* SEVEN MINUTES IN HEAVEN --

[DENVER CARLOS HURLEY]

Everything had been going so smoothly. No one had been over reacting, no one had lost their senses, and no one had started shouting. Annie hadn’t been the one that freaked out this trip, although she hadn’t been the only one during the last trip, either. There had just been something about the way his father had called him into the kitchen after dinner had been served and eaten, leaving Annie and Donna in the living room, just to bring up something Denny did not want to talk about. Eric was cleaning the dishes when Donna had come out of the kitchen, telling Denver that his father wanted to see him privately. It was odd that Eric of all people would suddenly be so interested in Denny, but he’d just kissed Annie and walked into the kitchen. She was the last thing on his mind just before his father had come out with his blunt, extremely rude (at least to Denny, considering how well the dinner had gone) question. “Does she know?” Denny didn’t even know what he’d been asking about; the question had been so ambiguous that Denver had just staggered a bit, trying to find things that he might be hiding for Annie that could serve as an explanation for his dad’s question.

Denny’s face and turned up into an obvious question, making Eric stop and turn to his son. The older Hurley had sighed, shaken his head, and almost turned his mouth up into a small smirk, but seemed to refrain in possibly a hope to retain whatever relationship they had left. When he looked back up, Denny knew there was something up, something that maybe he should have already known. “Denny, there was a dark time in your life. A time where most people that had loved you a week before, all hated you.

[/i]” Why was he telling Denny this? Like he didn’t already know. Denny had had to live with that memory – all of those memories – in his head for years, and once he finally had found someone that hadn’t cared that he’d been convicted because she was knew and he could tell her everything, especially the secret of the whole event, someone had to remind him that, even if that part had been a secret, most people still thought he was the one that had really done what he had supposedly done that night. But Denny said nothing, so Eric kept going.

“I just don’t want those harboring feelings to come in between the two of you. You seem so happy together, and I’m really glad that you are, but I don’t want the accident to break that apart.[/i]” Denny could feel his blood rising at that. He really just wanted to scream I DIDN’T DO IT, GOD FUCKING DAMN IT!, but he contained himself and instead took it out on his fingers. His knuckles lurched into a fist. Whatever nails he had dug into his palms, almost enough to draw blood – and actually he was surprised at that, mostly because his fingernails were, for the most part, harder and rougher than regular human fingernails. That was due to his preference for shifting into birds of prey – their large, tough, sharp talons transferred over into his human body in a modified, livable manner. But they weren’t cutting into his skin because he liked to chew on his nails sometimes, which made them dull and short. That was good though, because he didn’t really want his blood all over the floor, all over his pants, or both. Even with that, Eric almost seemed like he had more to say. Denny didn’t really feel like giving him the benefit of the doubt because he’d never been really close with his dad, but he knew the question would come up again if he didn’t answer it.

“First of all, how dare you?” he’d said. Denny was heaving – not just breathing heavily and angrily, but heaving. He was tired of being treated like a criminal when he’d done nothing but help his sister, and he wasn’t going to take it any longer, not from anyone and not from his dad. “Second of all, yes. She does know. And she has every fucking right to know! And the best part about Annie knowing: she still loves me.” That was all he could say without bringing his sister to the awful truth, and with that he stormed out of the kitchen. He said nothing to his mother at first, but he walked right to Annie, blew out what should have been steam but was actually just an extremely agitated breath, and looked her dead in the eye. It probably seemed like she was in trouble for something, but that wasn’t the case – Denny was just trying to keep himself in order so the monster wouldn’t hatch itself. “We need to go.” It was short and curt, but Denny needed to keep himself under control. He waited for Annie to stand up, then turned to his mom and tried to smile. That didn’t work too well, so instead, Denny just sighed. “It was nice seeing you, mom, but something just came up so Annie and I have to go.” Donna insisted on getting a hug from both him and Annie before they left, and as usual, Denny’s hug was much longer than Annie’s.

It almost pained Denny to have to leave on such a horrible note, especially when he thought about his mother. He was almost scared that she would go back into the kitchen and bitch Eric out about treating his son the right way, and although he felt his father deserved it, Denny didn’t want to be the reason for a fight. Either way, he hurried out of the house with Annie behind him at first, stomping because he needed to get this anger out without the monster taking over. He wasn’t weak and worn out like he had been the last time the monster had come in, but that didn’t mean anything to him. Denny had to be on the defensive, and not only because of the monster. His father had just thrown the biggest mistaken of his life in his face for almost no reason, like he wouldn’t have already told Annie. It was obvious, because of that, which of his parents he inherited his honesty from. Just that alone was enough to know that Denny was almost a spitting image of his mother, at least on a personality level, but that still meant nothing to him at that moment. Denny had no meaning for anything – his mind was just so hot and over heated that he kept walking. He couldn’t hear or think or feel for a few moments – it was almost like he was a zombie for those few moments – but that all changed. One simple sound pulled him out of his rage and centered him into a complete halt.

“Denny!” it wasn’t his mother, not his father, not some neighbor that he’d known years ago. That voice was the only one that could bring his body to a complete stand still. His entire being just almost shut off, but he was still there and he was still awake. He looked straight ahead until Annie was in front of him, asking him what was wrong without speaking. He could feel the heat leave his body almost too fast, and he sighed to help cool himself off at a normal pace. He looked right at her, felt her hand on his arm, and realized he’d stormed out without even touching her. That must have hurt, and instantly, but at a slow pace so he didn’t seem like he was going to hurt her, Denny reached across to his arm and held her hand, feeling like an asshole for doing what he’d done. His eyes closed and he sighed again, ready to cry because he just hated himself so much for that small period of time. He said, “I’m sorry. My dad started talking about something and I wasn’t too pleased with what he was hinting at. I just got really angry and I had to get out before something went really wrong.” When he opened his eyes again, they found Annie’s instantly and just asked that she understand why he’d left in such a hurry. Lightly, just because he felt that bad for just leaving her so high and dry, he pulled her arm across and engulfed her in his own long, muscular arms. “I’m okay now. I’m sorry.”

When he pulled back from the hug, Denny held Annie’s hand tight enough in his to give her security to know that he wasn’t going to snap, but gentle enough not to hurt her fingers. Besides the burns he could feel every so often under his own fingers, her hand was soft and it reminded him that he had something to go home to – or rather, someone to go home with. “Let’s just go home.” With that, Denny stayed quiet throughout most of the walk. He was still angry, just not fuming to the point of being blocked from the rest of the world. His dad’s words ran through his head like one of those lights with the moving words. He just kept replaying that night over and over again in his head, and it tore him in two that he was still that affected by what he’d done, or really what he hadn’t done, but what he’d decided to make it look like he’d done. The girl his sister had run into – her face- it ran through his head and haunted him. The look of her eyes closed, her leg broken, her body limp but not dead on the ground in front of his car; all of it had followed him through the years, and now it all hovered over his head like a huge anvil.

Before he knew it, they were home. Annie lead the way up the stairs, which was probably for the best because Denny felt like if he’d been the one to do that, they wouldn’t have ended up on their floor. But there was Annie, right ahead of him, dragging him along into their apartment. Beast, a creature that Denny had recently grown really close to, sauntered over and rubbed himself against their ankles. Denny sighed and turned to Annie, glad they were finally alone and inside, where no one else could hear them or be in their business. “My dad…… We’ve never been close, but I wasn’t expecting him to go as far as he had.” He stood close to Annie, subconsciously trying to find some sort of wall to lean on within her. He almost felt like breaking down and crying, but he didn’t think his dad was worth all of that energy. “He brought up the accident. He wanted to know if I’d told you about it, like you’d leave me because I hadn’t.” Now that he was telling Annie, it all just seemed really pathetic on both parties. It was a low blow for Eric to make, but it was really a pathetic reaction of Denny’s to get that mad and just up and leave. But Denny was a bit biased; he felt his dad’s actions and words were much less justifiable than his own words and actions.

“It just hurt. I’ve told you, and you know the truth – they don’t. But he can’t keep throwing that accident in my face. It’s not fair.” For a second he wanted to kick a wall, but Denny pulled himself together and sighed again, centering himself. He moved over to the couch, sat down, and put his head on his hands. It frustrated him to no end that his dad was still treating him this way, but he was also frustrated at the fact that he couldn’t just get the fuck over it already. This whole ordeal just didn’t seem fair to him.

