*Author's Note*

Thanks for reading, faving, following, and reviewing.

Hate, No Loathe Entirely

Novella POV:

Last night's encounter with Tolbert while washing up the dishes still had me reeling and feeling like shit. So much so that I could barely focus at work. I was just typing up things for my uncle, but still. I was going to be going to Florida with Cap tomorrow and that was nerve wracking. I mean I was going to be presenting him as my boyfriend in front of my sorority sisters, my friends, and a bunch of other people during the wedding. Hell, nobody in Pike knew he was my boyfriend, but everybody everywhere else would. Kinda messed up, right?

I was struggling to keep focused, my mind kept drifting every which way, as I typed up some legal claim paper whenever my office door opened followed by my brother sliding his way inside. "So, are ya packin' a little or a lot of bags tonight?" Moses asked me as he walked over to the chair adjacent to my L-shaped desk.

"Um, I dunno. Enough for the weekend I guess, why?" I remarked to my brother while typing up a claim.

Moses shrugged before leaning back in his chair. "Just thought you'd take most of your clothes over to your man's since you more or less live with him."

"I don't live with him. Just spent a couple weekends with him's all."

"He gave you a damn key. You're with him 4 out of 7 days a week. Sorry to break it to ya sissy, but you're living with him." My brother pointed out with a smartass look on his bearded face.

"No, I'm not officially living with him. Just visiting, coming and going." I explained over the sound of my fingers quickly typing on the keyboard.

"Then just make if official. Hell, he's your boyfriend and you've known him long 'nough."

"Why're you pushing this?" I asked with a raised brow, my head tilted slightly at my brother.

"Cause I want you to be happy, sissy, and sad to say Cap makes you happy. Tolbert don't anymore, prolly never will or at least fully." Moses confessed, a look of complete honesty painted over his face, as he lounged in the chair across from my desk.

"Dear lord, don't bring up Tolbert. I can't think bout him anymore." I groaned, feeling the start of a migraine come on.

"Why, what happened last night?" Moses asked, concern in his cerulean blues. I just shook my head, silently letting my brother know that I didn't feel like talking about it. "I was at the arcade last night. All I was told 'fore going there to hang out was that you were havin' dinner with Tolbert." Of course Uncle Perry told him that. Damnit.

I really didn't want to talk about the incident, but I did need to get the melancholy feeling it burdened me with off my chest. I rubbed my temple and let out a sigh. "Tolbert kissed me and tried to convince me to take him back when we were doing the dishes, but I pushed him away and left."

"Okay, so?" My brother shrugged in a so what type of gesture.

"So? So, when I was leaving he broke all the dishes in the sink and was cursing up a storm. I hurt him real bad." I said in a guilt ridden town, my eyes downcast and glued to the keyboard sitting a few feet away from me on my desk

"Oh well. Like him finding out you're Cap Hatfield's girlfriend ain't gonna hurt?" Moses rhetorically asked in a scoff. "Come on, Novella, no matter what you're gonna hurt him."

"I know, but I don't want too." I revealed, leaning back in my leather chair.

My brother's cerulean eyes widened with sudden realization. "Christ, you still love him too don't 'cha?"

"I'm not in love with him, but a part of me loves him. Ya know?" I explained to Moses, hoping that he'd understand where I was coming from.

"Oh shit, sissy, you've got a fuckin' love triangle goin' on." Moses chuckled with an amused looked on his face as he leaned forward a bit in his chair.

I shook my head faster than a wet dog fresh outta the tub while quickly blurting out, "What? No, I don't."

"Yea, ya do." Moses told me, holding back a chuckle, before going on to lengthily explain his theory of, "You love two guys. One is an old love, but it's still there, and the other's a brand spankin' new love that's twinklin' brighter then the North Star." Giving me a wink he said, "Fun thing is ya gotta snuff one out, forever."

"Oh my god." I groaned, my head falling into my hands. I can't believe this shit, how'd I get myself into a love triangle where one side's platonic beats me.

"I think you should just cut Tolbert off like a finished turd." Moses told me, making a scissor snipping motion with his fingers. Waving his hand in the air he said, "Bye bye shithead, enjoy your time in the Kentucky State Pen."

Giving my precious little brother a dirty look, I firmly told him, "Moses, don't talk like that. Our job's supposed to be keeping Tolbert and his brothers outta there."

