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[sevendayslater]

Collision in the Bedroom

Phy: {Restlessness pushed me out of the apartment and down to the street, I walked a little bit, wanting the fresh air and needing to get my 30 minutes in for the day. It was nice being surrounded by people, getting lost in the ground of the city for a little bit before bracing myself to go to the bar. I both hoped to see August and dreaded seeing him, every time he avoided my gaze or left when I entered a room my heart ached and my eyes pricked with tears. I thought after my quiet birthday and the gift of half his bar we were taking a step back to how we were but he’d just gone back to avoiding me. I tried to tell myself he was working something out, that he needed space to get his head right but now I couldn’t stop thinking that it was me. Us. Maybe he was finally realizing I was just some young woman with a baby that wasn’t his, why would he want to be involved? I sighed at my thoughts and shook my head, pushing away the black cloud that was creeping towards the front of my thoughts and trying to focus on the menu changes for the bar. Crawfish were coming in by the bucket and the oysters were getting smaller as the summer really settled in, there were changes that needed to be made for the season and for the few events we’d host in the next months. Sarah and I needed to work on what we’d serve so I could figure out the recipes and train the other cooks with the new items. I also needed to visit the local winery and breweries to find a few summer wines and meads for the bar. I was hoping August would come along but I wasn’t sure we could be in the car alone for that long without me being emotional and him getting testy. With another shake of my head I started to walk towards the bar, going along the back alley so I could come in at the kitchen instead of the front.}

August: It only took Charley a few hours to wander around the city catching up with her old friends before she found her way back to my apartment. She had suggested she stay in a hotel while she was in town but I insisted she stay with me. We had gone far too long not talking or spending time together. I wanted her as close as possible to me now that she was here.

I watched her closely as she made us both a cup of coffee in my kitchen then handed mine to me before taking a seat beside me on the couch. Touching her mug to mine, she grinned at me before taking a quick sip. Her smile reminded me so much of our mother, it made my chest ache. I hadn’t thought of my family in far too long and having Charley here was a startling reminder of how much love we used to have for each other before everything went to shit.

I sipped my own coffee then leaned back as she settled against my side. She mentioned the people she caught up with and the ones she had yet to see as I nodded and listened to her excited rambling. Most of the names were familiar to me. A few hit me right in my gut but she had every right to seek out those people closest to our family. Even if I had cast them aside. Charley went on about running into one of her high school friends when I heard the familiar sound of the bottom hallway door opening. My shoulders tensed as footsteps slowly grew closer, assuming Phynix had found her way home.

Phy: {I held the new menu prints under my arm, a small, proud smile curling my lips because this was more than just my recipes now but my bar as well. Shared, but that didn’t matter, I was part of something again. Humming softly I made my way up stairs, I was hoping these menus would be a way to start a conversation. Give August a reason to talk to me, or at least smile at me. Maybe. Scrunching up my nose I made a face at my thoughts, I’d turned into a massive ball of Hallmark mush. I sighed as I nudged the door open with my hip, focusing on not dropping my bag, the menus, or my keys and not on what was around me. It wasn’t until I stepped into the kitchen that I looked up, fingers fumbling so my keys slipped to the counter and my eyes widening. August had brought a woman home. I inhaled slowly, teeth grinding as I looked down at the menus and snorting at myself because of course} Fucking seriously. {I mumbled under my breath and shook my head, gathering all my stuff up again and leaving the kitchen to walk awkwardly around the couple. I gave them both a tight smile before continuing to my room and slamming the door behind me} Fucking seriously.

August: My jaw clenched in annoyance as I watched Phynix cross the room and slam the bedroom door. Her dramatic reaction irritated me. For whatever reason, instead of being polite and saying hello she reacted like a child.

Women.

I turned and offered Charley a tight smile. Her brow arched, eyeing me with an amused smirk as we both stood up from the couch. I hadn’t mentioned Phynix yet but I probably should have. I probably should have mentioned plenty of things but the pregnant girl living in my spare bedroom was probably a good place to start. I was growing annoyed with the eggshells that seems to constantly spread themselves at my feet. It needed to end. All of it. All of the secrets and unspoken truths needed to be fucking spoken. Charley squeezed my hand as she glanced in the direction of Phy’s closed door. My sister would no doubt have plenty of questions for me but thankfully she kissed my cheek and left me to deal with Phynix alone. The second Charley left the apartment I took what was meant to be a calming breath as I crossed the room and pushed open Phynix’s door.

Phy: {I jerked my head around and narrowed my eyes at August} I realize this is your place but you could still knock. It’s polite. {My teeth clicked together I was so mad, mouth snapping shut and jaw clenching again as I turned to put my bag away and set the menus on the little desk I’d set up by the window. I could not believe he’d brought a woman home. Was I just some domestic piece on the fucking side that he got to play house with while he fucked everyone else? Or was he finally realizing the responsibility he was taking on? Had he always had a girlfriend? Or whatever? Goddess} Did you need something? I’m sure your girlfriend isn’t happy you left her for your pregnant houseguest. {I glanced over my shoulder, mouth set in a mulish line} She might get the wrong idea.

August: I sunk my teeth into my lip in order to bite back the snarky response that settled on my tongue as Phynix pinned me with a hostile stare. I could feel her irritation from across the room. It mirrored mine and then some. Yes, this was my house. Her comment about that was on point. I could go into whatever fucking room I wanted to. The last thing I needed was permission.

Crossing my arms over my chest as she set a stack of papers on her desk, my eyes widened when she practically hissed over her shoulder at me. I couldn’t even help myself. I fucking laughed. The idea that Charley was my girlfriend was fucking insane and that Phy thought I would bring a woman back here to our home was simply preposterous. Her words were insulting, my heart skipping a beat as I squared my shoulders and returned her hostile stare.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. She’s not my girlfriend, Phynix, she’s my sister. Jesus. You jump to the most insane conclusions.”

Phy: {I twisted around to stare at August, mouth dropping open before my teeth snapped together again} Well excuse the fuck out of me, how the hell was I supposed to know she was your sister? It’s not like you ever told me you HAD a sister. {I waved a hand at the door, motioning at the living room and the stranger in the apartment. Now I was pissed and embarrassed which just made me more pissed} You seem to have women just coming out of the woodwork these days but how the hell should I know who is who? You’d have to actually talk to me to inform me. For all I know you’ve got a dozen women hanging around! {I smacked my hands together because I wanted to hit something but I couldn’t, nothing in reach wasn’t breakable. I exhaled hard, frustration boiling under my skin until a flame twisted between my fingers}

August: My eyes rolled so far back into my head it actually stung a bit. She was presumptuous, thinking I had a single woman showing me attention. Delilah was a momentary issue but besides that I had hardly spoken to another woman. Even if I had it didn’t fucking matter because all I saw these days was Phynix. She was the forefront of my thoughts, my plans and she was a constant conversation in my head, even if we barely spoke. That only frustrated me more because how the fuck were we going to get anywhere if she was always such a pain in the goddamn balls.

I let out an exasperated sigh, tugging my hand through my hair. “I’m not the only one not fucking talking, Phynix. You are as tight lipped as they come despite me trying to understand you. So don’t point your finger at me when you behave exactly the same way. I don’t know you like you don’t fucking know me. Aren’t there things you want to share with the class?”

Phy: {The fire snapped as I jerked my hands around, the flame twisting and disappearing before wrapping around my wrist. I wanted to fucking hiss at him, even bared my teeth like I was going to do just} What exactly isn’t it you’d like me to share? You could ask me a damn questions but wait… you’d have to see me for that. {I stepped forward, digging a finger into his chest and looking up at him} Have the fucking balls to stick around long enough to have a conversation with me but you can’t even stand to be in the same damn room. You just sneak in and out, avoiding me at all cost. {I pushed at his chest and yelled, all my fear, embarrassment and anger coming out} If you regretted having me around you could just say it! Don’t make me… don’t lead me on!

August: Fire or not, I snatched both her wrists into my hands, closing the small distance between us until my stomach was pressing against her rounded belly. My heartbeat pounded in my ears as I stared down into her bright eyes, struggling to keep even the slightest hold on my temper while she barked in my face. What she was saying was bullshit. It wasn’t entirely my fault we barely spoke. She had run out on conversations before but because it was her in those instances, there was no issue. Now that the tide had turned it was suddenly up to me to spill my fucking guts to her. Fine. If it’s what she wanted, it was what she was going to get.

“I’m not leading you the fuck on, Phynix,” I growled, leaning down so my face hovered close to hers. “Not everyone is an open book. You need to give me a minute to deal with my own shit like I’ve given you six fucking months to deal with yours. Do I have questions? Yes. I’ve got a lot of damn questions. The most important one apparently is did I fall in love with a fucking pyromaniac?”

Phy:{I jerked away, arms going slack and eyes going wide as my heart jumped against my chest. My words left me, dried right up as I stared at August. Love. Love.} Then why the fuck didn’t you say something! {I smacked my hands against his chest, pushing at him because I was frustrated and confused and still pissed. There had been a strange woman in our home and another one in our bar. And I was just sitting here waiting for him to pull his head out of his ass and actually talk to me. I shook my head, smacking against his chest again because I couldn’t get the words out, couldn’t get thoughts to form except for the fact that he said Love} Fuck you, I’m not a pyro. And you’ll love me whether I am or not. {I pushed at his chest, stepping into his space again and baring my teeth as I growled} You can’t take it back now.

August: I stood my ground against every one of her shoves, forcing myself to breathe though she was pushing me past the edge of control. Her eyes were wild with fire and frustration I felt running through my veins. We had driven each other mad and this exact moment was the end result of our childish behavior. I wanted to bark at her, to scold her for driving me so fucking insane but more than that, I wanted her. Now more than ever.

My eyes narrowed as I loomed over Phynix, again taking hold of both her hands. “You’re a pain in my fucking ass but I’m not taking shit back.”

I released her hands then quickly took her face between my palms. My head was swimming with frustration and anger that had built up between us over time but I had no idea how to expel it. All I knew was that I wanted to kiss her. So I did. Without thinking, I leaned forward and molded my lips to hers, claiming her mouth in a firm kiss while pressing my body gently against hers.

Phy: {I was opening my mouth to snap at him, to tell him he was a bigger pain than I was but then his lips were on mine. His hands cradling my face, even though I knew he was still angry, could practically feel his frustration, he was gentle. Sweet. I on the other hand twisted my fingers in his shirt and pulled him closer, teeth catching at his bottom lip as I went up on my toes to get even closer. I whimpered when my breasts pressed to his chest, shivering as his warmth seared through me. I wanted to climb him, to wrap my legs around his waist and never let go but I was too short and my belly too big so I curled an arm around his shoulders and tugged at his hair, panting softly as I pulled away from the kiss} You’re just as much of a pain in the ass. {I nodded and leaned up to bite at his lip again, dragging my tongue over the reddened skin}

August: Phynix’s response to my sudden kiss was as surprising as the action itself but every bit of it felt right, like I should have been kissing her all along. Our bitter exchange still echoed in the air but then tension in my veins shifted to something more potent. Need. The second she slipped her fingers through my hair my body reacted, every muscle beneath my skin tensing as she pulled me closer. Maybe this was what we needed. There had been talking and there had been arguing but it was possible what Phynix and I needed was on more of a physical level. Her response to my kiss hinted I was right.

A smirk lifted to my lips when she spoke breathlessly, my hands dropping from her face to smooth down her back. I knew I had to be gentle with her though my every instinct was to take out my frustration on her body like she was doing with mine. My hands settled on her ass, squeezing firmly while I walked her carefully back toward the bed. This was brand fucking new territory for us but I refused to let myself think too much into any of it. Phynix would tell me if things went too far. I tried conveying that in my eyes as I reached for the bottom of her shirt and started to lift it over her head.

Phy: {I moaned when his hands cupped my ass, twitching at the squeezing and biting back on another moan. Just that touch had my thighs clenching together and my nipples tightening against the fabric of my bra. I tilted my head back and laugh a giddy, nervous sound because I couldn’t believe this was happening. Couldn’t believe August was stripping me of my shirt and nudging me towards the bed. I took a deep breath and lifted my arms, letting him pull my shirt over my head before taking the last steps to my bed and sitting on the edge of the mattress. I licked over my lips as I glanced up at him, shy as I unhooked my bra and let it slip down my arms, baring my breasts in hope that it would distract from my belly} I want to see you. {I reached out and tugged at the hem of his shirt, slipping my hand under the fabric and scratching my nails above the waist of his jeans, dipping my fingers below and teasing at the elastic of his briefs} Please. {I smiled when I said it, almost smirking as I tugged him closer to me and snapped open the button of his pants}

August: Phy’s moans reverberated up my spine as she sat carefully on the edge of the bed. The soft flush of her cheeks as she revealed herself to me hinted that she was just as nervous as I felt. This was fucking big but at the same time, it was important. I wanted to convey to her everything I felt but was difficult to say. I hoped she understood how much I cared for her as I slid my fingers down the curve of her neck, unapologetically taking in the view of her full breasts.

As she licked her lips, scratching eagerly at my bare skin, my cock twitched behind the zipper of my jeans. “Oh so now you say please.” I grinned down at Phy as I slipped my pants down over my hips, dragging my boxers down as well. I didn’t stop shedding my clothes until I was standing in front of her completely naked. I only allowed her a second to make that happy purring sound that had quickly become one of my favorites before I pressed my lips to hers again, urging her down onto the bed as my hands roamed over her breasts.

Phy: {Heat rushed over my skin as he stripped himself bare, my eyes trying to take in every inch of his beautiful body as he stood before me but I was interrupted by the press of his lips and the feel of his hands. I let him tilt me back against the covers, breath catching as he cupped my breasts touching my sensitive nipples and trailing featherlight touches over my skin. I felt tight and hot, too big for my skin and ready to burst just from those few touches and I wanted so much more. I let my own hands roam over him, mapping out the shape of his shoulders and chest, dragging my nails over his ribs and down to stroke the divot of his hips. I whined and arched up, dropping a hand to push at the waist of my leggings and try to work them down so I could feel him skin to skin} August {I gave a frustrated huff and hooked a leg over his before pushing with both hands, rolling us clumsily so I could wiggle out of my leggings and straddle his hips. I was suddenly very happy I’d forgone panties today, that I’d felt to uncomfortable for the extra layer along my hips. Now I could rub against him, already slick and hot from his teasing touches, throbbing with the need to cum. I circled my hips and dragged my cunt against his abs, breath stuttering in my chest and a moan catching at the back of my throat as my body jerked and pleasure flooded through me. Pregnancy plus. Sensitivity. I dropped my head back and rubbed against him, grabbing one of his hands and bringing it up to my breast, moaning at the feel of his warm, calloused fingers trailing over my soft skin}

August: My name rolling off of her lips was like a jolt of electricity to my dick. I couldn’t help but smile and chuckle at how frustrated she got trying to rid herself of those fucking clothes. I couldn’t keep my hands or my mouth off of her, touching and kissing and biting at every bit of her soft flesh I could reach while she wiggled around. She was so insanely cute it make my cock strain for attention. Before I could do much of anything she surprised me, wrangling me onto my back. Her belly made things a challenge but she knew exactly how to work around it. I smoothed my hand up her thighs as she straddled me, drinking in her beauty as she grinded her hips against mine. Phynix was so eager I could barely contain my own craving for her. As she slid her soaked cunt over my cock I lifted my hips and pressed them firmly against her. Every inch of my body strained with the instinct to take over but she was so needy as she writhed against my body, I couldn’t tear my eyes away from her. I wanted to fuck her. I craved being buried so deep inside her she would feel me for hours after but I refused to stop her from what she was doing. I wasn’t a fucking moron.

Phy: {A shiver stretched through me, tightening my nipples to painful points and pulling the air from my lungs. I rested my weight forward, settling my hands on August’s chest and sliding my hips forward, leaving a trail of wet along his abs before dragging my hips back until I felt his cock slip between my folds. I cried out when his cock pressed to my clit, grinding down desperately and losing myself in the sensation. I was more sensitive than I’d ever been, every touch pushing me closer and closer to the edge. I whimpered August’s name and dug my nails into his chest, lips parting on a ragged breath and eyes catching his as I tilted my hips and pushed against him, cumming as soon as the head of his cock teased at my entrance. My eyes squeezed shut and my body curled forward, the force of my orgasm taking the strength from my arms so I dropped onto him, slipping to the side slightly to make room for my belly. I rocked my hips forward, continuing to grind against him and whine, face burying against his arm and mouth sliding wet and hot against his skin. Once the pleasure stopped pulsing between my legs I was going to be embarrassed by how easy that was}

August: My breath came in shallow pants as Phynix writhed and moaned on top of me. Sweat trickled down the edge of my temples, my entire body hot with the overwhelming desire to take her. Every roll of her hips and moan of my name chipped away at my resolve to behave my fucking self but this was one time I was very much okay with being used. The heat of pleasure flushed on her cheeks as her body tensed and trembled against mine was my reward.

The sight and sound of Phy coming when I was barely inside her snapped the tight band of restraint holding me back. She toppled over onto me, her pussy soaking the length of my cock while I held her against my chest. I slipped my free hand over her hip and nudged her down, lifting my hips at the same time so I slowly sunk into her. My teeth dug into my bottom lip as I filled her with every swollen inch of my cock, releasing a low groan when my hips pressed against her ass and my length was sheathed fully inside her. “Fuck… Phynix.”

Phy: {My cunt was still clenching, spasming from my orgasm as he pressed inside me and I held my breath, clutching at his shoulders as he stretched me open. It was a sensual pain that added to my need, pushed me to the edge all over again. I moved a hand down to touch where we were joined once he was fully seated inside me, stroking over the base of his cock and shuddering as I brushed over my swollen folds and clit. A sound of pure pleasure fell from my lips as I clenched around him, hips shifting in small circles because I couldn’t stay still. Couldn’t stop pressing down against him to feel the tip of his cock press so deep inside of me. I opened my mouth to say something, to tell him how deep I could feel him, how full I felt but I could only whimper and grind down again, twitching at the sharp pleasure and breathing heavily because I was almost there again}

August: My heart hammered in my chest as she dropped her hand to touch between us, the move so sexy I almost lost my fucking shit right then and there. My fingers dug into her hips and would probably leave a mark but she didn’t seem to notice. And I was that much of a fucking prick that the thought of my fingerprints on her skin made me even more hard. Her pussy was the perfect combination of tight and hot as she clenched and ground down against me. I rolled my hips slowly, meeting her every move with a thrust of my own until we found our rhythm. Sitting up slightly, I sunk my teeth into the curve of her shoulder while smoothing my hand over her bare belly. A groan fell from my lips as we moved together, slowly then quickly as the tension mounted between us. I felt her pleasure building again just as my own did. It had been far too long of us bickering then making up, teasing and touching but never going any further. I wasn’t going to last long but I didn’t give a fuck. I wanted to fill her sweet pussy with my come then I wanted to do it all over again.

