Night Talks: Chapter 4
ihate54: I'd be more then happy to incorporate Melissa Chapman…however, I don't believe she will be showing up any time soon, nor am I fully sure of her persona (aside from she's depressed cause of her parents assumed neglect). But I'll try my best. :D Thanks for the review!
Note…there might be some OOC-ness in this chapter. So, be aware…other then that enjoy!
-:-
"Oh you haven't seen your cousin in nearly a year, its time you paid them a visit!"
Rachel sighed a little as she proceeded to drown out her mother's on-going explanation that justified their reasons for spending this entire weekend at their Uncle Steve's. Her sisters didn't seem to mind as much, since Aunt Jean always let them stay up hours past their bed times.
The seventeen-year-old, however, wasn't exactly as thrilled when she heard the news. She would have generally been excited at the idea of being out of the house for a while, if it weren't for the fact she wouldn't get to see Tobias for that said while.
When she had informed him of the sudden change, he didn't seem all too happy either, though he did try to feign nonchalance. The half-smiles, obviously forced laughter and darkened undertones to his words didn't help much.
When he had finally began to depart, a full hour longer then his usual timing, he left her with his one of many sweater-shirts, since she always commented on how soft they were.
She had even worn it now, his long-sleeved white-plush sweater obviously a size too big for her tiny frame. The sleeves surpassed her hands and the hem grazing the middle of her thighs, but she didn't seem to mind one bit.
The innately Tobias scent of the sun, moon, stars and the glistening dew from an early-morning rain that was embedded into the garment was more then enough to compensate for her fashion faux pas.
"Dear heavens look at you!"
The blonde blinked, surprised, as she suddenly felt herself jerked forward and into a warm pair of arms. In her silent attempts on trying to classify Tobias's unique smell, her mother and younger sisters had already entered the household and Rachel was standing rather foolishly out on the front stoop.
Aunt Jean, a short middle-aged woman with a slender frame and a head of curly ginger-brown hair, proceeded to rattle off about the seventeen-year-old's increase in height and beauty. In the short trek from the front door to the living room, she and Naomi had managed to relate any and all occurrences they could have possibly missed out upon for the past year.
"Oh Rachel dear," Jean suddenly called over her shoulder, turning about slightly to flash the younger female a kind smile.
"You can go ahead downstairs to the basement. Jake is down there with his friends."
With that the auburn-haired woman turned her attentions back to Naomi at her side, murmuring of Jake's constant deteriorating of proper manners. Rachel only shook her head, eyes rolling, as she quietly opened the basement door.
Peals of laughter echoed to her ears as she hurried down the small staircase, her large pastel pink-colored duffle bag slung over one shoulder. Just as she had managed off the final step she was met by a rather tall, russet-haired fellow; surprise dotting his lightly-tanned face.
Jake was the same age as herself, seventeen, with a one month leverage done on his part; though he acted as if it were years. He was very mature for his age, even as a child it was evident. He read comics and played video games like any other boy, yet held a certain amount of knowing in his eyes that made him appear years wiser.
"Man Rach, you're nearly as tall as I am." He commented lightly, a tiny smile pulling at the corner of his lips.
The blonde chuckled half-heartedly at the statement before sighing slightly, readjusting the bag strap on her shoulder.
"Seems like I got you at a bad time?" She remarked, brow lifted as she absently gestured towards the short-sleeved white shirt and blue plaid-printed pajama bottoms he was wearing.
"Oh nah, I just got back from playing basketball with some friends so I showered and changed into my pajamas." He informed over his shoulder, leading the female further into the basement grounds.
The seventeen-year-old allowed herself to soak in her surroundings, faded memories from prior slowly beginning to assemble. It was done simple, to the point, and entirely in blue; just as she remembered.
A pleasantly soft midnight blue, nearly black, carpet covered the large cement flooring. There was a small flat screen television hooked against the left wall, with a wooden coffee table situated across from it. A large plush sofa was placed after the coffee table, a pair of nameless individuals seated on the said furniture.
"R-Rachel?"
Pale blue eyes fluttered up reflexively at the sudden and thoroughly uncertain call of her own name, a tall figure emerging from the shadows. Tall, inky black hair and glittering gold-brown eyes…almost instantly she felt her belly coil within itself, her breath caught in her throat.
She was just tired and the smell of Tobias's sweater was playing mind games with her. He wasn't standing right in front of her. He wasn't standing in the middle of Jake's basement room and he wasn't--
"Is that my shirt?"
Her cheeks warmed at that, glancing down at the soft white top he was gesturing towards and plucking at the lapels. She gave a nervous titter.
So unlike her.
