Fairytale Green

‘Where have you been?’ I asked as I stared up at the furious face.

Stone’s black eyes were frantically moving around my body as he watched me away from side to side.

‘I have been looking for you.’ He grumbled, his neck veins bulging out so much that they looked close to exploding.

The floor started to feel closer as I felt myself drift to one side. I raised my hands upwards and grabbed the first thing I could to stop myself from falling.

The closest thing just happened to be Stone’s chest.

My hands fisted his black t-shirt, and I kept them there as I felt what was underneath. Even with a layer of material between my palms and his skin, I could feel his generously sized muscles.

I fisted the material of his shirt so tightly that his chest tattoos were on display.

I looked up at him to see him watching me closely.

His gaze was so intense. His eyes always shone when I looked into them but now it was as if they had a whole galaxy of stars swirling around in the black orbs.

‘What are you doing?’ He rasped out, his voice hoarse.

I wanted to bring him more towards me so I could see his tattoos closer.

I just wanted him closer.

‘What are your tattoos of?’ I questioned before reaching out and running a hand over the exposed skin ‘They are like symbols, and I want to study them.’

Stone cocked his head and reached down to grab gently a hold of my hips as I started to sway again.

‘I want to study them like that guy from the DaVinci Code.’ I exclaimed and then I lowered my voice so I could whisper up to him ‘Although, I don’t think Robert Langdon wanted to lick the symbols like I want to.’

His large, calloused hands moved up from my waist to cup my face. His touch was gentle and warm as he held onto my face and brushed his thumbs against my cheeks. 

I wanted to relax into his touch.

He lowered himself so that his rough demanding voice was audible to me as he spoke ‘Who gave you the drink?’

‘I have two hands.’ I told him while wiggling my fingers in his direction ‘I got the drink myself.’

The heat of his touch made me feel all warm and fuzzy. It made me feel protected, so I let my eyes shut for a second or two.

Before I knew what he was doing, Stone leaned down and moved his strong arms around me. He wrapped one muscular arm around the back of my knees and the other around my waist. He hoisted me up and cradled me to his chest.

‘Oh.’ I let out a small laugh in surprise as I looked at his face because I was not used to being at eye level with him ‘What are you doing?’

‘Taking you home.’ His rough voice informed me.

I did not feel tired anymore. I peered back down at the ground and felt like it was flying.

‘I’ve never been to the top of the Empire State Building before.’ I whispered as he adjusted me, so that I was more comfortable and relaxed in his arms ‘But I imagine this is what it feels like.’

His expression was serious and full of concern as he walked out of the room with me in his arms. He clutched me close to his massive chest and I rested my cheek on his left pec while I listened to the hard erratic beating of his heart.

My attention was not on where we were going but rather on his face.

I reached out and ran my finger along his jawline and then it strayed to the edge of his mouth.

‘Why does it never move?’ I muttered while keeping my index finger perched on his lip.

His dark eyes connected with mine as he grunted ‘What doesn’t move?’

‘I want to see you smile.’ I frowned up at him as I replied.

All of a sudden, the corner of his mouth that was under my touch twitched upwards.

I pulled back my finger in surprise and let out a giggle as I realised, he had half-smiled.

His gaze softened like molten rock as he listened to my sounds of amusement.

We were approaching Lana and Brennan when I finally got over the shock of his smile and spoke again.

‘I’m like an ant compared to you.’ I whispered up to the giant ‘Am I really that small?’

Stone let out one gruff word ‘Yes.’

I let my body further relax into the thick muscly arms while I listened to Brennan and Stone’s conversation.

‘You were the one that drove me here and Ella was the one that drove Lana here.’ Brennan pointed out ‘We’re stranded.’

The deep voice seemed threatening as he affirmed ‘I am staying with her.’

A few more points of argument later and they had come to some sort of agreement. I did not know what I was because I was too busy poking the scowl on the giant’s face.

Lana took a step closer to the both of us and her expression turned stern as she scolded ‘Ella, you need to go to bed and sleep it off.’

