I Didn't Think It Would Happen Like This

[Tree]

"Different worlds. I drive. She flies. "

He answered with a wink at his wife and a few new kisses to her. His. He was very much fine sharing her with Taylor, but he was the one in the backseat getting to love and dote on her

[Sushi]

"ah. so he's your trophy husband?"

The line that had creased willows brow at the mention of her flying disappeared and she giggled at the ridiculous suggestion.

[Tree]

"Deliciously so. "

Ansel agreed without a singular offense,, watching Taylor a moment.

"How far off is the place your heading with us?"

He asked in more focused curiosity.

[Sushi]

Willow lightly swatted him again, smiling and shaking her head.

/You're terrible./



"Maybe thirty minutes? You're kind of out in the sticks here."

[Tree]

"Yeah. It was sorta intentional at the time. Don't really need the front desk calling constantly to tell you there were complaints about the noise. "

He chuckled, tickling Willow's sides. Sillly woman, he thought he was being pretty well behaved.

[Sushi]

"I can't argue with that logic."



Willow squirmed around, pushing at his hands. When they got to the bar, it didn't really even look like one from the outside. There wasn't even a sign. But inside, Willow struggled to keep her face unaffected as her insides filled with wonder.

The place was filled with fae of all kinds, most out of glamour. It wasn't the beautiful ones that drew her gaze, though. She was awed by all the strange or grotesque ones milling about and enjoying the same things as the rest.

/They're like me,/ she whispered as her eyes moved from a lizard-like woman shooting pool to a massive gray man that had to hunch not to hit his head on the ceiling as he nursed a beer that looked like a teacup compared to his hand.

Taylor paused, glancing back at them over her shoulder.

"Everything okay?"

[Tree]

Ansel smiled at Taylor, nodding as he guided his wife in with a light touch, pausing to kiss Taylor's forehead.

/ Thank you. She needs this. /

It was so genuine and affectionate as he nodded to his wife now.

/ Yes./

He agreed, wishing he'd thought to show her this sort of thing on his own. Look at her. He couldn't help but feel happy to see that she was seeing reality. That the world was vast, overflowing with variety. That there was space and acceptance for her in the world.

[Sushi]

Taylor raised a brow, considering Willow as she twisted her fingers and moved slowly towards the bar.

/Not been out in a while?/

She frowned a bit.

/She's not like... A baby vampire that's going to do something stupid, is she?/

To be fair, it was a reasonable question with the way she was staring. Right now, Willow was processing what she was seeing. It was huge and shifting everything inside her. From the jumble shot out a powerful emotion, longing strong enough to make one want to weep. It was strange and bright, a sharp contrast to the dulled and restrained way her emotions had generally been existing.

/There's so many./

[Tree]

/ Even if she was, I wouldn't let it happen. But no..... just a stunning woman who hasn't ever felt like she had space in this world to fit in and be accepted as she is. /

He answered with nothing but love and respect for his wife, smile turning to a crushing level of heartbroken happiness for her.

/ Willow, love.... /

Then he glanced to Taylor.

/ Just in case she'll say yes to my request in a bit, would making her top fully open back be difficult? /

[Sushi]

Taylor raised her brow, expression openly curious.

/No./

As she considered the back of Willow's sweater, it was clear she was making some calculations, probably of the aesthetic variety.



Willow paused where she had drifted a step or two away from him. She made herself turn away from the people she wanted to go be near, leaning against the bar and facing Ansel instead.

/Yes?/

[Tree]

Ansel shifted, wrapping arms about her and kissing her gently.

/I love you so very much. /

He shared, watching her a moment.

/ want to let your wings out? Get a good stretch? Taylor already said she could easily adjust your shirt if need be? /

He asked gently, waiting and glancing to Taylor.

/ I hope she agrees and gives this all a chance. /

He offered in vague explanation to her.

[Sushi]

Willow fell silent. She had been thinking about doing that very thing all on her own, had been imagining what it might be like if she did. However, the longer she stared at her husband's face, the more logic drained the color from her feelings until she was nothing more than a gray lull inside again. She had to choose. She had to choose between being safe and responsible or being reckless and selfish. And this wasn't like deciding to propositionTaylor. This time she had to choose between him or them.

Eventually, she cast one last glance around the place before fixing her gaze on the floor.

/Don't worry, I won't do anything like that. No trouble and nothing to worry about. You have a good time. I'll just watch the pool game, unless you think that's too risky?/

She had chosen to be good and faithful. Could she at least look at it, though? Just a little?

[Tree]

Ansel's entire face wrinkled up, catching her face between his hands.

