Envie de jouer?

The Woods // Darius and Anna

Darius almost immediately relaxed when she explained that she was fine with his possessiveness. He knew he had a problem, but he also knew that it had nothing to do with the instincts. Well, the Predator Instinct made it worse, but he’s always been protective of anyone he gets attached to. Smiling, he just held her closer, if at all possible since they were already so close. Darius didn’t think he could get luckier, really, Anna was, no, is the best person he’d ever met. He wanted to protect her forever. “It’s okay, I was just, worried, I wanted you to be okay.” He felt like he was repeating things, which he probably was. But, honestly, he wasn’t sure what else he could say. He just wanted to hold Anna close and keep her safe. Darius’ smile became a bit sheepish at the mention of the clearing. He’d only noticed when waiting for the other wolves, it’d made him growl to himself since his instincts were upset at his inability to keep his mate happy. But, that was the instincts talking, when he noticed, he was just saddened by the memories. “Yeah, I remember, I don’t, I don’t think I did this on purpose, but to be honest I never know when it comes to my instincts.” He explained, shrugging albeit awkwardly. “That’s good, because I want to protect you from everything and anything that could hurt you.”

#c: darius #darius #((LOOK HOW HAPPY SHE IS #HOW HAPPY HE MAKES HER #UGH THESE TWO!!))

Anna smiled widely when she felt him relax. They were so similar, and so in tune. They wanted the same things for each other, just to protect and love and make each other happy. She rested her head on his shoulder and brushed her fingers lazily through his hair. She nodded. "I'm very ok, Darius. I'm exactly where I want to be with who I want to be with. I couldn't be happier than this moment, cheesy as that sounds." And it was true. In that moment, he'd managed to push all her worries from her mind. Her brother coming, her inability to shift, that part of her that, no matter what, still cared for Dalek and missed him dearly. He'd pushed it all away, giving her the space to be calm and happy again. She looked up at him as he spoke about the clearing. "I doubt it you did either. But still, it's kind of cool." She smiled as her fingers continued to run through his hair. "It's the clearing we met in, the clearing we were in the first time we slept together, and now it's the clearing where we finally stopped being stupid and told each other how we felt." She kissed his neck softly and chuckled. "That's not possible, cher. You can't wrap me in bubble wrap and protect em from everything." She pulled away and looked him in the eye. "But you can be there for me when I'm hurt or scared. Or when my anxiety disorder kicks in and I need someone to hold me. That's all I need from you, just be there for me." She smiled softly. "Be my mate, in your terms. And I'll be yours."

"Merde!"

Gabriel noticed the way she sighed, even if it was small, but he found himself able to do the same. Out of the few people that actually knew of his wings, even fewer were allowed to actually tough them. Darius had, just once, to get a loose feather off of his back, and even then Gabriel was uncomfortable. Raleigh had touched them, well, if that’s what it could even be called. It was more of a quick grab, but Anna didn’t need to know about his first his first real altercation with Raleigh Ward. “Yeah, but not that much anymore. It’s like some parts have become numb, while other parts are just sore when something touches them, I could go more into detail but eh.” He replied shrugging near the end, there was a dull, aching pain that followed, he was long used to that by now. But her hand was definitely helping to relax him. He chuckled at her conditions, ready to just complain and snark about how ridiculous they were, but he realized that he’s never said one thing before. “You’re an amazing person Anna, I know you’ll probably never believe that, but it’s true. You’re a beautiful woman, a brilliant person, a gorgeous dancer, and just an all around fantastic person. Those are the facts. And I can live with those conditions, but you better help me groom them, I haven’t even looked at these feathered monstrosities in forever, so there’s bound to be some bent feathers that I need to get rid of.”

#c: gabriel #gabriel #((SHE JUST LOVES HIM SO MUCH OK #LIKE SHE HAS DECIDED SHE IS KEEPING HIM #LIKE THEY WILL KEEP IN CONTACT UNTIL ONE OF THEM DIES #HE IS HERS SHE WILL ACCEPT NO ARGUMENTS!!))

