lonewolved

[lonewolved]

no going outside? now that he has someone to bring him back to himself, it's much safer for him to go charging through the woods. as long as she's there to correct him, he shouldn't... kill. it's worked out for them so far! but even while logically he could see why letting something large and furry out in the rain and mud may not be the best course of action, wolf brain wants to run. groaning, seth's ears droop. at least he's capable of following basic instructions.

                    right   .   he   can't   speak   in   this   form   ,   even   if   he   does   understand   her   .   she   reaches   to   carefully   cradle   his   snout   between   her   palms   .   lowering   his   head   to   meet   her   eyes   .   "   no   going   outside   .   we're   staying   in   tonight   .   "   long   past   the   stage   of   him   being   wary   of   suni   while   changed   ,   she   tries   to   gently   walk   him   back   towards   the   living   room   .   "   sit   right   here   and   don't   move   ,   i'll   be   right   back   with   some   supplies   .   "   booping   the   tip   of   his   nose   for   good   measure   ,   she   dashes   off   to   retrieve   everything   needed   for   spa   night   .

[lonewolved]

unfortunately, whether or not the night is clear has nothing to do with whether he changes or not. rain or shine, he doesn't have a choice in the matter. tonight, it's more rain than shine. normally that doesn't stop him, but being large even by human means, it's no surprise that suni manages to squeeze in front of the door first. he would have to squeeze through it. making a frustrated noise in the back of his throat, seth leans back on his haunches. a what now?

                    "   wait   ,   wait   ,   wait   !   "   she   has   to   jog   to   catch   up   to   seth   in   his   shifted   form   but   manages   to   narrowly   beat   him   to   the   backdoor   . physically blocking him from exiting out into the yard .   it's   horribly   stormy   weather   out   today   and   they'd   spent   far   too   long   tidying   up   after   babysitting   ,   to   let   it   be   ruined   by   what   he'd   track   back   in   from   the   elements   .   "   baby   ,   it's   too   ugly   outside   for   you   to   be   out   there   .   how   about   we   stay   inside   tonight   ?   we   can   do   a   spa   night instead   !   " @lonewolved

[lonewolved]

"i never said i did! but i still haven't had nine parkin' tickets, neither." most of that is because the roads where he speeds are long and lonely, unsupervised even by police. by contrast, in her much busier way of life... it's only natural that she would get pulled over more often. he doesn't say that, though. he's too busy trying to work out the logistics of taking an expensive vacation right after an expensive purchase. she really is from a different world. it doesn't help that seth isn't keen on the ocean, either. but he is a man, and that makes him weak—of course all sunisa has to do is turn on the charm for him to change his tune. "i mean, i know i'm not the strongest swimmer... but i wouldn't want your new yacht to go to waste." Letting his hands fall a little further, he ventures, "maybe we should christen the truck, too."

                    "   oh   ,   don't   pretend   that   you   always   follow   the   speed   limit   !   like   you   didn't   try   racing   that   ugly   honda   civic   right   off   the   road   after   it   cut   you   off.   "   perks   of   seth   being   partly   skyscraper    ━━    she's   able   to   let   her   legs   dangle   carefree   and   without   the   worry   of   being   dropped   like   a   sack   of   bricks.   suni   rearranges   her   arms   to   loop   more   securely   around   his   shoulders   and   drop   her   chin   to   rest   there   as   well.   "   i   want   a   date   weekend   !   let's   fly   back   out   to   the   vacation   home   on   thursday   and   stay   until   sunday.   we'll   do   brunch   at   hotel   bel-air   and   dinner   reservations   at   atelier   crenn.   then   we'll   fill   the   in-between   time   with   whatever   nonsense   we   like.   "   is   the   given   pre-meditated   response   ,   as   she's   tucked   into   the   passenger   side.   though   before   seth's   gets   a   chance   to   move   to   his   spot   ,   she   hooks   her   legs   around   his   waist   ━━   trapping   him   against   her   own   body.   "   i   know   you   and   the   ocean   don't   blend   well   ,   but   what   are   your   thoughts   on   christening   the   brand   new   yacht   ,   i   was   so   generously   gifted   ?   

