Tierney Harper
slytherin student
sixth year
the earth elemental
[b]why'd you have to win me over[/b][br][i]just as I took the world on my shoulders?[/i]
Posts: 129
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Post by Tierney Harper on Dec 24, 2009 15:05:28 GMT -5
Tierney sat in the back of a black cab, her eyes staring blankly out the window at the cold landscape of Northern England. It was snowing and that should have made Tierney happy, but she was too miserable to care - a first since snow was her favorite thing, and the fact that it was Christmas and it was snowing should have made the day perfect... except that the past week had been the worst week of her life and it hung around her like an impenetrable fog, impervious to the joys of a white Christmas and a beautiful landscape.
"I think a predominantly white wedding would be lovely! Simple and sophisticated. Maybe a nice white and black theme?" The woman to Tierney's left spoke, leaning over Tierney's shoulder and looking at the book she had laid out before her with color schemes.
"I sort of wanted something less harsh. I was thinking a nice off-white, maybe eggshell, and a deep red," Tierney mentioned, pointing to two colors that were in different schemes.
"There's a reason they aren't a color scheme, Miss Harper. No, black and white will do just fine. Besides, off-white implies you aren't a virgin bride or that it isn't your first wedding. Neither of those is true, right?"
Tierney blushed and averted her eyes. She didn't care what the colors symbolized, she just wanted the colors. She did not want black and white.
"So it's settled. Black and white it is."
"I'm really not fond of black and white though!"
"But think how perfect it is! You the white, the pure and good. The demon black, filthy and evil. Perfect contrasts. It's the right color scheme for your wedding, stop fussing, child."
The cab rolled to a stop at the gates and Tierney climbed out as the cab driver went to the boot and pulled out her suitcase. He handed it to her and she forced a smile and handed over the fair. Turning back to the gates she watched as they slowly swung open, expecting her arrival. It was a long, unplowed walk through the powder to the Rederick Mansion. She should have come back by magical means, it would have been warmer and quicker. Why had she opted out of that again? She couldn't remember for the life of her anymore.
Sighing heavily, Tierney started her walk, glad at least that she had planned ahead and was wearing tall boots, a turtleneck, a thick sweater, and her thigh-length, hooded, black wool coat. She was at least physically warm, though mentally and emotionally she felt quite cold and numb.
"We'll have traditional foods for the meal. Nothing fancy or special." Tierney wanted something special, why not - it was he wedding day which she'd never get to repeat again. A special occasion, or it should have been.
"The flowers will be roses." Tierney hated roses, they were so cliche.
"Cotton tablecloths." Couldn't they even spare a little expense for satin or silk?
"You made reservations at the church, right?" Tierney wrinkled her nose, she wanted to get married outside in nature, especially if it was a summer wedding.
"Oh! The dress next... Miss Harper, wait until you see it, it'll be perfect!" Yeah, right...
The house came into view before her, looking surprisingly warm and welcoming. That was the magic of Christmas on the Rederick family. Tierney was covered in snow, snowflakes clinging to her brown tresses and making them look white. It was snowing heavily now so she picked up her pace and all but ran to the front door of the Rederick mansion, taking shelter under the portico.
Tierney grunted as the dress was hoisted up around her and tugged around. She felt the zipper slide up and into place and the hook closure done. Rapidly she was spun around and caught by the old woman who had been 'helping' her get into said dress.
If Tierney had thought her week had been bad before, she had thought wrong. It was Christmas Eve, but she wasn't celebrating with her family, no, she was being wrestled into a dress - a hideous dress. The mirror should have cracked having to reflect the ugly thing. It was bright, blinding white with layers of ruffles and a straight up and down cut. She looked awful. She looked like a twig! A ruffly twig. It did nothing for her except make her look anorexic which she was anything but. That was the last straw...
Tierney literally ripped the dress off herself, much to the horror of the women around her, and screamed. Then, through the stunned silence she marched to the door and out of the room to find her parents. She refused to stay there another minute having her wedding decided for her, just like the rest of her life!
She knocked twice and then opened the door as usual, peeking her head inside and then entering properly. She dropped her suitcase on the marble foyer floor and brought her hood down which revealed the tears slowly making their way over her icy cheeks. She was so glad to be away from Romania and those horrid people, those horrible responsibilities, but in the end she knew she'd just end up with whatever wedding they planned for her, whatever life they wanted. She knew this coming summer she'd become the most miserable sixteen year old wife in the world. Where had her strong resolve gone? Where had thoughts of her people gone? Now all she could think about was how she wasn't getting anything the way she wanted, how she was marrying a man she didn't love and who didn't love her.
She just wanted to be a normal kid. She wanted a normal life, well - as normal as a wizard child could have because she didn't want to give up her magic abilities. She wanted to be free to date whoever she wanted and in time choose who she wanted to marry. She wanted to have control of her own life, but that wasn't an option and never would be again come summer.
