unless I decide to be a desk Director.

[ « Which, fat chance on that. I can't ask people to go into danger if I'm not willing to do it. That's not the kind of leader I want to be. » ]

Once we end this AWE? Yeah, I think we can. There's going to be interviews and paperwork and... whatever else Kiran needs. Maybe I'll mandate everyone take a breather and enjoy Deerfest. Writer parautalitarians included. Director's orders.

[ The breathless way her name comes from him is enough to send one shiver up her spine, but the gentle moan from him makes her inhale sharply. Not controlled, no walls. Just excitement. The fact she could do this for another person when she's very bad at people.

Well, any people that apparently aren't Alan Wake.

She can feel that familiar sense of wanting to grow louder inside her. Amplify. It's a part of her, as much as she'd want to hide it. It's embarrassing because it's not normal. That connection with Polaris--that need to amplify--is what drives it. It's otherworldly and she's not sure Alan is willingly to put up with it every time they get... like this.

Her lips brush along his as she mouths his name. Fingers press into his shoulders and she shifts against him. Probably not the best thing to do while injured, but, she's let herself go for the moment. ]

[ Too many people along the way have paid prices of varying levels, and the last thing Alan wants is for Jesse to have to pay more than she already has, because of him. He knows that if he thinks about this for too long, he'll start to spiral, and the waves will come back in, and that's the last thing he wants. But from his perspective, all he can see is the trouble he's caused, and that he continues to cause.

Will this ever stop? Will I find a way to either end this, or to do it on my own so that no one else gets hurt? ]

On you, off you... You'd look good either way. [ He tries to smirk, but it falls a bit flat given the worries lurking in the back of his mind. ]

You're confident that we can end this. [ That I can end this. I know that I did it once, but that was different. That didn't take me thirteen years. ] But even if it doesn't happen as soon as I'd like, I would like to enjoy Deerfest. With you, and with everyone else. But mostly you.

[ He shivers too, in spite of himself, and as he shifts to move against her too, wanting nothing to be between them, his side protests, but he resolutely ignores it. He might have gotten knocked around by the Taken, but nothing is going to stop him from having this moment with Jesse.

With the hand that's resting against her hip, fingers ghost against what they can reach of the skin there, tracing against it in small patterns. In the places where her fingers touch, pressing into his shoulders, little sparks like fireworks seem to go off beneath his skin.

The Taken might come once nightfall arrives again, but as long as it is still light out, all Alan wants is these moments between them to get to know each other, fully and completely. And what better way to do that than to touch each other, explore what they can reach of each other's bodies, to know the other both inside and out?

In a lot of ways, they have the "inside" part covered. They explored the outside too, once, in a loop... maybe more than once. But for Alan, the difference now is that this time, he's awake. The waves are staying back, and he can remember. The nightmares have tried taking him over, and they'll try to do it again, but for now, he's letting go of the fears he has so that he can be with her and be present.

His lips brush against hers, but that's not as far as he goes. It's hesitant, as if he doesn't want to force what he's about to do on her, but if she doesn't like it, she can always push him away.

But he won't know her reaction until he tries, and so summoning up what nerve he can, he lightly traces the outline, the outside of her lip with the tip of his tongue. He knows she doesn't welcome touch, especially when she isn't expecting it, so he expects this to be something she doesn't welcome either. ]

[ She would argue the price she's paid is worth it. Sure, she's been knocked down for now. But, she's the Director. She'll bounce back by the time she's really needed. Besides, Anderson is alive, so is Steve, Estevez and Alan is here. Home. It's a small trade off and if that's what it takes? Fine by her.

The flat smile doesn't go unnoticed. Jesse's own fades slightly, pressing her forehead to his. Right. Not the time for light joking. She understands. ]

Yes, I am. I know you can find a way to end it all. You did it before, and maybe it seemed just as hopeless. But, you've got more tools and people this time around who can help. We just need to line the pieces up right.

[ Jesse let's a small smile shine in her eyes. ] Deerfest together. Got it. I'd say maybe even Coffee World... but we do have the business owners of that locked up at the Sherrif Station. It may not reopen soon.

[ Jesse can hardly recall the loop where this all started--the story and them. Bits and pieces survived, but not necessarily images with them. She knows the basics of anything in interviews they've had, who Alan is as a person, that they were intimate before, and that Scratch got the upper hand on her.

Everything else blurs and seems to come back in moments that are similar but different. Seeing him sleep on the couch is one of those instances. She must have fallen quick and fast if they've been intimate before. Something that he said or did opened that door for her to trust him more. What that is seems to be lost in to merged loops, but, she knows it happened. She can feel it with no hesitation.

And, given he's a writer, he probably remembers certain things without even realizing it. She just has an alien in her head that helps.

His fingers at her hip cause her back to arc into him. She leans into his touch to encourage him, a sharp gasp managing to escape her. Normally she might freeze and curl up at the sudden touches, but, it's Alan. She knows him and he knows her--and she can trust him. Even with something like this.

