F is for Family. He stepped back and ignored her, treated her indifferently when they were forced to be in the same sphere, even started up a brief flirtation with another girl in order to forget her out of loyalty, because he didn't want to force her into a decision that would hurt the only family he'd ever known. So it was ironic really, that it was also family that brought an end to their impasse.
F is for Fallible. His brother broke her heart, kissed another girl, got in over his head, made an irreparable mistake that sent her running out the door and straight into his arms. He had stood befuddled as she hovered there on his front porch, drenched hair plastered to her cheeks, soaked to the bone, shivering delicately as she chewed that damn lip again. It had been raining all day, which accounted for the damp clothing, but he could see from her red-rimmed eyes that the moisture on her cheeks weren't just raindrops.
Indignant anger coursed through his blood as she relayed her story, his hand clenching and his heart thrumming wildly as he gently lead her to his room, turned on the shower and left her some sweats and a long-sleeved shirt to wear so she wouldn't get sick. He wanted to hold her, touch her, kiss the pain away, but she was grieving the end of her relationship and didn't need him to add to her already heavy heart.
F is for Fragile. She looked so tiny in his clothing, the shirt hitting her knees, the sweats barely hanging on her hips despite tying them as tightly as she could. She had never looked more beautiful. But at the same time, she had never looked so hurt, disillusioned and broken as she stood in the doorframe to his room hesitantly. He could gladly kill his kin for putting that expression on her face for the hundredth time.
Walking over to her, he gently took her hand and tugged her over to the couch, where he wrapped her in a blanket and sat her in the corner, handing her the remote as he went and grabbed the cup of tea he'd steeped from the kitchen counter and handed it to her silently before taking his own seat, allowing her to decide what she needed from him.
F is for Finality. Her quietly spoken words floored him. It was a phrase he never expected to pass her lips, her tone hollow but resolved as she twisted the untouched tea in her hands, her eyes blankly fixed on the steaming liquid. She looked up at him with a small half-smile when she noted his expression before his eyes danced away from hers, unable to quell the little jump in his heart when she said it. He had wanted this from the moment they'd kissed a couple months ago, but not at this expense.
Breath hitching, he met her eyes, opening his arms wordlessly and allowed her to sink against his chest, his heart thumping noisily as she pressed her cheek to it and stroked her wet, tangled hair awkwardly, making a bumbling attempt to comfort her despite knowing that having her so close was going to be a slow, sweet torture.
F is for Freedom. She finally had it and he was happy. He never wanted her mixed up in his secret, involved with the danger and death associated with his family and he hated watching her in his brother's arms. If anything came from destiny's arrival, she was now free to pursue her own goals and dreams again, which was why he had to tread carefully. It was far too easy for them to remember and act on stolen kisses.
F is for Forgiveness. She sat curled in his lap, breathing softly, evenly as she absently stroked his arm, and half asleep in the aftermath of turbulent emotions. Shifting so he could stretch out his legs and get comfortable, he slid down and laid his head against the cushion, pillowing her against his chest as he tightened his arms around her. Pursing his lips, he shook his head at his brother's actions and wondered what he was thinking to push her aside.
Of any of them, he knew the importance of his alien past and finding out their roots, but he couldn't believe that his brother could be so cruel as to tell her that he loved only her and then run off to another girl. It was harsh and unforgivable.
Shaking his thoughts off, he tucked her into his arms and closed his eyes, a smile briefly flitting across his lips as she snuggled deeper into his chest, his name the faintest whisper on her lips as she slid into sleep. Who knew that it would take family to bring him his greatest wish, at least for the night?
F is for Fantasy.
