Christmas with the Redericks (Tierney + Redericks)

[Landon Rederick]

((Craaaapolaaa... Whatevs. It's jumbled. Blah.))

It was official. Tierney Harper was officially engaged to Lucian Lazarovici. Despite the fact that Landon was home for the holidays, despite the fact that he would be able to eat well and relax, despite the fact that he may have a chance to patch things up with his sister, he couldn’t get this thought from his mind. Tierney was engaged to be married. And he couldn’t figure out for the life of him why it bothered him so much. Perhaps it was the fact that he just didn’t really believe in marriage, or just couldn’t imagine anyone getting married at their age…or maybe it was because Lucian was a demon. That must be it. How could Tierney’s family allow her to marry anyone but a pureblood like herself? It was ludicrous.

In an attempt to clear his thoughts, Landon sat up in his bed and thought about what the rest of his family might be up to. Tristise was probably trying to avoid the family all together. Jimmy was probably causing trouble. Reagan was probably doing something epic. As for the rest of them, he didn’t know. There were so many people in his family that he just couldn’t keep track of them all.

Maybe his mother was in the house. Aside from Tristise, the only other person in the house that he could really talk to was his mother. She was really supportive of him in whatever it was that he decided to do. He could tell her almost anything, his racy relationships, parties with friends, spending ridiculous amounts of money…as long as he kept his marks up, she let him do whatever he want. And Landon was sure to be respectful and charming around his mother, beings sure to stay on her good side. He wouldn’t be surprised if he was her favorite.

Or he could find Tierney…though that would entirely defeat the purpose of him trying to clear his thoughts all together. They had hung out like they said they would. It wasn’t awkward or boring. They’d had a good time whether they were talking, debating, picking on each other, or whatever it was that they were up to. He really enjoyed spending time with her, but maybe too much. She probably wanted space and didn’t want to be smothered.

As he thought about her, his thoughts drifted to her relationship with Lucian again. ”I wonder if I’ll be invited to the wedding. Of course I will, I mean we are friends…or are we? Perhaps the whole family is invited. I wonder when the wedding will be…Soon? No, probably not. She has to at least finish school first. Will they have kids? Did they already have sex?! Oh my…No way. Tierney would probably slap Lucian for even suggesting…I on the other hand…” Landon didn’t even allow himself to finish his last thought it was disgusting and utterly disturbing. He growled and threw the book he had been reading against the wall, then left his room, slamming the door behind him in frustration.

”She’s just another girl…that’s the only reason I was thinking like that…just another girl…that I care a little bit about….but just a little bit…Like really. Friends.”

[Tierney Harper]

((Fucking hell. My laptop randomly shut down on me for no reason (not even an update or anything) in the middle of posting last night! It was a damn good post too. -kills things-))

Christmas with the Redericks, what a joyful time... or not. Usually Adair Rederick required there to be no fighting between Christmas Eve and New Years Day, but after that? Yeah, breaks spent with the Redericks usually weren't all that much fun. Even when they were kids little fights would break out that the children couldn't understand and then a relative would disappear for a few weeks or so. Now Tierney and the other younger kids understood what the fighting and the disappearing was about and they wished they didn't for the most part.

She expected there would be more fighting this year, with Tristise involved. Ever since she found out what her family was doing she had been argumentative, even violent, with her parents and siblings. The one thing she hoped wouldn't happen was another fight between Landon and Tris. With any luck that rift could be patched up this holiday. Landon was changed now... or he at least pretended to be. She refused to truly believe it. Too many things seemed sketchy to her and she wasn't about to be caught in his web.

Still... she always caught herself thinking about the boy. It was never in a sexual or romantic way. She just wondered what he was doing, what he'd think of certain things, and most of all - why he seemed to hate Lucian when Lucian was such a nice guy and she'd never really said anything that bad about him. Except that he treated her like a child. Landon couldn't possibly hold that against him though, right? I mean Lucian was ninety-seven years old and she did act like a child sometimes since she was one.

Tierney sighed, staring up at the ceiling lost in thought. She raised her left hand and twisted the ring around her finger. It was a beautiful ring, but no matter how much it sparkled or cost, it held no value for her. All it signified in her eyes was the end of her childhood and she certainly didn't want a constant reminder of that, but that was exactly what she got. She rolled over onto her stomach, dropping her hand in the process.