Looking around the foyer, the tears came faster. She wanted to forget it all. She wanted to have a nice Christmas with the Redericks. Tierney wiped away some tears, though they were quickly replaced, and took a deep, shaky breath, hoping to regain some composure before running into anyone. Her luck probably wasn't that good though.
She would have a good Christmas. She would have fun and forget her troubles in Romania for a little while. There was plenty of time to grow up later, but very little time left for her to just have fun...
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Post by Landon Rederick on Dec 25, 2009 0:31:08 GMT -5
The time couldn’t pass any slower, or so it seemed to Landon. He’d been waiting for what seemed like forever for this day to come and now it was passing so slowly. He was obviously waiting to Tierney to arrive but waiting made it take that much longer. He woke up early to run some errands for his mother, hoping that it would help the time go faster. He bought a new pair of dark jeans and a new navy blue cashmere sweater (tots hott) and got his hair cut. He opted for a shorter do this time around, thinking it made him look a little older and sophisticated. He still had gel in it though. Landon just couldn’t go without his hair gel.
Landon wrapped all the presents he’d gotten for his family. His mother kid of just threw money at him to get as many gifts as he wanted. For his mother he got a simple diamond tennis bracelet. He got his father a pair of onyx and white gold cufflinks. He got his grandfather and his Uncle engraved gold pocket watches. Shopping for his siblings wasn’t necessarily difficult, but there were a lot of them and he had to make sure that he didn’t forget anyone. James got a gift set from Zonko’s that would definitely keep him entertained. Regan got a fireproof leather jacket. He got Tris a new broom. He didn’t know if she would need it, or like it, but it was nice to have options. Jasmine and Kenton, the oldest of the children, got books. Some would say that books were lame gifts, but they were lame siblings. It was perfect. Landon intentionally wrapped the gifts by hand instead of using magic. It helped pass some time, especially since he had to redo a bunch of them.
After wrapping the gifts Landon arranged them then rearranged them under the tree. Once they were to his liking he bothered the chefs and the house keeping, looking over their work and picking at the food being prepared. Even after all that there was still plenty of time left to wait. His room was spotless so there was nothing to clean. So to pass some time he took a nap. When he woke up there was just a little bit of time left before Tierney arrived. He had two options. He could try to be cool and suave and act nonchalant when she showed up or he could wait outside and throw snowballs at her as she walked up the steps. Landon grabbed his coat, hat, and gloves and waited outside but as soon as the snow started to come down harder he ran back in. “So much for that,” he mumbled to himself.
Landon went up to his room, took of his coat, hat and gloves and sat on his bed, tossing and catching a quaffle until he heard the gates open. By the time he made it to the window he spotted a black taxi driving off and Tierney walking toward the house with her stuff. If he ran, he’d make it downstairs just as she was getting to the door. He sprinted across his large room, through the door, down the hallway, and down the grand staircase. He didn’t stop until he reached the foyer when Tierney was standing, with tears flowing down her cheeks. He expected his heart, that was already beating fast from the running, to beat even faster when he saw her, but instead he only felt pain because she look pained. Landon ran to her and wrapped her up into a hug. He didn’t say anything at all. Landon just held his friend tightly, letting her know that if she wanted to speak he would be there.
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Tierney Harper
slytherin student
sixth year
the earth elemental
[b]why'd you have to win me over[/b][br][i]just as I took the world on my shoulders?[/i]
Posts: 129
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Post by Tierney Harper on Dec 25, 2009 8:07:45 GMT -5
In the blink of an eye Tierney was wrapped up in a hug. She felt a bit dazed and it took her a minute to register who was hugging her, but then the familiar feeling of the embrace sank in - Landon was hugging her. She instinctively wrapped her arms around him too and hugged him tightly, openly sobbing in his strong arms and surprisingly not feeling ashamed by it as she once would have. She no longer cared if he saw her crying, he'd seen it enough times now for it to not matter anymore.
She pulled herself closer to him, tucking her head into the crook of his neck and inhaling deeply. He smelled nice, he always smelled nice - and comforting. For such a playboy, a jerk, he really did make her feel better when she needed it most, just by being there. This was the boy she wanted to see. Even though she knew it was wrong to want to see him, to want to be held like this by him, the truth was that it was the only thing in the world right now that would make her feel better. Until it sank in that even though he hugged her like this it didn't mean anything and he was with Victoria and - wait, what did that matter? It didn't. Scratch all that.
Until it sank in that her future husband's hug didn't and wouldn't make her feel better, it wouldn't make her feel safe and warm and cared about. How sad was that? A playboy and a jerk like Landon made her feel safe and warm, but her fiance, who by all accounts was a very nice man, made her feel cold and empty and unhappy. She had some serious mental issues...
