[MoM] IC CONTACT POST

[microbrobotics]

"Hey, you've reached Hiro Hamada. Text me like a normal person and not a weirdo."

Comments

[nohalfway]

[ Ellie can't help the smile from Hiro making it wave at her before setting it down. What a dork. ]

Uh.

Yeah, there were plenty of books. Some were missing pages or the ink had gotten wet but I had a pretty decent collection.

You know, in Boston.

I had to leave a lot of that behind when I left.

[microbrobotics]

Oh yeah, in the military school thing. I'm surprised they let you have books.

[nohalfway]

Certain books.

[ She laughs. ]

I stole most of the ones I had.

[microbrobotics]

Where'd you steal 'em from? Like - were there secret caches somewhere or something?

[ He's imagining something out of Raiders of the Lost Ark right about now. ]

[nohalfway]

Cool it, nerd. I snuck into a library, not anything super intense like that.

[ Another shove. Nerd. ]

[microbrobotics]

[ He does laugh this time, clapping his hand over his mouth almost immediately. ]

Dude, you'd be picturing it too if you'd seen this movie. I love Indiana Jones.

[nohalfway]

Pffff.

I have seen that movie and that is totally not what I was thinking of at all.

[microbrobotics]

So what were you thinking of, huh?

[nohalfway]

I was thinking of sneaking into a boring-ass library and stealing books, nerd.

[microbrobotics]

Completely spoiling it ...

Why'd you sneak into my room anyway? Just bored?

[nohalfway]

[ Ellie shrugs. ]

I haven't really been sleeping much lately. My powers have been getting better, I guess. So I don't really need sleep.

So.

Yeah, bored.

[microbrobotics]

[ Ah. Hiro's been around his brother too much to completely believe that... ]

You didn't have nightmares after the swear-in?

[nohalfway]

[ Ooooooh, touchy question. Mostly because, yes, that is exactly why she hasn't been sleeping. Ellie visibly tenses at that, brows furrowed. ]

Can't have nightmares if you're not sleeping.

[microbrobotics]

... Yeah. That's what I thought.

[nohalfway]

[ She flashes an accusatory glance at Hiro. ]

What's that supposed to mean?

[ ELLIE DOES NOT WANT TO ADMIT IT. NOT WITH HIRO. BECAUSE THAT IS WHO SHE HAS BEEN HAVING NIGHTMARES ABOUT. ]

[microbrobotics]

[ He winces a bit in response. ]

You're just like my brother. You don't want to hurt me, so you don't tell me when you're hurting. Like that makes it hurt any less when I find out.

[nohalfway]

[ Ellie caves in a bit at that, suddenly feeling bad for snapping. ]

Hiro...

[ She sighs, briefly putting her face in her hand. ]

I'm just... Not really in a place to be sharing my feelings. It's not that I don't want to, it's just--

[ She's developed a nasty habit being around Joel so much. ]

You don't want to hear about my nightmares, dude. I sure as hell don't even like thinking about them.

[microbrobotics]

If you don't wanna talk about 'em, that's fine, just ...

[ He lets out a long breath. ]

Just don't tell me you don't have them.

[nohalfway]

[ Ellie's silent a while, fiddling with her fingers and tangling them together out of tension. ]

I don't want anyone to worry about me.

[microbrobotics]

Too late for that.

[ He's had a few nightmares of his own since the swear-in. And most of them involve her with the gun... ]

[nohalfway]

[ She exhales a frustrated, groaning sigh. ]

It's already bad enough what I did, there's no point in me telling you that I still feel like shit for it.

I'd just be, I don't know...

[ Ellie gestures her hands, waving them around briefly. ]

Beating a dead horse or something.

[microbrobotics]

But I want you to tell me. I just - I just wanna help. You're my girlfriend.

[nohalfway]

[ Ellie's nose wrinkles, and she awkwardly rubs the back of her neck. ]

Okay.

[ Her hand drops to her lap, looking forward rather than facing Hiro. ]

I...

I've been having a lot of nightmares about, you know, shooting you.

[ She sighs again. ]

Then... Shooting myself.

I don't know. I mean, I had a few dreams and thoughts like that before? But that was a long time ago.

[microbrobotics]

-- You wanted to kill yourself before?

[nohalfway]

[ She's silent a while again, frowning as she looks down at her feet. ]

Kind of.