[ Murphy keeps his eyes closed long enough that, eventually, sleep takes him. Sleeping soundly and at peace.
It's dark, his dream. A blank canvas before it spills into different hues of greens and browns. Things take shape, the ground, the grass, the trees, the light of the sun seeping through the branches. He's on the ground. All alone for now, the dropship open and in the background.
[ Ronan is still there, just beside Murphy, like he'd promised he'd be. He's tall enough that even on his knees beside the chair, he's about eye-to-eye with Murphy. His singing echoes through the trees, so that the song continues a moment or two after his lips have already stopped moving.
His fingers pause in their caress. He leans in to murmur in Murphy's ear: ]
[ Murphy's looking at the dropship expectantly, he's waiting for someone to come out. It's the familiar voice that lures his attention away, drifts right to where Ronan is crouched, besides that damn chair. ] We're here. [ Murphy confirms, taking slow steps toward Ronan.
Everything is so distinct and vivid, he can even smell the dirt and the grass. That distinct smell right after it rains. ] Am I doing all of this?
[ Ronan's on his feet suddenly, though the moment of his standing somehow went unnoticed. He raises his hands toward the canopy of the trees in a grand gesture. ]
A second later, or maybe it had vanished before now, the chair disappears. It's replaced by a gentle breeze and the branches sway soundlessly. Little things are changing if Murphy realizes it or not. Parts of the farmhouse start appearing, slowly building into the scene. ]
Welcome to the ground. [ He pauses when he steps next to Ronan - and now they're the same height. ]
[ If Ronan has noticed this change to his height, he doesn't comment on it. He merely looks around, mildly curious about the shifting of their surroundings. ]
[ A subtle change that not even Murphy, himself, notices. Sections of the Arch start to bleed into his dream and soon they are walking down a metal skeleton of a hallway. And, at the end, it leads up the stairs to their bedrooms. ] Not always. Does this happen? Things not making much sense? [ Noting the mismatch scene that he's been creating. ]
[ He asks because, well, most of the time Murphy forgets his dreams the moment he wakes up. Either that or his nightmares replay the same memories over and over again.
What he's experiencing right now, it's new. And it feels so real.
Somewhere, behind him, Murphy hears her calling for him. Groaning, a ghost lurking nearby. ]
[ What does safe look like? That's a very good question. Things around them flicker out of existence, statics when Murphy is trying to think of things that are safe.
Bellamy manifests, appears at his periphery. Bellamy is safe, Murphy thinks. Bellamy would make sure that Murphy's not hurt. It's a lie but Murphy doesn't know it just yet. ]
[ A story for another time. Murphy looks at Ronan sidelong, tipping his chin subtly in acknowledgment. ] What would happen if we did [ , Murphy asks purely out of curiosity as he approaches Bellamy. ]
Who else would I be [ , Bellamy speaks, even and casual. When Murphy is close enough to Bellamy, Murphy reaches out. Bellamy lets Murphy touch his face. ] It's me [ , Bellamy reassures Murphy. ]
[ Ronan, now, is more a voice in Murphy's ear than a solid presence. ]
And a wish. He's the Bellamy you think you know. The person you want him to be. But you'll never know all of him. We'd be making a copy from your perspective, not bringing him to you.
[ This is just a memory, the Bellamy that stands before him. Murphy scrutinizes the features of Bellamy's face, his gaze connecting dots with the freckles that pepper his face.
Bellamy collects Murphy just then, pulls him in and holds him close to his chest. This is what safe feels like. ]
I can't think of a place that's safe [ , Murphy murmurs. He's still in Bellamy's embrace. Just a few more seconds. He wants to remember this hug when he wakes up. A moment later, Bellamy is slipping away the moment Murphy slips him out of his thoughts. ]
What's safe to you? [ He turns to look for Ronan. ]
[ By virtue of Murphy's curiosity, the answer makes itself instantly known all around them. Rolling Appalachian pastures stretch around them, nearly identical to those found at the Meadows. But this is not the Meadows. This is the Barns, in Singer's Falls, outside of Henrietta - a town which no longer exists. This is Ronan's childhood home. The farmhouse sitting by the winding driveway is much more modest than the one at the Meadows, and scattered over the hills are the namesake barns in various states of disrepair. Despite the subtle aesthetic differences, the magic of the place is the same.
Ronan is sprawled out on the emerald grass a few feet away. ]
I could never leave.
[ Because they're one mind at the moment, Murphy immediately understands what he means by that: Before Lachesis dragged him out of his world altogether, Ronan was tied to the Barns. More specifically, tied to the ley line running through it. Wandering too far from it meant losing control over his power. Losing control over his power meant it was necessary to avoid using it altogether. And to avoid dreaming meant certain death. ]
It's not really safe. Nowhere is. But it's the safest, I guess.
It is safe [ , Murphy says after awhile, looking at the new scene that Ronan's painted for them. The farmhouse, as new as it is, has been the safest place for him, he realizes. Safer than the Ark, safer than the ground. ]
I wouldn't want to leave anyway. I have my own room. [ The edges of his lips curl, Murphy smirks at himself. ]
[ Abandoned indefinitely at the Barns, Ronan had been just about ready to let death take him. But everything's different at the Meadows. He has Kylo. And now he has Murphy, too. ]
I'm glad you're back. I was kinda hoping you'd stay.
