Untouchable Fruit

Unease and Willingness

Briana's POV

I turn away from the door to face Artemis with a blank face, not really sure what I'm doing here even if I know this is the right place to be.

This is where I'm supposed to be.

But even still, I don't know what to say now that I'm here. Art is standing a few feet away with her hair untied, flowing softly around her to land in the small of her back, soft curls floating throughout her hair. Her tanned skin is flushed around the cheeks as her brows lower in confusion, though any other emotion has been cleared from her face.

"Hi." I answer to break the silence and her lips twitch in the corner a little before she answers.

"Hey."

I walk further into the room, pulling my hands up to push them into my pockets of my jacket, looking around at the fancy, but simple sitting room that Art frequents.

"I'm still here." I tell her as if that's no obvious but I feel the need to say it out loud as if that makes it more real.

I was so close to leaving.

After the driver dropped me off in front of Alex's house, I found him, Ares and Chris all sitting in the room, and I was confused on why they had gathered to see me off since I usually give Alex a hug before I'm done with it and walk away.

When I had sat down next to my brother, the three of them told me different stories that were all achingly familiar in a way that hurt.

They all got left behind by one person or other.

Alex got left behind when Chloe ran away, albeit because he had a mental breakdown and in order to not fall apart completely he had to get away. And Alex understood that even when other people in their family did not. But even though he understood there was this pain that came with being left behind on purpose, pushed aside in a way, feelings discarded to save the others.

He told me just because he knew that it was what Chloe needed doesn't mean it didn't kill a piece of him that he has never been able to get back.

He hates not knowing where he is, having developed attachment issues in the process.

Chris told me about why he and Chan broke up, why the smaller man had rejected the fellow Faerie. He told me that at the time he didn't understand and that he hated his First for leaving him behind.

And even after he understood why Chan left, it still hurt, only different because now he blamed himself for not being enough and not listening and taking better care of his lover when he had the chance.

Now he's always scared that he'll fuck up again and he won't lose just one, but now both pieces of his heart that brought him back from that depressive state. Though he still has abandonment issues that's not easy to fight.

But the hardest story to hear was Ares.

He told me about his mom and dad. The woman that only came around once a month because of their Monthly, leaving as soon as she was able. He told me how things didn't change when we was born. He broke down what it did to his dad, stealing away pieces of his soul every time she closed the door behind her as she left yet again. He let her go every time until he couldn't take it anymore.

And they fought. Him to keep them together, her to keep them apart. And in the end he lost... along with his life that he took, leaving his son to find his body.

I thought that would be all of it.

Until he told me about Thomas.

About the Big Fight.

Him leaving.

And the two months of separation and torment that he had to ensue after that, after leaving with words and actions that he says he wish he could have snatched back from the air, hating seeing the two of them so angry at each other.

His eyes were red and filled as he told me about the pain, the anger, the guilt, the hurt, the loneliness that happened after not only his mom and dad left, but Thomas walked out as well, even without meaning to. The last thing he said before he got up and left to see Thomas was this:

"If she's been through this with her family, in a way she's going to be shoved right back there every time you walk out the door."

Chris followed the Enchanted out of the house, both of them stopping to give me a kiss on my temple.

It was just me and my brother and a whole lot of baggage and trauma that filled the room.

"We aren't disregarding your feelings and your fears." Alex said to me me quietly, eyes holding mine as I had tried to blink away the tears that hold my own, not knowing the depth of each story since I'm away so much. "But we want to make sure it's not only your own that you're thinking about. I know you're scared, Toot. But so is she. Just give it a chance. Give her a chance is all we're saying so you don't end up like us. And if things don't work out, we wouldn't blame you for walking away." He told me before he got up and gave me a kiss as well, lingering for a bit before he walked out of the room and to his smaller family up stairs.

I zone back in from thinking and turn to Art, tilting my head a bit as I play with my zipper, pulling it softly over the swell of my breast before pulling it back down. "I almost went. I was standing in front of the woman, looking up at all the places that I could run away to."

I walk away from the mantle above the silent, empty fire, towards the window that looks our over the front of the castle.

I hear softly footsteps come towards me though she stops a few feet away.

"Why did you come back?" She asks me and I know she doesn't mean it in a bad, only trying to protect herself from me, knowing that I could easily change my mind again, though I know that for now I won't.

"Because I'm giving this a chance." I tell her honestly, turning towards her so that her gold is yes can meet my brown ones. "I'm scared shitless and I think I'm going to end up hurt, but I know if I leave, you will get hurt. So here I am. Do me a favor and don't make me regret it?" I ask her, my smile joking but my words sincere. I know what I'm saying is harsh but it's my truth and I won't back down from it.

Artemis is silent for a moment before she smile to herself, looking down at the ground before she leans on the couch behind her and looks back up at me, her chin still down as she peers at me through her lashes.

"I knew you were still as stubborn as I remember. I won't let you regret it, my little floater." She tells me and I huff, turning away from her.

"Good. You should know who you're dealing with." I tell her, going to round the couch to go see my cousin, having come straight here when I came back. I try my best to ignore the way my cheeks fill with warmth at the nickname thats a bit teasing, a little belittling and all mine, strangely liking it.

I go to open the door, pulling it open but before I step out, I hear Artemis' voice call out to me, not loudly but enough to make sur I hear her.

"Thank you. For coming back." She tells me and I smile a bit to myself.

"Always." I answer before the door creates a barrier between our two smiling forms.

~~~~~~~~~~
These two. I think they are wonderful. I know that recap of our precious babies was hard but I wanted Bri to hear them as well as you guys to understand something that may come up later.

Thoughts?

Comments?

QOTD: What would you like to be reincarnated as?