becareful_boyo | (no subject)

(no subject)

There have been more awkward family gatherings, of that Abigail is certain.

Not that she has ever experienced, however.

The food and drink distracted everyone for a time; but the food is gone and the drink is flowing more freely now, and Abigail starts looking hard at each member of their group wondering who will be the first to break the general silence with more than a request to pass the bread or a comment on the weather. The few attempts at conversation that were made by herself or one of the less, ah, concerned parties present hadn't gotten far.

This is the most enjoyable day she has had in months!

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He holds her gaze.

"How's that workin' for you?"

"Not bad."

She smirks.

"'Course I've the small picture Mike showed me to help it along."

And there's the wince he's been trying to hard to avoid.

"Of course he brought pictures."

Raph always hated having his picture taken.

"Not sure why he did," Abigail replies, breezily, "as he tried to make me forget it soon enough."

A trace of bitterness sneaks into her voice.

"You're an idiot, you know." Of course he does; she likes to remind him of it, though this time it's fond rather than angry. "You should have told me."

"I wanted to..." he starts, but stops before saying more. His brow furrows and he shakes his head. "That ain't true. I didn't wanna tell you. I didn't want you to know. It...it's dangerous to know. People get hurt when they know us, know about us, they lose everything. I didn't want that for you.

An'...I was scared."

"Of what?" asks the woman who has been known to hit him over the head with heavy objects.

"That...that you wouldn't love me anymore if you found out I was a freak."

There's a weight to that word that's heavier than anything she's ever threatened him with.

Idiot.

Matter-of-fact: "You aren't a freak, boy-o. The way I see it, the only one who can make you out to be one is you. To think I would feel so..." She breaks off and shakes her head. "You should know better."

That he didn't doesn't surprise her one bit.

He really should, and at some point he just might, but right this second he's focusing the bulk of his attention on the very first thing she said.

You aren't a freak, boy-o.

Hearing her say that, well it's their first kiss, night together, and I love yous all rolled into one.

It's only after the long kiss he catches her with that he whispers his thanks.

Abigail smiles. He can't see it, what with her wrapped around him and holding on tight, but it's there.

"If you knew me at all you'd've realized it would be the full head o'hair not the shell that made me wonder what manner of herbs Thomas put in the ale," she teases.

He laughs a deep, fully belly laugh.

"Why's it always gotta be 'bout the hair." It's almost like a reflex at this point.

"S'okay though, I miss it too."

"Who said I missed it?" inquires Abigail. "That much fluff on your head was distracting from the rest of your charms."

Beat.

"Much the same, I'm glad you don't have a shell nowadays, but that you once did doesn't change who you are."

"Like music to my ears, hearin' you say that, you know."

"'Course I do."

Any doubts and misconceptions she'd held concerning what drove Raph to behave as he'd done had been put to rest by Mike's explanation. It was glaringly, inescapably, wonderfully obvious that his hands had been tied by nothing more than his own fears.

It's always the tough ones who turn out to be big puddles of nervous goo on the inside, reflects Abigail.

Breezily: "If I'd come from somewhere else mayhap I'd have thought about it different, you realize, but after what we've seen? Metal spider men with human heads? Dragons? Stormwings? Boy-o, you 'n your old shell are downright run-of-the-mill."

He makes as if he's going to retort, but stops.
She has a point. A good point, the more he thinks on it.

"You're right. Under that tree, next to the body of the dead Spidren woulda' been the perfect time to tell you I wasn't human," he says drawls.

"Now that I took you away from your family, an' we're out in the middle o' no where next to this hideous thing I can tell you I ain't really human, but a really big turtle."

Abigail snorts. "I'd have said well, you should've seen my last lad."

A shrug.

"What matters is for you to get all such worries out of your head." Beat. "And stop makin' stupid decisions with that as an excuse, because it's all used up now. You know how I feel."

ORLY says Raph's expression.

"Can't promise I won't still be stupid goin' forward, but your point's made loud an' clear."

He presses a kiss to her forehead, before leaning forward and resting his head on hers.

"I have to leave."

Abigail goes very still.

A moment passes, then another, until she pulls away from him with a sharp motion and immediately begins yelling.

"What. WHAT?!? Did I hear you straight, you buffle-brained IDIOT? You're leavin' again. Just like that. Oh, ho... By the by, Abigail, I've been keepin' my ENTIRE life a secret from you, whilst sleepin' next to you day in and day out, with you trustin' as a newborn babe! You're good enough not to mind, all's told, but I'm just going to leave again anyway!"

This should all feel rather familiar to Raph, really.

You know, now that you mention it....it does.
Very much so, in fact.

He doesn't take a step back, but he does lean that way. Away from the force of volume and the brunt of her words.

His eyes go wide, but he takes it.

"...and I don't think you'll be gettin' much of a welcome when you bother to return! You'll be sleepin' with..."

She sneaks a glance at his face in the middle of her tirade and promptly dissolves into giggles.

"Oh, Goddess. I couldn't keep it up. Your face. That's fun, that is." Wiping her eyes, she reaches up and pats Raph's cheek. "Go on, then. I could use some time alone after all this. Thomas'll want a few words, I'm sure." Abigail grins at him. "Unless your leave-takin' could wait a few minutes, in which case I can make good use of that time."

... wait.
WHUT?

But...she....with the....
Raph looks away, steels his resolve, and takes a good long deep breath.

"That was cold woman. Cold."
Raph rubs a hand over his face.

A smirk. "Is that so."

Abigail takes the hand rubbing his face and plants it on her rear, encouraging him to rub that instead.

"Cold's the last thing I'm feelin'." Her grin grows, then: "You were leavin', you said?"

Oh, well hello there.

"To track down the folk Mike talked to. Make sure they're seeing things the right way. But..."

Heh, butt.

"...they ain't gonna get much further than they are already. An' K an' I can always take a short cut...."

Abigail plants her hand on top of his -- so he won't move it, of course -- and starts walking him toward the stables.

"That you can," she agrees. "Seems you've got more'n a few tricks up your tunic sleeve."

There's laughter in her voice.

"I was fit to be tied when you up and vanished into thin air." Her eyes dart to his, full of stubborn warning. "You'll not be doin' that again. Not without good reason."

"It's a good reason," he says following her lead. "The best, actually. An' I'll be sure to tell you all 'bout it. Promise."

He pulls the stable door closed behind him.

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