I Didn't Think It Would Happen Like This

[Tree]

Ansel kissed her, standing up.

"Me too."

He agreed as he headed to the waiting car with her, casually heading to the destination in question.

[Sushi]

It was just an unremarkable cafe.

"Am I eating here too?" Willow asked once they were seated to wait for Taylor to show up.

With her head turned away to study the bread bowls at the next table, she was taken a bit by surprise. Registering the feel of fingers sliding across Ansel's back, amusement shifted to terror as a firm, male chest pressed to her back an instant before lips pressed to hers.

This couldn't be happening. How dare someone try this?!

Willow's mind was suddenly a whirlwind of noise as a roar of white-hot anger detonated inside her. Her nerves sizzled and a jackhammer split her skull at the effort it took to hold her human skin in place.

It had just been a brief, playful peck, but her body didn't seem to care about that. She was disconnected from what her eyes took in. Though set in a slightly more angular face, the gray eyes were the same. The shoulders were boxier but the platinum hair falling around then was the same. But the familiar dimples didn't make her swoon.

She struggled to hold onto the last thread connecting her to her mask, desperately trying to swallow it all back down. Despite her blank face, she teetered on the edge of losing control and to something both vicious and terrible.

"Fancy meeting you here," Taylor joked, unaware of what his flirtation had triggered within Willow.

To be fair, it was an honest accident. Given what had happened between them all so far, it was reasonable to assume he'd be well received. He couldn't have known her baggage.

[Tree]

Ansel turned swiftly asv the pieces fell into place, scooping his wife into his chest as he held her near him. His arms closed about her protectively as he felt he bubbling over.

"Please do not surprise her like that, Taylor.."

He was prefectly unrattled. Actually, he seemed to be rather relaxed now as he knew the other shoe dropping. He kissed the top of his wife's head and tried to gently guide her storm of feelings to rest in his waters where they could have space to settle.

/ You could have just said you have a cock of your own sometimes. /

That could totally have been a text.

/ I've been worried you eat children or something as a past time./

He could probably manage a second in the house. Probably. He was doing some background self evaluating while everything else went on.

[Sushi]

"oh, my mistake. You okay?"

Taylor's face was genuinely concerned.

/That's why you had to see yourself. No one believes it's just that, or if they do, they want to know if I'm still hot./

He leaned forward, extending a hand but not quite touching willows elbow when she didn't answer.

She was not, in fact, okay. Initially him handling her had not helped. The disruption made her flare even hotter. She didn't want him to hold her. She was mad at him too. At everyone. At everything. But the thread held, and she was slowly able to swallow it, to shove it down where it could never be seen again. And all he suffered was a few crescent shaped bruises from her nails digging into his sides.

[Tree]

/.....Dude.. I'm pretty solidly straight and can assure you that you're still hot. /

He was sure he was straight? Yeah? Eh. That was a different problem for later.

/ My only follow up to this would have been the frequency and schedule... for various reasons./

Most of them obvious. He looked over his wife, eyebrows crinkling.

/ Why are you angry at me? /

That one was odd. He was just trying to help her.

[Sushi]

Taylor responded with a crooked grin.

/I know, but there's a difference between me telling you I'm hot and you seeing for yourself./

"I really didn't mean to scare you."



Willow shook her head, a little breathless.

/I'm not angry./

It had mostly receded, and if he considered it a lie, then it was clearly one she was telling herself even more than him.

[Tree]

Ansel glanced over his wife, kissing the top of her head.

"Just fair transparency.... that's not allowed the with the mistress at home, either.... "

He imparted, looking over his wife to be sure she was settled and alright.

/We can walk away right now and not go through with it?/

He asked his wife in soft concern.

/ Dude. You totally could have sent this in a text. You'll find I'm well equipped to handle this sort of hiccup. /

[Sushi]

"it was an accident."

Taylor raised a brow slowly.

/No offense, but I don't know you. And I do know that method hasn't worked out for me in general. Besides, I don't like that being in writing./



Willow made herself sit up straight even though she wasn't ready.

/Do you still want her?/

[Tree]

Ansel looked to his wife, kissing the top of her head.

