Yer know…ah jist realised that Stranger’s accent keeps fluctuatin’ from dead thick to non-existent…so, from this point, ah’m gonna start writin’ in the accent ah picked up off Annouka (hope you don’t mind matie XD) coz it’s sooooo much easier…rather like the one ah’m usin’ now…good Odd that’s worryin’…
Belong
It had been a week since Loki and Chiron had been bonded. They’d moved into the small hut built for them and life had gone pretty much back to every day normality. And Bailey had never been happier.
Of course when she was with Abe and Slick and the rest of the liberated Mudokons, she’d always felt needed and wanted, but only here, among the Steef of Stranger’s tribe, did she feel truly at home. This was her family, and she dreaded a time in the future when she knew she had to return to her side of Oddworld, to the Mudokons…she just couldn’t let them think she was dead but it felt as if her heart was breaking when she thought of leaving Stranger…and Haigar…
So, for the time being Bailey pushed it from her mind. Though she knew she couldn’t escape it forever…
A warm autumn morning dawned and the slender rays of light poking through the blinds in Bailey’s room hit her eyes and drew her from a restful sleep. She nuzzled into her soft pillows and let out a happy, sleepy sigh. Her bed was warm and comfortable and she drifted pleasantly between sleeping and waking, and not really keen to do one or the other. She wondered vaguely if she could spend the day in bed, the prospect sounded delicious and she snuggled into the blankets as she thought of it. Cocooned all day in warm, soft bedclothes…
She felt a soft nuzzling on her cheek.
Opening one eye, she smiled slightly at the luminous green Steef eyes that looked back.
“’ey baby.” Said a quiet voice,
“Mornin’ daddy.” The eyes, which were of course Stranger’s, glowed as he smiled.
“Yeh gonna get up?” he asked, still using a quiet, soft tone. Bailey stirred and mumbled.
“M’comfy.” Stranger chuckled and eased himself onto the bed, Bailey shuffling over to make room. He put his arms around her and pulled her close. Bailey cuddled up to him, head on his chest and buried her face in his fur, letting out a happy sigh, then smiling. “Yer know…if you wanted to get me up, this isn’t the best way.” Stranger chuckled again, the sound rumbling deeply in his chest.
“Ah know…bu’ a father don’t need a reason ter cuddle ‘is daughter does ‘e?” Bailey smiled into his fur.
“No…love you daddy.”
“Love yer too squirt.” Stranger murmured. There was a comfortable silence, Stranger holding Bailey close and stroking her hair, then; “D’yeh know what day it is?” Stranger asked softly. Bailey didn’t answer but shook her head into his chest. Stranger paused. “A year ago terday ah first saw ma baby.” Bailey picked her head up from his chest and looked up at him. Stranger smiled down at her, then kissed her forehead. “’appy Birthday kid.” He said softly. Bailey beamed and cuddled closer to him, nuzzling into his fur.
“Then I’ve been in Oddworld just over a year…” she whispered.
“Oh? ‘ow d’yeh work that out?” Stranger asked, smiling gently, still stroking his human’s hair.
“Well…” said Bailey softly. “Remember when I told you about when me an’ Abe, runnin’ around from the Magog Cartel?”
“Umhm.” Stranger nodded.
“Well that was all through the summer…and if I met you a year ago, and it’s just ending summer now…means I’ve only been here just over a year…”
“Aha, a-see.” Stranger smiled gently. There was another comfortable pause.
“Fourteen…” Bailey murmured eventually, she smiled. “Doesn’t feel any different.” Stranger laughed quietly,
“No matter ‘ow old yer get, yer’ll always be ma baby.” He said softly and kissed her forehead. Bailey smiled and leaned her head against his chest once more and sighed.
“I’ll always be ya baby.” She smiled, “An’ I doubt I’ll change, how ever old I get…” Bailey pressed her cheek to Stranger’s fur, pressed close to his heartbeat. “I love you Stranger.” She whispered. Stranger smiled warmly.
“Ah love yeh too darlin’.” Stranger sighed happily and held his little girl close, burying his nose in her soft hair. “Ah love you more then anything. So much…” Bailey cuddled closer.
“Me too daddy.” Bailey said softly, she felt Stranger stroke her hair, felt the undeniable, unconditional love that came from him as he tightened his arms marginally around her and held her as close as he could.
There was a comfortable silence for a long time, then Stranger lifted his head slightly.
“Whadda human birthdays like?” Bailey looked up at him, with thoughtful but also vaguely confused eyes. Stranger tilted his head, his own neon iris’ growing concerned. He gently stroked hair out of her face with gentle fingers. The three green beads on her braid touched a fingertip, warmly wooden. “Oh,” he rumbled deeply and gently, “Ah see.” he looked into her face, eyes softening. “Oh Bailey…” he kissed her forehead.
“Am…am I human…or Steef?” Bailey whispered.
“It doesn’t matter…” he said softly, “Yeh are who yeh are. Yer can’t change where yeh came from, or
what yer are…but yer decide
who yeh are…” he stroked her cheek comfortingly, looking into her eyes, “Steef, human…it doesn’t matter, ah love yer…ah will always love yeh…just because yer are yeh.”