"Might be our job, but don't mean it's happenin'." He honestly told me, causing me to let out a sigh. My brother shook his head incredulously, his messy manbun swaying on top of his head, as he snapped out, "Jesus, we both know they'd done it. Hell, Uncle Perry lied to both of us 'bout the case." Moses let out a frustrated huff before continuing his rant with, "I could be in Louie-Ville right now gettin' trashed at parties and bangin' dumb freshman bitches, but no I'm stuck here. At least you can get outta this mess and go to Mate Creek with Cap." My brother pointed a finger at me while saying, "Run bitch run, get 'way while ya can."

"You're horrible."

"Yea, but it's the truth." And sadly, my little brother was right, it was the truth.

"Sometimes I wonder how you're even my brother." I teased Moses, shooting him a tiny smirk.

"Yea, I wonder the same thing too." He joked right before offering, "When we get off work I can help ya pack your shit."

I gave him a small smile and said, "Sure, I'll take your help."

"Good." Moses nodded before dramatically rising from his chair and announcing, "Now I best be off to do some mundane clerk work."

"Damn, you gotta lotta clothes." My brother told me from his spot perched on my bed as I opened up my closet, revealing rows and rows of various clothing items.

"Shut up, you're the one that offered to help me pack since you think I need to take most of this stuff over to my boyfriend's." I reminded him, turning around to shoot him a dirty look.

"Well, you do. Just didn't realize how much shit ya had."

"Shut up. Just help me." I snapped, standing in front of my closet with my hands resting on my hips.

"I will. Just toss me the clothes and I'll stuff 'em in your bags." I just nodded before grabbing things off of hangers and tossing them at my brother. After a few minutes of silence, other then the sounds of clothes whooshing as they got tossed around, my brother spoke up with, "So are ya packing up everything or leavin' some things behind?"

I bit my lip, thinking for a few seconds, before answering with, "Um, I'll leave a few things behind."

"Yea, that'd be smart. Keep Uncle Perry off your trail and give Roseanna some laundry to do."

"It's got nothing to do with that. It's so I can have stuff to wear when I'm here." I told my brother, yanking a few items off of hangers and tossing them across the room at him.

"Which is gonna be slim to none of the time since you're living with your man." He remarked in a know-it-all tone while grabbing some of the clothes that were scattered around him.

"I'm not living with him. Sheesh, how many times do I gotta tell you that?"

"Sure, whatever you say sissy…" Moses' voice trailed off in a low whistle as he folded up a shirt and tossed it into a bag. A lull of silence fell over the room til my brother broke it by asking, "Is the small duffel bag gonna be for your weddin' weekend clothes?"

"Yep." I simply told him as I tossed some dresses at him. "Put those in the duffel if you don't mind." I nicely ordered before turning my attention to yank more things off of hangers.

"Okay, but why'd ya need three dresses for? It's just one weddin' ain't it?" Moses remarked, picking up the dresses from the pile by him.

"I don't know what one I'm going to wear and those are my nicest party dresses." It was true, those were the dresses that I owned that didn't scream lawyer or office professional. They were all cut mid-thight, but were tight and had either low-cut cleavage or were strapless. I wasn't going to my friend wedding with Cap, who's a very handsome man, looking like a prude. I wanted my friends to see that I had somebody too, then maybe they'd stop making jokes and jeers about how I was going to end up a crazy old cat woman.

"Oh, so then you're gonna torture Cap by makin' him see ya in all the dresses and pick the one he likes best?" He sarcastically asked, folding and placing the dresses into the small duffel bag.

"Shut up and help me pack. I don't want to get to the house too late."

"You'll get there in plenty of time for dinner, don't worry sissy." Moses assured me as he continued to fold and stuff clothes into my bags. "Everyone thinks you're riding to the wedding with your friend with the bad marriage, don't they?"

"Yep." I popped my tongue as I walked out of my closet. While walking over to my dresser I explained, "It's the best cover story to explain why I'm taking off tonight instead of tomorrow morning."

"Uh, why do you got a Capitals jersey for? I didn't know you like hockey."

"I don't like hockey, but Cap does and we went to one of the Stanley Cup Finals games in DC. He bought me a jersey to match his."

"Got any pics of that?"

"Yep, on my phone." I told my brother as I started to grab some things out of my pj drawer.

It was quiet for a minute or so before my brother's voice cut throw the air with a loud and startled cry of, "Jesus, you got nudes and shit of him on here! Gross man."