/,I think I might, actually? What about you? /


Ansel looked over Taylor, shrugging.

/ That I get. Fair enough.... there's many things to cover, is there anything particular you'd like to know?/

He was not about to let the schedule thing go but could wait.

[Sushi]

/nah. This isn't that serious, and life needs more surprises. If I get there and it's not my vibe, I'll move on./




Willow wouldn't meet his eye.

/Okay./

She slid back from his lap to the chair. Her eyes were hollow as she studied Taylor.

"You're a guy?"

"I am."

Willow felt a little sick, worry finally managing to douse the last of her anger.

/I didn't know,/ she told Ansel, just in case.

[Tree]

Ansel arched an eyebrow before they drew together.

"Of course you didn't ...."

He shifted to gently caress his wife's cheek.

/I don't mind, Willow. We're alright.... I am fine with this. /

He reminded her, taking her hand to kiss the back of it gently.


Ansel chuckled a tiny bit to Taylor's comment.

/ I'll have to insist you won't speak of my family and it's dynamics if you decide to walk away./

He had kids to care for after all.

[Sushi]

Taylor waved a hand.

/I have better things to do than that./



Staring at the table, Willow's fingers tightened around his hand suddenly.

"I should have been uninvited if you two just wanted to have a private conversation. Then you wouldn't have to spend the whole time talking over my head."

But it was just a wheeze from the now dead embers. The anger didn't ignite again.

[Tree]

Ansel looked to Willow.

"I didn't think complaining about the fact this could have been a text message was ambient appropriate."

He shared with Willow, eyes fully focused on her's.

"It has been nothing over your head. It was heckling about dicks. Requests that if we pay ways that they respect our privacy and family. It has been nothing significant or secret. "

He shared with calmness, unrattled by her harsh reaction to him.

/ Willow..... why are you so upset with me? What have I done? /

[Sushi]

Willow ducked her head, wiping at her face as though that would clear her stab of guilt. She had failed in so many ways.

/I'm not. I just... It didn't come out right./



"It really couldn't have been a text," Taylor answered with a sigh.

[Tree]

Ansel kissed her forehead now, giving his wife's hand a gentle squeeze.

/ We are ok.... this switching thing does present a unique chance for both of us, though?/

He posed softly, nothing but understanding in his body as he looked over to Taylor.

"I can't flirt with you until you've got tits again, dude. "

He decided this needed to be imparted, ignoring the fact that he was currently restraining grin testing that statement.

"You did dodge that frequency and duration question, too."

[Sushi]

Willow drew in a sharp breath, pressing her knees more firmly together. She wasn't sure of his entire meaning, but the thought scared her.

Taylor shrugged indifferently as he leaned back against his chair.

"Well, technically you COULD. however, I get your meaning and that's about what I expected. Like I said, you would t like me half the time. No big deal."

He gestured offhandedly.

"Believe it or not, that wasn't intentional. I was distracted. I change every few days."

He studied Willow for a moment.

"There's no pressure for you to be attracted to male side either, just for the record. No hard feelings either way. Some people just don't like pretty boys," he joked with a grin.

[Tree]

Ansel actually gave the dude a look and face palmed.

" dude. It's not a boy or girl thing. Look at women. No matter how hot you are, they're better. "

He didn't actually say he wasn't interested, shaking his head at this. He'd not been confronted about this in any sort of way and this was jarring to process. Not right now.

"But wanting to make you beg isn't the only way to like someone. We're good. "

At least from that perspective. After getting used to all the variations his wife could be, he was much less bothered by a skinsuit change, so to speak.

Ansel noticed her tense, shifting to bring her eyes back to his.

"Hey. You hear them? It's your choice for any of this. Neither of us are going to take or expect anything from you. "

[Sushi]

Looking at him didn't help. Actually, it made her feel more lost this time as she realized something, something that made no sense, something she could never, ever say.

"Okay," she told him, even though it was the farthest from what she felt.

After failing to do as she'd said so far, she at least owed him that much support.

"Any other questions?" Taylor asked.

[Tree]

/ Hey.... what's up?/

He asked his wife, catching that she wasn't on at all, kissing her forehead as he looked to the man across from them.