She had put on a smile for Lucian when he slid it on her finger. She had even kissed his cheek. Deep inside though she wanted to cry and she couldn't understand why. She liked Lucian. She didn't mind marrying him so much any more. Hell, she was possibly even falling in love with him! Yet, here she was truly thinking about it and wanting to sob until she had no tears left. Perhaps it was all just too overwhelming an idea at her age... that must have been it. Tierney closed her eyes as a few tears trickled out, unsuccessfully held back by her will.

A loud thud snapped her eyes back open and she sat up, startled. It had come from Landon's room next door. Before she could stop herself she was up and heading for the door, curious as to why there was a thud from his room. It sounded like something thrown against the wall, which usually meant anger or frustration. While she knew she shouldn't worry about him, it came naturally. She was at her door and beginning to turn the knob before she caught herself. 'Ignore it, Tierney. It's not your business.' She told herself, but when Landon's door opened and promptly slammed close once again she opened her door and slipped into the hall in a rush, nearly knocking into the boy.

"Oh! Sorry." She said, stepping back swiftly as if burnt. She looked the boy up and down, trying to gauge how angry he was, if he was at all. "Er, are you alright? I heard a thud on your wall and then the slammed door just now..." The truth was out before she could think up a plausible lie. Why did she keep doing that with him - telling the truth? "It's not my business. Sorry. I was just going downstairs..." That lie was definitely not plausible. She was pausing too much between words. Looking away she attempted to mentally smack herself in the forehead, except ended up physically doing it and then cursing. "Ouch!" She rubbed her forehead gently with her left hand and turned back to Landon with a sigh.

"A little scatterbrained. Too much on my mind I guess..." Why was she still talking? He didn't care and she didn't need to be admitting anything to him. In an attempt to stop herself from further rambling she clamped her jaw shut, bottom lip partially caught between her teeth.

[Landon Rederick]

“Agh! Fuck!” Landon thought out loud as he bumped into Tierney. As soon as he let the words slip he regretted them. He was sure he’d given himself away. Now clearing his mind of her would be utterly impossible for a while. Hopefully she wouldn’t be able to figure him out. Though she seemed like the kind of person that could read people well. But it wasn’t like his thoughts were plastered across his forehead. He growled at himself for the mini debate that was going on in his head. If it wasn’t obvious before, the fact that there was something wrong with him was surely obvious now.

“I mean, uh, sorry. Just thinking out loud…” He frowned when he realized that she might think he was cursing at her. “Not about you though." Landon sighed and looked away for nothing he was saying made any sense. He was probably just pissing her off. But then she just started talking and Landon stared at her in confusion. She didn’t really stop talking so that he could respond, she just kept going until she smacked herself on the forehead. Landon grinned at her as she rubbed the now pained spot.

“Scatterbrained, huh?” He wondered what she’d been thinking about. Was she happy? He hadn’t really seen her since Lucian proposed to her at the ball. The scene nearly disgusted him. She seemed so happy and it made him sick. Not because he didn’t want to see her happy but because of the source of her happiness. “I’m fine. The plotless book was frustrating me.” Despite the way Lucian made her feel, or what the marriage could do for her and their people, he still didn’t agree with it. He would only be able to subdue his feelings for so long. They were already consuming his each and every thought lately. “I was heading down stairs too…” he said slowly, not sure if he believed her.

[Tierney Harper]

Tierney couldn't suppress a blush when he swore. She felt embarrassed to have run into like that. He apologized a moment later though, saying he was just thinking out loud. She smiled slightly and nodded. "No problem. I burst out with swears randomly all the time." She chuckled, but it was a bit strained.

"Plotless book... yeah I can see how that would frustrate you. It would bring me to throw it against the wall too." She joked, shaking her head. "I think it's a bit more than a plotless book, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt this time." She looked him up and down, but stopped, swallowing a lump growing in her throat. As she kept finding her eyes drawing back to him she physically turned herself a bit more away. Merlin, this was awkward.

She was engaged to a gorgeous boy, going to be married in a little over a year to Lucian. He was handsome, he was built, he was perfect. Yet, when she looked at Landon she felt something still. Despite having a fantastic fiance she was still looking at other guys? And Landon to boot? Clearly this was just nerves. She'd never think of Landon otherwise. She was just nervous about marriage so she was looking for a way out. She didn't really find him that attractive or like him at all.

