#p: pom

[rowan-yourboat]

Pieces of Me

Who: Rowan & Charlie When: Saturday, August 21st Where: Pawsome Animal Shelter What: Rowan shares a primordial part of her life with Charlie. All fluff and mishaps. Warnings: None

Rowan was all smiles as she made her way down the hallways of Erickson. It was still early, perhaps unfairly so, as the sun was barely peeking over the horizon, but she was a woman on a mission. At least once a month, she would make the short drive to the outskirts of Brighton, all so she could get to spend the whole day doing volunteer work at a local animal shelter. This time, though, she didn't fancy going alone, and an idea immediately popped into her head. She knew just the person to take along. Knocking twice on Charlie's door, she waited, a small smile still on her face.

Charlizard was having an intensely pleasant dream that involved Hollywood celebrities and deep pits filled with sharks when a persistent knocking noise pulled her from her slumber. Untangling herself from Morgan, she padded to the door in what could generously be called a tank top and opened it just wide enough to peek through the crack. "Row?" she rubbed her bleary eyes with one hand. "What's wrong? Building on fire? Please tell me the building is on fire."

Rowan chuckled at the, dare she call it, adorable sight. "No fires to report; thankfully. I'm here to ask you to go somewhere with me. If you don't have plans, of course." She was quick to amend, not wanting to come off as too pushy. They could barely be called friends, but Rowan had to come to accept that she truly enjoyed the blonde's company, even when said blonde did her best to push all of her buttons. "I know it's early and all, but I promise to make it worth your while."

Charlizard had to blink a few more times to make sure that she was awake and understanding Row properly, but once she'd digested the idea a sleepy smile tugged at her lips. "I'd like that." She didn't even ask what their destination was, something she would have done with just about anyone else. "Just give me five minutes to throw some clothes on and maybe run a brush through my hair. Want to give me any hints to help me decide what to wear for this trip?"

Rowan couldn't help but grin, going as far as to clap once in excitement. "Definitely comfy jeans and boots, stuff you don't mind getting dirty." It wasn't easy to keep herself from focusing too hard on the girl's sleepy smile, and the way the sight tugged at something within her. It was just the excitement, that was all.

Charlizard was struck, even in her sleepy state, by how much Row's excitement made her happy in turn. She was, however, far too tired to figure out just what that meant. "I'm not even going to make the super obvious joke. I'd invite you to wait in here, but Morgan's still asleep and she takes getting woken up even worse than I do." Grinning, she quietly closed the door and found some old clothes in her bottom drawer that weren't long for the world: blue jeans, a little too tight, paired with a button-up shirt that was a little too big. The boots were a sacrifice; not her favorite pair, but ones that made her look good that wouldn't break her heart if she had to throw them out later. Hair and teeth were done quickly, her blonde mane pulled back into a ponytail, and a few minutes later she opened the door with a much more awake look in her eyes. "Acceptable?"

Rowan raked her eyes up and down Charlie's body, taking in the simple, but somehow very flattering outfit. It was really not fair for someone to be that effortlessly attractive. "Not acceptable; gorgeous." She said, and meant it. "Let's get this show on the road, then. I'll stop by McD's to get something to eat. Least I can do after waking you up so early." Twenty minutes later and armed with coffee and breakfast sandwiches, they were well on their way to Brighton. "Question, do you have any animal allergies?"

Charlizard grinned deviously, even if the compliment had also brought a flush to her cheeks. "Look who's talking. At least you've had a chance to actually wake up - then again, I've seen you rumpled in the morning and that's actually better anyway." She perked up immediately at the thought of a breakfast sandwich and a coffee. "You've got yourself a deal." Row's truck was somehow both perfect and ridiculous, much like the girl herself, and a shockingly comfortable ride ensued. Her question took Charlie slightly by surprise, but she swallowed the bite of hashbrown she was working on and shook her head. "Not that I know of. I mean I haven't been around every animal, but I know cats and dogs are fine at least."

Rowan thanked her lucky stars silently. She should've had the good mind to ask first, but since deciding to invite Charlie along had been a spur of the moment kind of thing, there really had been no time. "Well, guess there's no time like the present to find out if you're allergic to chickens. And cows, goats, raccoons, horses; you catch my drift." Winking at the blonde, she took a bite of her sandwich and focused back on the road. It didn't take that long, twenty more minutes on the road and a colorful sign welcomed them to Brighton. Five more minutes of navigating rough terrain and the green truck pulled up into a ranch. "Welcome to Pawsome animal sanctuary.!"