On top of that, she'd yet to tell Landon that her wedding was moved up. She pulled back, her tears having finally abated and looked Landon in the eyes, searching for a way to tell him, but came up blank. Should she just blurt out the information? She didn't want to blindside him, but how could she breach the topic? Her heart throbbed as she scanned Landon's face. Oh hell, "I'm getting married this summer."
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Post by Landon Rederick on Dec 25, 2009 16:01:06 GMT -5
This is not how Landon planned for things to go at all. Of course he hoped that he and Tierney would share and embrace of some sort, but he didn’t expect for her to break down crying in his arms either. Since she was holding tight, he was assured that it was nothing he did. Now he just wondered if it was something that he could fix. He racked his brain trying to think of what could possibly have upset her. He always assumed that time in Romania was a joyous time for Tierney. She got to be with her family and her people. As she cried harder, Landon wrapped his arms around her tighter and comfortingly caressed her hair.
Landon pulled away from her a little after she spoke because he swore he misheard her. There was no way that she was getting married so soon. There was still at least a year left. He still had more time. “What?! What do you mean?! Why would they do that?!” The questions were rushing through his head at a mile a minute. He had to bite his lower lip to keep himself from overwhelming her with them. “Okay. Okay,” he said softly, not just to calm her, but to calm himself as well. He let go of her only so he could take off her coat and put it in the closet. “Let’s go sit down.” Landon waved his wand over her luggage so that they would make their own way to her room.
Landon pulled her close and walked with her to their family room. As he had hoped, there was no one in there. He sat them down on the couch next to the fireplace and leaned back against the armrest to encourage Tierney to lean against him. He used an air-dry charm to dry her hair from the melted snow. “Accio quilt!” His black and green quilt zoomed down stairs and fell onto his lap. “Okay, now tell me everything that happened.”
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Tierney Harper
slytherin student
sixth year
the earth elemental
[b]why'd you have to win me over[/b][br][i]just as I took the world on my shoulders?[/i]
Posts: 129
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Post by Tierney Harper on Dec 25, 2009 23:08:33 GMT -5
“What?! What do you mean?! Why would they do that?!”
Tierney sniffled pathetically and shrugged. "I guess there's been unrest and fighting again. They decided a more immediate union would help to settle the people again. In fact, when I went home for Christmas my mother told me that originally they had been talking about marrying us this Christmas break, but my mother had protested so strongly and threatened to kill my father herself if he should surprise me with something like that."
As Landon took off her coat she felt herself relax further. It wasn't the act of shedding her coat and being more comfortable so much as it was Landon's sweetness making her feel... well, for lack of a better description - warm and fuzzy. And then he continued to amaze her! His sweetness was never-ending today.
He lead her into the parlor and sat her down with him on the couch. He even went as far as to dry her hair, which really made Tierney's heart pound. It amazed her how darling Landon could be. She knew as a player he could be charming and she knew he could be sweet at times, but was that all this was? It didn't seem like it was - it seemed... genuine. It was heart warming and just... adorable. Had she not been so upset she most likely would have been beaming at the special treatment. He was really making her feel cared for, dare she say it - loved.
Thus when her hair was dry she readily leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes, now almost completely relaxed. He asked her to tell him everything and she sighed, not quite sure where to begin. "Well, it started a few weeks ago when I got a letter from my father telling me my wedding was pushed up to this summer. He told me I had to come home to start the planning so I did. Except when I got there they wouldn't let me choose anything! They were hounding me at all hours of the day and I barely got to see my family, but it was only to tell me the plans they were making. They'd ask my opinion, but when I gave it they would shoot me down in the rudest ways and then tell me 'no' and finalize their own decisions."
The tears were coming back as she spoke and she bit her lip to cage them in. "I have no control over anything! I can't choose who I marry or when. I can't choose the color scheme for the wedding, the location, the food, not even my dress! Oh the dress! It was hideous and made me look sickly. Everything they wanted was horrible. I just want to be able to make my own decisions and run my own life instead of having everyone else run it for me."
"I don't want to get married yet, Landon. I want at least the last year they stole from me! It's too soon, too much. If I can't love the man I marry, then at least let me put it off until the last minute possible. Let me live my life... I want to beg them to let me be a child while I can. I thought I was okay with this marriage because it would help my people, but I'm not! As selfish as it is, I'm not happy about it when they want to take everything from me, including my right to plan my own wedding! I want to be able to at least pretend I have some control, but they make that so difficult..." Tierney shook her head and buried it back into Landon's shoulder as if to hide from the unpleasant memories and feelings.
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Post by Landon Rederick on Dec 26, 2009 4:52:12 GMT -5
Oddly enough, Landon was feeling quite generous and giving this week. He was in such high spirits because Tierney was coming to visit and he was getting a well-deserved break from Victoria. Nothing could be as bad as the last holiday, so he was doing what he could to make this one the best. He didn’t want to fight with Tierney at all. He would be on his best behavior and show her just how much of a genuine gentleman and friend he could be. If he had to settle for being her friend, and just a friend, then well damn it, he was going to be the best friend she ever had. He knew that it would be impossible for them to agree on everything and get along ALL the time, considering that they were polar opposites with regard to certain things, but he could be less of a jerk. At least for the holidays.