Phy: {I cried out at the bite, tossing my head back and wrapping an arm around his shoulders to hold him against me. The sharp pain tumbled me over the edge, pulling a sob from my lips and stealing my breath. I clutched at him as he fucked me through this orgasm, dropping my head forward and tucking my face against his throat, mouthing at his pulse as I tried to keep the pace we’d set. One orgasm tumbled into another as his cock dragged against my walls, filling me up again and again until I was clumsy with my pleasure. I sank my teeth into his skin, giving him his own mark, as a particularly hard thrust pressed against something inside me that made me feel like I was going to slip out of my skin. I chanted his name and dropped my hand back down, feeling where he fucked into me, where I was stretched wide and stuffed full of his cock. We were wet, sticky from my pleasure but I wanted more, wanted to feel his cum leaking from me. I slid my mouth over the bite, lips dragging over his skin and up to his jaw where I placed another, gentler bite} I want to feel you cum inside me. {I shifted my position slightly so I could cup his balls in my hand, back arching in this position and pushing my breasts against his chest, nipples rubbing against the coarse hair covering his chest and pulling another moan from me, tightening my cunt around his cock and milking his length}

August: Her words were like fire in my veins as she whispered them against my flesh. I could taste the metallic twinge of blood on my tongue from biting the inside of my cheek one too many times. My eyes rolled back, my hands sliding down Phynix’s sweat slicked back as she rode me. I couldn’t get enough of touching her and now that I had I wouldn’t be able to stop. My cock was buried so deep inside her I practically saw fucking stars, struggling to maintain my composure so I could savor every second of fucking her tight cunt. Every time she lost control, spiraling with pleasure as she sank her nails into my flesh, my cock twitched with need. I ached to fill her and when she brazenly tugged on my balls I did just that. With a low groan I dug my fingers into the curve of her ass, lifting my hips to fill her completely as I spilled inside her. My entire body shuddered from the power of my release, drawing off her energy that made my orgasm all the more intense. Her name fell from my lips in a growl as I pumped swiftly inside her, selfishly filling her core with every bit of my come.

Phy: {I curled into him as soon as I felt his grip tighten, moving my hand from his balls and resting them on his chest. I stroked up and over his shoulders then down his back, cheek resting against his as I purposefully tightened around him, murmuring soft words as I felt him pulse inside of me. The thought of him inside me, sticky and hot, marking me on the inside like he’d marked my skin made me press soft kisses to his jaw and cheek. I still pulsed where we were joined, sore in a way I wanted to relish in but feeling like I could go again and again. I never wanted to leave his arms, this bed. I kissed the corner of his mouth then licked to the other corner, nipping gently before nuzzling my face under his jaw and breathing him in} I can’t believe it took us this long. {With a soft laugh I squeezed my cunt around him, shivering because it felt so fucking good}

August: A smile lifted to my lips as I wound my arms carefully around her, taking a deep breath then releasing it slowly while holding her tight. My body still buzzed with the craving to fuck but at the same time I was content just laying here with her. She was right, it had taken us forever to get where we were. Naked and wound around each other. It was worth it for me, though. Every fight, every tease, got us to this place and I wouldn’t change any of it for a second. Now that we had done this there was absolutely no going back. She was mine just like I was hers. It hadn’t even been five minutes and I was ready to show her who she belonged to again.

I let my eyes close, content with just holding her as I listed to the steady sound of my heartbeat. “We aren’t the best at getting shit worked out, it seems. Except this. I think this worked out pretty fucking good.”

Phy: {I snorted out a laugh and nodded, bumping my forehead against his shoulder as I pressed against his chest. We were good at this, I was already ready for round two. Blood sizzling beneath my skin and want a steady pulse through me but I was also okay with just being held. With being in his arms and being near him. Though this wasn’t the best position for me. I nipped his shoulder and shifted slightly, reaching down to rest a hand on the lower curve of my stomach.} Wanna go again in like ten minutes? {I leaned back and gave him a cheeky smile, a blush heating my cheeks} Maybe in a different position though. {I wanted to be distracted by this for now, wanted to ignore the niggling at the back of my head that said now we had to talk. Now we were both going to have to open up and let all the dirty, dark secrets spill out}

August: I shifted my body slightly out from under hers so we both ended up on our sides, sliding my hand over her hip as I took a deep breath and smiled. My fingers slid over her heated skin slowly, memorizing every curve of her hips and ass while savoring the feel of her by my side. The quiet between us was nice. We weren’t arguing or pissing each other the fuck off. We were just us and I wanted to enjoy it for as long as we could.

I settled my hand over hers on her belly and barked a laugh, shaking my head in amusement because her words vocalized my exact thoughts. “Ten minutes, hm? I’ll see what I can manage. I am older, so you’ve told me before. We may need to wait.” My grin matched hers as I tugged playfully on her hair, leaning in so I could steal another quick kiss. She always gave me shit about my age so I figured now was as good a time as any to throw that in her face a little. I was more than ready to go again. And again. And again. I just loved to tease her. “We should get you some food, though. It’s past dinner time and as much as I don’t want to leave this bed, you need to eat.”

Phy: {I made a soft sound when he slipped out of me, sucking my bottom lip into my mouth and trying not to moan. Instead I huffed out a mock, irritated sound and arched a brow as I looked down where he was still half-hard. He could go again but he was probably right. Food. Leaning into his touch I nodded, not making to move though because I was comfortable now and he was warm} Can we get delivery straight to bed? {I smiled softly, fingers walking over his firm chest, nail flicking over his nipple just because I could. I got to touch him now, got to tease and explore.} Or do we have to get up?

August: “I’m down for delivery but one of us would still have to get up. We may as well cook something here.” I lifted her hand to my mouth, sucking one of her fingers between my lips before biting gently with a smirk. Her face was still flushed with pleasure and my chest soared, knowing I was responsible for that as well as the shimmer in her hooded gaze. If I had things my way she would always look at me that way. It was far better than being the focus of one of her tantrums. “I’m faster than you are. I’ll go make us something and bring it in here.” I eased out of the bed then leaned down to press a kiss to her swollen belly before turning toward the bedroom door. “Any requests?”

Phy: {I made a face at the ‘faster’ comment but it quickly morphed into a smile when he pressed a kiss to my belly, another blush burning across my cheeks. Goddess but I loved this man} I want pancakes…. Or spaghetti. {Nods quickly, tongue rubbing against the top of my mouth as my stomach growled slightly in hunger} Whichever one of those will get you back to bed fastest. {I watched as he walked out, eyes fixed on the flex and shift of his muscles as he walked, completely unashamed in his nudity. I bit back on a giggle, giddy with happiness, and wiggled against the pillows to make myself comfortable. We could have this happy bubble for the rest of the day and maybe tomorrow then I’d take him for a walk down my memory lane. I was scared but I didn’t think I had to be worried about him running away from me, leaving me. I smiled wide and rolled to my side, tucking a pillow under my belly and another under my head. I was kind of hopeful that this could all work.}

[sevendayslater]

@damedefeu_

I will always stay loyal to you because you provided me with peace when I needed it the most.

[sevendayslater]

Family Ties and Fire

August: I couldn't get the reality that my sister was standing right next to me to seep into my brain as we walk silently out of the bar. I had so many questions for her. It was a struggle to not fire them off in rapid succession. Where had she been for these long years? Why had she not even bothered to call? Didn’t she miss her only brother, the only family she had that was still amongst the living? Part of me knew the answers to the questions I wanted to ask. That was probably why was having such a difficult time asking them. We walked slowly side by side, rounding the corner and heading onto the main strip of the French Quarter before I even dared a glance at Charley. She weaved in and out of the crowds with an ease I envied. I usually spent most of my days avoiding people and their touch while she seemed to embrace life as a whole. There was a soft smile on her face that I swear had been there since the day she was born. She was beautiful, she was my little sister, and she was here.

“I missed you, Charley. I didn't realize how much until I saw you step into the bar.” It was the most honest I had been in far too long but I wasn't exactly used to expressing my feelings. To anyone. It made me uncomfortable as fuck. Charley: I turned and beamed at August as we stepped from the sidewalk and into the street. My showing up out of the blue had been so awkward, I worried the rest of my visit would be the same way. But as we walked, August seem to loosen up a bit. He was my brother and I knew he was a hard egg to crack but with me? It caught me totally off guard. Maybe it was being in his bar-- my brother's actual legal property-- that made him nervous. Maybe I should have picked a better time and place to show up and surprise him, where there weren’t employees and customers watching his every move. Either way, I was pleased he seemed to be opening up with every step we took. I smiled, linking my arm in his as we wandered from street to street. “I missed you too. Sorry it took me so long to get back. Tell me everything you've been up to lately. You own a bar which is kind of crazy but what about your love life?” August: My snort was a bit louder and more sarcastic than it probably should have been. Charley’s question was a loaded one though, I'm sure she didn't know it. What had I been up to? Buying a bar I visited daily because it seemed like a good idea. Growing more attached every day to a woman and her unborn child that didn’t technically belong to me. Going as far as offering her half ownership of my bar simply because she had captured my heart. Or running from the same woman like a coward because my ex had shown up, reminding me exactly what heartbreak felt like. I had been up to a lot, and not very much it was good. I shrugged my shoulder and glanced over at Charley as she watched me with bright eyes, patiently waiting for a response. I forced a smile then tightened my hold on her arm, choosing the most obvious subject to approach first. “I bought the bar, yes. It seems like a good investment since I'd been spending most of my time there anyway. I got a good deal from an old hag who ended up trying to corral me into her circus of spiritual freaks.” I watched as Charley's eyes widened. She paused in the middle of the street and turned to face me as her eyebrows knitted with concern. I smiled and waved my hand like it was no big deal. Which it wasn’t. Now. “Don't you worry, little sister. Everything worked itself out.” Charley: I couldn't believe what I was hearing. August told me the quick version of what sounded a lot like a kidnapping. He brushed it off like it was no big deal, assuring me that he was safer now than he had ever been before. I knew people in this town tried to get our family to work for them as pawns. August and I fought them off alongside our mother and father until it reached a tragic end I hardly ever thought of. I hadn't realized August was still having the same issues we always had.

My heart ached, realizing I had left him alone to deal with it all himself. He pulled me along the street and I went hesitantly, listening as he went on about some girl Phy and how she had saved his life. August: The more I spoke, the more Charley relaxed. She was upset I hadn't called her after I’d been kidnapped but there wasn't exactly much to say. Her and I hadn’t spoken in years and I wasn't about to make a phone call telling her that I was in danger. Past tense. She could be pissed all she wanted to be if that was what she chose but what happened was in the past. I preferred keeping it that way.

 We rounded the corner of Bourbon Street and stepped onto one of the quieter streets just outside the city. Charley asked about Phynix but I had no idea what to say. My relationship with my new roommate slash business partner was confusing to say the least. To define what we had to somebody on the outside looking in seemed impossible, especially when Phy and I were barely speaking at all. So this Phynix is your employee"?" Charley asked. I shook my head quickly as we stepped into one of the town's oldest cemeteries. It was one of our favorite places to visit when Charley and I were kids. Though a bit strange, it was one of the most beautiful places in the city. “No, she's more than my employee. She owns half the business now. She's just kind of showed up and now I don’t know what I’d do without her.” Charlie: I didn't understand who Phynix was to August but as he went on, the more it seemed like she was someone special. I saw the warmth in his eyes as he said her name though his jaw clenched every time he paused. I knew my brother well enough to see there was something going on behind the vast wall he always kept around his heart. It had been built the day Delilah walked out on him. I wasn’t at all surprised it was still there, stronger than ever.

 I nudged my hip against his, a small smirk lifting to my lips as I eyed him closely. “So she’s just your business partner but you would be lost without her. Uh huh. Keep on going with that story and I’ll try to believe you.”

 August: I rolled my eyes at Charley’s teasing, knowing she’d catch on to what I wasn’t saying the second the words left my mouth. She was my flesh and blood. We knew each other better than we knew ourselves. That wasn’t going to change just because we had spent a few years apart. The problem was, I didn’t feel like talking about it. Since Delilah had come and gone I’d been so in my own fucking head, I was practically lost there. I couldn’t process it in my own head, never mind trying to talk it out with someone else. Things would work themselves out in time, just like they always did. All I had to do was be patient.

 In order to get Charley to drop her interrogation of Phynix, I picked the one subject I knew would distract her. “Delilah showed back up not too long ago.”

 Charley: My heart skipped a beat the second August mentioned his former flame. I hadn’t seen my best friend since they day she walked out on my brother and I had zero interest in talking to her ever again. She had broken his heart. I had never seen such a strong man crumble. It was awful and it changed all of our lives forever. Just the thought of her anywhere near August had me seeing red.

 I paused mid-step, grabbing August by the arm. “Now it makes sense. So I get why you’re so shut down right now. What could she possibly want?” I could only imagine what would bring Delilah back to this city. She probably saw the error in her ways but unfortunately it was too little too late. I hoped.

 August shrugged but didn’t respond. I didn’t blame him but the hurt in his eyes made my heart bleed. Memories of the past flashed in my mind as I tightened my grip on his arm. His continued vulnerability toward his ex made me wonder what would happen to his heart now that there was possibly someone else in the picture.

 August: Bringing up Delilah probably wasn’t the best idea in hind sight. Just like the kidnapping was in my past, so was Delilah’s visit and everything about her. I was moving on; slowly as fuck and probably not in the easiest way but I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t complicate things.

 I shrugged. “She wanted to talk. Possibly have another go around at ripping my heart out. I declined and she went on her way.”

 Charley: My hands clenched into fists at my sides as August spoke. There was sarcasm in his words but the tone of his voice was sad. How dare she? Delilah left us both when things were bleak and now she suddenly had the gall to come back for another round? I couldn’t imagine being my brother. She wouldn’t have left this city intact if I had been here.

 “I’m sorry, August. She should have known better.”

 August: I shrugged again, letting my eyes roam over Charley’s face as we stood in the middle of the cemetery. She was defensive of me and I appreciated that but it wasn’t necessary. I deserved to be walked out on all those years ago. I was a fucking mess and Delilah needed better. I couldn’t blame her for that now, or ever. It hurt and angered me but at the same time, I had to understand. It wasn’t the past that had my mind so fucked lately. It was my future, and the very real fear that I would get dark again. No one deserved to be around me when I was like that. Admittedly, I was already halfway there again. I had been shutting Phynix out since Delilah had showed her face and that wasn’t fair. She was in my life because I wanted her there. What was I doing, pushing her away after letting her in? I wasn’t the best with emotions or letting people close to me but if I wanted to keep Phynix around I needed to change. Otherwise, she would end up leaving just like Delilah.

 I took a step and led us out of the cemetery, to a part of town that I didn’t often visit. The walk was helping clear my mind and talking to Charley after so long without her felt good. Just having her by my side, letting me think things out for myself helped me feel less panicked. I felt the stress ease from my shoulders with every step we took. Though, the further we got away from the city, the stronger the urge grew to turn and track Phynix down.

 Charley: I let the silence take over our conversation, enjoying the rush of being back in this place and with my brother. He was clearly working through some things but I kept a tight reign on my curiosity and just let him think it out. I would figure out more about this Phynix person when we got back into town. Right after I made sure that Delilah was actually gone.

 August never let go of me as we wandered through the streets. It felt good having the hot sun on my face and his protective hold on my arm. I missed my brother. Part of me was angry I left in the first place but everything had gotten so heavy here. I needed space and air.

 My lips lifted into a soft smile as I thought back to the coven of witches I had left back in Massachusetts. I wondered what they were doing right now. The summer solstice was coming up and surely they were all excited for the celebration. My heart ached a little, thinking of them. I missed my friends and the safety of their group. Maybe I could try to establish with one of the covens here. It was a difficult process but I wouldn’t know until I tried. Some of them had to already know of me. Or at least of my family.

 I stopped short as I realized where our walk had taken us. Of all the places for us to wander toward when my mind was full of magic, of course it would be here. This area had always made the hairs at the back of my neck rise and since spending some time with the witches in Salem, I now knew why. In the back of my mind I heard August say my name but I was too distracted by the stories I had heard about this place to answer.

 He stepped closer to the grand building in front of us, half crumbled into ashes. I grabbed his hand and tugged him back, shaking my head as I frowned. “Let’s go back. I don’t like this place.”

 August: My brows furrowed as I glanced back at Charley. Her face had gone pale as she stood in the middle of the street and stared up the road. Her change in demeanor was alarming. I glanced around to make sure there was no danger looming that I hadn’t yet seen. There was nothing except her and I, though. I took her hand in mine, giving it a gentle squeeze until her eyes focused on me.

 “What’s wrong with this place?”

 Charley: I shook my head, glancing at August quickly before staring back at the burned building. The empath side of my gift screamed and pleaded for me to get far away from this place but my feet felt like they were cemented to the ground. “Bad things happened here. I didn’t know anything about it until I heard it mentioned back in Salem. An entire coven died because they were locked in that building when it was set on fire. Dozens of people burned and no one ever knew.”

 August: I looked past Charley to the remnants of the building, my stomach dropping when I pictured it consumed with flames. I couldn’t imagine dying that way, trapped with no means of escape. It was a death I wouldn’t wish on anyone. I shook my head and pulled Charley in the opposite direction, back toward the city. We needed to get back and I was growing impatient with the urge to talk to Phynix.

 “Let’s go. No need to darken our walk with scary stories of people burning to death.” I chuckled, brushing off the feeling of unease that crept into my chest.

 Charley took one last look at the building then followed me back in the direction we came. “I just can’t imagine that happening, August,” she said, shaking her head. “One girl with an affinity for fire murdering an entire coven. It’s scary.”

 I practically stumbled over my own feet as Charley spoke, my heart skipping several beats as I looked over at her. My mind instantly wandered to the pregnant girl probably curled up on my couch this very minute. Was she speaking of Phynix? How many women in New Orleans could manipulate fire they way Phy could? But burning a building full of people to the ground? I wasn’t sure about that.

 My mind searched back over the times I had seen Phy’s eyes brighten in anger or the flicker of flames appearing suddenly on her hands. Maybe it was possible. The idea of her being responsible for that kind of mass murder made me wonder if I even knew the girl who was now sleeping under my roof. It made me nervous but more than that, it made me angry. Phynix had captured my heart but I barely knew her. I realized that now more than ever. Her and I needed to have a long fucking talk, starting with whatever involvement she possibly had with that fire. First I needed to find her.

[sevendayslater]

Little Sister, Big Brother

Charley: As soon as I crossed over the state border into Louisiana, a smile lifted onto my lips. I hadn't been home in longer than I could remember and since then everything had changed. I was a true witch, my craft developed and nurtured by a coven of witches I only wished I belonged to. They were kind enough to let me in and show me the ways of their coven. Despite many protests from me when I had learned all I could possibly learn from them, I was forced to go.

 New Orleans was my home and as my only friend in Salem agreed, I needed to check in on my brother. We were bonded through blood yet hardly spoke. Not knowing what he was doing or how he was spending his time hurt me. I felt him; felt his inner turmoil as heartily as I felt my own and I wanted to help but I was so far on the outside of his life. I wanted to see him so badly.

 The streets of New Orleans were the same as I left them, still full of tourists taking in the sights and locals trying to avoid them. The smells brought me back to better days when I was younger, happier, without the stresses of life I could barely stand. The city around me made me feel like I was a little girl again, clinging tight to my daddy’s hand. I wandered the cluttered sidewalks in search of my brother, a stranger within a sea of strangers considering how long it had been since we had spoken. I knew he liked bars, specifically ones off the beaten path where the locals hid. I let my instincts guide me through the town, following the feel of my blood running through my brother’s veins.

 As I rounded a corner I stopped short, catching a glimpse of August stepping out of a side door. I clung to the brick building I hid behind and watched with wide eyes as he glanced up at a patio on the second floor. He looked different; bigger and stronger but with a few more wrinkles by his eyes. The years had changed him but he still had that haunted look that practically consumed him whole.

