Usual gumfph - characters are not mine, I make no money, just love AHS a lot
Thought I'd keep up with the whole 'being productive' thing and give you another chapter.
Enjoy, and as always, please review.
Neither of them said the words, those three words that changed everything. They'd only known each other a few days really, you couldn't say those words to someone you'd know such a short time. It just wasn't done.
Surely the others would notice that things had irrevocably changed, now that the two blonde witches could at least acknowledge there was something between them. Cordelia found herself constantly on guard. It was harder now than ever to not lose herself in Misty, now that she knew she could. She'd constantly find herself drifting into a stupor of sorts around the Cajun; jumping every time one of the girls asked her a question, and flying into a panic when her mother entered the room. She knew she had to keep this, whatever it was, hidden from them for the time being. She didn't fully understand what it was yet, and Misty seemed just as easily distracted by Cordelias presence now. The teacher smiled to herself at that thought, how could she possibly have not noticed the looks she got from Misty? She had been so lost in her own desires, and her need to keep them hidden and secret, that she hadn't even considered the possibility of the other woman feeling the same way. They were lying on her bed now, as they had done for the last three nights. They hadn't spent more than a few hours apart since their awkward almost-confession in the kitchen.
"What'cha thinkin' 'bout?"
"You." Cordelia answered plainly and truthfully. The Cajun smiled at her answer, her fingers dragging up the older witches arm to draw lazy patterns across her shoulder and collarbone. Cordelia returned the smile, getting lost in the sensations Misty created. "You're so beautiful Misty, so very beautiful."
"Why Miss Cordelia I do declare you're seducing me." Misty laughed and moved so she was cuddled in to the side of the teacher, leaning up to plant a chaste kiss upon Cordelias lips before settling down with her head resting on the older womans chest. Cordelia glanced down, a slight frown on her face at the endearment before she decided to let it go. Humming her contentment at the back of her throat she pulled her arms around the swamp witch huddled into her body, holding her tight. Her serenity was such that she nearly dropped her guard, spilling out those three words she wanted so desperately to share. She held herself in check, instead kissing the top of Misty's head softly, before moving so she could pull Mistys face up to meet her own, kissing her forehead just as gently before moving down until she met soft lips.
Sighing as she pulled away she spared a sideways glance for the alarm clock sat next to her bed.
"We'll have to go soon Mist, Fiona wanted everyone down there for half past and its twenty past already."
The Cajun girl groaned at the thought of moving, tightening her hold on Cordelia as she lay there "Aww, Delia, I got comfy already. Can't we just stay, we'll conveniently forget and she wont even notice proba'ly" She burrowed her face into the crook of Cordelias neck, refusing to move just yet.
"Mist, I don't have it in me to intentionally turn up anywhere late. I'd rather stay here with you but we can't. The council are showing up tomorrow and the fact that Fiona even realises that- the fact that she actually wants to talk to everyone and have a plan in place for when they show up? It's kind of a first for her."
"Urghhh." A pathetic sounding moan emanated from Misty as she fought to keep herself comfortable while Cordelia tried to push her off the bed.
"Sorry what was that, didn't quite catch it hun?" Cordelia teased the younger woman who was so upset by the idea of moving from the comfort of the bed. She moved her hands down and starting to tickle the girl until she could wriggle free enough to stand up. "C'mon, come with me my beautiful Misty Day. I promise we will come straight back to bed after okay?"
It took another five minutes of bargaining to win the younger witch over and drag her downstairs to where the other girls and Fiona were already gathered. Misty dropped Cordelias hand as soon as they started down the stairs and the older blonde tried to ignore the emptiness she felt when she wasn't holding Misty close. Her Coven needed her to be in work mode for just a little while, and she couldn't allow herself to get distracted. Since Nan had blitzed through the kitchen the other day Cordelia had found herself too distracted to accomplish anything. The girls had probably been running haywire and she hadn't even bothered to check, God knows where Delphine had gone, she hadn't seen her in days. Spalding had seemed more reclusive than ever as well, although it wasn't so unusual to not see him for a few days at a time here and there- he'd been working for the Coven since Cordelia herself was a child and it seemed like it was par for the course to let the man choose his own time off every once in a while.
"Good of you to finally join us Delia, and you bought the swamp witch with you? I did wonder if you were still around. Haven't run off back to your precious shack yet then?"
A pained smile took to Cordelia's face as she tried not to rise to Fiona's bait "Yes Mother, we're here now. Please feel free to get this over with as quickly as possible."
"Yes, I'm sure you have much better things to be doing with your time than aiding the protection of this Coven." The Supreme made a point to look Misty up and down with disdain on her face as she spoke, and Cordelia had to grind her teeth to keep in a sharp retort. While it would have felt good to fight back it didn't sound quite as fun as getting Misty back to her bedroom.
"Maybe we should get back to the point of this meeting, Fiona?"