The more Landon thought about it, the more he realized that this wasn’t something he could fix. Obviously he had no control over any part of her wedding. And as much as he discouraged her engagement to Lucian, how he felt didn’t matter. She was going to do what she had to do. Besides, the last thing she needed right now was an ‘I told you so’. All he could do was be here for her whenever she needed him. And right now, that meant being a shoulder for her to cry on. It hurt him to know that there wasn’t much else he could do. He threw the quilt over them as he listened to her explain the events of her trip home.
Landon didn’t know very much about weddings. There was a ceremony, a dress, and a cake. That much he knew. But until now, he didn’t realize how overwhelming that planning process could be. Landon also always got what he wanted, usually no questions asked. He didn’t really know what it was like to have people go against his wishes. But one thing he did know was that girls dreamed of their perfect weddings from the time they were young. He knew that they wanted to feel like royalty on their big day (even if that were already). “You’re going to look beautiful no matter what you’re wearing. And I know that things aren’t going the way you want them to. I can go over there and yell at them if you want, though I don’t think that would accomplish anything.” He chuckled then sighed. “You already know how I feel about this whole marriage thing, but I know why you’re doing it. Think of all the people that you’ve decided to help. They are like the light at the end of this tunnel.” Not only was Tierney being forced to marry a man that she didn’t love and that didn’t love her back, but she was having the dreams, the only thing she looked forward to about the whole arrangement, ripped right out of her hands. It made Landon want to punch someone.
He hushed her softly as he held her close. “I know you don’t want to get married. I know.” Though it was great to finally hear her say it. “Try to enjoy what time you do have left. We don’t know where you’ll be headed after the wedding. We have to make the most of what time you do have before you’re to be wed. We can do whatever you want. Games, shows, music, whatever, you name it. You deserve the opportunity to enjoy your youth.”
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Tierney Harper
slytherin student
sixth year
the earth elemental
[b]why'd you have to win me over[/b][br][i]just as I took the world on my shoulders?[/i]
Posts: 129
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Post by Tierney Harper on Dec 26, 2009 10:25:39 GMT -5
If Tierney thought Landon couldn't get any sweeter - she was wrong. Beautiful in whatever she wore? Offering to go yell at them, even if he was clearly joking? Reminding her of her reasons for going along with this marriage and encouraging her despite hating the idea of her marrying Lucian? Yeah, he hit the roof on sweet, broke through, and kept on going.
Tierney snuggled (yes, there was no better word for it) even closer to Landon and tilted her head up to look at him as he continued speaking, "We have to make the most of what time you do have before you’re to be wed. We can do whatever you want." What was with Landon saying "we"? Not that Tierney minded, but it surprised her a lot. It was rather... nice. Yeah... she liked "we"... and actually, that scared her a bit.
To distract herself she tried thinking of things she wanted to do while she had the chance, but only one thing kept popping up and she refused to believe she really wanted it - to spend as much time with Landon as possible, to kiss him again, basically to date him. It wasn't possible anyway and he was a jerk, she didn't like him, she didn't want to date him. All the stress had made her crazy. Yeah, that was it.
Yet, as she looked up at him she still felt that now familiar tug at her heart and body that made her want to close the distance between their lips. She felt a burning warmth stretch from her chest to the tips of her fingers and toes. Why were they so close to each other?! This was bad for her nerves.
In an effort to gain back some of the control that was quickly fading, Tierney pulled away from Landon after giving him a tight hug and stood up. "I don't know what I want to do. I don't know what there is to do really." She paced back and forth in front of the fire, trying her best not to look at Landon, but failing and sneaking glances every few seconds.
Finally stopping, she turned and faced Landon with a heavy sigh. Merlin, she really wanted to kiss him! She wanted to cuddle with him and do all that girly dating stuff. Movies, dinner, whatever. More and more she hated Victoria. If Victoria hadn't shown up she and Landon would still have their little agreement and she could happily curl up with him and make out with him as much as she wanted without feeling guilty. She could play games with him and watch a movie with him and not feel guilty for bonding with him, getting closer to him.
God, she really wanted to be closer to him - to Landon Rederick, infamous playboy extraordinaire. What was that about? She pushed the thoughts to the back of her head. "What do you suggest? What do I do to make the most of my childhood before it poofs?"