“But where do I belong?” Bailey whispered, “I’m not a Steef…but I don’t feel human anymore…I’m so confused…”
“Yeh belong with yer family.” Stranger said tenderly, “With me, an’ Haigar, because we love yeh…Bailey…” his voice lowered to a whisper again, “Yer both.” Bailey looked up at him, Stranger smiled and kissed her forehead again. “Yer human, but yer Steef too. Be proud o’ tha’.” he looked into her eyes even more intently, “Don’t be ashamed. Eva. An’ don’t ever believe that yeh don’t belong. Yeh hear me?” Bailey swallowed and nodded. “Ah’m yer dad, ah always will be. Ah will never stop loving yeh. Ah will always love yeh and that is where yeh belong.” Bailey smiled. Her eyes moistening.
“I love you dad.” Stranger hugged her close, kissing her hair and face, his fur brushing her cheeks, warm and smelling of him. For a moment they were silent, Stranger softly stroking her hair while Bailey pressed her head to his chest.
“So…” he said softly, smiling, “Whadda humans do on their birthdays?” Bailey smiled, thinking.
“Cake.” She said finally.
“Cake?” Stranger repeated, a gentle smile on his face.
“Umhm.”
“What else?” he asked,
“Hmm, well, le’see…the family all get together and just…have fun.”
“Then that’s what we’ll do.” Stranger smiled, Bailey looked up at him and returned the smile. He kissed her forehead.
“This is where I belong…”
¤§¤
A little later Stranger left Bailey’s bedroom while she changed out of her pyjamas and was immediately pounced upon by Loki and dragged out of Bailey’s earshot.
“Did you ask her!?” Loki whispered. Stranger – a slightly bemused expression on his face – nodded,
“Yeah ah did.”
“Well!?” Stranger wondered how Loki could get so excited and hysterical, yet contrive to remain quiet…
“Cake.” He said and smiled, amused as Loki was stopped in her tracks.
“Cake?”
“Yeah, cake…an’ jist fer us, family, ter…be tergether…” Loki beamed,
“I’ll go and tell mum, we’ll bake Bailey’s cake, and you and dad and Chi can get the ingredients for us. Oh, and Haigar said he’d keep Bailey out of the way until this afternoon.” Loki flounced off, beaming, already planning what cake she and her mother could bake and she soon disappeared.
Stranger paused for a moment, then sighed and rolled his eyes, smiling slightly. He went back to Bailey’s bedroom and knocked on the door.
“Kid?”
“Yeah?” Bailey’s voice was muffled by the door,
“Ah gotta go do some stuff, Haigar’ll be ‘ere inna sec, spend tha day wit’ yeh. Ah’ll see yeh this afternoon yeah?”
“Ah-kay!” came the cheerful reply. “See ya later dad!”
“See yeh baby…” Stranger purred softly, he smiled again and left.
Not a few minutes later, Bailey came out of her room, dressed and bed made to find Haigar waiting. He grinned at her. Bailey returned the grin and slipped her arms around his middle, squeezing him slightly in a hug. Haigar chuckled and returned the embrace. When she looked up at him, he smiled again, leaning down to kiss her gently.
“S’just you and me.” He purred huskily, tenderly brushing a stray wisp of hair from her face. Bailey grinned and – because she was really too short to reach herself – gently tugged on his chest fur to bring him down for another kiss. Haigar purred as he kissed her back. Suddenly he swept her into his arms, Bailey giggled against his lips but never broke the kiss, she buried her fingers in his hair and kissed him deeply. Haigar moaned softy. “Bay…” her name muffled by the press of their lips. Bailey smiled and pulled back to breathe, she nuzzled him fondly, just as she’d seen Alika nuzzle Daimen, Haigar beamed and cuddled her.
“And what are just you and me going to do?” she playfully asked after a pause.
“Well…” Haigar smiled at her, his voice lowering, “We could…do this…” he slowly kissed her, nibbling her lip gently, but pulled back before Bailey had time to respond, he grinned, “Or this…” he kissed her again, deeper, and allowed Bailey time to kiss him back, he smiled against her lips as he heard her moan softly. After a moment he slowly drew away. “Or we could just laze around all day.” He suggested. Bailey smiled broadly,
“How about…we laze all day
and do this…” she kissed him tenderly, Haigar rumbled a deep sound, somewhere between a purr and a growl as he kissed her back.
“That sounds good.” He said, his voice low and husky, “C’mon…” he smiled at her and set her on his back before making his way out of the hut, into the grass and sunshine. Bailey sighed happily and leaned her cheek on his shoulder blade. After a moment she kissed his shoulder.
“I love you.”
“I love you too.” Haigar whispered. He carried Bailey outside, smiling lovingly down at her, walking a little way from the huts before stopping; “Look.” He said softly and gently gestured with his chin. Bailey followed his gaze and smiled, between two trees, was a hammock. “Your place to laze my lady.” Haigar grinned. Bailey laughed gently, then she leaned up and kissed him.
“Laze with me?” she asked hopefully, Haigar smiled,
“You just try and stop me…”