Another gasp comes from her as he outlines her lip. Her hips shift again followed by a sound she'd say is sort of like a moan, but not entirely. One hand moves to the base of his neck into his hair and the other presses into his back more. Suddenly he's not close enough and she feels like she's melting into his arms.

Weird, given she has never liked the feeling any other time. Losing control, melting. Only with him.]

[ It might be worth it this time; what they've managed to gain might make this time worth it, but what about the next time? What wil the price be then? Who will have to pay it? Alan's been trying all along to limit the damage, even though the Dark Presence has fought him every step of the way. Once it's in the story, I have to use it. Even if I hate it. Even if it's not what I'd do.

If he can direct most of the damage to himself rather than to other people, that's good. Not good for him, but paying any kind of price never is. He's the one who started all of this; shouldn't he shoulder most of the fallout whenever possible? Yes. Yes, I have to do that. I have to fix this.

If he were in a better, lighter mood, he would have joked right back. He wants to do that; he wants to be happy, to make jokes, to laugh. ] Sorry. You're trying to help, trying to bring the mood up, and I'm just- [ A downer. The worst downer that's ever existed. ]

I wish I had half of your confidence. I had it, once, before all of this. But maybe you're right. Maybe this time, the key isn't just me. The key is you. Everyone who's trying to help in their own way. [ Not Scratch. He's trying to take everything away from me. I can't let him. ]

I know about Deerfest, but Coffee World? [ It sounds like an interesting place, at least, even if it doesn't sound likely that they'll get to check it out. There's probably a story there, and he hopes it's not one he had anything to do with. But knowing his luck? It probably is.

Encouraged by her reactions, he begins to be a little bolder with his explorations. Nothing outrageous, not forcing anything on her, but occasionally exploring a little bit past her lips before pulling back. This isn't his first time being intimate with another person, even if there's still a lot of "firsts" for them. But he can't help but feel apprehensive somehow, as if his advances might turn out to be unwelcome.

He feels her hand pressing into his back, and he feels her seemingly shift against him, almost melting into his hold, which in turn causes him to pull in his arms tighter around her, holding her closer as he presses a deep kiss onto her mouth. ]

It's okay. [ The tone in her says she means what she says. ] Sometimes it's not the time or place to joke around.

[ He's always been a bit broody and moody. That just helps build the charm and mystique of Alan Wake.

A small smile touches her face. She presses her forehead to his. ] We just need to help you find that confidence again.

Maybe the key is all of it. Not just one particular piece or person? All these little things building up together. [ A huff of a laugh. ] It's an amusement park based around coffee. I thought it might be your kind of place.

[ His advances are anything but unwelcome. She tries to communicate that in their kiss when he returns to place a deep one on her mouth. There's a hunger and a need to come together. Not just her as Jesse, but the part that resonates with the spark inside him. Letting go means allowing that part to drive her as well... and that is what scares and worries her. His reaction to it.

Regardless of it, her hips press against his and she rocks into him as best she can. Fingers at his neck gently brush along the hairline and base of his neck, trying to find out what he likes. Where she can touch him to make him let go as well. ]

Is it? Is it really okay? [ A flash of doubt shows in his eyes for just a moment. He can hear it in her tone of voice that it is, but he still can't stop himself from asking. As for his charm and mystique, whatever he might have had that lent itself to those qualities seems to have been lost, in his own honest opinion of himself. Of course, everyone is their own harshest critic, and Alan is no exception to that. ]

Between you and me, I think that's a futile effort. A lost cause.

[ He shrugs, rolling his shoulders noncommittally. ] I never was very good at puzzles. Maybe that's why I can't write myself out of this one. [ He does manage to smile at her further description of Coffee World. ] If it reopens, we should go. Make it a date. Well, not a date, just two people going to see an attraction at the same time. Coincidentally.

[ It's totally a date.

With that kiss, it becomes clear to Alan that she welcomes his advances, and wants more of them besides. But she surprises him when she brushes her fingers against the hairline and the base of his neck. If getting him to let go is her goal, she's off to a good start. His head tips back just slightly, not far enough to break the kiss, but just enough to indicate a pleased response to her touches.

His lips are still on hers, and he takes the briefest of breaths before going in again for another kiss. Her touches to the back of his neck, an admittedly sensitive spot, have teased out a response, but he has yet to fully let go. ]

Yes, it is. [ Jesse presses against his forehead. They've survived their first night (again) against the Taken. They're both injured. It may not be the right time for such levity. Somewhere between light and dark of the situation seems to be the right area. ] Maybe. I think you just need to find that spark inside you again.

[ She feels Polaris shift in agreement. Even a shimmer appears. ]

And Polaris agrees. [ There is a certainty in her voice that only seems to come out when she's talking about her friend. A hint at that special connection. ] She'll help however she can.

