Post by Teagan Bruce on Apr 11, 2021 21:18:39 GMT -5
TEAGAN:
Okay, so maybe hiding the dandelion wine from her brother because he was being an absolute ass wasn’t a good idea--it had only made him act like more of an ass. And maybe drinking it herself so she was sure he couldn’t have it was an even worse idea. Drinking alone was a lot less fun than drinking with friends, she was finding, even if Claire didn’t drink enough for it to ever mess with her head. It was still more fun with her and Cassie around. Drinking by herself just made her feel even lonelier and angrier.
Her brother had told her that nothing she did mattered anyway because she was just a stupid girl, and a younger daughter at that. She’d said something about him having rotten apples for brains, and that if he wanted to run the orchard into the ground so he could go back to Teronna, he was doing a fantastic job. He’d nearly slapped her. And then he’d said that he’d be glad when their parents finally sold her off to the highest bidder and she’d be some other man’s problem. When she’d gasped, he added on, “That is if anyone is even interested in your fat ass besides that mangy farmer of yours.”
That had been what sent her out into the orchard on her own, way out on the far corner by the road, as far as she could get from the house. She’d sat herself down under a tree and set to drinking the entire bottle of dandelion wine. When she’d started, she hadn’t felt anything at all, so she drank a bunch more, and things were starting to get a bit hazy. And somehow she still didn’t feel any better, until she spotted a familiar figure on the road. Speak of the devil and he shall appear, hm? That was the very farmer in question, although she wasn’t entirely sure he was interested in her ‘fat ass’ any more than any other one he could get his hands (among other things) on.
“Oi, farm boy!” She called out to Keiran, raising a skeptical eyebrow. “What on earth are you up to now? Off to ruin some new woman today, are we?”
She took another drink straight from the bottle, not caring if he saw. She was way past that, or at least, that’s what she told herself.
KEIRAN:
Clever as the devil, and twice as pretty.
Her mind may have thought she summoned him, but in reality, he was actually on his way home from Mr. O'Grady's again. The old fisherman had gotten his net caught for what was possibly the hundredth time, and Keiran had promised to help him out whenever he needed it. You know, because of this pact between all the farmers that he had strangely started. And to go back on his word, as annoying as it was to do any of this at times, would make him look bad.
And let's face it, Keiran already looked pretty bad to most, if not all, of the surrounding landowners.
It was difficult to keep his attention on these menial tasks, but he was at least trying. Of course, that didn't mean he didn't scurry off at random whenever he had the opportunity to do so. Farming was not something he relished. He did it because it was in his blood, because he was born into it and he basically had no other choice. But Liam was good at it. Hell, he seemed to actually love it, and Keiran admired his brother for it. He wished he had something he could just pour his heart and soul into.
Something that didn't require wading into cold waters to yank loose a net. Perhaps the old man needed to retire.
‘Oi, farm boy!’
Her voice actually managed to startle him, which wound up making the horse beneath him uneasy. "Whoa, whoa, hey...it's alright," he soothed the mare gently before those dark eyes found the redhead underneath the tree. Keiran immediately noted the bottle and it made that one eyebrow arch up in soft curiosity. Well, she was just straight to the point now, wasn't she? He hadn't even provoked her this time.
The words probably should have offended him, but he was brushing it aside as he regarded her from high in the saddle. "And what's it to you, my lady?" he called back. He rarely used such formality...and when he did, it was often mocking. Like now. Sure, her family had money, but he didn't seem to care either way. Teagan would probably be out of her jealous bloody mind either way. He was already smirking to himself.
TEAGAN:
“To me? Oh, nothing at all to meee. But then apparently I’m nothing too, so maybe it’s everything.” She wasn’t making sense with her riddles, but she didn’t much care. Her brother said she was nothing and nothing mattered. So did she matter or didn’t she? She took another drink of the wine and made a face. Did she even like dandelion wine? She wasn't sure anymore. “Maybe it would be something to me if I really was ‘your’ lady.”
Well, now there was a thought. But he’d never get around to it, would he? He was too busy having a good time to think about settling down, and he certainly wouldn’t want to do it with her, anyway. He was just messing with her because he liked getting a rise out of her. She narrowed her eyes at him. Maybe she should just ask.
“Do you even want it to be something to me? Or shouldn’t I even bother with you and your dumb pretty face?”
KEIRAN:
Wow, okay, what exactly was happening? What did he do now to warrant this attitude? Sure, Teagan was always one of the first to berate him, but this seemed to be coming out of nowhere. He was riding down the road, literally minding his own business, and the sass came out.
Keiran noted the bottle in her hand again. Was she drunk? Oddly enough, his smile was immediately gone.
Slipping down from the saddle in one fluid motion, his boots hit the dirt with a thud. The mare wouldn’t wander too far, only towards the nearest patch of grass as the farmer made his way closer to the angry redhead. ‘Maybe it would be something to me if I really was your lady.’ He had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. That wasn’t the first time he’s heard that from a woman, but it was certainly the first time he heard it from this one. And it was strange.
She was still talking, asking stupid questions he didn’t really have answers to. Or, at least, not the ones she wanted to hear. Keiran was closing in on her, reaching for that bottle to see how much was left in it. “How much of this have you had?”
TEAGAN:
She watched him with wary eyes as he got down from the horse, wondering why he wasn’t smirking at her the way he usually did. Maybe he really wasn’t interested in her at all, except as a game. Now, why did that make her entire chest ache? Didn’t she want him to leave her alone and give up on his silly charade? She was constantly telling him she thought he was a childish, immature, lecherous idiot, wasn’t she? Maybe he’d finally decided to take her seriously. Or maybe she wasn’t the only one lying through her teeth.
When he got close and reached for the bottle, she snatched it away and held it close to her chest with both hands, pouting up at him. What gave him the right to try and take it from her, anyway? She was a grown-ass woman, she could do what she wanted. And besides, it clearly wasn’t working, anyway.
“Not enough, I still feel shitty,” she answered petulantly and turned her body away from him so she could take another drink of it. As she brought it down, though, he got it out of her grasp, causing her to turn on him with a glare as she folding her arms over her chest.
“Now what did you do that for? I’m capably perf--” She frowned for a second, then tried again. “I’m perfectly capable--of taking care of myself.” The bottle in his hand was at least three-quarters of the way gone.
