A DIAMOND AND A TETHER

[ANNABELLE MARIE HURLEY]

The day after Denny proposed, he got a job. Annie understood; they barely ever got gigs and they never went. Drawing Blanks had kind of drawn a blank. Annie liked that he was doing this. Yeah, of course there were things she didn't like about it, but he was taking initiative. Maybe she was just assuming things, but it was like he was ready take care of her. Obviously Annie couldn't take care of herself, financially or normally, so she liked this. But she didn't like being alone. She didn't like being left here while Denny was gone. She didn't know what he was doing. It wasn't that she didn't trust him, she just felt like she was missing out on something, or she felt a little abandoned. She slept in too late, so when he left he woke her up to say goodbye, but she wasn't awake enough to enjoy it. Then she'd roll over into the warm spot his body had been in, and she would wake up with this ache. She didn't like the feeling that he was there and then he wasn't. Despite all logic that Annie retained, she still missed him. She still wanted to lay with him in bed all day. She knew things had to be paid for, especially if they were getting married, but that stuff didn't even seem real sometimes. Nothing really seemed real without Denny there. Annie felt insipid and too reliant on him when she thought that way, but that didn't stop her from thinking that way. 

Annie didn't like being stuck in the apartment. She had gone so long with loneliness but now it felt poisonous to her. She sat in bed for a long time and watched the ceiling. Sometimes she'd get some paper and start to plan things, or maybe just write or doodle. There was so little to do, and the lack of entertainment made her dwell on the fact that Denny just wasn't there. Stare up and feel dreadfully alone. So when he came home of course she attacked him and was ready to just jump right in bed and kiss him until her lips were bleeding. But he was so hesitant in touching her, which made her confused and feeling almost lonelier. It was leaving her wondering what she had done wrong. Annie had forgotten about the bruises, and she definitely didn't know Denny had seen them. This was the main reason she had hid them though; she knew he would do something like this. She knew he would push her away because he would be afraid of hurting her. He didn't seem to understand that Annie needed him more even with some pain than not having him at all. She wasn't so physically breakable, and she had taken much worse. But since Annie had forgotten about the bruises, she forgot that he could have seen them, and his behavior seemed out of the ordinary, and pointed, like there was something wrong that ran much deeper.

To try to drown out that lonely feeling, Annie did a lot of running. She jogged sometimes as a person, when she wanted to look at the town. It hurt her muscles in a weird way when she did that and she felt like everyone was staring at her and whispering about things. Why was she running alone, was she running to or away from something, was she trying to lose weight? Annie hated paranoia that came with being in public. She was turning into some sort of neurotic recluse. It didn't really bother her, it was just an unpleasant realization for her. In any case, she quit the jogging after about a week and just stuck with shifting and running. She did it nearly every day, for hours at a time. She started to lose weight, too. She ate the same amount, really only when Denny prompted her to because being hungry didn't really register for her, not to mention she didn't want to eat without the idea that someone was there to regulate her. It seemed stupid, especially considering she was a twenty year old and should do things for herself. But she just remembered last time that had happened and suddenly Denny had seen her after and she just needed to regulate things. She didn't know if he noticed the weight loss because she didn't know how obvious it was. She knew it was unhealthy though, and so she started to balance out the running and try to find other things to occupy her time. 

That's how she found herself sitting on the counter by the stove, the same place she had been when she had told Denny he had all of her. That statement hadn't been too far off. Just a handful of months later and they were engaged. Maybe it was fast, but Annie didn't really deem is as "fast". They were both just very intense people, and they took this relationship so intensely that it only made sense for it to be like this. She had a loose-leaf notebook in her lap, with most of the sheets ripped out at bad angles so if a huge wind blew everything would fall. Annie had bits and pieces of things written everywhere. She was bad with organization and she was a bad planner. Thats what she was doing, planning. She would write down what she wanted and then pick slowly through a phone book that was next to her until she found something to help. The only problem was Annie was extremely hesitant. She didn't even know what she wanted out of a wedding. She didn't know when she wanted it and she didn't know where she wanted it to be. Annie had no idea about anything and when she looked at all the papers in her lap and realized this, she felt this huge, overwhelming ache in her chest. It swelled and she hung her head because she just missed Denny that bad. She wanted him to be here so when she got frustrated he could crush her against his chest and she could soak up his warmth and attention and everything wouldn't seem so bad. But he wasn't here and Annie really couldn't help that. Looking down at the paper, she saw all the designs she'd written around it, numbers here and there. She had sloping dresses sloppily sketched across it. In some parts she had Denny's name written because it was fun to write and it just seemed to be some sort of thing for girls to do, write names. Just a mess, no organization. She felt at a complete loss. 

She didn't like looking at it. She didn't like that it was there at all. Annie curled her lip just from it's appearance, like all this paper was the enemy and she really just wanted nothing from it. She pushed it all off her lap and it flew into the room like a hundred birds with broken wings that just sifted to their death below. Annie watched them and licked her lips. She missed tasting Denny on them. She missed a lot of other things too and then there was more aching. Suddenly Annie wondered why she hadn't tried adding drinking to her repitore of things to do. Another time and she might've tried it, but for now it was too late; Denny would be home soon and she got butterflies in her stomach at that thought. Annie hated being alone and she hated feeling alone when he was there. Today she would change that and get what she wanted out of him. That sounded so much more sinister than she meant, seeing as she was just going to try some things she hadn't yet. She kicked her legs, listening to the sound her heels made against the cabinet. Rhythmic. Annie sighed and the counter was cool against her thighs.   


1321 - just a t-shirt and like bikini underwear you know -idk

[DENVER CARLOS HURLEY]

Work was a bitch. The hours weren’t bad and the pay was more that sufficient considering how little he and Annie had to their names. It was still a bitch. Getting out of bed to get to the store before it opened was a pain in the ass. Having to wake up Annie to let her know he was leaving for work was heartbreaking. Being alone all day, but really being with people that either avoided him or didn’t know him, was going to eventually start to take a toll on him. For now, Denny just had to pull through and make some money. He knew Annie couldn’t do it without him pushing her to get a job, but he couldn’t do that because he was afraid it would tame her, which was something he didn’t even want to consider on a regular basis. Denny just had to deal with what he had and get along with customers; eventually he’d find another job where he could work in a solitary position so he didn’t have to deal with the stares and whispers, even if he was only imagining them half of the time. No one really cared about his case anymore; he just thought they did because he was slightly paranoid.

There was that one guy, Desmond or something, that seemed to like Denny. Ha, Desmond and Denny. Maybe that was the initial attraction, but whatever the reasoning was, it gave Denny a person to sit with at lunch and talk to. It gave his attention something to focus on when he wasn’t focusing on Annie or working. It was hard to adjust here, considering he’d spent so much of his time in the last two years just focusing on Annie that his mind had just automatically functioned on that alone. Now he had to get through the day without seeing her face, catering to her every need and want, trying to make her stay alive for both of their sakes. Now he had to make friends, talk to people, be someone he wasn’t just to please his boss and get paid. That was probably the second hardest part, next to constantly thinking about Annie but not having her there when he really needed her. He couldn’t just walk around the sore in search for her because he would never find her, and that hurt. It hurt worse when some girl thought they could flirt with him; no such chance. Denny would just sigh, ask what they were looking for again, find it for them, and walk away.

Thankfully, it was the end of another long day. Denny was in the back of the book store, so far back that it was restricted to just employees, punching his time card or whatever and leaving for the day. Desmond smirked and walked up to the station to sign out. He was a few inches shorter than Denny, but just enough to notice the difference, so it was almost awkward for him to have to look down at his new friend. “You never told me about the girl.” Desmond tended to be a bit cryptic, so Denny had to look into the statement to figure out what he was saying. “You’re always the first one out, Den. There’s definitely a girl. A friend? Dating but not exclusively?” Denny had to smile. Desmond was obviously missing the ring Denny had finally managed to get himself, which meant the world to him now. It was the only reminder of Annie he had outside of his mind at work, and it pulled him through the quiet, boring hours when no one came into the store because they were all working quiet, boring hours somewhere else.

“My fiancé.” Denny held the ring up, showing it off like he’d found the genie in the Cave of Wonders. Desmond’s face went blank, but not in the bad way. Quickly he smiled and gave one of those awkward guy sounds that just showed how impressed he was. He said, “Dude that’s great! Why didn’t you tell me before?” He’d asked like they’d been best friends since the beginning of time, but that wasn’t so, which meant Denny just shrugged and replied, “You never asked.” Desmond laughed, shrugged also, and gave Denny a quick goodbye before heading out of the room and eventually out of the building for the day. Denny followed shortly, realizing he had a long walk ahead of him. The book store was farther from the apartment than his parents place, but not so far that it would take him forever to get back. He thought about flying, but that would include stripping outside his place of work, which just didn’t sound very appropriate. Walking it was; Denny put one foot in front of the other and moved, crossing streets and waiting for lights to change until he found his street, then his apartment complex, then his building and finally his door.

Denny was excited to be home, but he hesitated outside of the apartment. Annie was in there, and though she was the reason for his excitement, she was still bruised – and he didn’t mean mentally. Those spots had gotten better; the yellow had taken over the purple in a few days, then faded into a lighter shade of the yellow every day until they were hardly noticeable, but they were still there. Denny knew the exact spots, and they haunted him. He knew he’d been the culprit of the crime; the circles had fit his fingers perfectly, in a place that only he could touch. The blotches angered him to no end, but he was only angry at himself. That was why he’d been taking caution around Annie, trying to keep as much space between them as he could handle. The job had been good at doing that, but it had also been very good at distracting him from remembering the bruises that he’d left, which meant he just missed Annie instead of wanting to keep himself from hurting her. As soon as he was at the door though, he remembered, and he was instantly on his guard, keeping a tight lock on his self control. He wanted to touch her so badly, to be near her since he hadn’t been all day, but he just couldn’t let himself do that again. Not to Annie.