 August stared up at the patio long enough to make me wonder what was up there. I made note to check and see as he finally stepped off the sidewalk and made his way down the street. I didn’t know where he was going but I had to follow him. Maybe as my footsteps led me closer to my only flesh and blood I would find the guts to speak to him. The years of lost time between us had robbed me of my voice to call out his name.

 August: I had spent all morning hiding in my bedroom while Phynix cooked her own breakfast then shut herself back in her room. I wanted to know where she had planned for her day but didn’t have it in me to ask. Things were complicated and the bond we had built between us felt broken. It was my fault but there wasn’t much I could do to change what had been done. I wasn’t right inside my head and certainly not in my heart. I had no business being around her or dragging her into my mess. There was no way I could take care of Phynix when I was battling the festering wounds of the past.

 My heart hurt-- in ways I hadn’t dealt with in years. Instead of drinking my pain into submission like I had done last time, I had opted to feel the hurt. Delilah was haunting me, doubt in my abilities and my strengths creeping to the surface every time I remembered why the love of my life had left. I was a mess. I had been since the day I arrived on this earth and nothing could change that. Not even a young girl and her child.

 So I hid and acted like a fucking child because that was what I knew how to do best. I waited until Phynix was back in her bedroom before I slipped out of my own and headed for the door. I hadn’t been to my bar in a couple of days and supposed it was time to check in. It would give me something to do that didn’t involve stewing or feeling sorry for myself. Delilah had disappeared thankfully so I was free to roam the streets without having to run headlong into my past again.

 As soon as I stepped through the front door of my bar, Sarah pinned me with a narrowed stare that would cool even the hottest fever. She was pissed, probably because of my behavior toward Phynix but it was none of her goddamn business. I reminded her of just that as I walked behind the bar and grabbed the sales printout from last night. I returned Sarah’s glare with one of my own as the door opened and someone stepped inside. I froze the second my eyes met a familiar stare I hadn’t seen in far too long. At first I wasn’t sure it was her because she looked so different. Lighter. More beautiful than I remembered her. My shoulders slumped as I leaned against the top of the bar, a potent mixture of relief and fresh hurt washing over me.

 “Charley.”

 Charley: I stopped half way through the door, my eyes locking on August’s as he stared back at me. The room was dimly lit and there were several people sitting at the bar but no one noticed me except him. My vision blurred at the sight of my brother, my heart warming because being within the same four walls as him made me feel like I was finally home. It didn’t matter that we hadn’t said a word to each other yet. His presence was all I needed to feel calm after so many years spent wandering. August was home and I hadn’t realized how much I missed it until we were standing face to face.

 I cleared my throat as I stepped forward, wringing my hands together in front of me. “Hi, big brother.”

 August: It took me a few seconds to register my little sister was standing in the main room of my bar. This place was becoming a revolving door of blasts from my pasts but this visit was quite welcome. Except I couldn’t ignore the pang of hurt in my heart. Charley had left me just as Delilah had when things got exceptionally bad for me. Just like I didn’t blame the love of my life for leaving, I didn’t blame my only flesh and blood. It still hurt though, knowing they walked away. There was something to be said for those who hung around when times got rough.

 Charley pushed her hand through her blonde hair that reminded me so much of our mother. I could see the slight tremble of her fingers as she stepped closer and it made my heart hurt. She was nervous to see her own brother. Then again why wouldn’t she be? I wasn’t in the best place when she left.

 I forced a smile as I moved closer, unsure of what to say. “What brings you back here?”

 Charley: I shrugged quickly as I returned my brother’s smile, fighting the urge to run into his arms when he got closer. The other people in the bar had stopped their conversations to turn and stare. I had to bite my tongue to not bark at them to mind their own damn business.

 “I needed to come home. It’s been too long.” It dawned on me that instead of sitting amongst the other customers August was behind the bar when I had entered. I tilted my head and really took a look at him, freshly showered and more put together than I remember him ever being. That wasn’t usual for him. “Do you work here?”

 August: Of course Charley would assume I was in this bar to drink my day away. Six months ago that would have been exactly what I was doing but things had changed. I had changed, mostly in thanks to a certain woman and her unborn child barging their way into my life. Pride filled my chest but at the same time, regret. I had been shutting Phynix out for days now and there was no end to that in sight.

 I shook my head as I glanced around the room. “Nope. I actually own this place. I purchased it a few months ago from the old bitch that owned it.”

 Charley: My brows furrowed as August spoke, the harshness in his words catching me off guard. There was something he wasn’t mentioning but now wasn’t the right time to go asking a hundred questions about things that weren’t my business. I was surprised yet thrilled to hear that he owned this place instead of using it as his personal watering hole. It showed me he had changed. Maybe it was possible that time could heal his wounds.

 I caught the eye of a woman standing behind the bar, staring me down with her arms crossed tightly over her chest. Once August caught me looking over his shoulder he turned to see what I was looking at, frowning when he saw the woman.

 August: “Sarah, this is my sister, Charley,” I said quickly before pinning her with a narrowed stare. “Down girl.”

 I knew exactly what Sarah was thinking; another woman showing up at my bar to rip my heart out and cause more problems in my life. It was the total opposite, however. Charley was the one woman in my life I could never be angry at. Even when she and I went years without speaking.

 I turned back to my sister and finally took her into my arms, hugging her firmly as she all but melted into my arms. The light in her eyes brightened as she leaned back and grinned. I returned her smile and took a step toward the door. “Let’s go for a walk and catch up. I don’t want any of these old bastards thinking they can hit on my baby sister.”

[sevendayslater]

The Worst Fucking Luck

I spotted my ex thankfully before she saw me, skidding to a stop at the corner of the alley so I wouldn’t run directly into her. My stomach dropped as Delilah turned enough so I could see her face, swiping her long brown hair off her shoulder while she stared into a gift shop window. Since seeing her at the bar, I had been unable to stop the memories as they came flooding back. It had taken me so long to forget her, to forget all the hurtful things we said to each other and how painfully my heart broke when she left.

 A car honked its horn behind me, forcing me from the alley as I flipped the driver the middle finger over my shoulder. When I looked forward, Delilah was staring right at me. Her blue eyes were wide with surprise but the moment they met mine, they softened. I remembered that look fondly and still saw it in my dreams. Thankfully, I wasn’t with Phynix yet today. The tension between Phy and Delilah at the bar was something I didn’t want to repeat. Ever. Phynix had insisted on packing some of her things alone, promising me she wouldn’t lift anything more than five fucking pounds without me there to help her. I was on my way to meet her but now I would be delayed.

 “August.” My name falling from Delilah’s lips was like a knife to the heart. No matter how much time and distance she had put between us, the love was still there. But so was the pain.

 Delilah stepped closer, forcing me to take a large step back. She reached her hand out to touch me then thought twice about it, dropping it back to her side. I didn’t want to have a conversation with her. I secretly had hoped her visit at the bar was a random thing and she was already gone. But I couldn’t run away from her now. I was a man, not a fucking child. If she wanted to talk, we would talk.

 I stuffed my hands in my pockets as I rounded my shoulders. “What brings you to town?”

 Her full lips turned down into a frown as she took a small step closer. I didn’t move this time, but every muscle in my body tensed. “My aunt died a few days ago. I had to come take care of things for the funeral.”

 When Delilah and I had been together, I was as close with her family as I was to her. Her life was mine and her family took me in with no questions asked. Her aunt was like her second mother and when Delilah had disappeared, the old woman was devastated. I was surprised I hadn’t heard of her passing but then again, my attention had been wrapped up in a whole new life.

 “I’m sorry to hear that,” I murmured, slipping my hand through my hair. “She was a great woman.”

 Delilah nodded, her eyes filling with emotion as she looked to the ground. I hoped to fuck she wasn’t going to cry. I hated when women did that shit. Every tear Phynix shed, though they were entirely because she was pregnant and therefore mildly crazy, punched me right in the gut. I didn’t want to have to comfort Delilah. I preferred she go the fuck away.

 She nodded, taking a deep breath as her eyes met mine again. “She was, and she loved you very much. You can come to the funeral if you’d like. It would mean a lot… having you there.”

 My brows knitted as Delilah spoke. Her invitation surprised the shit out of me and honestly, it hurt. It was like the past never happened to her. Like we were never in love and she never turned her back on me. She had abandoned me when I most needed her and though I understood, it still pissed me the fuck off.

 “Is that why you came to the bar, D? To invite me to your aunt’s fucking funeral?”

 She winced at the sharp tone in my voice, shifting her attention to the street as she shrugged. “Yes. And to see how you were doing. I heard you had bought that bar and I wanted to see how you were.”

 “I’m fine,” I barked. “Just fine. The bar is great and everything is great.”

 Delilah’s shoulders slumped, which only drove my irritation higher. I didn’t know why any of this mattered to her. It had been years without a fucking peep and now she wanted to know it all.

 She offered me a small smile as she nodded. “Good. I’m glad to hear that. Are… are you seeing anyone? You were with a girl at the bar and she’s pregnant?”

 I took a deep breath, biting my tongue before I said something I would eventually regret. Or maybe not. Of course she would ask about Phynix. The two of them were ready to claw each other’s eyes out at the bar. Delilah especially. “She’s my employee.”

 The second the words came out of my mouth, my heart sunk. It was so far beyond a lie, I don’t know why I even bothered saying the words. Delilah’s shoulders relaxed like she was fucking relieved and as much as I wanted to keep my relationship away from my ex, it wasn’t fair to Phynix. And it sure as hell didn’t feel right.

 “She’s my employee but she’s also more than that. I take care of her. She’s my--” I didn’t know the right word to describe my relationship with Phy. All I knew was I cared for her deeply and that emotion grew more and more each day.

 Delilah arched a brow. “Girlfriend?”

 My lips pursed, my frustration growing every second this conversation continued. “No. Possibly. I don’t fucking know but I sure as shit am not going to map it out by talking with you.”

 She frowned, taking a step forward to rest her hand on mine. I froze, expecting a vision to pop up in my mind but nothing came. It surprised me, but before I could think much into it, I ripped my hand away.

 “Well,” Delilah said, her voice barely a whisper. “Maybe we could have dinner this week. Catch up on everything and talk. I’ve… I’ve missed you, August.”

 My breath caught as anger flooded my chest. She missed me. The woman that abandoned me and broke my fucking heart missed me. No. FUCK no. People weren’t allowed to do that. Exes weren’t allowed to shit all over you then return years later looking to rekindle the lost spark. Life didn’t work that way. Maybe for others but certainly not for me. I had made my peace with Delilah years ago. There was no fucking way on earth I was going to open up to that possibility again.

 I shook my head as I took a step away from her. “Thanks but no thanks. What we had was a long time ago and that’s where it’s going to stay. I’m happy. I’ve got a life and a person in it who drives me fucking nuts but she’s mine. I appreciate the offer but I’m going to have to pass.”

 Before Delilah could say a word, I spun around and stomped off in the opposite direction. I could hear her calling my name but there was no fucking way I was going to stop. My heart pounded with anger and hurt I hadn’t felt for years. I could barely catch my breath. This was always how it went for me. I could only get so far into happiness before something went wrong and it was ripped away from me. I was cursed, with my visions and some dumb fucking luck. Seeing my ex was a shit ass reminder that nothing good ever happened to me. And if it was good, it never stayed that way. I’m surprised my bar hadn’t burned to the fucking ground yet. In time, it probably would. I’d lose my bar and something else would happen to make me lose Phynix and I’d be on my own again. It was bound to happen, because I had the worst fucking luck.

[sevendayslater]

Baby Shit.

August: (I’d been so preoccupied making sure that every step Phynix took down the cobblestone streets didn’t end with her falling over, I didn’t notice her dragging me into yet another baby store. I hadn’t realized how many boutiques and department stores were focused mainly on baby shit until this morning, when Phynix pulled me from one, to another, and another. This wasn’t my scene. We were still in New Orleans but these stores were on a whole other fucking level. One I wasn’t quite sure I belonged on. The sideways glances of other women pursuing rack after rack of baby shit seemed to agree. Either they were checking me out, or they were questioning why I was shopping for baby clothes with my daughter. Both possibilities make me fucking cringe. I stepped behind Phynix who had buried herself between two racks of ruffles and lace, leaning down to whisper in her ear while keeping my eyes on the women that stared.) These people think I’m your fucking father. Are you sure you can’t do this shit alone?

 Phy: {I rolled my eyes at August, pulling away from the clothes to look around at the others in the store. I had to admit, we were getting one or two odd looks but most of them were just those ‘aww, new parents’ looks} It’s okay…. Daddy. I really appreciate all the help {I turned to look at August and batted my lashes, biting my cheek to stop from outright laughing} Now help me find some gender neutral shit because we’re not dressing our little girl up in nothing but frills and lace. And no white. I am not about cleaning those stains. {I ran my hand over his side and leaned into him, pushing up on my toes to press a kiss to his jaw} We need to look at cribs and strollers too.  

 August: (When she called me Daddy, I grimaced. The innocent batting of her lashes up at me made me think of Daddy in a whole new, not okay, light. I cleared my throat and nudged her side, making sure I was gentle every time I touched her. The miscarriage scare had freaked me the fuck out more than I cared to admit, spending most of my days and nights stressing over if Phynix was alright or not. The only thing that distracted me from my worry was her smile. I slid my arm around her waist as she softly kissed the stubble lining my jaw, pulling her against me briefly before stepping away. I clenched my jaw, ignored the sudden tightening in my pants and took her hand, leading her toward the less fancy looking clothes.) But she’s a girl. She should dress like a girl. You don’t like pink?

 Phy: {My breath caught slightly as he pressed me against his side, if only briefly, I felt my cheeks heat in pleasure and I couldn’t help but smile. I was enjoying this new, open August. I seemed to constantly crave his touch and now I could have it all the time, it was heaven. I hooked my fingers in one of his belt loops and let him lead me towards a different section of the store, making an oooh sound as I found a cute elephant onesie and some lamb pajamas that came with a cute, little beanie} I mean, I don’t hate pink but I don’t want her to grow up with all that gender bullshit. I mean, boys can like dolls and girls can like football. {Speaking of football, I grabbed an LSU shirt and a little saints jersey to add to my growing collection} I guess I need to figure out the nursery situation… {I scrunched up my nose slightly, brow furrowing as I thought about the fact that I basically lived at August’s part-time right now and my own place was more of a studio than anything else. With a little shake of my head I pushed that worry to the side and picked up a “Daddy’s little girl” onesie and held it up for August to see, smiling shyly}

 Auggie: (I watched as the pile of clothes in the cart grew bigger and bigger, even adding something here and there that caught my eye. It amused me how sure she was that she didn’t want her daughter to be labeled a certain way, like she’d been thinking about it for a while. Phynix had gone from ignoring the child growing in her belly to fully accepting the fact that she would SOON be a mother. The change in her, the maternal instinct I watched grow every day, it made me fucking proud. I grabbed two more of the football jerseys and tossed them in the cart, along with the socks, blanket and miniature sized jacket that matched.) If she spends any time around me, she’s going to like football. (A smirk lifted to my lips as a vision of me and a tiny version of Phy sat side by side on my black leather couch, wearing matching Saints jerseys while we watched the game. My visions had been out of control lately, flashing in my mind when I least expected it. It didn’t care in the least. It was kind of freeing, for once not resisting my gift. Phynix and I made our way to the furniture section, stopping to check out an elaborate crib. I blanched at the price tag then watched Phynix out of the corner of my eye, digging up the nerve to ask her the question that had been brewing in my mind.) Where are you going to put all this shit? Your place is the size of my fucking closet and all the things I’m buying for you won’t fit.

 Phy: {I flinched when August asked me the question I’d been avoiding answering, I shrugged slightly and bit my bottom lip. I wasn’t sure. Maybe a new place was in order? Or some rearranging at the studio? I flicked my gaze to him and then to the crib, shaking my head and moving to the next one} I don’t know. I’ve been avoiding thinking about it. {I’d had an answer when I was still with the coven but now it was one more thing I had lost but it was worth it for what I’d gained. I moved past the cribs, reaching back to catch August’s hand as I pulled him towards the strollers} Maybe the crib can wait, I definitely need one of those smaller baby bed things to put by the bed. And a stroller because I don’t have a car and I don’t drive anywhere anyway. {I stopped when we passed one of those baby backpack looking things, glancing at August out of the corner of my eye and fighting back a smile as I thought of him being one of those guys that carried the baby around on his chest}

 Auggie: (Phynix’s hand was warm in mine as she paraded me around the store, talking about shit I had no knowledge of. She might have been avoiding the pressing issue of where her and the baby would stay but I knew exactly where I preferred she be. She spent time at my place more and more each day and with the way I was growing to enjoy her company, I wanted her with me. I caught the smirk on her lips as she held the backpack in her hands, taking it and adding it to the cart before she even asked.) You don’t have a car, and the weather isn’t exactly fitting for you to be pushing her into town on your own. I think-- I think maybe you should stay with me. My place is central to everything and I have more than enough room. (Our eyes met quickly before I directed my attention to the line of strollers, surprised by the eagerness I felt at having her move in with me.)

 Phy: {I stopped and stared at August, not shocked really but something akin to it. It seemed like a logical step but it was a fight to get August to give up a bit of his space, the fact that he was offering to give up his privacy completely to me and an infant made something warm bloom in my chest} Yea. Okay. {I nodded, tucking a curl behind my ear and shuffling up beside August so I can press against his side. I rubbed my face against his side and tried not to cry, swallowing down the stupid, hormonal tears} We need a stroller that can handle the cobblestone and brick roads of the city. Something that’s easy to maneuver around people or sturdy enough to just knock people out of the way. {I nudged a flimsy looking stroller with the toe of my purple chuck, scrunching up my nose} Should I move in soon? I mean, before I’m too big to do anything but waddle?

 Auggie: (My stomach clenched at the surprise brightening Phynix’s eyes. Maybe she didn’t want that, and I wouldn’t exactly blame her. She wasn’t the first person to give up on me. I wasn’t the easiest person to be around but she’d put up with me for this long. It wouldn’t be fair to ask any more of her. When her eyes blurred with tears and she brushed up against me, I sighed in relief. Chuckling deeply, I pressed a lingering kiss to the top of her head before we focused on the strollers in front of us. She was right, we needed something sturdy enough to handle the streets in the city. Over my dead fucking body would that baby ever be in danger, even from something as simple as cobblestone. I smiled down at Phynix, trying to imagine her big enough to waddle as I nodded slowly.) You can move in now if you want. Today, tomorrow, whenever. The sooner we get you and all your shit settled, the better. I would hate to see you waddling around while you unpack. (I couldn’t help but smirk because I couldn’t wait to see her belly grow big enough that she could hardly move.)

 Phy: {I narrowed my eyes at that smirk and dug my elbow into his side, huffing out a laugh and rolling my eyes because I just knew he was thinking about me waddling around like some penguin.} I guess we can go over to my place tomorrow with a few boxes and pack up what I need. I own it so I can keep the unnecessary stuff there and store some stuff over there. {I nudged him over to one of the all terrain strollers, running a finger over the bright streaks of purple on the side. I looked around for an attendant to unlock it from the display so we could check it out} Can I paint the guest room? {Resting my head against him I lifted my gaze and arched a brow} It’s ugly.

