WHEN THE RAIN STOPS- Scrutinized [TANNER x LUNA] 2 IN 1

SIDE STORY PT. THIRTY SEVEN

|LUNA|

He closed the door and walked over to me. "Aw, were you playing dress up again?" I froze and couldn't move or speak. He crouched down to me and lifted a little of the dress like Dante did a little while ago. "Only this time it's with an actual dress huh?" It came time where he was sitting next to me and waiting for me to talk. "Are..are you real?" He laughed a little and nodded. "Of course, my Love." He grabbed my head and gently brought it close into his chest in a hug. "For I am the only good you have left.. how could I leave you? All the others are animals and they're just waiting to.." he lifted my head by my chin and in a weirdly soft, calm, and baby like voice said "rip you up." He smiled and kissed my head softly. He then lifted me up in a bridal style notion and plopped me to the bed. Only to crawl ontop of me and plop himself on my chest. His head in the same position as mine when I was laying on Lydia. I didn't know what to do so I just hugged back cautiously. He laid there for a second before wrapping one arm around my back waist and another on my upper back and clinging to my shoulder. He smelt of his usual cologne and body wash, it almost brought me peace when he held me like this. I wish I could say that it made me feel better but I knew this hug was only temporary. It only ended up making me anxious for when he had to leave. It's weird, even though he was hell on earth, I couldn't help but feel wanted, needed, addicted.

I loved his predictability. It gave me comfort that I knew how he would react to most circumstances, because I expected everyone else to treat me the same way.. I just didn't know what triggered their response.

Anyway, in the morning Cole was gone. Supposedly Into thin air. I was willing to accept it was a dream til I noticed I was leaning on someone. By the toon he was humming I could tell it was Tanner. He was combing through my hair while he looked down at me with his usual smile. "Good morning." I coughed a little before actually waking up "what? W-why are you here?" He got stunned and laughed it off. "Well, you're certainly considerate this evening. I thought you would have more gratitude to the man that saved you from that... abomination, of a human." He hummed a small giggled then continued with my hair. "You mean, it wasn't a dream?." He shook his head with his eyes closed to match his smile. "No. But I'm glad you're ok." He reached down and rubbed my cheek. "I don't know what possibilities had in store if I wasn't here on time. Now that would be a rather bad situation, Hm?" I sighed and then reached over to grab his hand that was petting my hair. Then pushed it away to sit up. "Where's Val?"
"At the market. She wanted some berries so she left with Lydia." "Lydia? Why?" He did a so/so groan as a auditable shrug and explained further. "I guess she wanted something from the market too. It's unclear."
I rubbed my nose bridge before getting up. Collecting clothes from the trunk "Can you leave? I need to change." He did a little hummed giggle before gambling with me.

"Why so hostile Luna? Is something wrong?" I could feel his smile burning into my back while I just stared at the trunk below me. "I just need to change.. and now that you have a family, I don't feel comfortable with you watching me change." I heard the bed squeak and Tanner left with a swish of the door. I grabbed a black dress, it was tight ontop with a red rose on the only shoulder tank top like sleeve, then it had a normal dress skirt that was also the same purplish black. It also came with gloves to wear so I didn't mind. Or care that much. Honestly today just felt like a Talley Mark, nothing special happened today after I brushed my teeth. Tanner was keeping his distance so... It was actually quite lonely.

The week that followed was the same. I would wake up, eat, nap, talk to the others, and over hear Tanner arguing with Val while I tried to sleep. Val would yell at him for being a 'terrible' father. Something about how she wished someone else got the job and that Tanner was a sorry excuse. "I MEAN, HOW THE HELL DO YOU EXPECT TO HELP WHEN YOU CANT EVEN FUCKING FOLD A BED RIGHT?!"
Every night it was something different. But Tanner did know how to fold a bed, he knew how to cook, he knew how to comfort, so why was she yelling? Just for the sake of it I guess. Either way Lydia would shut them up. Then come over to cuddle for a while til I eventually fell asleep. She understood me, and why I was sad. To the point where I was wondering When she was going to hit or talk bad to me, but she never did. It put me on edge.