But he couldn’t stand outside forever. Annie would worry, go to look for him maybe, see him right outside the door and wonder why he was avoiding her. He wasn’t; he was just being careful. Cautious. He didn’t want to hurt her again, that was all. He hadn’t really taken into account that maybe he was hurting her more in his quest to stop hurting her than he would be if he’d just keep bruising her skin up, mostly because he hadn’t let himself think about touching her that way again. And what did he have to fear for real? The monster had kept itself wherever it was, far away from the front of his mind. But maybe that was what he had to fear; when the monster stayed away, it usually managed to come out and scare the both of them when he was really close to Annie. He feared maybe if it came out and said something really horrible again, she’d throw his grandmother’s ring in his face and run away forever, which would totally break him – hopefully to the part of lobotomizing the monster from his brain. Then again, and he didn’t really take this into account either, he could just be overreacting, meaning that he’d be able to touch Annie without consequences. Since that wasn’t a thought in his mind, Denny didn’t even consider being paranoid.

Well, here goes nothing. Denny sighed, bracing himself for much worse than he expected, and opened the door. Beast was laying lazily on the couch across the room; he looked up, then laid back down when the door closed again. There was no further movement from the cat except for his belly moving up and down with his breathing. Denny pulled his keychain off of his belt loop, hanging it on the key rings next to the door. He pushed some hair out of his face and pulled off his jacket, stepping out of his shoes before dropping the jacket on top. He headed to the back of the apartment, readying himself to keep as far from Annie as he could, but not because he didn’t want to be close to her. He was preparing herself for her own good, though he didn’t tell her about finding the Denny’s finger sized bruises. But the instant he found her, his entire being yearned to hold her, touch her, kiss her. Everything started circling around him, all of it Annie and all of it calling to him in a way that made him completely crazy in the most love drunk of manners. His inhibitions were starting to float away, but he managed to hold his arm out and grab them by the ankles. He went to the counter and leaned on the corner, all the way down its length from Annie. It hurt to be that far, especially since he suddenly just wanted nothing but to touch her, but he had to hold himself together until he was convinced he was safe to hold her again.

“Hey. Missed you.” He smiled a small, crooked smile and leaned his elbows on the counter towards her, which was better than nothing for him. He sighed again, but not in the same way as he had outside of the door. “Get anything planned out today?” Denny was just curious, but he felt because of that the question was easy and safe enough to ask. So he just waited patiently, although at the same time not so patiently, for an answer, almost moving because of the magnetic want to just hold Annie because he subconsciously knew he wasn’t going to hurt her again. It just wasn’t clear enough up front for him to know, and Denny could tend to be oblivious.


1684 words -- cora/annie who else bitchezzz? -- ah made it all and lyrics to death cab for cutie -- denny's just wearing some jeans and a t-shirt okay -- ugh i feel horrible but this post is grade a even if it's not making me feel better.

[ANNABELLE MARIE HURLEY]

Annie intensely hated the feeling of being forgotten. With every ounce of her being, she hated that Denny was avoiding her. She felt like the only time he even touched her anymore was when she pretty much forced her way into his arms when it came time for sleeping. It ate at her self conscious. She wondered what she had done wrong. Was he made that she was losing weight? The fact that she couldn't balance anything was so pathetic and maybe he thought she was beginning to binge again and he was disgusted by her. Or maybe her mind was just playing tricks on her and she had actually been gaining weight, and now it was too this point where she was just repulsive to him. She didn't know what else could bother him so much and it tugged on the walls of her mind. If only he would tell her what was wrong, if only he would fess up to why he couldn't hold her anymore. Annie would change, she would be so willing to take the information he gave her and make something wonderful out of it. Because it hurt; it seared her chest to feel him so far, to watch him walk in and take such a trek in walking to her, and then he just leaned on the counter, so far from her. Annie felt like she had been slapped. It made her eyes sting like she might end up crying, which totally degraded everything about her.

Annie watched him on the counter and some part of her got mad. Why was he doing that? He missed her, but he wouldn't walk the extra two or three steps to come touch her. He just lingered there. Annie frowned, and braced her hands on the edge of the cabniet, leaning forward with her heels pressed against it again. She kicked them against the wood repeatedly, her mood echoing in the sound. Frustrated, irritated. "No," she said, and curled her lip, looking down at the mess of papers on the ground. Her voice had this upward tilt that was childish in a funny way, like a spoiled toddler refusing to do something. Annie didn't like that he was so far. She needed to close that distance. She sighed and kicked her feet some more. She looked at her thigh and there was the scar, still there, making her skin look twisted and gross like... well the horrible scar it was. Annie dug her tumbnail into i. It was a sore feeling, and she dug her nail in one more time, twisting it. This time the skin broke and little half moon of blood peeked at the edges of her skin. She brushed her hand against it. She looked back up at Denny.

Annie pushed herself off the counter and walked towards him, taking sure steps. She didn't really care what he did. She didn't like him seeming so close and yet so far. It didn't work for her. Did he really miss her or was he just saying that? Why would he ask her to marry him and then not touch her for weeks afterward? It didn't make sense and she needed to know why everything was like this. She pulled at his hands so that he wasn't leaning on the counter anymore and instead he was facing her and now her back was against the counter. Annie ran her fingers up and down his arm and tilted her head to the side. She really did miss him and she wondered what it was like for him to work. She wondered if he thought about her, and if people tried to get his attention. Did pretty girls talk to him? Annie's stomach did flips at that thought. She was still so insecure. She still didn't know if she held him as surely as she wanted to. She didn't know if that's why he didn'want to touch her anymore, why he felt so distant suddenly. Her skin crawled at that thought and she tried to shake it off the best she could.

Annie let go of his arms and slowly moved her hands down, twisting her fingers in Denny's belt loops. Her elbows brushed against her bare thighs while her fingers looped through the denim on his pants. She used that to pull him closer until she was pressed between him and the counter. Annie felt different than she did a lot of the time. Playful, just wanting him to play back. It hurt to have him gone, to have him so close but he wouldn't come closer. Annie didn't get why but she did know that it hurt to not be able to touch him. It hurt that he wouldn't hold her. His heat pressed on her skin and it was overwhelming and she closed her eyes for a minute and sighed. She thought about that morning when he'd had to softly urge her awake. He was dressed and leaving and Annie was in bed and alone. She was stuck in the spot he had left, sinking into the warm sheets his body had occupied and slowly falling back asleep wrapped up in the blankets. And then she would wake up alone and cold. Annie missed him. She missed him so much that for a second her chest felt tight and it hurt. Her whole body ached for his, and her whole being ached for his attention. She opened her eyes again and grinned. She pulled him a bit closer so that her hands that were tucked in his belt loops were resting on her hips. "I missed you, too..." she said, biting her lip through the smile.  


959 - just a t-shirt and like bikini underwear you know - probably really bad grammar

[DENVER CARLOS HURLEY]

Denny should have been able to predict this. He should have known that avoiding physical contact with her would only make her want it more, mostly because it made him want it more too, and also partly because he’d already gone through a phase of staying as far away but as close to Annie as possible. If he already knew what that was like, why didn’t he see this coming? He half-hated himself for even suggesting to himself that he should stay away from her for her own good. But more than that, he hated himself for even touching Annie in a way that obviously hurt her, whether or not she actually said anything about it. But now she was the one forcing the contact, but not in a way that Denny could make a face at and try to pry himself out of. He couldn’t move, not unless Annie poked, prodded, or pulled him into it. How could he possibly say no when she was the one pulling him that way, holding his arms like she deserved to be doing. Annie had done nothing to make him stay the way he had been recently, except for not telling him that he was hurting her. He would have reigned more control of himself – or at least he would have tried to – and held her lighter, softer, and the whole avoiding could have been…..well, avoided.

Somehow he took more meaning out of her words. While Denny had meant that he missed her because he’d been at work without her, he felt like she was saying she missed him because he hadn’t been close to her in too long, which he wouldn’t deny. He’d be doing it on purpose, and he would have told Annie why if she’d asked. She hadn’t, and he just figured it was because she didn’t want to know. Annie probably just wanted the separation to end, most likely more than Denny did because he was the one wanting it to keep her safe from him. He wasn’t completely level with himself just yet; he was still mad that he’d let himself get that rough as to mark her body with imprints of his fingers. That wouldn’t be such a bad thing if they didn’t come out as bruises, which meant some sort of pain had been inflicted. But all of that was just wiped out when Annie moved like that, held him like that, wore that little. All of what she was before him was enticing, calling in ways he didn’t know how to make verbal. A mixture of different self hatreds all surfaced around him, but above all of them came the need to hold Annie, to feel her and be against her for as long as he could manage it. Basically, it was bad enough that he had to work and be away from her, but then he would come home and avoid her physical presence? How did that make any sense at all?

Her fingers weaving through his front belt loops just brought them closer. Denny finally realized how much he’d missed being close to Annie, a lot like the way the monster had screwed things up and called Annie a word Denny wouldn’t even let himself speak or think again. This sudden, uncontrollable burst of longing sprout inside of him, pushed his arms off of the counter and onto Annie. One hand rested on her hip, but lightly and easily – a conscience…..not so much effort, but rather just something Denny monitored – and the other just as easily on her neck, between her jaw line and her shoulder. His face was drawn towards hers; he couldn’t stop himself. But he was gentle because he was forcing himself to be. He couldn’t afford another blow to his self confidence. Denny focused on Annie, not his thoughts, and realized how much her lip biting was really not helping his control situation. He sighed and looked down, suddenly feeling guilty for having walked away from this for the past few weeks. When he looked back up, he ran his thumb along her jaw line without really thinking about it. “I’m sorry.” He said it without feeling that he didn’t need to; Denny knew he owed Annie an apology for neglecting her; he knew it would take a toll on her probably in a larger manner than it would on him. Without saying anything else, he just pushed his face to Annie’s and kissed her, filling himself with a feeling he hadn’t experienced since he’d found the bruises. He just felt really good, really comfortable. He felt like a fiancé, not just some guy with a really attractive woman living in his apartment, sharing his bed.

