Over the past week or so, Annie had refound her love of the simple things. Even brushing her teeth felt less like a chore and more like a fun sort of game. Running up and down stairs made her heart race. She sweat when outside in the sun for too long.
It was beautiful. Having decided that she had had enough of leggings for the time being, she was decked out in a bright blue sundress and (this was the best part) strappy sandals. It was nice to be able to do rather than simply watch others.
"Be careful," she warned with a smile and laugh to the man at the bookshelf as she passed through. "It keeps trying to sell me on trashy vampire novels, which is just silly. Its got a sense of humor, that thing."
That brought a small smile to her face. Of course, being exorcised had prevented her from knowing that until he had told her but the thought really did count. Reaching she nervously tucked a curl behind her ear. This whole thing felt a bit serious for the rec room, but it was probably better that it happened now rather than later.
"I did change my mind, Mitchell, I really did. I just felt cheap telling my mum to move on and staying myself. But I won't let you, either of you." Annie paused thinking of what she could say next. "I guess that doesn't matter now. The three of us here, beating hearts for the lot."
"Beating hearts," he repeated, shakily, the brilliant truth still a little too bright to fully absorb though it made him so happy. For the most part. The small smile reassured him enough to let go for the moment.
"We're all... just as we should be. Together." He paused to shake his head, a disbelieving laugh trickling out. "It's mad."
Mitchell's laugh solicited one from her in response. It felt a bit strange to laugh, but she'd done more of that in the past week than she had done in months.
Annie had missed it but she had missed a lot of things. "I want a house with a cute garden. Might have to get a guest room or something, but it's nice to worry about things like that." Thinking of curtains and other funnily simple things made her happy as did having those here that she could share them with. "George has another werewolf friend, did he tell you?"
"A guest room? So four bedrooms? Isn't that a bit much to hope for in this market?" he asked. But it was a nice thing to worry about, to dream about knowing that it actually could be. Not a pipe dream that ends in death and old tomatoes being thrown at your windows.
He shook his head, derailed from that train of thought. "Another werewolf? No! What, who?"
"Oh lookie there. Someone's been here for five minutes and is already assuming that he gets to move into my lovely house. Again," Annie teased with a smile. It had been what she had been hoping for but she didn't want to force either of the boys into something they didn't want. Perhaps they wanted to be rid of her for a little while.
"No one we know. A sweet Scottish girl named Rahne."
"I'll ask permission this time?" he offered with a sweet smile, willing to play Annie's game. It had to be a game. He'd felt her leave the world in the very core of him. You didn't just let someone with that kind of connection live on the other side of the island. George either, unless he'd started something with that sweet Scottish girl. But even though he'd understood why George left to live with Sam, that had still hurt the core of Mitchell, too. "Can't blame me for wanting to stay in the prettiest house on the island, can ya?"
It wouldn't have felt like home, even aside from the bit where it was a magic tropical island and not a pink house in Bristol. After what she had been through Annie was more than willing to cling to what little she had left.
Reaching up she pinched one of Mitchell's cheeks, a bit like someone's dotty aunt. "Permission granted, anyways."
"Aw, thanks," he said, suffering the pinch of the cheeks in the name of his good mood and Annie's warm, non-squishy fingers. "Now how does a cup of tea for you and some coffee for me sound? And you can fill me in on all the George gossip."
"Hardly," Annie rolled her eyes slightly at the thought. Adam was a nice bloke, but she was fairly certain he was married or something like that. She was not that sort of girl. Turning around again, she walked to the kitchen doors and pulled one open.
"It's really cool. It's a jazz club located below a strip club. A little strange to have on a desert island, but oh well."
"A strip club?" he echoed, confused now but also a little amused. It was a bit sick to think that on paradise the one thing people decided that they needed was flesh on display, but at the same time so fucking human. "You're not-- I mean, you don't have anything to do with the upstairs part? With the... ermm..."
"Oh god no!" A blush started to creep up her cheeks and she walked a bit too quickly into the kitchen and in the direction of the store. She was not, nor had she ever been that sort of girl. It was well and dandy and made for interesting chat show fodder, but that was about it.
"Oh okay good," Mitchell said a little too quickly, embarrassed himself by the question. Those things he'd said to Annie in the kitchen came shooting back to his mind, like his memory was just a treacherous thing designed to cause as much pain as possible. Which it was in a lot of ways.
"I didn't think you'd-- I just wanted to make sure in case, I dunno, something and-- That's good. Job's good. Keeps you busy."
More than ready to gloss over anything that would bring up memories of that incident, Annie quickly busied herself pulling mugs out of the cabinet.
"Oh yes. And it is a good way to meet people. Everyone is just so fascinatingly normalish," she laughed and shrugged her shoulders before gesturing to the coffee pot. "I should warn you, I think the coffee here was made to scare off the worst of hangovers."
It was beautiful. Having decided that she had had enough of leggings for the time being, she was decked out in a bright blue sundress and (this was the best part) strappy sandals. It was nice to be able to do rather than simply watch others.
"Be careful," she warned with a smile and laugh to the man at the bookshelf as she passed through. "It keeps trying to sell me on trashy vampire novels, which is just silly. Its got a sense of humor, that thing."
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That brought a small smile to her face. Of course, being exorcised had prevented her from knowing that until he had told her but the thought really did count. Reaching she nervously tucked a curl behind her ear. This whole thing felt a bit serious for the rec room, but it was probably better that it happened now rather than later.
"I did change my mind, Mitchell, I really did. I just felt cheap telling my mum to move on and staying myself. But I won't let you, either of you." Annie paused thinking of what she could say next. "I guess that doesn't matter now. The three of us here, beating hearts for the lot."
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"We're all... just as we should be. Together." He paused to shake his head, a disbelieving laugh trickling out. "It's mad."
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Annie had missed it but she had missed a lot of things. "I want a house with a cute garden. Might have to get a guest room or something, but it's nice to worry about things like that." Thinking of curtains and other funnily simple things made her happy as did having those here that she could share them with. "George has another werewolf friend, did he tell you?"
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He shook his head, derailed from that train of thought. "Another werewolf? No! What, who?"
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"No one we know. A sweet Scottish girl named Rahne."
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It wouldn't have felt like home, even aside from the bit where it was a magic tropical island and not a pink house in Bristol. After what she had been through Annie was more than willing to cling to what little she had left.
Reaching up she pinched one of Mitchell's cheeks, a bit like someone's dotty aunt. "Permission granted, anyways."
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Turning slightly to walk towards the kitchen, she had made it two steps before clapping her hands together suddenly and letting out a little squeal.
"And I can tell you about my job!"
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"It's really cool. It's a jazz club located below a strip club. A little strange to have on a desert island, but oh well."
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"Just drinks. I only do drinks."
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"I didn't think you'd-- I just wanted to make sure in case, I dunno, something and-- That's good. Job's good. Keeps you busy."
Jesus, he sounded like George. Time to stop that.
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"Oh yes. And it is a good way to meet people. Everyone is just so fascinatingly normalish," she laughed and shrugged her shoulders before gesturing to the coffee pot. "I should warn you, I think the coffee here was made to scare off the worst of hangovers."
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