‘Sleep what off?’ I asked in the form of a hiccup ‘I just want to dance.’

Stone let out a grumble of disapproval before he began walking away with me in his arms. I started wiggling around to try and escape his hold, but his response was to hold me tighter.

‘I want to dance.’ I complained while I threw my arms up and my head back in surrender.

He sent me a stern look as he rebutted fervently ‘I want you sober and safe.’

‘Please.’ I pleaded up to him and gave my best puppy dog eyes and a pout.

His eyes went to my eyes and then my mouth and then he kept his attention on anything else but me as he growled ‘Medusa.’

I exaggerated a growl back ‘Lurch.’

‘Are you trying to intimidate me?’ He questioned after a cavernous rumble resembling a laugh left his chest ‘You just look cute.’

‘I am not cute!’ I exclaimed, ‘I am Ella!’

Stone shook his head once. His usually emotionless expression contorted to one that almost looked like concern as he peered down at me.

All that went around in my head was the question of why he was doing this and why he cared so much about me getting home safe.

‘I can look after myself.’ I delivered softly.

He did not answer. He only sent a glare my way that meant there was no point in me arguing with him.

He was taking me home and that was final.

The smell of whisky on my clothes made me feel sick. It made me feel like I was just as worse as my father.

I remembered watching my father turn up to my mother’s funeral wasted and falling all over the place. The priest at the church even suggested we remove him. I vowed then never to end up in a state worse than him.

I had broken the promise I had made myself.

I guess both my father and I’s promises were like the bottles of alcohol in our apartment. They were completely and utterly empty.

We were nearly at the front of the door when someone shouted my name.

The big burly body carrying me stilled before turning around and facing the new voice.

Chase ignored the fact that I was cuddled into the chest of the giant because he only looked at me when he apologised ‘Ella, I am sorry.’

Stone’s eyes grew darker, and his jaw clenched when he looked down at me and uttered gruffly but softly ‘What did he do to you?’

The expression on his face was one that could give grown men nightmares. His tensed body and his terrifying scowl promised bloodshed if he did not like the next thing that left my mouth.

‘I called him Catwoman.’ I giggled in reply instead of telling him what really happened.

‘Ella.’ Chase said again.

‘Sorry I couldn’t be much use to you tonight.’ I remarked sarcastically as I turned my head towards the quarterback ‘Have a nice party, Catwoman.’

The arms around me were shaking. The veins bulged and the muscles flexed as he held on tighter to my body.

‘Much use to him?’ Stone thundered before snarling in the direction of the blonde guy ‘What did you say to her?’

Eyes widening, Chase pleaded ‘Ella, Come on—’

Stone took one large step forward. Then he stopped. He tilted his head downwards towards me cradled on his chest and he ceased moving towards Chase.

‘You are so fucking lucky she is in my arms right now.’ The furious man gnarled.

The blonde footballer ignored him and tried again to speak to me ‘Ella.’

‘Silence!’ I shouted at him like some medieval king ‘I do not wish to hear from you.’

Savagely, Stone remained frozen in place with his wrathful gaze staying on his target. The heat of his fury only stopped when I tugged at his shirt and gained his attention.

‘Can we go now?’ I whispered.

The giant offered me a silent nod. He offered the other person in the hallway a dark look that felt a lot like a threat and a promise rolled into one.

I could feel the obsidian gaze on my face as he carried me out of the house and down the driveway. He held me tightly like I was some sort of precious possession that he did not want to lose.

Everything was dark outside. I could only make out a few silhouettes of trees and cars.

I was not in my right mind, but I was pretty sure the man carrying me dipped his mouth close to my head and brushed my temple with his lips as he continued his stride towards the black truck.

‘Are you sure we can’t stay a little longer?’ I yawned ‘I want to dance.’

‘No.’

‘But—’ I began to argue.

‘No.’ He grumbled again.

‘Do you always get your own way?’ I asked, my words muffled because my mouth was against his chest

‘No.’ He spoke through gritted teeth ‘I don’t.’