Anna bit her lip when she felt his wings relax under her touch but chose not to bring attention to that fact. She frowned when Gabriel told her how his wings had become numb. "Gabriel... you shouldn't do that. I know you're not exactly fond of them, but they're still a part of you. You have to take some care of them at least." She rested her head on his shoulder in the silence and just kept gently stroking his wings through his shirt. She smiled as he started speaking, she loved the sound of his voice. Her hand froze when she caught what he was saying and she slowly sat up to look at him. It wasn't until he'd finished speaking, even speaking about grooming his feathers before she snapped back. She'd heard everything, it was just... She threw her arms around him as tears filled her eyes. "Gabriel, I love you so very much. I need you to know that. You're-just-you have no idea what a beautiful person you are." She squeezed him gently and buried her face in his neck. "No one has ever told me that before. Those things... my brother has told me similar, same with my parents, but... no one who had the choice to dislike me has ever said it. Even Dalek never said it with the same... I dunno. You're amazing." She kissed his cheek and ran her fingers through his hair once. "Don't ever change on me, ok? Just always stay this amazing."

alistairgrismond

The corners of his eyes crinkled as he smiled now. It was pleasant, hearing her enthusiasm for dancing. And a love for storms. “What style of dance are we talking about here? Because mine would range from awkward swaying to awkward swaying with a few knee dips.” He laughs a small amount at the memory of his own dancing; even when drunk he couldn’t get himself to loosen up enough to dance okay. "Well, Lord Byron wrote some of his best pieces on stormy nights too. Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein during a storm, you know."

Anna laughed. "Mostly ballet, it's what I'm good at. But during storms I just kind of... move. I dunno, I just do whatever my body feels like doing. I've been told it looks like ballet merged with that like performance art stuff." She smiled. "I could teach you to dance if you want." She raised her hands. "Strictly teach, I promise not to grope you. Ballet is my specialty but I'm pretty good with a few different types. Can you slow dance? Everyone needs to be able to dance to a low song, weddings and such." She laughed a little to the facts he told her. "I did not know that, but Mary Shelley writing it during a storm doesn't surprised me in the least. Makes it pretty clear where the idea came from."

#c: alistair #alistair

islaturner

"Hey, it’s not all bad. I’m not a total downer about them, it’s just frustrating sometimes. I’ve had to adapt sleeping, showering takes ages, and it makes first dates kind of awkward, but I can fly. That’s the best part." She rolled her eyes, gesturing at her chest. "I’m no Kim Kardashsian, am I? No booty, no boobs, I’m like a bean pole with wing. Screw runner bean, I’m a flying bean." A huff escaped her and she burst out laughing, her smile matching the woman’s radiant grin. "If only. That sounds dreamy! Back home, everything was measured and calorie counted. No fats, processed foods and carbs were only allowed on weekends. I set up a little smuggling route. It went through my art teacher, and on weekends, my maths tutor. My favourite was anything with honeycomg; cookies, chocolates, hot chocolate. My Mom could never work out why I wasn’t shifting those ‘extra’ pounds." Her smile faltered slightly, though she tried to pretend it hadn’t. "Coming here was a huge adjustment period. The food is the least of it. When I dreamed of escaping to go to Uni, this wasn’t what I was planning on."

Anna smiled. "Well at least you have a decent outlook about it. I've met some people who hate their powers. I mean, I understand some of them, there are some shitty powers out there." She sighed. "I dunno, maybe I'm biased, I love mine." She laughed. "Well, you're looking at a ballerina, we're known for our minimal curves, so maybe they'll fit fine." She smiled and listened as the other girl recounted her own home life. "Wow, I can't even imagine. Your mother would probably have a proximity heart attack just being near mine! The funny thing is, my mother has a similar figure to mine. I don't know what it is, the boys have to work, both my brother and my papa have to work that shit off, but her and I? Nope, we can almost eat whatever we want. It's really unfair, I know." Anna, always so very observant, noted how her smile faltered, but said nothing. She nodded. "I hear that a lot. My power is easy to hide, so I was able to go to a normal human high school. I was planning to go to a normal university near Baton Rouge, but then my friend got a teaching job here and I got a letter inviting me, so I figured why not?" She tilted her head. "I've been here... about five years now? Around that, and I love it. I've never felt more at home anywhere. I'm looking into becoming a teacher, actually. You won't regret coming here."

