Disclaimer: I do not own Tate Langdon, Moira, Violet Harmon or any other American Horror Story: Murder House characters mentioned.
~ Chapter 1 ~
It was a quiet night.
He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, reveling in the feeling of fresh air filling his lungs. There was a hint of saltiness that the wind carried off the ocean; it swept its way into his window and offered hardly comforting nostalgia. He could barely remember the last time he was at the beach—he didn't want to; neither the sound of her voice like ocean waves crashing against the shore, nor her eyes that sparkled brighter than the starlit sky that night. No, he did not wish to remember.
He had grown bitter.
The days of longing for a person to cherish and adore had long since passed. His heart was a dark and cold cave that he regressed deeper into with every sunrise, brooding over a past flame that had provided light, only to be doused by his own actions. He no longer wished to protect anyone from the evils of this world; he saw himself as evil incarnate. He did not wish for someone to love; he couldn't even be bothered to love himself. He hardly interacted with the other souls in the house (not that they were particularly favorable) and appeared angry and belligerent when spoken to. Eighteen years had hardened him, changed him. Not outwardly, no—he still wore the same baby face that no one would take seriously. He still hid the same tired brown eyes under the same shaggy blonde hair. On the inside, he felt a thousand years old, rusted and broken, as if he were left out in the rain and forgotten years ago. But he would never forget. He couldn't.
He sighed and opened his eyes, staring out the window of what felt like a prison. He envied the owners that had come and gone in the past years, how they could just pack their belongings and leave this wretched house whenever they desired. Over the years, there had been an elderly couple here, a young couple with a newborn there. They were all the same to him: alive and able to do all the things he had been denied.
He got up from the chair he had placed in front of the window and decided wandering the house for the night would be more productive than sitting there contemplating the past.
At first light, he caught a glimpse of the sun rising over the horizon. He huffed and walked past the kitchen window to get a drink of water from the faucet. The house was in a constant cycle of being bought and sold; the only thing he appreciated was that there was almost always running water. He loved the feeling of the cool liquid running down his throat or the occasional shower with scalding hot water running down his back. Neither was necessary, but the pleasures of his existence were few and far between—he took advantage of them when he could.
As he finished the last few sips from the half-broken glass he found in the cupboard, he glared at Moira, who walked in and sat at the table.
"You don't look particularly cheery today," she said as she wiped some of the dust off the tabletop.
"What's it to you?" Tate countered in a bored tone, turning away from her to look out the window. The birds had begun chirping, awakening the neighborhood to face another day.
"Tate, when are you going to let this hatred go? It happened so long ago. There are more important things in life than having someone to love."
"I don't want anyone to love, I'm through with that." Tate could hardly stand to listen to her so-called advice, she was only angering him.
"All I'm saying is, Violet has long since moved on, and I think that-"
Tate threw his glass to the floor, where it shattered into a million pieces, cutting off Moira's soft-spoken voice.
"I don't wanna fucking hear about Violet! We stopped talking a long time ago. We ignore each other. I don't know what's going on with her, and I'd like to keep it that way. I'm not bitter, I'm over it. I'm over her. What I have a problem dealing with are the stupid people who stay in this house who don't know when to mind their own god damn business." He walked out of the kitchen and up the stairs to an empty room. Pressing his hands to his eyes, he breathed heavily for a few moments, trying to recollect himself. He always did have a temper.
Moira sat alone at the table, feeling foolish for extending her help to someone so unappreciative. She sighed and looked out the window, seeing the birds taking flight and the sun getting brighter with every minute that passed. The sunrise had always inspired her, even after death. It was a chance for a new beginning, a fresh start to an unstained day. She smiled the smallest of smiles with hope in her eyes, and thought to herself: Maybe things will start looking up today.
A few hours later, Tate was walking the perimeter of the house. It was one of the few things that calmed his anger, feeling the breeze on his face and feeling the soft green grass on his bare feet. Did it make him happy? No, rarely anything did anymore. But it calmed him like nothing else. As he continued his walk, he noticed a car drive slowly up to the house and eventually stop. His entire existence had seemed hazy for some time, so he was unaware of the notion that a new family might be moving into the house. The only person who really put up with him was Moira, and there was no way he could ask her about the on-goings of the house, not after how he treated her that morning. He did not wish for company, but digging through the possessions of the owners was among the main activities he did to keep himself occupied. Maybe they have board games, he thought to himself, maybe even videotapes and CDs. He kept his focus on the vehicle, and watched as a man, a woman and two adolescents got out. Typical family he thought cynically. He saw a moving truck coming down the road and his heartbeat accelerated a bit as it stopped behind the family's car. He eyed the truck and saw countless boxes and containers that were nearly spilling out. There was finally something for him to focus on, other than his less than ideal past. He smiled the smallest of smiles with hope in his eyes, and thought to himself: Maybe things will start looking up today.