Charlizard still hadn't stopped being undone by that wink, although now her curiosity was raging. There weren't a whole lot of places that one would meet chickens, and unless Row was secretly an urban farmer then it seemed unlikely that it was somewhere she owned. "I guess I will," she agreed with a melodic laugh, washing down the last of her breakfast with a swig of hot, black coffee. McD's actually made some decent brew these days, and her eyes were far wider than they had been when they left the school. She watched for signs, turning to shoot Row an impressed grin when they reached their destination. "An animal sanctuary? That's awesome!" She loved animals, much more than she did most people.

Rowan felt relief wash over her as Charlie's excitement. She had been a little worried that the blonde might not exactly be the type to get down and dirty; literally. "I come here at least once a month. Sometimes it's much easier to deal with animals than people." Reaching behind the seats, she pulled two beat-up trucker hats; shoved one on and passed one to the blonde. "It's feeding time, let's see who's more of an ass; you or the actual donkeys."

Charlizard nodded, knowing exactly what Row meant by that. The trucker hat was almost post-ironic, or meta, or something, but she rolled with it all the same and snorted at the pithy comment from the driver's seat. "I'm sure it'll be a close contest, but we do know that I'm much more fun to pet." It was her turn to wink playfully as she slid down out of the truck and felt the ground give under her feet, just a little. Witty repartee aside, she was more than ready to see some cute animals.

Rowan was even impressed herself when she managed to scramble up a tree in an attempt to escape sure death. Everything had been going well, Charlie took to what was pretty much the role of a farmhand rather well. They fed the donkeys and horses, made friends with the chickens, and even got a heavy dose of love from the herd of dogs as they ran around with them. So, yeah, everything was fine, until they had walked by the chicken coop and she was face to face with her one true enemy. "Charlie, stop laughing and shoo it away!" She screamed, squealing in fear a moment later as the untameable beast made to reach for her. Toto the turkey was out for blood, and Rowan had been wholly unprepared. "I swear I'm going to kill you if you don't help me, Fabray!"

Charlizard had never spent so much time around any animals that weren't plainly domestic, but everything from the donkeys to the dogs were fun to interact with and take care of. For a long while she wasn't thinking of anything but the animals and how cute Row looked in her trucker hat and jeans. It was even better than the bar, because she was casual and relaxed. Nothing, though, topped watching her run from a turkey and climb a tree. It was so hard to stop laughing that she didn't bother, doing her best instead to corral the animal even though she could barely breathe. "Don't worry, Row! I'll save you from the vicious beast!"

Rowan screeched once more, and the ruckus was enough to attract the attention of some of the other volunteers. Everyone knew of the hatred the animal displayed towards Rowan, even when all the other animals had taken to her immediately, and such a show wasn't too out of the ordinary. "I'm going to murder you, Fabray." She said, finally climbing down the tree once Toto was led away from the commotion. She was all pouts and quiet grumbling as she dusted herself off, giving the still cackling blonde a dirty look. "No one will find your body, I promise you."

Charlizard looked innocently at Rowan, gesturing back toward the pen. "I'm sorry," she wheezed through her laughter. "I really was trying to get him back where he belonged, but this is the first time I've ever seen a turkey that wasn't in a roasting pan!" She gathered herself and wiped the tears from her eyes. "I'm sorry I couldn't help. But you can murder me if it makes you feel better." Gesturing toward the turkey, Charlie raised an eyebrow. "What'd you ever do to him?"

Rowan rolled her eyes, though it was hard to keep playing the angry card when Charlie's smile was that stupidly cute. "Nothing. I never did a single thing to him, save for existing. That's enough reason for him to hate my guts." The sun was already beginning its descent west when Rowan looked up at the sky and making a split decision, she took Charlie's hand and pulled her towards the stables. There, a lone man brushed a horse diligently, humming to himself. "Hey, Gramps! Can we take Judge for a ride?" The older man scoffed, but there was affection crinkling the corners of his eyes. "Not without introducing me to this lovely, young lady here." Smiling sheepishly at her slip up, she pulled Charlie forward. "Charlie, this is Gramps, he takes care of the horses and is all around a badass. Gramps, this is Charlie, my friend."