 Auggie: (I barked a loud laugh, shaking my head at Phy as I gently tugged a few strands of her hair.) It’s not ugly, it’s sophisticated. But yes, I can paint it for you. You’re not allowed near any chemicals. (Arching a brow right back at her, I waited for her to argue me while a store employee undid the lock on the stroller and helped me lower it to the ground. The purple was fitting and to me, it looked like the stroller was a fucking tank. I mentally calculated where we were going to put all this stuff in my place while Phynix wheeled it around. I paused mid-thought to watch her, smiling at the uncertainty in her eyes as she glanced down at the stroller. It was hard to believe she was going to be a mother on the days where she would pester me until I thought my ears would bleed. Then, on days like today, when she was pushing a fucking stroller down a small isle full of baby shit, she looked like she was exactly where she was supposed to be. I cleared my throat, rubbing my hand over the tight spot in the center of my chest before I stepped behind her, leaning down to whisper in her ear.) Is this the one?

 Phy: {I closed my eyes and pressed back against August, tilting my head back and looking up at him with a shy smile} What do you think? {I pulled his hands up to the handle so he could try it out, stepping under his arm and standing to the side} I like that it’s got the storage under it so I can put the diaper bag under there, and it’s got the flap in the hood so we can see her and she can still be covered from the sun. {I rubbed at my belly, smiling down at my bump and looking over to August} Try closing it up, see if it’s easy. I don’t want to be one of those idiot moms with the stroller that won’t open and close. {I shifted from foot to foot, resting my hand at the under curve of my stomach and rolling my head slightly. I was starting to tire, it hit me randomly these days. I could be fine one minute and then ready for a nap in the next. Sighing, I reached out for the cart, leaning my weight against it slightly and waiting for August to finish trying out the stroller}

 Auggie: (My fingers curled around the handle of the stroller as I stared down at it, unsure of where to go. Catching a few curious glances of the store worker and a customer, I shoved the stroller the rest of the way down the aisle then leaned down to try and figure out how to get it closed. After a few shoves and kicks to the bottom of the thing it collapsed into the ground. I smiled proudly as I ran my hand through my hair, satisfied the thing could withstand my irritation and probably the city streets. Turning back to Phynix, the smile on my lips fell when I spotted her leaning against the cart. I stepped forward and took her hand, motioning for the store clerk to come over.) We’re finished. Total up all this stuff and I’ll call you with the payment and delivery address. Come on, Phy. It’s time for some food and a nap. (Gently squeezing her hand, I led her from the store and down the street.) I don’t have shit for food at home. Do you want to stop at the bar and grab something before we head back? (Home. The word had taken on an entirely new meaning in few minutes since we spoke about it. A large part of me was happy to have my space become her space, and then the baby’s space. An actual home.)

 Phy: {I smiled at August, amused at how quickly he was ready to rush to my rescue just because I was a little tired. Something had shifted between us after the miscarriage scare and the hospital, he hadn’t left my side even when the nurses tried to get him to leave. There’d been more touches, more smiles, and I was happy. He’d stepped into the hole I thought I was going to have without the coven. Humming softly I stepped into August’s side and pulled his arm around my shoulders, leaning into his warmth and letting him lead me out of the store and down the street.} I think Sarah was trying one of my new recipes this week and I want to see how it turned out so, yes to the bar. Besides you need to pick up the quarterly financial papers and sign off on those before we send them to the accountant. {I yawned and turned my face against his side, lifting my hand to run my fingers through my hair before rubbing at my eyes} And, today’s a pie day. I want pie.

 Auggie: (I grimaced at the mention of business and anything money that had to do with the bar. Since I’d purchased it from the old bitch earnings had doubled and then some. Partly because I had lightened the place up a bit but mostly because of Phynix’s food. She was the missing ingredient that changed everything, for the bar and for me. We wandered down the street arm in arm until the front door of the bar came into view. It was the slow time between lunch and dinner so hopefully we could get in and out without having to deal with any bullshit. The instant we stepped through the front door, I knew that wasn’t going to happen. Freezing just inside the room, my eyes met a set of familiar ones. Dark brown and full of emotion I hadn’t seen in far too long. And for a reason. All at once, the memory of every argument and angry word Delilah and I had screamed at each other returned, picking painfully at the gaping hole in my heart where my love for her once was. Trapped in my shock, I stood and stared at my lover whom I hadn’t laid my eyes on in years.) Delilah.

 Phy: {I was oblivious to the world around us as we walked towards the bar, humming softly as we walked. I was tired but not in the exhausted, drag me down and knock me out kind of way, I wasn’t even sore anymore so I could just enjoy the walk and the day. I was smiling when we walked into the bar, looking for Sarah as soon as we stepped across the threshhold so I could talk to her about the new recipe and getting some pie. I stopped my searching when I felt August tense beside me though, his grip around me tightening enough that my attention was pulled to him. I glanced from August, smile falling away as I saw the hurt and anger flash across his face, to the woman that was standing by the bar. The look on her face had me stepping back, one hand going to the curve of my stomach as the other rested against August’s back. There was fire licking over my fingers, responding to the tension and my sudden need to protect myself and August.} August? {I licked over my bottom lip and looked up at him, watching this girl, this Delilah, from the corner of my eye} Who’s this?

 Auggie: (I couldn’t tear my gaze away from Delilah’s bold, blue stare, paralyzed in shock from seeing her standing in my bar. The room and the patrons within it blurred as my heart thumped so hard within my chest, my entire body trembled. I tried to count the days since I had last seen my ex but my brain refused to function properly. All I know was that it had been a long fucking time. Phynix’s voice snapped me out of my haze, glancing down at her then registering the slight knit in her brow. My lips parted as my brain searched for some kind of proper explanation. None came. Just a mess of emotions and memories I wasn’t exactly prepared to deal with.) Uh… This is uh… (I glanced to Delilah who had taken a step toward us then stopped and stood awkwardly in the middle of the room. She looked just the same as when she had left me. Of all the fucking times for her to show her face, it would of course have to be when Phy was with me. It was as if we’d walked into the bar and straight into an episode of the Twilight Zone. Words failed me as I raked my gaze over Delilah’s form, a surge of annoyance tightening in my chest as I frowned.) This is Delilah. My ex.

 Phy: {I watched the emotions flicker across August’s face, too subtle for anyone else but myself and maybe this ex. I glanced to her, stepping closer to the man next to me as I did. I wanted to wrap my fire around us, protect us from the person that could make August lose his words, who could put that look on his face} Oh. {The polite thing to do would be to properly introduce myself, maybe shake hands with the Barbie wannabe but I couldn’t bring myself to move. I didn’t want to leave his side, so I didn’t. I offered her a tight smile, violet eyes no doubt flaring with fire as I studied her.} Hello. I haven’t seen you here before, did you need something? Or did you just wander in randomly? {I tried to sound pleasant but it was a struggle, after everything we’d been through in the past month I didn’t really have the patience to be nice to some ex-girlfriend who wanted to show up fucking randomly to My August’s bar. To My bar. Honestly, I wanted to bare my teeth and hiss like some dragon protecting her treasure. The feeling built in my chest as Delilah practically looked through me and focused on August, I shivered at the look she gave him. An I just touched something gross shiver, not a ‘August just touched me shiver’. I turned to look at August fully, hiding the face I made as she spoke. To him, because I don’t exist.} Let’s talk in private, August. {Something about the way she said August’s name made me tense even more, back going straight and hand going to my belly as the motion pulled slightly. I stayed quiet though, waiting to see what he wanted instead of lighting this chick’s hair on fire.}

 Auggie: (It wasn’t until Delilah actually said my name that I snapped out of the state of shock I’d been reduced to. I glanced down at Phynix, my brows narrowing as I caught the flicker of temper in her gaze. She had developed this sense of protectiveness when it came to me. One I didn’t necessarily see coming but could recognize in my own feelings that had developed for her. I knew what Phy must have been thinking, or at least had a vague idea. Every time I thought of the piece of shit she was with before me, I wanted to kill somebody. I didn’t even need to see the fire in her eyes to know that she wasn’t happy about Delilah’s appearance. Neither was I. I wasn’t sure what the fuck my ex could possibly want or where she developed the balls to track me down but she needed to leave. Preferably without me having to have a conversation with her. I turned my attention to Delilah who was staring daggers at both me and Phy, clearing my throat as I tightened my arm around Phynix’s shoulder. We were in the middle of a good day and it had been sorely needed after everything we had been through. No blast from my past was going to ruin that for either of us.) I don’t know what it is you think we need to discuss, Delilah, but I’m not interested. We have things to do. (I stepped in front of Phynix, blocking Delilah from her view before the entire bar ignited into flames. The heat radiating from Phy’s hand warned me that we needed to leave. I swallowed the thick lump in my throat then led Phynix and I toward the door without looking back.)

[sevendayslater]

It’s A Girl

Phynix: I felt like it took a million years to get back to August’s home, every step seemed to take all of my energy and willpower. I was hot, though it was relatively cool out, and shaky. I should have given myself more time before going to the coven, I wasn’t ready. I wasn’t sure I’d have ever been ready to sign away what had once been my only family but I probably could have been better prepared mentally. Shaking my head I swallowed down the feeling of nausea and ran a hand over the slight swell of my belly. I kept my gaze down as I walked, too dizzy to look up at the traffic lights or pay attention to the bustle of people. It wasn’t until I heard someone shout out my name that I looked up and realized I’d made it to the bar, Sarah was talking to one of the regulars and waving at me. I looked at the cool, dark interior of the bar and stepped that way, the idea of sitting sooner rather than later and having a glass of water too much to resist. I gave Sarah a half-hearted smile and shuffled my way inside, waving at a few of the people that said their hellos but not stopping until I was in the office. I grabbed a bottle of water out of the mini-fridge I’d forced August to put in there and very carefully sat on the couch. There was a dull ache making itself known in my lower belly and I just wanted to curl up for a minute and rest, cool bottle pressed to where my stomach was tight and achey.

August: (I was buried up to my asshole in paperwork I’d blown off since before I was taken. The only thing I hated about owning the bar was the bullshit I had to deal with behind the scenes. Drunks I could handle. Liquor orders and bossy employees I could take but the endless paperwork gave me the fucking scratch. I sipped my water, letting the condensation drip all over my desk. Behind me, the door swung open without so much as a knock. I knew it was Phynix before I even turned. She never knocked and I was strangely getting used to it. I swiveled my chair to face her, my brows knitting as she curled up on the couch. Rolling the chair forward until I was right in front of her, my eyes roamed over her flushed face and the water bottle pressed to her belly. My hands settled on her thighs, leaning closer as our eyes met.) What’s wrong, Phy?

Phy: {I gave a little whimper of discomfort and shook my head, leaning towards August and letting one hand rest over one of his. I tried to breathe slow, focusing on the person in front of me instead of the sudden rolling of my stomach and the cold sweat that was slipping down my back. I dug my nails into August’s hand as my stomach cramped again, my thighs pressing together as I tried to fight it off. This was not stress, or maybe it was. I didn’t know what stress was supposed to feel like when you were carrying another human, maybe this was what it was. Didn’t they say stress was bad for babies and pregnant ladies? Was this why? I shook my head again and squeezed my eyes shut, drawing in a few sharp, shallow breaths before exhaling slowly. Something akin to panic fluttered in my chest as I rubbed the cold water bottle over my belly again, pressing a little where the parasite was constantly moving and trying not to freak out when I didn’t feel an answering nudge} Feel sick. {It was the only thing I could think to say and possible the only thing I could get out without feeling like I was going to puke}

August: (Phynix took one slow and steady breath after another while I fought the urge to bark at her to figure out what was wrong. My immediate assumption was maybe she was having some sort of morning sickness or whatever the fuck happened when women were pregnant. Sweat glistened on her pale skin as her nails dug into my hands, my brows knitting in worry as I watched her. My gaze darted to the office door, wondering if I should call Sarah or someone else more familiar with this kind of thing but I couldn’t convince my legs to move. I didn’t want to leave her side and the death grip on my hand kept my ass planted in my chair.) What kind of sick? Like you’re going to puke? Because you’re looking a little less sick and a little more in pain.

Phy: {I just nodded and swallowed hard before parting my lips and panting slightly. It sounded like August was talking to me from too far away, his voice muffled and almost lost as my heartbeat pounded in my ears. I groaned as another cramp rippled through my belly, legs pressing together again as I curled forward and clung to his hand. I shifted and squirmed, rubbing at my stomach and biting my lip as sweat coated the insides of my thighs} Something feels wrong. {I’d spent so much time hating being pregnant, hating this parasite growing inside me but all I could feel now was panic and fear that something was wrong. That I’d done something or I didn’t even know but, I was afraid.}

August: (I straightened in my chair as Phynix doubled over, her moans bouncing off the office walls while she clung to my hand. My stomach sunk as I moved closer, unsure of what to do or how to comfort her. I wasn’t a fucking doctor but something was very obviously wrong. My lips parted to ramble off some sort of bullshit but the words died on my tongue as she pulled her hand from between her legs. My vision swam, her blood covered hands going in and out of focus. Every fear or worry over my kidnapping paled in comparison to the sheer panic flooding my veins. Something was certainly wrong, with Phynix and with the baby. Before I let that terror paralyze me, I brushed it aside. I swallowed the thick lump in my throat, grabbing her trembling hand to shield the blood from her view while I reached behind me for my phone.) Okay, okay. You’re okay. Just hang on.

Phy: {I whimpered again when August leaned away from me, frowning up at him slightly before curling forward again and squeezing his hand. I panted as the pain twisted through me, forcing myself to breathe and not hyperventilate as felt my stomach churn. I squeezed my eyes shut, tears slipping over my cheeks, and wrapped an arm around my belly.} I can’t feel it. August, I can’t feel it. {I almost sobbed out the last word as I hugged my stomach, surprised at the emotions that came when I thought about this baby hurting. I rocked myself slightly, rubbing at my stomach like I was patting the baby’s back and trying to get it to move or do something even as I panted through the pain rippling through my lower stomach}

August: (Every muscle in my body tensed as I stared down at Phynix, watching her curl into her own body like she was shielding herself from an attacker. Except whatever was trying to hurt her was on the inside. The baby. I couldn’t stop thinking about the baby as I clung to her hand coated in blood. Time stood still without my fucking permission. I was frozen to my chair, phone held in one hand while I clung to her with the other. The words Phynix spoke through a clenched jaw dragged me back to reality. She couldn’t feel the baby. An unfamiliar twinge of fear settled in my heart like a weight. I set the phone on the couch beside her and slid both my palms under hers on her belly. My frantic eyes darted between her face and her stomach while I tried to listen for the sound of a heartbeat I’d all but memorized. There was none. My stomach sunk, a lump forming in my throat as I listened closer, trying to hear anything past the moans coming from Phynix’s lips. When traitorous tears began to blur my eyes, a faint thump echoed through my hands, straight to my heart. I sucked in a sharp breath and held it, listening as that one thump turned into two. Then three. Four. Five. I let out my captured breath as I glanced up at Phynix, offering her a soft smile.) It’s there. It’s faint but it’s there. She’s going to be okay. (I wanted to fucking scream, so scream I did. I called for Sarah time and time again but the jazz playing through the bar muffled my voice.  There was a clinic two blocks away that would help Phy more than I ever could. I didn’t have the patience to wait for a fucking ambulance or any of that bullshit. I’d carry her there. My hands trembled as I shot out of my chair and lifted her carefully into my arms. I rushed from my office then kicked open the kitchen door, holding her gently to me while I moved down the back stairs.)

Phy: {A sob was wrenched free at his words, he could hear the baby. He could hear her. I sobbed again and pressed his hands harder to my belly, as if that could keep her safe. I clutched at his hands and curled forward again, whimpering as pain rippled through me again. I could feel my skin cramping beneath our hands, the muscles spasming. I barely heard August shouting for Sarah over the sound of my ragged breathing and the mantra I had on repeat in my head, he could hear her heart. I chanted it in my head, words slipping out between sounds of pain. When he lifted me, cradling me gently against him I clutched at his shirt and muttered the words against his chest. She’d be okay. She’d be okay. I panted against August’s throat, pulling at his shirt each time another wave of pain twisted through me and trying not to squirm as he carried me through the New Orleans crowds.}

August: (People were smart to get out of my way as I carried Phynix down the street. Mother fucking CARRIED. The panic I felt deep in my heart was no doubt reflected on my face. People shied away, as they should. I probably looked angry. I WAS angry. She had already been through so much, part of that being my fault. She was in a fragile state and even if she wanted to deny it, I shouldn't have. I had been so concerned about getting things back to normal, I never thought that coming to my rescue had been too much for her.

I practically growled at some young mother fucker who got in my way as I rounded the street corner. The clinic appeared and I let out a heavy sigh. We were here. Phynix would get looked at and everything would be okay. My own reassurances were chanted quietly while Phynix mumbled to herself.

I pushed through the front door and barked orders at the first person I saw, narrowing my eyes at the nurse who approached with a gurney me and told me to set Phynix down. My intuition screamed to not release her, to not leave her in the hands of these people who many not have a fucking clue what they're doing. She needed help though. Her weak moans and whines against my chest warned me now wasn't the time to fuck around. I set Phynix down onto the gurney then watched with horrified eyes as they rolled her away.)

Phy: {I was blind and deaf to what was going on around me, I knew nothing but the safety of August’s arms and the ripple of pain in my belly. I was terrified I was losing this new life, of losing this thing I hadn’t wanted in the first place. I pressed my face to August’s chest and let my tears soak his shirt, taking comfort in the wild thump of his heart against my cheek. I clung to him when he pulled me away from my safe place, whining like a wounded animal and flashing my eyes until I realized where we were. I still wanted to cling to him, wanted to drag him with me so I had some sort of anchor, I forced myself not to fight. My fingers curled into the mattress of the gurney and my eyes stayed on August until it was impossible to see him anymore, only then did I tune into what was going on around me. They hooked me up to a monitor, stuck me with an IV, and had a sonogram wand out to check on the baby before I could even blink. My heart was a frantic mess of beeps, the monitor warning the doctors my vitals were all over the place but it was the fast, fluttering, underwater sound that drew my attention. I knew that sound, I knew what that meant and I couldn’t help the sob of relief as I listened to my baby’s heartbeat. I calmed as I listened to it, body relaxing and the pain easing some as my vitals stabilized. I heard murmurs of mother’s stress causing fetal distress, of premature labor causing strain on my cervix and the placenta, there were words I could catch or focus on. I made a sound, one of worry and confusion and a nurse came with a small cup of ice chips. She pressed her hand to my cheek, sharing her knowledge with that one touch, her eyes giving away her fey power for just a moment before she slipped an ice chip into my mouth and stepped back. I couldn’t focus enough to sort through the information all I knew is my baby was okay and I’d be fine. I drifted, listening to my baby’s heartbeat, floated in a way that let me know there was more in that IV than I’d originally thought. The doctors moved around me, preparing for something, preparing to move me. I reached out for August, brow furrowing when I couldn’t see him but I flicked my fingers, fire dropping to the floor and forming into a kit that started sniffing him out. My hand was grabbed, the fey nurse tucking it back against my side and smiling at me with a shake of her head, she didn’t stop my little fire animal though. “We’re going to take you to surgery, we think you have a cervical polyp that burst and is causing the bleeding and pain, we want to remove any others so this doesn’t happen again and check to make sure that’s all that’s wrong. I’ll let your guardian know what’s happening.” She squeezed my hand then stepped away, out of the corner of my eye I watched her follow my fire kit as the doctors rolled me towards surgery.}

August: (I paced the lobby of the clinic, slowly rubbing my fingers against my temples while ignoring the curious stares of others in the waiting room. The harsh fluorescent lighting above threatened to drive me right over the edge of sanity, to a dark place where I ripped this clinic apart until I found her. Phynix. It had been almost a half hour since they wheeled her through the double doors and I still had zero fucking clue what was going on. That wasn’t a good thing; for me, for the clinic or for the masculine looking woman crouched behind the front desk. Despite my numerous efforts to gain some snippet of information about Phy, she refused to comply. Fuck me for thinking that because I carried Phynix here in my arms, that granted me some sort of privilege. It didn’t. The only thing it did do was force me to realize how helpless I was. And I despised feeling that way.

