Hues in Love (COMPLETE)

XIV.rock my world

Huffing a satisfied grin, Agatha resumed shining all Genesis' boots, sitting on his bedchamber floor, her back against his bed, Genesis' smell radiating.

Genesis, his hands over the towel enveloping his head, drying off, gaped down at Agatha, "You shouldn't bother, sweetheart, it'll all get dirty anyhow,"

Agatha spared him a short glance before returning her gaze to the three pairs of boots before her, "The-then I'll go clean it, again and again, and again," she replied with a grin.

Jokingly rolling his eyes heavenwards, Genesis strolled towards her, the gray towel now draped over his broad shoulders, crouching before her, "You sure are one feisty little girl," he said, pinching her nose for a second.

Genesis rose from the ground, thus, sitting in the bed, his leg touching her arm, leaning over, his head tipped towards her direction, "You okay here?"

Blinking, she gave him a confused look, "course I a-am, sir,"

There was a long pause after that. Agatha busy shining his boots, Genesis simply watching her, a grin plastered in that rugged yet handsome face of his.

"Be-before you object, sir, I am fixed on me-mending the holes in your shirts and so-so socks," Agatha exclaimed, a determined look in her face, causing Genesis to arch his brow.

"Whatever you say, madame," he responded, his voice filled with playfulness.

Agatha rose from the ground, smoothened her brown frock, the one she brought here to Texas, strolled towards Genesis' drawers near the window, Genesis' eyes fixed upon her.

Opening the topmost drawer, Agatha let out a sigh, her fingers rummaging through the clothes before lifting a thread-bare trouser, "I think I co-could fix this, I'll just, let say, add a patch here and the-there,"

Further examining the battered trouser in her milklike finger, Agatha bit her inner cheek.

Genesis, meanwhile, solely watched her standing by his drawers, "I know they're too to use even as a rug but I can't just seem to throw them away,"

Agatha blinked at him, awaiting his explanation, shrugging, he crossed his legs, "I don't know, I guess it reminds me of who I was back then. Not that I want to go back, God knows I really don't. It's just that, a sign on how far I 've come from that hungry little black boy to this, a ranch owner,"

Agatha found herself strolling towards Genesis, sitting beside him, the threadbare trouser still in her hands, hanging to every word he says.

"I under-sta-stand," she responded.

"Half my life, I was a slave until I wasn't. Tell you the truth, I didn't know what to do following years, I lived like a crazy man, going to the tavern here and there until I could barely stand straight, alcohol had become my oxygen at that time,"

"Until I woke up outside the tavern, my head aching, I found myself asking what the hell am I doing? Lord knows I beg and beg for freedom and now that I have it in my hands, why am I wasting it? Drinking and gambling all day, all night," Genesis added, his eyes staring at the window as if reliving what transpired.

Agatha intertwined her fingers through his, giving him a reassuring smile.

"That's when I met this group of guys, Devon included, the next thing I know, I was a gunslinger,"

Agatha was shaken at what Genesis just revealed. Him being a gunslinger.

"Is that ho-how you and Devon bought the ranch?" were the words that fell out of her lips before she could stop herself.

Genesis seems not angry or offended at her question. If anything else, Agatha detected a rising panic in him judging from the way his fingers tightened around her for a second.

"I-i better get going, Agatha," he exclaimed and before Agatha could even apologize, he was off, leaving her confused.

Now that you think about it, how else would Genesis and Devon afford such a massive ranch like this?

Not that Agatha was underestimating Genesis here but let's all face it, a colored man, fresh out of slavery, owning a property?

Still, Agatha just decided to slide the topic. Obviously, Genesis has his reason and she shouldn't question him after all, she too has secrets of her own.

Secrets back in Cedarburg that she badly wants to bury yet her mind can't seem to forget it.

Sighing, Agatha resumed her work, forcing herself not to dwell much on what just transpired.

By the lake, all while fishing, Genesis' thoughts all wander back to what happened in his room with Agatha.

He almost told her the truth he couldn't digest even though he himself committed it.

He remembers Devon telling him over and over again to not stress much about it. "What's done is done, pal, you have to loosen up,"

All Genesis could reply at that time is a mere nod yet till now, he can't seem to...loosen up.

He could still hear the horrid screams at the back of his head, reliving the brutal winter night. All the blood and the sounds of a gunshot.

Sighing, he knew he can't tell Agatha the truth. He just can't put their relationship in jeopardy.

The girl already looks at him as if he was nothing but a hero, as if he has the heart and soul of a saint. He can't stand the idea of her judgment regarding him to change.

Hell, their arrangement was already messed up and Lord knows no day has passed Genesis was thankful over Agatha accepting it.

Hoping to get back to her, Genesis gathered dozens of pebbles covered in mud inside the other bucket and as soon as he was satisfied with all his catch, he went straight to the back of the house to scrub the pebbles, his sleeves rolled up.

A satisfactory grin spread through his face as he eyes the mesmerizing transformation of the pebbles, from muddy to marvelous.

From its muddy state, with Genesis eager scrubbing, the pebbles were now in the splendid colors of green, red, brown, black, white, cream, and of course, blue, reminding him of Genesis of Agatha's captivating eyes.

Grinning, Genesis raced towards inside, there inside the sitting room, he saw Agatha sewing his battered clothes on the couch, her attention entirely fixed on it, the tip of her tongue showing.

Genesis could help himself, he chuckled as he sat down beside her. "Are you under an operation, sweetheart?"

Agatha immediately looked at him, a smile spreading in her face, a warm feeling spreading over him with her smile.

"You're home ea-early,"

"I have something for you," he said, playing with the pebbles behind him.

Arching a curious brow, putting her work aside, she was about to ask him what it was when Genesis raced her off by putting all the pebbles in her lap.

Agatha's eyes went wide, awestruck at such a sight. "Oh, Genesis, they're all so beautiful,"

Genesis huffed because he fears she won't like it. However, judging from her reaction, picking up the muddy pebbles with his bare hands, and washing it all off are all worth it. He's willing to do it over and over again.

"But not as beautiful as you, sweetheart," Agatha stopped in her tracks, her finger grazing the pebbles, blushing hard.

Coughing, he said, "I could take you sometimes to the lake, we could get more pebbles such these"

Biting her lip, suppressing her blush, her eyes downcast, she said, "I-i would i-like that, sir,"

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It took me way too long to update, and I am deeply sorry. Nonetheless, I do wish you great health!