I tilted my chin up and looked at him.

‘If I always got my own way then you would not touch him. You would not smile at him. You would not look at him.’ He grounded out roughly like the words eating away at his insides ‘Fuck. I don’t want you to even think about him.’

The night sky was dark so I could not see his face clearly. I wondered if his jaw was clenched, or his eyes had grown blacker.

An image of him killing me and throwing me in a ditch came to mind and I shivered in his embrace.

‘Are you going to murder me, Lurch?’ I asked quietly

I then facepalmed because I had called my potential killer a nickname that I used to insult him.

Stone released a single chuckle that shook his chest ‘I will not kill you, Medusa.’

‘You promise?’

‘I promise.’ He lowly recited without hesitation.

I swore I heard him mumble something under his breath, but I did not stretch up high enough in his arms to catch his sentence.

‘What did Chad say to you?’ The deep voice spoke up again, his tone tyrannical.

‘Chad?’ I repeated as I bit my lip to stop myself from laughing ‘Do you mean Chase?’

‘You said you were sorry you were not much use to him.’ Stone’s words were so low that they were dangerous as he pushed them out of his clenched jaw ‘What did he said to you?’

To avoid him going on a murdering spree, I kept my explanation brief ‘It was nothing serious. He was just showing off in front of his friends.’

‘At your expense.’

‘I handled it.’ I replied with a sigh.

The animalistic noise of disapproval that shook his chest and reverberated through me indicated that he was not happy.

We arrived at his truck parked a few minutes away from the large beach house. Stone took all my weight on one arm as he opened the car door and carefully placed me inside the passenger seat.

His large vein-struck hand reached over my body, and he fastened my seatbelt for me. He then removed his leather jacket from his shoulders and placed it over my chest.

I rested my head back against the car seat as I watched him round the car and sit in the driver’s seat.

‘I could walk home.’ I suggested to him before pointing out ‘You should go back and enjoy the party.’

He turned his head quickly to the side so he could send me a frown.

‘I only came for you.’ He uttered lowly, staring straight ahead as he turned the engine on.

‘You are dragging me away from a perfectly good party.’ I told him with a small laugh ‘You are such a party pooper, Ponyboy.’

‘Ponyboy?’

‘From The Outsiders.’ I explained as I snuggled into his leather jacket ‘You look like you should be in some sort of gang like The Greasers. A motorbike gang specifically.’

Stone chuckled again ‘Only you would make book references while you are drunk.’

‘Where is your motorbike?’ I sighed ‘When am I going to get to ride it?’

‘When you are sober.’

My attention dropped down to the veins in his arms as he moved the gearstick. Then my gaze dropped even lower, and my eyes widened.

‘Woah!’ I said while pointing at what had caught my attention.

His eyes flicked to the side, and he looked concerned as he queried ‘What?’

‘Look at your feet! They are humongous!’ I exclaimed before I voiced ‘What size are they?’

Stone glanced my way again before answering ‘Size fourteen.’

I giggled ‘You know what large feet mean.’

A deep strangling noise left the bottom of his chest.

‘It means large socks.’ I replied before covering my mouth and trying to control my belly laugh.

‘Ella.’ He said in a dark tone of warning.

The car turned the corner as I sat curled into the seat with a grin like the Cheshire Cat.

His gaze dropped to my lips before he questioned ‘What has you smiling?’

My smile grew and I leaned closer to the driver’s seat as I drawled out ‘Your voice sounds so sexy when you say my name.’

Stone’s black eyes widen until they appeared like two large obsidian crystals.

‘Have you always had such black eyes?’ My voice came out quieter than I had intended

‘The only colour I have seen in them is when I see the reflection of my green hair.’

He focused on the road when he responded, ‘Where do you live?’

I let out a sigh before I told him the address.

‘Why did you drink so much?’ He asked, his tone growing more serious.

‘I wanted to forget.’ I rested my head on the window and watched the horizon of the sea as I admitted to him ‘Even just for a night.’

‘Forget what?’