#c: isla #isla

alistairgrismond

Alistair hadn’t seen this particular student in a while, though he’d heard enough rumours about her concerning a relationship between herself and a colleague of his. Alistair took the rumours with a pinch of salt, of course. Though it did make him slightly wary. He could only hope that the rumours were just rumours.

"Good morning, Miss Chaveau. It’s… been a while, yes." He says. The last time they’d spoken she’d been particularly flirty, so he was inclined to be even more formal now. "I only like the power going out when it’s dark. It’s not as thrilling when you’ve got the sun to light up your path, and there’s no use for candles during the day. We’re in the same boat, however." He looks at her. "I love storms too." She seemed different, but it was probably just his imagination. "Tend to… write in my journals when it’s storming."

Technically he wasn't wrong, in fact she was on her second teacher. But in her mind Dalek didn't count, cause they'd dated before she came to Morgana's, and soon she was going to be training to be a teacher. She smiled up at him. She gave a small pout at his formality, but she figured she deserved it. She tried not to laugh at what he'd say when he found out she was going to be a teacher. She nodded. "Yes, true, it's kind of stupid if it's light out." She smiled. "I like to dance. I dunno what it is, storms just make me want to dance. I don't care if it's inside by candle light or outside in the rain, but I just can't sit still. I don't even put music on." She smiled up at him. "But you remind me of my brother. He always wrote so much poetry during the storms back home. His best writing always happened then, which is saying something."

#c: alistair #alistair

alistairgrismond

Alistair catches sight of another and waves. “Good morning. Did you hear that thunder too? It’s close—” another rumble in the sky cuts him off, and he looks out towards the woods.

Anna was standing with her eyes closed, trying to enjoy the smell of the oncoming storm. It was harder than usual, her sense of smell was dulled after not shifting in so long. She jumped a bit when she heard the voice but smiled and waved when she saw who it was. "Ahh, Mr Grismond, I haven't seen you in a while, cher." She made her way over to him and looked to the woods. "I love storms. You think it'll hit us? It's been so long since we had a good solid storm. Ooo maybe the power will go out! I love that, the silence of it, with just the storm and candle light, it's great." She seemed different than the last time they spoke. For once she wasn't shamelessly flirting with him, that makes a difference.

#c: alistair #alistair

The Woods // Darius and Anna

Darius may have shifted into his human, but as per usual, parts of his senses were still sharp. Specifically his sense of smell, he could tell that she was terrified, her scent had that new addition, like something spicy. It was worrying, he didn’t want to scare her, he wanted her to feel protected. God, he’s never wanted to keep someone as safe as possible as he wanted to do to Anna. Really, he just wanted to bring her to his home and protect her for the rest of her life, hell, even in his after life he would enjoy just watching over her. He never wanted to leave her, ever again. Taking a deep breath, he just closed his eyes and breathed in her scent, the pure, real scent of her that wasn’t effected by her hesitations or worries, the one that he wanted to smell every time he woke up and every time he went to bed. “No, it is, I’m just, I’m so possessive. When my siblings left for college, I didn’t know what to do with myself, I live to please people, and, when you left, I just felt lost again, someone I wanted to protect and keep safe, forever, just left me. And, the way I think of you isn’t just family, I don’t even want to think of you growing up and leaving me. When you left, I was lost, then you came back and I was just so terrified of you leaving again I didn’t know what to do.” He rambled, knowing that he was probably talking a mile a minute, but he just wanted her to know that really did want to be with her and love her. “Of course I want to be with you. I, I want to be yours as long as you’re willing to be mine.” Darius mumbled, just keeping her close, not caring that he was just sitting outside, naked, and bleeding in certain places. He didn’t know what she said, but it sounded like a confession, the way she said it, the way she started to shake even more made him so curious. “I don’t know what you just said, but, if you’re not ready to say it then don’t, I can respect you and your needs. This is relationship, between the both of us, so it matters to me whether or not you want to go fast or slow.” The words practically rolled out of him, something he couldn’t help anymore. He chuckled when she mentioned how amazing he felt, even in the most serious of situations, he could count on her to remain consistent.

#c: darius #darius #((look at that teeny smile #she's so hopeful!!))