The double doors leading to the back hall opened and I froze. A nurse dressed in light blue scrubs glanced quickly at me before she sat down with a couple across the room. I frowned, turning to glare at the front desk woman yet again.

“Anything? Can you tell me anything?”

She shook her head. “You know I can’t, sir.”

I pursed my lips and crossed my arms over my chest, forcing myself to remain calm. I couldn’t stare at the closed doors a minute longer, instead stepping outside for some much needed air. Deep down I knew that front desk lady was only doing her job and my constant hovering wasn’t doing anything but stressing me the fuck out. I planted my ass on the cement steps in front of the clinic and took a deep breath. As I released it, I closed my eyes and prayed to whatever God would listen to me that Phynix would be alright. I was so distracted by my thoughts that I didn’t realize I had company until I felt warmth against my arm. I startled, leaning away from the small ball of fire catching me off guard. It took me a moment to realize what it was but when I did, I smiled. The fox, made completely of fire, leaned into my side like Phynix had done so many times. My heart stalled, comfort seeping through my chest as it’s warmth radiated over my skin.

“She’s alright.” Quickly, I twisted to meet the eyes of a woman dressed in scrubs. She stepped forward, eyeing the fire fox by my side before offering me a soft smile. The animal didn’t seem to catch her off guard and I didn’t give a fuck long enough to be sure, far too concerned about getting the answers I was desperate for. “She’s in surgery now to fix a ruptured polyp. It won’t take long and if you want, I can bring you to her room so you’ll be there when she wakes.”

It took me all of a second to stand and nod, eyeing the fox that trotted alongside me as the nurse led me back inside.)

Phy: {There was the feel of warmth and comfort at the back of my head as I was rolled through a set of doors, distracting me from the doctors and nurses that moved around me. I closed my eyes so I could see August and feel the fox leaning against his side, it’s what I focused on as the doctor set something over my mouth and told me to count back from 10. There was a pulse of something familiar and warm in the darkness I slipped into as the anesthesia took effect, keeping my anxiety far away while they operated.}

{It felt like only a moment before I was pulled out of the comfortable darkness and back into a world of bright lights and cold walls, mind hazy and body heavy from the drugs. It was a struggle to move my body, to shift my hand to the ache in my lower belly. I made a quiet sound and shifted, rubbing my tongue over the roof of my mouth and blinking slowly at the ceiling. It took me a minute to turn my head, eyes narrowing in on the monitors that were beeping and fluttering, it took me another minute to realize it was my heartbeat and the baby’s. I shivered, choking on a sob of relief because it was okay. We were okay. Squeezing my eyes shut I fought back the tears, sucking in a slow breath and exhaling it out before opening my eyes again and letting my gaze wander around the room. Bright, violet eyes moved over the form hunched in one of the plastic, visitor’s chairs, skipping over it as I licked at my dry lips before pulling my gaze back to the sleeping person. I blinked once then twice before I could focus on the fact that it was August. I hummed, trying to say his name but my mouth and throat were too dry for it so I flicked my fingers out and sent a spark over to pinch the man on the chest. I let my hand flop as far as I could, wiggling my fingers at him and waiting for him to wake up.}

Auggie: (The sound of my own grunts pulled me from my sleep, wincing from the unexpected lick of pain against the center of my chest. I grumbled and shifted in the chair I had used for a bed, peeling my eyes open slowly as I rubbed my palm over my chest. My eyes widened as my gaze met a familiar one blinking back at me from across the small room. I sat up quickly once my brain caught up with my consciousness, realizing Phynix was awake.

Standing, I moved to her bed then sat down on the very edge, careful to not hover too close. The controlling part of me wanted to assault her with dozens of questions about her and the baby but I knew she wasn’t exactly ready for that. Instead, I stuck with the casual, dumb ass questions that irritated the piss out of me.) Hey. How do you feel?

Phy: {I smiled, probably a little goofily, at August and tugged at his hand until he let me move it to my belly. I shivered at the warmth of his touch and hummed a purring sound, eyes falling closed for a moment before I forced them back open. I smacked my tongue against the roof of my mouth and made a face.} Tired, mouth’s dry. {I stroked my fingers over his hand, watching his face as he felt or listened, or whatever it was he did with the baby when he touched my belly.} Doctor? {I furrowed my brow again and looked at the side of my bed, looking for that little button thing that’s supposed to call the nurse or whatever. I muttered when I found what I thought might be it, pushing at it weakly until it lit up and I heard commotion in the hall. I hummed and let my eyes close, still petting August’s hand with one of my own and curling my fingers in his shirt with my other. I didn’t want him to leave the bed, didn’t want him too far. If we’d both fit I’d have him laying down next to me.}

Auggie: (I didn’t move my hands from her belly, even as she faded in and out of consciousness. Even as she made noises with her mouth that made my smile grow. The doctor came in, the nurse who had led me back here on his heels. After the nurse silence the alarms that had made it clear Phynix had pressed the wrong button, she offered Phy a small cup full of ice. I turned as best I could on the bed so that I could see the doctor while keeping myself as close to Phynix as possible. The doctor looked over the chart at the end of the bed, my jaw clenching and relaxing while I waited for him to fucking speak. After a few moments too long, he finally assured us that Phynix was fine. He reiterated the same shit I’d heard from the nurse earlier with a little less enthusiasm or smile. His shit bedside disposition mattered little to me. Especially when he said he wanted to keep Phynix overnight for observation. My brows furrowed, not understanding why she needed to be here when I really wanted to bring her the fuck home. I sucked in a breath, ready to argue when the next words out of his mouth shocked me into silence.)

You’ve got a very healthy baby girl in there, Miss. We just need to make sure she stays that way.

(My eyes widened, a whooshing breath catching in my throat as I stared at the doctor, making sure I’d heard him properly. I had. A girl. Phynix was having a girl. In that moment something shifted in my heart. I didn’t know what or why but I felt it as fiercely as the beat of my own heart. I glanced to Phynix, gathering control of my emotions long enough to see if she had heard him too.)

Phy: {I blinked slowly then blinked again, I opened my mouth then closed it, swallowing hard. My breathing hitched, a girl. It was a girl. I looked down where mine and August’s hands were resting on my belly and I imagined a little girl with my hair and William’s bright blue eyes being raised to be August’s little princess and I couldn’t stop the tears. I pulled my hand away from August’s and pressed my fingers to my eyes, focusing on breathing evenly. I didn’t even know why I was crying I just felt so overwhelmed, I’d almost lost this little girl before I even know I was having her. I whimpered and reached out for August, curling my fingers into his shirt and tugging at him weakly.} A little girl, we’re having a little girl. {I laughed/sobbed, wincing as the ache between my legs and in my stomach made itself known. I barely paid attention though, I focused on crying against August as he curled over me awkwardly. I couldn’t even enjoy the look on the doctor’s face as he realized his blunder, I barely registered the sound of nurse smacking the doctor. A girl.}

Auggie: (I had always been reserved in touching Phynix, even when she’d taunted me with her pokes and pinches. I was worried I’d come across as the old man pervert trying to get his rocks off with a young girl. None of that mattered the second she burst into tears, clinging to me as she proceeded to laugh and cry in the same breath. We, she said we were having a girl. Her words settled in my heart, pushing away a fear I’d not even realized. Without thinking, I pulled her closer to me, pressing my lips to her sweat laced temple as I blinked back my own tears. I wasn’t the father of her child but I felt her in my soul like she was my own. That had been the shift I didn’t understand earlier. Phynix’s daughter was taking her spot in my heart, right beside her mom. I wrapped my arm around Phy, giving her a soft squeeze while she sniffled into my shirt, barely hearing the doctor as he cleared his throat. He muttered off some bullshit I didn’t pay much attention too until the nurse gently nudged my side. My brows furrowed as I glanced up at her, nodding quickly when she asked us if I wanted to be Phynix’s medical proxy. She smiled then turned away, leaving Phy and I alone in the room. I turned my attention back to the trembling woman in my arms, a grin lifting onto my lips when a surprising vision of two sets of enchanting eyes flashed in my mind.)

Phy: {I hiccuped out another sob and tucked my face against August’s throat, dragging in deep breaths as I tried to calm myself. It took long minutes of breathing against his throat, of drinking down his scent and settling my heartbeat.} A little girl. {I was finally settled enough to realize we were alone so I continued to cling, resting my mouth against his skin and wrapping my arms more fully around his waist.} I need a crib and things. Oh goddess. {I pulled back and stared at him with wide eyes.} I don’t have anything. I am not prepared, I need things. She’s going to be here in like a blink. What the hell have I been doing this whole time? {My breathing picked up and a flame flicked over my fingers, singing the fabric of his shirt as I had a mini freak out.}

Auggie: (My eyes had closed of their own accord as I listened to Phynix’s slow and steady breaths. My enhanced vision had caught me off guard but not enough to draw my attention away from this moment. I held on to Phynix as tightly as she clung to me, letting the strength of our closeness calm the stress of the day. I smiled when she said she was having a girl, loving the way those words sounded on her tongue. This was the closest we’d ever been, in more ways than one, but it felt more than right. My brows furrowed as Phy started to ramble, something I was quickly growing used to when she got nervous. Leaning back, I slid my hand over her dark hair and smiled.) We will get you all the things. Everything you think you need, I’ll find for you. Just breathe and calm down. It’ll be alright.

Phy: {A laugh bubbled up as I leaned into his touch, eyes closing and my body relaxing back against the thin, hospital mattress.} We need all the things August, all the things. {I kept my eyes closed, hands sliding over August’s back and along his sides, one of them resting on his stomach as I calmed. I struggled to open my eyes again, exhausted now that I’d had my exciting moment and little panic babble. I stroked over his stomach, scrunching up the fabric of his shirt and smiling tiredly.} She’s going to love you so much. {I nodded slowly, sighing as I let the craziness of this day pull me back into sleep.}

[sevendayslater]

Paranoid

The days after Phynix had shown up on her proverbial pony were challenging. I got home, I showered, then I barely left. I didn’t care about the bar. I didn’t care about food. I didn’t care about anything. Each day that passed, frustration over what happened grew until my chest was so tight I could hardly breathe. I’d been taken against my will by some bullshit group of assholes. They had every intention of using and abusing my gift; my curse. I had zero fucking idea how anyone could imagine doing such a thing but it had happened all the same. They’d taken me, reduced my mentality to pieces and made me question every bit of my life.

I was beaten down.

And then I was fucking pissed.

While Phynix had settled on my couch, I spent most days on my patio, looking over New Orleans with a scowl on my face. My anger festered, cured briefly by cracking open a brand new bottle of bourbon each night. When I woke up every morning, with the taste of stale booze on my lips, I was still just as angry.

Admittedly, I was just as scared.

It had been far too long since I’d had a life I was interested in living. My sister was gone, roaming the world with her freedom at her feet. The only taste of love I’d ever shared with another person had run for the hills, rightfully so. I’d been alone for too many years and had grown comfortable in my misery.

That all changed when a girl with amethyst colored eyes barged into my life in a literal ball of flames. Life as I knew it shifted the minute she walked through my door and it had taken me being locked up to realize what she’d done. There was a light in my life that hadn’t been there before. Possibility. Comfort. Hope. I didn’t know what to do with it. Part of me was afraid if I paid it any attention, it would disappear. 

So I did nothing. I drank my bourbon like I usually did while watching Phynix turn my living room into her den. I went to the bar, ate and showered like normal, all the while ignoring the constant worry pulling in my mind. While Phynix slept I sat on my patio and watched the street, making sure no one showed up uninvited. I was angry and I was also paranoid, praying no new bullshit would come knocking on my door.

[sevendayslater]

The Rescue

Phynix: I gripped the handle bar above the car door and braced myself as the driver hit another swampy ditch, I couldn’t quite suppress the flinch as the impact jarred me. I held my free hand against my stomach and tried to brace for the next one, I knew he was trying his hardest to go easy while also speeding along. There was only so much you could do when driving through the edges of the bayou and I honestly appreciated that the driver and the two armed men that rode with us mirrored my every grimace, if I hadn’t been so focused on not being bounced around quite as much I’d have laughed at their faces. Men. It seemed a day into forever before the jeep finally came to a stop and we were leaving the vehicle behind for the boats. There were three jeeps in total and five boats, a dozen armed men and women. Only a handle full of those that came with me were able to cast and were capable of more than defensive magicks, they were all proficient in arms and hand-to-hand, something the hag and her people wouldn’t be expecting. They were here to arrest and detain, they were the SWAT of the supernatural community, a part of the council’s army. I knew three of them, they were part of the coven and rode as far from me, giving me looks of disdain and fear. They knew my past, no doubt saw a hint of what I’d done all those years ago in the way my eyes were filled with fire, the way a flame was constantly twisting around my fingers and wrist. The others looked at me with a respect I wasn’t used to, those were the ones that were true soldiers. Taking a deep breath I stepped into one of the jon boats, gripping a handle by the steer seat, smiling up at the man that would captain the flat bottom boat and giving a nod once I was balanced. I breathed in and sighed out, tilting my head slightly to the side to ease some of the tension that was gathering in my shoulders. I so ready to just have @SevenDaySight back at the bar so we could forget all of this shit had happened. I just wanted back to the normal. First to save his ass.

August:

My eyes never left those of the man who had been assigned to watch over me. He was darker than midnight, bulky with arms the size of my thighs but that paid no matter. I wasn’t fucking intimidated. I glowered at him, my jaw clenched in defiance as he sat in his chair across the empty room. If there wasn’t a rifle laid out in warning across his lap, I’d have laid into him. There was so much anger and resentment holed up inside me, I’d have loved nothing more than to take it out on him. He never took his hand off the gun and we both knew the reason why. Without the weapon for protection, I’d snap his mother fucking neck just for keeping me in this room day after day. Even if my body was weak from an insufficient amount food, I’d give anything to beat his fucking ass.

I’d continued my silent protest for days, refusing food or water until I could barely maintain consciousness. Mentally, I’d already given in to the idea of remaining with these people, of being their fucking pawn. I just wasn’t ready for them to know that yet. I wasn’t ready for them to win. It wasn’t until last night, when I couldn’t even hold my own head up, I relented and ate a small meal. It pissed me off but dying wasn’t exactly part of the plan. The growing crowd of people watching over me took my eating as some sort of fucking victory. The situation pissed me off but there was nothing else I could do. I was going to stay here; give up what little life I had in order to protect the one person I gave a fuck about. This was my reality now, but it didn’t mean I had to like it.

Phy:

They cut the engines and let the boats glide closer to the cluster of cabins and shacks, the leader of the team motioning the other boats to fan out so they could surround the area as much as possible. I swallowed down a sudden wave of nerves and nausea, forcing my breathing to stay steady and shallow. My mind kept trying to turn to the last time I had done something like this, sixteen and too young to control my emotions. Too caught in the loss to remember to hold back. I shook off the hint of memories, pushed the emotion down and stepped forward with the men. I let them surround me as I flexed my fingers, letting the fire flicker underneath my skin until I was a warm beacon of light in the darkness of the bayou. With a slow exhale I sank into my own gifts, reaching past the men to point out the signatures of heat I could see in the shadows of the bayou. Guards. There was a quiet murmur over the radios and the signatures I’d pointed out dropped low, not doubt falling under the power of the tranqs the soldiers’ guns were armed with. We stepped into the shallow waters of the bayou, the water sizzling and evaporating as I moved. I let the fire feed off the emotions that swirled through me, let the flames roll over my skin and twist into swirling globes in the palms of my hands. I continued to think about the Hag, the years the council had allowed her to manipulate the community. Years of her kidnapping and forcing those alone and vulnerable to bend to her will. I let the memories of something similar happening all those years ago slip forward, let the anger grow. I directed the soldiers, pointing at heat signatures and waiting for each group of the Hag’s people to be taken down. The other groups of soldiers could be heard in bursts over the radios, the only sound until they reached the center of the cabins where the Hag and her high coven were. There were others I didn’t recognize as mystical but it didn’t stop me from throwing out long, whips of flames to knock back those closest to my group. From there it was a mess of sloppy spells and screams of anger, the Hag trying to escape but unable to get around the enclosing circle of soldiers. The noise was war, spells thundering as they were deflected, the non-mystics screaming in the chaos. And all the while August was nowhere to be seen.

August:

The staring match between me and my captor was interrupted by voices coming from the hall. My guard leapt to his feet and yanked open the door, leaving me alone in the room while he spoke in hushed voices to the people outside. My eyes darted to the window where all I could see was the moon hidden behind a thick veil of clouds. I didn’t need to see to know that something was coming. I felt the shift of electricity in the air trickling over my damp skin. A storm was coming; like the ones that flooded the streets of the city and ignited the moonless sky in endless streaks of lightning.

Movement in the hallway pulled my attention from the window as I stepped into the middle of the room. My captor returned, swiftly closing the door. Instead of taking his usual seat, he hovered, swayed slowly from foot to foot as his eyes glanced behind me. My brows furrowed as I watched him, wondering what the fuck was going on. There has been several days where I could sense a bit of unease within the group imprisoning me here but this was something different. Something serious.

Tension crackled in the air as the voices inside the house grew louder, more panicked. I stepped to the window, trying to gauge what was happening but all I could see was darkness. My eyes narrowed as I looked deeper into the void, past the several other surrounding shacks. A subtle light brightened the umbrella of trees, growing brighter with each thundering beat of my heart. My fingers clung to the window frame as I watched the soft light grow, slowly realizing it wasn’t a light in the distance, etching its way closer and closer.

It was fire.

