Just Breathe

By Dan'yu

Chapter Two: Day by Day

Half an hour later, they made their way into the dining hall, hand in hand, meeting the familiar chorus of wolf whistles and snide remarks from the Cliffhanger table with averted eyes and shy smiles. Scott looked up at her with that same shy, endearing smile and she found herself returning it, rolling her eyes at their friends' display as they made their way to the food line.

Scott moved to release her hand and found she refused to relinquish her hold, glancing back at her with a quizzical look. Shelby refused to meet his eyes directly, but he must have found his answer, for he only smiled and turned his head back around, squeezing her hand reassuringly as he grabbed a tray and tried his best to maneuver with only one hand. As stupid as she felt at inhibiting him, Shelby felt immensely relieved at his understanding.

Strange as it sounded, even that simple touch reminded her of how much she needed Scott beside her. He was her anchor, her rock among the chaos her past subjected her to, her reassurance in the storm that raged inside. In the past, their difficulties had been many, most of them centering on her inability to open up and Scott's aversion to fully accepting her past. Despite their challenges, Scott fully embracing her for who she was had pushed aside her doubts and inhibitions, allowing her to accept his love and all it had to offer: the passion, the affection, and his protection.

These things he conveyed so easily, a simple brush of his hand against hers, a glance in her direction, the sweet smile that had her melting inside. He made her feel safe, he made her feel loved, much more than anyone in her life ever had. Sappy as it sounded, no matter how pathetically sentimental or soft she felt to admit it, it was the way he made her feel, and it was something she would never change.

Somehow, they both managed to wrangle their dinner onto their treys and together they made their way toward the Cliffhangers' habitual table, taking their seats in the chairs set aside for them, a little apart from the rest so they could easily focus on each other and still be part of the rest. Scott scooted his chair even closer, tucking their joined hands beneath then table to rest on his thigh, his foot hooking around her ankle. She looked at him in bewilderment but he only smiled softly, seemingly oblivious to the fact that they sat close enough to just barely edge the lines of propriety that could land them in kitchens or shuns.

The warmth soaking through his jeans a strange sensation against her hand, his leg entwined with hers, their thighs touching, Shelby felt that strange fluttering in her stomach she had come to associate with close proximity to him. He made her feel good, there was no denying that, but he also confused her to no end. Then again, his odd behavior was taking effect, as she felt the tension and disconcertion slowly melt away, the tightly wound coils of stress inside unwinding to release whatever pent-up frustrations nagged at her mind.

"So," Daisy's voice broke through her reflections, "Were either of you planning on joining us back on planet earth anytime soon?"

Beside her, Ezra chortled and continued with the ribbing, "I don't know, Dais, Mission Control might not find them, they're so far gone."

Shelby sent an irritated glare in their direction, though the expression inevitably softened as she heard the good-natured laughter rippling through the ranks.

"Hey," Auggie piped up from his place on the other side of the table, surprising most of them by speaking since he had previously seemed wrapped up in his own world with Juliette, "Lay off them a bit. They just got off shuns, they don't need bull from us too."

Scott grinned at him gratefully. "Thanks, muchacho."

Auggie shrugged, his indifferent response betrayed by the smile that played at his own lips. "No prob, meat. We gotta look out for each other as much as we do our girls."

"I hear you, man," Scott replied and they bumped fists across the table.

"How Neanderthal," Daisy commented dryly, "Protect our own, protect our women."

"I think it's sweet," Juliette countered, turning toward Auggie with a brilliant smile, causing the boy to glance at her questionably before she leaned over and whispered into his ear. Auggie's face colored and he cleared his throat awkwardly, turning his attention back to his food as Juliette giggled softly and squeezed his arm. "You're too cute sometimes, Augusto."

"Please," David said sneeringly from the corner, speaking for the first time that evening, "Spare me the couple mush. Anymore and I might become reacquainted with my dinner."