"What the fuck?! You're snooping in my phone?" I balked, snapping my head around to look at my brother who in fact had my phone in his hand.

"Yea, I figured your code's your birthday. Just didn't think you'd have some naughty pics of him or that he'd be the type to send them." Moses said as turned my phone off and placed it back onto my bedside table.

"Get out, Mo. I'll finish packing myself." I snapped at my brother, pointing towards my door.

"Yea, what my eyes have seen can never be unseen. I need eyeball bleach, asap yo." Moses told me, a bit overdramatically, as he got off my bed.

I narrowed my eyes at my brother, loudly ordering in a semi-hiss, "Go on and get!"

"I'm goin', don't gotta tell me twice." Moses said me quickly exiting my room.

Oh my god, I can't believe that just happened.

As I entered the farmhouse with a duffel slung over my shoulder, dragging my rolling luggage behind me, Cap walked downstairs. He had changed out of his work suit into some sweatpants an a wifebeater, clearly meaning he wanted us to stay in tonight and laze about. "Ya movin' in?" Cap asked, a smirk crossing his face, as he placed his feet on the ground.

"No." I shook my head before explaining, "Just bringing some stuff over so I don't need to bring a bag with me every time I stay here."

Cap looked me over as I stood in front of him clutching the handles of my bags. His mismatched eyes held a mirth in them as he used his hand to gesture to my luggage. "Hmm, could've fooled me. Looks like you're movin' in, baby."

"Looks like we're staying in tonight." I quickly retorted, raking my eyes over his appearance, with a slight smile. Damn my boyfriend looked fine in his black wifebeater, the shirt accented his tones arms and chest perfectly. I wasn't complaining, not one bite. Staying in was fine with me.

He nodded, his blonde shaggy hair tossing about slightly around his face. "Yea, figured since we'll be on the road most of tomorrow it'd be nice for us to just relax tonight."

"Okay, so do you want me to cook or do you want to order pizza?"

"I've been eatin' outta the microwave all week so a homecooked meal would be nice. 'Sides we'll be eatin' out all weekend."

"Okay, I'll cook something after I put my bags in our room and get changed." I told him before walking over to the stairs.

"Ya want me to defrost something for you?" He asked as he stood by the bannister that my hand was currently resting on.

"If you want that'd be nice." I told Cap before making my way up the stairs.

It only took me a few minutes to place my bags by the closet and change into some leggings and a tank before making my way back downstairs and to the kitchen. As I set foot into said kitchen I heard the hum of the microwave, indicating the frozen meat was being thawed, while I spotted Cap sitting at the kitchen island with some glasses of tea in front of him. One for each of us.

"So, what's defrosting?" I asked as I took a seat next to my boyfriend at the island.

"Porkchops." Cap answered, picking up his glass and taking a swig. Placing his glass back down he told me, "Figured you could make them brown sugar maple glazed chops with taters or somethin'."

My face fell before I my flowing voice trailed a bit as I asked, "Oh…you really like those?"

He looked at me like I was crazy, or had lobsters crawling out of my ears, while remarking, "Yea, baby, why wouldn't I? Ya know I like everythin' ya cook."

"Yea, well, Tolbert and his daughter don't." I revealed in a defeated sigh at the same time the microwave beeped, indicating the pork was done defrosting.

"Wait, what? When did ya cook for them?" Cap asked, his deep rollin' tone goin' up an octave, as I left the island and went over to grab the pork.

"Last night." I simply told Cap, closing the microwave door after grabbing the package of meat from it. "Tolbert had some deliveries and couldn't pick up Sally Elle so I did. I watched her and made dinner." I explained, placing the pork down on the counter before grabbing a bowl from a cabinet. Cap just nodded, motioning for me to continue, as I placed a large glass bowl onto the counter near the package of pork. Walking over to the pantry to grab the brown sugar and maple syrup I sighed, "Turns out they don't like the chops or my potato salad." I went back to the counter, slamming the pantry ingredients down a bit harshly, while scoffing out in disbelief, "At least they ate the green beans without complaints."

"Don't let 'em not likin' your cookin' get ya down." Cap told me as his feet echoed on the tile floor, making his way over to me. As I began to put ingredients into a mixing bowl to make a marinade/glaze for the porkchops he came to a stop right behind me. Cap placed a hand of my hip and kissed my neck, right behind my ear, before telling me, "Only opinion 'bout your cookin' that means anything's mine and I love how ya cook." He placed another kiss behind my ear and gently rubbed my hip before his assuring me in his deep rolling voice, "Food's always delicious."