KEIRAN:
Oh yes, she often said quite a few things that probably should have hurt his pride. Yet, maybe he really didn’t care or it was possible he secretly believed all of it. Keiran realized after a while that, no matter what he did now, he wasn’t going to change anyone’s mind about him. They all saw him as they did now- it was too late. The least he could do, he figured, was be a little less of a vagabond, which was why he had called that meeting. He wasn’t a total idiot, but how many others believed it?
Yet, right now, it seemed some roles had been reversed.
Keiran nearly chuckled when she managed to keep the bottle from him for a moment, but he inevitably snatched it from her grasp to peer into the bottle. “You feel shitty because you’ve been drinkin’ this swill.” At least, it was swill to him. He didn’t drink much wine, period. Dark eyes drifted back to her face as an eyebrow shot up; prepared to correct her when she seemed to do it herself. “Aye, perfectly capable indeed…” he murmured in half amusement, while the other half was curious as to why Teagan decided standing out in the middle of the field with an entire bottle of dandelion wine was a good idea. It didn’t really seem like her. There could be bad men wandering about, bandits and thieves who would take advantage. And normally he was thrown into that category, but he wasn’t a total creep, alright?
“Why don’t we just...get you home, yeah? How’s that?” He tried taking her gently by the arm to lead her towards the grazing mare. Now that he found her, he couldn’t just leave her here in this state, even while a part of him was really itching to get her all flustered. It was like a knee-jerk reaction at this point. Keiran just had to do it, and it would probably be so easy to get under her skin right now. Among other things.
TEAGAN:
"No, I feel shitty because my brother is an asshole," she grumbled under her breath when he blamed the wine. Or at least she thought it was under her breath.
She was somewhat soothed by how he was treating her, somewhere in the background where her rational mind was being held prisoner by all her crazy. It was kind of sweet, actually, that he was trying to take care of her. At least until he said something about bringing her home; that slammed the door shut on her rational mind and emotions took full control. She yanked away from him sharply at that word and shook her head--at least until it made the world start to swim. She grimaced and held out her hands slightly as if she were trying to catch her balance. Things took a moment to stop wobbling.
"Oh no you don't. I'm not going back in there. Gavin will just--" She cut herself off, briefly looking as if she might burst into tears. She took a deep breath to redirect. She definitely did not want to cry in front of Keiran. He already probably thought she was stupid. Maybe she was.
"I'm just gonna stay right here, my stupid self and my stupid tree and my stupid wine. Maybe forever. I was going to wait for him to apologize but I'll probably get old and die waiting for that. Hell will freeze over before Gavin admits I'm right about anything." She stomped back to her apple tree and sat down at its base, then crossed her arms over her chest. "You don't have to help me, anyway, I know I'm just a pain in your ass."
KEIRAN:
A single brow arched up in curiosity when she called Gavin an asshole. Well, Keiran knew he was kind of an idiot, but he didn't know exactly what had happened for her to be so upset, enough to make her want to drink it all away. And perhaps he was about to ask when she drew back and nearly toppled over. She might've been further along than he originally thought.
This was really...strange, if he were being honest. There were way too many emotions going through her at once, and Keiran didn't handle emotions well at all.
His one hand lifted, palm out as if to temporarily surrender, to silently let her know that he wouldn’t take her home. And that was fine, but staying out here was a really stupid idea. Keiran could probably argue that a hundred times over but she still wouldn't listen. He kind of wondered if sober Teagan would even listen.
Sighing in slight annoyance as he watched her storm back to that tree, he glanced down to the bottle of wine still in his hand. He brought it to his face for a sniff before taking a quick swig. Keiran immediately grimaced before he made a slow approach back towards her, lazily taking a seat down beside her. He wasn't going to drag her back kicking and screaming, but he wasn't leaving her out there either.
This was Brianna's fault. Knowing and befriending her had made him soft in certain ways, even if he didn't often show it.
"Aye, you are a pain in my ass," he told her before handing that bottle back over to her. "So, what'd the idiot say to you?"
TEAGAN:
She actually laughed at the face he made when drinking the dandelion wine. That had been her first reaction too. She quickly swallowed her giggles, though, as he headed her way. She squinted at him in suspicion for a moment before she accepted the bottle and took a sip herself before offering it back to him.
"Well, first he said no one cared what I thought. So I said something about him being useless and just wanting to go back to Teronna, and he got angry and said he couldn't wait to sell me off to be someone else's problem." She rattled it all off nonchalantly, listing events on her fingers as she spoke. All her thoughts just came spilling out, where normally she would have censored them. In some ways, it was kind of nice. She leaned her head back against the tree and let herself relax a little, although her tone turned bitter as she continued. She didn't notice that she was slowly drifting sideways toward him until she had almost fallen over, and she jolted herself upright.
"Then, that dick, he said nobody would want my 'fat ass' except 'that mangy farmer of yours.' First of all I have a very nice ass, thank you, and second, you're not mine and you're not mangy either." She looked intently at him for a moment, considering. "You could use a haircut, but your smile is good. Annoyingly good. Very annoying. It makes me wanna strangle you a little. Or kiss you. Whichever one happens first? Both? Both." She was listing to the side again, slowly, but she kept talking.
"And besides, I'm not even sure you actually want my ass in the first place, you just like pissing me off, or something." There she went. She landed with a soft thud with her head in his lap. She was pretty okay with that, actually. Wasn't she supposed to be mad? "It is pretty fun, when we get going," she muttered to herself as she clumsily rolled herself into her back so she was looking up at his face. "You're confusing. I don't know if I like that."
KEIRAN:
This girl was a complete and total mess. Normally, he would have been thoroughly amused. Whereas he was grinning and chuckling at her here and there, it wasn't the same thing. Keiran was beginning to realize that he didn't like this Teagan simply because she wasn't wholly herself... although the candidness was making this entire situation pretty interesting.
For once, he was patient as he waited for her to explain; his brow furrowing at the mention of her being "sold off". He never did understand the ways of nobility, and why it was custom to force your children to marry those they did not care for, let alone know. But it always boiled down to money, and money corrupted a person and all logical thought.
His father was a prime example, and Keiran struggled every day not to go down that same path.