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Post by Landon Rederick on Dec 27, 2009 10:42:14 GMT -5
Landon had been with a lot of girls. He wasn’t sure if that was something to be proud of anymore. Regardless, he always felt like he had to be at the top of his game when he was with them. Whether they were shy or popular or smart or stupid, he always felt that his reputation was at stake and was always ready to protect it. He knew how to act and say all the right things. It was a behavior that he had to keep up all the time. When Landon was with Victoria he felt that he had to stifle himself. He had to be whoever she wanted him to be. If she called he answered. He would drop whatever he was doing to be at her side. He would do whatever he needed to to keep her happy, to keep them together. He was a good boyfriend and she took advantage of it. But whenever Landon was with Tierney he felt like he could be himself whoever that was. He didn’t have to keep up his image or try to be cool. She didn’t think he was cool anyway. And being sweet or charming came naturally when he was around her. He didn’t have to fake it. She just made him feel at ease and happy, and he wanted to do the same for her.
Whenever Landon was being intimate with Victoria he occasionally caught his mind drifting to thoughts of Tierney. He played it cool and always brought it back where they were supposed to be, but he didn’t mind the occasional slip. He missed being with her. She excited him and she was fun. Yeah, he could think of a few things that they could do. Then Tierney got up and he was immediately reminded that he had a girlfriend and it wasn’t her. Right. Landon bit his lower lip in thought. “Um, well earlier I was thinking that if the snow lets up a little we can go outside and play in it and then maybe fly around the estate? I also think I may have gotten a new chess set for Christmas so when I open that we can play with it. I dunno really, whatever you want.” The Redericks had entertainment galore; a media room with every possible movie, lots of games, horses, the works. Anything she wanted to do, they could.
He stood and folded the blanket, leaving it on the couch. He stretched a little then approached Tierney with a soft smile. “Feeling any better? I know I didn’t really fix things, but maybe we could just not think about it, you know?” He rubbed down the length of her arms comfortingly. “We can worry about that stuff some other time. It’s Christmas time, let’s have fun.”
Craaaap |
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Tierney Harper
slytherin student
sixth year
the earth elemental
[b]why'd you have to win me over[/b][br][i]just as I took the world on my shoulders?[/i]
Posts: 129
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Post by Tierney Harper on Dec 30, 2009 13:33:50 GMT -5
Tierney managed a smile for Landon as he made his suggestions, watching him carefully and doing her best not to slip into daydreams. She needed to stay focused and remember that he was not her fiance, she was not his girlfriend. They just weren't. They were friends, that was it, and that made Tierney unreasonably depressed.
She pushed herself on to respond to Landon and not get sidetracked by her own complaints and thoughts. "Well, I'm still not much of a flyer, but playing in the snow sounds good. We could magic ourselves a snow fort too. Sometimes I'm so glad your house is out in the middle of nowhere and your family is so connected to the Ministry. Other times, honestly, it sort of scares me." Tierney chuckled softly and shrugged.
Her eyes drifted around the room, specifically avoiding Landon when he asked if she felt better, especially since he was rubbing her arms and really melting her into a puddle of goo. She didn't want to say no because she did feel better, but admitting she did feel better felt like she was admitting it was because of him... because it was. But if she admitted it was because of him then... it just felt like something cheesy and romantic - and Merlin! Why could she not stop connecting Landon and romantic?!
As if in answer her eyes passed a large mirror on the wall and froze on the chandelier reflected in it. That was not... no... was some high power trying to torture her? Her eyes flickered away from the mirror and up to the chandelier hanging over her and Landon quickly, confirming the reflected bushel, then dropped back lightning fast, trying not to draw attention to it. She suddenly hated Christmas very much. It was trying to break her resolve and/or her heart. She just prayed Landon didn't look up or toward the mirror or... anywhere. He just needed to stay nice and distracted, so she responded to his question, despite her hesitation a moment ago.
"I feel a little better, yes, and I like the idea of not thinking about it. It's pointless to think of something you can't change anyway. And honestly, why worry about when the wedding is? The outcome would be the same anyway. Whether it was this summer or next summer I'd still end up married to Lucian and we'd still have a loveless marriage where we'd both go off and see other people on the side and die miserable. Well, I'd die miserable, he'd probably die happy since he'd have plenty of time between my death and his to find someone he enjoyed being with." Tierney pressed her lines into a small, pouty, frown and shrugged noncommittally.
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Post by Landon Rederick on Jan 11, 2010 4:09:02 GMT -5
Coming to terms with the fact that he couldn’t be with Tierney wasn’t easy for Landon. Accepting the fact that he had feelings for her was hard enough. Knowing that he couldn’t do anything about it was even harder. Everyday he had to remind himself who he was actually in a relationship with. And that thought was just depressing. But the idea of getting to spend part of the holiday with Tierney was kind of like the light at the end of his dark tunnel. Now it was finally here and he was elated. He would do anything to ensure that she was having a good time, especially since she’d been so unhappy at home.
As he looked at her he noticed that her eyes were traveling upward. He knew exactly what she was looking at. He had watched the housekeepers hang that piece of mistletoe from the chandelier. But Landon didn’t want to draw any attention to it; he would let her see it first, and she did. Now that he knew that she knew it was there he had to decide if he was going to do anything about it. Part of him really wanted to just ignore the fact that he was in a relationship and that she was getting married in a few months and just go for it. The other part of him felt that she might not be happy if he tried something, especially since she made it clear that there was no longer a physical relationship between them.
