Weeding the Garden
Author: Ranguvar27
Prompt: Blue Skies Prompt 14: Yard Work
Fandom: Alice in Wonderland 2010
Characters: Ilosovic/Alannah
Genre: Family
Ratings: Low T for shirtless Knave
Word Count: 317
Summary: Ilosovic helps Alannah in the Garden.
Ilosovic shed his shirt and knelt in the warm dirt, looking over at Alannah, who was dressed in a simple green sleeveless dress, her legs and feet bare. She dug a trowel into the soft, loamy, rich smelling soil, her right hand kneading the soil that was stirred up. Her red hair seemed to shine in the sun, and he longed to reach out his hand and run his fingers through it.
Instead, he wormed his bare hands into the soil, digging around a rather large clump of weeds that were threatening to choke out a patch of redberry roses. Alannah watched him out of the corner of her eye. "Remember, you have to cut the root before you can pull the weeds, otherwise they'll just come back."
Ilosovic nodded, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a small knife. Before he could start cutting, Alannah laid her hand on his wrist. "Weed roots feel smooth and cool. Redberry roots are warm and rough."
"I know, love. I won't make a mistake."
He carefully felt each root before either sparing it or slashing it with his knife and yanking up the cut weed, placing it in the growing pile beside him.
As the day wore on, and they continued to work side by side, their bodies covered in dirt and sweat, Ilosovic couldn't help but think that he had once been nothing but a neglected garden, choked with the weeds of shame, madness, and murder.
Alannah had cared for him, and rooted out the weeds, and he had felt truly alive for the first time in years.
And now he was looking forward to a nice cool bath with her.