"Yeah…it's really comfy. I hope you don't mind." She mumbled in a barely audible tone, voice gone softer from embarrassment.
"No, no of course not!" He exclaimed instantly, spots of bright pink sprouting on his cheeks. Then, he suddenly stepped forward and brushed the tips of his fingers over the delicate fabric of the sleeve.
"I'm glad you got some good use out of it." His voice was gentle, more tender.
Her breath stalled for an entirely new reason, finding herself peering into those familiar golden-brown orbs that made her chest ache. It was an exhilarating feeling whenever she was around Tobias…like everything that was wrong with the world was right, all was in its place and not even the Gods could even change that if they tried.
Almost…untouchable, invincible.
"Uh…you guys?"
Both heads snapped up as if wrought from a trance, eyes wide and looking a bit startled as well. Apparently they had gained the complete and undivided attention of the entire room and its inhabitants. Cheeks flushed, the pair quickly took several feet apart and away from each other, looking very chagrined.
"Well, I'm guessing your cousin already knows Bird-Boy over here." One of Jake's friends, a tall bronze-tanned boy with a short-cropped mane of raven black hair, drawled loudly from the sofa, absently flipping through the channels.
Jake whirled about to give his companion a cautionary glare, which was thankfully missed by a preoccupied Rachel. She was more interested on finding out how Tobias got here and more importantly his reason as to why.
She was just about to voice her wonders, when she was promptly cut off.
"You never told me you knew my cousin, Tobias?" Jake suddenly murmured though it came out more as a question, turning about to pin the sable-haired male a curious stare.
"I…well…" The eighteen-year-old struggled for a proper way to answer the statement, glancing desperately at the female at his side. Sensing his distress, she stepped forward, flashing a partial grin.
"Eh…he didn't know I was your cousin and I never thought to tell him." She replied almost tentatively, even though it wasn't a farce either way.
He honestly hadn't known and she surely was not going to relate her entire family history to someone. It was, however, a bit questioning since he well knew of her last name and probably knew of Jake's. Yet he had never considered the possibility of them being related.
"Well that's understandable." That boy from the couch remarked, tilting his head back to cast her cousin a mischievous glance.
"She's actually attractive unlike our Fearless Leader over here."
Jake sneered at the comment, reaching over to a near-by throw pillow and chucking it towards the other male's head. He grinned some as it made solid contact square in the back of his skull, soliciting a slight yelp.
"Cassie, could you tell your boyfriend over here that violence isn't the answer!" The injured male whined ruefully, tossing back the very same cushion thrown at him towards the auburn-haired boy.
Cassie only sighed a little as she quickly made her way around the feuding pair, who were too busy attempting to maim each other with bolster-turned-weaponry to notice.
"You'll have to excuse Jake and Marco over there," The raven-haired female muttered apologetically to a slightly bewildered-looking Rachel, smiling slightly at their adolescent behavior.
"Sometimes I think their minds stopped growing at eleven."
The blonde only shook her head with a chuckle, watching on as that Marco fellow was reduced to tossing popcorn kernels for defense, what with all the pillows having accumulated onto Jake's side of the room.
"Shouldn't we go in and stop them?" Tobias piped up suddenly, brows quirked as he glanced expectantly between the two girls for an answer.
"Well, I guess we should…" Cassie murmured in a nearly reluctant tone, chewing at the corner of her lip with her hesitancy.
"Yes, yes we should." Rachel followed but a moment later, sigh with the air of a worn mother.
However as the two made a move to do so, the golden-haired seventeen-year-old stepped over and looped her arm with Tobias's, lightly nudging the other girl to halt. Her eyes were twinkling with a dark mirth, a sinister smirk twisting her lips.
"But what fun would come of that?"
-:-
Eventually, Jake and Marco came to some sort of peace agreement, which conveniently arose after Aunt Jean came downstairs with a large pie of extra cheese pizza. Their discrepancies forgotten, the two boys convened around the tiny coffee table for a late-night dinner, soon followed by the remaining three in the group.
The second movie of the Austin Powers trilogy was found playing through some half-hearted channel surfing and they quickly took seat onto the sofa. Marco had opted to remain seated on the floor, being that way he wouldn't have to lean over every time he wanted another slice of pizza.
Cassie curled up under Jake's arm, which was thrown protectively about her tiny shoulders to keep her there, all the while. Tobias and Rachel had also taken spot next to each other on the couch, though certainly not as affectionate as the other couple.
It was about half-way through the movie when the blonde began to show signs of fatigue, her head slumping forward before snapping back up again. This occurred several times before she finally gave into slumber, unconsciously tipping sideways from her upward position and onto an unsuspecting Tobias.