Phy:

I closed my eyes to the chaos around me and breathed deep, trying to focus my thoughts on August. With William, Moreau, even those I left behind in California I could feel them when I was close but I’d been with them for years. I couldn’t know if I’d be able to reach the connection I’d made with August but I had to try because he wasn’t here. These shacks were empty of people, this was where the Coven had slept but I couldn’t believe that damn Hag would rest her head in this filth. So I closed my eyes, blinding myself to the fight around me but trusting the fire to rise up and guard me as I searched with my mind instead of my eyes. I was becoming a beacon of light in the darkness of the bayou, a target to aim for, I’d be easy prey if any of them were trained enough. Instead the flames reached out like hands and cast any spells sent my way back at the casters. The screams of the coven and shouts of the guard forced me to focus on what was going on around me, it was too much to focus around. But, as my eyes opened I caught a glimpse of the Hag and a few of her coven slipping through a hole in the guard. I reached out, smacking the first guard I came into contact with and pointed before darting past him and along the edges of the fight, I heard him shout to the others as I jogged after the Hag. I slowed to a stop when she passed the last shack of the clearing, frowning as I eased into the darkness behind the shack. It took a moment for eyes that have gone blue as the hottest flame to focus enough to see the house hidden in the trees. There was a sharp fluttering in my stomach as I set my sights on the house, a nudge that pushed me in that direction. This was where the Hag would have stayed and where they would hold August. It was on higher ground, less likely to flood with the rains. Sturdier than the other structures. I sent a burst of fire into the sky to signal that I’d found him then I ran, the closer I got the more my stomach fluttered, sensation rolling through me as I reached the door of the house. Too impatient to wait and knowing my fire wouldn’t hurt August I flicked my hand out and blew the door back, fire exploding along the entryway and tossing the few guards out of my way. I almost laughed as I let the fire rage, the high of letting go making me stagger slightly before I focused and stepped into the house. Inhaling slowly I let my eyes close, hands coming up so I could murmur a soft command to the flame that had wrapped itself around my wrist, with a hum and spark the flame pulled itself away from me and slithered off to find the Hag. It would pin her in place for the guard so I could focus on August, I wouldn’t lose her. Not after what she’s done. That done I let my gaze roam, absently stroking my fingers over the fire as it reached out to me. I gave it a little pet and started down the hallway, the fluttering in my belly pulling me in that direction. “August?” I tapped on the wall and then knocked on a closed door, head cocking to the side as I listened. I didn’t want to tear through the walls or door and risk hurting him with the blast. My fire might not do him damage but debris from the explosion would.

August:

A bright ball of fire igniting in the dark sky startled me as I stepped away from the window. Several voices rang out into the dark night but I couldn’t piece together the panicked words. Whatever they’d said, the man with the gun forgot all about me. He took my spot at the window with the rifle gripped in his hands, his head bobbing as he tried to set his sights on whatever was coming. I didn’t need to see what was going on outside to suddenly know exactly what the fuck was going on. I could feel her coming. Relief mixed with irritation and worry ignited in my veins. The last fucking place on the planet @DameDeFeu_ should be right now is here, putting herself in danger but there was no time to be angry now. I needed to get the fuck out of here.

I threw my full weight into the guard. Both our bodies careened into the wall, the window shattering as our weight landed against it. Sharp pain sliced through my right temple as I pulled him back against my chest and wrapped my arm tightly around his neck. His hands clawed and pulled at my bicep as I tightened the choke hold I had on him, refusing to let go. Just as his unconscious body slumped to the ground, the echo of a blast rattled the walls around me. I stepped over the guard laying awkwardly on the ground, taking a cautious step toward the door. Swiping the blood from my eye, I walked across the small room while listening for some sort of clue of what was happening beyond the door. All I heard was silence. My fingers wrapped slowly around the doorknob just as a hushed voice called my name. My heart clenched within my chest. I yanked the door open, coming face to face with Phynix standing in the hall. I bit back the urge to hammer her with questions about why she was here, how she knew where to find me and why the fuck she thought coming here was smart but now wasn’t the time or the place. I drank her in, looking over every inch of her body until I was convinced she was alright. My hand instinctively lifted, reaching out for her but I froze as I registered the startling blue flames in her eyes. This was new, and not fucking good. “Phynix?” Her only acknowledgement to the unease in my voice was her small body careening into mine.

Phy:

I closed my eyes in relief as the door opened to show August, with a sigh I let myself flop against him. I felt something inside me settle as I rested against him, felt the nausea ease and the fluttering in my stomach turn to something warm. I wrapped my arms around August’s waist and gave his back a hard pinch, huffing my irritation and worry at him even as the fire that flickered behind me and beneath my skin crawled up to pet the man.  The tension and stress had faded quickly, leaving me feeling emotional and like I was going to cry instead I leaned back and shook my head at him. “If you ever get snatched up like this again I’m going to be so pissed.” I swallowed down the lump forming in my throat and finally looked at August, my eyes flaring at the blood I saw at this temple. Anger had the fire burning brighter around us as I looked at that wound but I forced it back, eyes going to the unconscious guard behind August. “Ready to go then?” I was, I was so ready to get out of this damn bayou and away from all of these people, I wanted to curl up with August and watch something stupid. I grabbed his hand and tugged while I stepped backwards into the hall, moving towards the remains of the house’s entryway. My lips pursed at the destruction I left behind, a blush of shame heating my cheeks as August and I stepped around unconscious bodies and wreckage then out to where the guard were rounding up the last of the Hag’s coven and chaining the Hag herself. My temper flickered as well as the fire under my skin and in my eyes as I set my sights on the Hag and I found myself stepping towards her with a growl, teeth bared in threat. I wanted to burn the soul out of the stupid woman for taking what I’d claimed, for manipulating all of the innocents and trying to do the same to August.

August:

I nodded when Phynix asked me if I was ready to go. The answer was yes, I was so fucking ready to be out of here, where I could take a hot shower then eat and drink for days. As Phynix led me through the house and into the night, my eyes darted to the bodies scattered around the now silent bayou. I didn’t let go of her hand, instead squeezing it when I noticed her duck her head like she was embarrassed. I knew she’d done all this and the way my heart surged when I saw her on the other side of that door, I knew I’d do the same if it ever came down to it. There was nothing for her to be ashamed of, making mental note to tell her just that once we got home. As we stepped further away from the trees and small houses, several people I didn’t recognize were gathered in a small group. Phynix’s hand tightened in mine as she stepped away from me but before she got too far, I tucked her safely under my arm despite the heat radiating off her skin. Within the small group of strangers stood the woman responsible for keeping me prisoner, along with a few of her lackeys that had managed to go unharmed. My heart skipped a beat as anger seeped through my veins, stepping toward her with Phynix still in my hold. I tucked her behind me as best I could as I paused and met the gaze of my captor, narrowing my eyes as she pulled at her shackles and chains. “If you come near me or my family again, you won’t make it out alive. Mark my words. I will kill you with my bare fucking hands.” She rounded her shoulders but the doubt in her eyes assured me she understood. That was all that mattered.

Phy:

I grumped a bit when August tucked me under his arm and away from my would be prey, rolled my eyes as he nudged me behind his back but I allowed it. I even curled my fingers into his shirt and let him have his words, leaning around him slightly to give the Hag and narrow-eyed look. If she came after us again she’d be lucky if I let her die easy. Hopefully, the council would find the Hag guilty enough to place her in the magical version of Gitmo, she wouldn’t leave that prison alive. With that thought in my head I tucked myself against August’s side and pulled him towards the shore, I kept my head down slightly and turned towards August. I could feel the stares of the coven’s members, the guard gave us nods but those few Coven that had attended the siege glared with disgust and fear. It was a look I should have been used to but would never be completely numb to. “I want to go home.” I said it loud enough that the Captain would hear, I was starting to grow tired. My adrenaline seeping away under the glares of the coven members, my fire dulling until it was just a warmth I could feel in my chest. The Captain nodded our way, a hint of empathy in his eyes as he ordered three of his men to escort us back to the city.

August:

My brows knitted as Phynix and I walked our way down to the boat waiting on the edge of the dock. It was impossible to ignore the stares of the people watching us pass, feeling the tension shift in the air as the focus changed from the old woman, to us. At first I thought they were staring at me but when my attention caught the way Phynix had practically curled into herself, I understood. Holding onto her as we made our way onto the boat, I shot daggered stares at the people who had rescued me. I didn’t give a fuck if they helped save my ass or not. No one looked at her that way. I didn’t understand why but the logistics didn’t matter. I’d figure that out at a later time. I practically felt her shame and it pissed me the fuck off. Phynix and I took our seats on the boat as the Captain pulled away from the dock. My eyes never left the small group of people watching from the shore until they disappeared into the night. Finally, I released a captured breath and let my body relax as I wound my arm around Phynix, holding her to my side. We were going home, a place I could finally admit I missed almost as much as I missed her.

Phy:

I pressed into the warmth of August, feeling cold and exhausted now, and closed my eyes. It was done and over, that’s what really mattered. I rubbed my cheek against August’s shirt and slowly breathed in his scent, I relaxed as we moved towards the city. It was easy now with just the Captain and a few of his men, they looked on with respect instead of disgust. I tangled my fingers with August’s and tilted my head back slightly, smiling up at him. “I’m hungry. I think the parasite wants chinese tonight.” I took the hand I held and rubbed it against the slight curve of my stomach, I wanted normal now. My words caused a quiet chuckle from the others in the boat and looks of amusement that were sent our way. I could do this. I could just have August and the bar and this normal, I didn’t need the coven.

August: 

As Phynix leaned into me, I found myself doing the exact same. My shoulders slumped forward as I wrapped her in my arms, our hands pressed tightly together as the humid breeze slipped over our skin. The past few weeks had been hell, a serious test of strength and will but I’d made it through even the lowest moments alive and well. My head throbbed from the gash at the edge of my eye but I paid it no mind as I held Phynix in my arms. The minute she mentioned Chinese my stomach growled and I smiled. Of course she’d be hungry and so was I. I’d order the entire fucking menu the second we got home. As she pressed my hand against her slightly protruding belly, relief washed over me. Not much had changed and all my stress over missing something was pointless. She looked just the same, smelled just the same and when I looked at her my heart clenched. Just the fucking same.

[sevendayslater]

Safe

This empty room is fucking suffocating. I’ve paced back and forth over the rotted wood floor for days, refusing food, water or a change of clothes. If I had the option, I’d refuse to even fucking breathe while being kept in this bayou version of a prison. People come and then they go without any acknowledgement from me and that’s how it will stay until they release me. Or I figure out a way to escape.

Staring out the window at the group of people congregated on the overgrown front lawn, their whispered conversations and cautious glances toward me amuses me. They’ve been out there for hours, talking, arguing, throwing their hands in the air. They’re fighting about something and I’d bet my life that something is me. I’ve thrown them for a loop. I can’t fight the smirk on my lips because they all know it and there is nothing they can do.

Days ago, a young man was brought into this room. Several others hovered near by while the boy forced his hand into mine. Images of blood and his sunken in face scattered through my mind. A vision of death. I saw the life fade from his eyes as vividly as I now see the sun high within the clouds. He watched and waited for me to react, to speak, to tell him what they all wanted to hear. Little did they know, I’m as hard headed as they come. I never said a word to that man and in my silence the group keeping me here realized one important thing. They could use me as their puppet and force my visions but I didn’t have to talk.

As I watch the conversation taking place outside, I can’t stop myself from thinking of Phynix. My lips lift into a small smile when I picture her violet eyes brightening as she teases me about something. Or calls me on my shit. She loves to do that and she does it well. There’s nothing I can do but respect that.

I take a deep breath, exhaling it slowly just as I realize… I miss her. A sense of calm washes over me when I picture Phy unknowingly touch her hand to her belly while she grumbles under her breath about the “parasite.” It’s been over a week since I’ve seen her and I wonder if her stomach has grown.

My stomach sinks at the thought of Phy alone, unprotected. Without me there she’s only got that old man watching over her and that’s not nearly satisfactory enough. Even with her own gifts of flame. Especially now. My defiance toward my captors is surely putting her at risk. They knew her, they’d seen us together, I’m sure. My silent protests seemed intelligent at the time but now I wish I’d thought it out better. I wish I could go back and change how I behaved because I may have dragged her into more of my mess. That wasn’t something she deserved and it was why I’d always kept people at a distance. I’m volatile to a fault, grouchy, irrational at times and I speak before I think about the weight of my words. Now, adding on top of my less than likeable personality is the group of people dead set on bending me to their will. By any means necessary, including her. If they’d take measures into their own hands by kidnapping me, if I escaped who knew what would happen. Would they take her next? That isn’t something I can subject Phynix and her baby to. Whether or not I’ll admit it or show it properly, I care for her deeply. She tolerates me when most have rightfully walked away. Even my own blood. She’s the only person to see and know my faults yet she stays. That says something. It means something to me. If I truly loved her, maybe the best choice is to stay here with these people so she’d be safe from them. So she’d be safe from me.

I turn away from the window and resume my pacing, my mind and my heart heavy with too many burdening thoughts.

[sevendayslater]

Wake Up

My eyelids are heavy weights as I try to lift them, blinking slowly while my pupils adjust to the light. Consciousness returns to me slowly, like the warm sun breaking through an early morning fog rising up over the river. I try lifting my hand to shield my face from the beams of light shining through the open window but realize quickly they are cinched to the back of a chair. My eyes widen as the room around me becomes less and less blurry. Bare, rotting walls surround me on all sides in a room containing nothing but me and the chair I’m sitting on. The one I’m fucking tied to.

I glance around, leaning forward to try and see out the window but it’s no use. As my reality becomes clearer, memories of the bar and the glass of water return. I’d seen three of that fucking bartender right before my ass hit the ground. Confusion shifts to understanding, that understanding morphing quickly into rage.

I throw my body forward while putting my weight on my feet and try to tear myself from my binds. My wrists burn as the plastic zip ties keeping me strapped down cut into my skin. My lips lift into a sneer, grinding my jaw as I continue to pull and try to free myself.

“Mother fuckers. LET ME THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!”

The smell of Old Bay and crawfish hits my nose as I take a deep breath, releasing a deep growl as I try one last time to tear my hands free. The pain sparking like fire up my arms only drives my anger, my instinct to free myself overcoming the blood I feel trickle down the palms of my hands. I’m getting out of here. I don’t know where the fuck I am or how I got here but I’m getting the hell out.

“You should stop.”

I freeze, glancing up at the woman standing in the doorway. My eyes narrow as I try to place her. I know I’ve seen her before but can’t recall when or where. She offers me a wry smile as she steps forward.

“The ties are bound with wire and a bit of something extra. You’re not getting out of that chair until I say so.”

I scoff, my jaw clenched in fury as I glare at her. “Let me the fuck go. NOW.”

Her smile turns into a frown as she shakes her head. I watch as she moves to stand right in front of me, the long white dress she wears billowing out around her as she sinks to her knees.  “No. I won’t. Ask me why, August.”

“Like you’ll tell me the truth. Do you think I’m fucking stupid? You drugged me and tied me to a chair. I’m not going to believe a word that comes out of your fucking mouth.”

She chuckles as she settles her hand on my thigh. “I can see why you’d think that but have you always been truthful yourself, August? I recall you telling me not too long ago that my baby was going to be fine. Was that your version of being honest? Because yesterday I buried my child right down the street.”

My stomach sinks as the memory of where I’ve met this woman careens into my mind. The bar. She’d brought her baby to see me and I’d lied. But not for the reason she must think.

I lift my chin and stare her head on. “You would have spent your last days with your child searching for a cure when there was none. That’s no way to say goodbye to your baby. I was giving you relief so you could live a normal life until she was gone. Both of you.”

Her nails dig into my thigh as tears blur her eyes. “I could have saved her. I could have--”

“No. You couldn’t have. My visions don’t lie.” I lean forward, the ties cutting deeper into my tender flesh as my voice deepens into a growl. “Now let me the fuck GO.”

“Sadly, you’re all out of options, August. You didn’t want to come willingly so you forced our hand. Your gift is to be used, not squelched and you’ll no longer do such a thing. Your interest or opinion is of no matter. You lost your choice when you lied to me about my child.”

She stands quickly and steps back, waving me off like I’m someone that is easily dismissed. I’m not. The minute the woman disappears out the doorway, I throw all of my weight back into the wall. Hearing the wood backing of my chair crack and splinter, I rest my weight on my feet and do the same motion again. In just a few seconds, the remnants of the chair is in crumbled pieces at me feet.

With my hands still tied at my back, I rush toward the open door, my heartbeat hammering in my ears. I only get two steps into the dimly light hall before a sharp pain just above my knee makes me stumble. Glancing down, my eyes narrow on a small dart dangling from my pants. A low groan falls from my lips as my startled gaze meets that of the old fucking woman a few steps down the hall. My mind fogs quickly, whatever medication they put inside that dart racing it’s way through my system. I take a step back as a heavy weight settles on my shoulders and on the lids of my eyes. I mutter an incoherent ramble of words before the medication consumes me and yet again, everything goes black.

[sevendayslater]

Pappy. Neat.

My visions had all but dried up, which was just fine with me. Part of me hoped my gift had taken a short walk off a long pier but I knew better than hope for that. I’d avoided contact with anyone but Phynix for the last few weeks and it had given me a bit of a reprieve. The visions were still inside me though, waiting for the right time to make themselves known. I could feel them, tingling ominously beneath the surface of my skin.

Things had been quiet but that wasn’t necessarily good. It was more a warning and that feeling followed me around like a dark fucking shadow, waiting for the perfect time to descend. But I couldn’t spend every waking moment waiting for the next shoe to drop. It made me too jumpy and with Phy around, I needed to be a bit more calm. Plus, I had a business to run and money to make. Neither of which would happen if I never left my home.

I’d spent the morning in my office at the bar, hung the fuck over, paying bills while trying to ignore Phynix muttering and huffing in the next room. Her near constant complaining about the rank smells of the customers was grating on my nerves, mostly because I couldn’t do shit about it. I couldn’t exactly make showering a requirement of my patrons. People stunk to high hell sometimes. Especially in this town, in this heat. She’d just have to deal with it. Or wear a damn gas mask. The problem was, hearing her gagging made me want to do the same.

After one especially long bitching session about the condition of the trash, I kicked out of my chair and stomped out of my office. Narrowing my eyes on Phy and the rest of my employees that couldn’t seem to take her obvious as fuck hints, I wrangled up every half filled bag of trash in the bar and tossed them out over the back stairs. With a growl, I piled the garbage into the dumpster then sent a text to my disposal guy to pick this shit up today, and every other damn day until the baby was born. It would save me a hell of a lot of passive aggressive, pregnant woman grief.

As I turned to head back into the bar, movement behind the dumpster caught my eye. I frowned as the old woman I’d seen far too much of appeared. Glancing once toward the kitchen door to the bar, I grabbed the her by the elbow and led her back behind the trash.

“I told you to leave me the hell alone,” I hissed, dropping her arm then crossing my hands over my chest. “You’re not very good at listening to instructions.”

She smiled in response. Her amusement sparked temper in my veins I had to take a deep breath in order to control. My anger only seemed to drive her on instead of keep her the fuck away. “Look at you. You’ve got so much pent up anger inside you, you’re losing it. Stop fighting who you are and where you belong. It’s time to come to us, August. You’re wasting your gift instead of embracing it and that’s a crime.”

I scoffed, the gravel shifting under my boots as I widened my stance. “A crime? A crime is trespassing on my fucking property and stalking me when I’m not at work. I told you before. I’m not your fucking play toy. You can’t control me and it’s never going to happen. No matter how much you guilt trip me.”

The old woman glanced behind me, toward the bar she once owned then offered me a small smile. “I’d hate for things to get out of hand, August. For you and those you care about. I’m sorry you can’t see how valuable you are.”

My lips curled into a sneer as I balled my hands into fists at my sides. I’d never hurt a woman but the roundabout threat coming from her cracked lips actually made me think twice.

“Get the fuck off my property. Don’t make me say it again.”

I watched as she slipped back around the dumpster and onto the street. My jaw clenched painfully, every muscle in my body tense from her threats. These people really had some fucking balls. Ignoring them in hopes they’d get the hint and leave me alone clearly wasn’t working out. There had to be some other way to drive them away.