Anna shook her head. “I don’t mind possessive, I get possessive too. But that’s the thing Darius, I want to be yours. I will never leave again, I promise. As long as you want me, I am here.” She smiled. “I know I said I wasn’t staying for you, and I’m not, but I’d be lying if I said that being able to stay close to you didn’t play a huge part in making the decision to become a teacher here.” She brushed her fingers through his hair. “I’m sorry I left, I should have told you why I was leaving. But I promise I wasn’t leaving you, I was leaving so I could come back and be with you, if that makes sense.” She turned and kissed his cheek. “Also I’m twenty-five, I am grown up. And I’m still yours. I’m not leaving.” She felt such relief when he said he wanted to be with her and she felt the prick of happy tears as she cried a little. “I want you to be mine more than I’ve ever wanted anything, Darius.” She shook her head. “It was just something I needed to say out loud. I’ll tell you one day. There’s still just too much going on, everything is too new and too chaotic. But I promise I’ll tell you one day.” She rubbed his back and sighed. “This is the clearing we met in, did you notice? When you tried to give me shit for being out past curfew.” Her fingers were in his hair again. “I should have known then something would happen, that pull I felt towards you… I’ve never seen that outside of movies.” She closed her eyes and just held him. He was so solid, so warm. “I feel safe with you. Not just cause you’re bigger than me. I feel safe from myself, from my own brain. I’ve never had that, not even with my brother.” She breathed deeply, truly content for the first time in months.

"Merde!"

Gabriel was surprised that he didn’t tense when she touched the wings. Maybe he trusted her both consciously and subconsciously? It was highly possible since she’s basically his best friend. His wings were pretty much reactants of his unconsciously mind, or that’s what he believes, but then again he figured he could fly because he had wings, then that didn’t work out, so he’s probably wrong on that too. He had to admit, though, that he enjoyed the feeling of her warm hands on his sore wings. “No, they’ve been copped up in my jackets. And, movie date? Do either of us even have time for that?” He asked jokingly, though a little bit of seriousness was there. He had due dates for important projects catching up to him, papers to grade, and new songs to pick out for dance class. Granted Anna could help him out with the last one, but she’s also in his dance class and god knows what other classes, so he didn’t want to make her overwhelmed. But, then again, taking a break would probably help them both too. Smiling, he squeezed her hand and just pulled her close. “Alright, but, I’ll have to warn you, I’m a huge superhero movie buff, so most of my movies will be superheroes.” He replied, though his voice grew softer as he continued, “Yeah, we deserve a little happiness, don’t we?

Anna let out a small sigh of relief that he didn't flinch away. It squeezed at her heart in such a wonderful way. He trusted her! That meant the world to her right now. She frowned at his words. "That's not good, you can't do that. Don't they hurt?" She sighed and tilted her head at him. "For you I will make the time, cher. You're important to me, and I want to spend time with you. And my room is clutter free enough that you can stretch your wings out. No jackets allowed in my room or I will take one of my pretty knives to them." She grinned at him. She leaned into him when he pulled her close and chuckled. "I am ok with that as long as we skip the Toby Maguire Spider-Mans and the George Clooney Batman." She nodded against him and squeezed his hand. "We really do. We're good people, well, I'm decent enough, and you're fucking awesome. We don't have enough bad karma to get the shit we've been dealt."

#c: gabriel #gabriel

The Woods // Darius and Anna

Darius had run with this pack many times before, most of the betas respected him as an alpha, but not their alpha. The alpha of their pack saw Darius as an equal, a wolf that had power, dominance, and intelligence. Well, he normally had the last part, but the large, black Alpha could see that Darius wasn’t his usual self. However, even if the man was running on instincts, the Alpha had to put the other in his place and help relieve some of the obvious tension and questions going through the other’s mind. Darius was actually feeling a lot better. Ignoring the pain of the wounds and the blood on his coat, the large brown wolf actually felt less restless, much more at ease. That was probably why he was actually able to be thankful for the way the alpha had treated him, they’d both fought hard, but the alpha just fought hard enough to help Darius relieve his stress. As Anna spoke and the pack cleared out, Darius felt himself, his real self, coming up into consciousness, his instincts practically melting into the background of his mind, as if pleased by the return of the one he loved. Though, he had to admit, the way she was scratching his ears made him really happy. But, the more she spoke and revealed about herself, the shittier Darius felt. Honestly, he really is an asshole, he should’ve, he should’ve though more of her and why she and Dalek had broken up. The way she spoke of him, as if he were a light in her life, made him feel happy, reminded him that he hadn’t completely fucked up. However, when she asked him to shift back, he was terrified. What if, when he shifted back, he said something stupid that upset her? What if he hurt her? He didn’t want to hurt her anymore than everyone already had, than Dalek had, than He had. Though, at the mention of her having a panic attack, he immediately shifted and surged forward so he could hold her close, a sort of stinging feeling in his eyes as if he was about to start crying. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry I left you, I’m sorry I did so many stupid things that hurt you, I’m so sorry.”

