Oh good grief…
This is in serious danger of becoming a sickeningly sweet, completely clichéd, sop story…
Oh well!
Dancing In The Rain
When he got back, Haigar was greeted by a rather amusing scene. The other Steef present seemed to agree with Haigar’s sentiments, as his attempts to hide a smile clearly said. There was one however, who, no doubt, found the entire situation rather less then amusing. In fact, Haigar doubted Stranger would ever see the funny side…
“OW!” he roared in pain, “WHADDA YA THINK YER DOIN’ WOMAN!? TAKIN’ OFF MA LEG!?” Alika sighed and shook her head, forever patient, with a small smile on her face, but sympathetic with her brother-in-law as she tried to remove the arrow from Stranger’s haunch.
“Now Stranger,” she soothed, “Stop making such a fuss, you’re acting like a Steefling.”
“IT BLOODY HURTS! Stranger bellowed, then; “WHADDA YOU LAUGHIN’ AT!?” Stranger demanded, looking at Daimen who stood nearby. Haigar glanced at his father. The older dark Steef had one arm crossed across his chest, propping up the other by the elbow. Even though Daimen had a fist over his mouth in what appeared to be an expression of sympathetic worry and pity, Haigar could clearly see the laughter in his father’s eyes. Daimen tried – unsuccessfully – to pull himself together before he lowered his hand.
“Ah c’mon Stranger.” He said jovially, grinning broadly, “You gotta admit it’s funny.” Stranger growled, glaring at his older brother.
“We’ll see how funny yer think it is when I ram this arra up yer butt.” He snapped.
Daimen couldn’t hold it in any longer. The sight of his brother, his hands almost strangling the post he was holding onto while his small wife flitted around his back end, and knowing that in any other case he would have been furious, but also knowing the reason for the whole affair, threw back his head and roared with laughter. Howling like a demented wolf Daimen leaned on the outside wall of Stranger and Bailey’s hut, tears of mirth streaming down his cheeks as he shook with the laughter.
Haigar hid his own smile, far more effectively then his father had managed and left his parents and uncle; Daimen laughing uproariously and Stranger alternately cursing and yelling in pain, while he snuck away into Stranger’s hut, to find Bailey.
He found her, in her room, sitting cross-legged on her bed, her cheeks resting on her fists and her elbows on knees. She winced every time Stranger yelled.
“Bay?” Bailey looked up quickly.
“Heya blue.” She mumbled miserably. Haigar carefully unstrung Bailey’s bow, knowing it was important to her to care for it and drew out the wicker basket under her bed that she kept all her things in, carefully placing the bowstring, the bow and the quiver of arrows in it, before replacing the lid and sliding it back under her bed. “Thanks blue.” Bailey said quietly as he stood.
Haigar slowly eased himself down on the bed next to her. He put an arm around her shoulders.
“No problem.” He murmured. Bailey leaned into him, putting her arms around his stomach and snuggling into his fur.
“I really didn’t mean to shoot Stranger…” she whispered wretchedly. “I didn’t…” Haigar placed a gentle finger on her lips, Bailey looked up at him.
“I know, and I’m sure he knows too.” He said softly in reassurance. Bailey swallowed and nodded, casting her eyes down. A finger tilted her chin gently. Haigar smiled softly at her, “Hey, hey,” he stroked her cheek with his thumb. “It’s alright.” Bailey buried her head in his chest, stroking his fur.
“It’ll never be the same again…” she whispered, “Will it?”
“What won’t?” questioned Haigar in a low voice.
“Us.” murmured Bailey. “We’ll never be the same again.” There was a pause. Bailey smiled slightly, but her eyes were grave, “You were always there, whenever I needed a shoulder to cry on, you were always there when I needed you.” She whispered. “I can’t believe it took me so long…but…”
“But?” Haigar asked.
“But…I dunno…am I ready to take this step…is this something I’ll regret?” she looked up at Haigar. He was looking at her, serious blue eyes distant, obviously he had been thinking along the same lines.
“Nothing ventured…” he said at last in a thoughtful voice, “Nothing gained.” He smiled and focused on Bailey, “You are the one. A wild heart that cannot be tamed…I just…just hoped you feel the same …this is something that I can’t just forget…and I can’t stop feeling it…” Haigar took Bailey’s hand and laid it on his chest, over his heart. “You do something to me I can’t explain, but I never want it to stop…”
“I thought we were just friends…” Bailey whispered.
“This is the beginning of something deeper.” Haigar told her, “Not the end of what we had.” Bailey suddenly looked worried,
“It won’t be a secret anymore. When we tell them…when we open up the door, it can’t be closed again…” Haigar smiled reassuringly, despite the same fear he felt, deep down in his heart,
“I know that we were close before, I’m glad I realised I need you so much more, that you mean so much more to me.” He took her hand and kissed it. “I don’t care what everyone will say, this is about you and me…no-one else.” He brushed her cheek gently with his fingertips.
“But sometimes it seems, completely forbidden, so wrong, to admit those feelings that we’ve hidden…” Bailey said, Haigar broke into a warm smile, his eyes glowed with feeling as he tilted Bailey’s chin so that she was looking at him again.
“Feelings?” he whispered. Bailey looked into his eyes. She nodded. Haigar took in a deep, shuddering breath, then he smiled, “Though it’s improbable, it’s not impossible, love is unstoppable. There’s a fine line between fate and destiny. Do you believe in things that were just meant to be? We’ve intertwined our lives, we’re unified. Nothing can come between us now, and nothing ever will…”
For a few moments they just looked at each other, trying to read the other’s eyes though Haigar found it a lot harder then Bailey. Human eyes were not as expressive as Steef eyes. Haigar stroked her cheek again with his thumb, and, feeling a bit more daring, over her lips as well. He paused there, resting one finger on her lower lip. He shuddered pleasantly when Bailey kissed the pad of his finger gently.