[lonewolved]

the drive home is silent and tense. if not between him and suni, then between him and his problem. trying to go without—to be normal—apart from throwing his secret out into the open air has left him hungry and weak. the longer he stares at the jugs between his feet, the sicker he feels. he feels drool pooling into his mouth no matter how hard he tries to swallow it, feels sweat bead on his palms. he's so focused on keeping still, faced screwed up in pain, that he doesn't take the time to consider how rejecting he's being. it catches him off guard when they get home, and before he can get it together to voice an apology, suni is stalking away into the apartment. so much for winning her over. is she starting to regret that choice? seth can't think about it right now. he has other things to take care of and just has to try, for once in his life, to have faith in someone else. he drains half of one of his jugs before he can force himself to stop, using the hose and his ruined, grimy shirt to clean himself off when he's done. it helps, as horrible as it makes him feel. he feels clearer in his head, less... defeated. after carrying in and putting away their haul, he takes a minute to rinse out his mouth in the kitchen sink. just in case. by the time he crawls in to bed beside her, it's been long enough for dread to creep back in. no need. when she does speak, it's clear that her frustration has passed. in his relief, it's never been easier to pull her into his arms. "who ever said you're not useful?" he asked, teasing.

                      she   fights   every   urge   to   protest   against   him   soloing   ,   their   little   pit   stop.   even   has   to   bite   the   inside   of   her   cheek   ,   to   keep   from   voicing   her   disagreement.   so   instead   ,   suni   waits   patiently   for   seth   to   return   back   to   the   car.   "   yeah   ,   i'm   ready.   "   is   the   put   out   response   given   back   to   him   ,   while   starting   the   engine   back   up.   reasonably   ,   she   understands   that   he   probably   isn't   ready   for   her   to   tag   along.   not   for   tight   now   ,   at   least.   still   though   ━━   it   leaves   suni   feeling   utterly   useless.   a   feeling   that   she   absolutely   hates.

                          "   i   meant   it   when   i   said   it   wouldn't   bother   me   ,   you   know.   "   it's   the   first   that   she   speaks   up   ,   since   leaving   the   butcher   shop.   "   let   me   guess   ,   you   don't   want   my   help   carrying   anything   up   into   the   apartment   either.   i'll   see   you   inside   ,   i   guess.   "   is   it   fair   to   lash   out   at   seth   ?   no   ,   but   after   hours   of   trying   to   convince   him   that   she's   indifferent   to   the   new   development   ━━   it   feels   like   a   losing   battle.

                          it's   a   beeline   to   the   bed   ,   the   moment   she   steps   inside.   figuring   a   shower   can   wait   until   she's   caught   up   on   sleep   ,   she   falls   face-first   onto   the   bed.   and   just   like   magic   ,   almost   all   of   the   previous   frustration   melts   away.   especially   as   she   feels   seth   crawl   in   ,   alongside   her. even as she props herself up , to look over at him.   "   so   do   i   at   least   still   get   cuddles   or   am   i   not   useful   enough   for   those   ,   either   ?   "

[lonewolved]

"havin' 'em wiped off your record don't mean y'didn't get 'em in the first place," he snorts, shaking his head. he doesn't even budge when she shoves him. that's typical, though. if he had guessed her moves beforehand, he would have stumbled a little to help her ego. as it turns out, there's no need—she takes the first opportunity she gets to leap onto his back like an angry sloth. about as dangerous as one, too. basically carrying her back to the truth, he says, "i do love you. why else would i let y'ride on my back all the damn time?" after a pause for him to chuckle flusteredly, he adds, "what d'ya want me to do first, then?"

                    "   hey   !   it   was   only   my   ninth   speeding   ticket   and   half   of   them   ,   i   was   able   to   get   removed   from   my   record   !   "   suni   gives   him   as   forceful   as   a   shove   ,   that   she's   able   to.   which   ,   frankly   ,   isn't   much.   especially   compared   to   seth's   supernatural   state   of   being.   so   instead   ,   she   hops   up   to   wrangle   him   into   a   headlock.   "   i   can't   believe   you'd   pull   that   on   me   !   and   you   say   that   you   love   me   ,   yeah   fucking   right   !   you   don't   get   the   option   of   agreeing   or   not   ,   anymore.   now   you're   stuck   being   my   little   minion   all   night.   "      

[lonewolved]

seth's brows shoot up in surprise. "mine?" he balks at the idea, especially compared to... well, her own antics. sure, he didn't grow up with a formal driving education, but that doesn't mean he doesn't know his way around a truck! "my drivin' scares you? honey, when i met you, you was on your... what, twentieth speeding ticket?" it's all in good nature, of course. he isn't going to be the one that tries to control how she drives! taking her hand, he agrees, "oh, i s'pose i can do that. just for you."