His entire body went stone rigid when he found that pretty face tucked snugly in the curve of his shoulder, expression unperturbed and free from the worries that daily life could bring. After taking a quick glance about himself, to make sure he hadn't gained an unwanted audience to his next move, he allowed his frame to relax into normalcy, sinking back into the sofa cushions.
Tobias then moved his hand upward to brush away the several strands of gold that had managed to slide over her brow. She groaned a little in her sleep, rousing somewhat before going back to sleep, burying her face into the nape of his throat.
He smiled.
-:-
Unbeknownst to the pair of fingers that were sifting through her long tresses, Rachel allowed herself to step through the thick chaparral of shrubbery and into a large meadow. It was positively breathtaking, surrounded by trees and other varying foliage of all sizes.
Almost entranced by the beauty of it all, the blonde stumbled further into the clearing, taking note that the sky had taken on a gleaming shade of sapphire blue with fleeting scintillations of orange streaked through, which meant it was probably a little past dusk.
Then, a large bird careened over head. It circled above her like a vulture analyzing its prey before taking a graceful dip her direction and perching itself onto her shoulder.
Now in closer range, she could see that it was in fact that hawk she had seen at the pet store several days ago, which had also mysteriously found its way outside her window that same night.
The predacious bird fluffed at its cinnamon-colored tussock, resetting any disarranged feathers back into proper place with its long, narrow beak. It was oblivious to her, nearly ignoring her presence; far more enthralled with the arrangement of feathers on its left wing.
Then, with a defiant caw, the large creature took to flight once more, gliding carelessly about the cool evening air. Rachel tilted her head back slightly to watch as the bird continued to soar to extraordinary heights, becoming a faint slip of brown amongst the glinting dots of light that were the stars.
She wondered what it would be like to be that hawk, to be able to just fly away, let it all go and just be…
…free.
She didn't know when it happened really, or why she hadn't noticed to begin with, but she discovered that vulturine bird hovering dangerously over her own face. Its wings flapped every second or so, in slow and precise motions to remain suspended in mid-air.
Peering down at her were those rich pools of gold liquid that were its eyes…and suddenly the bird jerked back with a start, wings spreading out to full length and its tiny back arching to a dangerous curve.
Its entire frame rippled like that of a whirlpool of water, warm chestnut-brown feathers melting away to reveal a rich cream-colored flesh beneath. Its wings shot out and as did its talons, the slender beak deteriorating right before her very eyes.
As grotesque and unpleasant as the display was, Rachel found herself unable to look away, her pale blue eyes unwilling to stray from its glinting amber-gold. The wings were no longer wings and talons no longer the claws, yet its eyes…always the same.
Well, his eyes.
She felt her heart quiver in her chest as she saw the creature's completed transformation, unbelieving of her own sight. With a pair of trembling hands, Rachel reached over and pressed her palms against the flesh of his face.
It felt like…flesh.
She allowed her fingers to trace the delicately skin over his fine cheek bones, the prominent curve of his chin and his pleasantly soft lips; not an inch of his face left untouched. He was real, he was a boy.
No, no, no. He was a bird. A boy…a bird…a boy…
His larger hands gently slid over her own, carefully pulling them away from his face and resting them against his chest. He then bent forward, forehead pressing onto hers, lips a feather of a wisp from her own.
She could feel it, his hands, his skin, his fire-hot breath…that strong, incessant thump under his left breast, where her hand lay.
He was real. He was human.
"Tobias…"
Rachel wrenched up with a start, eyes rounded and nostrils flared like that of a wounded animal. Her pulse was increasing at an alarming rate as she desperately glanced about herself, trying to regain her bearings.
An empty pizza carton…blue rug…large television…
She was at Jake's house…ah yes, that was right. She was spending the weekend at Uncle Steve's since mother had a big case out of town. And she had came downstairs to join her cousin and…
"Are you okay, Rachel?"
His hands were nestled on the curve of her shoulders, clutching firmly and keeping her in place. As he stared down at her, brow creased with lines of vast worry, she couldn't help but to be simply entranced by his eyes, his startlingly gold-brown eyes.
They were too pretty, too unreal to be human…she gave a loud sigh of exasperation, reaching up to rub her face and rid the obvious loss of sense from her mind.
Tobias Fangor was a boy. Not some ridiculous hawk…it was all a terrible dream, just a terrible dream.
"Yeah…" She finally murmured absently, trying her best to get herself to stop imagining what Tobias would look like with feathers in place of his skin.
"I'm fine."
-:-
The ending was a bit iffy…
- Many might claim Jake and Marco don't fight a lot (though I like to call it playful banter between friends)…but I couldn't have Rachel go burst into a full-blown argument with him already, having JUST met him.
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