1993 words -- cora/annie always <3 -- denny's just wearing the same as the last thread okay -- i made it all blah lyrics to fall out boy -- bloop the year i was born is 1993 okay :)[/font][/justify][/blockquote][/blockquote]

[ANNABELLE MARIE HURLEY]

Annie didn't want him to leave her alone when Denny went to talk to his father. She didn't want to watch him walk away and feel a pit in her stomach from his absence. He kissed her lightly and Annie threw him a look as he walked away, feeling almost abandoned. Just left... she knew she was overreacting but that didn't make the feeling any less potent. She didn't want to be left with his mom. Not that it was anything personal, Annie just didn't want to be alone with anyone. Almost alone but stuck with one person which made it even more irritating, stuck because she was so close to solitude. But with just Denny, just the two of them, it didn't feel like alone. Alone was the feeling of being in solitude and missing something. Solitude with Denny wasn't missing anything, Annie was perfectly content. She was comfortable with him and laying in bed with some conversation here and there, some giggling, almost dozing off in some parts, and lots of touching and holding. But now wasn't that time. Annie was stuck with his mom, and it unnerved her. Somehow she found a way to hold a light conversation, and Donna had immediately backed off. She could probably feel how agitated and nervous Annie was, shifter awareness and everything. Slowly the twenty year old relaxed, and conversation got easier. Suddenly she heard Denny's voice whip out and she flinched because it brought up weird feelings to hear animosity from him. That might have brought up a bad impression, like he really wasn't treating her well, but it was just that his voice was soft with her, minus those few occasions. She still wasn't used to the sound and feelings that came with it. 

He walked up to her and Annie watched him with wide eyes, wondering where all of this was going. “We need to go.” she expected him to hold his hand out and help her up but he was already walking out. She sighed and smoothed out the bottom of her dress so that no one would look at her face or scrutinize her. God, he'd just left her in the worst position; the one left behind after an outbreak, people would watch her. He knew that absolute hatred she had for scrutiny. And then she followed him, but he was so far away and Annie still felt that weird abandonment and she was sick with it. "Denny!" he stopped. Annie walked over to him and didn't know what to say. He was in front of her but very far away. She touched his arm and pursed her lips, not sure what to do now. She waited and watched him, not realizing until then how strung out he seemed. His hand reached out and held her's, which was good because she almost felt the need to drop her hand, take a step back. It was the opposite of what he needed, too, and suddenly she almost felt sick for having that reaction. Self preservation was just in her body and when he talked about things going really wrong, it set off something in her. She said nothing and soon he was pulling her into a hug, and he wasn't harsh. Apologetic, grateful... Annie relaxed against him and closed her eyes. “I’m okay now. I’m sorry.” she just stayed close against him, loving the warmth and stability. 

But then he pulled back and she still had this twinge of loneliness. Denny was far from her and it was something Annie had never really experienced before. His hand gripped her's and she felt a bit better, but she didn't like the way he was silent. He meant it to comfort her, and she knew it. It did comfort her to an extant but it didn't completely push away things she was feeling. She worried. Annie's feelings were evident in her body; her mind worked weirdly and she kept smoothing her skirt and looking around. If she had been sitting she would've started to pick at that one grotesque scare on her thigh that she'd given herself, the one she had dug so far into just a few days after she'd gotten it, like maybe if she pulled off the skin she would find some hidden layer of perfection there. Silence was something Annie never minded, but suddenly it felt toxic. It made the journey home seem twice as long.

She opened the door to the apartment and the cat greeted them. He wound between their legs. Annie sushed it away, her attention extremely aware and fixed on Denny. She was hyper aware of everything he was doing, and she felt like everything was suspended. She didn't know what happened and it was eating at her. She wanted answers. Annie wanted to help but she didn't know how. Denny turned to her. “My dad…… We’ve never been close, but I wasn’t expecting him to go as far as he had.” she walked closer to him and pursed her lips, trying just to seem comforting. Annie's version of comfort was just softening her demeanor and being near him. She felt like there was this weird trance that had fallen over the two of them and if she touched him she would break it. Annie sighed and looked down, wanting him to touch her because she always wanted that, and she was constantly afraid to initiate it. The idea of being denied hurt so much more than just being alone. She didn't understand it at all.  “He brought up the accident. He wanted to know if I’d told you about it, like you’d leave me because I hadn’t.” Sometimes Annie forgot about the accident. All the time, actually. It was never on her mind. It never had a need to be. It was gone, it was old news, it was nothing to them. Denny never wanted to talk about it, so she obliged. She pursed her lips, about to say it would be so useless to leave someone over that, how it seemed that everyone was overreacting, but then he was walking away. 

To Annie the accident wasn't a big deal, but then again she knew that it wasn't his fault at all. And in the same realm her image was a big deal to her whereas Denny just thought she was beautiful. It was all about your perception on something, and different things struck different chords in different people. But they knew each other's hot buttons and so they knew exactly what to expect. Normally they also knew how the other would react but Annie found herself second guessing Denny's actions sometimes. She worried. It would have been easier for him to just take the blame for what he said rather than telling her about a second personality he had no control over. But Denver was calm right now and so Annie pushed that out of her mind. She didn't truly understand what he was upset about because she was a bad empathizer. Annie found it impossible to think about things that didn't immediately involve her when they dealt with emotions. But she would try to show a little empathy, try to show that she cared. Because she did care... she was just absolutely shitty about sharing it. It was all she knew how to do, and she slowly ghosted him into the living room, standing behind the couch he was sitting on. “It just hurt. I’ve told you, and you know the truth – they don’t. But he can’t keep throwing that accident in my face. It’s not fair.” his face was in his hands and Annie walked closer, putting her hands on his shoulders, softly rubbing them in a massaging why. "It's okay to be upset." she said quietly. "You're not invincible and it is unfair. But if you don't tell them the truth it's always gonna be like this." her voice was hushed, and she leaned forward, placing her head on his. She closed her eyes and sighed, and then moved her head, kissing the side of his neck slowly.

Annie pulled back then, and moved around the couch, sitting next to him. She crossed her legs underneath him and her knees touched his thighs. She rested her arm on the couch and then bent it so she was resting her head on her fist, watching him silently with her body angled towards him. Annie felt pent up after going to long being so chaste, even if it was just dinner. Not to mention Annie was so physical. She probably wore Denny out... not that he was complaining, but she didn't think he would. (There should be a pun here about how not many guys get some as much as Denny does but maybe that seemed overboard soooo...) Her body was angled towards him but she sighed and looked away, unable  to think of anything else to do when she so badly wanted to crawl into his lap and kiss him until she was dizzy. She missed his hands and lips and heat. After he had explained about the monster, Annie had started to see it everywhere. The littlest things had so much malevolence in her mind now. And when he was like this, foreplay wasn't exactly the best idea. 

But that didn't mean Annie didn't want it. 

1564 words -- shorter than yours blah like a lot less but whatever live it love it lust it

[DENVER CARLOS HURLEY]

Sure, it was okay to be upset for now. But when things strung out too far, was that okay too? No. Denny would never, ever think of the monster as ‘okay’. Not with Annie’s feelings involved, and not with their relationship on the line. He would never risk Annie to seem okay with the monster, which meant to him that being upset was not an option. But it had to be, because how else could he describe this feeling? He couldn’t just say he was unnerved, though that was definitely part of the case. It was so much more than that, all because those feelings, thoughts, memories, and reactions had resurfaced in his head and suddenly the accident had been all he’d been able to think about. His dad had done this on purpose, to knock Denny off of his high horse. His dad just wanted him to be unhappy or something; Denny couldn’t stand it. Just because Eric was uncomfortable with other people the way Annie had been months ago didn’t mean he had the right to take it out on Denny’s mental stability. Especially since that same stability was questionable these days in its seemingly dwindling power.

But every word of Annie’s seemed to be more true than any thought running through Denny’s head. He wasn’t invincible; he could easily be destroyed. If he didn’t tell his parents eventually, Eric would always find some excuse to bring the accident up. It would be inevitable, even if Denny just wanted to leave what was in the past where it belonged. He wanted to live now, with Annie, without his sister and the debt that she owes him. Denny had never asked for retribution, but when his dad brought this up, he felt like he had something ask of his sister. But what? He couldn’t ask her to talk to their dad, mostly because their dad just…….. He didn’t know how to communicate. He was a bird, and domestication had torn him apart, which was mostly due to Denny’s being born. That same domestication had made it impossible for Eric to function as a human completely, which was why he still shifted the way he did – but it also broke him apart from most people. That was the biggest difference between Denny and Eric, also the biggest difference between Donna and Eric, but it didn’t exactly completely justify what he’d done to Denny’s mind. It only gave him a scapegoat, but Eric hadn’t even used that. He’d used the fact that he knew Denny would be taken off by that little comment, that stupid question.