'...except that mangy farmer of yours.' Oh boy, drunk Teagan was very candid and more truthful than he would ever be.
Again, it should have been funny, but he wasn't laughing. He wasn't smiling again. This wasn't the first time this has happened to him, but this particular circumstance was different. Keiran should be diving right in and taking what he seemed to tease about all of this time, but he wasn't. He wouldn't. And that in itself was ridiculously annoying. No, it was frustrating.
Just when Keiran was trying to wrap his head around what she said, she kept talking in that drunken honesty...and it basically made him speechless.
He'd made a mistake, a horrible mistake. He shouldn't feel guilty, but he did.
Teagan startled him a second time as she fell over into his lap, and he sat there awkwardly until she finally stopped her rambling. He idly wondered how much of this she would even remember tomorrow.
"First off-" he finally began after a moment. "You do have a very nice ass." He had to assure her of that, at least, and he would know. Keiran wasn't exactly secretive about watching her as she walked away. Ever. "Secondly, I'm not anybody's. That's the point. Commitment is confusing and I haven't found any reason for it." It was his turn to be truthful, maybe because he expected her to forget this all later. "And if you know what's good for you, Tea, you'll never kiss me. That's the point of no return."
It should have sounded conceited, or like one of his "moves", but it wasn't. She may or may not pick up on it in her condition, but the farmer was actually warning her. For whatever reason, he wasn't willing to risk ruining her reputation. She didn't deserve that.
Look at him growing up.
He sighed then, resting his head back against the tree. "I tease and argue with you because you make it a challenge. Not many women can even do that. Their skirts are hiked up within minutes." Okay, so he chuckled at that, but it was all true. He wielded that smile like a weapon, and since the first time he tried it on Teagan, she managed to bat him away. It kept him going back, kept him trying despite his own warning. Now, he figured, he'd never act upon it, even if she were sober.
She really better forget this conversation tomorrow.
TEAGAN-
She watched him with the wide-eyed curiosity of a child as he answered, grinning only briefly when he agreed that she had a nice ass. It was interesting to hear what he actually thought for once. Refreshing, even. She enjoyed their banter most of the time, if she was honest with herself, but it could be frustrating not knowing what he really thought. This was enlightening.
"You better believe I'm a challenge. I'm more stubborn than a mule," she retorted proudly once he'd finished. "Sure, they have every right to just mess around, but what's the point? That's a waste of something good."
She reached up to try and pat his cheek and missed, just vaguely patting his whole face with a surprising amount of affection. "You and your smile are great, but I'm not jumping into anything that I can't keep. I want somebody who thinks I'm worth the moon and the stars. So don't you worry, farm boy. I'm not kissing you any time soon." She tried to wink, but it didn't go so well. "You can try all you want but I'm not giving in unless I believe it."
KEIRAN:
His face scrunched up from the strange, affectionate patting of his face, and put up with it for a few moments. It was amusing still, but he was afraid she was going to poke his eyes out, so a hand rose to delicately take hold of her wrist to stop her.
When she tried winking, however, he completely lost it. Keiran burst out laughing, trying to cut it short so he didn’t get carried away or she didn’t somehow get angry for him laughing at her. She really was, honestly, amusing this way, and he assumed this would be the only time he saw her like this- horribly honest and looking as though she was having a seizure when in fact she was just trying to wink. Still, it was her words that made the laughter die a little faster, and his face sobered.
“You won’t ever, I assure you. Because you do deserve someone far better and that understands your worth.” Ugh, could we maybe not get all sentimental now, mate? Thanks. Keiran shook his head at himself; a faint smirk on his lips that didn’t quite reach his eyes. His gaze had drifted to her hand he still held, a thumb brushing idly across her inner wrist before letting it go. “Now, do I have to carry your fine ass to that horse to take you home, or can you walk?” It probably wasn’t, you know, appropriate to just be lounging out here like this.
Since when did he give a shit?
TEAGAN:
She didn't quite understand why he was laughing, but she didn't mind as much as she thought she would. She kind of liked his laugh, when it wasn't at her expense. She was a little disappointed to hear that she wouldn't ever be kissing him, but then, wasn't that what she'd been telling him all along? She actually sighed a little as he brushed his thumb across the inside of her wrist, and let her eyes drift closed. She was feeling a little sleepy, under all the giddy nonsense. Maybe she could just...rest her eyes a little. She couldn't have put words to why she felt perfectly comfortable right where she was at, but she wasn't in any hurry to move.
“Now, do I have to carry your fine ass to that horse to take you home, or can you walk?”
Ooh, nope. Her eyes flew right back open, and she struggled to sit back up, using his arm as an anchor to tug against. She knew in every fiber of her being she could not go back to that house tonight. No way, no how.
"No, no, nononononono. I won't go back there. I don't even want to be under the same roof as that pompous bastard."
KEIRAN:
This was beginning to become strangely inappropriate...and when did he ever think that? This whole situation was supposed to be the perfect opportunity, and yet, he was denying himself everything. Because it was her. And just thinking that, he didn't quite understand what he meant by it.
He was just going to blame this all on Brianna. Somehow, this was her fault.
Keiran was about to ask her again when she suddenly snapped out of whatever trance she found herself in, claiming she would never go home. "Well, you can't exactly stay here, Tea..." he said, holding back a sigh. It felt like he was running around in circles. Maybe he would just leave her there. Eventually she would come to her senses, right?
"Alright...is there somewhere else I can take you then? You can't lay here all day, and I actually have work to get back to." Did those words actually just come out of his mouth? This felt like a bit of a role reversal...and it was strange. Keiran seriously needed to drop her off somewhere and move on.
TEAGAN:
Teagan scrunched up her face in an exaggerated pout as he told her she couldn't stay here in the orchard. It was sweet that he was worried, but she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. She didn't need him to tell her what to do.
His question distracted her from being grumpy, though, and she thought it over. "I guess I could go see Claire? She always says to let her know if I need anything. And her parents like me well enough. They're nicer to me than they are to her, really. Jerks." She made a face. "Sheesh, none of us got real lucky in the family department, huh? At least Liam's a good egg, that's something in your favor."
All of a sudden she was starting to feel awfully sleepy. She yawned so wide it made her face hurt and her eyes water. "Scuse me," she muttered as she rubbed her eyes, trying to have decent manners in spite of her condition. "Are you sure I can't just nap right here?"