Denny pulled back all too quickly. He was enjoying himself, but he was still mentally a bit troubled. “I’m sorry that I’ve been….” He paused, looked up at Annie and thought about kissing her again to end his sentence, but thought against it. She needed to know why he’d been the way he had been. “Distant. I just-” Though se deserved to know, that didn’t mean it was easy or him to say. How was he supposed to tell her he’d found bruises that he thought were from him when he wasn’t even sure himself? He’d just started drawing conclusions; the circles had matched the shape and size of his fingers; they’d been colors that told him they weren’t completely brand new, but new enough to take some time to heal, which would mean dating them was easier than some would think. He sighed again, trying to find the right words. He couldn’t tell her he’d found them; his story would just sound creepy and it would completely ruin this mood; but he’d already started explaining, so what was to be said next? “I thought I saw something after you fell asleep the night I asked you to marry me. It freaked me out. I didn’t know what to do except to figure it out on my own, which didn’t end up happening.” Denny just stopped, realized he was probably boring Annie with his ambiguity, and went on to the next thought in his head.

“But consider that over. It doesn’t matter anymore.” Even though it really did. Denny just couldn’t let Annie know that; he wouldn’t even let himself think that. He just kissed her again, hoping she wouldn’t press the issue he’d given up on trying to figure out. He had to sacrifice time he would spend running through his own thoughts for time spent kissing, holding, talking to Annie, and that was more than worth the trade. He kept putting himself into situations where he missed Annie for too long, and he realized he didn’t need to be putting himself into those places. His hand on her waist wrapped around her body, pulling her the way her hands had pulled him from his belt loops. His need to be this close to Annie overtook all other worries and emotions. He smiled into the kiss, the way he managed to always do; it made him feel better and more familiar with the situation. When he pulled away again, he laid his forehead against Annie’s the way he always did, just to further that familiarization. “I love you. Forever.” That was possibly the cheesiest thing he’d ever said, but he meant it, and that was what mattered. He hadn’t asked Annie to marry him just because he would never get another chance to ask a girl to marry him; he’d done it because he loved her enough to legally be hers forever, to bind himself to her in ways they had no control over until they signed some papers and made it official.


1292 words -- cora/annie who else bitchezzz? -- ah made it all and lyrics to death cab for cutie -- denny's just wearing some jeans and a t-shirt okay -- THIS WAS WEAK WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME

[ANNABELLE MARIE HURLEY]

Annie knew exactly what he was talking about once he started speaking. She shook her head when he spoke because she knew it. She knew the one thing that would make him like that. The bruises that she knew he had caused. She remembered his tight fingers, harsh and unforgiving. She thought it had just been her imagination until a few days later when the purple had swelled. She had hidden them so well and then she just forgot. That had been her downfall. She didn't tell him because she knew he would do this. Annie felt stupid for not realizing that was why he was avoiding her. She knew he meant well, that he only wanted to keep her safe, but he had done something so far from that. He made her worry and feel neglected and forgotten. His plan had back fired. Annie felt forgotten. She didn't like that because being forgotten meant moving on and that felt poisonous and Annie didn't want that. She couldn't handle it. She wasn't supposed to move on. Denny was the only one. She wished that she would love him forever and never love anyone else. Some how she already knew that was the case. She wasn't built for love but somehow she loved Denny so well. She knew that she wasn't meant to care, but how could she not care about him when he made her heart swell and made her feel completely beautiful?

Then he stopped. But consider that over. It doesn't matter anymore. Too bad Annie knew Denver better than that. She knew he would worry, and she knew he would hold back. She almost said something but then he was kissing her and she would much rather have that. His hand that was nearly too slight on her hip wrapped around her waist, pulling her wicked close as his lips smiled against her's. She untwisted her fingers from his belt loops and moved them up so her fingertips were resting on the bottom of his stomach. She hoped he was distracted by her lips, because she subtly slipped her fingers under his shirt. Annie pressed them against his stomach. The contrast of the coolness of her fingertips and the heat of his stomach was dizzying to her. Annie felt like her knees were going to buckle or something. He pulled away, resting his forehead against her's. Annie loved him too, but she'd get to that later, so she just smiled and simultaneously bit her lip, the way she had earlier, and then she tilted her head, pressing her lips against his roughly. It was becoming obvious that what Denny was going to hold back, Annie would make up for. 

That statement held true as she moved her hands from under his shirt to the counter behind her. She braced them there, and momentarily tugged out of his hold as she pulled herself on top of the counter. The table top was cold against the back of her bare thighs and she got goosebumps. She kind of split her legs so she was straddling the still-standing Denny. She slipped her hands behind his neck, pulling him closer so her knees were resting on either side of his hips. She kissed him again, wrapping her whole body around him with the way her knees squeezed ever so slightly just so they would stay up, with the way her torso nearly melted against him and she leaned into his warmth, with the way her arms rested on his shoulders and joined behind his neck. And of course with the way she was kissing him. Taking a card from valentines day, she would make sure that his lips would be swollen afterward. She would leave him touching them with his fingers and smiling because he loved her. Because only Annie could do that to him; only she was allowed, only she knew how. That feeling of wanting to get married immediately pressed on her again, but she didn't know what to do. She just pushed it away and pulled her lips back so that her teeth gently nipped at his bottom lip, pulled it back with her. She smiled and then just kept kissing him again.

She pulled back though, moving her hands from his neck to the sides of his face. Her fingers were tight against him and she stared him down. Her body was radiating heat; she felt like she was about to break a sweat. "Listen to me," she said... well more just exhaled in a light whisper because her lungs were burning and working overtime to supply her with a substantial amount of air. "You can't sweat the small stuff, Denny. We're going to hurt each other; it's who we are. We're too much human, too much animal. We're both and neither and we will never have control or freedom because of it. You just need to accept that things like that are going to happen." Her face was intense as she watched his eyes. "You can never ever do that again; I always need you with me. So what if you give me bruises? I like it that way." Back was the smile and lip biting and it was kind of obvious what was going through her head as she started to kiss him again.   


889 - just a t-shirt and like bikini underwear you know - hmmm are we suddenly into s&m?

[DENVER CARLOS HURLEY]

This was taking him completely by surprise. Okay, not so much actually, but the abrasiveness of it all was. It wasn’t abrasive in a bad way – this was abrasive in a way that was exhilarating, something that Denny could easily deal with, though matching it would take some effort considering how he’d been acting recently. This was something Denny was either going to enjoy or he was going to be forced into enjoying. Well, if Annie wanted to distract him she was doing a good job. Knowing her knowing him, it wasn’t all that hard for her to find ways to make his mind refocus itself on her and only her, but everything about her. Her smile, her hair, her skin – though not completely soft due to the mass of bruises and scars that Denny didn’t have to talk himself into loving – her eyes, her laugh, her kiss, the way she only wanted him and no one else. The latter of the list was the same for him; Denny wanted Annie and no one else; no one would ever be able to fill his life as long as he was alive and breathing. He couldn’t even say as long as Annie was around because there was no one else. Denny had Annie and that was it; he was hers and she was his. Even when things got rough and Denny didn’t know how to deal with the situation, Annie was still there, still loving him, still wanting to be the only girl he loved.

Her words didn’t work well with his logic though. His instinct as a human was to worry, to freak out and try to figure things out, whether or not they were able to be fixed – righted if they were wrong. Her telling him that things like this would happen constantly between them, and that he would just have to deal with it and move on didn’t make a bit of sense to his human thoughts. His little mental cloud, so to speak, of bird rattling around in his head found it quite easy to swallow; as a bird, all he did was practice survival of the fittest. He hunted, gathered, and forgot about complications as soon as there was even a possibility of them disappearing. But that part of his mind was so miniscule when he stood up with human feet, human hands, human hair and heavy human bones. When that was the case, there was no such thing as just… being okay with hurting Annie. He was too attached to her, to connected, too protective to be okay with that. Not in a million years would he ever forgive himself for really hurting her, even though when the occasion came up like the bruises, he was hurting her more by avoiding her than telling her why he was freaking out. To be honest, he was only hurting himself more with doing that also; it seemed more beneficial to just talk about it and stop hiding rather than to run with his tail between his legs – and that was Annie’s job.

However, he could agree to the last term she brought up. He’d promised her forever, he’d promised he’d never leave, he’d promised he’d try to fix the things that were broken; what was one more promise to the woman he was going to marry? He could try to promise that he would never neglect her like that again, especially since he’d done it twice now. That little fact made him feel like a horrible person, but Annie’s lips took that feeling right away. Her words about the bruises made just as much sense as her speech about being okay with hurting her did to him, but her lips, still, served as enough of a distraction to keep him from thinking or speaking about it. The fact that her legs were surrounding him, that she was pulling him so close he felt like his skin was just going to mold onto hers really set him in a mood to stop freaking out. It put him in this mindset where he’d rather have her fingers there, under his shirt again, instead of having her as far away as possible without him loosing his mind. His hand that had been around her waist fell to one of her legs, momentarily just resting there as she kissed him. That is, until he pushed it forward, then back, lightly grazing her skin because it was nice and soft there. His other hand found her face again, just keeping her that close because he was almost afraid that if either of them moved away from the other, this moment and this chemistry would just disappear into thin air and never come back. That would never be the case, but Denny always had to find something to worry about. That was how he functioned, frankly.

Either the air conditioning wasn’t on in the apartment, or Denny’s body was starting to raise its own temperature. Either way, it was time to take his shirt off. He wished Annie would do the honor so he could feel her fingers on his chest again, just to make sure she was really there and this wasn’t just some fantasy he was imagining. But he couldn’t wait forever; the room was getting warmer with every second and every kiss and every distraction. Denny just lifted his hands and moved his face away far enough to pick the shirt up and throw it somewhere around the room, though he didn’t know or care to know where it went. His hot limbs found places on Annie’s body again before he just pushed his lips to hers again. The limited, almost nonexistent space between their bodies wasn’t helping the current temperature situation, but without his shirt Denny didn’t care. Since there was nothing to keep the heat on his body, at least on the top half of him, the heat floated elsewhere and Annie’s cool fingers felt nice against his skin. Annie’s lack of an outfit ran across his mind, making the room even hotter than it had been seconds ago. Suddenly the worry, the self hatred and self discrimination disintegrated. There was no such thing; there was just fire and heat and Annie. Just as suddenly, the counter wasn’t a sufficient location.