Denny didn’t even think before speaking, like Annie would instantly have an answer for him. “How do I tell them that I was wrongfully incriminated, and that it was all my sister’s fault?” Sure, he could tell Annie, but that was because she already knew that his sister had been the drunken child to hit the girl in the road. He couldn’t just go back to his parents’ place and come out with it just like that. “I’ve thought about doing that, but I feel like they’d hate me. Or they wouldn’t believe me, like no one else would have believed me.” Denny didn’t look up at first as Annie moved, just wallowed within himself. His whole body felt so….out of place. Too long. Too lanky. Too leathery, too much skin. There was too much Denny and not enough bird, and it irritated him to the point of that agonizing scratch. He had to hold in his breath to keep himself calm, though that wasn’t quite the right word to go about it. He felt on edge almost, like the monster was waiting just around the corner, all because of what his dad had said. It really was pathetic for him to be so caught up in these feelings, but he couldn’t help it. There was nothing he could do to run, nothing he could do to get the feelings t leave – except looking for the one thing that made everything better.

Denny lifted his head, sighing again as he found Anne next to him opposite the way she had been just before. His mind usually cleared when he could find that one thing that would do the job, but something just wasn’t right. This was really bothering him, but he had to admit that looking at Annie helped. Maybe holding her, touching her might help more, and that was worth trying without second thoughts. First, he had more to say. “I’m sorry. I’m just dumping this all out on you when obviously I’m the one with some work to do.” He wanted to tell her it just frustrated him to have to live like this, hiding parts of his life from his parents, but he felt like that would totally just confuse her when he smiled. Which he did, as soon as he really looked over at her. He twisted his body until he was facing her, close enough to touch but too far to really appreciate how he felt about her on a normal basis. Okay, that was a bit of a stretch of the imagination considering Denny appreciated that every second of every day, but he needed something melodramatic to add into his already exaggerated state of mind. His hand reached out and ran a few fingers down her arm, ignoring whatever blemishes he could feel because to Denny, those flaws were Annie, which meant they were perfect.

Though the thoughts of his dad’s words and the monster were there, they felt more distant than they had just a moment ago. Of course, the monster felt closer than the thoughts, ready to pounce any chance it could on Annie. She seemed to be its target a lot these days, and Denny felt extremely horrible for that. He only knew one way to make up for that, and that way was something he’d learned from Annie and only Annie. “You know I love you.” It almost sounded like he had something to add, but after the words had escaped his mouth, Denny realized he had nothing else to say. There was nothing to follow that, nothing to top it, no verbal signal to let Annie know anything more or less, and maybe that was for the best. Without anything left to say, Denny could occupy his time with something more physical, which Annie didn’t seem like she’d disagree to at that point. If she did, and only if, Denny would respect that – but she’d been the one to kiss his neck and sit so close to him, even though he wasn’t blaming her for that. That was just how it had been. Well, with that thought, Denny leaned forward, kissing Annie because that was how he was used to getting messages that didn’t need words across.

His hands, not hesitating on her face, found her waist instantly, pulling her onto his lap because suddenly he needed her there. He needed her with one leg on either side of him; he needed his hands on her sides, her arms, her legs, everywhere; he needed her hands around him, holding him close like no one ever had before she’d come along. One hand stayed on her hip, while the other moved up, up, up to her cheek, so far up that his fingers tangled in her long, dark hair. He realized it wasn’t worth worrying over when he had Annie, because his dad had never treated him this way – and for a good portion of that statement, that was a good thing. He only pulled away to breathe briefly, but that was enough time for him to smile and force his eyes open. He felt like he wanted to say something, but nothing was in his head. Nothing but the presence he almost always felt, or at least thought about. He ignored that though; he just kept holding Annie and trying to think of saying something. When still nothing came to mind, Denny just planted his lips against hers again, smiling almost maliciously, like a little boy getting away with something he knew he should be getting in trouble for. His hands felt tense in a sense that they hadn’t before while holding Annie, but he wasn’t focused on them. He was focused on his lips, the feelings behind them, and the feelings he was projecting to Annie. That was what mattered, and he finally saw that.

1412 words -- cora/annie always <3 -- denny's just wearing the same as the last thread okay -- i made it all blah lyrics to fall out boy -- HA denny is feely!

[/font][/justify][/blockquote][/blockquote]

[ANNABELLE MARIE HURLEY]

Annie stayed quiet as he began to speak, watching him quietly with her lips formed into a thin line. She listened to his words with a muted lack of interest. She didn't think that he was dumping this on her because it didn't really feel like that, nor did it feel like he was necessarily dumping a lot. He just said things that Annie already knew, but the short way he had said them was what really irritated her. Annie looked away, silent. She ran her hand through her hair, not really sure what he was doing, just knowing that her interest was stuck somewhere and she didn't know how to get a hold of it and pull it back to her. It was a frustrating feeling for her, it felt like her bones were grinding. His hand reached out and Denny brushed his fingers on her arm. Annie got goosebumps from the sudden contact. Immediately, she had the overwhelming feeling something was wrong and it made her stomach turn. Her instincts felt frayed and she couldn't pinpoint what was bothering her, but there was something. He was set off more than he was letting on. Annie's instincts tried to understand and told her to be on her guard. Two things conflicted with each other then; the monster (and the little faith she had in it) and her faith in Denny. Annie definitely doubted the existence of the alternative personality. A person was a person. People were twisted, not psychological parasites. Her faith in Denny battled that feeling. It did exist because he said it did. He could control it because he was strong. Right now he was just a little off. That was all. Nothing to be worried about, right?

"You know I love you." The way he said that made her want to scream. Her throat practically burned with the need to. Something was so wrong with his words. Something was so completely wrong with the way he said it, the way his voice sounded. It bothered Annie to the point of her hand sneaking down and tracing the burn on her thigh. It'd kind of become a habit of her's to fall back on it. Soon she'd need to break it, too. His words themselves were so different than what the phrase had come to mean. It was the way little words built up to be these huge stereotypes. She waited for the "but". Suddenly she didn't want to make out and see where it went. Suddenly she didn't want to be in here at all. She wanted air. Her skin itched everywhere, the kind of irritation that couldn't be solved with any amount of scratching. Suddenly her body was too much and Annie felt sick with it all. The wave in which all of this hit made her dizzy when Denny leaned forward to kiss him. Her immediate instinct was to melt, and it was such a subconscious thing that she didn't have time to deny him.

His hands grabbed her waist and it made Annie's stomach clench. It was a physical pain that made her want to bend over and wrap her arms around herself like she would be sick It reminded her of two things; when they had gotten back from the beach and the same thing had happened (hands suddenly on her hips) - although she kissed him first - and she pushed him away harshly. Annie had lost it in that moment. She was also reminded how much there was for him to grab. Wasn't she supposed to be over stuff like that? And it was wrong, but she needed to get out of her head. Annie hated the way her brain felt like it was throbbing. She wanted Denny to stop that. It was bad motivation, but she needed a distraction for a while. It wasn't good but she wanted Denny to swallow her up. She wanted him to take away her personality and her body and her voice and her senses and just make her an empty space so that her mind would shut up. She needed something to pull her away. Denny was perfect for that, with the way he pulled her onto his lap with her knees on either side of them. His hands were everywhere and she felt hot, but not in a normal way. The sudden embarrassment of just being herself made her ashamed and it was a heated blush that almost hurt. His hands finally settled on her hip and cheek and Annie found some comfort in them finally being still and just moving with her. She liked the way his fingers tangled in her hair, and finally she got her body to do something other than hate itself. Moving it felt weird. She picked up her arms slowly, like the movement was new to her, and, slowly, pushed her fingers through the hair on the back of his head, pulling herself closer. She sighed around his lips, and Denny pulled back for breath. She opened her eyes. He smiled, but, god, something was wrong. She didn't want this, actually, but she wasn't going to do anything about that. She could say something, but this was just going to end up the same place it always did. And what was the worst that could happen?

Then he kissed her again and Annie just pushed her body against every part of him. She wanted her head to shut up. There was too much and yet she wasn't even thinking about anything but the friction between them. His hands were tense, his fingers tight on her hip bone and clenched and tangled in her hair. Annie wished she knew what he was fruit to tell her, but she was just more confused than anything. Nothing was working for her and soon she felt so off that there wasn't any indication for it. She hated that. Despised the feeling. To push it away, distract the two of them from her mind going haywire, she pulled away from him momentarily and cross her arms on either side of the ends of her dress and quickly pulled it up over her head. Her body, normally pockmarked and bruised, was clear of everything but the burn scars that would be there for another year or two. Annie didn't care about that though; she just tarted kissing Denver once more. Again, what was the worse that could happen? Some momentary distraction was a benefit and so that's what she was in this for. She didn't like the way it felt like she was back to who she had been. But she pushed that away as her hands tangled in his hair again. 