"Well, if we're both going downstairs, care to join me?" She asked, rather uncomfortably though she tried hard to hide it. She couldn't meet his gaze suddenly and felt an odd tingling on her skin at the thought of him staring at her in any way, shape, or form. She had to pull herself together, so that was what she did. With a silent, but deep breath she straightened and looked to Landon before walking over and linking arms with him. She brushed off the weird jolt she felt in her gut at the contact and smiled at him casually. "Shall we?" She asked, taking a step forward toward the stairs.

[Landon Rederick]

Landon bit his lip when Tierney clearly saw through his lie about the book. Plotless books could be frustrating, but he was fooling himself when he thought that she'd believe him. Seems like they were both hiding the truth from each other. He wondered what she could be hiding. Perhaps she knew how much her engagement bothered him and wanted to hide the fact that she'd been thinking about her fiance. If that were the case, he was truly grateful.

Landon eyed her and let her thoughts wander. Would she truly be happy once they were married. Tierney kept affirming that, but Landon didn't want to believe it. What was so great about the guy anyway? Landon was definitely hotter than him, or so he thought. And the guy was way too nice. Tierney didn't seem like the kind of girl to get along with a super sweet guy. She needed a guy that would keep her on her toes. He just had a few decades on him. That's all. Not that it mattered...because Tierney didn't want him and he didn't want her. He was just wondering.

"Yeah," he said as he joined arms with her. He appeared as if the contact had no effect on him, though it was kind of nice. he waled downstairs with her in silence, his signature smile on his face. When they reached the bottom he turned to her. "So what was on your mind that had you so scatterbrained?"

[Tierney Harper]

It was odd how natural it could feel being so close to Landon, walking arm and arm with him. She tried not to think about it though. Instead she tried to focus on Lucian, but those thoughts didn't make her smile as much as she would hope - they didn't make her as pleased as she should be.

As they reached the bottom of the stairs Landon turned to her and asked just what had her so scatterbrained. She couldn't very well tell him he was the reason... "Just thinking about a lot of stuff. There's so much to think of now..." Involuntarily she twisted the ring on her ring finger and looked down at the floor. "To think I'll be married in just a little over a year..."

"I know you don't approve, but... you have to understand my position..." She sighed and shook her head. "Sorry, now's not the time to talk about that. Let's just put it behind us." She headed down to where more of the family would likely be and where all the holiday decorations might distract her with their shining surfaces and rich colors.

As she entered into the parlor she was greeted first with the site of the tree and stopped in the doorway to admire it. She rarely celebrated Christmas at home since the majority of her family was pagan, but even though she wasn't Christian she loved Christmas and really wanted to celebrate it with her children, even if it wasn't a religious act... of course that all depended on if Lucian would be alright with that, what their plans would be for the holidays in general... Would they spend the holidays with her family? With his? On their own? She doubted they'd spend it on their own, at least at first. Things were far too awkward. And of course she wondered if she'd even have kids. For some reason she couldn't picture Lucian wanting kids or reproducing...

She frowned deeply at the thought of not having children. She wanted kids some day. Not right now, but... if she had been able to wait she would have wanted kids when she finally settled down and got married. She didn't have that luxury though. She couldn't choose her husband and thus she had little control over her own future. She had to give up her dreams, but it would save hundreds. It would save her people and their traditions, their magic. Her family.

That was worth losing her control of her life... hopefully.

[Jimmy Rederick]

If Jimmy had been completely human, he doubted he'd like the holiday season that much. Being able to transmorph into a kitten made everything a million times better. Eggnog just tasted better in a crystalline kitty saucer. Presents were better when you could attack the wasted wrapping like it was some sort of demon. Dinner was better when the main courses were meat dishes and you had the tummy of a carnivore. Ornaments were better when you could knock them off the tree and use them as toys.Christmas trees were better when you could climb them.

This particular year, the Rederick Christmas tree was perfect for a cat. Jimmy managed to climb up the trunk and settle himself on a large branch, which was absolutely perfect for a pine scented naptime. In the midst of one of his pine scented naptimes, James heard a loud crash before a slamming door. If he had been in human form, the noise would have seemed normal coming from within the Rederick house, but his acute kitty hearing during naptime didn't agree with his sense of human logic. He fell out of the tree and landed in human form on his back. Gahhh. I miss my nap... He would have gone out to the kitchen to get a snack to compensate for his lack of nap, but he heard voices getting closer. Tierney and Landon, ooh. This calls for kitty eavesdropping...