KEIRAN:
Would she really not go back home, or was this simply the wine talking? He never saw her like this before, so he couldn’t be certain on how truthful she was being. Maybe all of the things she was rambling on about before were a lie, too. A part of him could only hope.
A part of him? What about the other part?
Finally, she was mentioning Claire, whoever that was but he wasn’t about to ask. She was just going to have to direct him and was quite obviously not in the right mindset yet. ‘At least Liam’s a good egg, that’s something in your favor.’ Her words had him pausing and he leaned his head back against the tree with a sigh.
“He is, but...too bad he doesn’t have much of a great brother in return.” Wait, did he really just say that out loud? Keiran looked very surprised at the words that just slipped out of his own mouth, wondering if there was a chance she may not have heard it. She was ready to fall asleep, it seemed.
TEAGAN:
Teagan may be sleepy, but she wasn't deaf; she definitely heard what he said. Really, he was irresponsible, but he wasn't a terrible brother. Just an annoying one. He didn't need to sound so down about it. She frowned heavily as she leaned her head onto his shoulder. Her head was feeling heavier by the second, along with her eyelids. It was getting harder and harder to keep a coherent thought, too, but she was too stubborn to give up.
What had he said again? Oh yeah, that Liam was a better brother.
"The fact that you give a fuck is a step in the right direction," she mumbled. But if he felt that guilty about it, then why was he such a scoundrel anyway? That guilt ought to be keeping him on the farm, doing whatever the responsible thing was, right? So why was he always off with random women? Why was he sitting here with her? "If it bothers you, why not help more?"
KEIRAN:
Nope, she definitely heard it, and he sighed at that. Well, maybe she wouldn’t remember it, just like he was banking on her not remembering much of this conversation at all. It felt safe right now, and that wasn’t something he often thought about. Keiran just never bothered to let himself become vulnerable in any way. Not even with Bri a lot.
“Thanks…?” he said, not sure whether he should be offended or not. He had lifted his head a little when she rested hers on his shoulder, but he didn’t bother moving or shifting her away. Instead, he just let his head drop back against the tree where he gazed out across the road and the lands beyond.
‘If it bothers you, why not help more?’ “I guess you haven’t noticed...but I have been,” Keiran said quietly. “Supposed to be doing more work right now, but I found a drunkard on the side of the road...can’t exactly leave her out here, so…” He trailed off, vaguely gesturing with a hand.
TEAGAN:
"Huh. You're right, aren't you…." She considered that for a moment. He was setting up that whole co-op, helping not just with his own farm, but the others too. And he'd been out doing something before she saw him today, not someone. That was an improvement.
"Well, fuck, Keir, stop that. If you get all responsible, what excuse am I going to have to shut down all your dumb lines?" She swatted him lamely in the arm. She meant it, though, that was actually a frightening thought. If he cleaned up his act, what excuse would she have left to avoid that stupid magnetism that he had? Then what would happen? Would she be the one getting turned down instead? She wasn't good enough for anyone else, apparently. That's what her brother told her, after all. "If anyone is even interested in your fat ass besides that mangy farmer of yours.”
Or...if Keiran wasn't a troublemaker, would he still have the same draw? No, yeah, he would. There was no way he'd stop being an unstoppable flirt just because he did a bit more farm work. If anything, he might get more persistent, since he wouldn't have so much time to sleep around. He'd have a bunch of pent-up energy he'd have to vent by being stupider than ever. That reassured her. It would be kind of sad if Keiran stopped being Keiran.
"And technically you could've. Left me, I mean. I probably deserve that much. I'm kind of a bitch." She shrugged. It was the truth. She'd yelled at him, insulted him, ignored his hard work...and he was still sitting here with her. It kind of made her want to cry. "But...I'm glad you didn't."
KEIRAN:
He had been working and helping out wherever he could, but that didn't necessarily mean he was any good at it. Thus far, no one had complained of him mucking anything up royally, but there was still time. For now, though, he supposed this was a good thing. Keiran just wasn't sure how long he could keep it up for.
Deep down, of course he wanted to help. He didn't like seeing Liam so stressed, but this life wasn't for him. He could feel it, and yet, he couldn't say what he would do with his life if he was given the option. Right now, he was just going through life simply existing, trying to have a bit of fun along the way. He wondered how long that would last for.
Snapping out of these thoughts when she swatted at him, he tried to appear offended despite the gentle humor that glinted in his eyes. "They are not dumb lines," he argued. "And you know it." That came out as more of a challenge than he had originally intended, and it wasn't fair to pick on her while she was clearly tipsy. Fortunately, he was holding a bit of honor at the moment (and why was that again?) because those "dumb lines" would probably work pretty quickly on her. Actually, he would bank on it. "I could take advantage of this entire situation right now, Tea...I don't think you even realize." And maybe that was why he wasn't so willing to just leave her there on the side of the road. Not that many unsavory individuals traversed this path, but still.
Keiran shrugged the shoulder she was leaning on instead of swatting her arm in return. "You are, yeah," the farmer said a bit hesitantly. "But it's why I keep coming back. You fight me at every turn." Maybe he shouldn't like that, but...he was a glutton for punishment.
TEAGAN:
Not dumb lines? Oh c'mon, they were a little dumb. Or at least, the lines themselves were cheesy as hell--she wasn't planning on telling him that even the worst ones were pretty effective at sending her mind spiraling in an inappropriate direction. That was probably what pissed her off so much; this jerk could say pretty much anything with that grin of his and the stupid part of her brain was ready to play along. She didn't like not being in control--that was why she pushed back so hard, trying to prove she wasn't just another floozy who was going to fold with a wink and a nudge.
"I could take advantage of this entire situation right now, Tea...I don't think you even realize."
That bit had her frowning. That's true, he probably could. But he wouldn't. Actually, it hadn't crossed her mind that he even would. That was weird. She complained and insulted and poked and prodded...but when it came down to it, she didn't think Keiran was a bad person. Just infuriating.
"You are, yeah," the farmer said a bit hesitantly. "But it's why I keep coming back. You fight me at every turn."
She laughed at that, although the sound was a bit sad. "Yeah, I'm realllllll good at that part--but you're probably the only one who likes it." She sighed. "Everyone else just wants me to shut up."
