A/N: Thank you all so much for all your wonderful reviews! They make my little heart soar like a bunny with wings :3
Holy long chapter! Well, it was actually going to be longer (about 2k longer, actually…) But! I do have a little plan for the ordering of the chapters (actually a BIG plan), and this was necessary to separate from next planned chapter.
So think of this little thing as a sort of prologue! (This is part 2 of the first chapter, NO TIME HAS PASSED SINCE THEN!)
Enjoy!
.
.
Claire still stood on the church lawn, for the first time grateful that she wasn't allowed to wear high heels, or else she would be sinking halfway into the grass by now. She knew the routine; it was considered disrespectful for the head family to leave until everyone had left the church session. And because most of the older folks who attended Mass enjoyed speaking with the Pastor, Claire knew that they would probably have to stand on the mushy greenery for another hour or so. Perhaps longer, if her parents brought chairs for the elders to sit down…
No one ever came up to Claire during these events.
Though the entire town knew she was exceptionally beautiful; with natural strawberry blonde hair pigmentation and snow white skin, her icy blue irises only added to her regal features and was always lady-like… her stoic and defensive demeanor often drew people away without her even saying a word to them.
She didn't care, though. Not really. In a way, it had made her more independent despite the rules inflicted upon her by her parents. Not having anyone was better than dealing with them.
But, she was also very bored. In her unconsciousness, her steely eyes had begun to slowly wander. Around the crowd of church-goers that had finally begun to thin out, at the Chevrolet Townsman that was carrying a handful of rowdy teenagers; then back to observing the random faces of the Mass.
And who should they land upon, but a certain tan, emerald-eyed brunette, who was speaking casually with a young blonde woman. The blonde looked quite flustered with the taller woman as she spoke with her, though the brunette looked almost poker-faced.
Finally, Claire snapped back into consciousness before her eyes could unwillingly run up and down the tall brunette's body again… Wait, had she done it a first time?
The pinkette shook her head, trying to clear it of these strange thoughts she was having. She crossed her arms and turned away, trying to appear genuinely uninterested. Despite all her willpower, she felt her eyes flicker back to the woman. She figured a quick glance wouldn't hurt; and besides, she was only admiring the woman's figure. There was nothing wrong with that. Just a quick glance…but she lingered when she heard Fang let out a wholehearted laugh at something the blonde woman had said. The sound made Claire's breath hitch as she continued staring.
The Oerba-Yun woman must have noticed someone staring, because her eyes wandered as well.
Only to meet crystals staring right back at her.
Fang's eyes widened for a moment, making the emeralds appear even more valuable, before her expression softened and she nodded gently at the pinkette.
Claire's eyes winded for just a moment at the expression before she scowled pointedly and turned her head to the side, her eyes burning holes into a nearby wall. She had been caught, something that did not happen to her often given her developed observation skills. The thought made her slightly irritated.
What made it worse, though, was a certain dark haired man walking towards her with all the cockiness of a rooster.
… Or, just a complete dick.
...But that was unladylike.
He continued sauntering over, and given his pace, Claire realized she did have the option of just taking off running, losing him in the crowd then asking someone for a ride home. Just before she was about to do so, she saw the tall man give a salute and a smile to Claire's father who was across the lawn.
Her father gave a small nod towards the man before his eyes found his daughters'; giving her a pointed look that told her to converse with the boy.
Claire's expression remained stone though she didn't respond to her father's request. She knew she had no choice but to speak with the man. She did need to give him a tad bit of credit, the dark-haired man was quite formally dressed in a black blazer with a white under-collar and black trousers to match said blazer. He had striking brown irises, light stubble on his square chin, a small smile just above it. He almost appeared genuinely gentlemanly.
But Claire knew better.
This man was a player. A term Claire had recently acquired. Better defined as; a certain class of low-rent, slack-jawed fuckups has decided that backstabbing and misogyny are totally radical, and the word is sometimes used as a compliment or term of endearment between male friends, as in the greeting "what's up, player?".
Just disgraceful. Claire tried her best not to sneer at the man as he smiled at her.