Like he’d done on Christmas eve, his hands placed themselves under her thighs, pulling her so close so that he wouldn’t have to reach to carry her the few feet to the bedroom. Contrary to Annie’s belief – or maybe just a past belief, if he was lucky – she weighed so little. It was easy for him to just pick her up like that and turn around swiftly. He had to half-focus on where he was going, mostly because Annie’s lips on his were such a distraction. He almost lost his footing, but thankfully the molding around the door caught his back in time to push himself back upright. Just a few steps more and Denny had Annie on the bed. Using his slightly less-dense bones to his advantage (one of his bird traits that transferred to his human body), he was able to climb over her so he was on the bed too, just in enough time to roll over and lay next to her. His hands found a new places as his lips found the same, familiar lips he loved to kiss. His fingers played the game hers had played a few minutes ago; they started at the bottom of the shirt she was wearing and made their way up, eventually lifting the cloth up and off of her body. He figured if he was hot, so was she, which meant that relieving her of that article would help immensely.

This was so much better than avoiding Annie on so many levels.


1306 words -- cora/annie who else bitchezzz? -- ah made it all and lyrics to death cab for cutie -- denny's just wearing some jeans and a t-shirt okay -- wow graphic but better than the last post okay

[ANNABELLE MARIE HURLEY]

Annie couldn't breath, but in a good way, if that made sense. She couldn't think either and the only thing she was aware of was Denny being close and Denny paying attention to her in the best ways they knew how to be with each other. Annie was a creature of affection. She may not know how to give it the right ways, but she lived off it. Affection, attention, Annie needed it more than a lot of people realized. She didn't need a lot of people to give it though. She just relied on it from Denny especially, and when he overlooked her she felt like she was going to shrivel up or something. She needed this; she needed physical, in-the-moment kind if stuff, but she also needed support. She needed to just lay against him, curled up against his chest even though they were both hot and slick. His arms around her, holding her close, kept that idea fresh in her mind. She had her eyes closed and her breathing felt light and shallow, like she had just kind of lost her lungs. She pressed against Denny and his skin felt like her skin. For a few minutes she just stayed like that and didn't speak; she memorized the way she fit against him, the quiet of the room, his arms wrapped behind her back. Then she sighed. 

Annie opened her eyes and leaned up a little bit, kissing a red raised area on his neck. She laughed a little, lightly. "Oops," she said. Sorry didn't really fit this situation. She closed her eyes again and rested her head in the crook of his neck. The ring was heavy on her finger and for some reason Annie just wanted to be married. There was really no reason to, no rush. But she felt it in her bones and mixed in her blood. She just wanted it all to be real, she wanted this man against her to be her husband. She wanted concrete things because that was what she needed. Stability. Denny knew it as well as she did. Annie didn't want to starve herself to fit in a dress, she didn't want people who didn't know her watching her walk towards Denny. Because that was all that mattered; who she was going to. Annie didn't like planning because it was useless. It wasn't what she wanted. To be honest, Annie didn't care what they did; white wedding or courthouse papers. It was all the same to her.  Somewhat suddenly, Annie broke into a grin and she sat up. Annie kind of groaned with that movement, and rubbed her arm absently. Evidently they were getting better at this though; on thanksgiving he had barely touched her skin when he was taking off her sweatshirt but now it was all different - everything was. Annie turned to look at him till laying down and a small smile grew huge on her face. She felt like she was admiring her handiwork, and in a way she was; only she could do these things to him, only she could leave him in this condition. Only Annie had the ability, everything was her's here.

It was a dizzying realization. Nothing had ever really been her's, but now there was all of this and it was more than she could have ever imagined to have. She turned slightly and leaned back down, settling herself on his chest and bringing her hands up to rest on his jaw line as she kissed him. The kiss got deep, like Annie was about to just dive back in to had what had gone on, but then she pulled back. She leaned up but pulled his hands into her's. "Come on," she said tugging him up so he was sitting, too. She kissed him quickly and his lips were warm. "You need to get cleaned up." She smiled and ran her hand through his mussed hair. "We're getting married tonight." She pulled him up and off the bed, into the bathroom, closing the door behind them and frankly doing what she wanted. She noticed he was right though; her shower had been better for that. 

698 - just a t-shirt and like bikini underwear you know - blanch?

[DENVER CARLOS HURLEY]

What was Annie talking about? Denny was quite comfortable right there, on the bed. He was more than ready to just get under the covers and release the tension that was building up in his body, but Annie seemed to have other ideas. Well, with the sound of those ideas, Denny decided he wasn’t really against either one of them. They both would make Annie happy, and going through with her demands would end him a married man by the end of the night. Going down to the courthouse and signing papers to make them legally married wasn’t exactly what he’d had in mind, but he hadn’t really had a whole lot of an idea of what he wanted at a wedding anyway. He’d decided he’d go with what Annie wanted, and if she wanted to give up on planning and just go make it official now, then he’d do it. The shower before sounded pretty good too; he could use a nice cleaning considering he’d worked all day, even if he did manage to work in a temperature controlled building. That wasn’t even the point; the point was that Annie was going with him which was enough for him to not deny her that passage.

Plus, Annie in control wasn’t something Denny would ever disagree to. Honestly, it was fun in a sexy way, and he found himself just going along with what she told him to do. He half expected her to pull out some huge whip, but that was going a bit far; he said nothing of the sort while she dragged him into the bathroom and did as she pleased, which in turn just ended up having the same effect on him. His shower was a few square feet smaller than hers had been on every side, adding up to such a smaller space that Denny had almost wished that he’d moved his stuff to her apartment, not the other way around. Still, the limited space meant that the had to be closer to each other to be comfortable, which wasn’t so bad in the long run. It was a bit awkward, but not necessarily bad or wrong. His hands still felt their way around her body; her lips still enchanted his mind into a blurry fizz that he couldn’t think through. When all was said and done, after the flames he’d grew somewhat mentally numb to, but not physically so, had started to die down, Denny felt every little thing that touched him. Annie’s wet hair on his shoulder was easiest to detect; every strand that was attached to his skin was individually detected. Denny just felt so aware, especially of the water that was slowly starting to turn a cold temperature.

His hands found her face, a familiar place that held some meaning Denny knew but couldn’t think of when his mind was so blurred. He breathed before kissing her, only stopping to pull back a few tiny inches and stare right into Annie’s eyes. He smiled because truly, he’d never been happier. Not when she’d told him she loved him without hesitating, not when they’d gone a lot farther than either of them had planned on Thanksgiving, not even when she’d said she’d marry him. He was happier now because she was going to marry him tonight; Annie would be Mrs. Denver Hurley by the end of the night, and that alone made Denny feel like his heart was growing wings like his back did. “I love you.” He pecked her lips, then pulled back again without opening his eyes. “So,” another peck, “so,” another peck, “so much.” He kissed her again, this time without pulling back almost as quickly as he’d moved in. One of his hands moved to the back of her neck, and he tangled his fingers in some of her heavy, wet hair. Denny didn’t pull; he tugged Annie’s scalp towards him, just bringing her a bit closer in the most gentle manner he could manage with his fingers where they were. If he didn’t want to get married so badly, or rather if he didn’t want to be Annie’s husband as badly as he did, he wouldn’t have stopped kissing her ever. But her plans conflicted with his want to keep himself attached at the face to him; he had to pull back those few small inches again just to keep smiling at her.

“We have to get ready if we want to make it to the courthouse before they close.” So as much as he wasn’t any cleaner than he had been when he’d gotten into the shower and as much as he didn’t want to move, he kind of had to. His hand in Annie’s hair let go of the strands, sliding down slowly from her neck to her shoulder, then around to her collar bones and up until it stopped on her cheek. Denny’s thumb did it’s little scan across her skin, adoring the way it was smooth and soft there because Annie hadn’t burned any part of her face. It wasn’t that he all of the sudden went against his word and had stopped loving all aspects of her, mainly the burns, it was just that find those soft spots without the burns was more pleasant than finding another spot with the burn. He did have a preference, but that didn’t mean he loved parts of Annie less than other parts. Either way, he couldn’t wipe the smile from his face – no way, no how – so he just kept smiling at her until the water was so cold, Denny’s leg started to shiver a bit. He stood up and turned the water off, reaching outside of the shower for the towels he always kept on the rack. One for him and one for Annie these days, although before she’d moved in it had just been the one towel for himself. Everything was different, now that they lived together, but different in a good way. Different in a way that proved to him that he was ready to get married, especially when it was Annie that was going to be his wife.

After handing Annie a towel, Denny wrapped the second one around his lower half and stepped out of the shower, waiting for Annie to do so also before he opened the door and started back into the bedroom. He was still smiling, unable to stop, as if some train had smacked right into his face but the damage was so great that no one was able to undo it and clear the track for more trains. He quickly wondered what one wore to their wedding when all they were doing was going to a courthouse to sign papers and make their marriage legal. Before picking something out from his dresser drawers, he looked back at Annie, wherever she was around the room, and his smile grew a bit more. Thinking about calling in tomorrow to work to tell them he couldn’t come would be something he’d have to lie to do, but at least he wasn’t going to have to lie to Annie. He couldn’t just say he couldn’t come into work because he was surprisingly, suddenly on his honeymoon, but Annie would know the truth, and that was what mattered. She would know that he was calling in sick to spend the day with her, maybe even two or three days depending on how responsible Denny would feel for missing work. In any case, there would be at least one day of not leaving that bed for either of them.

He finally turned back to his clothes, picking out the usual shirt and tie he wore when anything of too much class for regular clothes came into his plans. The white button down shirt would end up with its sleeves rolled up and the tie would be slightly undone at the top, but it was better than wearing a striped shirt and a hoodie. No one would take him seriously at the courthouse in those clothes. He pulled on a pair of boxers quickly, then jeans, and finally he shirt and tie before hurrying to the mirrored hallway that led to the bathroom. He picked up the brush on the counter and ran it through his hair until he felt it was perfect, the way he usually liked to keep it, and then headed back to Annie. His arms wrapped around her waist and he leaned in to kiss her neck a few times before just resting his chin on her shoulders. “Ready to go?” he asked, suddenly more excited than he had been to get married and call Annie his wife. The instant she was Annabelle Hurley was the instant Denny would feel like a king, which had never happened before in his life. The smile on his face at that thought was something he wished would be permanent.

