VII.
I know last chapter was a bit emotional, heartfelt and sort of depressing. This chapter is a much lighter and more hearty one. This one is a shorter filler one, so I apologize. But I want this story to be longer than what I intended it to be, so I'm drawing out each moment.
If anyone is confused on the story time setting, I have listed it below.
The first two chapters and part of the third chapter were set on December 21st. The rest of chapter 3, and all of chapter four and five set on the date of December 22nd. Chapter six and this chapter take place on December 23rd.
My readers are fantastic; Thanks again eema, Fairy Princess Moon, musariven fan, Guest, SplendidForever, xxx-benedictbrothersfan-xxx, and MeltingLTwitter.
After holding onto one another, Musa readjusted her body onto the couch and Riven held onto her as she laid down. He played with the ends of her hair and let the silence speak between the two. Using his old trick of playing with her hair, she soon fell back to sleep. He yawned, not sure if he was able to go back to sleep after their personal and emotional interaction between one another.
In the meantime of Musa's slumber, he stood up and stretched. He crept away from the couch in the den and stepped into the kitchen. He turned on the light and wandered to the refrigerator. After moments of staring into the stainless box, he decided on preparing breakfast for his family.
"Riven, what are you doing up?" Lucas asked, approaching the kitchen counter.
Startled by his father's presence, Riven jumped slightly and dropped the orange juice onto the counter. "Musa couldn't sleep so we were out in the den talking. She finally fell back asleep and I can't sleep now so I decided I'm hungry and am going to make breakfast for everyone."
"What were you talking about? You kids should get more sleep," Lucas grinned, nodding at his son. He walked over to refrigerator and opened the door, carefully grabbing a dozen of eggs from it. "Let me help you."
Riven turned around to face his father and he leaned his back up against the edging of the counter. "I don't know, I guess just life."
Lucas laughed, shaking his head at his son. "You know those life conversations are dangerous. That's how your mother and I ended up together. Those conversations are addicting and if you don't watch, you will soon end up together."
"Dad, Musa and I are friends. After everything that we have been through, we are entitled to that," Riven grumbled. He opened the cabinet door and pulled out the pancake mix. Leaning down into the next cabinet, he pulled out one of his mother's Juliska Berry threaded mixing bowl. Carelessly, he began dumping the box of pancake mix into the bowl.
"Is that all you want to be? You have a history and you have a bond that is inseparable," Lucas sighed, turning on the first large burner to the oven cook top. He walked over the cabinet, pulling out a glass measuring cup and filling it with water for the pancake mix.
Riven groaned, shooting his father a glare. "This is my third day home and you are all ready hounding me about my relationship with Musa. I don't get to have the relationship that Roy and Layla have. Musa and I are friends and that's all that we will ever be. Besides, she has someone else."
"You and her have a past, and that counts more than what she has with someone else. Look son, if you want to be with her then you need to do it now before you one day wake up and regret letting her go. She's wonderful and we want her to officially be apart of our family, but if you don't, then you need to keep some distance. I'm worried Musa might take the wrong hint that you want more than a friendship and get hurt again."
"This isn't your place to step your foot in something where it doesn't belong. Musa isn't a frail object that gets hurt. She's a strong woman and if I'm not in her life and we don't end up together, she isn't going to die. Like I said, she's moved on from me and has someone more prominent in her life. There isn't anything I can do to change that. Now would you get off my back about this?" Riven hissed, obviously annoyed by his father's intentions.
"I'll stop tampering with this once you say that you aren't in love with her," Lucas grinned at his youngest son.
"Who said I ever stopped?" Riven shrugged his shoulders and began mixing the pancake mix, ignoring his father.
"The past can hurt, but the way I see it, you can either run from it or learn from it," Lucas spoke up, after moments of silence between his youngest son and him.
Riven groaned, setting down the mixing spoon. "Not the Lion King quotes again."