/ Why are you denying us both the thing we want? /

It wasn't critical, rather he sounded desperate. He couldn't live with himself if she would be denying anything he might have once frowned on.

/I don't think the Fae woman or myself still let anything worrisome happen to you. .... my beautiful beloved. .. please let yourself have this? /

[Sushi]

Willow rested a hand on his forearm, leaning her cheek into his hand.

/I have to think about you,/ she told him gently.

/It's not right for me to abandon you, especially somewhere you might not belong as much as you're used to. And even if I were inclined to disregard my promises, it wouldn't be fair to pursue a high when I know you'll have to feel my subsequent fall./

[Tree]

Ansel softened now, leaning in to press his forehead to hers.

/I will ride every dip down if you'll take every offered high. I'll fair well enough, darling. I'm used to the unusual. It's alright to take things for yourself, my darling love. I want to see your face light up and feel your heart soar. There's no better high for me than to see those I love happy. And I love you most. /

[Sushi]

Willow's throat tightened with surprise at his last declaration. That took a minute to process, and even as she turned it over in her head, she was plagued by phantom pains. The memory of the crash after her tiny moment of reckless happiness was so vivid, and the desert inside her where hope could no longer grow was still so achingly vast.

/I'm not sure I can give you the happiness you want from me./

She wasn't that brave or quite stupid enough. She slid her other hand behind his neck.

/I just want to look a little./

At least for the moment?

[Tree]

/ Take whatever you want, my love. Go have fun. /

He urged. He was hopeful enough for both of them. He could supply her hope until she could do so on her own.

[Sushi]

Willow didn't engage with complete abandon. In fact, she wouldn't talk to any of them at all, wouldn't even shake or nod her head. At first they thought she was being standoffish. However, that then turned into the belief that maybe she didn't understand them or speak their language. In the end, they decided that she was mentally handicapped, but they were even gentler with her because of it.

"Come on, little lucky!" One of them called as he ruffled the hair on top of her head in what had become a good luck ritual before moving to take his turn. Willow was pleased to be included, even if it was silly.

"You do it twice. You could use the boost," jibed his friend.

"Here, you look thirsty."

A claw popped the top off a bottle of cider, which was pushed into her hands.

"Go on. Try it. It's yummy."

Many of them took a swig of their own drinks as though to show Willow what to do with it. The funniest part was the chorus of "mmm"s and belly rubbing that followed, as if she were a child they needed to convince to eat. After a long consideration, Willow braved a sip, and they outright cheered, which made her grin.

"Look! I think she likes it!"

[Tree]

Ansel chuckled to himself, delighted to hang back and watch his wife with Taylor.

/ We've been through a great deal. This is good for her. Even if it's not as .... full on as I had hope she'd jump in. /

He loved his wife so much. Then he glanced over Taylor.

/ How tied down are you here?/

[Sushi]

/it's an interesting tactic, anyways./

Amused by Willow's antics, Taylor was several drinks deep and having a grand time too.

/I'm a friggin fae. Nobody is keepin us where we don't wanna be./



Willow actually REALLY liked whatever was in the bottle. She'd finished it before she even realized, and was a little embarrassed about it for about five seconds before a tail lifted a fresh bottle to her hands and twisted off the cap.

Honestly, that was her favorite thing about this whole experience. She loved how it wasn't just normal because everyone agreed to pretend not to notice. They were normal even using their monstrous traits.

They turned their focus to attempting to "teach" her how to chalk their pool cues.

[Tree]

Ansel chuckled.

/ True enough, darling. But.... I was considering inviting you with us when we had back... . You bring her out to her self in ways she seems unsure of doing on her own./

She was hot, for sure, and he wouldn't complain about any sexual funs that happened..... but it was for his wife he was aiming right now

[Sushi]

It was difficult to tell if she said something in a different language or if it was just some idiom spoken in her heavier brogue of the moment. Either way, she seemed amused.

/Maybe I would. My local scouting has left me somewhat uninspired recently. Maybe a fresh infusion of foreign options is just what my work needs./

She leaned back, tossing one leg over the other.

/Then again, you haven't even known me a full cycle. You wouldn't even know what you're inviting to go with you. Seems suspicious. Maybe you're some fae-trafficking weirdo./

She didn't seem to be trying to offend him, though.

[Tree]

Ansel watched her a moment.

/ If I told you how beneath me that is, you'd be rather offended. But know I'm offering trust in someone who brings my wife joy. She deserves that. More than anybody else I know. .. but, I'm not saying it's entirely selfless. I happen to find you rather refreshing myself. .... haven't you ever taken a leap of faith?/

[Sushi]

Taylor smiled and laughed.