"Shut it, Ruxton," came several voices, Auggie and Scott's being the most prevalent. David pouted for a moment, slumping down in his chair as he picked at his foot sullenly. Of those who had returned to Horizon after summer break a month before, David had been the one to fall the most back into his old ways, erasing whatever progress he had made with the group before leaving. Leveling his time between jerky comments and pranks, he did little to redeem himself in the eyes of the Cliffhangers', and he had yet to talk to either Peter or Sophie.

Shelby smiled to herself, knowing it was only a matter of time before the guy cracked. Even she, known once upon a time as Shelby "Stonewall" Merrick, had eventually come around, though it had taken near disaster to break down the last of her defenses.

"Don't mind him, Princess," Shelby said flippantly, "His head's too far up his butt to see the light of day."

The table went quiet for a moment, and then the silence was broken by the loud clatter of a fork hitting the table and Ezra suddenly went ghostly pale, wheezing for breath dramatically as he clutched at his chest. "Oh-my-god," he croaked, drawing out each word, "Am I delusional or is there something in the Jell-O?"

Daisy sighed and reassuringly patted his hand. "A combination of both, dear," she placed a sarcastic emphasis on the endearment, "But I think you should explain yourself before the good people staring at you call the big, burly men with the straightjackets."

Ezra blinked and he looked around the table, taking in each flat-eyed stare being directed toward him. He held up his hands in a defensive gesture. "Hey, don't take it out on me for pointing out an obvious sign of the apocalypse approaching. Is it just me or was Shelby just semi-nice to Juliette?"

With that, all eyes swung first in Shelby's direction, then to Juliette, and back to Shelby. Shelby squirmed in her chair, uncomfortable with the sudden attention. "What?" she snapped, "I can't be in a good mood once in a while? I'm not a bitch all the time."

David opened his mouth to comment, but the moment he did, Scott, who had been buttering his roll, jerked his head upward and pointed the plastic knife in his direction. "One word, Ruxton, and I personally rip out each of those pearly whites you use with that stupid grin of yours."

"Alright, alright, Scotty boy, just calm down. Nice gruesome imagery there. Remind me not to cross you when you're armed with kitchen cutlery."

"I told you not to call me that," Scott spat out, and Shelby felt the sudden tension in his body. She reached a hand behind his neck and soothingly rubbed, kneading gently at the tense muscles. He leaned into her touch and murmured a few words of gratitude, favoring her with his infamous soft smile. She tried not to think about the way her heart skipped a beat.

She listened to the ongoing conversation around them and leaned a little more into Scott's side, resting her head against his shoulder, watching his face contort into a disgusted expression as he picked at his food. He leaned toward her and whispered loudly, "Do you think we'll get in trouble if we try to bury it?"

Unable to stop herself, she breathed out a laugh, and the others turned to them curiously, observing Scott's disgusted inspection. A tray of a foreign gray substance as the main entrée, a carton of milk, limp green beans, rubbery cherry Jell-O, and a wheat roll left each of them with doubts.

"Is it just me," Ezra stated, "Or does it more resemble to toxic waste than actual sustenance?"

"I think it's supposed to be tuna casserole," Juliette said, eyeing hers dubiously.

"We've discovered the secret plan," Daisy told them, "When we delightful dysfunctionals become too much to handle, Peter devised a master plan to off us all with toxic cafeteria food."

Her and Ezra fell into a conversation discussing the merits of Peter's supposed extermination plan, the others occasionally throwing out a comment or two, Scott watched Shelby closely. Feeling the weight of his stare, she looked up at him. "What's up, cowboy? Whatcha thinking about?"

"You," he replied lightly, squeezing her hand as he drained the last of the liquid from his milk, not daring to bother with much more on his plate.

"I'm flattered."

"What else would I be thinking about? You're on my mind twenty-four seven."

"I'd call that obsessive."

"Nope," he said softly, glancing around quickly before leaning closer, "That's what I'd call being in love."

End Chapter Two