"Good morning, Miss Farron. How is it,that such a lovely lady is all by herself on quite a gorgeous Sunday?" He flashed a cheeky grin at her, and then bowed.
Claire did not return the gesture. Instead, she looked up, scowling as she examined the sky. As always, it was dark grey with thunderclouds; the promise of rain was always a lie, though. It had not truly rained in the town in quite a few years. The occasional sprinkle was nothing but a tease. "…It's dark." She replied, a frown on her face as she looked back at him.
He laughed, much to Claire's discontent. "Oh Miss Farron, always with the negative mood. Honestly, a young lady shouldn't act so cynical."
Claire ground her teeth for some kind of relief from her pent up frustration. Her face, as always, was unreadable. "A young lady shouldn't do a lot of things." She kept her glare unwavering as she spoke.
He seemed to fidget a bit under her gaze and looked slightly confused at her response, but quickly shook it off. Another laugh. "Oh my Claire, you really will be a handful."
The pinkette's eyebrows rose in slight anger, and her arms crossed tighter over her chest. "A handful to what, Mr. Apep?"
The man shook his head, and reached out to pat Claire's shoulder as if she were a child. "Surely you must understand that a young lady in her prime must marry. It is necessary." He chuckled again. "You don't want to get old and unattractive, and then no man will want you!"
The rage burning in Claire was bubbling to the brim. This man was being completely disrespectful, but the worst part of it was…in a way, he was correct. Claire knew that she wouldn't be young forever, and her family needed money ties to keep themselves and the church afloat. And she knew her external defensive nature only drew more and more suitors away by the day.
…Maybe she would just end up alone.
During her pondering, she hadn't had any time to react to what was happening. The man had grabbed her forearm, still laughing, and was leading, (well, more like dragging) her to a nearby alleyway.
Away from everyone else's line of vision.
The realization clicked and she yanked her arm away. He grunted as he was forced to let go, but he growled and latched onto her arm gain with a more iron grip.
Claire growled, her hand flashed to his and she attempted to claw it off her arm, and although he winced, he kept is grip tight.
"You stubborn girl." He spat as they reached the ally. "Someone needs to teach you how to be a woman."
Claire snarled and kicked his shin in, not hard enough to break but just enough to make him falter. She took the opportunity to shove him back into the brick wall of the other side. She fisted her hands into his collar and shoved him back again, hearing an audible slap of his skull against the brick. Claire neared his face, nothing but anger twisted in her features. "Don't you ever touch me."
Claire grunted as he kneed her stomach, grabbing her wrists as he shoved her against the opposite wall. She struggled to break free; every time she managed to pull her wrists away, he would pin them down again.
"Oh?" he snarled into her face. "And what is going to stop me If I do?" his tone was dark, mixed in with something else Claire couldn't quite detect.
Finally, she realized what it was when his knee slipped past her dress and in between her thighs. Her eyes widened. And for the first time during the quarrel, fear flashed in the crystal blue waters.
…
"Is that really any way to treat a lady, Mr. Apep?"
A voice rung out from a few feet away. A lovely deep, and feminine, and accented voice.
Claire shuddered.
Mr. Apep snarled at Fang Oerba-Yun. "This is none of your business, do you hear me? This is the property of the Lord, something you have no right towards-"
Fang chuckled at the man's ridiculous assumptions, efficiently cutting them off. She strode over to the other two, and placed firm grip on the man's shoulder. "I don't think you understand, Mr. Harrow. This woman isn't anyone's 'property'. No matter how great they may be."
The man's hold on the pinkette's wrists faltered when he lurched away from the brunette's hand on him. "How dare you lay your hands upon me, filthy heathen?!" his previously combed dark locks had fallen out of place and were now hanging slightly over his raging eyes.
The tall woman chuckled at the man's disgusted expression. She stepped forward, forcing him to step back, and more importantly, away from Claire. The pinkette rubbed her wrists, her eyes narrowing on the man who no longer looked gentlemanly. He was unkempt, his blazer had come undone in some sections where the buttons had popped off, and looked enraged. His true identity.