He waited for Annie to have a pair of shoes on before leaving the bedroom, with her shortly behind him. Denny could feel a part of him shaking out of nervousness, but he didn’t know which part. It was just there, shivering because he was going to be a married man within the hour. The thought made his heart skip every other beat, so his breathing quickened but not in an unpleasant manner. Denny briefly stopped to take Annie’s hand, noticing how his hands weren’t clammy yet, and therefore he could hold her hand without feeling self conscious. He felt like stripping out of this clothes and flying to the courthouse, but that would defeat the purpose of everything, mostly because Annie preferred to be a canine in her shifter form, which meant they’d have to be separated by at least a hundred feet until they came to the courthouse. Walking would do; keeping his clothes on was a must for that, so he kept moving with Annie attached to him. He almost felt like if he let go of her, she’d change her mind and walk away or something, but Denny had a million times more faith in Annie than that. He knew she wouldn’t just leave him, especially since it was her idea to get married now.

Once they were out of the house, Denny felt like running into the street and screaming about how in love he was. It was crazy, but if he remembered correctly Disney had taught him something about love years ago; that people did crazy things when they were in it. He had to resist with almost too much effort to keep walking; the effort forced a huge smile across his face, something he didn’t think he was capable of considering his face-to-mouth ratio. He walked faster than usual, but slow enough so that Annie could keep up with him. He was just too excited, too full of a sudden ejection of adrenaline. It coursed through his body, quite like the monster, a personality Denny didn’t even think about as his body just moved faster than his brain could. He was physically two steps ahead of himself mentally, which sort of made no sense but Denny paid the issue no attention. He marched on until they came up to the courthouse. It was a huge building made of some pale stone; it looked elegant and almost Victorian but not quote on the outside, and on the inside it was all marble and shiny surfaces. None of that made a difference; Denny just walked right up the steps and through the door, making sure to hold the door for Annie before following her and grabbing her hand in his again. His body felt like electricity had entered his system, like he was walking on a wire and it was just energizing him as he made his moves.

Well, he found the front desk easily. He walked right up to it what that ridiculous smile on his face and simply said, “We want to get married.” The lady at the desk pointed one long finger at a door to her left, which Denny lead Annie too instantly. He didn’t even bother knocking before he walked in; luckily the only person that was there was a man behind a wooden desk. Papers were everywhere, all over the desk, but the instant the door was open, the man behind the desk started to shuffle them around until there were a few semi-neat piles. He asked, “Can I help you?” Denny moved into the room, stood right up against the desk with that smile still plastered to his features and repeated what he’d said to the woman in the lobby. The man smiled slightly at the two of them and rummaged through one of the drawers beside him. He pulled out a off-white sheet of paper that looked pretty think and motioned for Denny and Annie to take a seat. Once they did, he laid out the paper on his desk and pulled out a pen.

“Do you have any identification with you?” Denny pulled out his I.D. from his wallet, handed it to the man, and waited as Annie did the same. He figured that was standard procedure, so he watched as the man typed some things into his computer and wrote in black spaces left on that paper. He paused, looked between Denny and Annie and sighed. “Are you sure about this? 50% of all marriages end in divorce and you two are-” Denny didn’t give him a chance to finish that statement. He cut in with, “We’re more than positive.” He realized he either looked totally deranged, or like he was forcing Annie into this marriage, but he just kept smiling because he knew this wasn’t just something that he wanted. Coming down here, doing this was Annie’s idea, so no matter what this guy thought, Denny knew the truth. The man looked at Annie with a question of ‘are you sure’ in his eyes, waited for a response of any kind, and when it affirmed Denny’s reply he went back to writing and typing. A few minutes of anxious silence and the man was handing Denny a pen and the paper. Happily and at a pace that he couldn’t comprehend, Denny was signing his name on the line he was directed to write on. When he was done, he handed Annie the paper and tapped his finger on his leg, just waiting. It drove him a bit nuts that he had to wait this long, but the instant the man had the paper back in his possession he stamped it, sighed, and handed it back to Denny.

“Congratulations. You’re now Mr. and Mrs. Denver Hurley.” His voice wasn’t so excited, but Denny’s mind on this adrenaline made it sound like he was happy for them. Denny took the paper, realizing it was their marriage license, and stood up. He called a thank you back as he waited for Annie to stand up and head out of the room before him. Once they were outside of the building, Denny grabbed her arm, pulled her to him and kissed her in a way he didn’t believe he ever had before. He felt his body relax a bit; he wasn’t moving so much and his mind had a chance to catch up to his body. Once he pulled away, after he’d lost track of everything except his wife in his arms – which was crazy enough calling her his wife – he took in deep breaths and smiled again, to a much smaller degree, but still enough to show that he was truly the happiest he had ever been in his life. Once his lungs stopped hurting he said, “Well, now I’m your husband. Yours forever, like I promised.”


2628 words -- cora/annie who else bitchezzz? -- ah made it all and lyrics to death cab for cutie -- denny's just wearing some jeans and a t-shirt okay -- um i love this okay. AND MODIFIED

[ANNABELLE MARIE HURLEY]

Are you sure? What a stupid question. What an absolutely stupid thing to say. Of course she was sure. Why else would she be here? Annie stared at the man behind the desk dumbly. 50% of marriages result in divorce. What was that supposed to mean? Annie didn’t like the pessimism there. It made her realize how little people knew about them. It made her realize that maybe they just weren’t really… cut out for marriage. That didn’t make a lot of sense but it was just… so mundane. Domestic. That was the word that was kind of taboo when talking about Annie. She blinked. Suddenly the idea of marriage seemed scary to Annie. The commitment pushed itself into her face and made her feel like she was shrinking back into her head. Suddenly Annie’s skin started to burn and she felt like she was sweating and this room was pressing down on her. Her test got tight in this way that was trapped. Her heart and her lungs were caged in by her ribs, and they both felt frantic with her breathing and the beat.

Annie had never seen herself getting married. Annie had never seen any of this for herself. It wasn’t supposed to happen. She couldn’t even tell Denny she loved him the right way when they first got together. She threw in all this conditionals, which was kind of hypocritical, seeing as she demanded nothing but the solid phrase from him. Suddenly her hand felt like it was burning with the ring there and she watched the man behind the desk as he watched her with an expectant expression. Annie’s eyes began to swim. Denny’s voice sounded far away. We’re more than positive. For some reason that expression seemed cold to her. Annie felt like she was drowning and she felt like she was clawing at the walls of her mind, forcing deep ruts into them with her nails. She felt like suddenly she didn’t want this. What kind of an idea had this been? She wanted to run out of here and jump into the forest, shift out of her clothes and never go back. She wasn’t meant for marriage, she wasn’t meant for anything that she had gone out to do. ”Of course we’re sure.” she echoed quietly.

She watched Denny sign the paper, and she pursed her lips. Her heart was thumping tremendously and she felt more than nervous. Annie played with the end of her dress in her hands; it was the dress that she had worn on thanksgiving and it fit her the same way. It wasn’t supposed to; Annie was supposed to be filling out. She was supposed to be healthy. She wasn’t. Annie bit her lip because there were so many things that she wasn’t. She closed her eyes and her brain seemed to be thumping against the inside of her skull. She listened to the paper be passed to her, but she didn’t open her eyes. I am so wrong. She couldn’t help it. The thought was like a mantra that had been driven into her being and no matter what she did, it wouldn’t quit plaguing her. No matter how many times Denver said she wasn’t, no matter how many times he told her that if she was bad then he was bad for loving her. It never seemed to go away. Annie felt like there was some magical way to quell it, but she just hadn’t figured it out yet.

But then when she opened her eyes, and looked down, it was Denny’s name on the paper. It was Denny who she would be marrying, it was Denny who had walked with her all the way here, holding her hand. It was Denny who had gotten a job to support them. Them as in together, as in forever. That was so unbelievably sappy, but that’s what it came down to it; all of her fears were negated by the single fact that this was Denny. Every thing was negated but that simple truth. The fact that she really did want to wake up to Denny for the rest of her life, feel his breath against her hair when the sun came up like a pat of butter on the horizon. She wanted to be able to turn over and melt against his side everyday. She wanted the security he could give her, the kind of protection that only Denny could give her. No one else understood the way her mind ran, no one else had patience for her and she didn’t like anyone else. Not only did she love Denny, but he loved her and he knew how to handle her. He knew where all her faultlines were and he knew how to avoid them. He knew how to hold her the right way, physically, mentally, emotionally. There wasn’t anything else she could ever want or need. It was just… Denver. That was all she needed. Suddenly it was almost too easy to sign the paper.

And then he handed them the paper. While Denny stood up and took it, Annie merely ghosted his movements and stood behind him because he was her endless representation to the world. Her only link to something other than herself. Mr. and Mrs. Denver Hurley. Annie smiled a little to herself. Mr. Hurley sounded weird. It sounded like something she should save for the bedroom. She smiled some more and followed Denny out, holding his hand like it was her last life line, because that’s what it almost always felt like. Outside, Denny pulled her to him, kind of in a tugging way but maybe that was just the surprise. He kissed her and she felt the action swell, like her entire body was throbbing in time with her pulse, but in a very dramatic and exaggerated way. Her chest felt like and her knees felt weak and it was just too surreal to really get through in a whole state. She let her weight fall against him and she felt light headed. Married. She was married, she was a wife, she wasn’t Annie Windsor anymore. It felt weird. It was like something different on her tongue, like the first time she had tried a cigarette, but not nearly as dangerous or repulsive. She didn’t really know what to think of it.

Your’s forever. Like I promised. Promises were so weird to Annie. She rarely ever made them, but Denny made them for her all the time. He sacrificed things and just… he was so much for her. ”Forever, forever, forever.” She said, and then giggled reaching up to kiss him lightly again. ”But, god, that means so much.” She laughed again, and when she spoke next her tone was still light. It wasn’t a knock on herself, it was really just teasing him more than anything. ”I feel bad for you,” she said, leaning up and kissing him again. The kiss was soft, and she smiled into it, just another clue that she was really just joking. ”now you’ve got so much to do.” And then she kissed him again but this time it was longer, and she let what was left of her melt against him so she would fall over if Denny hadn’t been that ol’, reliable post for her to lean against.