Okay, so maybe hiding the dandelion wine from her brother because he was being an absolute ass wasn’t a good idea--it had only made him act like more of an ass. And maybe drinking it herself so she was sure he couldn’t have it was an even worse idea. Drinking alone was a lot less fun than drinking with friends, she was finding, even if Claire didn’t drink enough for it to ever mess with her head. It was still more fun with her and Cassie around. Drinking by herself just made her feel even lonelier and angrier.
Her brother had told her that nothing she did mattered anyway because she was just a stupid girl, and a younger daughter at that. She’d said something about him having rotten apples for brains, and that if he wanted to run the orchard into the ground so he could go back to Teronna, he was doing a fantastic job. He’d nearly slapped her. And then he’d said that he’d be glad when their parents finally sold her off to the highest bidder and she’d be some other man’s problem. When she’d gasped, he added on, “That is if anyone is even interested in your fat ass besides that mangy farmer of yours.”
That had been what sent her out into the orchard on her own, way out on the far corner by the road, as far as she could get from the house. She’d sat herself down under a tree and set to drinking the entire bottle of dandelion wine. When she’d started, she hadn’t felt anything at all, so she drank a bunch more, and things were starting to get a bit hazy. And somehow she still didn’t feel any better, until she spotted a familiar figure on the road. Speak of the devil and he shall appear, hm? That was the very farmer in question, although she wasn’t entirely sure he was interested in her ‘fat ass’ any more than any other one he could get his hands (among other things) on.
“Oi, farm boy!” She called out to Keiran, raising a skeptical eyebrow. “What on earth are you up to now? Off to ruin some new woman today, are we?”
She took another drink straight from the bottle, not caring if he saw. She was way past that, or at least, that’s what she told herself.
KEIRAN:
Clever as the devil, and twice as pretty.
Her mind may have thought she summoned him, but in reality, he was actually on his way home from Mr. O'Grady's again. The old fisherman had gotten his net caught for what was possibly the hundredth time, and Keiran had promised to help him out whenever he needed it. You know, because of this pact between all the farmers that he had strangely started. And to go back on his word, as annoying as it was to do any of this at times, would make him look bad.
And let's face it, Keiran already looked pretty bad to most, if not all, of the surrounding landowners.
It was difficult to keep his attention on these menial tasks, but he was at least trying. Of course, that didn't mean he didn't scurry off at random whenever he had the opportunity to do so. Farming was not something he relished. He did it because it was in his blood, because he was born into it and he basically had no other choice. But Liam was good at it. Hell, he seemed to actually love it, and Keiran admired his brother for it. He wished he had something he could just pour his heart and soul into.
Something that didn't require wading into cold waters to yank loose a net. Perhaps the old man needed to retire.
‘Oi, farm boy!’
Her voice actually managed to startle him, which wound up making the horse beneath him uneasy. "Whoa, whoa, hey...it's alright," he soothed the mare gently before those dark eyes found the redhead underneath the tree. Keiran immediately noted the bottle and it made that one eyebrow arch up in soft curiosity. Well, she was just straight to the point now, wasn't she? He hadn't even provoked her this time.
The words probably should have offended him, but he was brushing it aside as he regarded her from high in the saddle. "And what's it to you, my lady?" he called back. He rarely used such formality...and when he did, it was often mocking. Like now. Sure, her family had money, but he didn't seem to care either way. Teagan would probably be out of her jealous bloody mind either way. He was already smirking to himself.
TEAGAN:
“To me? Oh, nothing at all to meee. But then apparently I’m nothing too, so maybe it’s everything.” She wasn’t making sense with her riddles, but she didn’t much care. Her brother said she was nothing and nothing mattered. So did she matter or didn’t she? She took another drink of the wine and made a face. Did she even like dandelion wine? She wasn't sure anymore. “Maybe it would be something to me if I really was ‘your’ lady.”
Well, now there was a thought. But he’d never get around to it, would he? He was too busy having a good time to think about settling down, and he certainly wouldn’t want to do it with her, anyway. He was just messing with her because he liked getting a rise out of her. She narrowed her eyes at him. Maybe she should just ask.
“Do you even want it to be something to me? Or shouldn’t I even bother with you and your dumb pretty face?”
KEIRAN:
Wow, okay, what exactly was happening? What did he do now to warrant this attitude? Sure, Teagan was always one of the first to berate him, but this seemed to be coming out of nowhere. He was riding down the road, literally minding his own business, and the sass came out.
Keiran noted the bottle in her hand again. Was she drunk? Oddly enough, his smile was immediately gone.
Slipping down from the saddle in one fluid motion, his boots hit the dirt with a thud. The mare wouldn’t wander too far, only towards the nearest patch of grass as the farmer made his way closer to the angry redhead. ‘Maybe it would be something to me if I really was your lady.’ He had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. That wasn’t the first time he’s heard that from a woman, but it was certainly the first time he heard it from this one. And it was strange.
She was still talking, asking stupid questions he didn’t really have answers to. Or, at least, not the ones she wanted to hear. Keiran was closing in on her, reaching for that bottle to see how much was left in it. “How much of this have you had?”
TEAGAN:
She watched him with wary eyes as he got down from the horse, wondering why he wasn’t smirking at her the way he usually did. Maybe he really wasn’t interested in her at all, except as a game. Now, why did that make her entire chest ache? Didn’t she want him to leave her alone and give up on his silly charade? She was constantly telling him she thought he was a childish, immature, lecherous idiot, wasn’t she? Maybe he’d finally decided to take her seriously. Or maybe she wasn’t the only one lying through her teeth.
When he got close and reached for the bottle, she snatched it away and held it close to her chest with both hands, pouting up at him. What gave him the right to try and take it from her, anyway? She was a grown-ass woman, she could do what she wanted. And besides, it clearly wasn’t working, anyway.
“Not enough, I still feel shitty,” she answered petulantly and turned her body away from him so she could take another drink of it. As she brought it down, though, he got it out of her grasp, causing her to turn on him with a glare as she folding her arms over her chest.
“Now what did you do that for? I’m capably perf--” She frowned for a second, then tried again. “I’m perfectly capable--of taking care of myself.” The bottle in his hand was at least three-quarters of the way gone.
