Pulling away slowly, Liesel wiped her eyes with the heels of her hands before looking at Erik. She sighed, tilting her head to the side she reached up and gently traced his features with her fingertips. "You look tired."

"Not all of us have the luxury of a hospital bed to sleep in." Erik easily quipped back with a smirk firmly in place.

Liesel scoffed and rolled her eyes at that. "Luxury, yes. Because it honestly does look luxurious, doesn't it?"

"It's an improvement of where I've been staying."

"You need to stay clear of those drug infested sex hotels, Erik, truthfully you do." Liesel said in a mock scolding tone while shaking her head. She was silent all for the matter of a minute before laughing. "You are safe though, wherever it is you are staying, yes?"

"Relatively." Erik replied, "So far no trouble."

"Because who would honestly seek to start trouble with you?" Liesel rolled her eyes. She couldn't think of anything more ridiculous if she even tried. Well, she probably could, but purposely fighting Erik was right up the top of the list.

"You would probably be surprised." Erik said in a thoughtful tone while brushing hair over her shoulders, most of the auburn locks had escaped the tie from her sudden movements. Liesel looked at him confused, his words pretty much signalled that he had clearly already crossed paths with someone. But then again, he was still a wanted man, go figure that the authorities would still be looking for him.

"You're...not hurt?"

"No." Erik made sure to cement that. He was fine, other people who may have tried to cross his path in an effort to lay low? No. They weren't fine.

Liesel let out a relieved breath before shaking her head. "What do you plan to do now?"

He gazed off to the side towards the window. Narrowing his eyes, he shook his head. "I don't know."

"Hm," Liesel reached up and ran a hand through his hair. He turned and faced her again which caused her hand to slip to his face. Stroking him gently with her thumb, she smiled sadly. "You're officially stuck."

"I don't think I like it much."

"No, being suddenly without a reason is truly...rubbish, and boring. Mainly boring." Liesel decided with a hum. "You certain you don't want to go hunt out the President and Trask again?"

"I'll leave them be."

"For now?"

Erik raised an eyebrow, "How about forever?"

Liesel didn't look like she believed him on that one. "Really now? Well that's interesting."

"Isn't it just?"

"Want to come back with me?"

"Charles won't let that happen, and you know it."

"I just thought I'd try." Liesel said with a coy smile. She leaned back and rested back against the pillows. She yawned quietly behind her hands before resting them in her lap. She looked to Erik, he did look utterly exhausted, like he hadn't had a decent night's sleep in ages. But then, both of them had been on the move constantly. It made sense that he still would be, in an effort to avoid capture. "You know," Liesel's voice cut the quiet content silence to a quick close. Erik turned more on the bed and looked at her. "Gretchen knows about me leaving." Erik looked confused as to why she was telling him this. "She bought me some stuff," Liesel nodded to a bag which Erik hadn't even registered was near the chair. He glanced at the black duffel bag and then looked back at her. "Charles...he doesn't know about me appearing on his doorstep."

Erik's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Where are you going with this?"

"Well, it's got me thinking," Liesel said while tapping her chin in thought. "Who said anything about me needing to return to the manor for some private me time immediately?" Liesel questioned with faux thoughtfulness. The rather cheeky smile on her face showed how little she was taking this seriously.

Erik leaned forwards, placing one hand by her side he rested his other by her head, on the rather horrible plastic feeling pillow. "Are you suggesting running away, Liesel?"

"I was more thinking of a road trip." Liesel replied with a quiet chuckle and an awkward shuffle. She readjusted the blanket across her legs and looked to him again, Erik remained motionless. Still as a statue yet watching her with clear blue eyes. It was a little unnerving seeing as how he didn't seem to blink.

He smiled suddenly, Liesel raised an eyebrow, now being the one to feel a little bit confused. "A road trip?" He repeated, there was something in his voice and eyes which showed that he was thinking of something else, or at least trying to indicate at something else.

Liesel crossed her arms and looked at him blankly. "Would you have preferred a holiday? I mean, I think we need one, Erik." Liesel ran a hand through her hair. "You more than me."

"What do you mean?" He frowned at that.

"You're the one who's spent a good few years locked away. The world hasn't changed hugely, but it's changed enough. So...what better way to see the world you now live in, than going travelling?" Liesel paused, an uncomfortable expression flitted onto her face as she looked to her legs. "I need somewhere to heal too. Somewhere peaceful, and nice."

"That's why you opted for Charles's?" Erik asked watching as she begrudgingly nodded her head.

"Returning home, I'd be fussed over. Gretchen is like a nurse, or a mother hen, always fussing and checking on me. She did it all the time when she visited. At least if I went to stay with Charles, there'd be minimum fuss. But overall, I'd be left alone."

"No, you wouldn't be." Erik said while she shot him a confused look. He looked downwards before flicking his eyes back to hers. "He would fuss too."

"Mother hens together."

"Exactly."

"I don't know...there doesn't seem to be an in between now that I think about it."

"I do not think going travelling is the right idea. As you said, you need to heal. How are you going to do that if you're forever getting on planes and trains?"

