FLUFFY! Oh oh, and the next chapter is veeeeeeeery interestin’, if I do say so meself, bit of a plot development so watch out. Oh, and if you don’t like fluff, well then yer’ll prolly hate it.
Old Leather
Bailey didn’t realise how much she’d missed Stranger until that night. When he’d tucked her in, Bailey had asked once again about doing something together. Stranger had looked delightedly and had smiled broadly.
“Tomorrow?” he ventured, his eyes looked hopeful and glowed when Bailey nodded enthusiastically. “Then you better sleep,” he kissed her forehead, “G’night kid.”
“Night S-S-Stranger.” Bailey answered through a wide yawn. She snuggled down in the blankets and fell asleep with a smile on her face, looking forward to the next day.
The day dawned bright and clear, the warmth of mid-summer showing itself as soon as the sun rose. Unusually Bailey woke up early, stretching and yawning she ruffled her hair and got out of bed.
“Wonder where Stranger is?” was her first thought and for a moment she felt her stomach drop, had he forgotten about their plans? He normally woke her up earlier… Bailey peeped out of the window, early morning sunshine streaming in. It came to her that she could be the first one up. Bailey grinned.
Creeping out of her own room she quietly crossed the living room of the hut and peered into Stranger’s bedroom. Stranger was sprawled out on his rough, hay-stuffed mattress, his mouth open as he snored. Bailey giggled. Though she had a proper bed (or as ‘proper’ as she could have) with blankets and sheets and soft mattress, Stranger preferred to have his own lumpy mattress and roughly woven blanket that tickled and scratched.
Softly, Bailey crept over to the bed, her first thoughts were to yell and jump onto the bed and consequentially Stranger, but seeing him lying there, so peaceful, changed her mind. Instead she crawled onto the mattress and wiggled under the blanket. She picked up Stranger’s arm and moved it so that it was over her and she snuggled into his chest.
She’d missed this, Bailey realised, she’d missed Stranger just cuddling her. When they’d been in the wilds, before they found the other Steef, Bailey had always slept wrapped in Stranger’s arms. It was a comforting feeling to be there again. Just then, Stranger stirred, blinking and looking down at the little human in his arms. Bailey smiled shyly at him, Stranger rumbled a purr in return and wrapped his arms more tightly around her. Bailey rested her head on his chest as Stranger gently stroked her hair. They stayed like that until the birds started singing and the light of the sun became stronger.
“Alrigh’ squirt.” Stranger murmured, “Whadda ya wanna do?” Bailey buried her nose into the fur on his chest.
”I don’t care.” Came her muffled voice, “I just wanna spend the day with you.” Stranger smiled and hugged her again,
“Where d’you an’ Haigar go?” he asked all of a sudden, Bailey was unfazed and shrugged,
“We just…go. We don’t really plan on where…although yesterday was different, Haigar showed me this place in the forest with a pool.”
“Ah, so tha’s why yer were all wet.” Bailey giggled,
“Yeh, I taught him how to swim.” Stranger chuckled as he thought of Haigar floundering around, legs going everywhere.
“Bet tha’ was fun.” He commented lightly, Bailey nodded in affirmative.
“Yeh…” she murmured thoughtfully, “Yeh, it was.” Stranger brushed hair from Bailey’s face and tilted her chin so that she was looking at him.
“He really cares for yer, yer know.” Bailey smiled,
“I know.”
“He was jist as worried as me, when yer fought Karnan…”
“He didn’t say.” Bailey frowned,
“Coz he believed in yer, he knew yer could beat ‘im…even if I didn’t.” he added softly. Bailey looked at Stranger again, looked right into his fantastic, neon green eyes. Stranger sighed slightly and stroked her cheek with one gentle claw. “I shoulda believed it yer…even more then Haigar, I’ve seen what’cha can do.”
“It just shows you care,” Bailey said quietly, “Shows you care enough to not even want me to take risks. Mam never cared that much…” Stranger nuzzled the top of Bailey’s head and kissed her hair.
“I love you, so much Bailey…” he said without warning. Bailey smiled and let her eyes close as she laid her head over Stranger’s heart. Soon they would move, but right now there was time to just be together. Their time.
¤§¤
Bailey grinned to herself and hid behind the thick trunk of a huge tree. Though it was somewhat of a childish game, Bailey relished being able to muck about with Stranger.
She peeped around the tree and giggled delightedly when she couldn’t see him, it looked like she’d lost him and won the game. Until two Steef arms wrapped around her stomach and she felt a warmth on her back. She heard Stranger chuckle next to her ear as he blew on it.
“Got’cha.” He said and chuckled again, Bailey swatted at him and rubbed her ear as she laughed with him.