I forced myself to take a deep breath, then another, struggling to maintain control as the woman rounded the corner and disappeared from my sight. Tugging my hand through my hair, I glanced up at the sky and prayed for some fucking relief. I was alone in this and fighting for ways to get myself out of the spotlight. If I didn’t have the bar and the girl inside I’d take off and never look back. That wasn’t an option now though. I couldn’t leave her. The reality of that caught me equally off guard.

I needed a drink. A fucking big one. I looked quickly at the back door to the bar, relieved no one inside caught on to my encounter with the woman. The last thing I needed was Phynix or anyone else getting involved. I’d figure it out on my own. Preferably over a bottle of New Orleans finest bourbon. Spinning on my heels, I stomp toward the bar, then past it, out onto the street. My mouth watered at the thought of bourbon on my tongue but I knew better than to start drinking before noon at my own bar. I’d get that look. I knew it well because I got it often. I also knew Phynix would read my particularly sour mood like an open book. I didn’t feel like answering her plethora of questions.

Three blocks up the road from my place, I slipped into the dimly lit restaurant and headed straight to the bar. I caught a few curious side glances from the local clientele but as usual, when I took my seat on a stool everyone shifted away. There reaction didn’t bother me so much anymore. It just gave me more fucking room.

“Pappy,” I muttered to the man behind the bar as he slid a coaster toward me. “Neat.”

His brows raised in question and I rolled my eyes, pulling three hundred dollar bills from my wallet then dropping them to the bar.

“Like I said, Pappy. Neat.”

The bartender poured three fingers full of the best bar bourbon I could find and set it in front of me. I downed the three hundred dollar shot in one gulp then slid the glass back to him.

“I’ll have another. And a water. Please.”

I felt the curious stares of the people huddled around the bar but the instant the alcohol hit my tongue, I didn’t fucking care. They could watch me if they wanted to. I wasn’t going to do shit except enjoy my drink and mind my own damn business. Or at least try to.

The man refilled my glass, a splash higher the second time then stepped into the back. I shifted my attention to the tv in the far corner of the bar instead of focusing on the silence that had washed over the room. A heavy sigh rolled off my lips as I shook my head. This place was no better than my own fucking bar. At least there, when people stared I didn’t have the urge to slam my fists into the wall.

As soon as the glass of water was set in front of me, I took a quick sip then downed half the glass before taking a breath. I stared down at the amber drink in my hands, sliding it side to side. The warning coming from the old woman was still fresh in my mind and the booze was doing nothing to salve my anger. She had threatened me, threatened my bar and Phynix. All to get me to bend at her will. I couldn’t. I fucking wouldn’t. I wasn’t anyones toy. My visions were like the plague to my insides and filled me with guilt. There was no way I’d give in to them freely. No matter what the cause or how much they were willing to pay.

I slid my thumb slowly over the lip of the glass, my brows furrowing when my one thumb blurred into two. My eyelids grew heavy as my head slumped forward, like a concrete slab had settled against the back of my neck. I lifted my eyes and caught the bartender watching me. My vision doubled his form but I could still see the hint of a smile on his lips.

“What the fuck did you put in my drink?” My words slurred as I shoved my drink across the bar. “What did you do?”

Every muscle in my body numbed as I fought to stay upright in my chair. There was nothing I could do. My arms wouldn’t take direction to find my phone and I couldn’t lift my head. I couldn’t call for help and as my vision started to fade I realized no one knew where the fuck I was.

Everything went black.

[sevendayslater]

The Pot of Pity

Watching Phynix attempt to speak of her past and her relationship forced my own demons of the past front and center. So much so, I had a hard time focusing on much else since our talk. Memory of Delilah sits on my shoulder like a fucked up version of a cricket. With every breath I took, flashbacks of memories I strived hard to bury deep flit to the forefront of my mind like a dark cloud. I practically heard her voice when I stared at my reflection in the mirror, reminding me to get a haircut or pick up one of my suits from the cleaner. I smelled her perfume on the night wind, felt her touch as the air floated over my face and into my fucking soul. I couldn’t hide from her, from us, from how perfect everything was.

Until it wasn’t.

Delilah came into my life when I was young, cocky and sure. I set my sights on her, swept her off her feet and made her mine. She trusted me and we fell in love just like I wanted us to. Our families met, she agreed to one day be my wife. We lived in bliss and mutual adoration no one could break if they tried.

Two years after we met, I got my first vision. After that, everything changed. I changed and not for the better. My anger toward myself and disdain for everyone around me ate me alive until I no longer recognized who I was. No matter how hard I tried getting her to understand, she didn’t. Maybe because I didn’t either. Little by little, I fucked up. I turned into a monster of a person everyone stayed away from. Everyone except her. She loved me despite myself until even she couldn’t take it anymore and ran.

I don’t blame her. Honestly. I would have left me too.

Relationships come and come go; some easily and some not so much. Some, when you think back to how deeply you loved and greatly you lost, it’s impossible to even breathe. That’s a risk one takes when falling in love. It’s a danger, letting someone close enough to your heart that they can wound you. It takes half past for-fucking-ever to recover from when they do.

So I’ve spent the last month staggeringly drunk and out of sorts because that’s what I do. Thank fuck for Sarah and Phy running the bar while I’ve been up my own ass. It’s a far better place for myself and everyone around me until I can find my way out of this fog. It’s not the first time I’ve spiraled and probably won’t be the last. I’ve avoided well over a dozen phone calls from my sister, deleting the voice mails before hearing them. Her voice and sharp tongue would probably pull me off my pot of pity but I was enjoying my throne. 

Being bitter and pissed the fuck off at the world was far better than letting someone else in. Wasn’t it?

[sevendayslater]

Story Time With @DameDeFeu_

Phy - My inadequacy ate at me, everything had turned into a constant worry that twisted up in my already sensitive stomach. This was happening, I couldn’t ignore the fact that there was a child growing inside me and in 6 months or so I’d be responsible for another life. What the hell did I know about taking care of anyone? I barely took care of myself half the time. And! I have no frame of reference for children. My own life didn’t start until I was 6, memories from before gone and no one around to even hint at what I’d been like as an infant. What if it’s fire 24/7? And who knew what kind of child mine would be. Some unknown being as a mom and a vampire as a father? It shouldn’t have even been possible but here I was. I couldn’t stop thinking about what I would need. A crib, a stroller, clothes, bottles…. Did I breast feed? Would it need blood? Should I find a new place to live with more room or could it wait? I scrubbed my hands over my face as I bumped the door into the bar kitchen open with my hip. I’d come to the one place I could focus and organize my thoughts. I’d been in and out of here for days now cooking for Thanksgiving and planning for the next big holiday meals. I had dozens of things to do, different menus to make and specials to decide on. We’d be open enough that those that didn’t have families or didn’t want to spend time with their families could come to the bar and get a little holiday cheer. Eyes closing I took a deep breath, holding it for a count of ten then exhaling slowly and opening my eyes. I let my to do list run over and over in my head until it blocked out all the worries and insecurities. That was all I needed, a distraction from it all.

August - (I woke with a start, the sound of a door closing tearing me from a nightmare I couldn’t escape. My hands gripped the arms of my chair to steady myself as I glanced around what was once a shoe box sized storage room. Now it’s my shoebox sized office. I hold my breath and listen for something, anything responsible for startling me awake. Not that I minded. I was exhausted from the same recurring dream. After a few moments of nothing but silence I hear the soft echo of footsteps in the next room. It’s early, Sarah and the others I’d hired won’t be showing up for another few hours. I stand up from my desk and quietly slip around it, listening at the closed door for more noise. The creek of flooring desperately needing to be replaced echoes through the otherwise quiet bar. I grab the first bottle of booze I see, gripping it’s neck as I slip silently out the door. I don’t know how much good it will do but if that annoying old woman or her husband had showed up to bother me again at least the threat of jagged glass in his neck will send them on their way. Slowly, I step into the hall, careful to avoid the soft spots in the floor that will reveal the intruder isn’t alone. The light to the kitchen is on and I’m surprised. It took me forever to find that switch. I adjust my grip on the bottle as I pause in the kitchen doorway. My tight shoulders slump as I released a captured breath and frown. Phynix, or Phy as I called her now, had her back turned to me as she faced the sink. I lean against the wall and across my ankles as I slowly shake my head) I could have killed you, you know.

Phy - {I snorted out a laugh, I’d known August was moving around as soon as he’d left his office. Granted, I hadn’t known he was here until he’d moved around but still I wouldn’t have been hurt. I arched a brow and glanced over my shoulder, allowing my eyes to flame over for a second before going back to their bright, violet} With a bottle? {I dropped my gaze to the bottle, scrunching up my nose} Of cheap whiskey? Never mind, that really could have killed me. {Shaking my head with a hum of amusement I went back to washing out one of my new mixing pots. The steel gleamed already but I was done with most of the prep work, didn’t know what else to do with my hands until my oven was free.} What are you doing here? {I ground my teeth because there had been a waver in my voice as soon as I let the teasing tone drop. I could only hope August was an oblivious as he let people think he was}

August - It’s not whiskey. It’s blackberry brandy and trust me, this shit can do some damage. (Waves the bottle at her, label out, as I roll my eyes. The passive aggressive action was one I’d adopted since meeting the strange girl in front of me. I couldn't help myself and even better, I didn’t care. Some days I enjoyed getting a reaction out of her, for no reason other than it amused me. I step forward, crossing the small kitchen then leaning against the counter beside her. I hadn’t missed the pyrotechnics lighting her eyes but chose to keep my mouth shut instead of press her on it. If I demanded answers from her she’d potentially do the same with me and I wasn’t sure how much of my life I wanted to invite her into. Walls, both externally and on the inside were of much use to me. I spin the cap off the liquor bottle and take a long sip before holding it toward her.) I own the place. That’s what I’m doing here. Want a sip? (I smirk as I pull my hand back) Oh wait, you can’t. What a shame.

Phy - {The emotion that pooled in my gut and pricked at my eyes was a shock, a simple action and I was ready to start the waterworks again. I swallowed hard and carefully set the bowl on the drying rack, pressing my hands to the edge of the sink and staring at the water before pushing off and grabbing a new dish to clean} I wouldn’t lower myself to drinking such swill anyway. {I started scrubbing the dish, carefully scraping the food debris away before starting a slow, methodical scrubbing. I focused fully on the dish in my hands but I could push back the wave of emotion that had come. It was stupid, August rarely got a rise out of me and yet a snarky comment was bringing tears to my eyes and building a knot in my throat}

August- (My brow arches in surprise as Phy snaps at me. It’s not so much the sassy words catching me off guard but the wavering tone in her feminine voice. The strength usually rolling off of her in almost palpable waves is absent in the cluttered kitchen. I grimace at her vulnerability, recalling all the times Charley had called me an insensitive prick for not understanding hormones. It wasn’t that I didn’t. I was a smart  man, at least intelligent enough to catch on quickly to manic mood swings. It simply wasn’t in me to sympathize. With my sister, anyway. I set the bottle of brandy on the counter and cross my arms over my chest, watching silently as Phy scrubs an already clean pot half to death. Slowly, I move my hand to the faucet to stop the stream of water before shifting my hand to settle over hers.) What’s going on? And before you say nothing, know I won’t stop pressing until you tell me. I’m a prick like that.

Phy - {I gave another snort and deliberately didn’t argue the prick comment, just arched a brow and gave you a look. I knew it wasn’t a strong look, I felt to fragile for it tonight… today… this month. Goddess above but I felt like I was one breath away from blowing apart and never being put back together again. I took a steadying breath then another, eyes on the slight wrinkling at the corners of August’s eyes that showed at one point he was a laughing man. Maybe even a happy man. Or that he had someone he laughed at regularly. I opened my mouth then closed it, teeth snapping together with a click as my brow furrowed and my breath hitched. Swallowing I tried again, mouth opening so words of reassurance could come out but all I could offer was a sort of half laugh, half sob. I pulled the hand not being held by his up to cover my face, letting the drip of water mask the tears that welled up and slowly tracked down my cheeks. I ducked my head so my long curls would fall forward and hide my face, shoulders curling forward slightly and head shaking. Damn it. DamnDamnDamn. What a pitiful wretch I was, I couldn’t even hold it together long enough to not embarrass myself how the hell was I supposed to keep it together for a child?} I don’t know what I’m doing. I can’t… {I shook my head again and laughed a wet, horrible sound that was more darkness that amusement}

August -  (My eyes meet Phy’s as a plethora of emotion pass across her face. Her cheeks are flushed, out of anger or frustration I can’t be sure but by erratic the way she’s behaving I’d guess probably both. Watching her process whatever was on her mind was kind of like watching a freight train careening toward a cliff. My entire body tenses, every muscle beneath my skin registering the wave of unease, anxiousness, fear, that consumes her before my very eyes. I startle as a strangled sob bubbles from her chest, instinctively taking a step back before correcting myself, stepping forward as I place my sweaty palm on her back) You can. Whatever it is, Phynix, you can. (Carefully, I guide her out of the kitchen and into the bar, sitting her down in a chair before claiming one in front of her. Should I take her hand? If it were Charley losing her shit like this I’d have her in my arms, consoling her but this girl is not my sister. To her, I’m simply an old man. I fold my hands together while pinning her with a narrowed stare.) What happened today? Tell me so I know how to fix it.

Phy - {My laugh hurt, the sound pushing past the knot in my throat and leaving behind an ache that helped center me enough so I could breathe. I felt wrung out and tired, there’d been too many emotions and not enough answers these past few weeks and I was just done with it all.} Nothing happened. Nothing has changed. I’m still pregnant and alone. Left by someone… and this wasn’t even supposed to be able to happen. He, {I cut myself and looked away, furrowing my brow as I fought back another sob} How the hell am I supposed to take care of a child? I have no frame of reference, I have no capabilities. I have nothing. {My hand dropped to rest on my belly, fingers pushing at the tight skin. I could feel the changes in my body though they were barely noticeable. My stomach felt firm and tight in a way that didn’t come from being fit and had everything to do with the thing growing inside of me} I can’t be a mother. I don’t even have one of my own, how the fuck am I supposed to know what to do? {Anger surged up, forming a lick of fire that curled around my wrist as I slipped off the chair and to my feet. I needed to move, to pace, to burn away this unbalanced feeling} I can’t do this, I can’t. I don’t know what to do. {I pulled a deep breath in, forcing it past the hitch of a sob as I turned to stare down at August} I don’t know what to do.

August- You can do this. Even if it seems like everything will be a mess, it won’t be. You have your friends. Can’t they assist you? (I watched her, shifting uncomfortably in my chair while she stalked the room. I’d seen Phynix picked up by an older man she referred to as her mentor so why did she feel so unsure? She was alone and I understood that feeling well but my solitude was by choice. Perhaps hers wasn’t. My eyes narrowed on the subtle flame flowing from what appeared to be the tips of her fingers. I wasn't the first time I'd seen it, and along with the fire that burned in her violet eyes, there was a lot to this girl I'd yet to understand. It was time to start asking some questions.) I’m starting to think I need to invest in a few more fire extinguishers for the bar. Not that I enjoy prying into other people's personal shit but what is the deal with the flames and is it something you can completely control? I see more of it with each passing day.

Phy- They’re not… {It wasn’t right not to say they weren’t friends but they weren’t what he thought} They’re coven and Moreau, my Mentor, he’s family but it’s different. This isn’t something I can ask of them when I already ask so much. {My mentor was aging and had too much on his plate to help with my mistakes. I glanced down at the flame curling around my fingers and wrist, a smiling curling my lips as I let the fire twist and grow. This calmed me, filled me with warmth.} I am the fire and the fire is me. {I gave a small shrug, glancing to the man that I had not expected to care enough to sit down and drop platitudes to try and make me feel better} I don’t know who or what I am but I know that the fire is the only thing I’ve ever been able to count on. It’s both a part of me and its own entity. {I was calming as I spoke about this gift, about this friend that had been with me through every foster home and move. I felt like I could breathe easy again as I let the fire reach out to brush against his cheek, I left it like I’d touched him myself and I knew it’d be nothing but a warmth caressing his cheek} I’m not saying it’s not dangerous but it’s not a problem until I’m in danger, then it’s a defense mechanism.

August - (I tense as a cord of orange flames extends from the tips of her fingers toward me, my eyes widening slightly when a gentle brush of heat drifts across my cheek. My eyes focus on her hand, wrapped in vines of flame to her elbow that don’t seem to sear her skin. I cock my head to the side and watch, trying to make sense of what Phynix said while keeping in mind my own gift when her words seem unfathomable. She’s a lot like me but at the same time not. She accepts her gift when I’d do anything to forget mine.) It’s a relief knowing you won’t turn my business to ash. Unless I piss you off, I’m sure. Raising a child is a big enough burden when you don’t have unstable traits making things more difficult. It’s why I’ve avoided having children of my own. (I stare down at my hands, deep lines crossing from one side of my palm to the other. The face of a woman from my past pops into my mind but before I can let the memory fester, I shift my focus to the girl before me.) If you can’t rely on your coven or this mentor of yours, where do you plan on living? Who will help you?

Phy - I have a place, in the Quarter. Wi… Someone gave it to me years ago. Put it in my name {I muttered something about them not caring enough to take it back anyway as I dropped my gaze, hands pressing to my stomach again. What was this kid going to be? Shaking my head I pulled away from the thoughts} I thought you just scared everyone away? {I arched a brow, only half teasing} I mean… when was the last time you let someone touch you without biting their head off? That wasn’t me at least and why is that? Is it just because I bulldoze you over or what? {My questions had turned into a babbling, words and questions thrown out as if I’m talking more to myself than to you but I still glanced to you for answers. I wanted the distraction of this curiosity, wanted to learn more about this man and ignore the confusion and panic in my own head.}

AUGUST- So why aren’t you staying there, if it belongs to you? (I arch my brow at Phynix’s outright refusal to share certain aspects of her life with me. Mainly, this W person she’s slipped and mentioned a couple of times. As much as I wanted to press because apparently I’m a nosey bastard when it comes to this girl, I don’t, simply because there are things I don’t ever intend on sharing with her. Someone, possibly the pathetic excuse of a man responsible for her current condition, was at least generous enough to give her a place to live. I eye her hands placed delicately over her stomach, recalling the faint sound of a heartbeat I heard when I touched her. I look to my hands again when she shifts the attention to me and sigh, deciding how much of myself and my-- gift I want to share.) I don’t scare people away like I’m the damn BOOGIE man, Phynix. I’m simply not a fan of bullshit and people around here bring a lot of that around. (I clear my throat, glancing up into her violet eyes as I let my own secrets flow from my lips.) You aren’t the only one with tricks you can’t explain. You have fire and I have sight. When I touch people, I see their death as vividly as you standing before me now. It’s-- unpleasant and as much as I’ve tried to understand my sight, I can’t. So I don’t touch people and they don’t touch me. It’s far easier for everyone involved.

Phy - So what do you see when you touch me? {My brow furrows as I think about his words, wondering if I’d forced something on him that was painful or… nightmarish. My eyes flicked up, widening as I imagine him seeing William draining the life from me or… or what if he saw something I didn’t remember? Something from before I was found? I dropped my gaze again, teeth tugging at my bottom lip as I slowly sat onto a stool.} Do I… should I stop? I don’t ever, ever want to force you to do something you don’t want to. Goddess above, that’s a horrible… {I rubbed my fingertips against my lips and stared at the man in horror}

August - (My brows furrow as I shake my head quickly, reaching out to lay my hand on her knee.) No. It’s not as though you touch me frequently but even if you did, my visions with you are vastly different than those I’ve seen with others. With them my sight has shown me blood and death and pain I’m never quite able to forget but with you-- with you I only see fire. Fire and a heart beat. (My lips lift into a sly grin as I lean back in my chair, smoothing my hands over my knees. It’s surprisingly easy, talking to this spitfire girl. In a way, talking to her is like talking to Charley. Minus the sisterly blood bond, of course.) It’s actually quite the relief. I’d lost track of how long it had been since I’d had actual contact with someone.