Jimmy quickly morphed back into a cat and jumped into the tree and climbed to his kitty perch just before Landon and Tierney had made it to the parlor. Jimmy's large amber-green kitten eyes glowed as saw Tierney's hand. Shiny! He couldn't resist the shiny, even if eavesdropping could be fun. He darted out of the tree and rubbed against Tierney's leg, purring, before he looked up and morphed into a kitten. With a mischievous gleam in his eye he pointed to her hand. "Marriage? Shiny? Who? When? By the way you and Landy are standing under the mistletoe, Why? Can I get a better look at that?" He didn't change his tone at all while asking questions, but after he got them out he realised Landon was likely to Falcon punch him to the face for suggesting any outsideofaonenightstand intimacy, especially with Tierney.

[Landon Rederick]

Landon tried not to let his distaste show in his face as Tierney spoke of her engagement. It wasn’t hard because trying not to let his emotions show was something he was learning fairly quickly. However, there wasn’t anything he could do about the taste in his mouth when it was mentioned. He’d been carrying around mints in his pockets lately. Well, for that and the fact that Landon Riley Rederick always had fresh breath. He took out one of the white lifesavers, unwrapped it, and popped it into his mouth.

“Thank Merlin!’” he thought to himself after Tierney decided not to talk about the engagement anymore. His brain really needed a break. Landon followed her into the beautifully decorated parlor and grinned a little. He was sure that he had the nicest home for miles, especially come Christmas time. The girls he brought home when the decorations went up (but never during the holiday break, that was family time) were always awed by how pretty everything looked. He never failed to impress. He was about to ask her about her traditional Christmas plans when he noticed that she was frowning.

But before he could even ask her what was wrong, Jimmy appeared practically out of nowhere. As usual, he was talking a mile a minute. Sometimes Landon just wanted to grab him and shake him so that he’d slow down. What was going in that kid’s brain that required him to be so jittery all the time? Landon rolled his eyes as he caught onto the key words of whatever it was that Jimmy was saying. “Marriage…Shiny…you and Landy…mistletoe…” But after that, Landon could hear nothing else.

Landon mentally cursed at himself for not walking just a bit farther into the room. His heart started to beat loudly in his ears as he stared blankly at her. “Get a grip, man. What the hell is wrong with me?” Though he had several options, he didn’t know what he was going to do. He could A) punch Jimmy in the face for mentioning it, and ignore it; B) punch Jimmy and kiss her on the cheek; c) ignore Jimmy and go for the whole nine yards. What to do? He felt like so much time was passing in silence, but in reality it was only a matter of seconds.

What was he freaking out about? This was Landon they were talking about here. The last thing that should be stressing him was kissing a girl. What did it hurt anyway? It wasn’t like it would mean anything. And he fiancé didn’t have to know. Besides, she was kinda attractive to him…

Ah, fuck it….

Landon put his hand underneath her chin, and in a quick swift motion he leaned forward and tiled her lips toward him, covering them with his own. His breath, still fresh and sweet from the mint he’d just eaten.

[Tierney Harper]

Her life flashed before her eyes. Ok, not really. In reality it was just that things happened so fast it seemed surreal. One minute she was thinking about Christmas and the future, the next Jimmy was rambling and asking about her ring, and then Landon's lips were on hers.

"Marriage? Shiny? Who? When? By the way you and Landy are standing under the mistletoe, Why? Can I get a better look at that?" Jimmy was such an ADD child, but it was a bit endearing... if not a little annoying. "Er, Lucian... don't know if you've met him. We're gett---" She was in the middle of replying when it seemed Landon decided it was a good time to act on Jimmy's words about mistletoe.

When his lips met hers it was cliche, but it was like everything else around them froze and faded away. She found herself staring up at the mistletoe and thanking it. Her hands rested gently on the boy's chest, trembling a bit and semi-tugging at the fabric. To say she didn't kiss back would be a complete and utter lie. She did, almost immediately. In fact at first contact there was no hint that she was nervous, hesitant, or engaged to another man. It was only when found herself slipping from enthralled to trapped that she snapped back to life. She pushed Landon away and blushed a deep red.

Even though she was tempted to slap him she had gone along with it so easily that she knew it would be wrong. She was just as much at fault as he was. "Well, that was wholly unnecessary, but what else could one expect from the... ladies man. Always need to be so over-the-top, huh?" She cleared her throat briefly and turned away, her chest aching as she tried to play it cool. "Anyway Jimmy... as I was saying... I'm marrying Lucian, next summer in fact. As for why... because he asked me and I said yes." There was no need to go into detail here. The 'I Dos' were as good as said...