When she was done speaking, he took her hand in his. “Don’t talk like that, T. You can make the most of the situation, I guess. Find whatever way you can to be as happy as you can. I’m sure Lucian would at least want you to be happy considering that you didn’t really ask to be put in this situation. I would hope that he’s that decent of a guy.” He scowled. Frankly, Landon didn’t care how decent Lucian was. He didn’t like the guy and he definitely didn’t belong with Tierney. Landon grazed his thumb over her hand and looked at her, smiling softly. “I know that you saw that mistletoe up there, but I want you to know that I didn’t intentionally bring you here for that. So we can pretend that we never saw it if you want…” Landon left the ball in her court. He didn’t want to upset her any more than she already was. She could kiss him if she wanted to. If not, no harm done.
Sorry, sorry, sorry it took me so long to reply. I had a CRAAAAZY past two weeks. AHH! |
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Tierney Harper
slytherin student
sixth year
the earth elemental
[b]why'd you have to win me over[/b][br][i]just as I took the world on my shoulders?[/i]
Posts: 129
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Post by Tierney Harper on Feb 4, 2010 14:15:27 GMT -5
Landon Rederick was the more infuriating, insufferable, adorable, funny boy she'd ever met. He made her so angry - she could think back and clearly remember a thousand times she had cursed him and hated him and screamed because of him - and then he could make her so happy without doing anything. Recently all he had to do was walk into a room and she lit up at the sight of him. How pathetic was she exactly?
The charming boy told her to find a way to be happy and he said he hoped Lucian was a decent enough guy to grant her that. And then he scowled. Landon really hated Lucian and while Tierney didn't love the demon man, she tolerated him. Landon just hated him seemingly without reason. What had Lucian ever done to Landon, what had he ever done at all? Well, besides become her unwanted fiance. Did Landon hate him for that? Did he hate Lucian because she didn't want to marry him? But no, even back when he thought she did he still hated Lucian. Was he jealous? No, a preposterous thought! Landon Rederick had no reason to be jealous of Lucian or anyone. He was rich, handsome, talented, you name it. He might have had reason to be jealous of someone with a slightly less insane family, but so far he hadn't complained about it so she doubted he would have been.
When Landon made it clear he too knew they were standing under mistletoe and that he knew she knew she blushed deeply and found herself unable to look him in the eyes. His thumb over her hand was not helping the situation any, neither was the soft smile on his oh-so-kissable lips. She knew it was wrong to want to kiss him and he was letting her get away with it too, saying they could just pretend they never saw it... but Merlin, she just wanted to kiss him so badly. She had admitted to herself long ago that she was totally and completely in lust with the boy, but now it was even more. Now it wasn't that she wanted to kiss him to lead to making out, but that she wanted to be closer to him, she wanted the jolts and butterflies and chest pain and heart thumpings that meant... that meant what?
She pushed the thoughts out of her mind and with a determined glint she met his gaze and smiled gently, "It's tradition, right? Who am I to throw my nose up at tradition?" Besides, it didn't mean anything... or so she'd tell herself. She saw it now in her head, a simple little kiss to hold over her urges, nothing more. So why did she suddenly reach up and cup his cheek? Why did she graze her thumb over his bottom lip? Why did she slide her hand around to the back of his head and slowly pull him down to her, fingers twisting around his shortened hair the best they could? Why did she kiss his top lip, then his bottom lip, then smoothly press her mouth completely against his until they might as well have been one mouth?
She slid her free hand up his muscular chest and around his shoulders, pulling herself up and toward him more. She really hadn't planned or expected to get so into it, especially not so immediately, but here she was, kissing him so intimately anyway. Realizing her idiocy, she dropped her hands back to her side and pulled away, her breath a little ragged, her cheeks a brilliant shade of red, and her eyes a little darker with desire and... something else she didn't want to think about. It took every ounce of willpower she had not to cry when she looked at Landon just then and the first thing that came to her mind was, 'Why isn't he mine?'
Tierney forced a smile and grabbed his hand, all but dragging him out of the parlor and away from that mistletoe before she crumbled again, "See, that wasn't so bad. No big deal, right? Let's go to the kitchen and make pancakes or something, I'm starving!" Actually she was anything but starving the way her stomach was jumping around from nerves, but it would be a distraction... she hoped.
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Post by Landon Rederick on Feb 5, 2010 2:43:24 GMT -5
Landon would have been lying to himself if he said he didn’t want Tierney to kiss him. Part of him was wishing that he had just done the job himself, but he knew that pushing her limits when she was already upset was probably a terrible idea. But their lips hadn’t met in so long and he was craving just a little piece of her. The feeling that he got every time they kissed was indescribable. He felt as if he wanted to wrap her up inside of him, keeping her as his own, and protecting her from the dangers of the world. The care that he felt for her was so deep and so strong that it scared him sometimes, especially because he didn’t understand it. He wanted nothing more than for her to be happy, even if that meant he couldn’t be with her. And so, it wouldn’t surprise him if she didn’t kiss him, and he would be okay with that.
