Taboo (Merle Dixon x OFC)

Chapter 17

The only source of light in the living room was coming from the fireplace. Merle had a roaring fire going. The entire room was illuminated in the red, orange and yellow colors of fall. Flickering shadows were dancing over the old wooden panels and furniture, making the room look like some kind of strange other worldly dimension. It was sort of like Halloween had come in and taken over, which was okay by me. Halloween was my favorite holiday. I loved anything and everything to do with it.

Sitting on the throw rug in front of the fireplace after we had finished bringing our stuff in, I held up my hands to the burning warmth. I had changed into nothing but my robe. I was waiting for Merle to finish changing so he could join me.

I loved being in front of a fire. It didn't matter where it was. Here in the fireplace or outside in a fire pit, I didn't care. I loved the smell of burning wood. Inhaling deeply, I enjoyed the aroma. It reminded me of a smoky, piney, sulfury incense. Merle had picked pine to burn on this particular night because it smelled good, and it was a soft wood that burned quickly and wouldn't overheat the cabin.

Spying an old, dusty photo album on the bookshelf next to the fireplace, I reached out and grabbed it. I pulled it down and into my lap, opening it to the first picture. I smiled as I took it in. It was an old one my Mama had taken of me and Merle. I was only a child, about 5 years old, and I was curled up in Merle's lap in front of the fireplace in an armchair. I was asleep, my head was resting on his chest, and his arms were wound tightly around me. He was asleep, too, completely oblivious to my Mama and her sneaky camera.

"Wha'cha lookin' at, sweetheart?" Merle drawled curiously, padding into the room. I turned my head to look at him, my smile widening as I realized he was in nothing but his boxer briefs. I let my eyes roam over his muscled body as he crossed the room to where I was, licking my lips as I passed over his cotton-covered cock.

"An old picture of us. I was just a kid." I handed him the album as he plopped down in the same armchair as the one in the picture.

"Oh, yeah." He chuckled softly, barely tapping it with his fingertip. "I remember this picture. Ya had a nightmare that night. Ya ran out here screamin' right in ta my arms. Ya were hysterical. Ya were cryin', but ya fell back ta sleep once I settled ya down. Yer Mama was good at catchin' me off guard with that camera o' hers. She always got doubles developed so I could have one. There's a lotta pics like this 'round here. I ain't looked at this album in years. It's mostly pics o' me and you that yer Mama or Jake took of us just doin' whatever." He shrugged, smirking.

"Well, let's look at it t'gether then," I suggested. "I do vaguely recall havin' a nightmare here when I was a kid, but I don't remember what it was 'bout. I just remember screamin' fer you instead o' my parents."

"That's cuz it was 'bout me. Ya told me while ya was blubberin' through yer fat lil tears that I was bleedin' and looked dead, but that's all ya said. I'll never ferget the horrified look on yer sweet lil face. We had found a dead fox in the woods earlier that day. It was all mangled, looked like it had been attacked by a bobcat or somethin'. I think it might'a scared ya a bit. Ya were still so tiny." Merle patted his thigh, his eyes twinkling. "C'mon and sit with me. If ya wanna look at it, ya gotta be in my lap. That's the rule, baby girl."

"Yes, Uncle Merle," I said obediently as I stood up, making him snicker.

"That's my girl." He said proudly as I settled myself sideways in his lap with one arm around his neck.

He sat the photo album on my thighs and flipped to the next page. This picture was one of me on his shoulders. I had my fists in his hair, holding on for dear life. Merle had been a mountain of a man to me when I was little, and I had been a little bit scared up there. He was laughing at me, trying to untangle my hands from his hair, and my Daddy was standing next to us smiling at me. Daryl was only a teenager, and he had his arms open in case I fell with that shy little smirk he always wore.