Liesel looked blankly over to the window. "I just want to leave." She said in a tired tone. "So much has happened, you know? I just want to find a happy place and live there."

"And this place has to be out of the country?"

"I never said that."

"You didn't have to, I know when you're hinting at something." Erik said while she propped herself up onto her elbows. "Being away from America, you may be onto something there though." He thought while narrowing his eyes, "You know, I do think you are right." Liesel looked rather surprised by that. "Getting away for a little while could benefit us both."

Liesel rolled her eyes, "Yeah, I'm not totally sure people are going to forget you. You are quite memorable."

"Thanks."

"Not a compliment, Erik." Liesel despaired with the shake her head. She laughed, she shouldn't be surprised by that. "But at least it'd allow the heat to die down."

"Can you honestly leave knowing you've lied to your sister?" Erik asked, Liesel's eyes hardened. "She may never speak to you again. You are, after all, leaving her for me, again." Wouldn't be the first time, doubt it would be the last, but Erik had to ask. He had never really known Liesel to suffer from guilt. But he was certain where her sister was involved, some form of guilt would appear. "You've spent how long wishing for her to be alive, only to discover her, have many happy years...only to then leave."

"Do you want to lay the guilt on any thicker?" Liesel shot at him, Erik shouldn't have, but he smirked. He knew guilt would pop up, he just knew it and he took a small amount of happiness out of being right. Shaking her head, she looked frustrated. "What can I say to her, huh? How about: 'Oh, I'm sorry Gretchen, I'm not with Charles. I actually am...cue a name of a place here, with Erik.' Yes, because that is going to go swimmingly, isn't it?"

"You can't just leave though." Erik said, the nerves in his arm were starting to go so he leaned more against his forearm. This ended up bringing him closer to her, close enough to almost rest his forehead against hers. Also close enough to see the colour shift in Liesel's eyes from a calm bright green, to something darker and deadlier. He was annoying her, he got it loud and clear.

"Okay, how about: 'Gretchen, I am sorry. But I could not follow through with the plan that I said to you, because my heart and my mind decided to lead me off in another direction. I will be in touch though when I've found somewhere to settle. And don't worry, I'm fine. I'll be fine. I'm always fine, aren't I?'"

Erik nodded, "That's better." Which it was, she spoke so honestly and sadly that it was clear she meant these words more than her previous ones.

"She'll still know it's because of you though."

"I know, I believe I've taken enough of your sister's anger by now. A little more really isn't going to hurt."

"What?"

"Oh, yeah, she more or less told me to back off. Or something along those lines. I honestly can't quite remember." Erik said dully with a shrug. "What are sisters for though, hm?"

Liesel rolled her eyes with a small sigh. "Are you okay with this?"

"Escaping capture and going somewhere less chaotic with you? Yes." Erik answered seriously, he frowned when Liesel looked up at him sadly.

"I meant with me. I'm not exactly like I was."

"Your powers never made you who you are, Liesel. They are a part of you. But they're not you. When we first met, you could only just control them, it wasn't them that bought us together. It was a dark time, and...him. But even after that all, it's your personality, Liesel. You, as a whole, powers or no powers, you are still...you are..."

"I'm awesome, aren't I?" Liesel laughed with a grin, Erik seemed to be really struggling to think of a word, so she suggested one.

Erik looked at her blankly. "You ruined a moment."

"I know, I'm awful, aren't I?"

"What happened to awesome?"

"I'm that too." He rolled his eyes. "Continue though." Liesel urged.

"No, the moments gone." Erik said with a shrug and looked rather annoyed at it all really.

"I get it, and...just so you know, it means a lot." Liesel nodded gently, the one person to perhaps never judge would typically be him. She couldn't help but feel a niggling uncertainty though over the fact that she was no different really now than anyone they'd pass on the streets.

"Together, Liesel." Erik's voice pulled her from her rather bleak thoughts. Blinking slowly she looked at him. "Always have been, probably always will be, remember?" 

A happy smile slowly appeared on her face before she speedily reached out and pulled him to her, again. The only difference was instead of burying away against him, she kissed him quickly a few times before he gently cupped her face and kept her still and in a position which allowed him to deepen the kiss; it caused Liesel to gasp, making it all the more easier as she gave a small shudder and gripped onto him tighter.

Hearing the rattle of the door handle, they pulled apart. "Hide." Liesel said, breathless as she pushed against Erik's shoulders. "We can't risk you being spotted, remember?" She questioned when he looked at her with a frown. People may have noticed him slipping in, or they may not have, but either way being noticed now was not what they wanted or needed.

Snatching his hat from the chair he eradicated any traces of him even being present as he went and stepped into the bathroom, with a flick of a finger the door swung open just as he nudged the door shut. He kept the tiniest of gaps open so he could spy what's going on, he watched as a rather flustered nurse moved over to Liesel. She in turn just smiled up at her and answered any questions which were sent her way, clearly opting to ignore him hiding away in the shadows of the adjoining room.

----

Edited: 17/June/2019

Reedited: 27/August/2021