[ftm] the ugly duckling
“Annie? Heyyyyy…”
A warm, heavy weight settled against her back and around her shoulders, wrapping her in comfort and strength. Turning her face away from the tear-stained pillow clutched between her arms, seventeen year old Anne let Harvey lay on top of her and drew comfort from his body sprawled over hers. Her brother, her pack…even after a year, sometimes it still didn’t feel like home except in moments like these, when she was too lonely and too filled with hurt to care.
“What’s up, Buttercup?”
“I hate what I am, I hate what we are, and I hate being ugly.” She sniffled, grunting as she shifted and squirmed so that they were laying on their sides and she could huddle back against his chest, wrapping herself in Harvey Walker like a quilt.
“Shut your mouth, you’re not ugly.”
“I am!” she insisted, scrubbing angrily at her eyes. “Everyone makes fun of me at school, everyone makes fun of me at home…everyone thinks I’m ugly, and they’re right!”
The low, warning growl that rose in her brother’s chest did nothing to deter her, even as he shifted to sit up on one elbow and look down at her. “Tell me who made you cry.”
She huffed, rolling her eyes as she gazed up at him. “Nobody I’m telling you about, you’ll just beat them up.”
“I’ll find out even if you don’t tell me.”
Sighing, she snuggled back against him, and even though he was angry he held her tight, wrapped himself around her without shame. The contact wasn’t sexual, simply the offer of a body to keep her warm…the smell and the heat of her pack to soothe her.
“I’ll never be beautiful like Chris and Cady.” She confessed quietly, the image of their long, lean limbs and dark coloring even now making her eyes well up. “I’m always going to have these stupid big boobs and bubble butt and blonde hair. Everyone at school will always hate me because they think I made myself look this way, and nobody in this family will ever see me the way they see Chris and Cady. Just once…”
She trailed off, her breath catching again as she buried her face against Harvey’s chest.
“Just once, I want to be beautiful to someone. Just like I am.”
He held her for a long time, tight enough to hurt, and she was grateful. After a while, she even stopped crying and felt a little drowsy, wrapped up tight in his arms.
“Was it your boyfriend, Annie?”
She hesitated for just a moment, then nodded against his chest. “He…got mad when I wouldn’t have sex with him. Said I was asking for it with…w-with the way I look. He c-called me a bleach-blonde bimbo.”
She felt him nod in return, then felt his lips against her ear.
“You’re the most beautiful girl any of us ever saw, Annie Pants, and we love you. All of us. Don’t you dare remember anything but that, you understand?”
Anne nodded, then felt him relax again. She drifted off to sleep in his arms, and strangely enough felt secure in the knowledge that Harvey never, ever lied. He was honest and innocent, in his own way…he was truthful even if it got him in trouble with Mom, Dad, or Paw Paw.
And from that day on, for the rest of her life, she forgot everything else but that one simple truth.
To her family, to her pack, she would always be beautiful.
Muse: Anne Forsythe
Fandom: Original Character
Words: 590
A warm, heavy weight settled against her back and around her shoulders, wrapping her in comfort and strength. Turning her face away from the tear-stained pillow clutched between her arms, seventeen year old Anne let Harvey lay on top of her and drew comfort from his body sprawled over hers. Her brother, her pack…even after a year, sometimes it still didn’t feel like home except in moments like these, when she was too lonely and too filled with hurt to care.
“What’s up, Buttercup?”
“I hate what I am, I hate what we are, and I hate being ugly.” She sniffled, grunting as she shifted and squirmed so that they were laying on their sides and she could huddle back against his chest, wrapping herself in Harvey Walker like a quilt.
“Shut your mouth, you’re not ugly.”
“I am!” she insisted, scrubbing angrily at her eyes. “Everyone makes fun of me at school, everyone makes fun of me at home…everyone thinks I’m ugly, and they’re right!”
The low, warning growl that rose in her brother’s chest did nothing to deter her, even as he shifted to sit up on one elbow and look down at her. “Tell me who made you cry.”
She huffed, rolling her eyes as she gazed up at him. “Nobody I’m telling you about, you’ll just beat them up.”
“I’ll find out even if you don’t tell me.”
Sighing, she snuggled back against him, and even though he was angry he held her tight, wrapped himself around her without shame. The contact wasn’t sexual, simply the offer of a body to keep her warm…the smell and the heat of her pack to soothe her.
“I’ll never be beautiful like Chris and Cady.” She confessed quietly, the image of their long, lean limbs and dark coloring even now making her eyes well up. “I’m always going to have these stupid big boobs and bubble butt and blonde hair. Everyone at school will always hate me because they think I made myself look this way, and nobody in this family will ever see me the way they see Chris and Cady. Just once…”
She trailed off, her breath catching again as she buried her face against Harvey’s chest.
“Just once, I want to be beautiful to someone. Just like I am.”
He held her for a long time, tight enough to hurt, and she was grateful. After a while, she even stopped crying and felt a little drowsy, wrapped up tight in his arms.
“Was it your boyfriend, Annie?”
She hesitated for just a moment, then nodded against his chest. “He…got mad when I wouldn’t have sex with him. Said I was asking for it with…w-with the way I look. He c-called me a bleach-blonde bimbo.”
She felt him nod in return, then felt his lips against her ear.
“You’re the most beautiful girl any of us ever saw, Annie Pants, and we love you. All of us. Don’t you dare remember anything but that, you understand?”
Anne nodded, then felt him relax again. She drifted off to sleep in his arms, and strangely enough felt secure in the knowledge that Harvey never, ever lied. He was honest and innocent, in his own way…he was truthful even if it got him in trouble with Mom, Dad, or Paw Paw.
And from that day on, for the rest of her life, she forgot everything else but that one simple truth.
To her family, to her pack, she would always be beautiful.
Muse: Anne Forsythe
Fandom: Original Character
Words: 590