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

SIDE STORY PT. SIXTY FIVE

|TANNER|

Without thinking about it, I had fallen asleep on the bed. Waking up with a now gone Luna and an open bathroom door. I heard whimpering and realized she was crying. I stood up, and slowly walked to the bathroom. Leaning in, to the point where Luna noticed me from her peripheral vision but could stare straight ahead as to not look at me directly. I glanced up and down her body to find her disinfecting the wound and changing the bandages. "Why.. did you sleep in my bed?.." she asked with a pain filled voice. "I..just fell asleep after putting you to bed.." She sniffled and spoke in a hushed hoarce voice. "this hurts so bad tanner.." she started crying and before I could even take a step closer to her she stopped me with a hand. "No, No, I'm ok.. just-.. leave me alone for a few seconds." She exhaled and at that exact moment I needed a smoke. I get it was my fault but I was beginning to lose my patience. I huffed and stomped out of the room to the front porch. Taking out a cigarette as I stared into the dark early morning sky. I tapped my foot at a fast pace and eagerly tried to keep my composure. But it was so hard not to be mad at the situation, 'For gods sake, I can't even as much as go into her bubble without causing a nervous breakdown! She needs help, but if she tells anyone I might go to jail! God Damnit!!' I groaned and drug the cigarette out. Finishing it in under ten seconds and throwing it to the floor when I was done. I reached for another one.  'Why did this have to happen to us? Why couldn't we have just had a simple relationship? Of normal dates, a normal engagement, and a normal life without Fucking Laurence!' I drug it to the bud again and once I was finished I threw it to the floor.

|LUNA|

He stomped away, slamming the door in the process. It was obvious he was mad, but the pain in my shoulder was so bad that I almost forgot about him.

I took three deep breaths and reached for the disinfectant, putting it on one more time before I pounded on the counter "MOTHER FUCKER!" It burned as I paced back and forth til my eyes landed on Tanner's belt. Looking at it reminded me of how Tanner put it in my mouth to help with the pain. So instead of pushing through it, I grabbed one of my belts and put it in my mouth. It hurt but since I was able to bite down it was manageable after a minute or two I finally took it off and wrapped my upper arm in the new bandage wrap. However, after the pain went away, I was left with guilt. I didn't want Tanner to be mad at me, not when I'm the one dragging us down. I'm better than that. So instead of going back to bed I walked to the front door. Opening it to find Tanner mumbling to himself as he smoked, what seemed to be, his 5th cigarette.

I took a deep breath and put my hand on his shoulder. My heart pounded as he knew it was best for me not to look at his face. He stared at the moon. "You should go back to bed Luna. It's too early to be up." "Give me the cigarettes Tanner." He exhaled the smoke. "Why would I do that?" "Cause you and I both know it's bad for your overall well-being." He chuckled. "Heh, so what-?" "Why are you acting like this? Usually your so-." "-So What? Perfect?" I could feel his eyes rolling. "Just face it Luna. You don't know anything about m-." "Because you won't tell me anything!" He went silent. "Don't you think, after all those times of me talking to you about my life, I didn't secretly want you to open up about yourself?!" He exhaled the smoke and dropped the cigarette to his side. I scoffed. "I want you to open up so bad.. but you never-." He aggressively flicked the bud to the ground and started walking off. But before he left he had dropped the box to the floor. Still half full, which was a good sign as he drove away from the neighborhood. A tear filled my eye and while it dropped from the corner of my eye, I picked up the box and grabbed the small hand-held shovel that was in the living room closet.

I had never told him this but, in the corner of the garden, I kept a stash of his cigarettes. Some full, some a quarter empty, but all buried deep down for his sake. The flowers I had planted above it had died a long time ago so no insects or animals would dare come near it. Once I dug the hole back up again I put it in. Pushing the dirt on top to secure that no one will find it.