                    "   seth   ,   respectfully   and   lovingly   ,   your   driving   horrifies   me.   "   she   sends   the   favorite   of   their   pictures   to   his   phone   as   she   speaks.   "   set   that   as   your   screensaver   ,   so   we   can   match.   and   maybe   if   you   promise   not   to   flip   us   over   into   a   ditch   ,   i   guess   ,   i'll   sit   with   you.   oh   ,   and   !   you   have   to   use   one   of   the   bath   bombs   with   me   ,   once   we   get   home.   "   demands   laid   out   ,   suni   extends   a   hand   for   seth   to   take.   "   now   hold   my   hand   ,   while   we   walk   back   to   the   truck.   please.   "   

[lonewolved]

seth grits his teeth and tries to fight the urge to take a swing at them. is it really so difficult for them to not be obnoxious for a moment? just one? they're not even far from the shop. "y'can wait until we get there. we're not even ten minutes out. starvin' takes longer than that."

                      "   some   peace   and   quiet   ,   bleh   blah   bleh.   what   kinda   weirdo   likes   'ta   sit   in   the   quiet   ?   especially   while   drivin'   and   with   a   passenger   !?   you're   a   fuckin'   weird   one   ,   doherty.   "   rion   takes   to   staring   languidly   out   of   the   window   ,   utterly   bored   out   of   their   mind.   "   can   i   at   least   eat   somethin'   in   your   precious   truck   ?   or   am   i   supposed   to   starve   ?   "   

[lonewolved]

"you are," he agrees, weakly but with some humor to him. she is, of course, always right—doubting her has never led him in the right direction. "don't worry, i'll... i won't be long." seth is still trying to get used to the idea that everything is going to be okay. it will be a little longer before he can find it in himself to share in the worst of his chores. to his credit, he isn't long. first he hauls a large crate out and loads it into the back. then, he comes around to the passenger side with two large cartons of a thick, red liquid. setting them down between his feet, he tries not to seem as fragile as he feels. "ready t'go home?"

                      "   i'm   always   right   ,   dork.   "   pressing   a   quick   kiss   to   his   lips   ,   she   beams   from   ear   to   ear.   that   falters   only   slightly   ,   at   his   request   to   solo   the   butcher   shop.   in   which   suni   needs   to   remind   herself   ,   they're   taking   baby   steps   and   he   probably   needs   a   bit   of   space.   "   i   don't   mind   ,   no.   are   you   sure   that   you   don't   want   me   to   go   in   with   you   ,   though   ?   it   isn't   any   problem   for   me   if   that's   what   you're   worried   about. "   

[lonewolved]

it's a little too satisfying to see that his outburst has an effect on ize... but at least he's capable of reeling himself back in. "just shup up," he snaps, continuing on toward the shop. "some peace an' quiet'll do you good." and with his whole entire heart, seth believes that. has there ever been a moment in his life where ize didn't feel the need to fill the silence? time to learn that it's okay to leave it be!

                      they  at  least  look  partially  taken  aback  by  how  seth  lashes  out.  even  if  he  couldn't  give  any  less  of  a  fuck  ,  about  how  the  other  felt.  "  s'alright  ,  mate.  i  don't  mind  if  'ya  hate  me  !  it's  my  job  as  your  girly's  bestie  ,  ta'  piss  'ya  the  hell  off  !  just  means  that  i'm  doin'  a  fantastic  way  ,  about  it.  "  reclining  back  into  the  seat  ,  rion  sighs  dramatically  as  they  settle  into  the  ride.  "  you're  a  real  bit  of  work  ,  y'know.  what  if  i  had  to  make  an  important  phone  call  or  send  a  text  ,  ah  ?  how  would  you  sleep  with  that  all  on  your  conscience  ? "

[lonewolved]

one time too many. that may be true for her, but where he comes from... until it's physically unable to work, they keep it moving as best they can. his philosophy hasn't changed much, even as financially secure as he is with her. "anything you want, baby," he says, crouching so that she can, in her opinion, get at her best angles. seth thinks that every angle is perfect for her, but can acknowledge that he's a little biased in that respect. "'course i'm ready. y'sure y'don't wanna come with?"