122something - that dress - i had so much more planned for this but it's almost two am so yap

[DENVER CARLOS HURLEY]

Although it had just happened, Denny could hardly believe he was married. It didn’t seem like something he would do, at least not without a ballroom and a white gown (totally not for him, just saying). He just seemed like that type of guy, so a fast little signing session didn’t really seem to fit his style. He wasn’t extravagant or a show off or anything, but he liked a show when he could put one on. Okay, that wasn’t really the case either. Denny had pretty much just pictured that as his wedding, if he’d ever had one. Unfortunately for him, Denny’s current funds due to his recent employment weren’t sufficient enough for a huge celebration. Even if his mom had chipped it, he probably would have ended up forcing the party over budget, just to showcase how in love he was with Annie. So something right out of the courthouse just seemed most convenient. Not so conventional, but when had that ever been a life-stopping issue between Denny and Annie? Never; it had never stopped them before, so why would this?

And since it was Annie he was married to, nothing else really mattered. He would have liked to see her walk down the aisle in an expensive dress with flowers all strewn across the floor in his direction, so that he could visibly show her how she was the only person that mattered (because in that situation, it would be impossible to see anyone else in the room), but just because it was Annie that he was committing to, Denny was content with what they’d (or rather Annie) had decided to do. In any case, he was a married man now and he intended to stay that way forever. Looking at Annie and seeing how happy she was to just be there with him, knowing that he was the source of her happiness, it made Denny’s insides swell. It was funny to think that they’d only been engaged for a matter of days, less than an entire month, and now they were abruptly married and happy. They hadn’t been forced into this – Annie wasn’t pregnant, as far as they knew, and even if she was the only person that might have forced them into wedlock would be his mom. She’d yell a bit about how she raised him better, then sit next to Annie and apologize for her son’s actions because she was that kind of mom, but after a while she’d just hurry them down to the church down the street from her house and force them to get married. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case.

They’d gotten married on their own will, and knowing that made the entire situation feel a thousand times more pleasurable. Annie had come up with the idea and Denny nearly flew with it. So now they were married, now they belonged to only each other. It wasn’t like Denny didn’t trust Annie, like the man that had given them this certificate might think, it just gave Denny that security of knowing Annie was willing to commit to him and him alone. He could safely go around saying that he was hers and she was his and no ne would ask questions; no one would legally be able to break what they had. It all seemed too good to be true, but usually when that was said, it really wasn’t true; this was true. This was so valid that Denny felt like laughing. That would give a reasonable explanation for the smile that hadn’t wiped off his face since Annie had brought up the idea of coming down here to get married tonight. Everything seemed so right; it made the world spin in the right direction, the feeling made his heart beat twice as fast as it should and it just made him feel like he was really wanted. For once in his life Denny felt like someone wanted him around, someone accepted him despite all he’d been through. Okay, so that wasn’t really a ‘once in his life’ feeling because this feeling had been going on for the past few years, since he’d met Annie. Even though they’d never been as close as they were now and the same could be said for tomorrow, she’d still given him that feeling of being wanted, if not only for company than for the presence of having someone next to her. He’d been loyal that long, and apparently that loyalty was worth everything they’d already put each other through.

Standing outside of the courthouse would have been awkward if he didn’t feel that way. Kissing Annie like this where anyone could see would have been something he would have rather not done, if the circumstances of the moment were different. But they weren’t; they were there for a reason and the things they did didn’t need a specific place or point in time. It didn’t matter that they were outside on a random weekday making out, or rather light kissing now. What mattered was the fact that they were together, they were united legally and they weren’t afraid to show it. That small thought reminded Denny that it was his turn to get a ring; he’d bought Annie the promise ring he’d given her for Christmas, and then his mother had given him his grandmother’s ring as an engagement present, he guessed, which he’d given to Annie as an engagement ring. Hell, if she wanted another ring he would buy her one, now that he could afford to. But in any and all cases, it was his turn to have a ring to show his marital status now. He didn’t have time to think about what he wanted out of it though; Annie’s words and kisses were too distracting. He just stuffed the appointment in the back of his head to remind himself that he had to eventually go back to the jeweler to get a ring for himself.

The last kiss was the deepest, the longest, and sentences formulated around this euphoric feeling that emanated from him. Denny smiled into the kiss, as he seemed to see fit a lot these days, and only pulled back to respond. “So much like what, huh?” His voice was low so only Annie could hear him. His words only meant anything to her; speaking was only worth it when he was talking to her. His hands stayed around her, keeping her body close to his because it was comfortable. Knowing that she was his wife made him want to blush for no reason and jump from roofs to crow at the moon, as if he were Peter Pan (only the difference was that Denny could actually turn into a crow). He waited for Annie to come back at him with an answer before kissing her lightly, longer than a peck but shorter than her last kiss. It seemed to be the only thing that really made sense to do; just smile and kiss her. He knew that if they’d actually had a real wedding (even though this was real in every sense of the word), they’d be dancing, holding each other, totally ignoring everyone else in the room. Well, the only differences between that imaginary vision and reality was that they weren’t in a big ballroom, they weren’t in formal attire, and they were the only ones that cared about being them being married. That was enough for Denny. “If I’ve got so much to do, how much of it are things I haven’t done yet?” he asked in a curious way that also had bit of a challenge in the tone. It didn’t stop his smile and it didn’t stop his feelings, it just gave Annie a reason to play along with a game he’d just made up.


1303 words -- cora/annie who else bitchezzz? -- ah made it all and lyrics to death cab for cutie -- denny's just wearing some jeans and a t-shirt okay -- YAY!

[ANNABELLE MARIE HURLEY]

Annie didn't really know what to say to that. What she wanted was for him to protect her incessantly, always have one arm around her and hold her really close at night because sometimes Annie was scared of what might get her. She didn't talk about it, but the only things she really was at risk to were in her own head. That didn't mean she didn't like reassurance though. She wanted his attention. She wanted him to always be about her, because she was selfish like that. Annie wanted all these things that involved his world revolving around her. Was that weird? It was demanding, she knew that. Annie hadn't ever really been anything short of demanding when it came to Denny, though. Annie kind of felt guilty for that, but at the same time her emotions didn't change. Annie was selfish, and needy, and jealous and possessive and constantly in need of attention and affection. She wondered briefly what had turned her into a creature like this, something so completely out there. But Annie couldn't really say any of that. Annie couldn't really fess up that she was a terrible person when they had just gotten married, and this was such a sweet moment. Also, if she remembered correctly, she had tried telling Denny those things before. He didn't exactly believe her - or he didn't care. She didn't remember which one, but she was selfish enough to keep her mouth shut. 

Instead she just thought about how she liked the heat of him and his hands on her back, holding her against him comfortably. "I get to be selfish and you have to be selfless," she said it playfully, leaning up against him as he kissed her again. Annie liked being against him. The way they were standing right now just held a lot of appeal to her for some reason. If I’ve got so much to do, how much of it are things I haven’t done yet? Annie smiled and pressed her lips against his again. She pulled back and smiled. "Touché, my husband." and then she kissed him again because that had been weird to say. It was... surreal in a word. Annie placed one more soft kiss against his lips and then she pulled back, and turned, breaking the hold she had been enjoying so much. She slipped her hand into his. The night was hot so they didn't need jackets or anything. Annie could smell so much; all the flowers were out in the heat, it felt like the air's pours were open. Annie loved shifting on nights like this, going down to the rootless, ramshackle cottage by the beach. She exhaled. "There's somewhere I want to take you." Her voice sounded far away. 

Annie tugged his hand down the road. The walk wasn't far once they got to the quieter streets. They seemed almost creepy at night, and Annie was glad Denny was there, for more reasons than just that simple one. It seemed so... ludacris that she was married. It seemed so completely incomprehensible that she would ever even date someone. Nothing made sense, especially how she felt. Annie... she didn't know what love was. She didn't quiet deserve it, either, she thought. It wasn't that she had done too many bad things; she just felt as if she hadn't done enough good. The way she felt about Denny was something that had no complaint, no room to argue. It was sure and it was one of the most stable things in her life, save for Denny himself. He was the thing she was so safe around. The walk was hot and Annie swung their hands. She felt  a little tired, and she vaguely wondered what time it was. The sky was a deep, deep black but it didn't bother Annie. Nocturnal and all that jazz. She wondered if he recognized her old neighborhood. They were close to her old apartment when Annie stopped. She smiled ruefully and tugged on his hand before dropping it. She leaned towards him though and kiss him lightly. "Follow me," she said softly, and then turned off onto a path that was almost invisible. 

Annie knew this overgrown path so well, but not on two feet. Either way, she laughed and pushed forward faster to put more space between her and Denny. She didn't know if he would be mad or what, but she was getting carried away. Over hanging ivy brushed against her face and Annie closed her eyes, taking a breath. All these smells pushed up on her face and she exhaled. She stopped because she knew this spot by heart, and she turned onto an even more overgrown path. She turned and waited silently, breathing quietly. She heard Denny walking, and when she could see him she smiled and reached out, grabbing his hands and pulled him onto the path she was on. She wrapped her arms around her neck and kissed him deep. This was the first time Denny had seen her in her own element. They'd been on the roof so many times, but this was the first time in the forest area. It brought out a side of her he hadn't really dealt with; light hearted but still intense. She poured her being into him through the kiss. 

She stopped kissing him, and pulled back, biting her lip. Annie dropped her arms from his neck, but didn't slide her hand into his. She just stayed glued to his side, but slightly in front of him. Again, she liked his heat and she liked his safety. All sorts of leaves hung over them, but Annie was completely unperturbed by it all. Soon the little path opened up to a larger clearing, and a completely decrepit house sat in the middle. Half of it was missing, and a roof. Saw grass rose high all around it and there was a bed frame propped up half on the floor and half into the sand. But Annie didn't really care about the house. Between rotting floor boards there were foxgloves, violet and bell shaped. Small pink flowers were snaked through sand on small vines. Maybe they were weeds but weeds didn't hold relevance to Annie; they were still flowers. The ocean was just over a dune, and the sound of crashing waves filled the whole area. Cicadas were coming up from the ground for the summer, their chirp resounding in the night silence. It was dark but everything was a muted black and white color from the moon. 

