A second chapter? Well... *awkwardly runs hand through hair* Yeah. I love this plot and couldn't stay away. I might (*might*) have another chapter somewhere along the road. Maybe not. It depends on the reviews, as always.
Disclaimer: Not mine
Spoilers: Beautiful Creatures...most likely
Lena flinched as lightning split the sky. Tears streamed down her cheeks. It was stupid. It was childish, especially after the last storm. Her uncle had changed the room's Binds when she wasn't occupying it. She couldn't *hear* it, but somehow that made it worse. Before, she could at least prepare for the thunder. She could focus on the pounding rain. It was silent now, except for her uneven breathing and half-hearted sobs. The room shook with the force of the thunder. She trembled in her bed, her hands twisting the sheets tightly.
She was driven out of her mind, second guessing every possible solution. Mainly though, one answer. She wanted to call Macon. She wanted him to make this go away like he had last time. However, she knew he was gone for the day. She also remembered how he looked last month. It was foggy at best, but she knew it wasn't how he usually acted. Acted? His demeanor wouldn't allow him that, of all things. She closed her eyes, silently wishing for him to come back by some miracle.
Macon rubbed his face roughly with his palm, holding on to the pin pricking pain of raw skin against stubble. The meeting had gone nowhere. He couldn't keep his thoughts centered on the topic at hand, no matter how much he tried. His thoughts had always found their way to Ravenwood. To his niece he, debatably, should be watching. Which he would have done, had this small...inconvenience not come up. It was 'of the utmost severity' that he attend. Not only be present, as he had his mind to be, but participate. He left before anyone could insult themselves, swiftly enough for them to leave him alone. He needed to know she was okay.
He exhaled slowly, watching the smoke blow into the night air. Normally, his thoughts were racing. He would note every star, every constellation, the phase of the moon, the visibility of the area he frequented. Now, his thoughts were quiet. He missed the clamor that drove him to alcohol every night. He missed Lena, even with all the problems she caused. Briskly straightening his suit, he Traveled.
His arrival was far from composed. He ended up tightly gripping his desk to keep him from falling to the floor. Blame it on the distance. His body was practically humming, trembling from the force of him standing. With a steadying breath, he started the trek to Lena's room.
She was doubting herself. Maybe she should have tried for Boo. Boo was somewhere far away, if she remembered right. One of her cousins? They were all asleep. It would be rude for her to wake them up. Besides, she didn't know if she could walk down the hall at the moment. On an exhale, she threw herself from the bed, and dashed to the door. She could go to his room. She could try to find the Tunnels. She could call him. The doorknob was stiff as she jostled it. Her heart dropped for a second. Locked. Frantically, she tried again, this time swinging the door open harshly to reveal her uncle, his hand raised to knock.
"Lena-"
"Uncle M-"
She shook her head rapidly, her black curls sticking to her wet cheeks. "I thought you were gone for the day." Confusion flashed across his features. His brow furrowed slightly, and the corner of his lip jumped down for a moment. Instead of answering, he picked her up, carrying her as one does a child.
He laid her down on her bed again, and tucked her in, despite his former observations. This terror seemed to be a lack of stability, not a desperate clutch of tangible figments as the other night had been. Lena's eyes were fixed to him; he could feel her gaze even though he wasn't looking at her. "Are you staying, Uncle M?"
He was torn. If he stayed, he would be condoning this behavior. If he didn't, he would be in his study for the rest of the night. Company, even if unconscious, was far better than solitude at the moment. He nodded once. "I think I will, Lena."
The smile that illuminated her face was stunning. He joined her on the bed, laying himself atop the sheets. He allowed his eyes to close, even though sleep was hardly a possibility. "Uncle M?" He raised a brow in reply. "Have you ever loved someone?" He struggled to not snap his eyes open. He was vaguely aware of his lips moving, but no words were audible.
"Yes." His tone was questionable, even to his tired senses. It sounded as one expected a dying man. The thought shook him. It was a credible thought, one he knew was coming sooner or later, but one that stole the very breath from him. "Yes, I believe I have."
Lena was quiet for a second. The reaction was immediate. "You don't know?"
"I don't know what I felt, Lena. It could have been love." It also could have been a hallucination, an overreaction to the semblance of affection. No one knows what you feel. Another harsh thought. But you do. It felt like love. Ja- He couldn't stop the mental flinch. She was more than willing. He almost wished for the silence from earlier. "I know that I love you."
A soft giggle left the girl. "But you're my uncle!"
"Precisely, which is why I am entitled to."
She settled again, this time for far longer. He assumed she was asleep when she spoke again. "Like a father?"
He seized the explanation. "Certainly." He cursed under his breath. His voice was off again, inflecting away from his normal stoic attitude. However, Lena didn't seem to care. She was as quiet as before. It worried him. "Lena-" A warm hand shoved over his mouth, stopping him from talking. His eyes flashed open.
"What does it feel like?" His eyes narrowed slightly. "Loving someone like a daughter."
He nipped at her palm to make her move her hand. "There isn't a way to explain it. It's as though your world has a focus, centered around this little girl." He broke off before he said too much. "I suppose that's an adequate explanation." His mind raced past him. It's like knowing your plummeting and being given a lifeline. Hitting the bottom of hell and the pain dissipating in a single glance. It's like knowing you would move heaven and earth to keep a smile on her face. It's knowing the end is near, and not caring what comes after. It's accepting that you will be the death of me, Lena. He flinched physically, jarring the thought from perspective.
"I think I love you, too."
His retort was edging on sarcasm, attempting to hide any shaking that had made it to his voice. "But you're my niece."
"I know. But...I think this is like...a daughter and a father?" He glanced over to see her eyes closed. Something fluttered inside him. A daughter. He shut the emotion off before it could get in his head.
He breathed a sigh. "I believe the storm's stopped." He was preparing to roll out of the bed when a hand gripped his elbow.
"Good night, Uncle M."
"Good night, Lena." Unbeknownst to him, a small smile placed itself on her lips.
