Understanding

Days turned into weeks, and the weeks started to soar by just as the seasons that were changing around them. Spring bled into summer, and summer was fading into fall as Austin and Shelby were starting to become considered a “package deal” to everyone around them. They spent most of their time together or on the phone, reasonably. Both felt too sure of their relationship to feel the need to become clingy or distrusting of the other.

They talked on the phone more than they texted, Shelby defending that it was because she felt that texting took away from the personable side of phone calls. Austin, on the other hand, knew it was just because she enjoyed listening to his voice. So when he woke on a chillier November morning, and plucked his iPhone from the charger to call her…he was genuinely surprised when she didn't answer.

His chocolate colored eyes drifted to the clock in his kitchen, as he shuffled over to the coffee maker and began to make a fresh pot. 10:32

‘She should be up by now.’ He thought with a frown, ‘Maybe she’s in the shower…I’ll call back in a bit.’ He padded with bare feet towards the living room, coffee in tow and flicked on the television. Switching it to the news, he started to lift his mug to his lips and stopped when he heard the news anchor announce the date. Austin jumped from the couch, coffee mug carelessly pushed aside as he went to his bedroom to dress quickly.

After he had pulled on some clothes, he crouched down in front of his massive movie collection. Russet eyes scanning the titles, he grabbed the Batman Trilogy along with the first and second The
Boondock Saints movies. Knowing full well that those were some of Shelby’s favorite movies from the numerous nights they had spent on his couch watching them. Biting his lip, he grabbed a few Disney movies as well. He rummaged through his closet for a duffel bag and stuffed the movies inside. He grabbed some clothes as well, and after a second thought, grabbed the blanket from his bed. It was Shelby’s favorite.

Slinging the bag and the blanket over his shoulder, Austin grabbed his keys from the table and headed for the door after stuffing his feet into a random pair of shoes. Placing all that he gathered into his back seat, the tattooed man headed for their favorite Chinese take-out place. Ordering their usual, Austin waited impatiently for the food. Drumming his fingers against his thin thighs, he bounced on the balls of his feet. Sighing in what could be called ‘relief’ when he finally was handed their food, he strides quickly back to his car and begins to make his way over to her house.

Pulling into her driveway, Austin wasted no time in stretching his long, colorful, arms into the back of the vehicle and pulling everything he needed from the back. Using his lean hip to shut his car door, he climbed the stairs and tried the door handle. It was locked as he expected it to be. Setting his things down on the porch, he reached up onto the top of the doorframe and felt for the little nook in which she held her spare key. Finding it, he slid it into the lock, and then swung the door open.

Returning the key, he grabbed his stuff off of the porch and then stepped into the house. He listened for a moment, and found the house completely quiet. He was slipping his shoes off when Gunner, Shelby’s white Irish Wolf Hound, clambered down the stairs grumbling as he often did. His tail began to wag in recognition of Austin, and the human reached out his tattooed fingers to scratch Gunner’s ears.

“Is she upstairs, boy?” Austin murmured, stroking the long dogs back before turning to gather his things once more. Waiting for Gunner to turn to go back up the stairs, Austin followed suit. He reached her bedroom and pushed the door open, softly. Shelby was cocooned in her blankets; all that he could see were tufts of brown hair sticking out. Austin plunked his duffle and blanket to the floor and headed for the bed.

He clambered up from the bottom of the bed after tugging his shirt over his head, slowly and gently peeling the blankets away from Shelby’s burrowed body. Once he was able, he lay down behind her.

He pulled her into him; wrapping one of his arms around her waist, and tucking the other under his head after pulling the blankets back up around them. He nuzzled his nose against her hair for a moment and pressed his lips against the back of her head. She said nothing, but moved her hand to link their fingers together. Gunner lay on Shelby’s side of the bed, acting as a guard once more.

A long while passed before Shelby rolled over so she was facing Austin. Her eyes were red, and pieces of her hair stuck to the tear tracks on her cheeks. He maneuvered so he could brush his thumb over her soft cheeks, moving the hair and ridding her skin of the wetness of her tears.

“I’m sorry I didn't answer.” She murmured, leaning into Austin’s touch as he brushed his thumb over her cheek.

“Babe, you don’t have to apologize. Today is a rough day for you, I understand that.”

“I know you do.” She whispered, lightly pushing on his shoulder so that he would roll onto his back. Shelby curled into his side, resting her head on his shoulder as her fingers wandered over his tattooed chest. Finding the scar that rested in the center, she traced her fingertips over it lightly.

“Thank you for coming over.”

“I wouldn't let you spend today by yourself, even if you wanted to be left alone.” He pressed his lips against her forehead, and then her nose. Closing his eyes against the sensation of her fingers against his scar, feeling goose bumps break out on his skin. “I did bring some things with me though.”

“Lay with me for a little longer?” She whispered, laying her hand flat against his chest now, so that she could feel his heart thumping steadily against her hand. Glossy, brown eyes watching as Austin’s tattooed hand came up and covered her own. His other hand had threaded into her hair, running through it soothingly.

“Of course, baby.”

“Even after all of these years, it’s still hard for me to function, today.”

“It always will be a little harder today, than most other days.” He didn't raise his voice above a whisper, his eyes on the ceiling as he spoke. “I don’t think that will ever change.”

“I don’t think so, either.” Shelby agreed, blinking back tears. “I mean I miss her every day--.” She stopped to swallow and Austin continued for her,

“But the day you lost them is always the day that hurts the most.”

“Always.”