Annie stepped away from him and towards where the bed was, just because it served as a center. "I've never been here as a person." That was a weird thing to say. She wasn't even looking at Denny though. She just looked up at the sky, watching some clouds pass over the sky. Then she turned back to Denny and walked over carefully. Normally in a moment like this she would feel self conscious. She would turn to Denny bashfully, look away from him and see if his arms could swallow her whole. But she wasn't like that tonight. The ring felt light on her hand. She walked towards Denny with and even look in her eye, never dropping eye contact. That was day and night from the way she constantly dodged it on a normal night. She wondered if he noticed the sacredness of this place to her. It was Annie giving over just a little bit more of herself. This was her place to hide, and now it was Denny's too. She didn't even realize this until she was looking at him. She should feel empty, but she didn't. She felt full and happy. She smiled at him and stepped closer, wrapping her arms around him and laying her head on his chest. "What are you thinking about?" she said quietly, swaying against him a little. 

[DENVER CARLOS HURLEY]

It was hard to keep up with Annie. Denny didn’t just mean right now, when he had to chase her through the forestry near the beach, but at all times. She wasn’t a very static creature and at first Denny had felt like maybe he would never be able to completely understand her in a way that would offer him help to keep up with her changing mind. Eventually he realized that planning most things with Annie wasn’t something that could be done without a lot of spontaneity surrounding the planning. In any case, Denny had learned over time how to keep up speed with Annie. For now, all he had to do was try and keep up. That was so much easier said than done though; Denny wasn’t built for running the way Annie was, especially not through tall trees and plants that crowded the sky from view. That wasn’t good for his sense of direction, especially since the sun had gone down. Denny could usually find any place in the state of Massachusetts just by looking at the sky, but with the night shrouded out by plant life and vegetation around him he had to rely solely on his hearing. He had to zero in on Annie’s breathing, her heart rate, the sound of her steps; he had to tap into that bird part of his mind that was always there, whether he recognized it or not.

Essentially, he had to try and be part hawk or owl or something though he wasn’t going to shift and ruin his pants. He had to center himself without the sky to lean upon and focus on his sensitive hearing, maybe even some nocturnal habits of an owl. Denny preferred, generally, birds of prey – thankfully, owls happened to fall into that group – but more specifically he stayed towards the larger birds like hawks or vultures (mostly vultures), and while his size had advantages that smaller owls wouldn’t, his vulture preference lacked the advantage of night vision and crystal clear hearing in the night. Thankfully, because he wasn’t conjuring an entire transformation, he was able to tap into the sight and hearing of a barn owl, a creature that flew through the places it lived in – barns, hence the name – and hunted small mice, which meant that it was able to pick up the smallest sounds and zero in on them. Denny picked up the sound of Annie’s feet hitting the ground; he could hear certain types of plants being pushed out of the way and he recognized the plants as he ran past them, too. It wasn’t all that easy, but Denny managed to follow Annie most of the way; when he lost sight of her, he listened intently and found his way.

When Annie stopped, Denny did too. He watched her, not the scenery. She’d run the whole way through the forestry; Denny had walked and stretched and though he was a bit agitated at how much work his legs had to do, he was more curious than anything else. What was Annie doing here? He just wanted to know why she’d brought him here, why it was a place he needed to see, a place she hadn’t shown him before. He didn’t have long to ask; Annie took his hands and pulled him close. He forgot about his curiosity and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close the way he liked. She was wrong; he didn’t get to be totally selfless. He could do things for himself when she didn’t know he was doing them, like holding her close because he liked it. Denny knew Annie liked it too though, so in a way he had a scapegoat, even though he didn’t need to blame anything. It was more that he could let Annie think he was being selfless by catering to her needs when really he was catering to his needs also. Have your cake and eat it too, he guessed. Either way, he enjoyed the kiss because it was Annie he was kissing. It didn’t matter that she’d brought him to some sacred place along the beach or that it was too dark for any human without some sort of nocturnal advantage to see – except for the fact that they’d come to a clearing above them so that the light from the bright moon could shine down – because it was just them. That was what made any difference to Denny. No one else was there and Annie was his wife and he was on a completely different planet. Everything was great.

And then she pulled back. Annie ceased holding him all together, and Denny’s first reaction was to worry. But Annie didn’t seem to be unhappy. She just seemed to be thinking, at least to Denny. He looked beyond her, at the little house that had been and found a particular majesty about this place. Suddenly he understood why Annie had taken this place as her own. It was a site to see; the weeds and miscellaneous plants that Denny couldn’t name or identify that pushed up through the floor boards, the plants that hung around the bed and over their heads, but with enough space to let in the moonlight. Jut the way that light hit everything, it all appealed to Denny on a level he couldn’t describe. This feeling wasn’t a superficial feeling; this place would follow him after he left and all of the feelings he felt here would linger on his mind, touch parts of his being and continue to remind him this place existed even years after he’d been there. It made sense that Annie would want to run here. It made sense that she would let go of him to see this, to be a part of it. Suddenly he wasn’t worrying and he wasn’t mad; he was too busy being enchanted by what he saw to feel anything else.

Annie’s words pulled him out of the trance enough for him to listen. He watched her walk, watched her move in general. She came back over to him and wrapped him up in her arms, something he liked to feel. Her arms probably didn’t do the same things to him that his did to her, but the feeling of having them there was beyond words that Denny could formulate into a sentence. He didn’t smile but he wasn’t unhappy; his face was still stuck in that trance. His arms weren’t; they wrapped back up around Annie until they came together on her back. She put her head on his chest and asked him a question, which forced him to smile a bit. He kissed her hair and opened his mind, sighing afterwards only to look at the moon like it would speak for him. “I’m thinking about what our wedding would be like if we’d actually had the whole ceremony and reception.” He didn’t sound sad or disappointed because he wasn’t. Denny had Annie, she was his wife now, and that was what mattered. He was just being…… He was thinking in a narrative manner. “I just picture you in an amazingly gorgeous dress, but I wouldn’t be looking at the dress. I’d be looking at you, making sure that my life was real, that I wasn’t just dreaming.” He stroked her hair slowly, hugging her close because the feel of this environment was too romantic to pass the opportunity up.

“Right now we’d be dancing our first dance as husband and wife. We’d be ignoring everyone in the place, even though it would probably only be Abby, Boss, and my mom. It would be just you and me, like it is right now, only in fancier clothes that aren’t necessarily more comfortable.” Denny chuckled at his own expense. He looked at the moon again, then the bed and the plants, and went back to thinking. “You’re wrong.” He sighed and looked down at Annie with a small smile, telling her that he wasn’t mad or in any sort of disposition. “I get to be a little selfish. The only thing I want right now is that dance. I don’t care that we didn’t have money to throw a huge party, or even a small party with five people. I don’t care that there isn’t any music right now, I just want that dance.” He pulled one of Annie’s arms from his body and held her fingers between his owns, extending their arms a bit away from their bodies. His other hand stayed on her back as he just started moving his feet. Yeah, he was forcing Annie into this dance but it was really all he wanted out of that razzle-dazzle party that neither of them had necessarily needed anyway. He stayed quiet for a bit, just going with the flow as he lead the dance around this little space. Eventually he stopped and just went back to holding Annie. He kissed her head again, then pulled his torso back enough to kiss her lips.

“And I get to be selfish because I get to keep you all to my self. You didn’t take that into consideration.” He just smiled at her again, then pressed his lips to hers and kept them there. Even though he’d hesitated to ask her to marry him on Christmas Eve, which was only months ago, Denny could tell he was going to love being Annie’s husband already, not that he didn’t know that some time ago, when he’d promised himself to her forever, that he would never leave her for anything at all.


1600 words -- cora/annie who else bitchezzz? -- ah made it all and lyrics to death cab for cutie -- denny's just wearing some jeans and a t-shirt okay -- hehehehehehe denny thinks he's so cute.

[ANNABELLE MARIE HURLEY]

Denny's hand tugged at Annie's and she felt her eyes water. I just want that dance. She wanted it, too. Annie was torn as Denny pushed her around this makeshit floor. Part of her wanted a huge wedding. Annie wanted to have the dress that she would only wear once, she wanted to wrestle her hair into something pretty. She knew she would probably make the biggest deal out of anything. But she wanted to spend forever looking pretty. She wanted to walk down the aisle and feel completely sure that everyone was focused on her. But she wouldn't be focused on that, she'd be watching Denny, knowing he'd be smiling in that way that he did sometimes. She'd be trying to burn that image into her mind for as long as possible, trying to keep it forever. It was hard for Annie to not focus on other people sometimes; she always had half a mind on what they had on her. She wasn't sure why, but Annie was always cautious, always wary and afraid. But Denny, just Denny mattered. He was the one she married, and he kissed her and danced with her and gave her the assurance that she would never be vulnerable with him, that he would never leave.

That's where the other half of Annie's mind was; this was Denny. It didn't matter about a huge ordeal that Annie probably wouldn't even be able to handle. Even if it had just been Abby and Boss and Donna; that was just three pairs too many of eyes to be watching her. She would worry, she would second guess. But this was just Denny. Annie didn't need anyone else. She just needed him to be here, dancing with her. If not Denny, then who else? No one because there simply was no one. She revolved around that man like the earth to the sun. Everything she did was about him. He warmed her up, he gave her a sense of time, he gave her something to believe in. The idea that she was something; Annie was something to come home to, to care about, to protect, to love. Annie had never been those things and Denny provided that and just everything else. There were so many logical ways to explain love that Annie and exhausted most of them. But Annie knew those were excuses, just words to try and back up this ethereal feeling that she didn't have words for. Annie could never explain love outside of providing and compatibility. But she knew that it was so much more because she felt.

Eventually the dance slowed and they got closer and Annie was just resting her head again him as they swayed. She felt him kiss he head and she sighed. He pulled back and kissed her. Annie smiled against his lips and rested her hand on his chest lightly. And I get to be selfish because I get to keep you all to my self. You didn’t take that into consideration. Annie just smiled some more. "Ok," she said, and kissed him again. There wasn't much to say. She just rested her head against him and they swayed lightly. Annie didn't even know how late it was, but she liked being against Denny. She liked his warmth and his arms around her. She liked the way his head laid against her's. 