I wasn't going to tell Cap about Tolbert's kiss, but him kissing my neck made me feel a sense of deja vu, except this time the kiss was wanted. I let out a sigh, my body tensing up, before I quickly blurted out, "Tolbert kissed me when I was washing the dishes after dinner. I pushed him away and left. Nothing happened, but you're right 'bout him still being in love with me."

"What?!" Cap yelled at the top of his lungs as he swung me around to face him. Hate was shining brightly out of his mismatched eyes. So much so that his lone icy eye was near black with rage. His usually stone-still ruggedly scruffy face shook with anger. Cap's deep rolling-wave of a voice was eerily demanding as he seethed, "That's it, you're tellin' everyone we're together after we get home from Florida."

I was taken aback by his demand. "But we agreed I'd come clean 'bout us after the trial." I reminded him, my voice sounding smaller than it actually was.

"Yea, well, that was before Tolbert started kissing on ya in his fuckin' kitchen after insultin' your cookin'." Cap snapped in a sharp and deep tone that I'd never heard him use before. His chest was heaving angrily as he barked, "He wants a damn wife an' ma for his brat and like hell he's gonna keep thinkin' you're available for the job."

"I told him I don't wanna be with him, that we're just friends. Nothing's going to happen." I told my boyfriend, trying to calm him down and make him understand that I wanted to be with him and not Tolbert. That I was keeping the ginger in the friendzone and would never ever be unfaithful.

"Yea, your little friendship with him ends now. He can get somebody else to babysit his kid, it ain't gonna be you." Cap ranted, his jaw twitching, as he stood with his arms firmly crossed over his chest.

I shook my head, my cornflower blues wide with disbelief. "Cap, I can't do that. I'm his lawyer, plus he's got nobody else to help out with his little girl."

"That's a bit much don't ya think?" He rhetorically spat at me, staring me down with a cold, but anger filled look that was enough to freeze the blood in my veins. "Hell, he's got a ma and a bunch of sisters to help with that kid. He don't need your help, he's only asking for it as a way to try and get back wit'cha."

"Okay." I nodded, softly mumbling a bit. I honestly never saw Cap so riled up in my life and I didn't like it. I swallowed and invisible lump in my throat before asking, "Can we stop fighting over this?"

"Yea, but I don't want ya babysitting for Tolbert or hanging 'round his house no more. No good'll come outta it." Cap growled, sounding like an angry wolf ready to strike, before storming out of the kitchen and down the hall to the living room.

Oh boy, I opened up Pandora's box whenever I told Cap about Tolbert's kiss. He hated the man before, but now he entirely loathes him. I practically just signed Tolbert's death warrant when I confessed what happened last night with him. Cap's going to go after him hard with no remorse cause of me. I feel it in my bones.

And Cap's in an irritable mood, which I don't really know how to deal with since I've never seen him like this before. I have no idea what to do, other then make his favorite desert of icebox chocolate peanut butter pie and hope it calms him down.

After dinner me and Cap ended up in our room. My theory about his favorite desert calming him down worked, thank the lord. I don't know how I would've dealt with him tonight if he was still moody. We didn't bring up Tolbert and Sally Elle again, I reckon we never will. Currently Cap was watching tv while I was unpacking my suitcases. It was quiet except for the sound of the program on the History Channel blaring out of the tv's speakers.

I was hanging up my navy pantsuit whenever Cap's deep rollin' timbre broke the silence with, "I told Johnse 'bout Sarah Elizabeth. He wants visitation and to enact his rights."

"Are you gonna represent him in court or mediation?" I asked, stepping out of the closet and going to the open suitcase nearby.

"Yep."

"Oh."

"You know the McCoys are gonna be madder then a hornet when they find out you spilled the beans 'bout the girl's name." Cap told me as I walked back into the closet, work clothes slung over my arm.

Shit. Realization dawned on me, that picture I sent was going to condemn me as a Hatfield lover for sure. Hanging up another pantsuit I asked in a sigh, "You'll use that picture I sent as documental evidence in Johnse's custody case won't you?"

"Yep." Cap simply popped his tongue. Bet he was nodding his head too.

Shit. I'm so screwed. Emerging out of the closet and going over to the bag I was unpacking I asked, "Can't ya'll wait til after the trial's over to start filing mediation papers?"