[ Her eyebrows raise at his proposal of their date, but not really a date. Jesse can't help but almost giggle at it. It's a small one, almost stiffled, but it's clear what it is. ]

Alan. That's a date. [ She smiles then. ] We've never gone on a date. Have we?

[ « With everything going on... we've never had one. We've shared things with each other, been intimate, even agreed to have a life together. But... we've never had a date. Like a normal couple. Could we manage it now? I know it's an AWE, but there's so much down time in the day... » ]

Let's get breakfast tomorrow. The two of us. [ Part of her can't believe she's suggesting it. She hasn't been on a date in years. Would he really want to go out with everything going on? ] We can work out what to do next. Have some coffee. Enjoy a meal together.

[ « I... really like the sound of it. Will he? Maybe not. »

She meets him back for a kiss. He seems to like being touched where she's exploring. Maybe because it's been so long since he has? Before all the loops that is. Being trapped in the Dark Place for so long... with just memories of what it was like to talk to people. Be with them. Does he really remember everything from the loops and versions of the story?

Her other hand would move along his side, but she's afraid of accidently touching the bruise there. Instead, she gently slides her fingers up his arm, down his back, then rounds along the waistline of his sweatpants. Ones she thinks he looks good in--relaxed and comfortable.

She breaks from their kiss long enough to lock her eyes onto his again. There's a question in her gaze as her fingers glide along the skin at his hip. Should she keep going? Or, should she reign herself back in for him? She can pull it back--box it up and control it if he needs her to. ]

Okay. [ He knows the answer comes too quickly, to automatically. He's certain she won't believe him. She won't believe that he's accepting her answer, and she won't believe that he believes it's possible for that spark that's gone out to come alive again. He doesn't believe it, because even if it does come back to life, something will snuff it right back out.

He doesn't say it, because it's bordering too much on harshness for his liking. He might have not shown so much consideration thirteen years ago, but now, knowing what he does about the shared bond between Jesse and Polaris, and the added fact that sometimes he's just too tired to expend the energy on cutting words silences him. But there is a part of him that's buried deep inside that questions Polaris's ability to be truly helpful.

Still, saying that to her would accomplish nothing except maybe earn him a dose of anger. Deserved anger, but it's not something he wants to set himself up for, not willingly. ]

It is? Really? [ He manages a half-smirk to show that he's joking. ] No, we've never gone on a date. I don't know if anything we could do here would count as one. If I'm going to take you on a date, it's going to go the whole nine yards, because- well, you deserve it. [ And I don't want her telling Steve or anyone else that I was a bad date. ]

Breakfast with you sounds great. [ He knows he'd have some hurdles he'd have to find a way to climb over, because eating is still an idea he has trouble with. But sleeping was a hurdle too, and he managed to do that, at least for a little while. Maybe if he just starts slowly, he can manage it. ] Just being with you sounds great.

[ But I don't think she'd like it if she ate and I just watched.

Her touches make him feel as though he could just go weak at the knees, and not only because it's been so long since anyone touched him. She could touch him anywhere and he'd react the same, because it's her, and he loves her. Even if she's still discovering what makes him respond, the truth is that he would respond to anything she decided to do.

And the memories of events that happen within the loops are slippery things; sometimes he can recall details from them, while other times, the details fade away, buried by other memories. He'd say his sense of recall is pretty bad, given how things slip in and out of his mind. An effect of the Dark Place, most likely.

Her touches make him shiver in her hold, but it's a pleasurable kind of shiver. If she keeps on touching him like this, he'll be little more than putty in her hands for her to do whatever she likes with. He can feel a glazed over look settling into his eyes, not because he's drifting away in the waves, but because he's losing himself in a moment of sheer pleasure. And all she's doing is touching and kissing him.

With some effort, he pulls himself out of that well of pleasure just in time for her to lock eyes with him. He sees that question in her own eyes, and by way of an answer, he rocks his hips against hers slowly at first, but increasing in pace. In his mind, there's no need for either of them to rein themselves in, not anymore. ]

[ Her eyebrows raise, but that's the only expression she gives him. No words, no extra movements. So much of Alan seems to be lost in his own head. Polaris insists she can guide him back--just as she did her amplifier. Jesse choses to believe in her oldest friend. Not just because of years built on trust, but, because the alternative is too dark for her to accept.

He's lost enough. More of himself is too much.

She nudges his leg gently with his joking. It's good to see him joke. Have some sort of semblance of levity. ]

I might not deserve it. Still, it'd be... well, I can't say I've had a date like that. I mean. I've been on dates. Just not the kind you're probably thinking of.

[ She nods then, a certain glow in her eyes. ] Breakfast it is then. Something small and light for now.

[ Her heart skips a beat at the look in his eyes. She knows what it's like to see him drift away, something pulling his mind from his surroundings and leaving him saying whatever comes to him. She can tell he's still with her, just lost in the moment. It's almost a laser focus on the details of his expression. Notes to herself so she can tell what's somewhat going on in his head.

