Well, I finally came up with an idea for a multi-chaptered fic and I've gotta admit, I'm proud of it.
Flower
The sun was an angry hot ball, glaring down at the roofless car decorated with dust and chipped paint. It was speeding down a deserted road straddled by an endless wasteland. Sand and cacti covered the terrain and seemed to be the car's only company. The air was as thick as honey and made breathing uncomfortable.
Long auburn hair whipped through the wind as Nadie slid on a pair of sunglasses, only to remove them a moment later and extend her arm, placing them on Ellis instead. With a nod of thanks, Ellis lowered the hand she'd been using to shield her eyes.
"Hey Nadie, how long have we been married?" Ellis asked.
"Uh, Ellis, we never got married," Nadie said, squinting her eyes in both confusion and discomfort. The sun was so bright.
"But we spend every day with each other and married couples do that. People even say we bicker like we're married. So, why not?" she reasoned.
Shaking her head, so used to Ellis' eccentric questions, Nadie decided to play along. "Okay, let's say we've been married for two years. How come?"
"I was thinking of having a baby."
Nadie slammed her foot on the brake, black claw swipes marking the road as the tyres skidded across it, spinning the beaten up vehicle in a semicircle with a loud screech. Ellis rocked forward in her seat, recently trimmed blonde hair bouncing wildly, her expression remaining solemn.
"What?" Nadie cried frantically, gaping at the girl.
As calm as ever, Ellis smiled, like what she'd said wasn't a serious, life-altering, disastrous, horrible, decision.
"A-a baby? With who?" Nadie stammered.
"You, silly."
'I shoulda known,' Nadie thought blankly, slumping back into her seat, muttering, "You do realise I'm a girl, right? I can't really get you pregnant."
"Then we can adopt. Do you want a boy or a girl?"
"Neither."
"A childless marriage sounds a little sad," Ellis remarked, her eyebrows furrowing under the lenses of Nadie's sunglasses.
"Life's a bitch," Nadie grumbled, starting the engine and turning the car around.
They drove on.
"Maybe we can have Lirio," Ellis suggested.
"While we're at it, let's steal other kids, too. We can have a farm and be the mothers of an army," Nadie plotted sarcastically.
"Not until we consummate the marriage."
Nadie almost crashed into a cactus as Ellis said this, choking on her own shock, but luckily she regained her control over the car and steadied it. She cursed Ellis for her oblivious vulgarity and tried to ignore the blazing heat in her cheeks.
She accelerated, hoping the wind would cool her down, while the cause of her dismay hummed in thought next to her.
"Nadie," Ellis called. "What does consummate mean?"
"Oh, boy," Nadie sighed, slamming her head against the horn helplessly. Ellis grabbed the wheel and kept the car on the road, while the horn roared across the land.
On this blazing day, Nadie and Ellis agreed to take a break to fill their gas tank and their stomachs. With Amigo Tacos' theme song leaving Ellis' lips, Nadie knew where she would want to eat and shook her head. That song would haunt them both more persistently than L.A. had.
Choosing to sit outside, Ellis picked a table close to the door so she could watch Nadie go in and order. Peering through the glass, she noticed how easily the ex bounty hunter made people smile. She had a gun strapped to her thigh, maybe even a reputation for her shooting accuracy and combat skills, yet her aura wasn't intimidating. Some people saw her as foolish, others charming, but either way, she exerted a warmth that no one escaped.
Ellis loved her a lot. As she met more people, formed new attachments, she was able to discern the different types of love. There was platonic, familial and something else. The one Ellis was most unsure of was the love she felt for Nadie. That was the something else. It wasn't the same as her feelings towards Doctor Schneider or Lirio or anyone. It was only Nadie that caused the specific stirrings deep within her heart.
The woman plaguing her thoughts approached with a few tacos and some fries on a tray and grinned. Ellis eagerly grabbed a taco and started to eat it. There was no special ingredient the chef used to make the recipe unique, which was disappointing, but any food was satisfying when you were hungry enough.
Nadie sipped her drink and quickly ripped it back, pulling a disgruntled face and then stood up. She stormed back into the store, ranting about how she'd been given the wrong drink. Ellis giggled and continued eating, but a shout from across the road caught her attention.
"Get out of here, you mangy mutt!" a shop clerk yelled, kicking the butt of a small puppy. It yelped, tail between its legs, as it ran into an alley beside the meat shop it had been sniffing around in. Ellis watched as it limped into a box, probably too weak to go much further.