/All the friggin time. Can't call myself lucky if I don't take a few risks./

She drummed her fingers on her bottle, studying him for a moment.

/I think you'd only like me half the time. You okay with that?/

[Tree]

Ansel arched an eyebrow, eyes wondering the floor as his mind worked through the various variables.

/ Probably, but why do you think that? /

Couldn't really fault him for wanting clarifying? He did have a family at home to fret over, too.

[Sushi]

Taylor considered his question before chuckling to herself.

/When are you leaving?/ She asked instead of answering his question.

Then she laughed louder, having just picked out where Willow had moved to.

"Well look at that! Shame on you for distracting me - now I'll have to haggle a story out of somebody if I want to know how the heck that happened!"

Willow was in her half form, bent to the side a bit with her talon-like nails pierced into the side of a huge can as she was apparently chug-racing some waspy looking man in a tracksuit. It was a whole spectacle with cheering and betting and booing and everything. As a side note, she seemed to be doing fine with the sweater. She'd just tugged it up in the front and down in the back so it'd rest just under where her wings connected to her body.

[Tree]

Ansel chuckled.

/I, my lady, can talk and watch at the same time. /

Something about how he said it gave the impression of always near and caring for his wife more than anything underhanded.

/Two days, but I must insist on a follow up there, if later./

Kids, Nora, Willow, his sisters and mother..... he needed info.

[Sushi]

/so does that mean I'm invited over for another sleepover?/ Taylor asked coyly.



Willow lost but didn't mind a bit. No one else did either. They were just delighted to have watched her try and assured her that it was really close.

[Tree]

/ Only if you stop giving me grief and kiss me you silly woman. /

He laughed, catching her chin to steal a kiss before joining in the cheering for his wife with the others. Look at her.

[Sushi]

Even if it wasn't as much as he wanted, Willow was still enjoying herself. In fact, she made a point of actively ducking and avoiding him once she started getting sleepy because she didn't want him to make her leave. She wanted to stay just a little longer, to get a couple more minutes that she'd be able to hold in her memory of the one time she'd been around people that looked like her.

When the bar closed about an hour before dawn, she could be found half asleep and very drunk, sitting on the floor against a potted plant.

Taylor had chosen to go home a while before this, not being a masochist and also wanting to freshen up. She'd left Ansel with her number, though.

[Tree]

Ansel couldn't help but chuckle as he slowly bent and scooped up his very, very intoxicated wife. He was thankful he'd opted not to drink tonight. He snuggled her a moment.

"Let's get you to bed, lover. "

[Sushi]

"with you?"

She grasped his shirt to steady herself and crossed her fingers with considerable effort as she waited for his answer.

[Tree]

Ansel smiled.

"Absolutely. "

He did opt for the local Inn again, though. He booked through to the next day, even if they wouldn't spend the actual night there so she could rest extra if needed. Poor thing.

He would help her get tucked into bed and cozy ensure a wastebin was nearby just in case, then climb in to watch over and snuggle her.

[Sushi]

She clumsily pumped her fist.

"Yes!"

Willow didn't need much watching over. She slept like the dead once her head hit the pillow, and once she was out, her body started working magic.

She woke up around eleven, leaping out of bed. She tripped over the trashcan, barely catching herself as she tilted along in her sprint to the bathroom. Perhaps shockingly, she only had a mild case of indigestion. The problem was that she felt like her bladder was going to explode!

Once she relieved, she edged over towards the bed.

"Are we still friends?" She asked kind of blearily.

[Tree]

Ansel arched an eyebrow, confused.

"With Taylor? I'm pretty sure. She gave me her number to catch up and chat and stuff. "

He smiled at Willow though as he understood her meaning.

"Oh. Yes. That was never in jeopardy. "

[Sushi]

Willow climbed back in beside him, reassured by this answer. She snuggled him for a little while, reflecting on everything from the night before.

"They had delicious alcohol," she told him.

[Tree]

Ansel chuckled.

"I'm unsurprised. The Fae delight in life pleasure and passions alike. "

[Sushi]

Willow continued to think about the night for a little while before turning her face towards him with a tiny, mischievous smile.

"You know what else we could have in this bed?"

She waited just long enough for him to draw the wing conclusions before leaning to whisper in his ear.

"Chicken nuggets."

[Tree]

Ansel couldn't help but laugh. He'd gone towards 'jumping' given her vibes. This was both brilliant and infinitely better.

"I'll see what I can arrange for you, love. "

[Sushi]

She let herself relax cozily in his arms, sinking into her own fatigue.

"You don't seem very confident about that."