Charlizard looked dubious, but since she had no reason to disbelieve Row's version of events there was no choice but to blame it on the turkey. "In that case, that turkey is a dick. And I'm not going to wish that he becomes thanksgiving dinner or anything, but I do hope he falls over when he's chasing you next time and knocks himself out for a while." She gave the turkey a dirty look, and she was sure she got one back. It wasn't until Rowan tugged her hand that she realized how sore she was after a day's work with the animals...and how little she minded that. "A ride?" she asked softly, looking at the horse and the man taking care of it. "It's nice meeting you," she smiled at him, wondering how long Row had known him.

Rowan smiling placidly at the interaction, Rowan squeezed Charlie's hand before going to press a kiss to the man's temple. "Alright, old man, we're gonna go before you charm my date away from me." Gesturing for Charlie to follow, they made their way to the very end of the barn where a huge, silverish horse with a black mane immediately stuck its head over the gate with a soft neigh in greeting. "Hey there, boy. I missed you." Rowan allowed the horse to nuzzle her hair, then fished a carrot from her pocket and fed it to the horse. She produced another snack, a small apple this time, and passed it to Charlie to give it to the horse. "This beautiful beast is Judge. He's a bit temperamental but his love is easily bought with food."

Charlizard gave Rowan's hand a squeeze in return, wishing the older man well as she was quickly led into the barn. And while she never would have admitted it aloud, the appearance of a giant horse's head over the stall made her jump just a little. It was impressive watching just how easily Row interacted with him, like she'd been born to take care of huge animals that towered over her, and Charlie was more than a little in awe. "It's been a while since I was around a horse," she confessed. "Do I just give him the whole thing, or...?" it was probably a silly concern wondering whether the horse would have trouble with the apple's core, but she still had to ask.

Rowan nodded. "Yup, just hold it out with your hand open and he'll take it." And so the horse did, taking the treat and munching happily, before sniffing and insistently nuzzling Charlie's head. "Told you, he might already be in love with you. Come on, let's go for a ride before going back." Saddling the horse was second nature for her, and once they were ready and out on the field, a thought popped into her head and she looked at the blonde curiously. "Wait, do you know how to ride?"

Charlizard looked from the horse to the apple and nodded. "Gotcha." She lifted her hand high enough for the horse to take the apple and giggled softly as the fruit disappeared from her hand quicker than she could blink. "Hungry boy, aren't you?" she smiled, laughing more loudly as the horse nuzzled her. "I'm sorry, buddy, that's all I've got right now. Next time I'll bring you a whole bag of apples or however many you're allowed to eat in a day." Row's country girl ways were increasingly impressive, and Charlie could only watch as the horse was quickly saddled and led outside. "It's...been a long time," she admitted. "Not since I was a kid. I think I remember the basics, but that's about it."

Rowan shrugged. "The basics are more than enough since we'll be riding together and all. Here, you get up first." Getting Charlie situated was quite the amusing travesty, Judge was simply an imposing animal, but after much laughter and teasing, the blonde was safely on the saddle. "Okay, scoot forward so I can get on." Once Charlie did, Rowan easily jumped on, settling comfortably against the blonde's back and taking the reigns. "Alright, let's go, boy." A little nudge of encouragement and the horse took off at a leisurely pace.

Charlizard knew that whatever riding experience was in her past, it wasn't on anything the size of Judge. Fortunately, the horse was large but not unpleasant, and was more than willing to stand there stoically while she was hoisted from behind by Row and finally got herself in the saddle without immediately falling off the other side; a miracle in itself. She scooted forward as requested, making sure not to fall off in the process, and leaned back a little against her companion's slim form. As the horse began to move she reached for the saddle, holding on with knuckles that were only a little bit white. "Good boy, Judge," she praised, looking around the property as they moved.

Rowan led them towards a stream, far away from the property and into the place where the trees became thicker. It was a beautiful place and exactly what she needed to destress from the constant push and pull of school. Keeping the reigns in one hand, she wrapped he other around Charlie's waist. Nuzzling her neck, she hummed. "Yes, I know you're sweaty; no, I don't care."

