Finding A Way Back [Solomon/Violet]

Violet stared at her phone for a very long time before she finally did what she promised. She gave Solomon a call. It was a terrifying thing to do, but Vanyel insisted that the two of them sit down. She couldn’t stay on the phone with him for long, but they finally came up with a meeting plan. She would show up at his house on his next days off to clear the air and figure out where exactly they stood.

Vanyel gave her a ride, likely figuring she would run before she even got to the door. As they pulled up, they rechecked the address. Three times. Yes, this was his hou-… Mansion. He had a mansion. Violet got out of the car and got to the outside gate. She hesitated pushing the button for a moment, until she heard Vanyel yell “Push it.” Glaring back at him, she stuck out her tongue and rang the doorbell.

Someone answered and she gave her name and who she was visiting. After a while, the gate unlocked and she went inside. As the gate closed behind her, she felt every ounce of fear sink in at once. She shook the gate; it was locked. That made things worse. She understood the needs for security at a place like this, but it always felt off. It reminded her of home… and not in a good way. She was trapped… again.

Taking a breath, Violet walked up toward the front of the mansion, eyes slowly moving around over the yard to take in the scenery. The house, the yard, the walkway up all reminded her of home, except a little brighter. That was more just Solomon. Having been informed of her arrival, Solomon suddenly appeared at the front door. She stopped walking at the bottom of the stairs and froze up.

Solomon, by his standards, was normally accustomed to active operation in the City of Lights. He returned to his only when he was required to sleep, or if his butler reminded him that he was still a human being and deserved to indulge himself in some form of luxury - particularly relaxation.

Coincidentally enough, he was convinced of this exact strategy after his stress became visible to those overlooking the household. As such, unless prompted otherwise, he was challenged to rest for today, to ignore any responsibility to the Vandenreich, no matter the mission. His attention quickly shifted toward the door once he was informed that someone was visiting him.

The moment he heard the name, everything else quickly became secondary. The six-word name eliminated any focus that may have been devoted to something else. Like a bolt of lightning, from his training quarters to the door, he dashed toward the door, preparing to open it. What did he say? What could he say? His mind still lingered on weight of his words, the manner in which they so freelyexited his lips, and how harshly he came across.

He was so laughably foolish it amplified his shame tenfold, but perhaps... there was an opportunity to correct his grave error. Ordering his butler to prepare them something, Solomon took a moment to gather himself as he opened the door. He noted the nervous expression, but found relief that... she appeared relatively safe after hearing about her being injured. Exhaling softly, he gently opened the door, carefully addressing her so as not to make her feel intimidated.

"Come in, Violet. You needn't worry. I'm relieved to see that you're okay. I was terrified when Vanyel informed me you'd been injured again. Good to see you walking on your own two feet. We have... much to talk about, don't we?"

He stated those words as though he knew her purpose in coming here. His current mind defeated it was at the moment, expected a harsh judgment, a severance of ties, closing the book on the bond they shared. Considering the way he addressed her and the effect it had, he wouldn't quite blame her.

Violet could tell that he was as nervous as she was. Part of her wondered if his nervousness was worse than her own. Her hand tightened on the purse hanging from her shoulder and gave him a soft nod. He was right; they had a lot to talk about. Violet did what was asked and began walking forward until she passed him by and entered the house. That moment of passing him caused her heart to race, fearful of what was going to be said when they did sit down and talk.

‘I can’t even look him in the eyes…’ she thought as she stopped at the entry to his house. Her mind was momentarily distracted by the architecture, the luxury. This wasn’t exactly like home; her family home was darker, more… Victorian? She had no idea about the specifics behind buildings designs, but this place seemed nice.

“So… I’ll just follow you. Where did you want to talk?”

"There's an open space somewhere around the mansion where both of us can operately freely, and with little distraction."

Comfort was crucial here, and considering what he witnessed the last time, he didn't exactly want to invoke any uncomfortable emotion in her spirit. To some degree, between him and Vanyel, he felt as if his their combined presence made her feel suffocated. He motioned for her to follow him to the open space he mentioned - a cobblestone path surrounded by a pleasant garden. Whenever he wished to read and separate himself away from the distractions of the world, it was here where he found his solace.

Turning toward her, he politely gestured for them to assume their seats at a table under the bright sunlight. His butler would soon enter, setting down refreshments if they wished to enjoy a drink and a few snacks as they spoke at length. When he left, Solomon turned back to Violet and nervously thought about what he ought to say here. He didn't exactly want a repeat of what happened the last time, but he supposed he could've conveyed his thoughts regarding her joining the Vandenreich far more appropriately. His butler reminded him of such when he expressed his thoughts on the matter well before she visited.

"Even if you happen to dislike me now, words cannot express how much I regret what I said that day. Needless to say, I've played it back in my head time and again, and I find myself growing more ashamed with the hours. I hope you've been doing well, though. With all of those messages Vanyel sent me, I'll admit... I was terrified something happened to you again."

Violet followed Solomon out to his garden, a small smile forming as she took in the peaceful sight. That smile faded and she tensed right back up when he turned back to her. Doing as she was told, Violet quickly took a seat. The realization that she was going to have to talk soon was making her more and more nervous. For a moment, her eyes darted around for an easy escape, but if she did that, she knew Vanyel would be angry with her and she’d never have the courage to face Solomon again. Instead, for once, Violet decided not to run and stayed in her seat.

As refreshments were sat in front of them, Violet just stared. She was thinking hard on how to start the conversation, to say what she wanted to say… but she wasn’t even sure what that was. There was so much she couldn’t tell him; she was scared to. When he spoke first, Violet jumped from the startle and looked at him.

