✨💐A Tale About Petals 🐈⬛✨
In which Stack gets a headache at the end
Elias "Stack" Moore x supernatural!blackfemreader
warning: None! Fluff, misunderstanding, Stack gets a headache, may need some edits, medium-sized post lol
“Draw her out?”
The way Annie repeated it made it sound so disrespectful but Stack didn’t know how else to put it. She shook her head when just when he nodded.
“Now, Stack. I can’t tell that lady to do nothing she don’t wanna do--
“Oh, so ya’ll do be talking?”
Annie’s eyes turned to him, big and innocent in the face of Stack’s growing betrayal, “Don’t get mad—but she just comes and do that every now an’ then.”
She led him to the back of the house where Smoke had slipped off too, sitting on the back stoop as he cleaned his pistols. There on Baby Girls’ tribute were a tangle of familiar flowers around the small stone and offerings from Annie. Stack removed his hat, using his heart to say hello to his niece.
“It’s not very much that she comes by, it’s...more of a linger. Always wearin’ her feathers or furs but I just know it’s her.”
“She hasn’t been wearing her legs?”
Annie’s eyes turned stern as she put a hand on her hip, “Stack--
He held up his hands, and Annie continued, “She does what she wants, Stack. You want her to do something different, you ask it of her.”
Stack stared at Annie with a single eye narrowed and she rose her chin a bit. He ended up sighing anyway and shaking his head, unintentionally in tandem with his twin.
“She’ll seek ya out.” His brother said, that usual confidence of knowing something is going to be just fine, “That’s if she likes you that much anymore.”
“If she—likes me—boy if you don’--”
“Mrrewo.”
Annie looked at him crazy for a second before her gaze caught something behind him. Smoke paused in his task to tilt his head. Stack had tot turn to check—what the hell?
Fur the color of chocolate and eyes the butterscotch, a cat sat there and licked it’s paws with a leisurely air. It looked up at Stack and meowed again as if it had been there the whole time. Stack was speechless, turning to see Smoke was now watching them and putting his gun back together again.
“Annie?”
“I don’t know, Stack. That ain’...she ain’t never wore that to come and see me.”
Stack looked back down at the cat that rounded from behind him to sit right before him. It looked up at him, steadily and long enough that Stack had to look back at the other two to gauge his sanity.
Smoke shrugged and Annie just gave a kind smile, not saying anything either.
“I don’t need thi—we don’t need this,” Stack huffed and reached down to pick up the cat, faltering a bit when he saw the dust among the four paws but continuing anyway, “C’mon, baby, we’re gonna...get you cleaned up a bit. A little rag-bath or somethin’--wait, what’s this sticky shit you got ‘round your mouth-- y’know what! It don’t matter! I’ll see ya’ll!”
Annie opened her mouth just as Stack turned but Smoke spoke up,
“Let ‘em go.”
She turned back to her husband after watching his twin pulled off and away with a cat peering over the dash in the passenger seat.
“That ain’t got nothing to do with us until later.” Smoke mumbled, though there was a half smile on his face. He opened his mouth, tilted his head, then closed it again as he confirmed, “Yeah, this ain’t got nothing to do with us...funny, though. Ain’t it?”
Annie pressed a kiss to the top of her husbands head before retreating back into her home.
It didn’t take long for word to spread about Stack and his new friend. Folks started talking when Stack went out for tobacco with a cat trotting in his shadow. Or lining his shoulders like a perfect stole, jewel eyes fixed on whoever met it’s eye.
He knew it as her and Stack wouldn’t hear anything about his lady being left behind. Flower-Cat he's taken to calling this form of yours.
You padded behind him in the streets, all leisure as they strolled. You stopped when Stack did, surveying growing weeds and going still to track the wary birds that landed briefly but on he far away patches of soft dirt and grass.
Stack knew that being a woman all the time could give you an...ache. Not every bit of your wonder could fit in human skin. If his Flower wanted to wear fur and whiskers every now and again, or walk around with a dusting of feathers, who the hell was Stack to deny you?
He still had your company and that meant something. It wasn’t like he was talking to himself, not when he had a constant purr coming from behind his ears and a tail brushing across his face. Paws were offered freely for wipe downs and he found that pressing kisses to the space between the triangles on your head were therapeutic .
Stack decided that a little spoiling may get him back into your good graces. He liked the paws and all, but he preferred your smile.
Grace side-eyed him hard as he enlisted Lisa to help pick a ribbon that would be perfect against dark mahogany fur. Yet, when she saw the cat preening and presenting it’s neck for easy comparison, she excused herself to count the produce to regain her good sense.