KEIRAN:
Oh yes, she often said quite a few things that probably should have hurt his pride. Yet, maybe he really didn’t care or it was possible he secretly believed all of it. Keiran realized after a while that, no matter what he did now, he wasn’t going to change anyone’s mind about him. They all saw him as they did now- it was too late. The least he could do, he figured, was be a little less of a vagabond, which was why he had called that meeting. He wasn’t a total idiot, but how many others believed it?
Yet, right now, it seemed some roles had been reversed.
Keiran nearly chuckled when she managed to keep the bottle from him for a moment, but he inevitably snatched it from her grasp to peer into the bottle. “You feel shitty because you’ve been drinkin’ this swill.” At least, it was swill to him. He didn’t drink much wine, period. Dark eyes drifted back to her face as an eyebrow shot up; prepared to correct her when she seemed to do it herself. “Aye, perfectly capable indeed…” he murmured in half amusement, while the other half was curious as to why Teagan decided standing out in the middle of the field with an entire bottle of dandelion wine was a good idea. It didn’t really seem like her. There could be bad men wandering about, bandits and thieves who would take advantage. And normally he was thrown into that category, but he wasn’t a total creep, alright?
“Why don’t we just...get you home, yeah? How’s that?” He tried taking her gently by the arm to lead her towards the grazing mare. Now that he found her, he couldn’t just leave her here in this state, even while a part of him was really itching to get her all flustered. It was like a knee-jerk reaction at this point. Keiran just had to do it, and it would probably be so easy to get under her skin right now. Among other things.
TEAGAN:
"No, I feel shitty because my brother is an asshole," she grumbled under her breath when he blamed the wine. Or at least she thought it was under her breath.
She was somewhat soothed by how he was treating her, somewhere in the background where her rational mind was being held prisoner by all her crazy. It was kind of sweet, actually, that he was trying to take care of her. At least until he said something about bringing her home; that slammed the door shut on her rational mind and emotions took full control. She yanked away from him sharply at that word and shook her head--at least until it made the world start to swim. She grimaced and held out her hands slightly as if she were trying to catch her balance. Things took a moment to stop wobbling.
"Oh no you don't. I'm not going back in there. Gavin will just--" She cut herself off, briefly looking as if she might burst into tears. She took a deep breath to redirect. She definitely did not want to cry in front of Keiran. He already probably thought she was stupid. Maybe she was.
"I'm just gonna stay right here, my stupid self and my stupid tree and my stupid wine. Maybe forever. I was going to wait for him to apologize but I'll probably get old and die waiting for that. Hell will freeze over before Gavin admits I'm right about anything." She stomped back to her apple tree and sat down at its base, then crossed her arms over her chest. "You don't have to help me, anyway, I know I'm just a pain in your ass."
KEIRAN:
A single brow arched up in curiosity when she called Gavin an asshole. Well, Keiran knew he was kind of an idiot, but he didn't know exactly what had happened for her to be so upset, enough to make her want to drink it all away. And perhaps he was about to ask when she drew back and nearly toppled over. She might've been further along than he originally thought.
This was really...strange, if he were being honest. There were way too many emotions going through her at once, and Keiran didn't handle emotions well at all.
His one hand lifted, palm out as if to temporarily surrender, to silently let her know that he wouldn’t take her home. And that was fine, but staying out here was a really stupid idea. Keiran could probably argue that a hundred times over but she still wouldn't listen. He kind of wondered if sober Teagan would even listen.
Sighing in slight annoyance as he watched her storm back to that tree, he glanced down to the bottle of wine still in his hand. He brought it to his face for a sniff before taking a quick swig. Keiran immediately grimaced before he made a slow approach back towards her, lazily taking a seat down beside her. He wasn't going to drag her back kicking and screaming, but he wasn't leaving her out there either.
This was Brianna's fault. Knowing and befriending her had made him soft in certain ways, even if he didn't often show it.
"Aye, you are a pain in my ass," he told her before handing that bottle back over to her. "So, what'd the idiot say to you?"
TEAGAN:
She actually laughed at the face he made when drinking the dandelion wine. That had been her first reaction too. She quickly swallowed her giggles, though, as he headed her way. She squinted at him in suspicion for a moment before she accepted the bottle and took a sip herself before offering it back to him.
"Well, first he said no one cared what I thought. So I said something about him being useless and just wanting to go back to Teronna, and he got angry and said he couldn't wait to sell me off to be someone else's problem." She rattled it all off nonchalantly, listing events on her fingers as she spoke. All her thoughts just came spilling out, where normally she would have censored them. In some ways, it was kind of nice. She leaned her head back against the tree and let herself relax a little, although her tone turned bitter as she continued. She didn't notice that she was slowly drifting sideways toward him until she had almost fallen over, and she jolted herself upright.
"Then, that dick, he said nobody would want my 'fat ass' except 'that mangy farmer of yours.' First of all I have a very nice ass, thank you, and second, you're not mine and you're not mangy either." She looked intently at him for a moment, considering. "You could use a haircut, but your smile is good. Annoyingly good. Very annoying. It makes me wanna strangle you a little. Or kiss you. Whichever one happens first? Both? Both." She was listing to the side again, slowly, but she kept talking.
"And besides, I'm not even sure you actually want my ass in the first place, you just like pissing me off, or something." There she went. She landed with a soft thud with her head in his lap. She was pretty okay with that, actually. Wasn't she supposed to be mad? "It is pretty fun, when we get going," she muttered to herself as she clumsily rolled herself into her back so she was looking up at his face. "You're confusing. I don't know if I like that."
KEIRAN:
This girl was a complete and total mess. Normally, he would have been thoroughly amused. Whereas he was grinning and chuckling at her here and there, it wasn't the same thing. Keiran was beginning to realize that he didn't like this Teagan simply because she wasn't wholly herself... although the candidness was making this entire situation pretty interesting.
For once, he was patient as he waited for her to explain; his brow furrowing at the mention of her being "sold off". He never did understand the ways of nobility, and why it was custom to force your children to marry those they did not care for, let alone know. But it always boiled down to money, and money corrupted a person and all logical thought.
His father was a prime example, and Keiran struggled every day not to go down that same path.
'...except that mangy farmer of yours.' Oh boy, drunk Teagan was very candid and more truthful than he would ever be.