Phy - {An almost hysterical giggle escaped, relief curling me forward while at the same time I couldn’t help but think if that was the way I’d go. Just burst into flame and become the one thing that had always been there for me. It was an almost pleasant thought. I swallowed down the next laugh and took a slow, even breath in. Once I calmed the flutter of sensation in my stomach I straightened on my stool and looked at August with an almost shy smile, teeth tugging at my bottom lip again. Fire. Fire made sense but… I dropped my gaze down to my stomach then flicked my eyes up to the man in front of me. I didn’t want to ask, didn’t want to know if it was mine or its heartbeat. What if he was hearing it… what if it meant… nope. Not going there} I’m glad. Glad I don’t cause you pain, it does explain why you zone out sometimes when I touch you Boogieman. {I give a quick nod, lips pursing to stop my smile} And people keep a 5 foot distance between you and themselves, you have your own dang stool and side of the bar! {I flailed my hands up, amused more than anything} My ex… Wi.. uh {I cleared my throat, tilting my head to the side and looking at the ceiling before trying again} William was like that. He could scare you off with a look, it didn’t help that he looked like some thug who was more likely to stab you than say hello if you got too close. {I shrugged, rubbing my now trembling hands on my thighs and curling my fingers into the muscle.} He and I fought all the damn time, we were always poking back and forth. {I slid off the stool and moved around to the other side of the bar, pulling out a glass and pouring the man a drink because I needed to do something with my hands. Needed to move. I hadn’t spoken about William to anyone that hadn’t known him, hadn’t spoken to anyone outside of the sanctuary about him.}

August - (I purse my lips into a deep scowl as Phynix releases something between a cackle and a laugh. My shoulders tense defensively as I straighten, my automatic response to someone’s amusement from my pain blooming inside me in the form of anger. Biting back the ill-tempered words taking shape on my tongue, I take a deep breath and focus on the shift in emotion on her face. She glances curiously between me and her belly, a hint of more questions burning in her eyes before she speaks again. When I hear her words I relax, resisting the urge to laugh out loud at myself for worrying about whatever this girl may think of me. She shares more of her story and I find myself growing curious about this ex of hers. Most importantly, if he ever harmed her and where the fuck he is now. I eye the pronounced scars along the curve of her neck as anger sparks within my chest. Instead of asking her where they came from because I’m not exactly sure I want to know the answer, I ramble on while she heads behind the bar.) What the hell is a Boogie? People squawk like hens in a hen house in this town, which is why you should be more cautious about where you display your gift. Once word got out I had the ability to see the future people flocked to me like I was nothing but a human tourist attraction. I tried being nice about it but it didn’t take long for things to get out of hand. Now most know to keep their distance. (I smirk, scrubbing my hand over my stubbled jaw as I think back to those days. Phy wanders back to me, my brow arching as she hands me a drink.) So where is this William now? Why isn’t he here, taking care of you and his unborn child?

Phy - Boogie Man, August scaring away the locals. {I rolled my eyes at his description of NOLA people, shaking my head slightly.} People know me and my gift already. Moreau took me in when I was 15 but I was known before then. {Lifted a shoulder in shrug because I’d been known as a troublemaker and a pickpocket before Moreau had taken me in, I hadn’t been as in control with my emotions or who I lashed out with them either} Those that known me from before Moreau stay away those that know me from the coven know to show respect because of my position. {Sat back down on my stool, resting my hands on the stool between my legs and leaning my weight forward slightly as I hooked my feet around the legs of the stool. I’d never considered that August didn’t have the protection of a coven, I’d known he was something more but sometimes it’s just simple stuff.} You ever consider a coven? The protection of one in this town, depending on the coven, can be good for people like us. They don’t all exploit you or push you past your comfort zones. {I was deliberately ignoring the question about William, I was already starting to feel that itch under my collar and that tightness in my chest just from mentioning him. It was a clash of grief and rage that always twisted up inside of me.}

August- (I can’t help but snort as a reference made in jest shifts to a nickname but it is what it is. I’ve certainly been called far worse. As much as I believe some of New Orleans residents knew of her and the coven she speaks so highly of, I hadn’t heard of her until she blew into my life unannounced. I knew of covens within the city and was certain I would have heard mention of someone like her. Then again, people and their covens were more my sister's game. I sip the glass of bourbon Phy poured for me, cringing as she continued to speak.) I don’t need anyone’s protection but thank you. I’ve managed just fine and will continue to do so. There’s already far too many people in my business thanks to the former owner of this bar. I don’t need to drag anyone else into my bullshit or draw anymore unwanted attention to myself. (I much prefer my own company and had been that way for most of my life. Purchasing this bar, bringing Phynix into my life in a roundabout way was far out of my natural element but surprisingly enough I didn’t seem to mind.) So since you’re not going to answer my question about William, how about telling me more about this Moreau. Why don’t you think he’d be happy to help care for your child?

Phy - {I let my legs swing out away from the stool and over until my bare toes brushed against his legs then I let my legs drop back again before doing it again. I kept it up as I stared at the floor, gathering my words. It was hard to explain the feeling of being indebted to someone but also loving them so completely then there was the opinion of the coven and my… the parasite} He took me in when I was this… delinquent that didn’t care about controlling my emotions or keeping the fire at bay. I’d been hurt so I wanted to hurt anyone who dared to get close. {With a small smile I glanced up at you} He shut that down, took me in, had his coven embrace me and teach me. He’s already raised me, he doesn’t need to raise another child and this {I pressed a hand to my stomach, brow furrowing slightly} This thing won’t necessarily be welcomed by the coven, they’re wary of what it is. What it will be. I won’t make Moreau choose between me and the coven, that’s not fair. Not fair to make him take on more of my mistakes. {I hooked one foot around the rung of the stool and stretched the other out to press my toes to his shin, lips pursing to the side slightly as I stare at the floor} There was this guy who owned a sanctuary for wayward supernatural beings, I stayed there while I lived in LA and he was constantly taking on the responsibility of everyone else and taking care of them, it wore him down until he was this sick, halfling of a person. He wasn’t happy, would never look for something that would make him happy and was just for him. I don’t want that for Moreau.

August - (I watched Phynix shift her foot to my knee and back again, brow arching as I waited patiently for her to speak. It was hard to tell what the foot thing was about, or her seemingly growing need for contact. It’s alarming but at the same time something I could understand. Maybe the simple touch was a way to stay grounded, reminding her that even in the moments she felt as out of control and hopeless as I once had, someone is beside her, keeping her steady. Maybe. Either that or as usual, I’m thinking too much. I tilt my head curiously as she continues, holding on to a string of words she rambles until she’s done.) They won't accept your child? What kind of Coven, what kind of family, turns their back like that? (I grumble as I shoot out of my seat, making my way behind the bar to refill my drink. It dawns on me, it’s not noon, I haven’t even had a cup of coffee yet and I’m already on my second bourbon. I consider for a moment changing the drink for a bit of caffeine but decide quickly it’s too late. I step out from behind the bar, pausing to grab the bottle as well before reclaiming my seat beside Phy.) If this is a true coven, and mind you, I don’t know shit about groups like that other than what my sister has shared with me, they shouldn’t turn their back on you like that. If they’ve already accepted you for who you are and all the bad shit you’ve done, what could possibly cause them to shun you now?

Phy - {I pulled my leg back when he moved, eyes on him as he walked to the bar and back. I stretched out my legs and hooked both feet around his calf once he was seated. It calmed me to have something to focus on besides my words but it still took me a minute to think about what I was going to say. Nose scrunched up slightly and brow furrowed in thought I gave a simple shrug and looked away, exhaling out a hum} William isn’t human. I’m… maybe human? {I snorted out a laugh and shook my head, reaching up to press my fingers against my eyes and rubbing hard. I so rarely bit my tongue or maybe it was that I was so used to people being aware of my story. Of my mistakes.} I scare them, not Moreau but the others. Maybe. I don’t know. {I pulled my legs back and hooked my ankles around the legs of the stool, curling in on myself slightly} I left for a reason, they needed space and time. They say everything is fine but sometimes they get this look in their eyes, like they’re waiting for me to explode or just go crazy. Or turn into some monster. You’d think 15 years of mostly… {I sighed loudly and slid off my stool to walk to the bar door then back, circling around the stools a few times before sitting again then getting back up} 15 years of being this {I waved a hand at myself, meaning the human form} you’d think they’d stop expecting me to sprout a tail or something. I don’t know. {I didn’t know what they always thought and I didn’t know what I was or if their thoughts were warranted and I didn’t know if this kid was going to be a monster. Were vampires even supposed to be able to have kids? Was I? 90% of my fear with this thing was I didn’t have enough information about my past and my origin to know what to expect.}

August - (My brows furrow as she mentions her ex lover and father of her child not being human. I’m not nearly as ignorant like half the fools living in this city who think humans are the only kind of species populating this city. Maybe it’s because of my visions and my sister’s abilities but I’ve understood for quite some time that human tended to be the less common species in certain areas around. I watch her pace the room, finding I relate to her life a bit more than I’d realized. Her people are afraid of her, everyone is afraid of me.) Maybe it’s time to move on from this coven of yours. At least until the baby is born and you aren’t putting yourself in danger by being around people who don’t trust you. If you have your own place, you should go there. I’m sure your friend Moreau will visit you. But this not human thing? What exactly is William then?

Phy - {I stopped, froze really, at the very mention of leaving my coven, swallowing I shook my head hesitantly. Turning in a slow circle I walked back to August and started walking around his stool, setting my teeth against the knuckle of my thumb and worrying it red. I’d already bitten my lips raw, I didn’t want to make myself bleed mostly because the taste of it would make me throw up and I was on day ten of no incidents.} But… I’d be alone? {I glanced at August through my lashes, eyes bright with worry and fear} I don’t want to be alone. {There was just something about not having the base of the coven that twisted fear in my belly, air catching in my throat. I knew Moreau would still be there but there was this feel of loss that came at the thought of cutting off the coven. My hand moved from my mouth to my throat as I continued to circle the man and his stool, nails tugging at the raised skin slightly and rubbing down to inadvertently expose the chunk of skin missing from my collarbone and the trickle of scars that continue down my chest and back. I settled at the smooth, dipped scar, rubbing it over and over again as I stared at the floor and thought of the options. I wasn’t necessarily ignoring the question asked about William, it was the thought at the back of my head that just wasn’t coming out my mouth.} I’d have to leave my position at the store, it’s the coven’s store. I’m not sure I could do that. I love it there, the garden, the books. The customers can trip down some stairs and have some sense knocked into them but I like the rest of it… If I gave that up you’d have to deal with me even more. {I offered a small smile, worry still obvious but I was trying.} You might get sick of me. {It was almost a question, would he get sick of me? Was this something that would turn into another fear filled relationship that left me behind? Fear gripped me, had me pressing my palm against my scar and stilling in place again before moving in another few slow circles around his stool}

August - (She is a mess of emotion, purple eyes sparkling with a hint of smoldering flame and fear. I’d asked a simple question, or at least I thought I had but with her reaction, you’d think I asked her to abandon her unborn child. For me, being alone is the most free I’d felt in a long time and I reveled in it. With no one but me and the random visit from Charley, each day passed smoothly with little drama or bullshit. Except of course from the old woman who can’t seem to let shit go. I run my life the way I want it and for the most part, I’d grown accustom to the company of my own shadow. The quiver in Phynix’s voice makes my jaw clench, feeling like a total prick for even suggesting she leave her coven. But how the hell was I supposed to know? This entire conversation was so far from up my alley, my muscles tensed with irritation. And something else. I grimace, rubbing my hand over the center of my chest, wishing like hell my sister was here. She’d be so much better at this shit than me. I didn’t work well with other people, women especially. I’d already learned that lesson before. I watch Phy pace the room, once again ignoring my question and instead going on about some store.) You won’t be alone. All you have to do is take two steps outside your door and you’ll be surrounded by people. And wouldn’t that be better than worrying about their approval of you or your child? The whole thing sounds like a crock of shit. And I’m already sick of you. It feels like I’ve already grown tits and an ass, for christ sake. (I chuff and grunt like some sort of disapproving baboon while swallowing down the rest of my drink. My shirt collar suddenly feels too tight so I yank on it, pulling it away from my neck so I can breathe. I take a deep breath and try to calm myself, knowing I’m far from sick of this girl.) I take that back. I’m not sick of you. I’m just not used to this kind of-- extended display of emotion. It’s been a long time. You’re not alone though. That I can promise you. I’m here. I can’t guarantee I’m always going to be happy about it because I’ve gone a long time alone but I’m here. If you need help, you can find me.

Phy - {I was halfway through a flinch, panic seizing at me at the thought of this man being tired of me already, when August changed his mind. I made a quiet, helpless sound and curled forward until my forehead rested against the thick muscle of his bicep. I breathed in then out, counting in 5 and out 4 to settle my heart. I was so fucking… responsive these days. Every little emotion felt like a punch to the heart, like it was the end of the world or an explosion of fireworks and happy. I was going to go crazy before my hormones settled for this fucking pregnancy. I was absently rubbing my cheek against August’s shirt, making a quiet, almost purr at the back of my throat.} It’s not the same, stepping outside into a crowd of random people. That’s still being alone. I talk and laugh and cry with these people. I don’t have to hide or pretend to be anything I’m not. You might not think it but I do hide what I am with strangers, I don’t push it in everyone’s faces. I did learn that witch hunts will happen, people will lash out to hurt what they think is evil… {My hand twitched up to my throat before I very deliberately forced my hand down to touch his arm, pressing at the thick vein of his forearm, muttering} People will crave what they find interesting. Try to take. {Clearing my throat I pulled back and smiled at the man} You’re stuck with me now.

[sevendayslater]

Soon

The streets are littered with people, each waving a banner, flag or some other prop in their hands. Every other week there seems to be some sort of celebration breaking out into the streets of the French Quarter and tonight is no different. Music blares from polished trumpets and shrill drums as a mass of people weave and dance their way down the dimly lit streets. Celebration and happiness fills the night air, ripe with the sweet scent of sugar and starch from the beignets being concocted down the street.

From my patio overlooking one of the busiest streets in the Quarter, I watch the people dance.

It’s been a few days since I’ve bothered leaving my house. The bar runs smoothly, with the help of Sarah and that...girl. I’m barely needed and that’s just fine, considering the heavy amount of bullshit in my hands.

Literally.

I sit back in my chair, sipping my freshly poured glass of bourbon while I stare at the wrinkled piece of parchment paper I’m holding. Black ink trickles down the white paper like fresh tears rolling down fair, flushed cheeks but the ominous words can still be read. The threat practically jumps from the paper.

One word. Four letters, presumably sealing my fate. “Soon.”

I know exactly where the note came from. I knew the moment I saw it dangling from my front door, held in place with the sharp tip of a rusted knife. The whole thing was quite unoriginal if you ask me. Scare tactics meant to make me roll over and submit.

Little did they know, or anyone know for that matter, it’s not in me to yield.

Like a moth to a flame, my attention is drawn to a shadow across the street. From my perch, I spot the outline of someone hidden within the shadows in the alley, watching me. I curl my hand around the base of my glass and bring it to my lips, my eyes never leaving the shadow even as the woman steps from darkness into the light.

A smirk curls onto my lips. Of course it’s her.

The old woman is unrelenting in her silly, predictable ways to try and convince me to fall to her knees. But like I told her before and I’ll tell her time and time again, I’m not for hire and I’m anyone’s toy. Her childlike threats and ploys are of no matter to me.

I sip my bourbon slowly, the alcohol burning its way down my throat while my eyes lock on hers. She stands and stares, a statue among the bustling crowd, until finally giving in and fading back into the shadows.

[sevendayslater]

@DameDeFeu_

[sevendayslater]

Gumbo

I was twisting my hair up onto the top of my head and securing it with a pen as I backed into the door of the bar, knocking the edge of the door with the heel of my boot to help open it up for me and my bags of groceries. I starting earlier today, Sarah needing me to cover for a short time while she went off and did this or that. I never really asked for the why’s I just gave a yes or no then showed up. For a bar that was going under or had been going under I always made a pretty penny when I worked. The few regulars I saw had started calling me their Fey charm, older generation nonsense that always brought a smile to my lips. Mentor sent his friends my way when I worked the bar, helped keep the place afloat so I could stay on and make the extra money. Today I was expecting my Mentor and a few of his friends to stop by for lunch so I waved Sarah on to do her errands and slipped into the very rarely used kitchen. Honestly, this could be a beautiful room but instead it had been left to disarray, it was saddening. I set the canvas bags on the most clean looking counter in the kitchen then started on actually cleaning the counters and what I’d need for today. With the door closed and the bar silent I was free to use a little bit more than just my hands to clean, let fire twist and shape around me until he was burning away the dust and age of the kitchen. It still took an hour and at the end of it I was tired, back beginning to hurt and the muscles over my belly cramping slightly as I breathed deep and moved slow. It’d been happening more often lately and the nausea had settled in my gut and just hadn’t left, I popped a piece of ginger and went on ignoring it though. I had gumbo to make, it wouldn’t be the best since it’d only have two hours to set but it’d be good enough. I set about making the roux, setting it to the side to simmer while I chopped vegetables and cooked down the meat. I had thick bread from the farmer’s market for grilled cheese sandwiches to go with the gumbo, and to snack on while nausea rolled through me. I rubbed at a cramp low on my stomach and steadied by breathing, taking breaks from the smells and going to check any customers in the bar before continuing cooking. It still hadn’t settled once everything was pulled together and set up in a large pot to simmer but the tightness and slight cramping in my stomach had eased enough that I wasn’t needing to grab fresh air or pop ginger like it was a drug. I took slow, even breaths as I made my way back out to the bar and found a stool to rest against as I chatted with the few regulars that had already come in for their noon whiskey. My hand continued to rub against my lower stomach, stroking the tight skin as I handled the bar and waited for my Mentor to come with his friends, laughing as the few customers asked about the smell of food. There were jokes made about the previous owner and her efforts in the kitchen, about witch’s brews, and moonshine but I brought out bowls of gumbo and thick bread for the few that were really curious and wanted to taste my witch’s brew. It was fun, easy. They paid for the food even though I didn’t ask and what was supposed to be an easy lunch became a loud meeting of the neighborhood workers on lunch break and a few neighborhood locals wondering what the racket was. By the time my Mentor and his friends came I had another pot of gumbo on the stove and a meat/veggie pie in the oven and Sarah was coming back wondering where all the people had come from. Between the two of us, we got everyone served and the kitchen cleaned back up again before I needed to leave for my shift at the Occult shop. I was tired by the time I pulled my coat on and left the bar, cramps tightening in my lower stomach again but the nausea was gone. I blew out a breath, cheeks puffing slightly as I do, and started my way across town to the store. The cool air helped the exhaustion that has sunk into my bones and the walk actually eased the tightness in my stomach but I still felt off, body not quite feeling like my own.