Clawen • What comes next

|| CHAPTER 80 ||

           

Back in the room

His cousin was grinning at him, obviously sharing his happiness. "Am I too gone?" Gray asked Maisie, who shook her head and chuckled. "No Gray, you're fine. It's just cute, listening to you talking so passionately about someone that you like" She said and repositioned herself a bit, to hopefully wake up her leg. "So...you like guys" Maisie then stated and Gray nodded with a shy smile. "And that's it, or do you like girls too?" She then asked him, which seemed to shake him up a bit. "Uh...I don't...know?" He then said, looking at Maisie. A bit of the fear and a lot of the confusion now clearly returning. "Hey you don't have to figure it out right now. There's no deadline, I was just curious" Maisie was quick to tell her scared cousin, who seemed to calm down a little. "Well...I think...I think I like girls too" It took him a few seconds but eventually he got it out. "So, I guess...I like both? Is that even possible?" He then said, half a question. All Maisie could do was smile at her cousin. "Of course, its possible" Maisie grinned at him.

In the now extremely messy hotel room

Claire was sprawled out on top of Owen, with her head on his chest, feeling his breathing slow down minute after minute. "So how many times do you think we can do this without killing ourselves, before we have to get back?" Claire muttered against Owen's sweaty skin, as her fingers ran over a small scar. She felt him chuckle, more than she heard it, as his hand came up to play with her hair. "I guess we will find out" He said, still sounding like he had just run a marathon. She smiled to herself and let her eyelids fall down, as her body relaxed with the touch of Owen.

Meanwhile

"So, you're bi" Maisie said, confirmed by Gray nodding. "I'm surprised that you're so okay with all of this...I wasn't sure if I should come to you with it...I didn't know how you felt" Gray then told her, nervously but relieved. "Hey Gray, there's no shame in it...But I understand why you were so nervous...are so nervous...Actually I understand it more than you might think" Maisie then said, looking away from Gray in the same way he had done just mere minutes ago. He seemed to understand where she was coming from and asked. "Someone...you like as well?" She nodded, more sad than shy or nervous. "Want to talk about it?" Gray then asked but before Maisie could answer, Karen knocked on the door and popped her head in to tell them that the food was ready.

"Gray what are you doing in here?" She asked, almost sounding like it was a crime. The panicked look on Gray's face was obvious, but before it could get any worse and before Karen noticed, Maisie was quick to tell her "He just came in to talk school stuff" which really seemed to relieve Gray from all the stress that has just filled his system.

Back at the hotel

They were both still awake, still naked and still tired. Sitting up against the headboard, was Owen with Claire's back against his chest. The TV had been turned on in the meantime, showing a random sitcom. Neither of them had the energy to switch and just accepted it. Owen had an arm around Claire's middle, keeping her close and safe. His other hand was busy running fingers through her hair and massaging her scalp. Owen wasn't sure how long she had been asleep, but when he noticed, he turned off the TV and slowly scooted down so she would be more comfortable and not mess up her neck or back while she slept.

Meanwhile at dinner

Neither Maisie nor Gray mentioned their conversation. Karen didn't ask what kind of school work they talked about. After they had finished eating and cleaning, Gray suggested they watched a movie. Everyone agreed to it, even Charlie. They decided on a Disney one, because of Charlie's age, but no one minded a good old Disney movie. When it was over, Karen went to put Charlie to bed and suggested the two older ones started getting ready as well. Maisie thought it was a little early but Gray shook his head at her when he saw her expression. When they both got upstairs and Karen had closed her door to read Charlie a bedtime story, Gray pulled Maisie into his room. "I know it's early, trust me. I've lived with this my whole life, you just got to look like you're on your way to bed and she'll leave you alone. I only need eight hours of sleep, not twelve. But she won't listen. I normally just lay in my bed until she comes and checks on me, then after that, she doesn't return and I can go to sleep whenever, without making much noise, that is" Gray told Maisie, who nodded and walked back to what was her room while she was staying there.

When Karen came to check on Maisie, she was laying on the pull-out couch with a book. Her aunt looked satisfied with it and was about to leave when she suddenly stopped. "Hey Maisie" She said and took a step into the room to be able to close the door. Maisie closed her book and put it down on the small coffee table that was used as a nightstand, when the bed was pulled out. "Earlier...you called me auntie" Karen said with a shy look in her eyes. "Yea? Should I not have? I'm sorry" Maisie started but was stopped by Karen's hand waving in front of her and her saying 'no no' over and over again. "There's nothing wrong with it, really. I just didn't know, that you saw me as your aunt" Karen then told her but Maisie just seemed even more confused. "But you are" She told her aunt and tilted her head in confusion. Karen closed her eyes for a second, as she nodded. She took a step closer to the bed and asked "May I?" to which Maisie nodded with a smile.

"I know that technically, I am your aunt. But...I mean I knew that you saw your parents, as your parents. And you see Charlie as your sister. But I didn't think you would ever look at me as your real aunt...I don't know, it might sound odd and confusing but..." She was stopped by Maisie. "No, I get it. I spend most of my time with mom, dad and Charlie. I live with them. It didn't take long before I considered them my family, but it didn't take long with you guys either. When mom mentioned that she had a sister, a couple of years ago. I got really happy, because I've never had any other family than my grandfather...and Iris, I guess. After our first stay here, I considered you guys my family as well" Maisie told, her now emotional aunt. "Dammit Maisie, you really are an amazing girl, you know that" Karen said and chuckled with a small shake of her head. "I'm really glad that you consider us family, because we see you the same way" Karen said.

They hugged it out, before Karen left Maisie alone and went to bed herself.

80 huh – Only 20 to go

I think this was the last of the trilogy of these chapters.

I hope it was alright and that you enjoyed.