Landon had to be okay with a lot of things. He had to be okay with the fact that he couldn’t be with the woman he cared about. He had to be okay with being in a relationship with someone that took him for granted. He had to be okay with hiding his true feelings and trying to build a healthy relationship out of an unhealthy past. He had to be okay with not really understanding all the things that were going on in his head and in his heart.
And he had to be okay with the fact that Tierney was going to marry a man that she didn’t love and know that he’d rarely ever see her, if at all, once it happened.
Lucian was a prick, or so Landon thought. Lucian seemed to be a pretty stand up guy. Compared to Landon, Lucian was like a saint. He treated women with the utmost respect, charmed them with his manners and his smile. He held the highest moral standards.
Unlike Landon, Lucian could be committed and could be more than a one stand. He was every girl’s ideal man. But despite his perfection, Landon hated him with every fiber of being. At first Landon thought that it was because he was a goody two-shoes.
Lucian was so close to perfection that it made Landon sick. But the more he learned about the plans for Lucian to marry Tierney, the more Landon hated him. And the fact that Tierney didn’t want to marry Lucian made it even worse. Every time he saw him, Landon wanted to lunge for him, knowing full well that the demon could probably kill him at the blink of an eye.
Landon also wouldn’t have been surprised if Tierney did kiss him. He wasn’t dumb, and he knew that she enjoyed being with him. He could tell by the way she reacted to his touch, and the way that she looked at him (like she wanted to eat him) sometimes. She definitely had a lust for him that couldn’t be denied, but that was all that it was on her end. But he knew it was there, even if she had said that she no longer wanted to be involved with him. His behavior had just disappointed her. At that moment he made a mental note to talk to her about his relationship with Victoria a little later.
As he was trying to figure out exactly what he wanted to say, she interrupted his thoughts by talking about tradition. ”Hmmm,” he said, grinning back at her. ”I suppose you’re right. That would truly be a shame.” He didn’t take his eyes off her once as she moved, not even as his skin tingled when she touched his cheek, or when his spine shivered when her thumb grazed his bottom lip. His eyes only fluttered closed as she intertwined her fingers in his hair and began to kiss him. He was sure that she would be able to feel his heart beating through his chest. Before he had time to really enjoy it, she had pulled away and was dragging him toward the kitchen. He didn’t really catch anything that she said except something about breakfast. He didn’t want to be sweet anymore. Since he’d been so deprived, once she kissed him there was no turning back. Kissing Victoria didn’t even compare to this. This was so much more. ”Come oooonnnnn T, you and I both know that you’re not hungry for food, and neither am I.” He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close to him. He wasn’t expecting her to want to keep this up, but there was nothing wrong with wishful thinking.
Victoria. She creeped into his thoughts like virus or a poison. But she did exist and if he was going to change into the guy that could be a good boyfriend, he would have to respect that he had a girl friend. And despite the fact that she didn't love him, he had to respect the fact that Tierney had a fiance. "I'm sorry. You know what? Maybe we should cook. We can make whatever you want. So what'll it be?" She wanted to see change? She got it.
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Tierney Harper
slytherin student
sixth year
the earth elemental
[b]why'd you have to win me over[/b][br][i]just as I took the world on my shoulders?[/i]
Posts: 129
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Post by Tierney Harper on Feb 5, 2010 5:30:20 GMT -5
”Come oooonnnnn T, you and I both know that you’re not hungry for food, and neither am I.”
Tierney tried not to smirk when he made the comment and wrapped her up in his arms. How right he was, but she couldn't admit that to him or anyone else - even herself. She needed a distraction; she needed something to keep her from clinging to him and his lips.
"I'm sorry. You know what? Maybe we should cook. We can make whatever you want. So what'll it be?"
Her heart sank as he changed his mind about cooking, even adding in an apology. He had remembered that skanky girlfriend of his, hadn't he? God, she hated Victoria with a passion. She didn't treat the boy right and she was just plain awful. And she kept ruining everything between Landon and Tierney. On a plus note though, Tierney took it as a good sign that he stopped himself from doing anything stupid and remembered he had a girlfriend. He was trying to be a better guy and it made her smile a little bit to know it.
"I already told you - pancakes! Strawberry ones if you've got strawberries." She pushed on, dragging him again and pulling him with her into the kitchen. She reluctantly let him go so she could start getting things ready, pulling out the griddle and then going to the fridge and digging around for strawberries. She grinned when she saw them and picked up the package along with some butter, milk, a carton of eggs, and the bottle of maple syrup. Placing the stuff on the counter she opened a cupboard and pulled out flour, sugar, and baking powder.