“I’m in love with you Bailey…” The Steef admitted after a while. He leaned forward and touched his nose to Bailey’s. Bailey smiled back at him, she drew back slightly, then kissed his muzzle. Haigar blinked at her, “What was that for?” he asked in surprise. Bailey grinned and shrugged.
“I need a reason?” she asked simply. She ran one hand down the thickening fur on his jaw line. Haigar blushed dark under his fur, he stammered slightly as he spoke.
“I-I-I should go an’ check on S-S-Stranger.” He kissed her cheek quickly and Bailey watched him go, with a grin still on her face.
¤§¤
The next day dawned dull and oppressive, Bailey had a monster of a pressure headache and the Steef seemed to agree that a thunderstorm was on it’s way. Though, fortunately for them it wasn’t the pain of a headache that told them, but the smell of the coming rain, and the static in the air that made their fur stand on end. Unfortunately no one could tell when the storm would break and Bailey had to suffer with her headache.
Being outside helped and so it was outside that Haigar found the human come mid-morning. Bailey was laying on her back, under a tree, one hand resting on her forehead. The dark Steef felt his heart tug, he didn’t like to see his Bailey in pain. He walked over to her and folding his legs, lay down next to her. Bailey moved her hand and squinted at him.
“Hullo blue.” She murmured.
“Still got that headache?” Haigar asked. Bailey made a small sound of pain in affirmative and Haigar’s expression became troubled and sympathetic. He reached out and ran a thumb across her forehead. “The storm will break soon.” He assured gently. Bailey moaned again and moved, resting her head on his flank. Haigar eased himself down onto his stomach and stroked her hair with one hand.
There was a moment of silence before Haigar began humming, a slow, relaxing tune, his deep voice melodious and soothing. Bailey had her eyes closed by this time and she smiled. After a moment longer, Haigar began singing softly under his breath, a soft lullaby he remembered from his younger days. The words were nothing Bailey understood as they were in the native Steef tongue, but it was sweet and calm and Bailey was lulled. Before long she was asleep. Haigar smiled to himself and closed his own eyes, unaware that a little way off Stranger was watching them, his haunch bandaged, arms folded, smiling slightly at them.
Bailey was woken by a rumble of thunder. A rumble that made the ground vibrate and shook her to her bones. She woke with a jolt and sighed in quiet relief as she realised that her headache had finally dissipated, the reason too, became apparent when there was suddenly a harsh shriek, like silk being ripped asunder and lightning split the sky. Bailey sat up. Haigar was still beside her, and also looking up at the sky. The grey thunderheads broiled fiercely in the sky and Steef and human watched them in silence.
Then, as if someone had turned on a giant cosmic tap, rain fell from the sky in steel grey sheets. Haigar stood quickly,
“We better get in.” he called and turning, began trotting towards the huts. He stopped when he realised Bailey was not with him. He looked back, to see the human, holding her hat, her arms out and face uplifted, her eyes closed as she let the warm summer rain wash over her. She looked at Haigar after a minute and grinned.
“Dance with me!” she crowed, laughing. She spun in a circle as the rain continued to pour.
“Bailey, it’s pourin’ it down!” Haigar protested. Bailey laughed,
“Ah, c’mon blue! It’s fun to muck around in the rain.” The human gave a childish whoop of glee and jumped in one of the rapidly forming puddles. Haigar smiled slightly. However mature Bailey seemed, she still had that thirteen-year-old kid inside her. The young Steef sighed and walked over, he folded his arms and looked down at Bailey, smiling.
“Your really immature sometimes.” He said. Bailey turned to him, her hair was slicked back and her eyes were bright.
“But that’s why yer love me, right?” she asked. Haigar grinned a feral grin. He swept her into his arms and held her tight.
“That’s why I love you!” he shouted into the storm. Bailey laughed and slid her arms around his neck, his fur thick and wet. The breaking of the storm seemed to have released something inside them as well, Bailey felt giddy and careless. She didn’t care what anyone heard nor what anyone said about her and Haigar.
“Haigar…” Bailey said his name huskily, reaching out to stroke the slick fur on his chest. Haigar broke into a smile and his eyes sparkled.
“I love you Bay.” He nuzzled her neck, Bailey leaned back, smiling. Haigar picked up his head and looked into Bailey’s eyes. “I love you more then anything.” He said, his voice firm with conviction but trembling with feeling. He touched his nose to Bailey’s. “And don’t you ever believe otherwise.” Bailey felt a tingle race through her nerves. She nuzzled her nose to Haigar’s snout before wrapping her arms more firmly around his neck and leaning into him, holding him tight. Haigar tightened his grip on the human and hugged her close.
Thunder boomed, sheet lightning flashed, lighting up the sky and the rain pelted down from the clouds. None of it mattered. Bailey felt Haigar’s arms around her and his breath on the back of her neck that sent pleasant sparks down her spine. She knew she loved him.
Bailey drew back slightly and met Haigar’s gaze. She grinned, and stroked his thick fur growing on his jaw. She tugged at it gently, bringing Haigar’s face closer.
“Just you try and stop me from believing it.” she murmured. “Hey stud…” she suddenly said, her voice softer now but Haigar’s acute hearing easily picking it up. He returned her smile.
“Hey beautiful.” Bailey beamed and pressed her lips to his, kissing him. Haigar’s arms immediately tightened around her and he kissed the human back.
When they drew apart. Haigar rested his jaw against her forehead. He vaguely heard Bailey again as she whispered more to herself then anyone else;
“Never be the same again.” Haigar smiled happily.
“Let it always be like this….” He thought as he kissed Bailey’s wet hair.