If You Dare

A few hours pass, both of us just sitting there... waiting. Nothing happens.

"I think you should go in and talk to him," I say, biting my lip and looking at Steven.

"You know he'd just ignore me or yell at me... I can't," he says, brushing my hair from my face. I sigh and shake my head, leaning it on his chest.

"You should try."

He groans and hugs me close, kissing my cheek, then trails along my jaw, obviously trying to get my mind off of it.

"Go." I kiss him one more time and then walk off.

I hear him open the door behind me and smile, walking back to where my parents' room was. I want to see my mama.

As soon as I'm by the door, she flings it open and hugs me tightly.

Tears stream down my cheeks and I attempt to blubber about how I missed her, but it doesn't really work.

"I know, Lexa. I know. Please, come in. Your father and I have something we want to give you," she says, sniffling and kissing the top of my head.

My eyebrows knit together and I walk in, taking in her face.

Her eyes are the same hazel color they were the last time I saw her. Her lightly tanned skin was still youthful and glowing. Her long blonde hair is  tied back. Even if she's from Romania, she looks like a California girl. The whole sun kissed beach girl with a full figure thing fit her.

I look like my dad, completely.

Pale blue eyes, snow white skin, almost scary skinny. We're very... Similar, even in the way we think.

If I had to choose a favorite parent, I couldn't.

Mama sits me on the bed and calls my father's name, smiling at me with surprisingly white teeth.

It's pretty obvious that she's stayed out of any type of fighting there is.

My dad comes into the room and smiles at me, running over to hug me. Since we had nearly killed him before, we hadn't exactly gotten a chance to bond or anything.

Mama and dad both hug me tightly, and I know that they're probably going to lecture me eventually. Maybe about the Mason situation...

"How have you been, Lexa?" asks my dad, and I see gauze wrapped around his arm.

"I'm fine, daddy. Are you hurt?" I wipe my eyes. No more crying. That's it.

He shrugs. "Flesh wound. I'm fine."

Yeah, he's that kind of guy.

Mama stands up and runs to some little closet, opening it up and pulling out an easel with a paint set and several canvases. "Here's your welcome gift," she says, beaming.

I cover my mouth to try not to scream. Finally! "Thank you so much!"

"Thank your father. It was his idea."

My dad smiles and kisses my forehead. "Your welcome. I assume you'll want to use it immediately, but... First, we have a few things to discuss."

I sigh and say, "I saw that coming. What do we need to talk about?"

"We'll start with you and Steven," says my mother, sitting next to me. Without even realizing it, I smile like an idiot at the sound of his name. "We know that is has been a while since you've seen each other, and we understand that you have a lot of catching up to do with him."

My dad sighs and gets straight to the point. "Please, try to keep it down next time."

My eyes get big and I know that my entire body must be blushing. "You could hear us from all the way up here?"

"No. We were walking by your room, but if we could have heard you here... Let's just not get into that discussion," Mama mutters.

I smile and nod.

"Okay... Now, about the Faulkner boy. Why exactly is he upset with you? I understand Steven, but why you?" asks my father.

Sighing, I explain the events of the past day.

"He's a stubborn boy," he growls, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"With good reason, though," my mother warns. "The two of you aren't exactly quick to forgive either."

My dad smiles and wraps an arm around me. "I know. My little girl knows how to trust her gut, just like her daddy."

Mama rolls her eyes and says, "Well, I have one more thing I want to talk to her about... The fighting. Lexa, I'm not comfortable with you fighting and killing."

"Mama, I've done this before. It's not new to me. I'll be fine," I mutter.

"Let me make myself clear. I don't want you out there with all of the men. You'll stay here with me and-"

"You can't make me do that!" Great... Now she thinks I'm weak.

Before Mama can protest, my father says, "Mina, please try to see this from her point of view. She isn't like you. She wants to fight, let her fight. It's her choice. Besides, she turns eighteen in about two months."

"But-"

"No buts. I'm going to fight with them. I like it," I say, crossing my arms over my chest.

Mama groans and rubs her forehead. "Fine. Just try to be safe."

I smile and let my mind wander. I don't even notice when Steven walks into the room, with Mason close behind him.

"What happened to you?" asks Mama.

I look over and see Steven with a bloody lip, and Mason with a seemingly broken nose and a limp.

"Mason punched me... So I threw him at a wall and smashed his face in the ground," Steven mutter, watching me as my mother goes to get some tissues to stop their bleeding.

"Gee, anger management much?" I say with a teasing smirk at Steven.

He narrows his eyes. "Watch it, Lex. You should remember the time that you threatened to burn down Darcy Sands' house all because she called you a bitch, and then you almost did it."

"Shut up," I mutter, pouting and laying back on the bed as my father stands, walking over to the bruised and bloody boys.

"Well, it's nice to see you again, Mason. Would you mind if I talked to you for a minute?"

What is he doing?

My other hands Mason a wad of tissues for his nose.

"Okay," he mutters, his voice very nasally from the tissues pressed to his nose.

They step out of the room and Steven comes and sits by me.

"Watch Mason come back in here missing a limb," he mutters.

"That will only happen if he pisses my dad off enough... Which may actually happen."

He laughs and blots at his bloody lip, wincing slightly. I roll my eyes and take the tissue from him, soaking up the blood for him.

"Pussy," I mutter with a laugh.

He whines, "I hate you."

"Liar," I say with a smile, kissing the tip of his nose.

Steven smiles and winces. "It hurts when I smile because it stretches my lip."

I laugh and say, "If your lip hurts, you should stay away from me. I don't want to hurt you by kissing you."

"No, your kisses will heal me!"

Before I can protest, he pushes my hand off of his mouth and kisses me. I can feel his blood getting on my lip and laugh, pushing him off.

"You're getting blood on me!" I whine.

Then I remember my mother is still in the room with us.

"Sorry," I mutter, blushing again.

She smiles and says, "It's fine, keep going. This is entertaining me."

Steven laughs and pulls the tissue back to his lip, pushing me over and laying his head on my stomach.

"Owwy! You have a big head!" I whine again.

He laughs. "I know."

Mama looks uncomfortable and walks over to the door, going out into the hall where my dad is speaking with Mason.

"I wonder what they're talking about," Steven mutters.

"Maybe it's about Scarlet," I respond, playing with his hair absentmindedly.

He shrugs and sighs, closing his eyes with a soft smile.