She added those ingredients to the growing pile and then opened a second cupboard to pull out a mixing bowl, some measuring cups, and a draw to pull out a whisk. She returned to the counter and smiled at Landon, handing him the bowl and whisk, "You can stir and put all that manly strength to use, I'll measure ingredients. Oh! Knife and cutting board. Hmm..." She turned and grabbed a paring knife from the block and slid the cutting board in front of her so she could get to cutting the strawberries.
With a speed that shocked her a little she had cut the whole carton of strawberries into fours, stealing a chunk and then taking a second one and holding it before Landon's lips for him to take, "They're good, fresh." She smiled and then went back to work, measuring out enough flour for two batches, dumping it in the mixing bowl, adding in two eggs, adding the salt and sugar, milk, and baking powder. She grabbed another bowl from the cupboard and some cinnamon and vanilla extract. She scooped the strawberries up into the bowl and sprinkled them with cinnamon and sugar then added a bit of cinnamon to the mix and a dash of vanilla extract as well.
"Alright, have at it, handsome." She looked to Landon and motioned to the mixing bowl, trying not to blush at the fact that she had involuntarily called him handsome. It had just sort of come out. Turning away she put everything away except the butter which she kept out while she turned on the stove and let the pan heat up. Trying to brush off her comment she looked around the kitchen and asked, "I'm surprised the kitchen staff isn't already here making your family's Christmas meals. Did your mother fire them all again?" Tierney wouldn't have been surprised by that - Diana was a little crazy and honestly probably enjoyed firing her house staff for no reason. Not that they hadn't had a run of really awful cooks in the past, but there was no way they could have all been that bad.
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Post by Landon Rederick on Mar 5, 2010 19:24:20 GMT -5
Landon hadn’t heard what she’d said because he was already regretting hi decision to be a good boy. He wasn’t going to go back on it though. He was going to have the strengths to just make some simple pancakes. “Uh, yeah…right. Pancakes.” Landon just watched Tierney as she took out all the ingredients to make the strawberry pancakes. Something about this seemed so natural. The two of them together was always natural. And it was really unfortunate that their time spent together would be cut shorter than he thought.
Landon took the whisk and bowl from her with a grin. She was too cute. And Landon didn’t use that word to often. He was typically all about the sexy, but sometimes Tierney was just absolutely adorable. He’d never tell her though because she’d think he was a pansy. Cute really wasn’t Landon’s style. When she fed him the strawberry his heart tingled with warmth. Victoria didn’t do things like this with him. If anything, this was something he did for her. Landon had to constantly pamper her and spoil her to keep her happy. It was exhausting, but not this. No, this was sweet and pure and fun and it made him happy.
“Hm… you know, I’m not sure where the staff is. Mother could have them out running last minute errands.” He began whisking the mixture quickly when a devilish grin spread across his face. As swiftly as possible, Landon stuck two of his fingers in the bowl then wiped them across Tierney’s face. “Oh dear,” he said, his words dripping with sarcasm. “Must’ve slipped.”
And so the fun began.
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Tierney Harper
slytherin student
sixth year
the earth elemental
[b]why'd you have to win me over[/b][br][i]just as I took the world on my shoulders?[/i]
Posts: 129
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Post by Tierney Harper on Mar 5, 2010 19:38:18 GMT -5
Landon was amazing. Tierney didn't know where that thought came from, but once she thought it she just couldn't get it out of her head. He was just always there when she needed someone - when she needed him. Even after everything they had been through - the fighting, the hating, the yelling, the pranking - Landon still held her when she cried and made pancakes with her even though he wouldn't normally strike anyone else as the cooking type. His previous reputation didn't exactly scream 'I like to cook'. More like 'I like having people cook for me and feed me'. Well, Tierney had fed him... but that wasn't quite the same.
She watched him mix the batter for a moment and nodded as he said the servants could be out running last minute errands. Tierney didn't honestly care where they were; she was quite enjoying alone time with Landon - which was so wrong. It wasn't wrong for her to enjoy spending time with a friend, but this was... more than that. Landon was more than that.
Just before her thoughts led anywhere "dangerous" Landon swiped batter onto her face and claimed he must have 'slipped'. Uhuh, riiight. "How dare you! Lick off right now, mister! Sheesh, getting batter all over my pretty face. Makes one think maybe you're jealous of my good looks. Don't be, darling. You're not hideous by any means, just because you aren't as gorgeous as me... I mean not everyone can be because then all that beauty would just be lost. That would be sad, right?"
Tierney smirked and faked a dramatic sigh at her show of 'arrogance'. She then boldly dipped her finger into the batter and held it up toward him, moving it slowly closer, her smirk now wicked upon her lips. Quickly she darted her finger out and swiped the batter onto his nose, "Oh, my. My hand must have slipped too! What a coincidence." She winked and wiped a little remaining batter off onto his cheek and moved back out of his reach teasingly.
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