                    "  and  it  was  one  time  ,  too  many  !  "  all  in  good  nature  ,  suni  leans  up  to  press  a  kiss  to  seth's  cheek  ,  even  as  she  continues  to  poke  fun  at  him.  "  since  we  haven't  got  my  whole  setup  ,  it'll  have  to  be  just  selfies.  crouch  down  though  ,  so  i  can  still  get  my  good  angle.  "  true  to  her  word  ,  suni  takes  just  a  few  different  pictures  of  them.  and  once  satisfied  with  all  of  them  ,  she  nudges  seth  back  towards  the  truck.  "  okay  !  are  you  ready  to  go  and  play  with  your  new  truck  ?  don't  go  and  be  at  it  all  evening  though.  i  want  to  stop  at  the  natural  grocer's  on  our  way  home  since somebody  ate  the  last  pear.  the  one  i  was  saving  for  later  ,  might  i  add.  "

[lonewolved]

there isn't a single thing he could do to deserve her, seth realizes. not once, not a thousand times—for as long as he lives, there's nothing he can do to earn the kindness, the patience, the understanding that she offers him. "you're right," he says, probably for the millionth time, as they pull up at the store. if there's anything in the world that will test her resolve... swallowing, he steels himself ( even if he shouldn't expect the worst ) and unbuckles his seat belt. "i'll go in. mind keepin' th'car warm for me?"

                      "  don't  say  that  about  yourself,  "  she  punctuates  the  demand  with  a  mildly  violent  tug  to  his  cheek.  "  you  aren't  dumb  ,  seth  ━━  what  you  are  is  hard  headed  as  hell  ,  but  i  still  love  you  for  it.  and  you're  welcome  ,  baby.  someone  has  to  be  the  level  headed  one  between  the  pair  of  us  and  i'm  more  than  accepting  of  the  role.  "  having  reached  their  destination  ,  she  cuts  the  engine.  turning  to  face  him  properly,  suni  holds  his  face  between  her  hands. "  again  ,  there  isn't  anything  that'll  have  me  packing  my  things  and  leaving  you.  so  stop  acting  like  i'm  planning  on  it  ,  alright.  let's  grab  what  you  need  from  here  and  get  back  to  cuddling  in  bed  ,  binging  the  fast  and  furious  franchise  "

[lonewolved]

seth draws in a deep breath through his nose and lets it hiss out between his teeth. everything she says makes perfect sense. it's a level of understanding he wouldn't expect from anyone, but here she is offering it to him. wouldn't it be more foolish to shove it away? "thank you," he mumbles, finally daring to look at her. does he deserve her? certainly not. maybe that doesn't matter. "i really needed to hear that." cracking a hint of a smile, this time for real, he adds, "I'm just too dumb t'ask for it."

                       "  i'm  not  mad  ,  seth.  the  truth  would  have  been  nice  to  know  from  the  start  ,  yes.  but  i  understand  why  you  weren't  upfront  about  being  a  werewolf  ,  to  begin  with.  it's  not  a  conversation  starter.  "  she  splits  attention  equally  between  him  ,  the  directions  and  the  road.  what's  past  is  past  and  she  doesn't  see  the  point  in  continuously  revisiting  it.  "  i  trust  you  because  i  know  ,  there  isn't  anything  you  wouldn't  do  for  me.  all  these  years  of  being  together,  you've  never  once  hurt  me.  and  you've  been  a  werewolf  the  entire  time.  why  would  me  finally  knowing  change  any  of  that  ?  you  were  surviving  ,  baby.  and  i'd  never  hate  you  for  that.  " 

[lonewolved]

"because i do hate you, damn it!" he snaps before he can stop himself, pausing afterwards to sigh. "i don't mean that, i'm sorry. i don't hate you. you just piss me the hell off, is all." seth tucks the charging chord beside him in the door, giving ize a sharp look. as the truck roars to life, he pulls out onto the road. "y'can charge your phone in the tow truck."

                       "  damn  ,  friend.  why  so  much  animosity  ?  you're  the  one  that  volunteered  to  take  me  home.  if  ya'  didn't  want  to  ,  you  coulda'  said  no.  "  squinting  challenging  over  to  him  ,  they  move  to  reach  for  the  cord.  "  no  need  to  be  so  snappy.  play  whatever  music  ya'  like  ━━  i  just  need  the  charge.  you're  actin'  like  you  hate  me  or  something  ,  doherty.  un  wad  the  panties  from  your  ass  and  drive  ,  already.  " 

[lonewolved]

seth's face falls as she rightly calls his bluff. his intention has been to placate her until he can mean it, but clearly that's not fooling anyone. "i'm sorry," he says━and means it, too. "i want to believe it," he continues, barely above a whisper. for a long moment, he doesn't say anything else and busies himself with pulling up directions to the shop. but not saying it hurts even worse than forcing it out. "i just don't understand how you can look me me... an' know everythin' i've done... an' still... trust me." he doesn't think he would trust himself! "i lied to you." he wants to take it back, but he can't. "aren't you mad?"