"You've got a lotta' of room to call someone else a heathen, Mr. Apep." She cocked a brow at the man, and moved a step so that she was slightly in front of Claire, who attempted to protest by growling lowly. Fang leaned in towards the dark-eyed man, who had begun to shiver with anger. "Who else knows about your little secret?"
Apep's dark, furious eyes now switched to the opposite emotion. Fear. He stumbled back, nearly tripping over a discarded glass bottle, before catching himself and attempting to adjust the leftover buttons on his blazer. He pulled at his collar as he spoke. "You'll get what you deserve, homosexual scum." He spat, cleared his throat, and then paced out of the ally.
Claire glared at his back as he went, but her peripheral vision turned hazy as she stared at two vibrant emeralds. Fang had turned on the spot to face the pinkette, and was curiously studying her face.
Claire felt frozen. She should be pushing the woman away from the close proximity. But…she just couldn't. Her muscles weren't listening to her as they stayed perfectly still, almost as if wanting the jade-eyed woman to observe her.
Claire then realized why she wasn't moving. It was because the woman gave off an aura of danger, and Claire's natural instinct was to freeze. But she had taught herself better than that. Finally with sheer willpower, she broke out of the trance.
"Get away from me." She spat at the brunette in front of her, before sidestepping out of the way and heading towards her sister who was probably searching for her. Her footsteps were the only sound besides the quite murmur of the folks still on the lawn a few yards away. Something made her stop, though there was no force acting against her. She turned; the brunette was still standing in her original spot, her hands in the pockets of her slacks and jade eyes staring with an unreadable gaze at the pinkette.
Claire let out a shallow breath, unconsciously touching her wrists as she stared back at the woman. She looked down, contemplating for a moment. Then, she brought her eyes up to stare at the intoxicating woman in front of her. She took in a steadying breath, and released it along with her words.
"Thank you." It was small, but audible, and truly sincere. Then she turned, and strode back towards the front lawn.
When she had gained a few yards from the ally, she hesitantly looked back.
Just in time to see Fang disappear into the ally.
.
Monday, March 3, 1953
Claire liked Mondays. During the week, everyone was going with the hustle and bustle of work or school. But on Mondays, everyone was just a little sluggish, which made it easier to relax because of her own lack of a career.
That, and it meant that it was a full week until she had to sit through another Sunday.
She walked down the rows of the small homes, occasionally spotting an early-riser much like herself, either watering their lawns or taking in the paper. A new model of a 53 Chevy went by as she walked, a gentle breeze ruffling her strawberry blonde locks.
Claire lightly swung her arm absentmindedly, in her hand was a copy of one of her favorite newest books; a small hardback of Charlotte's Web. Not bothering to look both ways, she crossed the desolate street, and then felt the soft spring of grass under her feet. She had reached her destination: the park.
She strode over the grass, spotting a few old folk taking a stroll with a small terrier, and sat on the usual wooden armless bench which was heavily shaded by a medium sized oak tree. She opened her book, and breathed deeply at the sight of the pages, then shut her eyes for a brief moment. And finally, she was perfectly content.
During her contentment, she failed to sense the footsteps coming towards her.
Something poked her forehead.
"Oi, did ya' fall asleep or something?"
Claire's eyes snapped open to see those same annoying, cocky, and beautiful green eyes. She looked away from the woman in dismissal, trying to get the point across of the pinkette not wanting to be associated with the tan woman.
Obviously, it didn't work, because the woman sat right next to the pinkette on the bench.
Outwardly, Claire was appalled. But a subtle tint of red on her cheeks indicated that she was internally flustered. So, she responded in her usual way; anger, in the defensive manor. "What do you think you're doing?"
The brunette raised a brow in confusion and shrugged. "Sitting. Something wrong with that?"
Claire couldn't find the words to form her explanation for the woman's question. Of course there was nothing wrong with sitting! Did the woman take her for ignorant? The pinkette didn't want Fang to think she was stupid, she was in fact the very opposite…wait, why should she care what Fang thought about her anyway? Claire shook her head in an attempt to clear her jumble of thoughts. She raised her hand to gesture towards the amount of sitting room on the other side of them. "What I meant is-"
Claire's curiosity peaked when the woman started laughing at her. The pinkette scoffed, swiftly closing her book and standing in the same movement. She took a step forward, but something grabbed onto her hand, efficiently halting her, though it didn't even pull her back.
