blood && death && war && memories (echolight4eva)

[Deleted]

He was so damaged now.

Three years - three years of love, of happiness - had been wiped from his mind merely because of an injury.

But his physical self went undamaged.

His hair was still thick, black, wavy, his eyes still bright, beautiful blue.

His muscles were in tact, and appeared to be stronger than ever.

This man - Micah - was simple.

He entered his home - that had remained in his mind - and shut the door with his foot, dropping his black gym bag on the floor in the entry hall, stripping off his black leather jacket, ruffling his hair with a spare hand, the other occupied with fumbling with his keys.

A dog barked, running, running to him.

"Pepper!" He dropped to his knees, keys skittering across the ground, and opened his arms.

The large black-and-white collie dog bolted right into him and lapped at his face with delirious kisses.

"Oh, boy, I've missed you, too."

[~echo~]

Felicia was dozing lightly on the couch, not knowing that it was time for her lover to come home. Her light brown hair was draped over her face uncaringly, her mouth just slightly agape. A small silver thread of saliva hung from her mouth. When she heard Pepper running around she awoke but didn't open her eyes. "Pepper!" she groaned. Then she heard a man's voice. So familiar, so right... She immediately jumped up and looked at him. "Micah!"

[Deleted]

A gun was in his hand faster than he could blink.
It was pointed very, very steadily at her chest.
It was a nice gun, fit for his hands - a Browning Hi-Power.

"Who are you."
It wasn't a question, it was a statement.
He was used to his authority - over in the war, he had been a General.
You got used to power after two years of war.

Pepper whined, high and quiet, and dropped to his haunches beside Micah.

[~echo~]

Felicia stumbled back in shock. "M-Micah? What are you doing? How could you not remember me?" she whispered nervously. "Put your gun away!"

[Deleted]

His breathing was steady.
His heart was slow, thumping along in his chest.
His face was blank.
It was the face of someone who could kill and sleep just fine, if it meant survival of the self.
He squared his shoulders, eyes flicking over her face.

"Hands on your head, fingers laced. On your knees, please." He had manners - he was raised by his momma right. The gun shifted up, so it was pointed at her throat. A killing shot. He stepped forwards, the knife sheathes on his arms glinting - the inside of his forearm, the point of the silver blades pressing into his wrist, the inside of his bicep. He was a killer, professional, and liked to be ready. Hence why another knife was hidden under his shirt, the hilt reaching the base of his head, more knives on his thighs and calves, and two more guns.

[~echo~]

Felicia's eyes widened and she raised her palms, lowering herself slowly to her knees and then putting her hands on her head. "Micah... What happened to you? Why are you doing this?"

(Omg I love this already xD)

[Deleted]

(I know. /happydance)

Micah went down with her. "I'm going to holster my gun. I am still armed. If you move too quickly and I suspect something of you, I will not hesitate." He let that knowledge fill his face, his eyes. "I need to pat you down." He holstered the gun at his hip - it had been cleverly hidden under his jacket, but was now plainly obvious, and did a search.
He was very delicate around certain areas - waist, groin, hips, chest. Didn't want to be disrespectful.

"Alright, ma'am, you can stand." He left his gun free to grab again, but stood, offering a hand. "Please tell me who you are."

[~echo~]

Felicia looked horrified when he asked her that. "I-I'm your girlfriend, Micah," she whispered, standing on her own. She felt rather betrayed by him. She whistled to Pepper, hoping at least he would come and be loyal to him.

[Deleted]

The dog hesitated.
It had been years - years - since his master had been home.
Sure, he and Felicia had gotten closer, but he obeyed Micah above all.
However...
Instinct won out.
His master was not acting the same.

He stood, eyes flicking to Micah's face before he slowly swayed over to Felicia's side.
His head and tail drooped, but his muzzle pressed against her hip in a comforting way.

Micah's hand dropped to his side.
He frowned, tilting his head.
His hair, thick, black, curly, was tied in a long braid. The end of it brushed just above his buttocks.
"I don't have a girlfriend, ma'am. I'm sorry if you think I'm someone you know - but I'm not. Are you a doctor? Are you here to investigate my wounds, my memory?"
He started to get angry.
"I'm not okay with that. I don't like people poking into my head - I told everyone that at Base 4.3, right before I left for home."