1120 words -- idk man but i don't like it it's really dramatic

[DENVER CARLOS HURLEY]

How was it that, even when Denny thought he had total control over himself, the monster seeped into his system so subtly that he didn’t even notice, tainting one of the most pure, most amazing experiences of his life? He couldn’t answer that, considering he couldn’t even see it coming at him. The monster seemed to be locked away, the way it had been since Denny had been able to get a hold on himself that awful day not too long ago. He’d felt strong, like he’d be able to do anything after that, but his dad had thrown that all off. After he’d stormed out of the house, Denny just felt the change. His mind mixed up, like a floodgate had broken and opened up room for the monster to slip in without him noticing. Maybe it was just a little bit of the monster – but Denny knew that even a little bit wouldn’t stop at anything to hurt something that meant so much to Denny. It would stop at nothing to make this a very awkward, very unnecessary event, and it would stop at nothing and defeat all walls that came up against it to leave some sort of mark, physical or mental, on Annie.

But Denny didn’t know what was wrong with him. He couldn’t tell where this weirdness started, where it ended, where he could get a grip on it and make everything normal. He couldn’t decide how to cure it, whatever it was, and so the only thing he could think to do after that was to keep going. But at the same time, he let Annie take a little bit of lead, because honestly he’d fight anything off if Annie didn’t want to go forward. He loved her, respected her too much to do something to her that she wasn’t up for, but he figured if she kept going, she was up for it. He sat back a bit and watched her take off the dress, enjoying what was there before him. He’d told her the marks had been just a part of her that he accepted, and he felt the same now, and with that he found them beautiful as he saw them exposed to him. He was sure his parents, especially his dad, wouldn’t have seen those that way, so in more ways than one he was happy they’d been covered. Denny wanted to keep those parts of Annie, the parts that only he loved, to himself. It was a selfish thought and feeling, but Denny didn’t care. No one would appreciate those parts of Annie the way he did, and that was how he justified his selfishness.

Soon enough though, his hands were busy with his tie, then the buttons on his shirt. Then it was all off, on the floor, on the table in front of the couch, wherever. Denny wasn’t paying any attention to that – he was more occupied with Annie’s lips against his; her skin against his; her arms around his neck and her fingers in his hair. His simple thoughts dimmed the weird feeling behind them, his hands lightened a little bit, his lips lost a bit of the hysterical urgency, but only enough for him to feel somewhat normal – or at least normal for himself. There was still a hint of everything that was tainting this, but it was minimal compared to this new, enriched, great feeling that pushed through. Seeing Annie like this, knowing that he had to be himself in order to really enjoy this, it all centered him to the point where he felt like himself, he felt better than he had, even though he couldn’t deny he felt completely at peace with himself – but really, when was that ever the case? Never; Denny could be totally content with everything around him, he could be extremely happy to the point of almost exploding, but there would always be that inner war with himself. He’d never be happy with himself completely because he would always find some fault, some reason to blame himself for something.

Maybe that was why the accident hit him so hard now. Any little excuse to blame himself, Denny took up. He’d thought the accident had just been an event that had changed his life, that he wouldn’t blame himself for it forever. But then his dad had to come in and screw all of that up – and then his lips didn’t care anymore and the thought turned to fog. A wind of Annie’s distinct, beautiful, forest-y scent filled Denny and blew the fog away, carrying all harboring feelings with it. Her skin under his fingers acted as a canopy of trees, filling all of his nerves with that security he’d looked for at the door. His speed with moving this forward slowed still, and his fingers lightened again, but ever so slightly that Annie possibly would miss it. Something in the pit of his stomach started, something he didn’t recognize, and he didn’t like it. He thought maybe it would go away if he kissed Annie more, held her closer, but when he did both those things that feeling stayed. It angered him, and his fingers got harder, tenser again. He kept trying to distract himself with Annie, a in a few instances it worked for a good few minutes. But the stomach-y feeling remained, even as the rest of whatever he was wearing had found the floor.

Denny pulled away to breathe again. His bird lungs stung from lack of oxygen, and his head felt light and distant, which was nice considering those harboring thoughts felt distant too. He heaved to catch his breath at first, smiling because with his head this far away he felt good. The feeling in his stomach wasn’t there, even though it was. It was just far away, like his head and those angry feelings, and his fingers felt just as light as his head on Annie’s body. Between breathes he spoke. “I,” deep breath, “love,” deep breath, “you.” His eyes slowly opened and his world just seemed to settle; Annie’s face so close to his own made him realize how mad he’d been, but how useless that anger had been. He had too much in front of him to care about anyone or anything else, and it made seeing the fact that he just needed to concentrate on Annie that much easier. His eyes closed instantaneously with his lips on Annie’s, going back to what they’d started. Suddenly that felling in his stomach was back, but it seemed to be eclipsed by something smaller than itself, something that was growing.

It made sense at one point; his mind no longer thought of the accident, though his body was infiltrated by the monster, and his thoughts no longer centered around anything that wasn’t Annie. The thing that was growing, totally marking out the angry, awful feeling in his stomach, was that flame. It started small and all too late, and instantly grew twice its size in seconds. Hi grew until his entire body felt like it was engulfed in the sweetest fire he’d ever been in, and suddenly nothing mattered – not his dad, not the world, not the clothes on the floor – except Annie.


1211 words -- cora/annie always <3 -- denny's just wearing the same as the last thread okay -- i made it all blah lyrics to fall out boy -- op op steamy sex threads!

[/font][/justify][/blockquote][/blockquote]

[ANNABELLE MARIE HURLEY]

Annie was sure everyone had off days. She was sure things weren't always beautiful. It was impossible, and she would have bit her lip if she hadn't been kissing him like this. She didn't like the spectrum of his fingers, soft and hard, lighter then tighter. Annie didn't know what he was thinking and for some reason that terrified her to a point she didn't understand. The way he was acting and reacting felt far and she almost felt self conscious with his grip on her. She distracted herself from that by pushing her body closer against him, like a vacuum seal of their skin. The dizzying feeling of it was enough for her to just... not think. Annie just wanted her head to empty like water from a glass, just be left translucent and clear and empty. She liked him better without his shirt and she felt her body burn with the heat between the two of them. It was a familiar thing that calmed her down. A year ago this was the farthest position she would have imagined them. Sex on the couch? Not exactly something she would've seen in the cards. But now they were here. Maybe that was unhealthy. Maybe it was something detrimental to their chemistry. But, honestly, the unhealthy started in the kitchen where she had wanted to kiss him just to see what it felt like. She felt so frustrated then just mad with the want to know what Denny's lips were like. 

Even her wildest imagination couldn't imagine the feelings that would come into this, she couldn't have imagined what it was like to kiss him and sit like this and feel like this. The way it was something she simply didn't have words for, the way that it was like an apex of their physical relationship, which seemed to never be as complicated as the rest of it. Physical motions, dizzying actions, they were simple and straight forward. It was hard for her to conjure the way he was so immense in front of her and filled up everything. Sky, still. She had told him that before, and Denny has this way of getting under her skin. His existence pushed apart the seams of her and she felt like she was going to just burst from that. An entire galaxy held together by skin and there were rips and tears and weak points. Sometimes she wondered ho much longer she would last. Now was not one of those times at all, though. Against her skin he was cool and comforting but a different comforting than what she usually relied on. Annie relied on his voice and acceptance, she relied on sure and steady ground under her feet, she relied on stable things that held her  It was like watching clouds, but so much better. The sure ground holding her back and against her was the sky, endless and open and full of all these possibilities. But then you had to ass in that overwhelming factor.  Like having sex and sometimes watching to stop the clouds. Which was almost literal in that moment. 