His gaze locks back to hers and he shifts against her.

That's enough of an answer for her.

Jesse kisses him again. Hungry, needy, but making sure not to move her head too much. It feels the wrong sort of dizzying when she nods or moves too fast side to side. Instead, she focuses on keeping her head still and ghosting her open mouth against his lips.

Was it like this in the first circle through the story? Or has it only built with every passing version until tensions have reached to this point? She can't say she remembers well. While most her memories seem more reliable than his? It's namely the emotions she remembers from that very first time. Everything else has been washed away by a tide.

Her hips rock against his, fingers moving under the waist line of the sweats. She moves her fingers along, pressing when he rocks against the right spot. A soft moan echoes against his lips as she shifts to rock in time with him. At least, as best as she can. She imagines he knows those right places to make her let go entirely and just be in the moment. ]

[ Maybe he lets himself be lost in his head too much. It's what the Dark Presence wants: to pull him away until there's nothing of him left, and that's when it'll swoop in. Maybe if he fought it more, he wouldn't drift away from her so much. But what does fighting it look like, anyway? For him, it's complicated, but what seems to somewhat ground him is thinking about her. Not just any old thoughts about her, but thoughts about her with him in their reality.

Yes, it's my reality too. I keep forgetting that. Or something is making me forget that. But it's where I'm from, where I belong, if I can believe what she keeps saying. ]

I know it's stupid, and you're probably thinking: oh, it's Alan Wake, just another rich guy throwing his money around. But- well, I don't know if I'm that rich guy anymore. Who knows what happened to what I owned? It probably all went to Alice. But... maybe if I write more books and they sell really well, I'll have the money to take you on a really nice date.

[ If she looks close enough, she'll notice that Alan's eyes have lit up as well, as if just the thought of treating her to a nice date has rekindled some kind of spark inside him. Maybe it's not the spark he needs to finally be free of this place, but at least it's a spark. ]

And coffee, right? [ The memory's a faint one because it feels like it happened a long time ago now, but he vaguely remembers a thermos of coffee that he didn't drink. Maybe this time, he'll actually eat and drink something. Maybe.

She kisses him again, and the kiss takes his breath away, but that feeling of breathlessness doesn't bother him. All he can focus on is the feel of her lips against his, and the way her hands rest along his back, her fingers moving beneath the fabric of the pants he borrowed. A thought enters his mind then, one that he wants to follow through with but is unsure what Jesse would think. Given what she's wearing at the moment, he thinks it wouldn't be strange, but his mind doesn't want to stop overthinking it.

Instead, he continues rocking his hips against hers, trying to find a rhythm that puts them in sync with each other. He wants to let go of his own hesitations and let his hands travel everywhere he can reach, exploring her, but he still finds himself pausing and trying to pull back on that urge. We've done this before, haven't we? Just let go. If she didn't want it, she'd say it. She'd do something to make that clear. ]

[ She'll do what she needs to remind him. Even if it's holding his hand and pointing out something in a shop window that could come with them home. Little things that remind him he does exist here in this reality. She'd even offer to take him to the bookstore and show him copies of the Alex Casey novels of time wasn't so short.

But, she feels that even that might not help. Maybe the problem isn't that Alan doesn't feel he is from this reality only because he's been in the Dark Place for so long. Maybe it's more along the lines that he isn't the same Alan Wake as he was before. He may not be able to relate to the person he was, and the Dark Presence is running amok with it.

Her breath catches in her throat at the light in his eyes. Even if it's small, it's a way to show he is here. Home. With her. ]

Well, until you sell some books, I'm fine with take out dates at home. I think I'm a pretty cheap date.

[ Which she doesn't mind being. It's not like she's been on a date in years anyways. She presses her forehead to his with a smile. Just being anywhere with him would make her happy. ]

They say the Oh Deer Diner coffee is the best in the area... so, I think we could manage that. [ Her head tilts slightly, but not enough to make her head pound. ] Little steps at a time.

[ His name tumbles from her in hushed tones as he moves to find a rhythm that suits them both. Legs move to gently lock around his. Trying to find a place that won't offset his injury is a bit of a puzzle, but, she's sure they can find it.

She slides her hand from the waistline of the pants and slips between them. Her eyes slide open again to find his, a dazed but present look in them. They have done this before, but, it feels like they need to re-establish the boundaries for some reason. Maybe because it was so long ago that the memories have been washed away even if their bodies seem to retain the knowledge.

Her hand just rests against him, between their hips, trying to communicate that she's fine with going where he wants. Them is about each of them, and he needs to feel comfortable, the desire and need if they continue. Yes, she wants him and wants this, but only if he wants her. ]

[ That certainly could have something to do with it. The Alan Wake from thirteen years ago is very different from the Alan Wake of the present. And there's a certain disconnect from who he was then and who is now that seems to be hanging onto Alan like a weight he can't shake off.