[~echo~]

Tears welled up in the girl's eyes, despair filling them as well. She sank to the ground and hugged Pepper, burying her nose in his fur. "You've forgotten me," she whispered, memories flashing before her closed eyes. Them hugging, having a picnic in what was left of nature. Him leaving for the war... Felicia looked up at him. "I am not a doctor. I am your girlfriend. What injuries did you sustain?"

[Deleted]

((Here is Pepper. You know Husky's eyes? Yeah, his eyes are that blue.))

Micah wanted to frown but couldn't make himself do it again.
God, he was so tired.
His bed peeked out from behind the half-closed door of his bedroom.
God, he needed sleep.
"Trauma to the back of the skull. Blunt force. Bullet wound to the chest, bicep, and thigh."

[~echo~]

(AWW CUTE!!!)

Felicia wiped her tears away angrily. "But... I've known you forever," she whimpered, following his gaze to the bedroom. She hadn't slept in there since he had left, but it seemed that he wasn't coming back. At least.... not the one that she remembered. Felicia sat on the ground and hugged her knees to her chest, squeezing her eyes shut. How could he not remember? The wounds must have caused it but something like what they had had didn't go away so easily.

[Deleted]

He hunkered down beside him. Pepper sniffed at his elbow, rubbing against him, and Micah rubbed his ears absently.

"Ma'am, I believe you. I just..." He sighed, tucking stray strands of hair behind his ears. It was a tell-tale sign of nervousness, his own sign. "I just don't remember. Listen - how about you stay here? I'll sleep on the couch, and you can take the room. We can go to the hospital tomorrow, see what they think." He brushed his fingertips over her hair. It used to be something he did right before they went to bed together, either to sleep or something more. "Will that be okay?"

[~echo~]

She let out a shaky breath and shivered when he touched her hair. "N-no," she sniffed. "That's fine. You can sleep i-in your bed. I've been sleeping on the couch." She gazed at him, her eyes not trusting as they had been before he drew a gun on her.

(Would it be alright if there was another dog?)

[Deleted]

((Sure.))

He stood in a movement so liquid it was like he had muscles in places he shouldn't.
"Alright. Thank you. Do you mind if I go catch a shower?" He rubbed a hand over his face, tired, scared.

[~echo~]

A high-pitched bark was heard and a small German Shepherd puppy came running to Felicia. She swooped him up, glad somebody was still loyal to her. "That's fine. It's your house, after all. And this is Amazon."

[Deleted]

Pepper barked.
He acted like a father to the puppy, and didn't like to be separated from the little thing, worried he was going to get hurt or run over or something.

Micah smiled.
"Amazon - a nice name." He picked up his bag, British accent thickening with his being tired. "I'll cook us something and then we can talk, alright? I just... I need to get clean." He shut his bedroom door softly behind him and sighed, undoing his hair.
It fell around him in a thick party of waves, making his bright blue eyes stand out even more.

He stepped into the bathroom, starting the water up.

[~echo~]

Felicia nodded and put little Amazon down. She walked towards the couch and sat down again, making some attempt to calm down before they had to talk again. She was still very tense from the whole ordeal. Amazon ran up to Pepper and barked happily, still not trusting Micah. She licked what she could reach of her adoptive father's ear lovingly.

[Deleted]

He got dressed in a loose white button-up with a black shirt showing underneath, black pants, and black Converse with the classical white laces. He put a button through the hole, securing the shirt over his abdomen, keeping his hair loose. It looked longer in a braid, but it was only at about ribcage level.

He stepped out of the room, his bag on the bed, untouched.
His shirt hid the gun, the knives.
It was comforting to be armed around a woman he didn't know who claimed to be his girlfriend.

"I'm heading to the kitchen. You coming with?"
Pepper yipped at the pup, gesturing for him to follow and padded into the kitchen after Micah, trailing after him like - hilariously - a lost puppy. It was an ironic simile.

[~echo~]

Felicia looked at him and tried to muster a smile. She nodded. "I suppose I'll tag along for a while," she said. "But I'm not very hungry," she assured him.