┏━━━━⋆.˚ ᡣ𐭩 .𖥔˚⋆━━━━┓

SOMETHING HAS CHANGED

THE FIRST THING NELLY REGISTERED WHEN SHE WOKE UP WAS THE LOW HUM OF THE TV.

The second thing she noticed as she blinked her eyes open was the fact that she was lying sideways on the couch, face directed toward the television screen that was playing a rerun of Full House.

Oh, and the third thing? There was a hand gently carding through her hair — a hand that belonged to the person whose lap she had taken up residence on. Based on those oh so familiar cargo shorts and the choice of show, she knew who it was.

Nelly had zero clue as to how he managed to maneuver them both inside, but the exhaustion from her anger must've knocked her out. She couldn't recall feeling any movement, couldn't recall being picked up nonetheless— wait, had Embry picked her up?

Her stomach did a strange flip, and she silently debated whether or not she was going to make her awakened state known. But the hands in her hair, scratching at her scalp, helped her make her choice. She found herself settled, a type of relief she hadn't felt in what seemed like weeks, and she had half a mind to burrow herself deeper into his lap.

The onset of footsteps approaching made her mind clear for a split second, and rather than give in, she merely clamped her eyes shut and pretended she was still asleep.

The steps came to a stop nearby, the hands stilling for a brief moment before they continued their motions.

"You don't need to stay, honey," it was her mother's voice, one that sounded like it was coming from the doorway that led to the kitchen. "I can move her to her room so you can head home."

Mary–Anne was trying to relieve him from his duties, was trying to give him an out, and that gave Nelly a subtle clue as to how long he must've been there for. Surely it had been more than an hour, and those reruns of Full House normally started up around dinner time.

"It's cool; I'd rather stay," he said, a smile present in his tone before he tacked on a rather rushed, "I don't want her to wake up alone... is that okay?"

A somewhat relieved laugh bubbled its way out of Mary–Anne. "That's more than okay," she responded. "Did you want to stay for dinner?"

There was a heavy pause, followed by a nervous chuckle. "I'd rather not push my luck, but thanks."

Mary–Anne hummed, a pause from her end. "I may not know exactly why you two are suddenly spending time together," she started, and Nelly inwardly had to hold her breath, "but I used to wish for times like this."

The Greene woman, unlike her elder mother, still hadn't a clue as to what was truly transpiring around the reservation. Just like Tiffany Call, and Mr Lahote, and the Fullers, she wasn't privy to know such information, and that was something Nelly constantly had to be reminded of.

Though, she was pulled from that thought at the sound of Embry's voice.

"Yeah, me too."

And when that startling confession began to sink in, she drifted back into the abyss of slumber.

˚ ᡣ𐭩 .𖥔˚

Nelly woke once more, and this time around she'd made a big show of it by stretching her arms out, pairing the motion with a larger than life yawn.

Yet, turning around to the figure that was slumped behind her, she heard the telltale puffs of breath coming from the boy before she saw his sleep-ridden face. With a half smile, she roughly shoved at his shoulder blade until his eyes snapped open.

His gaze combed the vicinity frantically until they stopped on her figure, his posture settling into the couch. "You sleep like the dead," he commented, raking his hand through his hair. "Shit, did we miss dinner?"

Nelly turned her attention toward the window behind them, noting how the sun had long gone beneath the horizon. "Looks like it," she sighed, and her stomach grumbled. She rose, and without even thinking twice, she held her hand out in his direction. "Let's see if my mom left us anything."

Embry took her hand, following behind her, and neither pair wanted to comment on the fact that she hadn't let go of his hand until they stopped in front of the white fridge.

She yanked open the door and peered her head inside of the half-full refrigerator. There were still casserole dishes inside covered with plastic wrap, a bitter reminder of the endless visitors they used to have, but she gave a breath of relief when she saw two containers with post it notes on them.

The Sequoia girl took them out before closing the fridge door with her hip, going toward the microwave to warm up the contents within. The contents, as she discovered when she took the lids off, were slices of her mother's lasagna. She held back a groan of satisfaction at the sight, eagerly popping them into the microwave.

Once that was done, she met him at the small table, watching as he went to grab two forks for them from the cabinet near the sink. The brunette placed a container in front of the chair adjacent from her, almost as though it was an olive branch of her own.

Extended. Waiting.

Nelly bit the inside of her lip as she accepted it, observant to the way he hesitantly sat in the chair across from her. Simultaneously, they began to eat.

"What happened when my dad left?" Nelly dared to ask between her chews, obviously noting his lack of presence and the way her mother sounded more carefree than she had earlier in the day.

Embry lowered his fork, swallowing. "Your mom said he left after you almost phased in front of the poor guy," he told her with a joking shake of his head. "He only came to sort out his affairs... whatever that means."

Nelly's stomach sunk minutely, because his only affairs on the reservation involved herself and Tate. Tate was gone, so perhaps he came to say his belated goodbyes to his dead son. Though, a darker part of Nelly's mind supplied her with the fact that Nelly was very much still a piece of business in Michael's life.

A piece of business that had to return to him at the end of summer, back to Lummi. Back without Tate this time around.

Oh, just the thought of leaving now made her sick. She must've given it away on her face, or by the way she dropped her fork into the container with clank, because Embry's gaze met hers once more.

There was a long stretch of silence then, the reruns of Full House long over and replaced by whatever late night show was running that day. Yet, the silence was broken by Embry, as it usually was.

"It's been way more than an hour, by the way." Nelly thought he was either trying to get her mind off of her father, or perhaps was trying to apologize for overstaying. 

Despite the fact that she found she didn't mind his lingering presence, she couldn't stop herself from giving him shit about it. "I'm sorry— are you complaining right now?"

Embry sputtered out a response at that. "No! Zero complaining here... forget I said anything."

Nelly gave him a smirk of triumph, lifting the fork to her mouth once more.

"That's what I thought. Now shut it and eat the damn lasagna, Em."

⋆.˚ ᡣ𐭩 .𖥔˚⋆

[ wyn's note ]

WHITE FLAG PEOPLE!!! WE ARE WAVING THE WHITE FLAG!!! the precipice we've all been waiting for!!!

thanks for 27k my cuties!! all my love xx