Annie could stay there forever. She could never leave this place. She could let the cool night air sink into her bones, mingling in both their marrows. The sounds of the ocean and the cicadas became a steady buzz in her mind. There wasn't anything outside of this. Annie didn't know what the future would be like. She didn't know if they'd start a family. She didn't know what stable was or if she was even capable of it. She didn't know anything about sticking to a plan. Annie felt at a loss with everything, she felt clueless to the repercussions of what she had done. But at the same time Annie knew there were none. Denny wouldn't let there be. Love was such a dangerous thing, so volatile and fragile, nearly. Her feelings weren't but being in love wasn't always so stable. But Denny was. When Annie could feel submissive and weak, when she felt as if her head was falling under water, Denny pulled her up, held her above currents and close to him. The fact that this was Denny she was leaning against. This was Denny who she married. The only person who she trusted with ever single ounce of her body. The only person who knew how to care for and about her. And worrying... although they both did a lot of it, it was almost unneeded. Annie didn't need to worry because he provided, he protected. Annie didn't know what she did for him, but it was enough to keep him around. Again she went with the logic of love. Annie wanted to focus on the illogical; the way his touch made her eyelids flutter and the heat from his chest made her pulse amplified in her ears. 

Eventually she relaxed more and her weight pulled them down. Annie felt so content and safe and perfect there. She buried her head against him and wrapped her hands up in his shirt, leaning against him more. She yawned and buried her head against him some more. "I love you. I love you do much that I don't even know what to do about it." She pulled her head back and yawned again smiling sheepishly. She leaned up and kissed him lightly. 

959 - just a t-shirt and like bikini underwear you know - idk man

[DENVER CARLOS HURLEY]

Love was a very ambiguous term. Denny meant that in general. You could love your dog, you could love the newest book you’re reading, or you could love like this – one person forever without growing tired of them or growing apart when you live in the same space. Love was too much of a word that applied to too many different things when he was younger. Love had been some super force that almost made him existential in his journey to define it. Love to a younger Denny was like trying to find a definition of postmodernism. There wasn’t one set way to describe love. He grew up thinking it would always be there. He thought he’d meet a few girls, but none of them would really stick around too long. No girl with any sort of self would want to be with him unless she was just plain out white trash, but Denny wasn’t that kind of guy. So in saying that, it was easy to say he hadn’t believed any girl would have wanted to be with him. But then Annie had come along, and although he hadn’t always believed she wanted to be with him, he knew that he wanted to be with her. He had to get her to see, somehow, that he was right. Denny guessed taking the ‘be her friend and gain her trust first’ path was the right one to choose.

He hadn’t been planning on marrying anyone, regardless of if they were Annie or not. Even before the accident he tried so hard not to bring up anymore, Denny hadn’t planned on marrying anyone. It was cute to think about it when girls were around or something, and it was nice to think about once or twice but he didn’t really plan it out. Denny didn’t sit around like a little girl and pretend that he was going to be the prince of the day with top photographers and a huge cake. He’d rather be playing his guitar, to be honest; he’d rather be planning out future tours for a band he didn’t have than planning out a wedding. He’d would have rather been planning what girls he’d meet on the road that which girl he’d settle down with for the rest of his life. The accident came around and suddenly girls weren’t the first thing on his mind – not that they ever really had been. Years went by and girls were just the farthest thing from his thoughts. Denny had met Annie and suddenly girls reentered his world, only this time it was this one girl with her one world and her single relevancy. Denny hadn’t been planning on marrying her then; he wanted to get to know her and befriend her because she was the only one in years that hadn’t treated him like an utter piece of shit, besides his mom of course.

His feelings progressed from there. By the three month mark of their friendship, he could see himself with her as more than just friends. He didn’t think that Annie would see it the same way at that point, so he lived in a confused state between the two of them for a while. He’d just wondered if he really had felt more for her than he was letting on or if he was just imagining it because no one else would want him the way she wanted him. By the time he’d rolled around and knew that he loved her, Denny had known he wanted her in his life forever, at least as a friend. It hadn’t taken a long time after that for him to realize she was the one girl he wanted to be with forever; he’d promised her that, and then made it official with the first ring. Of course, as any couple, they had rough patches; despite that first ring, Annie had avoided him, he’d gotten her pregnant, and the two of them had lost more than they’d gained before. But all of that seemed to make them stronger – every little bump in the road made them more able for the next one. All of their past bumps had made them ready for this commitment – that, and the fact that Denny had finally found some definition for the word ‘love’. It was Annie. He couldn’t say exactly what the word meant still, but he knew a good definition for him of it was Annie. He didn’t need more to say about love than that; Denny loved Annie more than anything else in his entire life, in the entire world, universe – whatever. It didn’t matter what happened; when she left and avoided him for weeks in December, Denny still loved her. When they were in the hospital because Annie’s body couldn’t support their baby, Denny loved her more because she was alive, she was there, and she was all that mattered. The baby didn’t have a chance, he understood that. Annie had a whole life to live with him before she died.

Laying on the floor of this enchanting little area, Denny just felt like his entire life amounted to this night. He took the ultimate step with Annie, and now he was her husband. He would be that way for as long as she wanted him to be, and he hoped that would just be forever. There wasn’t anything else for him out there besides Annie, and there was nothing else he wanted. One of his legs bent up and he just held Annie. He looked up at the night sky, feeding off of the light from the moon and found himself smiling more. This night was just perfect; Denny didn’t want it to end. He didn’t want to go home and have to wake up to work tomorrow – but that part could be easily avoided. Denny wasn’t going to work, who was he kidding? He was going to call in early in the morning and say he was sick, when really he was going to spend the entire day in bed with his new wife. He was going to prove how much he loved Annie like he hadn’t before. Denny just sighed at her words and stroked her hair a few times, enjoying the night for what it was. “All you have to do is say so. Just let me know that you love me.” He kept looking at the moon and realized how dull it was compared to Annie. It was the brightest, biggest object in the sky, but it still was a far distance to the relevance Annie held to him. “I love you too, so much that I can’t even think of a language that explains it the right way.” He sighed again and kissed her head once more. “Thank you for bringing me here,” Denny whispered, as if anyone else was around to hear what they were saying.


1151 words -- cora/annie who else bitchezzz? -- ah made it all and lyrics to death cab for cutie -- denny's just wearing some jeans and a t-shirt okay -- a whimpy reply but it says a lot and i like it.

[ANNABELLE MARIE HURLEY]

Annie liked laying against Denny. His voice rumbled inside his chest when she had her head against him and his breathing coaxed her to relax some more. She listened to him and let her eyes close softly, smiling a little. Annie hadn't been worried that he would like this small sanctuary of her's or not; she was worried that she was showing him at all. It felt almost... too vulnerable. How was she falling asleep with that defenseless feeling, then? Simply Denny. Simply the fact that he made her feel safe and protected. Wasn't that something most creatures needed for sleep, a reassuring defense system? Annie felt it. Denny's arms were warm and secure around her. Not tight so much as firm, very stable in the way they held her. His tie tickled her nose, and she could hear his heart thudding in his chest with her ear pressed against him this way. It wasn't about everything they had done today or anything they would do tomorrow. Annie didn't feel that nearly constant need to have her lips against him because this almost felt better. His smell settled over her, the sharp smell of that freedom that Annie seemed to be the only one aware of. It was something Annie couldn't really put a name to. Maybe it was like rain, but it was clear and comforting. It was open but it made her feel cozy. Annie couldn't love him more.

When Annie slept, she slept like a rock until she wasn't tired. Nothing could wake her up until that quota had been filled. After that eight hours or something, she would rise into a fit full sleep, full of tossing and turning. Annie seemed to be perpetually exhausted and she just needed to sleep. That's how her life stayed consistent; she would too suddenly be tired, and asleep minutes later. Then she slept and slept, letting her body patch itself up. As soon as she got to that point, she would keep clinging to sleep as long as she could. This morning was different. They had stayed out much too late and it was still dark when she opened her eyes. Annie felt disoriented. She should be in the forest, shouldn't she? Her ears were ringing and she was so tired she couldn't open her eyes. That noise seemed almost too loud to be in her head, and she  got more confused with this feeling of panic. Annie groaned loudly. She clutched whatever was under her hands and felt skin and heat that wasn't her's. Denny, her mind said off handedly, all knowingly. It was common knowledge. She gravitated to him, smashing her body against every crease of his and burying her head into his body. Her arms were tight against him and she felt dizzy with the buzzing. He had this nutty, foresty smell and Annie didn't like it. He smelled like her and that's not what she wanted. 

That noise needed to stop and she didn't know where it was coming from. All that mattered really, though, was Denny was right there and he was so close. As she felt more awake, her head was flooded with last night's events from the end to the beginning. Her hand felt heavy with the weight of the engagement ring that wasn't really just an engagement ring anymore. She noticed how sore her body was in an overwhelming wave, and she groaned again because she hadn't really been expecting that. She thought about when he got home and then she realized what that sound was. Denny had to work. Annie felt her stomach drop to her feet. She didn't think she could handle it if he left. She needed him here. She remembered the feeling that was so familiar as she had gotten used to it every morning. It killed her to see him leave. Honestly, there was some kind of comedy in that. Hadn't Denny known Annie as the girl that didn't get attached? He hadn't understood her and he'd been afraid of her static nature. Annie was strong and Annie was alone and Annie had liked that. Now she couldn't take it. She felt insane and clingy and psychotic with this need to keep Denny with her all of the time. She couldn't bear to watch him leave; it made her want to cry. It wasn't a fear of being alone, or that she needed someone with her constantly, or that she didn't trust Denny. She just felt so much more balanced when he was with her. He had undone all of her hectic routines that made her seem even and stable. It was too difficult now to be without him. Alone, she supposed, but she would always be alone if she was with anyone but Denny. 

She let go of him and pulled her arms to her chest. It seemed like a cold and unfeeling movement. Annie couldn't make herself back off from him though. Her body was still pressed against his body. She couldn't move away from his heat and comfort. Everything was pinpointed to those things, an intense collection of focus. She opened her eyes to look at him and her lids were heavy and she felt extra tired. "You have to go, don't you?" her throat closed around her words and she closed her eyes again, tucking her head against him. Not her usual deal of trying to crawl inside her chest. Just leaning against him because she felt like she would cry after he left. 

922 - just a t-shirt and like bikini underwear you know - idk man