Tierney twisted the ring off her finger and handed it to him. "Here, take a closer look. You and your crazy obsession with shiny things. It is very shiny, isn't it? Platinum and perfect clarity, color, and cut diamonds. Had to of cost over five thousand pounds sterling." And she hated the damn thing. She thought it was gaudy, ugly... way too much. It was also impersonal. Most people would flip for a ring like hers, but she knew what her ring meant... he bought her the thing because it was perfect - it was every girl's dream - and he thought she'd love it no doubt. Instead she hated it, it felt bulky and awkward on her hand.

[Landon Rederick]

Landon didn’t really know why he decided to kiss Tierney. Perhaps it was the thrill of not knowing how she was going to react. Or maybe he didn't think about it at all, just reacting with his lips. He hadn't been kissed in a while and, despite whatever may have been the right thing to do, it was like his lips had a mind of their own. And he was a bit curious.

Landon didn't really know what to expect...except for a possible slap across the face and a bit of yelling. Rather he knew what not to expect. He did not expect for the kiss to last very long. He didn't expect for Tierney to kiss back. He did not expect to like it. And he did not expect Tierney to let him get away with it. Well, Landon should have expected the unexpected. Landon really had no intentions of actually kissing her. Just a little smooch until she freaked out and pulled away. But she didn't. She kissed him back. And not just a little bit. She was actually kissing him. Kissing him like she didn't just get engaged. And he liked it. So he kissed her some more.

Her response, kissing him back with her hands on his chest, was encouraging him to take it further and see how far she was willing to go. He’d completely forgotten that he was standing in the middle of the parlor, his brother only a few feet away. He didn’t want to scare her away, but he didn’t want to let her go either. It didn’t matter what he wanted for long. She pushed him away, her face turning red.

Landon wasn’t embarrassed by the kiss at all. A good kiss was a good kiss; he just had to disregard the fact that it was Tierney...fat chance. He could pretend though. He grinned when she’d called him a ladies’ man. He hadn’t completely lost all of his game. She probably didn’t like the grin he was giving her but he didn’t care. He felt a little bit like his old self…not a whore, but at least comfortable around a girl again.

She rambled on about her fiancé who seemed to forget about only moments ago. Landon locked eyes with her and licked his lips as she handed the giant rock on her finger to Jimmy. He didn’t think that this one little kiss would impact her engagement, but he was curious as to how Lucian would react if he found out. “Unnecessary? Maybe…” He leaned forward, never taking his eyes from her, and whispered. "But don't pretend like you didn't like it. Don't worry, I won't tell what’s-his-face." Landon wanted to be as playful with this as he could until it began to consume his every thought. He wanted something to distract him from her engagement. He got it.

[Tristise Rederick]

Stretching, Tristise climbed from her bed and opened her curtains. It was the morning of Christmas Eve and still there was no snow on the ground. Thankfully though the sky was gray and the temperatures were cold - all the signs pointed to snow later in the day. Tris yawned and put her hands in her hair, shaking it and then letting it fall where it did. Turning away from the window she headed out of her room and down the stairs to go see what was for breakfast.

At the bottom of the staircase she was going to turn right and head for the kitchen, but movement to her left in the parlor doorway caught her attention. Landon was standing there with... Tierney? She cringed and prayed they didn't notice the mistletoe. Poor Tierney would suffer greatly if she had to kiss Landon after everything that had happened... Maybe the boy wouldn't even remember how to kiss a girl. It had to have been at least four months since any girl besides Tierney had even talked to him.

Unfortunately it would seem luck was not on the Romanian girl's side since Tris overheard Jimmy mention the mistletoe. In practically an instant Landon had cut Tierney off and was kissing her. And it wasn't just a mistletoe kiss... and Tierney kissed him back! Well, Tris couldn't say she was completely surprised. After all as children Tierney had always had a crush on Landon, no doubt it was just her finally getting that kiss she had wanted back then. Why not take the opportunity while she had it?

Oh yeah... she was engaged.

Tris shook her head and detoured from her kitchen route to the parlor, pushing through Landon and pouncing on Jimmy. "Jimjams!" She sat up and looked between the other two in the doorway suspiciously. Landon was grinning and she didn't like it. It was that grin. She frowned at him - he had seemed to be making such promise, but then he grinned like that and made some comments that... Tris looked away from him and over at Tierney as she stole Tierney's ring from Jimmy and held it up for inspection.