Again, it should have been funny, but he wasn't laughing. He wasn't smiling again. This wasn't the first time this has happened to him, but this particular circumstance was different. Keiran should be diving right in and taking what he seemed to tease about all of this time, but he wasn't. He wouldn't. And that in itself was ridiculously annoying. No, it was frustrating.
Just when Keiran was trying to wrap his head around what she said, she kept talking in that drunken honesty...and it basically made him speechless.
He'd made a mistake, a horrible mistake. He shouldn't feel guilty, but he did.
Teagan startled him a second time as she fell over into his lap, and he sat there awkwardly until she finally stopped her rambling. He idly wondered how much of this she would even remember tomorrow.
"First off-" he finally began after a moment. "You do have a very nice ass." He had to assure her of that, at least, and he would know. Keiran wasn't exactly secretive about watching her as she walked away. Ever. "Secondly, I'm not anybody's. That's the point. Commitment is confusing and I haven't found any reason for it." It was his turn to be truthful, maybe because he expected her to forget this all later. "And if you know what's good for you, Tea, you'll never kiss me. That's the point of no return."
It should have sounded conceited, or like one of his "moves", but it wasn't. She may or may not pick up on it in her condition, but the farmer was actually warning her. For whatever reason, he wasn't willing to risk ruining her reputation. She didn't deserve that.
Look at him growing up.
He sighed then, resting his head back against the tree. "I tease and argue with you because you make it a challenge. Not many women can even do that. Their skirts are hiked up within minutes." Okay, so he chuckled at that, but it was all true. He wielded that smile like a weapon, and since the first time he tried it on Teagan, she managed to bat him away. It kept him going back, kept him trying despite his own warning. Now, he figured, he'd never act upon it, even if she were sober.
She really better forget this conversation tomorrow.
TEAGAN-
She watched him with the wide-eyed curiosity of a child as he answered, grinning only briefly when he agreed that she had a nice ass. It was interesting to hear what he actually thought for once. Refreshing, even. She enjoyed their banter most of the time, if she was honest with herself, but it could be frustrating not knowing what he really thought. This was enlightening.
"You better believe I'm a challenge. I'm more stubborn than a mule," she retorted proudly once he'd finished. "Sure, they have every right to just mess around, but what's the point? That's a waste of something good."
She reached up to try and pat his cheek and missed, just vaguely patting his whole face with a surprising amount of affection. "You and your smile are great, but I'm not jumping into anything that I can't keep. I want somebody who thinks I'm worth the moon and the stars. So don't you worry, farm boy. I'm not kissing you any time soon." She tried to wink, but it didn't go so well. "You can try all you want but I'm not giving in unless I believe it."
KEIRAN:
His face scrunched up from the strange, affectionate patting of his face, and put up with it for a few moments. It was amusing still, but he was afraid she was going to poke his eyes out, so a hand rose to delicately take hold of her wrist to stop her.
When she tried winking, however, he completely lost it. Keiran burst out laughing, trying to cut it short so he didn’t get carried away or she didn’t somehow get angry for him laughing at her. She really was, honestly, amusing this way, and he assumed this would be the only time he saw her like this- horribly honest and looking as though she was having a seizure when in fact she was just trying to wink. Still, it was her words that made the laughter die a little faster, and his face sobered.
“You won’t ever, I assure you. Because you do deserve someone far better and that understands your worth.” Ugh, could we maybe not get all sentimental now, mate? Thanks. Keiran shook his head at himself; a faint smirk on his lips that didn’t quite reach his eyes. His gaze had drifted to her hand he still held, a thumb brushing idly across her inner wrist before letting it go. “Now, do I have to carry your fine ass to that horse to take you home, or can you walk?” It probably wasn’t, you know, appropriate to just be lounging out here like this.
Since when did he give a shit?
TEAGAN:
She didn't quite understand why he was laughing, but she didn't mind as much as she thought she would. She kind of liked his laugh, when it wasn't at her expense. She was a little disappointed to hear that she wouldn't ever be kissing him, but then, wasn't that what she'd been telling him all along? She actually sighed a little as he brushed his thumb across the inside of her wrist, and let her eyes drift closed. She was feeling a little sleepy, under all the giddy nonsense. Maybe she could just...rest her eyes a little. She couldn't have put words to why she felt perfectly comfortable right where she was at, but she wasn't in any hurry to move.
“Now, do I have to carry your fine ass to that horse to take you home, or can you walk?”
Ooh, nope. Her eyes flew right back open, and she struggled to sit back up, using his arm as an anchor to tug against. She knew in every fiber of her being she could not go back to that house tonight. No way, no how.
"No, no, nononononono. I won't go back there. I don't even want to be under the same roof as that pompous bastard."
KEIRAN:
This was beginning to become strangely inappropriate...and when did he ever think that? This whole situation was supposed to be the perfect opportunity, and yet, he was denying himself everything. Because it was her. And just thinking that, he didn't quite understand what he meant by it.
He was just going to blame this all on Brianna. Somehow, this was her fault.
Keiran was about to ask her again when she suddenly snapped out of whatever trance she found herself in, claiming she would never go home. "Well, you can't exactly stay here, Tea..." he said, holding back a sigh. It felt like he was running around in circles. Maybe he would just leave her there. Eventually she would come to her senses, right?
"Alright...is there somewhere else I can take you then? You can't lay here all day, and I actually have work to get back to." Did those words actually just come out of his mouth? This felt like a bit of a role reversal...and it was strange. Keiran seriously needed to drop her off somewhere and move on.
TEAGAN:
Teagan scrunched up her face in an exaggerated pout as he told her she couldn't stay here in the orchard. It was sweet that he was worried, but she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. She didn't need him to tell her what to do.
His question distracted her from being grumpy, though, and she thought it over. "I guess I could go see Claire? She always says to let her know if I need anything. And her parents like me well enough. They're nicer to me than they are to her, really. Jerks." She made a face. "Sheesh, none of us got real lucky in the family department, huh? At least Liam's a good egg, that's something in your favor."
All of a sudden she was starting to feel awfully sleepy. She yawned so wide it made her face hurt and her eyes water. "Scuse me," she muttered as she rubbed her eyes, trying to have decent manners in spite of her condition. "Are you sure I can't just nap right here?"