The witch left her seat and crossed the road, walking up to the box. A small growl emitted as she crouched in front of it, looking under the flap to see the pup shoving itself into the corner, its hackles rising in warning. She smiled and placed her taco by the opening, then stood back up and returned to a fuming Nadie.
"That bozo, he charged me for another drink even though he gave me the wrong one in the first place!" She aggressively stuffed a handful of fries into her mouth, scowling through the glass window at the manager, who waved mockingly. Ellis was about to distract the woman so she wouldn't get in trouble, but a quiet whimper came from below her and she glanced down, finding the puppy she'd given the taco to now staring up at her with wide blue eyes.
Since Nadie wasn't paying attention, Ellis gave the animal another taco and a handful of fries. She then took the lid off her drink and placed it on the ground. It feverishly lapped at the beverage, so thirsty that when some dropped onto the concrete, it tried to lick it from the grit. Ellis had seen so many homeless dogs wandering about the towns she and Nadie passed through, but none as thin and young as this. Most of the pups probably died from starvation or dehydration and this little fellow looked like he was on the brink of death himself. A piece of one of his floppy ears was missing and his fur was filthy. He was smudged with black markings, maybe oil.
"Hey Ellis, who's your friend?" Nadie asked, finally giving up on shooting the manager dirty looks.
"Blue..." she murmured, leaning over to better inspect the dog's eyes. It was now watching her expectantly, waiting for more food. Ellis reached out for it.
"Watch it, he's a stray. He might bite," Nadie cautioned, but once Ellis' hand was close enough, the pup pounced on it, licking it frantically, tail swinging.
At ease, Nadie tried to stroke him as well, but he snapped at her and jumped onto Ellis' lap. His paws left dirt marks on her dress, but she didn't care.
"Of course, I forgot; everything that loves you hates me," Nadie grumbled, picking up the only taco Ellis didn't feed to the dog and took a bite.
"Can we keep him?" Ellis asked, fingering jutting ribs worriedly.
"It's probably diseased," Nadie said, earning a growl.
"He is not an 'it'," Ellis replied sharply. Nadie paused and looked between Ellis' firm gaze and the hopeful blue eyes of the pup.
"I hate being the bad guy, Ellis... We can't afford to keep him, I'm sorry."
"Okay..." Ellis stood up miserably, puppy in arms, and carried him back over to his box. She lowered him to the ground and then started to go back to Nadie, but the bumbling mutt was at her feet, tripping over her shoes, and whining as he lay on his back, thrashing playfully. She stepped over him and joined Nadie again, who watched the pathetic animal sadly.
"Come on, let's get going," she said, resting her hand on the dip of Ellis' back after she got up and started to leave the table. The dog yapped and chased the two as they went back to the car. He tried to climb in with them, but Ellis pushed him away, apologising.
As they drove to the gas station, the puppy's cries could be heard in the distance. Ellis twisted around, watching as he attempted to keep up with the vehicle, but he quickly sunk into the horizon.
Nadie pulled up next to a fuel dispenser and asked Ellis to pump the gas. When she was done, Nadie went inside the station to pay.
The ex bounty hunter exited and frowned when she saw Ellis' forlorn expression.
"Whenever we settle down, we'll get a dog, okay?" Nadie promised as she slid in beside the witch. Ellis nodded, still peering the way they'd come. Deciding it was best to move on, Nadie started the engine and eased away from the gas station.
The sun was finally setting and since today was food and gas day, they'd have to camp out. Nadie didn't mind, but she preferred not having to wake up at every snap of a twig or rustle of a bush. She was trying to be less alert, but so many years of being a bounty hunter had left her attentive and constantly on edge.
She heard a whimper.
"Don't cry, Ellis. Please," she begged, turning to comfort her friend, only to find Ellis looking perfectly fine. She didn't even seem to notice the sound. Nadie heard it again and Ellis tried to appear even more oblivious. Catching on, Nadie narrowed her eyes.
"You didn't..." she said accusingly as a bark came from the backseat.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Ellis replied elusively, even as a bundle of black and white and grey fluff leapt from the backseat and onto her lap. "Oh! Where'd he come from?" she questioned with painfully feigned surprise. Nadie slapped a hand against her forehead.
"We're not going back."
"I guess we have to keep him then," Ellis relented with a fake sigh of irritation, but her delight was obvious as she grinned and hugged the puppy.
"Fine, but when we find a place with water, he's taking a bath."
"Yes, sir!"
"Bark!" the dog disagreed.
Interested in seeing where this goes?