There are moments in which he doesn't even recognize himself, and moments when he questions who he is now and what sort of person he even is. Am I a person at all? I just can't help but ask that. The question keeps coming up by itself.

But he's with her, and he's doing his best to keep it that way. He drifts away enough; he doesn't need to be doing that now. ]

Chinese? Italian? There's a lot of options we could go with. Hell, we could even order a little of everything. But in all seriousness, you deserve a real date, not just takeout. Not that I don't enjoy some good takeout. Or I did. Maybe I hate takeout. I can't remember.

[ He smiles at her in spite of the unsettling realization that he's finding it harder to remember things he might have liked. ]

But you're getting coffee first. I think you need it more.

[ For him, if his injury gets jostled, it doesn't matter. No, he doesn't want to accidentally make it worse, but this moment is worth a little discomfort. What he'd like to do is see both of them lose more of their clothes, to truly be bare around each other, but he finds himself hesitating to even start to indulge that wish of his.

Instead, he moves his hand to her opposite hip as well, carefully sliding it in the space between them (not that there's much of it) and moving his fingers beneath the fabric of her tank top and ghosts them against the surface of the skin there. ]

[ Her gaze softens at his realization. Not that it has ruined the mood, or that she pitties him. No, she's just sorry all of this has happened to him. That she can't fix it. All the paranormal powers she possesses and none can seem to help him with his struggles.

Combat and fighting the Dark Presence? Yeah, sure. That's what she does as Director. It won't bring back memories or parts of him that he's lost. Being the Director can't undo what the Dark Presence has done--maybe just keep it from getting worse.

« What do I do to really help? Does this help? It feels like it's not enough. There's more I need to do. There should be more I can do. This can't be all of it. » ]

Probably best to start with a little bit of everything then. [ She gives him a small smile regardless of her worries. ] Starting with breakfast though. I'm not going to have a dinner date where you can't eat and enjoy it with me.

[ She laughs a little. ] Why would I need it more?

[ She'd be fine with that wish being granted. With each shift she can feel her own arousal growing and that need to pull off her own tank top for him to do as he wants. She just doesn't want to move too fast. Or, move in a way that would be jarring and make him back out at the last moment. This isn't walking on eggshells, but she does feel it's something delicate. Special.

Despite how that part of her that wants to latch onto that spark in him pushes her to just go.

Her head tilts to the side at the feeling of his fingers against her skin. Almost like a mini explosion that sets off, her body seems to remember how he moves along her. Her hand between them traces over him before his name makes it out of her again, lips moving against his mouth. He could ask her to do anything, move her any way, and she'd do it. ]

[ How do you fight the Dark Presence? Unless it's manifesting itself as Scratch, it's not something you can shoot at or throw things at. It's not like a flashlight is enough to burn it away. It's too big for that.

The questions arise in Alan's mind, unwittingly echoing Jesse's own thoughts. He wants to let her help, as the realization has slowly been settling in that this is a fight he can't finish on his own. It's not even something he wants to finish on his own. He's been more or less on his own all along, and even though it hasn't fully registered in his mind, he's growing tired of this solitary road he's been traveling on for who knows how long now. ]

Well, I can't make any promises, but I'll try, at least. [ Except the idea of forcing himself isn't really an attractive one. But maybe if he just starts small and works up from that. It's what she's asking him to do, after all. ]

You had a long fight, and you got knocked out. I'd say that more than earns you a long rest, if we had the time, and all the cups of coffee the diner has.

[ His lips turn up into a sort of smirk at that thought. ] If time wasn't against us, I'd even offer to wash dishes as some kind of payment for the coffee. Since I don't have money on me, you know.

[ Feeling emboldened by her response to his touch, he widens the area he's exploring with his fingers, tracing light patterns against her skin while feeling small explosions of his own as she whispers his name against his mouth.

He wants to be touched by her just as much as he wants to keep touching her, letting his fingers explore the sensitive skin beneath the tank top she's wearing. Even as his fingers trace against her side, feeling along her rib cage, he knows that he wants more. He wants all barriers between them to come down for good, as they've done before, so that nothing lies between them. So that they're one.

But even as he continues his touches, a doubt surfaces in the back of his mind. Does she want what he wants? Is he moving too quickly? Maybe she doesn't want to be one with him, even in a hypothetical sense. He briefly halts his touches, raising his eyes to meet hers, searching them for an answer to his unspoken questions. ]

[ They'll figure something out. They always do. Their resources are limited here, but, Jesse feels the field agents have what equipment they need. They need to utilize it.

Maybe they can trap it in something then shove it back in the Lake. Find a way to close the threshold. Keep it trapped in the Dark Place. It could work... they just need to locate it.

Jesse rolls her eyes again and let's the smile on her face widen. ] Really? You were there fighting too, and took a hit to the ribs. I'd say that's earned you something too.

