Sliced Trees and Dead Words

25 - I never knew empathy was so sexy.

- WOLFE -

Teasing Luna may very well be my favourite pastime of all time.

I love how she seems completely indignant whenever I do, like it's completely unfathomable to her that I'm not afraid to irk her. Even around others, like the young waiter having a grand old time watching me make Luna blush right here at his table.

She tried not to eat the parma I ordered correctly for her, but after watching me guzzle my way through half of my big breakfast, she moodily picked up her knife and fork, and began eating her now lukewarm meal, and I chuckled the remainder of the way through my own until finished. It was apparently good enough (or perhaps she was just sufficiently hungry) to finish the whole thing, doing so without a single word to me.

She didn't bother reading the unread texts on her phone after I passed it back to her. But when she returned from the bathroom and placed her phone down upturned on the table, all the notifications were gone and her cheeks were newly flushed.

There wasn't enough time to read through all of them before my vocal amusement drew her attention and she tried desperately to get it back off me. What I did read centred around Nella wanting details about Luna and I sleeping together, queries about my sexuality seeing as I didn't make a pass at her, what I look like wrapped in a towel, and her proposition for dinner tonight so she can witness and offer her own judgment about what is going on between Luna and I.

So now, not only are people assuming we're together, but they're actively creating situations where we can be.

The thought of being under the scrutiny of Nella and Mason tonight had me nervous, not that Luna had confirmed with them yet that we would be going. Or at least, not to my knowledge. She hasn't really been in a chatty mood since I pulled that move with the phone. Truthfully, I was just going to turn the vibrations off because the rattling of all the cutlery and crockery on the table was driving me bananas. But then I saw my name a few times, and just couldn't help myself. Any ammunition I can get my hands on to use against her is worth the risk, because I'm finding it harder and harder to joke away whatever it is that exists between us. And it seems Luna feels it too if she's consulting with her girlfriend about it.

After a very one-sided conversation at the end of our meal where I learned that the melanzane wasn't as good as her Nonna's, who lives back in Italy and is allegedly part of the mafia, I dramatically quivered in my boots a little and made it seem like I was taking her attempt at a threat seriously, paid for our meal, and drove us over to the veterinary hospital to collect Medusa.

The poor girl looked wrecked. In addition to the splint and bandage around her leg, she had bandages around her stomach and a cone around her head to keep her from attacking her stitches. It was the most placid I'd ever seen her, including the night she watched Dalen hang himself. Medusa's head perked up when she saw Luna and I, and her tail made a half-assed effort to wag when Luna ran in her stupid heels and starting kissing her face.

Luna carried Medusa back to the car while I squared up the bill for her surgery and collected what medication she would still need as she healed. She was so happy to see Medusa okay that she didn't stop to argue with me and I was able to get through the transaction without any unnecessary difficulty. The reprieve was a welcome one, and her adoring, dreamy face looking at Medusa in the front seat the whole two hour drive home to Luna's was, again, worth every fucking cent.

She was just so goddamn beautiful.

I want her. More and more with every careful pass of her hand over Medusa's ears. With each soft word spoken to Medusa promising to take the best care of her until she's feeling better.