Brainwashed (O/O) Closed

She blinked and was startled by his abrupt answer. "Why?"

"They could be there!", he said, clearly afraid.

"Who?" she asked, wrinkling her nose.

"The people who kidnapped you!" A shiver ran down his spine. They could be anywhere. He put his arms around her protectively.

She put her head on his chest and sighed.

He was afraid. They could come out any minute. "Let's go. I don't care where."

"Okay!" she chirped. "Um… I don't know!"

"We can go to my apartment, but we have to be careful." His heart thumped in his chest. I can't protect her.

"I love your apartment," she said with a smile. She noticed his facial expression. "Auggie, what's wrong?"

"Nothing.", he said flatly. His expression said otherwise. "Let's go." He started walking.

She grabbed his arm and pulled him back. "No, really. What's wrong?"

He shrugged her off, grabbed her hand, and kept walking. "Nothing.", he growled.

"Auggie!" she cried, stumbling behind him.

"I said it's fine.", he said, more to himself than her. He kept walking, counting as he did. Counting was soothing.

Kate leaned her head on his arm and counted with him, a smile on her lips.

He couldn't help but smile. He counted as he did until they neared his apartment. As they got closer, his anxiety crept in and he jumped at small noises and turned to look behind them every so often.

"Auggie, what's wrong?" she asked lightly, noting his nervous ticks.

"Nothing!" He held her close. They won't get her this time.

She cuddled against him as they walked. "Calm down," she whispered.

"Not if it gets you hurt.", he muttered under his breath, just loud enough for her to hear.

"They won't come," she replied casually. "They told me so."

He stopped dead. "What did they tell you?!", he demanded.

She kept walking and was jerked back by his abrupt stop. "Auggie!"

He turned around to face her. "What did they tell you?", he repeated.

She gave him a blank expression. "What?"

"You just said they told you that they wouldn't come! What else?!", he said exasperatedly.

"Oh!" she cried. "Why didn't you say so? They said, they were going to give me a medicine that would make me feel better. And they gave it to me, and I felt better!" She grabbed his wrists tightly. "They opened my eyes, Auggie."

"To what?" He had a bad feeling.

"To a freed world!"

"Freed world of what?! Free of me?!" He was hurt, angry, and confused at the same time. A dangerous combination. He grabbed her shoulders and looked her in the eye.