“Pretty, pretty!” Stack whistled as he watched the cat strut through the store with her green little ribbon, Stack was already turning towards Lisa to inquire about colors while Grace suddenly appeared again with a few numbers to offer.
Stack spent a solid dollar on more ribbons before walking out, wondering how creative his tailor could get with what he had so far.
That night ended with some feline-particular measurements jotted down and a slumbering ball of fluff on his chest. Both of their bellies full of good food, beer and cream. He had the home to himself with Smoke staying over at Annie’s, so he felt a little less embarrassed by the strip of fabric he fastened around the cat’s head that matched his own.
He blew smoke up into the ceiling, comforted by the solid weight but thinking aloud all the same.
“You still mad a me, ain’t that right?” Stack mused aloud “Was it ‘cause of the way I spoke to you? That why you ain’t talking to me?”
You rose your head, blinking slowly and curling onto her side to look at him that way.
“I didn’t mean to...offend. You’re grown, shit, growner than anythin’ around here most likely—but still got my pride, y’see?” Stack spoke quietly up into the air, “Not tellin’ you how to feel, if you care, just...wanting to explain myself. That I messed up."
“Mrrp.”
Stack could hear the dryness in the tone, he was sure of it. He supposed it was deserved it—but wasn’t finding out he couldn’t charm you into forgiveness punishment enough?
He knew it wasn’t.
Stack was sore as hell when he watched you flit into the night sky. He felt like he lost you and this wasn’t really having you, was it?
“Wasn’t trying to run you off. Make you a little green, maybe to see if I could…”
“Mrrrw.”
Stack sighed, long and airy before looking down his chest. Paws opened-curled-opened on air as glowing eyes slipped closed. He smacked his lips, scratching beneath a downy chin until all attention was back on him again.
“You ain’t above being dressed, y’hear me? Louis should be done laughin’ at me by tomorrow, and when he is, you gonna get that dress I promised ya—believe that.”
All Stack got was a yawn and the lightest prick of claws through his beater as you crawled close enough to curl up beneath his chin. He hurried to snub out the smoke, free hand holding onto his living neck warmer. He fussed a little as he readjusted in bed, insisting that being seen with singed fur is a definite no-no.
If you wanting to be with her? Then you must know there is nothing like her you’ve ever met. Go slow. And be as true as you can.
Annie said so and it must be true. She was the only other person who could understand just how a force of nature could speak.
‘I’ll apologize something proper, real soon.’ He shrugged off the remaining, doubtful thoughts. Stack had a whole day of running you around to plan. He’ll tell you off as soon you put on some ears that would listen.
Until then, he smoothed his fingertips over a soft face, counting whiskers in the dark like they were wishing stars.
He was alone in the morning.
It stung, but Stack decided not to worry about it too much.
There was money on the floor and good times always came after the sun went to sleep.
It wasn’t unlike you to wander off anyway. Why would having a pair of whiskers stop you? Stack wouldn’t ask after you. Especially after the...incident.
He made it another few hours before going out in search of a ringing bell or brilliant ribbon. It was his last straw finding you with the remnants of feathers and meat between your claws. Stack bundled you up in his arms and went to the one place he knew best.
Annie’s house.
He ignored the buck-eyed look his twin gave him at the door. Stack told him he needed to share his wife’s wisdom in order to know peace from him. That got him through the door.
He deposited the cat onto the floor and pointed, “Can you talk to her or somethin’? Ask her if we can come to some compromise?”
Annie’s eyes blazed, “Stack, I know you ain’ come up into my house to ask the same question you’ve been asking me all week.”
Caught out, Stack instead smacked his lips and stalked a small line in the front room. He watched his companion sashay towards Annie to splay across the floor without a care in the world.
Annie’s mouth pursed, surprised, but looked at Stack all the same, “I ain’t got nothing to do with this but it seems like you got something you need to be saying to her. And you know it.”
Once under Annie’s awaiting gaze and with the smell of something sweet in the air, Stack confessed.
Stack hadn’t meant to shoo you. It wasn’t like that—only that he hadn’t liked the smile on Mary’s face when she introduced herself to you. He knew what that look meant and didn’t want you involved in his mess—it was bad enough that he forgot his promise to Mary about taking her dancing and he—
Stack gently turned you towards the kitchen and dodged your attempts to continue what he started in the storage room, “Hol’ on now and listen to me, I’ll be right with ya—I’ll have Annie look after you while I have a talk with my friend...”