[ Things are better when you're not alone, lost, or isolated. It's better when people genuinely want to be around you. He hasn't felt like a person in a really long time. ] Even if I'm not your Murphy. [ Because no matter what people say, Murphy always needs that reassurance. ]
[ Ronan lays a hand on Murphy's shoulder, gently pulling him closer. ]
You don't have some of his memories. That doesn't mean you're not him. You were always a part of him, the person he'd been, the person he still was. And he was good enough for me, which means you are, too.
[ Murphy feels the weight of Ronan's hand on his shoulder. It's comforting and warm. He lets himself get pulled and doesn't bother moving away. Murphy is starved of a lot of things. Attention. Affection. Touch. And if Ronan is going to give him at least one of those things, Murphy is going to openly accept it. ]
And you're not just saying that because we share the same face?
My brother has this face, too, and I can barely stand him.
[ No, really, he loves Declan. But he didn't always. And what Ronan doesn't mention - although Murphy can find it in his memories, if he goes looking - is that he's sacrificed hundreds of Ronan clones to save his own life. Resemblance alone is hardly something that will endear someone to him. Murphy is so much more than a face.
When Murphy doesn't pull away, Ronan brings his other arm around and draws him into an embrace. ]
Not to freak you out, but I know everything about you and you still haven't sent me running. I don't think it's gonna happen.
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It's dark, his dream. A blank canvas before it spills into different hues of greens and browns. Things take shape, the ground, the grass, the trees, the light of the sun seeping through the branches. He's on the ground. All alone for now, the dropship open and in the background.
A rickety chair under a tree. ]
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His fingers pause in their caress. He leans in to murmur in Murphy's ear: ]
We're here.
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Everything is so distinct and vivid, he can even smell the dirt and the grass. That distinct smell right after it rains. ] Am I doing all of this?
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This whole world is yours. It answers to you.
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A second later, or maybe it had vanished before now, the chair disappears. It's replaced by a gentle breeze and the branches sway soundlessly. Little things are changing if Murphy realizes it or not. Parts of the farmhouse start appearing, slowly building into the scene. ]
Welcome to the ground. [ He pauses when he steps next to Ronan - and now they're the same height. ]
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Weren't we always on the ground?
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[ So... yes. ]
You can hold on to a place if you focus. If you want. There's no rush, if you just wanna fuck around in here for a while. You're safe with me.
[ Unlike the dangerous nightmares Ronan has by himself, with others he acts as a stabilizer. A psychopomp. ]
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What he's experiencing right now, it's new. And it feels so real.
Somewhere, behind him, Murphy hears her calling for him. Groaning, a ghost lurking nearby. ]
I'm trying. [ To focus, he means. ]
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Safe. What does safe look like?
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Bellamy manifests, appears at his periphery. Bellamy is safe, Murphy thinks. Bellamy would make sure that Murphy's not hurt. It's a lie but Murphy doesn't know it just yet. ]
Bellamy [ , Murphy murmurs. ]
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We can't bring him back with us. It won't be him.
[ Though there's no reason for Murphy to walk away immediately, if he needs this reunion. ]
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Who else would I be [ , Bellamy speaks, even and casual. When Murphy is close enough to Bellamy, Murphy reaches out. Bellamy lets Murphy touch his face. ] It's me [ , Bellamy reassures Murphy. ]
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[ Ronan, now, is more a voice in Murphy's ear than a solid presence. ]
And a wish. He's the Bellamy you think you know. The person you want him to be. But you'll never know all of him. We'd be making a copy from your perspective, not bringing him to you.
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Bellamy collects Murphy just then, pulls him in and holds him close to his chest. This is what safe feels like. ]
I can't think of a place that's safe [ , Murphy murmurs. He's still in Bellamy's embrace. Just a few more seconds. He wants to remember this hug when he wakes up. A moment later, Bellamy is slipping away the moment Murphy slips him out of his thoughts. ]
What's safe to you? [ He turns to look for Ronan. ]
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Ronan is sprawled out on the emerald grass a few feet away. ]
I could never leave.
[ Because they're one mind at the moment, Murphy immediately understands what he means by that: Before Lachesis dragged him out of his world altogether, Ronan was tied to the Barns. More specifically, tied to the ley line running through it. Wandering too far from it meant losing control over his power. Losing control over his power meant it was necessary to avoid using it altogether. And to avoid dreaming meant certain death. ]
It's not really safe. Nowhere is. But it's the safest, I guess.
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I wouldn't want to leave anyway. I have my own room. [ The edges of his lips curl, Murphy smirks at himself. ]
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[ Abandoned indefinitely at the Barns, Ronan had been just about ready to let death take him. But everything's different at the Meadows. He has Kylo. And now he has Murphy, too. ]
I'm glad you're back. I was kinda hoping you'd stay.
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[ What an absurd suggestion. ]
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[ The colors around them grow dark, different shades of blue, grays, blacks. ]
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You don't have some of his memories. That doesn't mean you're not him. You were always a part of him, the person he'd been, the person he still was. And he was good enough for me, which means you are, too.
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And you're not just saying that because we share the same face?
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[ No, really, he loves Declan. But he didn't always. And what Ronan doesn't mention - although Murphy can find it in his memories, if he goes looking - is that he's sacrificed hundreds of Ronan clones to save his own life. Resemblance alone is hardly something that will endear someone to him. Murphy is so much more than a face.
When Murphy doesn't pull away, Ronan brings his other arm around and draws him into an embrace. ]
Not to freak you out, but I know everything about you and you still haven't sent me running. I don't think it's gonna happen.
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That's good to know, [ he murmurs, resting his head on Ronan's shoulder. ] You not running away.
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