You really don't strike me as the kind of guy who likes washing dishes. Even at home. [ Her face turns into a slightly playful expression as she pretends to think about it. A minor shake of her head follows so she doesn't feel like she threw herself back into dizzy town. ] Nope. I'm not seeing it.

[ She knows exactly what she wants. Her mind is more on logistics of making it happen with the least amount of additional injury to them. They need to be ready when the sun does set... but that's still hours away. And, Alan is with her now. Which makes it a higher priority in her mind at this very moment.

Fingers trace along her ribs and she shudders in his arms. The hand between then slides back to his lower back beneath the waistline of the sweats. Her hips shift up slightly so that when he rocks again, they meet each other dpesite the clothing in the way. That time she moans, loudly for her, head tilting back to expose her neck and collarbone.

Yes, she wants to be one with him. She's given control up for him--to him. Not just here in a bed in some random motel in Bright Falls, but for them in the story. Wherever it is he goes to write it. She's given him the reigns for it. Trusted him with her. There's not much more she can give someone. ]

Alan... [ This time she vocalize his voice. Not too loud, as it seems Jesse is just one to be quieter.

It takes effort to open her eyes and meet his. She feels the gaze on her. Her darkened green eyes meet his and her heart stops. A small gasp makes this way out when they rock together. She isn't sure how to communicate how badly she wants this--him. All she can think to do is let herself melt entirely in his arms and let her eyes darken more and glaze over.

So, she does just that. Giving that tightly wound control she always has over to him. ]

[ Maybe Alan's skeptical nature is showing itself again, but he is not nearly as confident that they will figure something out. But then again, the FBC is in the business of containing things. Maybe he should have more confidence in Jesse and her people. ]

I'm the one who caused all this, remember? You wouldn't be here having to worry about what happens when the sun goes down if it wasn't for me. Bright Falls would be just a normal small town with people going about their normal every day lives if it wasn't for me.

[ He shakes his head. ] I'm not saying this because I want you to tell me it's not true. I don't need reassurance. [ It would be lies, anyway. Maybe not from her, but from other people. ]

You're right, I hate washing dishes. But I'd do it for you.

[ As Jesse moves, sliding her hand to his lower back and shifts her hips against his, Alan feels like he's floating in a state of ecstasy. Her touch has that effect on him. And when her head tilts back, exposing her neck and collarbone, his own movement is instant but slow because his injured side continues to protest even when he's not moving quickly.

It takes some angling, given their respective positions, but he manages to brush his lips against her neck and traveling down to her collarbone where he plants more kisses, dotting them against the skin there.

When he's forced to come up for air, he breathlessly says her name, and it sounds like more of a question than a statement. ] Jesse?

[ Gray eyes remain locked on her green ones, but there's a haze of desire misting over them as he takes in her appearance, making note of even the smallest of details of her face. ]

[ It's not only the ability to contain things. Jesse spent most of her life looking for her baby brother. While it was far from the reunion she dreamed and hoped for? It was still a reunion. They found each other. Now she is in a place where she will be there when--and if--he ever wakes up. If that can happen? Alan can edit the story, change the ending, and bring home a happy ending.

Even if she's the only one who believes it.

« I'm used to being the only one who believes in something as true and real. » ]

No, Alan. [ Her tone is suddenly hard, gaze laser focused. ] The Dark Presence has been here longer than any of us. This is the place it's claimed as home. Bright Falls is like Ordinary. It would never be normal.

The Dark Presence used people before you. It'll try to use someone else. You aren't the only person who has caused reality changing bullshit to happen here. Okay? If it hadn't used you to start with, none of it would happen. Everything of this is a consequence of that interaction.

Maybe you could have done something better, smarter, but that's hindsight. You did what you did and now it's time to fix the now instead of bemoaning what you did. I've been there. I know what it's like. All you can do is move forward and make the changes now to make up for it.

[ She knows this feeling. How he kisses her neck and down, the hair of his beard brushing along her skin. Another soft moan escapes as she shudders in his hold. Gods she's missed this. Missed him; missed how he can make her feel with just a few motions.

A hand lifts to his face. Tips of her fingers brush over his beard, then his lips, as he raises his head and says her name. Darkened hazed green eyes meet his in a returned question, unable to really proper answer hum with words. Her read hair is fanned over the pillow under her.

« Why did he stop? » ]

[ Maybe that's a side effect of being a crime writer. Maybe he never believed in the happy ending as a construct or concept. Maybe his view of the world is a hard one, with no room for happy endings. Trouble always comes, and it's rarely resolved to anyone's satisfaction. Anyone on the side of good, that is.

Maybe that's why it's so hard for Alan to believe that his own story could end happily. ]

Has it? Has it really? I know there's history here, that things happened long before Alice and I even thought about this place, but has the Dark Presence really been here that long? Predating all of us?