#c: darius #darius #((I KNOW OMG I JUST NEED THEM TO BE HAPPY!!))

Anna didn't like how wounded he look. She felt like every injury along Darius's body she was responsible for. She wasn't even sure if she was getting through to him, she had no idea how closely he was listening, or if he was too angry with her to care. When would she stop hurting the people she loved. Everyone she touched got burned. And then left her. Maybe she shouldn't be getting close to Gabriel and Darius. She was about to say just this and literally run away, but then he shifted. And he was holding her and her world stopped spinning. She just clung to him, shaking her head at his words as she nearly hyperventilated. Her fingers fug into his skin, wanting to keep him close. She was exceedingly glad she'd chosen shorts and a crop top, his skin against hers was so comforting. She finally managed to control her breathing enough to speak. "It wasn't you, I just dumped so much on you after I just fucking disappeared on you and it wasn't fair. I mean, you didn't know anything and I just dumped my whole history on you." She laughed hollowly into his neck. "And then I just went and did it again now. This is on me, mon amour. It was too much too fast I just... I just want to be with you, that's all I want. I just hope you do too. We can go as fast or slow as you want I don't care." She kissed his neck with quivering lips. "Je pense que je suis tomber en amour avec vous et je ai peur." That was just cheating, but she wasn't ready for him to really know, she just needed to say it. She sighed shakily. "Please stop saying sorry and talk to me. We need to talk this out... before how amazing you feel in my arms fogs my brain."

"Merde!"

Gabriel shrugged, loving the way he was able to rile her up so easily, even if it was a serious subject. Honestly, he was comfortable with his wings, well, only with Anna. There were a few he felt fairly okay with seeing his wings, people like Darius and Raleigh. But, with Raleigh and Darius, it had been accidents. Anna was also an accident, but she still accepted him, and continuously complimented them, so that’s what helped him to get comfortable around her. Raleigh didn’t talk about them, probably sensing how uncomfortable Gabriel was about them. But Darius and him talked about them occasionally, but if anything they just talked about how he got them, nothing about how he’d felt about them. At the mention of loving Anna too much, which he didn’t think was possible, Gabriel just whined. “Well, thank you, but it’s not just about you, I like Darius, he’s someone who knows about my past, at least a little, but he still knows and trusts me. I should’ve, at least, you know, been a little nicer to him. We may not be best friends, but we are friends. I shouldn’t have been such a dick to him. Fuck, I wish I was a time traveler.” He groaned, just feeling like a heartless asshole. Sure his heart was in the right place at the time, just not at the right time. “Nope, but one day we’ll meet that someone who’s just as broken and they’ll make us a whole, right?”

Anna reached out and rubbed his back gently, knowing she'd catch his wings. "I suppose you haven't let them out much while I was gone, did you?" She grinned. "Well, at least not since the last time you saw me naked. We'll have to have a movie date soon. Then you can let them out. I know they hurt you." She shook her head and raised her hands. "No, I didn't think it was just about me. That's what I mean. We're all too busy trying to help someone, it ends up doing damage because we all need so much help." She sighed and took his hand in both of hers. "Look, this is my fault as much as anyone's, don't blame yourself. Darius is a big boy, he can make his own decisions. He could have ignored your advice just as easily." She squeezed his hand. "I will fix it, I promise. I have to make things right, this whole mess is my fault anyway. So you just relax and figure out what movies we're watching on our next date, ok?" She kissed his cheek. "I think you're right. I'm hoping I may have found mine." She bit her lip. "Maybe the guy you're trying to work things out with is yours?" She rested her head on his shoulder once more. "Maybe our shitty luck will finally even out, yeah? Give us some happiness."