It was flawless. The clarity, the color... everything was perfect. Tris sighed and handed it back to Tierney. She smiled at the girl, but it didn't reach her eyes. Tierney had to hate the thing. The lycaness had known her since birth practically and she was pretty sure she knew her well enough to guess that she didn't like her ring or any part of her engagement. She had just kissed Landon after all seemingly without a second thought about Lucian. Besides, strictly speaking of the ring, Tris knew for a fact that Tierney wanted emeralds in her wedding ring and a simple band for her engagement ring - preferably yellow gold since it went better with her skin tone.

Tris talked to Tierney too much as kids. She knew what that girl wanted better than what she wanted. Of course Tierney might have changed her mind by now since it had been years, but it was unlikely. Tierney was usually pretty set once she decided something which was why Tristise was worried by how unsure the girl was with her marriage to Lucian. She decided she'd marry him and yet she kept showing signs of being indecisive months after her decision.

"So, Tierney... your fiance is pretty hot, huh? I think he might be the hottest guy at school in fact." A dig at Landon? Why not? "And I keep hearing around the school that he's a perfect gentleman. He hardly even seems to associate with other girls besides you unlike some of the schools less dignified, less charming, more disgusting males." And there was another. She grabbed Jimmy up and gave him a great big bear hug. "Jimmy's going to grow up to be a gentleman like that right? Any male who is a real brother of mine would be classy not trashy, right Jimjams? You're not going to be a manwhore like whatshisface, huh?"

[Jimmy Rederick]

Flinching in reaction to Landon's sudden movement, Jimmy was shocked to find that he was not being punched. Hadn't Tierney just said she was marrying some dude named Lucian? She was always the good kid around the house, it was a shame Landon was turning her into a whore, too. At least she wasn't bringing weirdos into the house. Yet.

As much as Jimmy tried to belittle the action in his mind, he felt rather uncomfortable just standing there. All he wanted to do was observe the shiny ring. Why couldn't Tierney just let him borrow it and take Landon back upstairs to his room or something? Jimmy stood at attention awkwardly until Tierney broke free from the kiss. Even though it was obvious, he couldn't comment on how it was obvious the two liked each other, as Tristise practically mauled him. "'Eyyy Triss why must you maul me? Just cause you got the wolf genes and my gene pool had too much chlorine doesn't mean you can just attack me for my little-felineynes..." He was most upset about the shiny being robbed from him. It was so shiny!

To reply to Tierney's questions, Jimmy decided to momentarily ignore Tristise.. "That seems so quick. Summer... And you really don't seem that enthusiastic about it. You sound like you flipped a coin for that answer. Coins are shiny. Like the ring." Stupid Tristise taking away my shiny... Tristise was further making an ass of herself by rubbing it in Landon's face that Lucian was cooler. If Landon was less of a tramp he'd be cooler, but he had no morals and wasn't a Hufflepuff. Jimmy wasn't going to join in the ridicule of Landon, but Tristise wasn't exactly being dishonest....

"We've been over this, Tris. You're going to neuter me if I become a Tom kitty." Jimmy squirmed uncomfortably at that thought. "Classy. Mhmm. Nope, not me." Jimmy said nonchalantly as he eyed the ring, which again caught his attention. "Did you get to pick the ring or did he just get the shiniest one he could find?"

[Landon Rederick]

Kissing Tierney and being feisty with his comments was a little exhilarating. He felt like he had a little bit of his signature spark back. Landon never wanted to hurt or take advantage of another girl the way he used to ever again. He didn’t mind being feisty or a smart ass with girls though. So long as they could appreciate it, it was kind of fun. Tierney was quite the firecracker herself so he didn’t expect her to detest him for it, so long as he kept it in his pants. :-P

Tierney didn’t get a chance to respond because Tristise showed up. If she had heard or seen anything that had just occurred, Landon knew that she wouldn’t be too happy. Perfect. And he was hoping to be able to patch things up with her over the holiday break. He gritted his teeth in silence as Tris went to town, ripping him apart. Biting back would only make things worse between them. He had to ignore it. But Landon had been ignoring it for quite some time now. Whether it was the gossip girls…or guys…talking about him in the halls or his own sister, he was tired of people judging him and talking about him like he wasn’t there. He wasn’t saying that the things he did were excusable, but they just made their own conclusions about him without hearing anything that he had to say. They didn’t understand.