[ He can't help but sound incredulous. For some reason, he hadn't thought of it like that. Of course, he's not stupid enough to think that his arrival here coincided with the Dark Presence making itself known for the first time. But for reasons he barely understands, he hadn't thought of it in such terms as the ones Jesse's just laid out for him. ]

But... No, whatever the case is, you're right. We'll stop it. I'll stop it. Somehow. I don't know how, or what I'll do, because- [ The words are gone. ] I don't have a choice.

[ He's made his choice, and that's to keep writing. To keep trying to make the ending work.

What was I going to ask her? Why did I say her name? ]

If.. if things were different. If you hadn't been dragged into this story- and don't say that you would have been involved anyway. If it was just you and me, no Director, no crazy story, just the two of us, living some kind of life... maybe together, maybe apart, but coming together... would you want that?

[ Would she want that old-fashioned house with the front porch and picket fence and little kids running around? Her kids? Ours? I don't know if she really would. But maybe we could be together somehow. In another life. Another reality, maybe.

His hand reaches out then to touch her face in return as his musings turn themselves around in his mind. ]

[ How he is may have shaped the genre he writes. Crime thrillers with noir takes and no happy endings could just be because he isn't sure how happy endings work. She knows he grew up with just his mother, as investigators and paparazzi seemed to always make that point in articles.

She doesn't want to project, but, maybe part of him has always felt abandoned. Thrown away. She knows that's how she felt as a child--why it was always her and Dylan. Mom and Dad always worked or were involved with social things. Not that they were unloving... just distant. So much so that when they finally stepped in with what was happening in Ordinary? She was so angry with them. They never listened, they never seemed to care, until everything went to shit.

« It still might be my fault they disappeared. Why not? Dylan and the Slide Projector were taken by the Buearu because I ran away. Because I was scared. Maybe they were taken because I was so angry. You didn't do it, Hedron didn't... but the Not-Mother may have. » ]

I don't know how long it's been here. But, I could feel that this... [ She frowns, how can she explain it? ] Cleansing something is like feeling one energy be torn off and Polaris's replacing it. Trying to cleanse just those two points felt like peeling layers away. It's been here a long time; taking parts of people and the area of Bright Falls.

And... I heard it. Talking in this voice of an old woman? Like a recording over the Hotline. She said that she'd find someone "to dream me free." Even if it wasn't you, I think it would of found another artist or author. You're a parautalitarian, and that's probably why everything happens here so strongly. It's using your powers to change everything else.

[ She smiles at his resolution. It's shaky, but, it's one nonetheless. Alan Wake deciding something and not any other influence. Her heart pounds in her chest.

She really has it bad for him.

His questions feel like a complete one hundred and eight turn from their current positions. Jesse feels almost a mental whiplash having to move from letting everything go to being in the moment to needing to focus on a conversation. The adrenaline is still pumping through her body, the need and hunger for him to keep going to be bare is loud and demanding.

« He wouldn't have asked if it's no important. »

It takes a monumental effort to move forward. Not to rock against him, but to push herself up to be sitting again. Her body shakes from not just the exhaustion of her psychic injury, but, from that need for him intimately. She sits up, one hand guiding him to do the same.

Jesse shifts into his lap then. Her hips sitting against his, hands on either side of his face. Her breathing is heavy from their activities, but also due to feeling like she's still swimming in mud. The pounding in her head increases, and she can't ignore it as well while sitting up.

Her forehead touches his as thr afternoon rays come through the window and touch her hair. They hit it just right to seem as if her hair is glowing.

Lips brush against his briefly. The questions are important. She needs to answer him. ]

I ... I can't see myself not being weird somehow. Maybe something else makes me weird not matter what. Not with Polaris, but maybe acquaintances... situations... [ Her eyes flick down to his mouth before returning to his gray ones. ] I would want it. I would want a life with you. I want one.

[ Jesse glances down at his lips again before brushing a teasing kiss there. Her hips rock into his again. Darkened eyes raise to his dark gray ones and she shivers against him. ]

Would you want me? If you were normal, and there was no crazy story, and I was still ... at least a little weird. No powers. Just, weird. Would that be okay?

[ Hands turn from his shoulders to other things. His hair. Fingers trialing down he back of his neck, down his shoulder, arm, settling on tracing patterns at his elbow. Her hips continue to rock against his, their foreheads together help not focus on the pounding in his head. ]

[ Maybe art does imitate life. Or life imitates art. Or both. But maybe the truth of it all is that Alan never really believed in a happy ending. Who knows how things would have gone with him and Alice if they'd never encountered the horrors of the Dark Place? He can't see how any of that would have ended. Would he have gotten past his writer's block and things would have settled down between them? That's something he doesn't have the answer to, and he probably never will.

Jesse's thoughts about Alan's own feelings relating to his family aren't too far from the mark. He's just never really spent much time thinking about them, because there are some paths he just doesn't want to go down. Maybe it's easier to not think about the difficult things from the past. Or maybe it's not easier at all, when the present comes with its own share of difficulties.