You looked at him, scoffed, and shrugged him off with enough force that it stumbled him. You gave him another bemused look before you redirected yourself, towards the door. Stack called after you, but not before Mary turned her head to say something he couldn’t hear--
You paused, your back to Stack. He was rooted to the spot for a moment when he saw Mary walk up to you, saying something else. Only when Mary doubled back, eyes wide and hand flying to cover her mouth in terror did Stack move.
He was too slow, there were too many people and you slipped past everyone like a hurried gust before you were into the night.
When he asked Mary what it was that she said to you, she couldn’t quite recall on account of seeing the face of a hissing cat staring back at her.
Annie’s expression softened when Stack was finished, “So that’s why yo—that explains the cat.”
Stack nodded, “She ain’t gotta tell me it’s her. I know it’s her. Same eyes. My ears bleed a little when I she talks too loud, yeah, but that ain’t no damned excuse, now.”
“Excuse for what?”
Stack threw up his hands, “To be with me!”
Annie looked over his shoulder, cutting her eyes at his twin before putting a hand on his shoulder, “Stack, did you ever ask? You ask her not to leave, or are you...just assuming she’d stay?”
Stack didn’t ave to think too hard about it. Whenever you visited, it was a whirling dance of excitement and passion. Enough to last Stack as he lost himself chase after another while you took into the sky. Or off into the night. Or vanishing on the road before Stack could turn back and look. Without him ever knowing if you got to where you wandered safe. Without him knowing...
He glared down at the ground. Stack apologized the other night but it didn't work. He didn't know what to do. He didn't want to put a name to the wriggling, cold feeling in his stomach at the thought of never seeing you again. It wasn’t just about what you were, Stack didn’t know what you were—but he wanted to know as much as he could. Learn about every inch of every thing you were.
If you would even let him.
Stack rose his head, opened his mouth—
Stack swallowed his words as he fixated onto the face passing by the window and towards Annie’s front door.
It was you.
Standing at the threshold, overgrown with flora and berries and were you always that tall? Smiling at him innocently as you clasped your hands together before you as if waiting for something.
Stack looked down at the fraudulent fur ball at Annie’s feet who was too distracted by the steam rising up from Annie stove.
He looked back at you. There was more space between the top of your head and the door frame, but your arms were folded now. Your expression turned from expectant to unimpressed, then went to ground to where the cat had wandered to get a better look at you. He doesn’t know why, but he knelt down to pick up the cat.
Annie waved for you to enter, “Look at who’s been keeping Stack company.”
Immediately you pressed your cheek to Stack’s in your normal greeting then knelt a little to do the same to the cat. Still stunned, Stack pressed the feline closer to you as it batted at errant currently of bluebells coming out of your hairline.
He found enough of his voice to insist, “For you. Name’s, erm, Petal…”
The growing storm on your face smoothed as a delighted noise came from you. His ears ringed from the sound being so close, but in the pleasant way that only a melody could do. The cat was lifted from his arms and was just as transfixed by you as you fawned over it. The two of you looked one of a kind, perfect for each other.
The whole while, Stack stood there with hands on his hips. Questions whirled around in his head and he circled you just to make sure this time it was you this time. Every time he tried to see your face, you’d turn and take Flower-Cat with you.
It took a few spins before he realized you were playing with him.
Where had you gone? Why were you gone so long—was he forgiven? Were you even mad in the first place? Was the cat in on it? At this pace, Stack was going to wear a hole in Annie’s floor. Stack found a place to sit next to his brother and simmered as you continued pay him no mind.
“Now this,” Smoke paused to strike his match and puffed a glow into his pipe, “Is funny as all hell.”
Annie turned away and asked if he was interested in coffee, but Stack refused to answer to the laugh tucked between her words,
He put a hand over his eyes and embraced the relief of seeing you in person over the burning of his cheeks, there has to be a way to talk to you.
✨ending notes✨: This took too long but I think this is a good addition! A little fluff, a little mischief! i was inspired by this kitty here and i couldn't get the idea out of my head. I'm thinking of making Flower a full OC because i have so much lore behind the character, what do ya'll think?
I may rewrite this to be longer at some point lol! i do love this dynamic though, i have some ideas for these two and I can't wait to see how it goes! Thank you so much for reading and please let me know what you think!
💓taglist💓: i'm not sure who to tag for this, but please tell me what you thought and if you would like moore (see what i did there? don't worry i'll see myself out )