"Johnse already talked to his wife, they wanna get this done as soon as possible." Yea, Johnse and the stripper would. Damnit.

"Well, custody cases can talk a while so…" I shrugged, hanging up my clothes. Damn, Moses was right I do got a lot of clothes.

"Hell, with Uncle Wall it won't take too long and ya know it."

"I know." I sighed, feeling a bit guilty. Roseanna was going to feel so betrayed by me once all of this got rolling.

"How's Roseanna's health? Is all her lab work comin' back a'ight?"

"I dunno." I honestly said, looking up from the bag I was rifling through. "Uncle Perry's been remarking a lot that she looks particularly pale or that she seems to need to rest more." I expaned while grabbing a bunch of clothes.

"Damnit." Cap cursed under his breath. "Reckon Johnse's gonna end up with all his lil bastards under his roof."

"Will, be nice." I chastised him, giving him a stern look from over my shoulder, before disappearing inside our closet.

"Perry'll hate you if anything happens to Roseanna and Johnse gets custody of Sarah Elizabeth, won't he?" Cap asked, even though I'm pretty sure he already knew the answer to his question.

"Yea." I sadly sighed. Placing some work dresses on hangers and putting them away I explained, "He considers her to be like his daughter since he's been helping raise her since she was like 4 or 5 or something like that."

"Your brother's got your back tho. He won't hate ya."

"No, he actually thinks I should move in with you. Even helped me pack." I left out the part about Moses finding the nudes, Cap doesn't need to know about that.

"Moses is a smart man." Not really, he does some dumb shit. Like snooping into phones without asking. "Ya should move in with me."

I rolled my eyes, even though he couldn't see me do it since my back was facing him, and snipped out, "Of course, you'd say that."

As I went to grab some more stuff I heard him soften his deep rolling tone to tell me, "I say it cause I mean it. I'd like for ya to move in with me if ya want."

"After the trial I'm leaving Pike. I'll come here permanently then, okay?"

"Okay, if that's how ya want it then that's how it'll go."

"I mean it Cap, once the trial's over I'll tell everyone in Kentucky then move over here to West Virginia." I wasn't bullshitting him either, once my obligations were fulfilled I'd be free to relocate.

"I know, baby, but I'd prefer it if you just said fuck it and did all that now." He honestly told me as I disappeared into his closet once again.

"Patience is a virtue. In another month or so your house'll be full of girly touches." I told him as I hung up a blouse.

"Come here." Cap patted the empty spot next to him on the bed. "Ya can finish unpackin' later."

"What is it?" I asked, quirking up a shaped auburn brow, as I walked over to him.

"Just wanna watch some tv with ya."

"Oh, is that so?" I playfully asked as I sat down on the bed next to Cap. Instantly he pulled me closer to him, making me curl into his side. I rested my head on his chest along with a hand. We cuddled in silence watching Ax Men, cause only my boyfriend would find a reality show about loggers entertaining. Cap's hand would lazily stroke my back up and down. Tilting my head up to look at him I asked, "What time are we leaving in the morning?"

"Early." He simply answered. Over the sound of falling trees on tv he went on to explain, "It's a 10-11-hour drive so if we wanna be there before dark we gotta hit the road by 6, 6:30 the latest."

I nodded before asking, "We taking your car or mine?"

"Mine since I'm driving." Cap simply answered. "Ya know after this is over we should try and go to sleep."

I nodded, letting him know that I agreed with his suggestion, before resting my head back down on his chest. Silently we finished watching the logging show before Cap turned off the tv, set his alarm, and switched off the bedside lamp. "Nite, Will." I softly told him as I felt his hand curl around my waist.

"Nite, Nova." He told me, his deep waving voice soft and endearing, as he tangled one of his legs with mine, linking us together like fitting pieces of a puzzle. He bent his head down slightly and pressed a kiss to my forehead as a tender goodnight gesture.

Tomorrow would be a long day of traveling, but tonight I'd be sleeping in the strong, protective, and caring arms of my boyfried Will 'Cap' Hatfield who I'd hate to admit had a hold on my heart so tight that nothing could loosen it.

AN:

Isn't Moses such a great little brother, telling Nova she's in a love triangle and helping her pack her bags? Ooo and Moses is full-fledged team Cap! Cap's laying down the law, no more hanging out with Tolbert and Sally Elle. Is Novella gonna listen tho? Yes, no, maybe so.