But there was still that sick feeling. This feeling in the pit of her stomach that something was off and her skin felt rubbed raw in a metaphorical sense, like the little things that rubbed her the wrong way had turned into sandpaper against her skin. There was still the idea that something was most definitely wrong. Something was twisted the wrong way, like a gear out of place. She couldn't put her finger on it but her body hurt. There was this distinct feeling of a numb kind of pain with her body; not enough for her to take a huge notice to it - with what she had already been through with bruises on her back and burns on her skin and blood from her body - but it was like an itch you couldn't reach, just a really light one that you could seemingly ignore. But it was there nonetheless, there in the back of your mind meant to push you too far. Annie sighed, laying on his chest with this nagging feeling that something still wasn't right. There was still heat between them, radiating body head that made her feel drowsy. She didn't know if the off feeling was from her, or him. Was she losing her touch, the touch that she'd relied on for so long? For some reason - probably pride - that bothered her. The idea that one thing she was really good was just kind of mediocre now was upsetting. But Denny was calmer. Annie could feel it in the air. His mood was much more balanced and so there had been a benefit. She guessed it was from like physical things, like working out. That relaxed people at the end of the day, right? And maybe that's why she felt weird, just from pushing herself. Either way it ate at her. She sighed against his skin because her head felt like it was throbbing and she didn't know what to do now. 


862 words -- my posts just keep getting shorter WAAAAAAAAAH

[DENVER CARLOS HURLEY]

The universe would never settle. Apparently, since its start and to its end, it has and will just keep on expanding. Planets will grow apart an extremely slow paces; stars will expand, explode, implode, eat up planets and other stars, be the center of solar systems, be the center of galaxies; the vast black space will constantly grow northward while caving in on itself southbound. That was how Denny thought of his mind. It would never settle; there would always be something bothering him, something egging him into some mental ramble or worse. He’d always have something to hate about himself. He would always be looking for ways to fix himself, but that darker side of him would always pull through and give him another thing to put on his ever-growing list of things to take care of. It didn’t matter how perfect he felt everything around him was; it didn’t matter if he was married with children or if he was peacefully dying with Annie in his arms; it wouldn’t matter if they were basking in aftermath or if they were just cuddling, holding each other because those moments meant a lot to them. Denny just felt like every moment of his life to that extent would be mirrored, not eclipsed though, by something dark, something unwanted and uninvited.

That was what really bothered him when everything was quiet, calm, and still. His body was still gleaming, and not in the sweaty sense where everything was shiny, but rather in the manner that it just felt nice to be in. Where as before everything had felt exaggerated and heavy, everything he could feel now was light and easy, open and welcoming. At least, that was how everything on the outside of his mind felt. The inside, from the front to the usually calm, storage room back, was filled with that sense of expansion and contraction. It scared him because some parts of him grew, while others faded until they were lost, it seemed, and Denny didn’t want the parts he actually liked to fade and eventually turn away from him. He wanted to keep things that he liked about himself, mostly because those were the things that kept him from going insane – with, of course, much help and appreciation from Annie. She was pretty much the reason he wanted to preserve those parts of himself anyway, so why not give credit where it’s due? Besides preservation, Annie was the reason Denny had anything. Annie was the universe, at least to him. She was the sun and the moon – and really that was just how he related her to his life. What he really thought of her was quite like what she’d told him on the roof Thanksgiving night.

Annie had told Denny he smelled like the sky, and at all times, Annie smelled, felt, and exuberated forest. The grass, soft and easy, shrouded around his face when she kissed him, covering him in the feeling of rest and calmness; rain, cold but not freezing, at a pace peacefully between drizzling and pouring, soaked him through to the bone when Annie looked at him; her eyes, the color of the sun through the trees, captured his being and kept him where she wanted him; branches supported and held him in ways that nothing else could, branches that happened to be her arms. Even the burns had some place in the forest – they were rocks, something that Denny could appreciate even though he didn’t really see the use of them. And the green, welcoming but unforgiving scent that she carried around with her….. Well, it filled Denny with a sense he didn’t know. It filled him up with the sixth sense of running without moving your feet; it made Denny feel weightless and dizzy, but in the manner that he was moving without motion. All of Annie had some experience Denny seldom gave himself; he spent so much time in the clouds, literally, that he almost forgot what the forest was like. Sure, he had time in the trees, but the forest floor was never as appealing to him as Annie made it. Looking at her and seeing the grassy grounds with rocks, dirt, and living beings was totally different from seeing the actual thing, because Denny loved Annie but the forest? Well that was obviously her territory.

All of that was grand and dandy but Denny was still bothered. Now he wasn’t so concerned with the monster or his dad – he was more worried about Annie. Something was off but he couldn’t put his finger on what, and he didn’t even understand how he just knew that. It was just that she hadn’t said anything since……whatever it was she’d said to him about this not being fair. Denny couldn’t remember because he had just felt and thought so many things, and Annie had stayed silent that long. It unnerved him, made him realize something was up with her. He wanted to poke and prod until he found out just what that was, but at the same time this weird mood didn’t allow him to do that. He didn’t want to hurt Annie’s feelings, but at the same time he felt especially selfish in a mentally greedy way. Maybe that was what was wrong – Denny was off, and it was bothering Annie. Then again, maybe something really was wrong, and it had nothing to do with Denny. He had to weigh out the possibilities and debate with himself on what to say to her next, just so that she wouldn’t freak out and leave him in this weird mood all by himself. So he stayed silent and kept his arms around her, letting the forest of Annie take him over and clear his mind.

His eyes closed and Denny returned to that floating, light feeling. He felt something within himself curl up into his mind and seem to disappear, and for an instant he was scared the monster had been there all along, but he couldn’t quite say what the feeling was about. It could have been anything, even a piece of him leaving his persona forever. Whatever it was, it forced Denny’s eyes back open, even though he was stuck in that forest still. He looked at Annie and sighed, mostly because this silence was literally killing him from the inside. “Annie,” he said, holding himself back from adding in a little love at the end of her name for her sake. “Is something wrong?” He wanted her to sit up, smile at him, and tell him nothing was wrong and that everything was perfect. He wanted her to look at him, seek his attention, hold it on her so-much-more-than-beautiful face and tell him that he was perfect, that there was absolutely nothing wrong and that he had nothing to worry about. Denny just knew that wasn’t going to be the case, but he didn’t feel like he needed to brace himself for what came next. He could handle it. He could take it tenfold and then some, and he’d be okay.

Right?


1183 words -- cora/annie always <3 -- denny's just wearing the same as the last thread okay -- i made it all blah lyrics to fall out boy -- IT'S NOT SO PLEASANT AND IT'S NOT SO CONVENTIONAL. IT SURE AS HELL AIN'T NORMAL BUT WE DEAL, WE DEAL. anyway. here you go :)

[/font][/justify][/blockquote][/blockquote]

[ANNABELLE MARIE HURLEY]

How often was it than Annie answered that question with "me"? It fell of her lips simply and smoothly, like a liquor that was so used to the action. Two letters formed a word that served as an answer Denny had become terrify to hear. Too many times it had fallen through her teeth, maybe. She wondered if he thought she was going to say it this time, if every time she said it was stuck in his head, or if he cleared that out to make room for good things. It was over and over again that she had whispered it, that she had screamed it. She said it and screamed it and every time it ripped through her like claws down her throat and stomach, the way truth could burn. And Annie usually believed it. It was a thought that was too ingrained in her to be healthy. She was twisted the wrong way. She was a puzzle with bent pieces, a toy with the wrong page. She was a book with the last page ripped out in a jagged and uncaring fashion. She was the window that didn't close all the way and the mirror with a crack through the middle. She was so close to right, so close to normal and appeasing. And yet she was so far. She had those little problems that frustrated you in the worst ways. She was wrong in the way that she was simply there. Something had been wrong with her since day one and no one had bothered to clean up what was going on in her mind. She had lived with it, and like a parasite it had evolved with her, it had morphed and shaped itself to each situation Annie had found herself. Her insecurities and deformities were stuck inside her in a way that everything was wrong.

This time, however, it wasn't Annie that was wrong. She was confident in the feeling that she was... well not okay, and not fine. But not wrong. For once she wasn't like a problem with no answer, she wasn't a test with the wrong questions. She felt stable and simple, and very aware in a way that she didn't normally feel. Annie kind of appreciated it, even though the unfamiliarity and change wasn't something she might have normally invited into her life. Her head felt on right and all of her parts had clicked together right. If there hadn't been something wrong, she might have been smiling big and kissing him more. But there was still something wrong. At least it wasn't her, she thought once more. Her body didn't hurt besides the raw and over-used feeling, but she wasn't really minding herself. She was content in her skin, even if it had this itchy/crawly feeling. She didn't feel the mad need to shift. She didn't feel the need to push everything off and away. She didn't feel the need to scream. She felt very... not right really, but not wrong like she had in the past. It was a peaceful and content feeling and Annie was enjoying the way it felt sitting on her skin. So for once her lips weren't begging to scream that word, those letters. For once Annie didn't want to tear herself down.