"Indeed. I've already talked the other girls through most of it, and you should know by now how to handle yourself around the Council. They will be here tomorrow afternoon to talk about the recent... Issues, shall we say? With those heinous Voodoo Witches downtown." Fiona lit her cigarette as she spoke. "Marie Laveau's Minotaur creature has been disposed of, although it seems she has taken back Delphine in some twisted sort of revenge. I can't say it's too much of a loss, the woman was after all, evil." She paused to blow out smoke and looked towards Queenie- "Seems strange how she manged to do so when I so highly doubt Delphine was about to just wander off to Cornrow City of her own accord, but, no matter." Cordelia looked towards Queenie with confusion on her face, but Fiona did not deign to explain further. "Cordelia, you are going to have to tell them you visited Marie Laveau, Myrtle will no doubt weasle it out of you that I spoke to her as well so it's no use hiding that. Whats done is done, the truce is over, and the Council will be looking to place blame." She looked towards Cordelia now, almost daring her to speak up and be the first to lay the blame at Fiona's feet. "The fact of the matter is is that blame now is irrelevant, we are stronger if we work together and so I need us all to band up like the merry little gang of thieves I know we can be to keep Myrtle and her tacky little followers from sitting around discussing such trivialities when we need to be thinking of direct action to protect ourselves."
"You pissed off an immortal Voodoo queen and now we have to go to war for it? Please Mother. Why don't you go back to living it up in LA or wherever it is you are when you're not here, and we'll go back to leading a peaceful existence within the parameters of the truce." Cordelia couldn't help the scathing tone that entered her voice. She had so wanted to keep this evening polite so she could escape with Misty all the quicker, but it was so difficult to stay civil with Fiona. "Everyones life would be considerably easier and I know I'd be happier. You know as well as I do that the chances of Marie Laveau agreeing to the truce again while you're in town are far lower than they would be if you left. If you really felt like doing the Coven a favour you could even select the next Supreme on your way out? That way we can wait in peace will you die on the other side of the planet and the Council could help me in my efforts to actually teach the girls something. This is a school, Mother, in case you hadn't noticed, and since you turned up there haven't actually been any lessons." Cordelia gave the Supreme a cold smile as she spoke, feeling her face heat in her anger.
"Well now, Delia, you're the headmistress here, I came along to help you child. I can't help it if you've forgotten your role here is the teacher. It's difficult for these girls to have any lessons when their teacher is too busy with her flowers and her Swampy Nicks"
Cordelia's face contorted with anger at her mother's words, while Misty stepped back further into the corner, a frown forming on her face.
"I think we're done here. We've established that once again, our troubles as a Coven can be traced swiftly back to you, and you've managed to neglect to mention any actual plans other than the plan to what, band together and make a plan? Good lord Fiona, you truly are the greatest Supreme this Coven ever had. If that is all, I have better things to do with time. I shall see you tomorrow when Auntie Myrtle arrives. Good night girls." Cordelia briefly waved towards the teenagers sat on the sofas, most of them checking facebook on their phones or something no doubt. "Good night Mother." She said coldly as she reached for Mistys hand on the way out. If Fiona had already figured out there was something between the two of them there was really no use hiding it anymore, they would have all found out eventually.
She dragged the silent Cajun girl up the stairs behind her, storming in anger straight to her bedroom without saying anything.
The door slammed shut behind them and Cordelia finally turned to the taller woman, taking her in her arms and kissing her soundly on her forehead. "I'm sorry Mist, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have, I should never have acted like that I just- she makes me so angry. I can't stand it, she looked at you like... I couldn't stand it"
"It's okay Delia, calm down babygirl, it's all okay. She's just, well, her, but it's okay"
Cordelia felt the hot sting of angry tears start to crawl down her face "she gets to me every time, and I'm so tired of it. I don't want to be her punching bag anymore and I wont let her treat you badly, you deserve so much better than that." She brushed away the tears quickly and stepped back from other blonde "Misty, you know you don't have to stay here? You, you could be in your garden, instead of putting up with Fiona and her shit. I mean, she's a bitch, but she is right about this Marie Laveau stuff, I don't think it's going to go away easily. Fiona screwed up, and she knows it. With her around the truce is done. I don't know what the Council will decide to do- I imagine we'll try and get back into talk with Marie, hopefully she'll see that we don't all blindly follow Fiona the way I'm sure she imagines we do. We can fix this but I don't want you to risk getting caught up in something if you don't have too." She moved to sit on the edge of the bed, looking up at Misty still stood by the doorway. "You said this isn't your Coven, and right now..." She sighed, and ran her hand through her hair.
This would be so much easier if she could bring herself to be honest. I LOVE YOU MISTY DAY. She wanted to scream it from the rooftops, but she wasn't brave enough to let the words out, she couldn't bring herself to whisper them to herself, let alone say it out loud for all to hear.
Misty still had her whole life ahead of her, she wasn't tied down to some godforsaken Coven full of people who were willing to kill each other for a shot at more power. She could still be happy, she could go back to her swamp, and her garden. She could find her own people, people who accepted her and loved her in a way this Coven didn't seem too. Cordelia was too broken to be any good to her now. A tired old teacher who's strength lay in the greenhouse, what good is that to a young witch full of promise and talent?
"Right now Misty, this could go terribly wrong, and lead us to another fight with the Voodoo witches, and they are led by an immortal woman with at least as much power as our Supreme. Our best case scenario is negotiating another truce, and it took Anna-Lee Leighton months to sort through everything with Marie Laveau the first time around."
