{ota} you must not know 'bout me

[eucre]

She's hiding. She's been hiding for a few days now. Of course, she's only hiding from a few people. Chances are, if you're looking for her, she'll let herself be found.

But an angry Piper isn't a happy Piper and a not-happy Piper isn't quite fit for bouncing around the Deck and popping into castles like a happy Piper is. Which is why these past couple days, she's more often up in trees or hiding in bushes or generally not in people's faces.

Which is okay. Right? Piper can take a couple days to be a confused, raw, displeased Felicia, can't she?

Comments

[piqued]

Well. At least that means he still knows what's Hurting Her. Something which, at this point, Won't Change the way she wants it to.

"Dunna want her. Want my sister."

Can't he want both? Can't he Love them in completely different ways?

[eucre]

"I don't want her," she says stubbornly, crossing her arms tight over her chest. "But no one listens to Piper."

[piqued]

"An' they'd listen better 'f she'd come down from the tree."

He hated snapping at Feilim. Snapping at Piper used to come so naturally. It pops up again now with the sharp anger he's been trying Not to have about this situation.

[eucre]

"If she comes down, she'll run away," she warns, finally turning to look down at him properly through the branches. "Run far, far away. Where brothers who don't love her can't find her."

[piqued]

"'ve you got one of those, then?"

Because it wasn't Him. He'd done his best, at their Father's prompting, to Cut Off the connection; not to fill the hurt of losing their brother with a new, unnecessary Love for a sister only he wanted. It had been impossible.

"I love you, Piper."

[eucre]

"You love her more," she accuses, blinking against whatever is stinging at her eyes. "You don't care about me."

[piqued]

"I love her different." One hand reaches out almost unconsciously to grab at the air where her shoulder Ought to be if she were standing beside him. "'ve you already stopped trusting me?"

[eucre]

"You don't trust me. You didn't tell me." Her lips tremble, and she pouts at him defiantly.

[piqued]

He didn't tell her. Not, at least, until after the Offer (such as it was) has already been on the table. There's the slightest bit of a Falter at that.

"I didn't... Felicia, I didn't think-- you'd care."

[eucre]

She can't help the fairly helpless sound she makes at that. "Felicia doesn't-- care? He thought--? But she... she was trying to be a-- a good sister."

[piqued]

"...'ve not... been a brother for a long time, you know." More than a Decade at this point, wasn't it? "I'm--"

It's hard to say. Genuinely.

"I'm sorry I upset you."

[eucre]

She hesitates, then starts to climb down, dropping from a tree branch to land on the ground. "You didn't care. What Felicia thought."

[piqued]

It's hard not to Reach for her. He has to clutch his own wrist to keep himself at bay. "Dunna what you want me t' say."

[eucre]

"... Dunno what you can," she admits, a firm crease forming in her forehead as she frowns.

[piqued]

"An' what, then?" Twisting his sleeve doesn't actually Help. "Are you-- done with being my sister?"

[eucre]

Her lips tremble again and she takes a shaky breath. "I don't-- don't wanna be done."

[piqued]

"An' I don't want you to be done." He can't stop himself. His coat is already in his hands; it swings almost of its own free will to pull around her shoulders in the now-familiar protective fashion. "Please-- let's talk."

[eucre]

She nods, fingers curling in his shirt as she moves closer. "You didn't-- you messed up."

[piqued]

"...I did." He should have Remembered that Feilim liked knowing things, wanted to help, needed to be Involved to keep from panicking. He should have told her he was Thinking about it before the question slipped out. "But it's done."

[eucre]

"... thought you were going to leave Piper," she admits quietly, reaching up to flick at her hair.

[piqued]

That gets an unnaturally short breath before his arms pull to hold her Properly in against his chest. "I'd na. D'you not believe that?"

[eucre]

"-No? I believe... I don't know anymore." Her voice is even quieter now.

[piqued]

"'m not our father, Felicia." His grip tightens unconsciously. "'m not going t'-- leave you on your own like that."

[eucre]

"... okay. Okay. Don't- don't leave Piper." She lets herself be bundled closer, burying her face into his chest as she takes controlled breaths in and out.

[piqued]

There. She's Close again. She's Safe where he doesn't have to let Her slip away too.

It takes a moment of breathing before his head drops down to rest over hers, lips moving against her hair. "I won't leave you. 've got... t' love Annie and Master Victor, but... you'll always be special. Always right--"

Half a second to bring her head around, press it more properly against his heart.

"--here."