But maybe she should try something different this time. Maybe she should push this around like switching walls in a maze. The idea caught at the frayed edges of her mind and pushed itself inward, worming through the layers of her thoughts. It settled deep in her thoughts and she was forced to mull over it. Her body hurt in a weird way, like her emotions had seeped into her muscles and drilled through them, sitting at the bottom of them, barely held in her skin. They pooled there and made her skin feel like it was sagging. The outside of her body cradled them the way her ribs cradled her lungs. It kept them in when they tried to burst out with every breath. It was like the seams to everything were broken in ways that... weren't the seams. A patchwork doll that was only seams was slipping apart in hidden sports. She sighed and felt her bones move against his body, felt her skin brush against Denny's in the lightest, softest ways. She liked feeling things like that because it reminded her how close she was to him. It reminded her that no one else had really meant something like that, how no one else had really gave her that effect. If someone else did at this point she would be so turned off by them. Because they weren't her Denny. And that got her back to thinking. "Yes." she said simply, with barely any hesitation. Her lips opened and let it fall out, and her tongue shaped her words with the simplest of movements. Her voice didn't waver like she was weak. It was steady in her confidence about her answer. She didn't whisper like she was ashamed and she didn't scream like she was upset. She wasn't ashamed to say that and she wasn't mad, she wasn't looking for excuses to throw a fit. She answered honestly, and she answered simply. Because there was something wrong and it nagged at her and pressed down on her chest like a ton of weight had just fallen on her. The way Denny was seemed wrong. Not now, but before. And she had been off, too. But it wasn't her that was bothering herself. That didn't exactly make sense. She felt guilty for blaming Denny in this way, for so frankly mentally admitting that he was the problem now.

She pressed her head to his chest and liked the way his skin was still hot but in a clammy way that was cool at the same time. That didn't really make sense, but, either way, Annie was liking it. She closed her eyes and listened to his heart beat, listened to the way it moved with his breathing. Two different sounds that sometimes matched but never got confused and never skipped beats (although that was a lie because she made his heart skip beats all the time... she was kind of a pro at it). The rise and fall of his chest moved her head in a consistent pattern, too. It was relaxing and steady in a way that it was stable and reliable and comforting in it's consistency. She sighed lightly, and she was relaxed. She was calm. There was still the nagging, but overall she was good. She had Denny there and he was holding her against him. Some part of her was like, wow you seriously just corrupted that poor, innocent couch. The larger part of her still didn't feel at ease, but there was a minor content feeling that was bursting through her veins with every lopsided beat of her heart. She exhaled lightly and snuggled her body closer against him. "But I don't want to talk about it."



1172 words --bleg

[DENVER CARLOS HURLEY]

Not talking about this was going to eat Denny from the inside out. Now that Annie had said yes, that there was something really wrong, he was going to worry and be paranoid and too careful to the point of nearly shutting himself off again. He’d worry to the point of anxiety, to the point of being so worn out that he’d feel like an overused rug instead of a part bird, part human being. That was how he dealt with things; when he’d gone to jail, that time spent in voluntary confinement had been time mostly worrying about how his family thought of him, how they were holding up, and how everyone was going to react to him when he was free. His time spent in further solitary, only this time in the confines of his own apartment, worrying about…..well, actually he’d been pretty empty then. He’d worried about literally nothing. He’d let himself slip into this state that nothing bothered him except the self hatred for what he’d done. He just sat by himself then; even when he met Annie, he’d worried beyond belief that someone would totally reject him on his first entrance back into humanity – or whatever was left of it.

Worrying just….. It made Denny completely restless. It made him feel like the monster really was getting to him, like one day he’d wake up and he would just be that person. He’d be abrasive, abusive, disgustingly horrible to everyone, especially Annie, until she finally hated him enough o leave. Feeling like that broke pieces of him off, moved them all of this place he couldn’t find or name, and relocated those parts into new places that they didn’t fit or belong in. He might as well have been if that was the case; if anything or anyone tried to get Annie to leave him and she actually did, he’d break, and his body would be completely controlled by that monster. He’d be that hollow shell again, only filled up with rage and vicious victory that could never be fully enjoyed because of the necessity for power. He just couldn’t be that way – he couldn’t be without Annie, but he knew that talking to her about whatever was wrong so he could fix it was the only way to keep this present a part of their future. How was he supposed to do that if Annie wanted to drop the subject all together? That made it impossible to talk about, impossible to fix, impossible to acknowledge – and maybe the latter of the three was what she was hoping for.

Denny, however, knew that it would fix nothing and they’d be stuck with that same complication forever, or at least until Annie was willing to talk about it and let him fix it. He couldn’t go about making something better when he didn’t know what the problem was, and it drove Denny crazy to no end to know he could do nothing, since he’d promised Annie he would do everything he could. Feeling so useless lead to his body just stopping for a second. It set in like a huge weight, forcing the breath out of his lungs and making him realize that he could do nothing and say nothing to change Annie’s mind. He could try to get it out of her, tell her that he wouldn’t be offended if it were him that was wrong because he had no doubt it was just that, but that wouldn’t change her mind and get her to speak. So his sigh then wasn’t just from having the wind knocked out of him, it was also because he was just so exasperated over the fact that he couldn’t fix something that Annie wouldn’t let him touch. He almost hoped it bothered Annie, but only to the point where she would spill the beans and tell him what was going on. Since he couldn’t use words to coax her out of being silent on the topic, he figured fight fire with fire, which might only work because that was how the flames between them seemed to work. One flame ignited and the other followed almost instantaneously, and the two fires burned together, getting taller and more stretched, but never growing outwards in an attempt to consume the whole forest. Denny hoped that same theory would work between silences, though he couldn’t deny that he doubted it would.

That denotation of the theory started to eat away at him through the silence. After a few long, quiet minutes, Denny felt like he was going to explode if something wasn’t said, and so he realized what he had to do. “Annie,” he said, not in an abrasive manner, but in such a manner that startled even himself, which could have just been so because of the silence just before. “You can’t honestly believe not talking about it will make it better, can you?” He figured choosing his wording carefully would help, so he posed his statement as a question rather than a demand. Letting Annie make her own decisions was the best road to take, even if that made him sound like a dirty manipulator. But Denny just thought that maybe being a manipulator of the situation was better than being a victim of it, especially when he needed information and reasons to work with in order to be a better version of himself – whatever that might mean or be. “I don’t.” He said it, not realizing if Annie had said anything in between his speech or not. He’d been caught up in figuring out what he wanted to say. That just seemed like the right thing to throw out, even though it almost sounded like he was looking for a fight when he wasn’t.

He sighed and looked at her, but he didn’t move otherwise. Denny couldn’t bring himself to sit up and ruin the connection between their bodies. He couldn’t break their bodies apart if he wanted to, and he didn’t. He held her closer, actually, possibly a force of some subconscious working that realized his tone and analyzed it to be more than he’d intended. He sighed again, but this time just because he needed to stall and think of something to come back with. “We…. I can’t fix something if I don’t know what it is, Annie. You have to tell me.” He sounded almost pathetic, but with a hint of assertiveness that prevented him from actually breaking down and asking instead of telling her what he had. Every little minute detail of this situation was practically a make or break move, and Denny had to be careful of what he did or said or thought. He had to keep himself from making mistakes, from having Annie from ripping herself from him and never looking back. What would he be if she did leave? Nothing. The apartment would be too big and too empty; his mind would be too consumed with its own thoughts; the cat that was probably now either throwing up in his litter box or outside neglecting the litter box would just be a parasite even though Denny had grown to appreciate its existence; the forest would be too much of a painful reminder; even his parents house would be tainted and unattainable. Nothing would be the same, to say the least.

Denny just let himself know that if she insisted on dropping the subject, he would. For now, anyway. He’d find a later date and time to talk about it if he had to. One way or another, Denny’s determination would bring him to the point of getting down the heart and soul of the issue, fix it as well as he could, and go from there. He was not letting Annie off the hook that easily, not when this issue could be the life or death of both of them.