#c: gabriel #gabriel

scarlettniles

"People are what they are. No use wishing." Her voice sounded hard though not entirely mean, just an edge that perhaps wouldn’t have been there a few months ago. It wasn’t aimed at Anna particularly, just whatever she was feeling coming out with her words. Her folded arms loosened some and she attempted a smile — being happy for people was good, after all, and she could somewhat relate to Anna right then. While she’d always known Isaac was also a mutant it was hard to be apart from him in the year she’d started Morgana and he’d been left behind. While that situation was rather more temporary and made easier by Scarlett’s occasional visits home, she still knew the feeling of missing a close sibling. "You should be, it’s nice to be with family. Besides, like you said, you can keep an eye on him while he’s here."

Anna smiled. "I'm the elder here, isn't it supposed to be me giving sage advice?" She chewed her lip. "Are you ok, cher? You seem... off." Anna was observant enough to know when someone was off. But she was glad when the younger woman uncrossed her arms. She nodded. "True, sometimes my anxiety poisons me and makes me worry about my family, like just by being related they'll be targeted. Not too worried about Papa, he's a sheriff back home, so he can take care of himself and my maman. But Tristan is out on his own." She sighed. "I worry too much. I'm sorry, I've not been awesome recently, but I've been trying to keep it together cause I know I've gotten off easy comparatively recently."

#c: Scarlett #scarlett

mishacoliins

☁

#~#brother dear #tristan

niklausroyals

Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder at the 2015 Wizard World New Orleans Comic Con

#~#people dear to anna

howprecious

howprecious:

Summer Glau

#me

The Woods // Darius and Anna

Darius knew what he was doing wasn’t smart, hell, it was down right idiotic. But he needed to do it. Right now, his instincts drove him, were the only thing that told him how to act and react towards things. The human part of him, however small it was at this moment, knew he was being stupid. These were wolves he’d hunted with, wolves he ran with once or twice during his most restless nights. But right now his instincts told him that he needed dominance, he needed control, and if that wasn’t something he could have in his human form, then his predator instincts would lead him towards victory in this form. The voice he heard so suddenly startled him, going to his core, his human thoughts, and forcing him to remember what he was doing. However, just as his human mind rose up to consciousness, the predator instincts took over again, shoving any reminiscence of the human mind down until it was minuscule.

Even the Alpha seemed to pause, looking at the woman as if she were an old friend. The large brown wolf, Darius, stepped back and sat down, focusing in attention back on the Alpha. He wasn’t going to submit or do anything over the top, because the Alpha wasn’t his Alpha, but it was still an alpha that required respect. The Alpha straightened itself out, looking over Darius’ worn, wounded body and made a small, grunting noise. They’d both fought hard, there was no point in doing it anymore. The Alpha understood that Darius wasn’t himself, noticed how his pupils were blown up, like a real wolf’s, meaning he was almost completely gone, as if he were feral. But seeing the way Darius had reacted to Anna’s voice showed the alpha that the large brown wolf was okay, that he would be okay.

After hearing the noise, Darius nodded towards the Alpha, a small apology that his instincts knew were necessary, then quickly ran to Anna. The wolf, which was basically all he was right now, stopped a few feet away from her and sat down, eyes focusing on the ground as his ears folded down. This was the one that had been driving him mad, the one he’d failed to protect and care for, the one he loved. Darius whined, closing his eyes and just hoping the female would forgive him for being such a horrible mate.

#c: darius #darius #((this reply #did not go the way i thought it would #but i like it #i am sorry it's so long though omg))#miscarriage tw

