Between Two Trees (Mush Meyers x Reader)

V

You followed Peggy out of the barn on the opposite side you had entered, watching as the younger girl stopped to pick up two buckets she had left outside filled with scraps. 

"Right this way are the chickens." Peggy explained, marching towards the two long low coops. 

"Why are there two coops?" You inquired, picking your way after her. 

"One's for the egg hens and one's for the, uh, eating hens." Peggy told you, grimacing a bit. "We have ta keep 'em separate so that Eliza and Angie don't go naming all the ones that we're gonna eat later." 

The principle made sense to you, even if you felt a bit strange about eating something that had been alive and kicking right outside the door just a little earlier. 

"Here, you can feed the egg ones." Peggy said, handing you a bucket and directing you into a coop. "Just scatter the food on the ground, they'll be out soon, and then we can get the eggs." 

You nodded and followed her directions, scattering the scraps onto the bare ground. 

"So now that you've done that they should start coming out. Just leave the door open so that they can go find bugs an' stuff, they'll come back at nighttime." Peggy said, appearing at your elbow as the first chicken wandered down the plank that led up to the coop. 

You jumped a bit, but nodded. Peggy held up her bucket and headed to the back of the coop, where there was a small latched door. She opened it and peered inside. 

"Right, they've all left, so you can just stick your arm in and get the eggs." Peggy instructed, stepping aside. 

You raised your eyebrows slightly, peering into the dark opening, before shrugging a bit and sticking your hand in until your fingertips touched the warm, smooth surface of an egg. You pulled it out, slightly surprised nothing had chomped your fingers, and placed it into the bucket. Peggy grinned. 

"Good job." She said, shooing a chicken away from your legs. "There should be about fifteen left." 

You nodded at her and collected the remaining eggs. 

"Y'all will probably be getting chickens too, maybe a cow too." Peggy chattered as the two of you walked back to the barn. "Assumin' you'll be growin' crops you'll wanna start out with some hardier ones, 'specially so late in the season." 

You nodded along, trying to keep track of the various things Peggy was telling you and trying very very hard to not let your mind wander to other things. Such as who was in the barn when you left it. 

"They'll probably start fixin' your house today too." Peggy told you. "Which'll be great, cause then you can settle in proper." 

"Wait, who's they?" You asked, curious. 

"Your da, my da, probably Mr Ballat an' his son- ya met him already-, oh, an' Mush of course." Peggy said with a grin on her face that meant trouble. "Plus me. It's likely, at least, 'nless Ma needs me to help with the little'ns."

"And me?" You asked curiously. 

"Of course. 'Nless you'd rather watch the babies I guess, but who would wanna do that?" 

You shrugged a little, smiling slightly at the quick way this girl put forth the facts. 

"Right. C'mon, it's nearly breakfast time, an' bread last night plus eggs this morning means egg-in-a-hole so let's hurry." Peggy grinned at you, quickening her pace towards the house. 

With a small laugh you followed after her, careful not to jostle the eggs too much. 

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad out here after all.