"Wait." A small giggle accompanied the already lovely accent.
An electric current flowed through her system. She turned her torso; Fang was biting her lip with a smile at her, trying to stifle the laughter that was rumbling in her chest.
Claire looked down at their hands, her lips parted slightly in preparation for words, but none formed. Her gaze shifted to Miss Fang, who had obviously noticed her actions and was staring at their intertwined hands with the same mystified expression Claire had had just a moment ago, but unlike Claire, had not snapped out of it.
Claire cleared her throat pointedly, and it brought the brunette back to attention.
Fang laughed nervously then, and finally let go of Claire's hand. The brunette scratched the back of her head with one hand, and was making random gestures with the other. "Ah…what I meant- what I meant was…" she sighed, shaking her head with a small smile. She stared back up at the pinkette. "I meant, I was only teasin' ya. Don't go just 'cause I was an idiot."
Claire blinked. She was in an internal conflict with herself. She shouldn't sit back down. What gave that woman the right to tease her like that! The pale hand that wasn't holding her book was balled in conflict. But…she wanted to sit back down. Why, however, was beyond her at the moment.
With a huff, and a decision against her better judgment, she sat back down onto the bench. And before the brunette could say anything, she snapped her book open to the appropriate chapter, and focused her undivided attention onto it.
…
Fang huffed. She enjoyed the other woman's company, (greatly, actually) but the silence was getting to her. She rubbed her forearm which was covered by the silky fabric of her blouse, then clicked her tongue a few times before absentmindedly looking around. Her gaze, inevitably, landed on the pinkette beside her, (who had put about a foot of distance between them after she had sat back down) and Fang couldn't help her lingering gaze. She found herself tracing the woman's perfect profile with her eyes, down to her pink, soft looking labium, down her creamy neck, and right to her large and full looking bosoms…
Fang scolded herself immediately, averting her gaze to prevent her eyes from lingering lower. This wasn't right of her. She shouldn't be having these thoughts about a good, innocent girl, much less the Pastor's daughter! But it just wasn't fair. Why did the woman have to look so inviting, yet never let anyone so much as speak with her? Fang was frustrated beyond measure, and the fact just irked her even more. No man or women could possibly make her, Fang Oerba-Yun, badass of the state, swoon. But when those sky-blue irises met hers again, she did.
…
Claire was desperately trying to focus on her novel, she truly was, but even with the foot of distance she had put between herself and the other woman, her interest always seemed to linger towards her. Even more so when the brunette gave a small growl of frustration.
Claire tilted her head in confusion as the woman was mumbling angrily to herself, her hands making gestures at nothing in particular. Claire cleared her throat. "Um…Miss Oerba-Yun?"
The brunette seemed to snap out of it. "Oh! Sorry love, just…thinking."
Claire frowned, but nodded nonetheless. Quickly, she picked up her novel again, in an attempt to prevent her head from further examining the pet name. She buried her nose into the pages once again. Not soon after, she felt her brow twitch at the brunette's question.
"Hey, is that a kid's book?" Fang asked, reaching out to adjust the book in the other woman's hands so that the cover was showing towards her.
Claire scowled, jerking her book away from the woman's tan fingers. The pinkette felt slightly flustered again. She knew it was indeed a children's book of course, but the moral of the tale was one of her favorites. And the way the other woman was smirking at her, it made her feel as though she was being made fun of! And once again, she reacted on the defensive. "Yes, Miss Oerba Yun, it is a children's book. But I happen to enjoy the storyline. So if you don't mind, I'll be going back to my perfectly adult level novel now." And proceeded to dive nose first into her book again.
Fang just stared. Then curiosity got the best of her again. "So…what's it about?"
Claire couldn't help but let out a small huff of amusement. Surely the woman was joking! Any person in this day and age had at least heard of Charlotte's Web! But a glance at the slightly taller woman proved her theory otherwise.