" I am sure they'll pop up, but I feel better about going ahead with your company."

If his wife was? He sent a gentle question up her, unable to help his concern for this entire thing.

[Sushi]

/it... It doesn't matter. I'm just... Having stupid feelings./

She gave him a small nod to indicate that she was fine with him proceeding.



"Yeah, no problem."

He leaned an elbow on the table.

"So I don't know about you, but I'm hungry. Don't feel obligated to stick around if you have other stuff to do with your last day of vacation, though."

He flagged down a waiter and ordered a soup and sandwich meal.

[Tree]

Ansel looked at Willow, nervous as he kissed her temple.

/ Would you like to go eat somewhere, just us? /

"If you text me your email I'll get your accommodations set up.... "

[Sushi]

"sure, no problem."



Willow was quiet for a second, trying to pick apart her husband's reaction.

/Yes / she decided.

/Are you ok?/

[Tree]

Ansel kissed willow, nodding

" see ya later. Come on, my love."

And he offered her his hand.

/ Yes, just trying to be sure you're cared for. /

[Sushi]

Willow took his hand and went with him.

/I'm sorry for disappointing you./

[Tree]

"I was not disappointed.... I didn't understand why you were upset..... not with me, anyway. I understood the rage you had about being kissed by someone you thought a stranger....."

He still didn't get it. He shrugged and looked over her.

"We don't have to follow through, you know...if you don't want to do it? "

[Sushi]

She laced her fingers through his, eyes falling to the ground.

"No reason. All the reasons."

She lifted her shoulder, feeling like no words could really explain something so vast and confusing.

"It's the black, rotting truth of me. I did try to warn you...."

[Tree]

"..... I'm not coming from a place of criticism, my love. I just want to understand, if I can. Did I do something wrong? "

He asked in earnest as they headed through the streets towards whatever that nice smell was down the way. N

[Sushi]

"Nothing at that point. But everything I've disowned is kind of... Chained together?"

Did that make any kind of sense to anyone?

[Tree]

".... are you disappointed in me? "

Ansel asked carefully, worried maybe he should have just declined all together.... but Willow would have known and he suspected she might be more displeased with that...

[Sushi]

"no. I keep telling you that your thing with Taylor is fine. What are you afraid of?"

That she was lying? She wasn't.

[Tree]

"That I didn't like, punch em in the face or something? Cause it upset you? I just knew it was them and...."

He didn't think a misunderstanding needed assault when it was meant innocently.

[Sushi]

Willow was finally able to look at him.

"I never expect you to defend me, least of all when I shouldn't have been upset to begin with."

[Tree]

"You had every right to be upset.. they looked a stranger and not only put hands on you, but kissed you. It was absolutely within reason and rights to be infuriated. I just.... i was trying to help you. I love you. "

[Sushi]

"you didn't do anything wrong," she told him again, releasing his hand.

"This is the exact reason why that's so dangerous. It's all tangled together. It'll wake up something bigger. If I feel a little piece, I have to feel all of it."

Instead, she covered her face in frustration.

"I know it's messed up. There's something wrong with me. I'm sorry. I know it's not fair. I just slipped for a few seconds. I didn't mean to."

[Tree]

"Willow.... I'm not upset. We're alright. I was ok then, too. Just worried about you, that's all. ... I love you. We're ok. "

His poor wife.

"What would you like to eat? "

[Sushi]

Willow shook her head.

"I don't need anything."

She was hungry. She just wasn't able to really deal with fixing it herself right now.

"I know this doesn't matter, but... I didn't see him. I just felt that it was a guy. If I had seen him, I'm pretty sure I would have recognized him and everything would have been just fine."

She kicked a little rock.

"Dang it. I just want to do good for once."

[Tree]

"You did do good. You didn't kill them or anything. "

Ansel pointed out with a grin. He was serious.

[Sushi]

"I haven't ever accidentally killed someone," she countered sulkily

[Tree]

Ansel leaned to grab her other hand, pulling her in front of him as he bent to kiss her.

/I know that. But even myself have killed in displeasure. They certainly would have earned such a fate but my kind's standards. /

[Sushi]

/killing someone for making me unhappy seems... Unreasonable./