But Alan knows he's going to get nowhere thinking about things that ultimately have no chance of resolution. Instead, he focuses on Jesse's words, trying to take them in and learn from them, because there's so much about what's really going on that he barely understands. ]

So... so this didn't start when I came here. It was always something lurking beneath the surface, in the lake, the people... [ Maybe he had had some idea of that before, but it hadn't really registered or sunk in. Maybe he'd been dragged in long before he ever thought about diving into the waters of Cauldron Lake. Did it all start with the cabin that shouldn't have been there? Maybe.

Alan shakes his head. He doesn't like the knowledge that someone else could have potentially been pulled into this mess. It's bad enough that he got caught up in all of it, but nothing about this is anything anyone deserves. ]

I wish there was a way to get rid of it completely, so no one else gets pulled in without realizing what's going on. If all of this comes from this place, originating from the lake... [ What? Drain the lake? Would that make it worse? I don't know how to stop this. Jesse and the FBC might, but maybe they don't know either. Does anyone really know how to deal with this?

He almost didn't ask the question that's been on his mind. He just wanted to have this moment with Jesse, to just let go of everything that's not the two of them. But it seems that his mind just doesn't know when to shut up. She pushes herself into a sitting position, and he's quick to put his arms around her to offer more support.

He's too aware of her: of her hips resting against his, of her hands on his face. The way she breathes. How the sun hits her hair and almost makes it glow. She's beautiful. He knows that, and he's reminded of it almost all the time. ]

I don't think you're weird. The rest of the world might, but who needs them? When it's just the two of us, can't it just be us? [ And if the world labels them both weird, then, well... that's just how it is. Alan knows he's not like everyone else either. Maybe even before all of this started, he was just a step out of touch with the world and with people.

Maybe the Dark Presence just widened that gap and made the separation bigger. ]

Yeah. Yeah, I'd want you. I can't imagine anything else. [ A part of me doesn't want anything else. I wish that we could just have that normal life. Maybe we can, but it'll have to be normal on our terms. We decide how that looks, how it works for us. Yeah, I like that idea. ]

That would be more than okay.

[ Shivers form at the base of his spine and travel upwards as she touches him. All she has to do is touch him anywhere, and he becomes little better than putty in her hands to do with what she wants. And he doesn't mind that. He doesn't resist.

He wants to return the favor; he wants to let his hands travel anywhere they can reach. He wants to pull off both of their clothes so nothing is between them. So far, he's tried to resist that building urge, but it's growing harder to do with how she's touching him.

Slowly, almost like he's testing something, he reaches for the strap of her tank top and slides it down over her shoulder. If she encourages the action, he might go farther, but he waits to see what she does next. ]

[ She shakes her head by just a hair and immediately regrets the motion. Her hands curl slightly at the tinge of pain that travels through her. ] The Buearu documented the AWEs with the Old Gods of Asgard, and Zane. There's local legends too--that go back further than the people who settled Bright Falls. It's not just you, Alan. It's been going on much longer. I just don't know how much longer.

We'd have to somehow permanently close the Threshold. But, that doesn't mean it wouldn't open up somewhere else. We just don't know enough. We have a research facility, the Lake House. But it's gone... [ a look of annoyance crosses her face. She doesn't want to say dark because of the circumstances. Everything is going dark. ] It's out of contact with even Estevez, and has been for a while. I found documents reaching back from 2017 about it... that's the other reason I came here with Steve. But, the AWE is a bit more of a priority.

[ The corners of her mouth pull in a semi-amused way. Alan would say it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. She'd think it too, if she didn't know deep down how weird she is. Even in the Bureau she's the weird one. No other Director can do what she's been able to do. She's unique out of the unique ones and sometimes that's even more alienating than the normal world. ]

Yeah, we can be just us. [ « Well, you know, three, I guess. It's not like I can ever really block you out now. Maybe he won't notice it. » ] With all our weirdness being our normal.

[ The tugging smile becomes a real one when he says he'd want her no matter the circumstances. Something inside her reacts to it--something that belongs to Jesse and not Polaris or their shared relationship. She never thought she'd be wanted for herself ... and it's oddly touching. Touching in a way she can't describe.

He slips the strap off her shoulder. Her forehead presses to his, demanding he look at her. How does she have to put it for him to understand she wants him? Not just intimately, but emotionally. Sharing a life with him. Her words aren't clear enough and he doesn't seem to understand her language of moving either.

Her head tilts back--which she also regrets--with a purpose in mind. She moves her hands off him in order to pull her tank top off and tossing it somewhere behind her. She's still in her bra and pants, which is oddly reminiscent of something else. Her attention doesn't stay on it though. Lips press against his for another kiss, but slow and methodical, teasing and also inviting. ]

OCEANVIEW II

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