Shelby was glad for Austin’s warmth. She always felt a little colder on the twentieth of November than she did on other days. They fell into silence once more, other than the soft snores that Gunner was emitting from the floor beside them. She was glad that he didn't try to keep a conversation going, and she was most glad that he was there. In every sense of the term.

She could feel words rolling around on her tongue, words that just wanted to slip out without her consent. Luckily enough this time, biting her tongue had kept them from flowing out. But she knew that one of these times, she wasn't going to be able to stop herself. She only hoped that he wouldn't run scared when her tongue and heart finally did betray her nervous mind.

“What do you say we head downstairs?” Austin asked, gently, sometime later while rubbing his hand up and down her back, and Shelby nodded and pulled herself up from Austin’s body. She bent and stroked her hand over Gunner’s body before sliding off of the bed. Starting to gather her blankets, she stopped when she saw that Austin had brought his blanket with him. Her favorite blanket that he owned, it was soft and the material retained heat well. She looked over to him and a small smile curled on her lips.

“Oh, I brought a whole care package with me.” He murmured, reaching out for her hand. “C’mon, we’ll go and get settled on the couch.”

Shelby sank into the couch, watching as Austin crouched in front of her entertainment center, and popped an unknown DVD into it. Turning on the television and surround sound, he grabbed the DVD remote, and stuffed it into his pocket. Holding a finger up to her, he grabbed a brown bag and went into the kitchen. Shelby heard the microwave going, and frowned a bit. When he returned, he was holding two white take-out boxes with forks stuck into the top.

Handing Shelby’s to her, he grabbed his blanket from the pile of his things and then draped it over himself and Shelby after he settled onto the couch next to her. Gunner decided to pull himself onto the couch as well and curled his long body up next to his owner, resting his large head on her thigh.

Austin skipped the previews, and watched as a smile came onto Shelby’s face when she saw the DVD Menu for the first Boondock Saints flicker onto the screen.
Shelby said nothing, but leaned towards Austin and pressed her lips against his. Her kiss lingered for a few moments before she moved back and settled into his side once more, taking a bite of her Chinese as the familiar music of the movie filled the air around them.
___________________________

The sun had sunk long ago and the stars started to gleam in the sky as the manic laughter of the Joker echoed through Shelby’s house. The pair had long forgotten their take-out and they were now stretched out on the couch. Austin lay on his back, one arm tucked behind his head as Shelby lay on her side between him and the couch, her arm and half of her sprawled across him. His blanket was tangled around them, most of it being stolen by Gunner who had stretched out on the floor.

Austin was sifting his fingers through Shelby’s hair. Brown eyes trained on the movie. His hand stopped without him really thinking about it, and curled around the nape of Shelby’s neck. Suddenly, a wild crack of thunder caused them both to jump. Frowns furrowed both of their brows. It rarely rained in Southern California, and there hadn't been any mentions of an upcoming storm on any of the weather forecasts. Lightening lit up Shelby’s dark living room.

“That’s weird as fuck,” Austin mumbled, turning his head so he could look out of the window. Listening as rain started to hammer against the picture window. It was so loud that Gunner lifted his head and perk his ears at the sound.

“Momma loved thunder storms.” Shelby whispered, untangling herself from Austin and moving towards the window, “growing up she would always pull me onto the porch and we would watch them.” Lightening flashed again, splintering across the night sky. The thunder rumbled, causing the house itself to shake. She looked at Austin, who was now sitting up and looking at her.

“Well, then maybe it isn't so weird.” He pulled himself to his feet, and went to her. Wrapping his arms around her from behind, he rested his chin against her shoulder. Pressing his lips against her jaw, he watched the lightening blaze jaggedly against the clouds, having an almost purple hue to its outline.

“November Rain.” He couldn't help but chuckle, “like the song.”

“You, sir, are a cheese-ball.” Shelby giggled, her hands finding Austin’s and resting over the top of them. “It feels like I haven’t seen a thunderstorm in so long.”

“It has been a few months since we've had one, last.” He agreed, jumping mildly when another clap of thunder rumbled noisily. “Damn, dude.” The rain pounded against the window. He unraveled his colorful arms from around her waist, stepping back and plopping back down onto the couch so that she could have a moment to herself, as she seemed lost in her own thought.

“Austin?”

“Yeah, babe?” He asked, turning to look at her.

“I--.” She had to stop when a growl of thunder cut her off. She locked her equally dark eyes with his brown eyes began again, “I love you.” Lightening illuminated her, making her look like she had a halo around her for a moment and Austin was at a loss for words, but, only for only a millisecond.

“I love you, too, Shelby.” He pulled himself off of the couch, and went to her. Wrapping her up in his arms, he kissed her. It was a kiss that took Shelby’s breath away; she had to wrap her arms around his neck just to keep her knees from buckling beneath her. Relief flooded into her chest and then spread throughout her body like a soft wave, as he broke their lips to nuzzle his nose against her collarbone. “You know, I've been waiting for the right time to tell you that and you stole my thunder.”

Shelby dropped her arms so that they were around his trim waist, and waited for him to lift his head from her collarbone so she could kiss him again. Littering his tattooed chest with small kisses after their lips parted for a second time, before she spoke,

“After everything that you've done for me, especially today, I couldn't hold it in any longer. I felt like every time I tried to talk to you, today, it was going to just going to slip out. I just couldn't hold it in anymore.”

“I’m glad that you couldn't.” Austin’s voice was soft, his chocolate colored orbs glittering happily. He grinned and Shelby’s own grin curled her lips,

“The rain is stopping.” Shelby noticed, listening as it faded into a soft patter instead of the fierce down pour it had been only moments before. She lifted her eyes to his, “Can we take a ride?”

“Anywhere you want to go, baby.”