                       "  you  keep  agreeing  it  won't.  but  you  don't  even  believe  it  ,  baby.  this  entire  time  you've  been  shutting  me  out  ,  giving  me  forced  smiles  ━━  you'll  hardly  meet  my  eyes.  it's  so  unlike  you  and  i  hate  it.  it  still  feels  like  you  think  i'll  disappear  ,  why  don't  you  understand  how  genuine  i  am  about  staying  ?  "  debating  this  feels  like  an  uphill  battle  ,  with  seth.  "  anyways  ,  direct  me  to  where  we're  headed  ,  would  you  ?  and  try  smiling  fully  ,  it  always  makes  your  eyes  light  up  all  endearingly.  " 

[lonewolved]

seth's temper rises second by second watching them dig through his things without hesitation. by the time ize grabs the charger, he's hit his boiling point. arm snapping over, he yanks the cord right out of the vehicle and throws it in the back. "my truck," he starts, growling; "my music. if y'can't wait t'use it until we get you dropped off, then y'should've had it charged earlier." nicer. good gods, by the way they behave he's been saintly until now.

                       "  right  ,  then.  and  where's  your  charger  ,  my  phone's  on  it's  last  five  precent.  "  crossing  yet  another  boundary  ,  rion  helps  himself  to  rummage  through  both  glove  and  console  compartments  ,  in  the  hopes  of  locating  a  charger.  "  gotta  give  'ya  credit  ,  bud  ━━  this  is  a  real  nice  truck.  real  spacious  too  ,  you  sure  know  how  to  pick  'em.  "  mission  success  !  cable  secured  ,  they  connect  their  phone  and  by  default  the  absolutely  wicked  ,  stereo  system.  "  y'know  ,  some  of  those  hearts  will  be  goin'  down  your  gullet.  you  could  stand  to  be  a  bit  nicer.  " 

[lonewolved]

somehow, seth manages to keep his temper on a short leash. ize doesn't get any more than a dirty look as he ruffles his hair, nor any exasperated backtalk when rushing him out to his truck. obviously, the little bitch just wants to order someone around. it's like the second there aren't any employees around to take lip, they'll turn on the person nearest to them. "yeah, yeah, we'll stop by the shop. you can drive 'er on home from there." the tow truck, that is.

                       "  thanks  ,  buddy  !  eat  your  heart  out  while  i  finish  up  ,  we'll  be  outta  here  in  a  solid  twenty.  "  always  the  one  to  over  step  a  boundary  ━━  they  reach  out  to  violently  ruffle  his  hair  ,  before  sprinting  off  in  the  opposite  direction.  and  true  to  their  word  ,  they're  stood  and  waiting  for  seth  at  the  front  door.  "  let's  go  ,  doherty.  m'ready  to  be  at  home  and  a  menace  to  my  cats.  be  sure  to  grab  all  your  groceries  too  ,  i  don't  want  any  messages  beggin'  me  to  come  n'  pick  up  forgotten  stuff.  "  not  that  he's  any  help  in  carrying  any  of  his  purchases  out  the  door.  no  ,  instead  they  usher  for  him  to  speed  it  up.  once  locked  up  and  secure  ,  rion's  stepping  away  from  the  shop  and  to  the  passenger  side  of  the  truck.  "  might  as  well  stop  by  your  shop  ,  yeah.  sooner  i  get  the  tow  truck  ,  sooner  i  can  be  back  from  that  errand.  "

[lonewolved]

"hey, that truck only broke down the one time!" he protests, but all in good humor. yeah, yeah... it had been a piece of junk by then. had been for a long time. it was about time that he got a replacement. "but i did, too," he agrees, squeezing her against his chest. how could he do anything but smile when she's with him? "an' you can take all the pictures you want, sweet heart. you know i won't ruin your fun."

                    no sooner does he find his way over , she reaches to wrap him in an embrace. " this is fun , i missed going on drives together. without the fear of being stranded wherever we drove out to , that is. " she's still got every intention of letting seth have his fun with the new truck , especially considering she's equally excited. but it's of utmost importance that they take advantage of what remains of natural light. " i just want a couple of nice pictures before we start your monster truck jam. and you'd better be smiling in all of them. "