Charlizard was impressed by the scenery; unlike anything back home, or around the campus, it was quiet and serene in a way that normally left her with too many thoughts. With Row behind her, though, there was a sense of peace that actually let her mind rest a little. As a soft hand pulled her close, she found her natural objection cut off by Rowan's soft voice. "Hey, if you don't care then I don't care. I'm happy to get you all sweaty too."

Rowan smiled against Charlie's skin. "You really are perpetually horny, aren't you? Is it something in the water fountains at Erickson?" She teased, though her ministrations proved it was her -- yet again -- that was trying to start something they simply couldn't finish at the time. She wasn't that shameless. "In which case, it would explain why I hardly can keep my hands to myself around you."

Charlizard nodded, admitting that without any further argument. "I'm pretty sure it's just me, not the school itself...although you know, come to think of it there does seem to be a lot of sex going on in that place." Rowan's proximity definitely had an effect on her, and the admission that it was mutual made her smile as well. "If you want to use that as an excuse, I'm okay with it. Whatever keeps your hands on me is just fine."

Rowan 's eyes narrowed at the reply. There was something about it that just didn't sit well with her. Maybe she was to different from Charlie, but she couldn't help her next words. "In all seriousness, you shouldn't accept anyone wanting to be with you under dumb excuses. If someone wants to be with you it should be solely because of you, because they want you and aren't afraid of it."

Charlizard turned a little in the saddle, wanting to look at Row in answer to her being surprisingly sweet and protective. She laid a hand against her cheek, smiling. "I promise I'm good with the consent thing. And as much as it may seem like it sometimes, I don't take anyone into my bed just because they want to be there. They need to do better than that. Like you did." There weren't many people who'd worked their way into her life the way Row had.

Rowan resisted the urge to lean into the touch. It was too intimate, in a way their sexual encounters weren't. Still, she didn't pull away or flinched at the contact. The answer made the furrow of her brow smooth out, placated for the time being. "Like I did, uh?" She asked, back to their usual banter and teasing smirks. "And what exactly did I do to earn it, miss Fabray?"

Charlizard laughed softly at being called Miss - the only people who did that were usually school administrators giving her shit for one thing or another. "You dealt with me like a person," she explained plainly. "You deal with my bullshit and call me on it. Plus you have a really good slap," she finished with a grin. "I still have dreams about that slap, and they're exceptionally good dreams."

Rowan snorted. She should've expected Charlie to bring that up at some point. "You're such a masochist, but I have to admit, it was the first time I got a date out of slapping someone." She lead them across the stream and around the edges of the property, the time spent among their usual banter and endless teasing. It was only fair to admit, even if only to herself, that having Charlie like that, being able to be that close without it leading to sex, was nice. She felt good, without worries or ghosts of the past haunting her. Maybe, just maybe... "I think it's better we head back, they're gonna close soon."

Charlizard shrugged. "I mean, I'm not going to deny it. And as far as ways to get me on a date, that's always going to win the prize for the most unique one." The ride was fascinating for her. Charlie didn't do quiet. She was loud, and she kept her surroundings loud to match. Even if she was doing homework or doing something on the computer, then the tv was on or there was music, something that would keep her from getting too far into her own head. She didn't always like that. But this was nice, to just be there leaning into Row's arms and enjoying the moment. "I guess if we have to. We'll have to do this again sometime."

Rowan was all smiles as they walked out of the office and towards her truck, Charlie's hand firmly clasped in hers. Going to the shelter was always a guaranteed good time, made even better by the presence of Charlie. Unlocking the doors, she pushed the blonde against the passenger side, pressing her there with her body and looking a little insecure for the first time that day. "Did you really have a good time?"

Charlizard felt right, hand surrounded by Rowan's as they headed back toward the truck they'd arrived in. She was tired, certainly, as the day had been filled with hard work, but it was the rewarding kind and had meant both spending time with both cute animals and Row. Once she'd been backed up against the passenger side, Charlie met the question with a soft smile. "If there's one thing I'm not going to do, is lie to you. I had a great time, and I'm glad you brought me with you."

Rowan felt relief wash over her when she found no deceit in Charlie's eyes. Much to her dismay, she liked the blonde, she was starting to care about her, and though it was never part of the plan, she couldn't bring herself to regret it. Not when she had finally managed not to think about Jo the whole time they were together. "I am too.