KEIRAN:
Would she really not go back home, or was this simply the wine talking? He never saw her like this before, so he couldn’t be certain on how truthful she was being. Maybe all of the things she was rambling on about before were a lie, too. A part of him could only hope.
A part of him? What about the other part?
Finally, she was mentioning Claire, whoever that was but he wasn’t about to ask. She was just going to have to direct him and was quite obviously not in the right mindset yet. ‘At least Liam’s a good egg, that’s something in your favor.’ Her words had him pausing and he leaned his head back against the tree with a sigh.
“He is, but...too bad he doesn’t have much of a great brother in return.” Wait, did he really just say that out loud? Keiran looked very surprised at the words that just slipped out of his own mouth, wondering if there was a chance she may not have heard it. She was ready to fall asleep, it seemed.
TEAGAN:
Teagan may be sleepy, but she wasn't deaf; she definitely heard what he said. Really, he was irresponsible, but he wasn't a terrible brother. Just an annoying one. He didn't need to sound so down about it. She frowned heavily as she leaned her head onto his shoulder. Her head was feeling heavier by the second, along with her eyelids. It was getting harder and harder to keep a coherent thought, too, but she was too stubborn to give up.
What had he said again? Oh yeah, that Liam was a better brother.
"The fact that you give a fuck is a step in the right direction," she mumbled. But if he felt that guilty about it, then why was he such a scoundrel anyway? That guilt ought to be keeping him on the farm, doing whatever the responsible thing was, right? So why was he always off with random women? Why was he sitting here with her? "If it bothers you, why not help more?"
KEIRAN:
Nope, she definitely heard it, and he sighed at that. Well, maybe she wouldn’t remember it, just like he was banking on her not remembering much of this conversation at all. It felt safe right now, and that wasn’t something he often thought about. Keiran just never bothered to let himself become vulnerable in any way. Not even with Bri a lot.
“Thanks…?” he said, not sure whether he should be offended or not. He had lifted his head a little when she rested hers on his shoulder, but he didn’t bother moving or shifting her away. Instead, he just let his head drop back against the tree where he gazed out across the road and the lands beyond.
‘If it bothers you, why not help more?’ “I guess you haven’t noticed...but I have been,” Keiran said quietly. “Supposed to be doing more work right now, but I found a drunkard on the side of the road...can’t exactly leave her out here, so…” He trailed off, vaguely gesturing with a hand.
TEAGAN:
"Huh. You're right, aren't you…." She considered that for a moment. He was setting up that whole co-op, helping not just with his own farm, but the others too. And he'd been out doing something before she saw him today, not someone. That was an improvement.
"Well, fuck, Keir, stop that. If you get all responsible, what excuse am I going to have to shut down all your dumb lines?" She swatted him lamely in the arm. She meant it, though, that was actually a frightening thought. If he cleaned up his act, what excuse would she have left to avoid that stupid magnetism that he had? Then what would happen? Would she be the one getting turned down instead? She wasn't good enough for anyone else, apparently. That's what her brother told her, after all. "If anyone is even interested in your fat ass besides that mangy farmer of yours.”
Or...if Keiran wasn't a troublemaker, would he still have the same draw? No, yeah, he would. There was no way he'd stop being an unstoppable flirt just because he did a bit more farm work. If anything, he might get more persistent, since he wouldn't have so much time to sleep around. He'd have a bunch of pent-up energy he'd have to vent by being stupider than ever. That reassured her. It would be kind of sad if Keiran stopped being Keiran.
"And technically you could've. Left me, I mean. I probably deserve that much. I'm kind of a bitch." She shrugged. It was the truth. She'd yelled at him, insulted him, ignored his hard work...and he was still sitting here with her. It kind of made her want to cry. "But...I'm glad you didn't."
KEIRAN:
He had been working and helping out wherever he could, but that didn't necessarily mean he was any good at it. Thus far, no one had complained of him mucking anything up royally, but there was still time. For now, though, he supposed this was a good thing. Keiran just wasn't sure how long he could keep it up for.
Deep down, of course he wanted to help. He didn't like seeing Liam so stressed, but this life wasn't for him. He could feel it, and yet, he couldn't say what he would do with his life if he was given the option. Right now, he was just going through life simply existing, trying to have a bit of fun along the way. He wondered how long that would last for.
Snapping out of these thoughts when she swatted at him, he tried to appear offended despite the gentle humor that glinted in his eyes. "They are not dumb lines," he argued. "And you know it." That came out as more of a challenge than he had originally intended, and it wasn't fair to pick on her while she was clearly tipsy. Fortunately, he was holding a bit of honor at the moment (and why was that again?) because those "dumb lines" would probably work pretty quickly on her. Actually, he would bank on it. "I could take advantage of this entire situation right now, Tea...I don't think you even realize." And maybe that was why he wasn't so willing to just leave her there on the side of the road. Not that many unsavory individuals traversed this path, but still.
Keiran shrugged the shoulder she was leaning on instead of swatting her arm in return. "You are, yeah," the farmer said a bit hesitantly. "But it's why I keep coming back. You fight me at every turn." Maybe he shouldn't like that, but...he was a glutton for punishment.
TEAGAN:
Not dumb lines? Oh c'mon, they were a little dumb. Or at least, the lines themselves were cheesy as hell--she wasn't planning on telling him that even the worst ones were pretty effective at sending her mind spiraling in an inappropriate direction. That was probably what pissed her off so much; this jerk could say pretty much anything with that grin of his and the stupid part of her brain was ready to play along. She didn't like not being in control--that was why she pushed back so hard, trying to prove she wasn't just another floozy who was going to fold with a wink and a nudge.
"I could take advantage of this entire situation right now, Tea...I don't think you even realize."
That bit had her frowning. That's true, he probably could. But he wouldn't. Actually, it hadn't crossed her mind that he even would. That was weird. She complained and insulted and poked and prodded...but when it came down to it, she didn't think Keiran was a bad person. Just infuriating.
"You are, yeah," the farmer said a bit hesitantly. "But it's why I keep coming back. You fight me at every turn."
She laughed at that, although the sound was a bit sad. "Yeah, I'm realllllll good at that part--but you're probably the only one who likes it." She sighed. "Everyone else just wants me to shut up."