“Yer know I hate it when yer do that.” Bailey muttered, still rubbing her ear. Stranger’s laughter rumbled in his chest,
“Why d’yer thinks I does it?” he asked. Bailey swatted at him again, but she was smiling as Stranger plucked his hat from her hair and replaced it on his own head. Bailey’s smile grew wider, even if wearing it made him look ridiculous with his re-grown horns, Stranger had taken back to wearing his old fedora hat. Though he never had explained why he’d started wearing it again, Bailey thought she knew.
When they had first arrived at the valley and Stranger and Bailey’s hut had been built, Bailey had been helping him unpack when she’d found his hat. At first she’d put it away under her own bed with the rest of her things, in the wicker baskets the Steef kept their belongings in when they were in the summer valley. But every so often Bailey would drag it out and just sit on her bed, holding it. She didn’t know why but it caused a lump to rise in her throat, she tightened her grip on the old, worn leather and she’d jumped when Stranger’s voice had said her name.
Stranger heard Bailey go quiet and had gone to see what had distracted her. He had found his small human sitting on her bed, looking down at what she held in her hands. It was his hat. The one Stranger hadn’t seen he’d left the winter homes. He frowned confusedly, how had it gotten here? He hadn’t packed it. He’d packed his poncho but, subconsciously knowing that his horns would be re-growing soon, he hadn’t bothered to pack his hat. At first he’d dismissed the thought as unimportant, but then, more and more frequently he’d found Bailey, with his hat, looking somewhat sad.
This time he studied Bailey intently for a moment and realised with surprise that Bailey was chewing her lip and looked like she was abut to cry. Slowly Stranger went to her.
“Bailey?” he laid a hand on her shoulder and Bailey jumped, looking up at him, “Kid? Are you okay?” Stranger asked, his voice troubled. Bailey bit down on her bottom lip and nodded. Stranger sighed, “Yer don’t look it…” he said after a pause. Bailey didn’t meet his gaze.
In her mind’s eyes she could see a burning room, Outlaws screaming as they were engulfed in flames, and Stranger… Stranger, unmasked as a Steef, his disguise gone. So different… To Bailey’s horror she felt a burning prickling behind her eyes as tears threatened. She blinked them back but they gathered anyway.
“Kid?” Bailey looked up, watching Stranger’s luminous green eyes widen slightly as he saw the moisture glazing her own hazel ones. “Oh kid,” Stranger folded his Steef legs and put his arms around the human, drawing her in towards him. “Wotsmatter kid?” he asked softly. Bailey hesitated, then wrapped her arms around the Steef’s neck, still holding his hat. Stranger felt the first stirrings of alarm when he felt Bailey shaking against him. “Liddle darlin’ please,” he pleaded, “Whadda ya upset about?” Bailey buried her face in the thick fur on his neck.
“Why does everything change?” she’d asked in a whisper, “Why can’t it stay the same?” Stranger didn’t know exactly what Bailey was talking about. However the next words she spoke made it all clear. “I don’t want everything to change.” She whimpered, “I don’t want to lose everything I know, everything that’s familiar and makes me feel safe.” Stranger tightened his hold on Bailey when he felt a hot wetness begin on his shoulder, “I don’t want you to leave.” Bailey said wretchedly. In shock Stranger drew away and looked into Bailey’s face,
“Bailey…yer think I’m gonna go away?” he wiped the tears on her cheeks away with his thumb, “Yer think I’d leave yer liddle darlin’?”
“Everything else I know, everything- it’s, it’s all changing, and, and I’ scared-”
“That I’m gonna change too? That’ll I’ll go away?” Bailey looked at the floor and nodded. Stranger watched her for a moment, heart tugging. Gently he took his hat from Bailey’s hands, Bailey looked up and watched him put it on his own head. He grinned down at Bailey, he stroked her cheek with his thumb, “Kid, I ain’t ever gonna change.” He suddenly wrapped his arms around her and picked her up like she was a small child, kissing her cheek. “An’ I would never, ever leave ma baby.” Bailey smiled weakly, Stranger placed one large hand on her head and pressed it to his shoulder. Bailey sighed in relief and snuggled up to him.
He’d worn that hat ever since.
Stranger buried his muzzle in Baileys hair and chuckled. He hugged her tightly. “Love yer Bailey.” He murmured, he squeezed Bailey gently and then set her on her feet. Bailey turned to face him, wrapping her arms around Stranger’s stomach and rubbing her nose into the soft fur on his chest.
“Love you too.” She mumbled. Stranger stroked her hair, smiling contentedly to himself. Bailey drew away with a questioning look on her face. “Stranger?” he looked down at her.
“Yeh?” Bailey grinned, looking, Stranger realised, very like himself. Suddenly she snatched his hat and wriggled out his arm, breaking into a run.
“Can’t catch me!” she called, Stranger growled and grinned a feral grin.
“We’ll see ‘bout tha’…” he muttered and took off after his Bailey.