1318 words -- cora/annie always <3 -- denny's just wearing the same as the last thread okay -- i made it all blah lyrics to fall out boy -- okay long and boring probably but :)

[/font][/justify][/blockquote][/blockquote]

[ANNABELLE MARIE HURLEY]

Annie couldn't get up from this spot if she wanted to. It would take every ounce of strength she had - and then some - to sit up and walk away from him. Such a simple move seemed so terrible impossible. Nestled against his side, Annie felt safe and sheltered. That was a feeling she always liked because it took some of weight off her shoulders, the restless worry about self-preservation. Denny's arms had a quiet strength to them and they wrapped around her lightly, but still surely, and it just made Annie feel protected. Walls to keep bad things out and good things in, like when he had yelled at the doctors. That whole episode was something Annie secretly wished she had been awake for. Annie loved being the center of attention, she liked being Denny's center of everything because it made her feel worthy of stuff she never would have pictured herself worthy of. She smiled softly with her eyes closed. Like she was worth protecting, like he cared to this point that he didn't want to let go. He had too much invested, he loved her too much. She believed that he did, only because he proved himself time and time again by staying when he could have left. So many times that opportunity had come up, an he always turned it down. Annie didn't think she was that great but she was selfish enough to let him just keep putting all his time and emotion into her. Annie curled up kind of, and this whole thing was really awkward and she would like to relocate to the bed soon. Outside of the fact that Denny was holding her, most of the way they were situated was pretty uncomfortable. Couches were not made for sex or after-sex cuddling. Annie was learning that the hard way as his arms where the only thing keeping her from falling completely off the couch. His bed with cool sheets seemed so much nicer and she could press herself against him better and it was getting late anyway. Denny was hot and his warmth seeped into Annie's skin and warmed her from the outside in, making her feel drowsy and lazy, like a summer humidity. She yawned. 

God but then he started talking. He was worrying out loud and he wanted answers and she had no plans to give him any. The answers he was looking for were not what he wanted to hear. Even if he had an idea, hearing it from her mouth would rip him up and he would never touch her again. She would not be able to cope with that. Annie's light smile faded away and she opened her eyes. Everything was dimmed and through the window she could see the sun going down. With all the fast moving words and limbs, Annie had nearly forgotten they had gone to dinner earlier. Denny's voice kept pushing the subject, and Annie had nearly forgotten what was wrong anyway. Her head had been lifted up to a light place in his silence and touch. But now she thought about it again, and that feeling settled on her skin and it crawled and she suddenly felt gross like she needed to take a shower. It was a greasy and polluted feeling. It made her want to shake. Denny was so intent on fixing things, and yes, Annie had asked him to fix her. She had felt her piece shake like a puzzle in an earthquake and she was terrified of herself and she just wanted to claw into Denny and howl to drown out the thoughts buzzing in her mind. Recently that feeling had faded almost completely. She felt more comfortable in her own mind, and she liked the space and lack of space it had for her. It had once been the scariest of places, but now it was like a bank or something, somewhere you didn't want to spend all our time,  but it wasn't necessarily that bad. It was a roomy home-away-from home. His seemingly endless stream of words was bothering Annie and she frowned. He pushed it and pushed it and she was resenting it. Did she not clearly say she didn't want to talk about it? She did not say she wanted to fix it.

Annie turned slightly and shifted, moving her body so she could lean up and nearly nuzzle her head against the crook of his neck. She liked being close and this was just the only way she could thing to snuggle closer to him. Her body uncurled and so she could hold it against him closer. She could hear his pulse and it felt like her own because it was so loud and she had her head pressed against it. She liked having her head there because the sound of his pulse was calming, it was a clock for her body to relax to. That was a huge wolf-thing. She kissed his neck lightly, but not shortly. Her lips were delicate on his skin, but they stayed there and when she spoke her words probably tickled his neck with the way her lips would brush against it. "Be quiet." she reprimanded with an ethereal and soft giggle. "I said I didn't want to talk about it. I didn't say that it needed to be fixed." She kissed his neck again and his skin still had that clammy feeling, and Annie was totally digging it. That was a weird way to phrase it, but Annie just like the idea that she made him this way, that she had been the only one to ever made him this way, and she would be the only person who would ever make him like this. It set her in a light mood. Maybe it was just her mood swings, but Annie didn't think that anything needed to be fixed right now. Maybe this moment wasn't flawless but it's flaws were perfect for Annie and went with her flaws. Things were like corresponding puzzle pieces in that way. Annie felt peaceful in that. 


1017 words -- bleg idk don't like this one

[DENVER CARLOS HURLEY]

This could not be fair on a totally different level than whatever he’d been upset over before. This…… this was torture in the most sensual way. This was like being one of those freaky sex slaves or something; this was like being someone that could only do as someone else said, no matter how much they wanted to do it. All Denny knew was that one minute he was too quiet, then the next he was almost complaining, then again Annie was distracting him from what he was saying. There was absolutely no way he was going to be able to continue pushing the issue of what was wrong now, not with Annie’s lips doing that to his skin. There was no way he could do anything she told him not to do, and if that meant keeping the issue locked up inside of his mind for a while, then that was just what was going to have to happen. Denny could deal with that for now, as long as Annie kept kissing him, kept holding and touching him like this.

That was when he knew everything was okay, despite the fact that Annie thought there was something wrong. It wasn’t that he had just all of the sudden doubted her judgment on the topic, but sincerely Denny realized he was totally okay. That inversion of whatever he’d felt before was completely gone, along with the odd feeling, and it was all replaced with two things. One, Denny felt absolutely alert and aware, which was nice because it kept him on the edge of those feelings that Annie’s lips were leaving on him. Two, there was a slight sense of disappointment that he’d gone through all of those motions, bodily reactions, and the flames without having fully appreciated them this time. Of course, there would never be a time when he wasn’t thankful that Annie let him get that close to her – so close that they were practically one body with two souls, minds, and personalities (or three, depending on how you looked at and what you believed about Denny) – but the fact that all of what had just happened had actually happened and Denny had only mostly been aware of it all made him feel like he’d been missing out. He couldn’t even really focus on that feeling though. Annie was too preoccupying, and there was too much of his mind on her lips to really think about too much else at the same time.

Suddenly the couch was just not cutting it. He needed more room. They needed that extra space to be comfortable, even if they’d be just as close on the bed as they were right there. Annie had told him to be quiet, so he followed that rule before just wrapped an arm under her legs, picked her up, and carried her across the apartment. His face had turned from worrisome and tense into an easy smile, which was almost cocky with its points into his cheeks. Once in the bedroom, Denny placed Annie right on the mattress and walked around the end just to slip right in and scoot all the way in until he was laying right next to Annie again. His arms instantly found places they loved to be, whether around her waist or otherwise, and his smile turned from that nearly-cocky tint into a completely sincere and wholesome smile that only a man in love could wear. As cheesy as that sounded, Denny just couldn’t think of a better way to put it. He didn’t care quite frankly, because being in love and loving Annie, and of course having her love him back, was enough to make him happy, and that was an understatement.

“You should not be able to do this to me.” Denny had said that with a controlled tone, so it actually sounded light and easy as he’d intended. His smile helped that, and he knew he could only hope Annie would take the sentence the way he intended. He meant it in the manner that instantly making him feel the way she did was slightly unfair to his self control, which he was still working on, not that she shouldn’t be the one to actually have that effect on him. “But to be honest, I’d rather it be you than anyone else.” One of his hands found that special spot on her face, and his thumb ran back and forth across her cheekbone because he knew she liked that. With that, he leaned in and pressed his lips against hers, completely forgetting anything that had happened before this moment. Well, maybe except the naked run across the apartment, but that was something Denny doubted he’d ever forget. He wasn’t sure why but he didn’t really care – as long as Annie was a part of the memory forever, he’d be just fine. Either way, he kissed her and really felt it, relishing in the fact hat he felt completely himself and whole. It made sense to him at that moment to be smiling through all that his lips were busy doing.

When he pulled back, he thought of speaking, but decided it was against what was right. Being quiet, enjoying this moment was more worth it than anything he could say. Following Annie’s instructions seemed like the smarter thing to do than say something and totally screw up the order they had going on right there. He had to keep the peace, and he did so by just looking at Annie. The sky was there, in between the trees and the branches; the ground was there, strong and able, but not always particularly predictable. Sounds were there, in the silence, and they filled his ears and lungs the way a gust of wind would if he were flying. His entire body felt lifted and light, even as he laid right there, next to Annie. All of that was just evidence that his whole world was contained in one single person, and though that was a lot of pressure to put one person, he trusted Annie to hold it up and keep it alive. So he kissed her again in an attempt to let her know of that trust.


1318 words -- cora/annie always <3 -- denny's just wearing the same as the last thread okay -- i made it all blah lyrics to fall out boy -- this was going to be a really great post until my self esteem, confidence, and focus was shot and then it all went to shit because i'm in a shitty mood and i feel like a horrible person.