Nothing that Jimmy said in response to Tristise’s comments registered in Landon’s head. He was starting to become visibly upset and he was debating whether or not he should speak up for himself. This wasn’t the person that he was or ever wanted to be. Just because he was trying to undo some mistakes he’d made in his past didn’t mean he had to lose his backbone and let people walk or spit on him. “Stop being a bitch,” he finally said to his older sister, breaking the silence left behind after Jimmy stopped speaking. He didn’t raise his voice, but he was firm. “You’ve been pretending like I don’t exist for months and now you’re going to come in here and start talking a bunch of shit about me? I’m not taking this from you anymore.

“You know, I’m sorry for saying those terrible things that I said to you that night. And I’m sorry for the mistakes I made and the way they’ve affected you. I can’t apologize anymore than that.” If she couldn’t forgive him, then there was nothing left to say. “And I am way cooler than stuck up bastard. The son of bitch has no personality. I’m much more attractive than his ass too. Not trying to be proud of it, but there’s a reason why all those girls tried so hard to get with me…” Okay. He was done now and he was prepared for whatever backlashing that he was sure he was about to get.

[Tristise Rederick]

((Modding Tierney a bit so I can transition into her post))

Tris actually wasn't in too sour a mood. She wasn't happy by any means, but she never was when she was home. However, whatever tiny flicker of enjoyment she had felt vanished when Landon opened his big mouth. And boy... did he open it wide.

“Stop being a bitch.”

Wait, wait... what? Hold up...

“You’ve been pretending like I don’t exist for months and now you’re going to come in here and start talking a bunch of shit about me? I’m not taking this from you anymore."

Landon was standing up to her? He called her a bitch? Tris was on her feet so fast there was a question of if she was ever sitting at all. "What the fuck did you say to me, you piece of shit?" How dare he... "You think apologizing is enough? You took my most sensitive subject and turned it against me! You had the balls to insult Tierney... at this point you should be glad you cross my mind in any way shape or form!"

When he claimed to be cooler than Lucian and said how the girls flocked to him because he was hot... whether he added that he wasn't proud of it or not she lost it. "You haven't changed a bit!" She grabbed him by the shirt and aimed for the wall, shoving him against it roughly. "You have learned absolutely nothing! You are still just as much of a disgrace as you were three months ago!"

She was about to punch him in the face when she felt a heavy weight on her cocked back arm. She turned to see Tierney hanging onto it for dear life, terror in her eyes. "Not again, Tristise! Please!" Tris stiffened and looked back at her brother with distaste. "How can you defend and save this pathetic excuse for a human, Tierney? A second time at that!" She released her brother like he was a piece of garbage or a disease and made motions with her hands like ridding herself of germs or something. "Tris, he really has changed... He's just still an idiot who doesn't think to whom and about what he's speaking." Tris grunted and shook her head, stepping away, not believing a word of it.

[Tierney Harper]

Oh, Merlin... not again.

Panic overtook Tierney as Landon stood up to his sister using foolish words. Sure enough her panic was well placed since Tris went off like the spitfire she was. It was only a moment before she had Landon pinned to the wall and her arm cocked back for a punch. Tierney's chest tightened, her heart raced, and before she noticed she was clinging to Tris' arm, praying she wasn't enraged and wouldn't throw her into the wall again.

Thankfully Tristise was still mostly in her right mind and turned to look at her. "Not again, Tristise! Please!" Tierney begged. "How can you defend and save this pathetic excuse for a human, Tierney? A second time at that!" Tris released Landon and Tierney relaxed considerably, moving to stand between Landon and his sister as Tris stepped back. "Tris, he really has changed... He's just still an idiot who doesn't think to whom and about what he's speaking."

Tristise grunted, but that grunt relieved Tierney. "Your brother hasn't even spoken to a girl in a month practically. Except for me. He didn't have a date for the Yule ball even. He spent the whole dance with Lucian and myself pretty much, just chatting... and..." And watching uncomfortably as Tierney got engaged. She didn't finish that sentence though. "He is trying... Landon, tell her!" Tierney turned to him and grabbed his arm gently, pulling him forward to stand next to her before his sister. She didn't let go, even gave his forearm an encouraging little squeeze. "You say you want her and others to stop treating you like shit then give them a reason - give her a reason!"