CA!Verse: Sara & Roderich; Hurt / Comfort

[penguinknitter]

Hey look, two in one night. I needed some hurt / comfort, and Sara and Roderich were the most active. So, this was born.

There was knocking coming from her door. That was all her brain processed as she woke up looking at a clock showing 3:23 AM. Groaning, she got out of bed, not caring if she looked presentable (she was decent), and walking towards the entryway to her apartment. She glanced out of the peephole and sighed. Looked like she wasn’t going back to sleep anytime soon. Opening the door, Sara Sidle looked slightly upwards to look at the face of Roderich Edelstein, and it didn’t look good.

“Get in here.” She was gruff, but it was three thirty in the morning. She didn’t have to be proper.

“Tut mir leid…” She heard him mumble, and from knowing the Austrian for the years she had, she knew that to mean an apology.

“Whatever you have to tell me, you’re either telling me now, or telling me in bed, because I’m heading back there. It’s warm.” She noticed that Roderich stopped and was turning to leave. “That doesn’t mean leave, crazy Austrian.” Grabbing his arm, she turned him. Seeing his face, she realized that something was really wrong.

“Come on.” And she tugged on his arm. He followed, not putting up much of a fight, really. “Something’s bothering you that much?” Sure, she had a hell of a reputation of being a hard ass while teaching, but she had taken a couple of the newer teachers under her wing, Roderich being one of them.

She knew his family (mostly his father) didn’t like the path he was taking in life, and since they were in Vienna, he didn’t talk to them much anyway. One of the first times she had talked to him, he had been sitting in one of the courtyards staring into space, in the rain. She had sat down next to him and waited for him to talk, and he did.

“Fraulein Sidle…When did you get here?”

“It’s Sara, and a few minutes ago.”

“My apologies Sara.” It hadn’t been too long since he had arrived, maybe halfway through his first year. He looked over at her. “There is no need for you to be soaking wet as well.”

“I want to be.” She met his gaze, a challenge there. “You look like you need some company.”

“It’s a long story.”

“I’m done with my day, besides grading.”

“It’s my father… He’s not exactly enthused about my career choice, or my location of choice, for that matter.” And he talked, telling of the phone call he had just finished before coming outside to cool off. Almost literally. A few minutes later he stopped and looked over at her. “I’m sorry I dropped this on you.”

“Roderich, I wouldn’t have offered if I can’t carry it. Besides, everyone needs a place to set their baggage.”

Now, he came to her and treated her like a big sister…sometimes a mother. Now, he had wrapped his arms around her shoulders and rested his forehead against one…and she could tell he was crying.

“Never mind. Who do I get to kill?” She muttered into his ear as she returned the embrace, knowing that’s exactly what he needed at the moment.

“No one, just… An argument with Jade.” Oh boy. Sara thought. Those two and their relationship were about as stable as the odds at a Vegas casino. She wanted to smack that man right now, knowing how much it tore Roderich apart to be at odds with the man he cared for so much… and was so confused about. She stepped back a step, looking directly at him. She could see hurt in his eyes, he could never hide anything from her.

“Come and just rest, I’m sure you two will resolve things in the morning. You can stay here.” She went back to bed, looking over at him. “I promise, no funny business.” She heard a chuckle as he lay down also, sighing. At least she got a laugh out of him this time. Normally, it just didn’t work.

“Go to sleep Österreich,” She used a joking nickname for him, calling him ‘Austria’, one of the few German words she was able to pronounce right. She felt him relax against her, and wrapped an arm around his middle, comforting him like a son. “Everything will be better come morning.”