Anna was exceedingly glad that she and Darius both were so familiar with the pack. Cause him getting distracted could have gone so badly. She stayed where she stood, glaring at Darius with daggers as sharp as her collection in her eyes. Anna breathed a small sigh of relief when Darius sat back. Because of course she knew which one was him. She didn’t need the familiarity with the pack to know. She had a feeling she’d always know when it was Darius. She crossed her arms and waited for them to do their stupid alpha shit. She never bothered with that, but then she didn’t have the instincts Darius did. Either way the wolves never cared. She watched as he ran to her, sitting in front of her. She raised an eyebrow at him. “Are you out of your fucking mind? You can’t just go around attacking their alpha, you can’t fuck with their hierarchy like that. It’s bad enough all the mutants being around have made them almost tame, you can’t come in here and upset things, you know better.” She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose and moved towards him. She squatted in front of him as the wolves cleared off, the small grey one nudging Anna’s arms once on the way. Anna looked into her wolf’s eyes and her heart broke. She caused him so much turmoil. She reached out to scratch his ears. “Darius I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left like that. I should have talked to you first. I was just scared. I know I told you this already, but maybe you’ll hear me this time, since you clearly didn’t before.” She sat cross-legged in the grass, absently noting that this was the clearing they’d met in, where they’d made love in. She put that fact away to examine later. “So there’s a lot you don’t know about me. I’m sorry for that. I don’t-I never really talk about myself with others. That’s why Dalek and Gabriel were my only real friends. And even Gabriel didn’t know me until recently.” She paused. “I went with Dalek because we have a complicated history. I had to sort through it before I could truly be with you. There was no choice. It’s you. No matter how the trip had gone, you’d be who I chose. Please, don’t think you’re my second choice. But Dalek…” She took a shaky breath and squared her shoulders. “When I was 18 I fell pregnant, it was Dalek’s. He only knew for two weeks before…” She closed her eyes. “Before I lost her. I didn’t handle it well. I ended up checking myself into the psychiatric ward back home. I lost myself, a huge part of myself that I never really gained back. I broke up with Dalek and shut myself away. I shifted more after that, feeling more.. whole in animal form.” She smiled a little, her eyes still close. “Then I met you and things felt better. I could see clearer. Like you gave me focus.” She shook her head. “But then those Horizon students came and I… fuck it felt like I lost a part of me all over again. I still can’t shift. And then Dalek, such a huge part of my life still, was being deported and it was all just too much. So I ran. I ran with Dalek, because that’s all I know. When I get stressed, he’d take me all over the place. But this was different. I needed to stop depending on him. So we talked. We established that we’ll never be the way we were, and that was good. Because I had you. You’re who I want to be with. I don’t want him, I don’t love him anymore. He’s just my friend, I swear.” She opened her eyes and looked at him. “Can you be human now cause I just said a whole bunch of things, some of which I have never said out loud and I think I’m going to have a panic attack now.” She was breathing very fast and she looked on the verge of tears.

"Merde!"

Gabriel shrugged, able to keep his expression neutral, for the most part, which he knew would piss her off. “Because I don’t believe in compliments.” The words ‘especially not towards myself’ were unspoken, but he knew she could probably hear them anyway. Though, the more she talked, the more he found himself trapped. She’d really took his own words and twisted them in a way that he couldn’t argue with. Damn, sometimes he hates how smart Anna is. “Alright, I guess you’re right. I can’t argue whether or not your thoughts are facts because, whether or not I believe it, you believe it, so it’s a fact to you. Are you sure you want to stick with dance? I’m pretty sure you’d make a damn good lawyer.” He replied with a chuckle, loving their conversations and how the more serious ones could still be so casual like this. Though, focusing on the newest main topic, the winged man sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Well, a while ago, after you left, he came to me for a bit of advice. He said he’d been feeling off, like there was a sort of tug of war going on inside of him between his human emotions and his animal instincts. Both were affected by you, because he had feelings towards you. At the time I wasn’t sure about your feelings towards him, so I just told him what I would tell anyone else. I told him to that you had an altercation with the ‘students’ of Horizon and, that if he really cares for you, then he’ll focus on what’s better for you than himself. Thinking back on it, that may not have been the best advice. He’s similar to myself when it comes to thinking of other people. I wasn’t thinking about that then, though, so he probably feels really guilty for anything he could’ve said to make you upset. Jesus christ I’m a horrible friend.” Near the end of his explanation Gabriel groaned and pressed a hand to his face. Talking about this out loud was just making him realize how stupid and biased he’d been. He was so focused on Anna, protecting her and keeping her safe form any more heartbreak he should’ve realized that he was probably pushing Darius, his own friend, towards heartbreak. “No no, you didn’t fuck up, if anything, I was the one who fucked up.”