[/font][/justify][/blockquote][/blockquote]

[ANNABELLE MARIE HURLEY]

Annie had really never felt better. This was a pinnacle in her personality, she had reached this summit of frazzled nerves and being alive without an expiration date; this wasn't something they'd get warn out from. This was just whispering and cuddling and that didn't exhaust you. That didn't mean this was the best thing that had happened to her; the setback of awkward sex and then trapising the apartment naked wasn't really a huge game changer or something. Bigger and better things had happened. It was memorable in it's own way, though. For one, she had never felt like this. Annie had been reduced to a giggling fit at this point. She had never felt this mad mesh of a waterfall of feelings. She was familiar with them, but it was something she had never really been through. The nature of her mood was fresh. She felt like a popped champagne bottle. Denny shook her up and uncapped her, somehow making her explode but also keeping such a firm control on her, taming her. She was light and airy and overflowing with bubbles and somehow she was giggling. Tittering laughs spilled from her lips like she couldn't keep them closed. Giggling wasn't a word that could usually be applied to Annie but this situation was obscure in that way. It was new to both of them. Everything was new to them because she had never been in love and Denny had never been like any of this. Annie liked feeling like this though, she liked the carefree aspect of it.

“You should not be able to do this to me.” her face broke out into a huge grin and she tilted her head back, laughing again because she didn't really know what else to do. Smiling felt good, it seemed like the right thing to do. Annie liked what she did to him. She thoroughly enjoyed hearing him say that, fair or not. She liked being able to just kiss his neck and suddenly he would do so much for her. She liked that it wasn't just based on that, on just sex appeal. It was a culmination of all of these things, the kisses and her voice and the things she said and what she meant to him, the things she did and how she did them. There was something about having the power, and also having the thought that you would never - could never - abuse it. “But to be honest, I’d rather it be you than anyone else.” Annie's smile moved from slightly devilish to smaller and more gentle. His hand on her cheek, paired with that smile, brought out a blush again. His thumb on her cheek felt softer than she remembered and she realized she hadn't seen him play for a while. Actually... none of them had done anything. What were they going to do about money? Annie's mind started to go a little haywire but she pushed it all away. Now was not a time for that. 

When he went to kiss her again, she turned he head so he kissed her cheek. Denny hadn't been expecting that one; she could tell from the way his lips felt. His fingers fell from her face, which didn't exactly make her happy. It was a casualty of moving her head, and she accepted that because she ha other things to worry about. Well not so much worry, but plan. She smiled and laughed again. The sound was a peal, and it wasn't like a tinkling of bells because that wasn't Annie. It wad rougher and used, from smoking and howling. It had an earthy feel to it because she eluded the forest. Annie didn't laugh too much, but when she did the sound pulled you in. It held you there, especially when she was laughing like this, just for Denny. Annie didn't want to make out for hours or anything. She wanted to play, as weird as that sounded. She wanted things to be light, and to bring them out, string them into longer things. So Annie only gave Denny the side of her face, and she giggled a little because he was so close. 

When she turned back to him, she put her hands on his jaw bone, scoffing her body closer so that their chests were pressed together and they really couldn't get much closer than that. Her thumbs stroked the skin an inch or two below his ears. It was kind of stubbly there and that made her grin kind of wider, but she wasn't sure why. She kissed his face, still full of these giggles. They spilled from between her lips and onto his tan skin. Light kisses here and there; pecks, although that word was too harsh to define the softness in which she pressed them against his face. Everywhere but his mouth. Annie had a reason for avoiding his lips. She kissed his jaw and his nose and the corner of his lips. Her lips hovered by his, like her game might end, but she laughed lightly and the sound fanned against his mouth. She kissed his cheek and his eyes and forehead. But not his lips, never the mouth. That was the point of this game. She wanted him to play, too, and so this was the best way she could think to do it. Besides, those lips had been getting a lot of action from her in the last hour or two. 

916 words -- idk

[/quote]

[DENVER CARLOS HURLEY]

Without the giggling, Denny might have freaked out. Without that giggling that so obviously put everything tense and unwanted behind them, Denny probably would have stopped completely, looked away and gotten dressed, even if it was getting dark out. But the giggling was there, and it filled his ears and head and made him feel like he was drinking. Without the taste that he could live without over a thousand lifetimes, of course. Hearing Annie make this sort of noise was a rare occasion, which meant that Denny had to take what came at him. He had to take it, appreciate it, and always remember it. Although her turning her face away from him did make his smile falter and his hand reach away from his face, he couldn’t totally be bummed out with that laugh all around him, filling every pore of him that wasn’t already filled with everything else Annie gave him to love about her. He was pretty sure that, with everything filling in parts of him that nothing before Annie ever had, he’d explode soon, but he didn’t think he really minded knowing that. He didn’t mind blowing up, so long as he was only doing so because Annie was giving him reasons to.

Once Annie held his face in her hands, his hand rested over the blanket where her hip was, mostly because getting it under the blanket would have just been work and this was obviously supposed to be light and easy. Denny decided work was too difficult. When she started kissing all over his face, his lips turned back up into a smile. He would admit that a few times he’d tried to catch her lips in his, but his unsuccessful attempts didn’t deter his mood or mindset. He just chuckled the attempts off and went with whatever it was that Annie thought she was doing. She kissed literally everywhere except the smacker, which did disappoint Denny a bit, but only so much for him to notice the feeling and push it away with ease. He didn’t really care where she kissed him, as long as she was touching him and as long as Annie was the one kissing him. He had to close his eyes at one point because she decided that was a good place to start kissing him, and it scared him for a moment. Denny didn’t want to open his eyes and see that he was alone, but when he felt the first kiss somewhere around his nose, he realized that wasn’t going to happen. With the disappointment, he easily pushed the fear out of the way and let this cute feeling sink in.

This was…. Well, it was new. Denny didn’t know how else to describe it. He’d had nights that were perfect and he would never forget; he’d had horrible nights that he wanted to forget every day of his life; he had times in between nights that fell into both categories as well as the one where he just couldn’t remember them at all or he managed to get events and insignificant happenings mixed up with others. He had light days where he laid about and did nothing and days where he’d done so much that he’d wanted to tear off his skin, watch the feathers grow out of his pores, take flight and never look back. But this was something he didn’t remember feeling. There wasn’t any sex, no weird growling bird noises, nothing to set a mood outside of Annie’s laughter and these touches she was giving his skin with her lips. There were no words to ruin the mood, no verbalizations that were so necessary they couldn’t be conveyed through the kisses. There was nothing that couldn’t be said through those little seconds of physical contact, and honestly Denny liked feeling this way. He liked not having to worry about words, not having to worry about movements. He liked not worrying about anything. He especially liked the sound of Annie’s laughter and what it portrayed, even without a verbal explanation of why she was giggling in such a way.

Then Annie stopped. At least, with the kissing. Her giggles kept up and for once Denny didn’t think of her as if he’d put her on some pedestal that she had a hard time seeing over. He saw her as this little giddy girl that was all his, like they were little kids with crushes on each other and they were making out for the first time behind the school; like they knew someone would come out and see them, but when no one did they had nothing to do but laugh and just giggle about it. His smile stayed on his face as he reached with both hands and took Annie’s face the way she’d taken his. At first, his little kisses were slower and more elaborate than hers had been, but after the first three or four, Denny moved faster around her face, almost mimicking the way she’d run her lips across his face without touching anything but the corner of his lips. He couldn’t help himself; her giggles just invoked this whole bubble of laughter from him when his lips touched her face. Everything seemed funny in a wholehearted way, and Denny couldn’t control himself anymore. His chest hurt after a few straight minutes of just kissing and laughing, but he didn’t care. It was a pain he could get used to, as odd as that sounded in this nice, calm, airy situation.

In a might lighter tone, easier to digest he guessed, than he ever remembered, Denny stopped kissing her and just looked at Annie. For a few long seconds he just took in what he saw, and he couldn’t deny that he felt extremely gifted to have someone all to himself, someone like Annie that didn’t love under any circumstances without him. “I just love you.” Saying that was just an impulse. He felt it, he said it, and he meant it. It wasn’t something he had to think about and deliberate any more, and it wasn’t something that he had to choose the right time to say. ‘I love you’ wasn’t something he could throw around though, even if he had no intentions of doing so. He had to say it when he meant it, and he meant it all the time – twenty-four-seven – when Annie was involved. She had this grip on his heart and mind and soul and….everything, but the grip wasn’t really thought of. Denny knew it was there, but it was hard to think of something so serious except that he loved her in this bubbly, not really serious at all mood. It was just easier to say what he felt and get back to laughing.


1131 words -- cora/annie always <3 -- denny's just wearing the same as the last thread okay -- i made it all blah lyrics to fall out boy -- bloop :D

[/font][/justify][/blockquote][/blockquote]