hate.”
“I hated them already, e ven before I met you. You’re not changing anything.”
“And I’m not telling you anything. I don’t want to relive it. Please, stop.”
He put his hands on his head and leaned it back to gaze at t he ceiling, clearly frustrated and angry, m aybe even a little at me. I thought it was probably healthy for us to finally have some kind of feeling other than crazy need for each other. Maybe I should do so mething to really piss him off, s ee how he’d react then.
I giggled a small chuckl e at the thought. He always let me get away with everything. I couldn’t picture him angry with me, unless I looked back on the time when Polly’s compulsion made hi m hostile with me, but that did n’t count. That wasn’t really him.
“What’s funny? I don’t see anything funny about this,” he said softly.
“It’s not funny. I was thinking that I’ve never seen you angry at me before.”
“I’m angry at them. I’m not angry with you. ”
“Not even a little?” I quirked my eyebrow and dared him to lie to me again.
“Ok. Yes, I’m angry. I’m angry that you’re being stubborn for no apparently good reason. You don’t need to protect me, I’m a Keeper. I’ve dealt with Lighters for centuries. You aren’t going to tell me anything I didn’t already imagine anyway. I’m sure the things I thought were a lot worse. Especially since you’re in one piece.”
“I’m not trying to act superior. I just don’t want to talk about it.”
“You are so impossible,” he groaned, took a deep breath and then placed his hands on my waist again. “Alright my little silent martyr, fine, b ut just so we’re clear, I completely disagree and think you should be forced to tell us what happened to you. If for no other reason, research purposes.”
“I agree with that and I acknowledge that you disagree...but I’m still not telling you. But I do love you.”
“I love you, too, frustrating as you are.” He hugged me and I felt his warmth seep into me and his anger creep away. “You really do look great,” he whispered.
“Thank you. I feel great, even better now that I know I can fight with you and not suc cumb to your commands so easily anymore. I kinda like it that I can stand on my own,” I said with a smirk.
“Let’s not make it a habit, ok? I’m not thrilled with this discovery of yours.” He cracked a playful smile. “I much prefer to order you around and you just do whatever I say.”
“Your high handedness is impressive,” I mused. “Don’t worry, I promise to let you boss me around sometimes.”
“What about right now, when I say that you’ve been standing up too long and you need to go relax for a while?”
“Yeah, I guess.” I turned back to the counter and grabbed my mug. “My tea is cold now.”
“I’ll warm it. Please, go sit on the couch. I’ll be there in a minute.”
“Yes sir,” I said and saluted with enthusiasm.
“That’s more like it,” he said amusingly satisfied.
I kissed him before I walked off. He released me quicker than I liked. Then I knew. I knew he didn’t want to try to do too muc h before I got all healed up, to his standards. T his was t ypical Merrick behavior.
“You’re not gonna touch me for a week are you?” I said, letting him know I knew what he was doing.
He turned to
“I hated them already, e ven before I met you. You’re not changing anything.”
“And I’m not telling you anything. I don’t want to relive it. Please, stop.”
He put his hands on his head and leaned it back to gaze at t he ceiling, clearly frustrated and angry, m aybe even a little at me. I thought it was probably healthy for us to finally have some kind of feeling other than crazy need for each other. Maybe I should do so mething to really piss him off, s ee how he’d react then.
I giggled a small chuckl e at the thought. He always let me get away with everything. I couldn’t picture him angry with me, unless I looked back on the time when Polly’s compulsion made hi m hostile with me, but that did n’t count. That wasn’t really him.
“What’s funny? I don’t see anything funny about this,” he said softly.
“It’s not funny. I was thinking that I’ve never seen you angry at me before.”
“I’m angry at them. I’m not angry with you. ”
“Not even a little?” I quirked my eyebrow and dared him to lie to me again.
“Ok. Yes, I’m angry. I’m angry that you’re being stubborn for no apparently good reason. You don’t need to protect me, I’m a Keeper. I’ve dealt with Lighters for centuries. You aren’t going to tell me anything I didn’t already imagine anyway. I’m sure the things I thought were a lot worse. Especially since you’re in one piece.”
“I’m not trying to act superior. I just don’t want to talk about it.”
“You are so impossible,” he groaned, took a deep breath and then placed his hands on my waist again. “Alright my little silent martyr, fine, b ut just so we’re clear, I completely disagree and think you should be forced to tell us what happened to you. If for no other reason, research purposes.”
“I agree with that and I acknowledge that you disagree...but I’m still not telling you. But I do love you.”
“I love you, too, frustrating as you are.” He hugged me and I felt his warmth seep into me and his anger creep away. “You really do look great,” he whispered.
“Thank you. I feel great, even better now that I know I can fight with you and not suc cumb to your commands so easily anymore. I kinda like it that I can stand on my own,” I said with a smirk.
“Let’s not make it a habit, ok? I’m not thrilled with this discovery of yours.” He cracked a playful smile. “I much prefer to order you around and you just do whatever I say.”
“Your high handedness is impressive,” I mused. “Don’t worry, I promise to let you boss me around sometimes.”
“What about right now, when I say that you’ve been standing up too long and you need to go relax for a while?”
“Yeah, I guess.” I turned back to the counter and grabbed my mug. “My tea is cold now.”
“I’ll warm it. Please, go sit on the couch. I’ll be there in a minute.”
“Yes sir,” I said and saluted with enthusiasm.
“That’s more like it,” he said amusingly satisfied.
I kissed him before I walked off. He released me quicker than I liked. Then I knew. I knew he didn’t want to try to do too muc h before I got all healed up, to his standards. T his was t ypical Merrick behavior.
“You’re not gonna touch me for a week are you?” I said, letting him know I knew what he was doing.
He turned to
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