Little Green Apples (Ivan×OC)

Chapter 16 *TW Applies*

TW: racial slurs, derogatory terms, violence

The next morning, Jessica woke up lying on Ivan's chest. She didn't want to wake him, so she laid there for a moment, just listening to the gentle rhythm of his heartbeat. After he stirred slightly, she wiggled away from him and got up to make coffee for them. She put the coffee maker on to brew, then went to get dressed.

She slipped on a skirt, then put on her sweater that buttoned up in the back. She struggled to get the upper half of the buttons done up, when she heard Ivan's bedroom door open. She opened her door and met him in the hallway.

"Mmm... I smell coffee brewing," he said.

"Yep, it should almost be done. Awkward question, but could you button the last couple buttons of my sweater?," she asked, turning around.

He did as she asked, then looked at the clock.

"We're going to be late; our coffees need to be to go."

She nodded and poured two travel mugs for them, then they were off. As they pulled up to the church, Ivan began to look uncomfortable.

"You wanna take refuge in the library? We can just sit and read and relax," Jessica suggested.

"Later. I have something that I need to attend to first."

She went to the library and waited for him to show up, but he never did.

She wandered around the church looking for Ivan when she looked out a window and saw Adam and Khalid picking at the apple tree. All of a sudden a car pulled up the road, and a couple of goons that looked like Adam hopped out.

"What's wrong with you? Are you f*cking kidding us? You climb trees with a n****r."

"Esben, just go home," Adam told them.

"He say go away and take fat friend," Khalid said, stepping forward.

"Jørgen, let's teach our little black friend some manners."

Out of seemingly nowhere, Khalid pulled out a handgun and shot one of them. Jessica could hardly believe what she just witnessed.

"What the f*ck are you doing?," Adam yelled at Khalid.

"I feel stress. He come with psycho knee," Khalid explained nonchalantly.

"He shot me!"

"Here witness. Him done before."

"He shot me!"

"I say sorry, fatso! Take him with you," Khalid ordered, gesturing to the man's companion.

"You'll regret this. And you, n****r, you're dead."

"You stupid? I have gun."

"You can't just shoot people," Adam explained.

"He came with that shoulder. Psycho shoulder. There's his back," Khalid said, taking another shot at him, hitting him in the back.

"Stop it!"

"I are off balance. I no like seeing Ivan like that. It's a shitty day. I want leave this f*ggot country."

Apparently Adam had heard quite enough. He stormed into the church, no doubt looking for Ivan.

Jessica followed him to the auditorium, where they found Ivan sitting in the front pew staring at the altar. Adam approached him, ignoring Jessica staying on his heels.

"Khalid... You have to talk to him," Adam conplained to Ivan, "he has problems. Gunnar is also behaving strangely. They need you."

"Leave me alone."

'Good for you, Ivan,' Jessica praised.

"Yes, but just have a talk with them. They'll listen to you. I'll put the apples in the fridge."

"Do as you please."

When she saw that Adam was leaving Ivan alone, she went to the library. Just as she was getting ready to sit down with a book, she overheard a strange conversation...

"Wow, so many guns."

"Khalid, where are you going?," Adam asked.

"Statoil must die."

"Wouldn't you rather stay here?"

"No."

"You won't shoot anyone, right?"

"Drop it. I no want to shoot you," Khalid reiterated, aiming a gun at Adam and Gunnar. "You meddle, and I shoot your face."

"Can we go with you?," Gunnar asked.

'What the hell? Has everyone just lost it the last couple days?'

"You want rob with me?"

"Yes."

"So nice. But no smoke in car. Get in."

'Well... I'm just going to pretend I didn't hear any of that. I don't want to bother Ivan with their antics,' Jessica reasoned.

They were gone several hours, so Jessica found Ivan and suggested going home.

"Hey... Ready to call it a night?"

"Almost," he said, turning his attention to the wall again.

Jessica approached his desk, and took a seat on it to his right. She used her foot to spin his chair to look at her, and pulled him into a hug.

"Don't be so sad, Ivan, please. Things will work out, you'll see."

He rested his face against her chest, then nuzzled his nose into the crook of her neck. She pressed a kiss to his forehead and pulled away from him slightly.

"Let's go home," she said with a smile.

He put his hands on her knees and looked at her for a moment, then pressed his lips to hers. She dug her hands into his hair and intensified their kiss. He gripped her sides and raised her up, peppering her face with kisses. They heard a car door close.

Not long after, they heard Gunnar, Adam, and Khalid running up the stairs. They immediatelybroke apart. Gunnar swung the door open.

"Oh, I didn't realize you guys were still here. Shouldn't you be home?"

They both just nodded at him, and quickly made their way down the stairs and out the front doors, hopping into the van.

The ride to the apartment was quiet and tense. Ivan decided to be the one to speak up.

"I'm still a little weary of us getting involved romantically. I mean, I'm dying. Do you want to get that close to me just for me to be gone as quickly as we were getting started in a relationship?"

She had to admit, he had a point.

"I know the emotional process I'll go through when the time comes. And it will be the same whether we officially are seeing each other or not. But if you're still uncomfortable with it, I wouldn't dream of forcing myself on you. We can just focus on being there for each other."

"Thank you for understanding, Jess. Believe me, I really want it too, but knowing I would have such limited time left with you, I couldn't put you through that level of loss when I die."

That made the rest of the trip completely somber.

When they parked and walked up the stairs, they walked side by side in silence.

They walked in the door, said their goodnights, and went into their rooms. As soon as Jessica shut the door, she burst into sobs. She curled up on her bed and cried and cried until she was sure her body was completely depleted of water.

She put on her pajamas and tiptoed to Ivan's room. She opened the door to see he was asleep. She stepped lightly to the other side of the bed and slid in next to him. She nestled into his side and dozed off.