Misty was still stood silently by the door, watching Cordelia with an unreadable expression on her face. "Do you want me go Cordelia?" She asked in a quiet voice, taking a cautious step forwards. "I wont lie to you Delia, my shack, my garden? Right now it sounds a hell of a lot better than this place, and the gators are a lot more fun as neighbors than your Mama. There wont be anyone out for war there, no negotiations to be had. Do you want me to go?" She stepped forward again, until she was directly in front the the older blonde. She knelt and reached for Cordelias hands "Delia?"
"Yes. No. I want you to not be here. I want you to be with me, but I know that thats not what you should have. I want you to find your people Misty. This Coven isn't it for you."
"I'm not here for the fuckin' Coven Delia, Jesus, do you not know that?" There was anger in Mistys tone, but a smile played at the edges of her lips as she spoke. "I have always known that I would not be the best version of myself until I found my tribe. I spent forever looking to meet the people that make me feel like home. I found it in Stevie, to a point." she grasped at Cordelias hand tighter and gently kissed her knuckles before continuing. "The way I felt when I met you, that is what I've been looking for. You're my people Delia. You make me feel like, like I suddenly got some new understandin' of all the Stevie songs I love, I get it now. You're my tribe, I feel better around you, stronger. I mean, look at what you've taught me- I never dreamed of becoming stronger, but around you, I just have this new calm you know?"
"Misty"
"Delia"
"You know, don't you? You know that I lo-"
"I know. Me too."
The taller blonde lent up, reaching for Delias neck, pulling her to meet her halfway in a kiss. She pulled back, looking up to meet Cordelia's eyes and smiled- a small smile, with warm honey eyes. "Delia-"
"Don't say it." Cordelia pulled the blonde back up and pushed herself backwards to the top of the bed, biting her lip as she watched the younger witch follow her, crawling up her body to meet her in another kiss. Her hands roamed the swamp witches body above her, pulling at her dress and pushing her shawl off of her shoulders.
"Delia-"
"Misty, don't-"
"Delia."
Misty pulled back so she could see Cordelia's eyes. She needed to say this, she need Cordelia to know.
"Come with me. Come with me to the swamp. I know, it's not nice and posh like you're used to, but I'll smarten it up, I'm good at that. You'd love my garden, it could be ours. Come with me." Her eyes where blue and shining with hope. "Delia, these aren't your people either, your Mama, you don't deserve that. Those girls, they don't respect you right- if killing you made them stronger they'd do it, and you know that. I wont leave you here, I couldn't do that to you. But we could go off, and be happy, together. If you'd like."
"Misty, a few weeks ago you were just some poor girl who got burnt at the stake, thats all I knew of you."
Misty's eyes dropped, and she nodded slowly.
"I'm- Misty, I don't know how to be good for you. This Coven, it's been my family my entire life. I know it's not right, I don't think I can fix it, but I'm not brave enough to leave. I always wanted to, but I'm not as good as you, I'm not as strong you."
"Thats okay Delia, I get it, I can't ask you to leave your family."
"You don't get it, Misty, you don't. I-" God why was this so hard. Why shouldn't she be happy? If Misty wanted her why couldn't she go off and live with her and share a beautiful garden? She'd put up with Fiona her entire life, she'd given up everything to try and help this Coven and had nothing to show for it. A bunch of students who ignored her warnings, a mother and a Supreme who hated her. Myrtle, she loved Myrtle, but even Auntie Myrtle had always told Cordelia she should spread her wings and fly the nest someday.
"Misty I want to leave and live with you in the swamps, and have a beautiful garden, but I don't know if I can leave now. I don't know how to say goodbye to this place. Fuck Fiona, and frankly, fuck the rest of them too. Zoe has a good control of her powers now and doesn't feel like she needs anything more from me, Queenie has always thought that I was secretly racist and gave the others preferential treatment, Madison hates everyone, and Nan never needed me. She's too smart for me to teach her anything. I don't know anything else though, this has been my entire life, and I don't know how to function outside of this Coven."
"I can teach you." Misty smiled, she still had hope, and if self doubt was what stood between Cordelia and her happiness, then she would do whatever it took to show Cordelia that she was strong enough to do whatever she wanted. "I'll teach you my life the same way you taught me yours, come with me."
"I wriggle at night."
"I know, I'll get us a bigger bed, otherwise one of us will be falling out all the time."
"I don't know how to cook."
"I do. -Ish. We wont starve."
"What will I do all day if I don't have a school to run?"
"Meditate, with me. Garden, with me. Listen to Stevie, with me. We could listen to whatever music you like too I guess." They both laughed at that, and Cordelia sat up a little to steal a kiss from the girl above her.
"Misty?"
"Delia."
"You know?"
"I know. I love you too."
Hope you liked this one, I think this is actually the end of this story now. I did think I'd continue with the Marie Laveau storyline stuff but for me this whole story was an exercise in waiting for them to tell each they where in love. I might add to it later, but for now, I'm finished with it I think. Please let me know what you think- this is a learning curve guys so you gotta keep me learning xoxo