‘Wait, what?’ Violet's lips parted as if to speak, but she was stuck. "Solomon, I..." she tried, but felt her mouth dryer than a desert. She suddenly needed a drink; the nerves were too much. That pain in her stomach was getting worse. She took a slow, long drink... "Sol-... I never said I disliked you. I don't understand where that is even coming from. Why are you even thinking that? Who even said..."

"Huh... is that so? To be certain, I'll admit reading other people's emotions isn't particularly my strong suit. Even so, you left abruptly that day, and when I saw you in your house, you seemed terrified. Frightened. And I can't help but feel as though my presence only made matters worse."

Solomon only had his assumptions to rely on, after all. When they last spoke, she left the room. When they reunited, when he had prepared a present to apologize and clarify his words, he was met with a torturous sight.

One that continued to pull at his heartstrings even now. What else, then, was he to assume but disdain? From her agonized expression to the way she carried herself now, he highly doubted her impression of him was pleasant.

He took a careful sip as his fingers awkwardly tapped against the table. Was he making her uncomfortable by misintepreting the situation? Furthermore, he wondered whether or not she came here of her own accord, or if Vanyel convinced her to visit him here. Furrowing his eyebrows softly, he shook his head. What did he say next?

"My apologies. I didn't mean to jump to any conclusions. If you wish to elaborate on anything, you can take as much time as you like."

Violet’s head lowered more, eyes focusing on the purse she sat in her lap and hidden by the hat she refused to remove. It was easy to block anyone from seeing her face with a hat on. She wore her emotions so clearly that hiding was all she could do. She was terrified, clenching her jaw and eyes stuck wide. ‘What do I tell him? What do I tell him?!’ She couldn’t stay silent this entire time; he was being patient and kind, as usual. Sometimes, she wished he would yell at her, force her to say something. Then she could speak, out of fear, but he was not that type of man.

"I don't know what to do..." Violet finally let out after a long, tense silence. She leaned over on herself, squishing her purse between her chest and thighs. She put her hands on either side of her head, like she had a strong headache. "I don't know what to do... I don't know what to do..." She wasn't crying, just panicking.

Solomon felt a pang of nervousness settle in as he observed her growing panic. He didn't know what to say. Much like before, silence began to settle in as he cycled through anything he might be able to say to assure her that she was alright and that she could speak at her own pace.

Of course, the elements were different now. She was in an open space without anyone to keep her confined to a household. There was a bright sun and a cool breeze. The winds were kind, and so too was the atmosphere. What was there to fear? Exhaling softly, he rose from his chair and thought carefully about his next action.

At worst, he supposed this would only make her despise him further? In the best-case scenario, it would settle her mood, but there was no longer time for any hesitation. He gently wrapped his arms around her in a warm embrace as he patted her head. This method, he recalled, was something he recalled his mother employing whenever he felt uneased. He hardly possessed a mother's embrace, but he solemnly hoped it would bear fruit.

"Truth be told, I don't know what to do, either, but... that's alright, Violet. Take as much time as you need. We can sit here all day if you wish. Whatever you wish to speak about, I will not turn you away. Remember, I'm just happy to be talking to you again."

Violet tensed as Solomon wrapped his arms around her, but it wasn’t out of fear. She was just surprised. She didn’t think, after everything he had seen her do, that he would really want to be that close to her. The closeness a hug brought meant so much to someone like Violet, to someone who was accustom to pain whenever another person came in contact with her. Violet leaned into Solomon and wrapped her arms back around him in a tight, but shaky embrace.

“You’re just happy to talk to me?” Violet asked, the words filled with disbelief. Once he confirmed, Violet’s hold on him loosened so she could look him in the eyes. “I want to tell you the truth; I’m scared to… I don’t want you to look at me like…” 'Like you did that day…' Violet remembered the look in Solomon’s eyes more than anything that day in the hospital… It was that hard expression. “You reminded me of my Dad… I don’t want you to hate me like he does… not you…”

"..."

Violet's revelation had rendered him speechless. He found little offense in her words. No, he finally chanced upon an answer. He was granted clarification, and with it, he came to understand why she reacted the way she did, why she abruptly exited the room, and what made her so tense around him when he entered her house. There was the natural pang of guilt, recalling the way he so blindly brushed aside her intention to assist him on the battlefield, but now he knew the meaning behind it all. His gaze, gentle and warm, as he looked at her with assuring comfort. He could never hate her. Such a thought never crossed his mind, and would never exist as long as he lived.

"Of course I am. I could never hate you. I felt terrible knowing I hurt you, that my harsh words had caused you to look at me with fear and apprehension. It has haunted me ever since, and... I wholeheartedly admit I've lost sleep over it. I cannot apologize enough for being so blind and dismissive. I just couldn't bear the thought of seeing you hurt again, of the possibility of you joining me, and the possibility... we might be sent on missions separate from one another. I care about you, Violet. I want to protect you. I've always wanted to protect you. And... it took me a moment to realize that... part of that comes with honoring my promise and helping you grow strong enough... to be able to protect yourself, in those moments... when I can't be there."

Solomon sighed softly as he wiped the small tear that formed in his eye, warmly welcoming her back into his embrace. She could tell him anything. He would not turn her away. He wasn't going to be a fool again. No judgment would pass his lips - only solace and understanding.

"In other words, tell me anything and everything you want. I won't look at you with anything but warmth and comfort. I genuinely care about you and the strength you've displayed to step out of your family's shadow. I don't want to be anything like your father ever again."