Miss Oerba-Yun looked genuinely confused at her amused reaction. Her brows bowed in slightly, her head tilted to the side.
Claire blinked. "You've really never read it before?"
The brunette shook her head.
A long silence followed after when neither responded to the conversation.
Claire was about to simply forget about the conversation and continue to read her novel, but the Australian accent rung out in her ears again, but it made something stab at her heart when they did.
"…I'm illiterate."
The pinkette felt her breath hitch. She forced herself to meet the woman's unreadable gaze. Claire wanted to ask more questions, but the brunette's silent communication told her not to press further. Claire silently accepted this… for now, at least. So she nodded, and returned to her novel.
The two fell into a comfortable silence afterwards. Claire occasionally snuck brief glances at the woman beside her, who was content with simply closing her eyes and sitting there with her arms crossed over her chest. Claire bit her lip, her hand twitched when a strand of brown fell into the woman's tanned face due to the wind, and Claire wanted nothing more than to gently tuck it behind her ear with the rest of the brunette locks. But Fang felt this, and tucked it back with her own hand.
A while later, Claire shut her book for the second time, and the light sound made Fang's eyes open once again. The pinkette stood, gently brushing down her white trousers from any debris before giving a single nod to the dumbstruck woman on the bench.
"Wait, wait- you're done already?" Fang asked, truly astonished. She didn't have a watch, but after glancing up at the sun for a moment, she shook her head. They hadn't even been sitting there for more than half an hour!
Claire nodded again in response. "It's a children's book. It's a bit long, but the words aren't exactly difficult."
Fang merely gave a nod in response.
Claire looked away for a moment, clutching at the spine of her book in both hands. She opened her mouth to speak then closed it. She repeated this a few times until Fang spoke instead.
"Well, I guess I'll…run into you again, sometime. Eventually..." The taller woman stood, dusting off her trousers as well.
Claire understood what the brunette meant; they weren't exactly acquaintances, so the chances of truly meeting up again were quite slim. She nodded in agreement, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear; something she hadn't done in a while. The tan woman nodded back, running a hand through her own wild locks.
Claire watched them fall back into place.
Fang slid her hands into her trousers again, and gave a small wave before turning on her heel and taking a stride forward.
"Wait." Claire blurted the word out before she could stop it. Fang turned, an eyebrow raised, and the pinkette shuffled almost nervously. "…I…could teach you. With your reading skills, I mean." She nodded firmly, then worried she had been to forward. "I mean, if you'd like. My sister, she's a teacher, so I know all of the material pretty well and-"
"That'd be nice, love." Fang smiled fondly at the very rarely nervous pinkette.
Claire's eyes widened for a moment, before softening. She gave a small nod in agreement, and warmth spread in her chest. The corners of her mouth were suddenly tugging upward, threatening to grow into a hint of a smile. But, she managed to keep it down. "Good." She nodded once more before giving a curt wave and headed home.
Fang sighed contentedly, smiling as she watched the woman leave. Then she placed her head in her hands, grinning like an idiot at her own actions. 'What the hell am I getting into?'
.
.
A/N: Yes, Fang. What the hell are we all getting into with this fic? XD Isn't Flight just the cutest? (And sometimes, the deadliest xD) Anyway, the chapter after this one will mark the first official chapter. ENJOY THE FLUFF WHILE IT LASTS D:
The fact that I chose Charlotte's Web as the first book they discuss is because Claire was supposed to be confounded at the fact that Fang had not read it, seeing as though the story was wildly popular with both children and adults in the 50's. However, they will eventually discuss other novels that are relavant to the fic's progression and plot.
As a responce for Claire seeming a bit OOC: I have her like that for a reason! Trust me, none of the characters are going to be permanently OOC. I just cant tell you why she was like that just yet;)
I have very specific plans for the Fic, and I also want to do something special for the chapters.
First one to catch on to what I'm doing with the chapters gets a VERY special shout out at the end of the Fic, and a custom written Flight FanFic just for them!
Be sure review!