Lucas laughed, knowing he had touched Riven even if it was for a moment. "All right, all right. I'll drop the subject. Let's talk about more imperative things other than your love life. Tell me about work and living somewhere not in Gardenia.
"Musa, hey," Riven said loud enough for Musa to hear.
Groggily, Musa lifted her head up from the couch cushion that she had buried her head into. "Huh?"
"I made you breakfast," Riven chimed, setting it down on the t.v. tray that was positioned next to the couch.
"Breakfast? For me?" Musa mumbled, sitting up off the couch. She looked at the tray of food in front of her. Assorted on the plate in front of her was two chocolate chip pancakes, butter, sausage links, eggs, hash browns and a glass of orange juice.
"Chocolate chip pancakes, just how you like them," Riven grinned
"Wow thanks," Musa who was surprised, smiled up at Riven. She could tell that neither of them wanted to talk about their emotional situations again. It was a one time conversation for now and Musa was thankful for that.
Musa first took a drink of the orange juice and then spoke up, "I haven't had breakfast brought to me in bed since you used to do it here at the cabin. It all looks great, thanks," Musa smiled.
Riven laughed, "After what I've been hearing about Andy, I'm not surprised. He doesn't sound like the bed in breakfast kind of guy."
"That's true," Musa placed her orange juice back on the table. "It's surprising that you are one of those guys. Mr. Hotshot who never shows emotion and is always in control, can sometimes be genuinely nice," Musa teased, pretend punching him in the shoulder.
"Oh and for someone who seems all small and nice all the time can actually be a dick. Remember in high school when you chose to date Skye over me? You dated him for like a year and made me suffer."
"Oh God, Skye," Musa groaned, tossing her head back and let out a loud, sharp laugh. "That was so freshman year, unfortunately."
"Remember when he cheated on you with Bloom and you went off on him in history class after you had found out," Riven chuckled at the memory.
Musa closed her eyes, remembering the situation. "It was in Saladin's history class. Stella had told me after she had found out from Brandon who was one of Skye's basketball teammates. I confronted him about it nicely."
"You tore him to pieces," Riven laughed. "If I remember, I think you told him he was a useless piece of shit and that he could go die."
Musa winced, "I don't think I was that mean was I?"
"That was me being you being nicer than what you were," Riven laughed.
"Well he was a dick and I'm glad that ended my freshman year not later in high school," Musa commented.
"You were so heartbroken if I remember," Riven coed, making fun of Musa.
She shoved him in his shoulder, "Hey, that was my 'first' love okay."
"You thought he was the one," Riven mocked.
"Those wounds definitely healed," Musa commented, annoyed by her younger, naive self.
"Are you sure? You were pretty dead set he was the one you were supposed to love forever," Riven winked in Musa's direction.
Musa laughed, shoving him in the shoulder. "Shut up."
"I remember when he tried winning you back," Riven growled.
"Yeah, and I remember you telling him to back off and that I was yours," Musa stuck out her tongue at Riven. "If I remember, you slammed him into the lockers."
"Well I didn't want to lose you again. I had already suffered watching you date Skye for a year, I wasn't going to suffer again in high school for you to date another man. You were attractive Musa and if I wouldn't have acted upon you, then someone else would have."
"You're lucky I said yes," Musa laughed.
"Well you're lucky I'm always there to pick up the pieces," Riven grinned, leaning back into the couch.
"I guess you are, huh?" Musa shrugged her shoulder and brought her plate to her chest where she began to nibble on her food.
"I guess so," Riven finished their conversation for both of them.
Once the silence set in, Riven stood up, stretching his arms above his head. As he stretched his arms, his shirt lifted above his stomach and showed his toned abs. Musa couldn't help but stare and her face went red. Riven, who knew she was staring, kept his stretch longer than what he normally would have.
After a few seconds of him stretching and Musa staring, he coughed, bringing both of them back to reality. "I'm going to go shower and get ready for today. Eat up and then get ready, we are going to go into town," Riven walked towards the hallway, but not before glancing back one last time at Musa who was sitting on the couch still smiling.