‘Everything’ I whispered and then shook myself out of my sad state before remarking ‘Did you know us humans have explored and understood more on Venus and Mars than our own ocean?’

The concerned black eyes stole a glance my way.

‘We have no idea what goes on under there.’ I voiced while looking out to the sea ‘We never will.’

‘Are you scared of the water?’ Stone asked.

‘Yes. Metaphorically, I am.’ I uttered quietly ‘It is what the beach unlocks for me. I’m not scared of the jellyfish if that is what you were thinking.’

Silence filled the car, and I felt my eyes start to grow heavy.

‘Have you got any other facts about the ocean?’ Stone’s deep voice spoke up again.

I knew that he knew I needed a distraction.

‘The male anglerfish is much smaller than the female. When he takes an interest in a girl anglerfish, he shrinks even smaller until he is just a sperm. He implants himself into the woman and will stay there for the rest of its life, impregnating her whenever he wants.’ I rambled on ‘She will be none of the wiser until she starts having little fish babies.’

Stone raised an eyebrow as he watched me in his peripheral vision.

‘Usually that fact would creep me out.’ I admitted, ‘It still does but I feel a lot better now.’

When he focused back on the road, I decided to switch on his radio which had a CD inside. I started to sing along to the music, laughing when I slurred on some of the syllables.

‘You have good taste in music.’ I confessed, ‘I wanted to tell you that when we went to the beach, but I didn’t really want to compliment you.’

‘I know you did.’ He revealed, taking another glance my way before he looked at the road ahead.

The black truck parked up on the sidewalk outside of the miserable-looking apartment building.

The day my parents bought the apartment was one I remembered vividly. My mother was not a massive fan of being tied down to one place. That is my parents bought the small cheap apartment so that we had more money to spend on vacations. My mother even insisted on not buying much furniture.

My mother always said home was not a place but rather a person. Her logic was that it did not matter where you chose to live. It was all about the people you had around you.

If my mother’s philosophy was right, then I had no home.

I removed my seatbelt and turned to the driver before delivering ‘Thank you for the ride, Lurch.’

His reply is not heard because I quickly get out of the car and closed the door. I made it a few rocky steps before my knees started to feel like jelly.

My legs gave in, and I was about to drop to the floor like a sack of potatoes until two arms caught me.

Stone once again hoisted me up so that I returned to being carried bridal-style by him. He held me closer than the first time. His grip was secure and comforting.

‘Be careful.’ He gritted out, his jaw continuing to tick.

He carried me like I was weightless as he made his way up the one flight of stairs.

‘Am I not heavy?’ I mumbled into his chest.

‘I lift weights four times the heaviness of you daily for a warm-up exercise.’

I tilted my head and mumbled in astonishment ‘Really?’

‘You are as light as a feather.’ He remarked, a hint of amusement to his deep voice ‘Maybe because you are so small.’

‘I’m not that small!’ I argued as he gently set me down at my front door.

His hands remained on my hips in support as held me up and questioned ‘Do you have your keys?’

I brought my hands up to my chest and squeezed my boobs. I felt my phone in my bra but not my keys.

‘Kermit has my keys.’ I whispered in realisation.

‘You left your keys in the car?’ Stone summarised.

I nodded before bending down. I felt my butt brush his leg as I turned over the doormat and retrieved my spare key.

‘That was a close one.’ I laughed in relief as I jiggled the keys happily.

The tendons in his neck looked like they were going to snap as he rubbed his hand along his stubbled jaw and cursed.

‘You keep a key under the mat?’ His voice grew deeper and more vexed as he lowered his head and scolded ‘Do you know how dangerous that is?’

‘It’s okay.’ I told him before I started fumbling with the lock on the door ‘A few people have told me that if I got kidnapped then the kidnappers would end up returning me in the first few minutes because I am so annoying.’

Silence hung in the small space between my body and the huge muscular one.

‘Not funny.’ Stone grunted, ‘Not funny at all.’

I pushed the door open and went stumbling inside. I was about to dive headfirst onto the floor, but Stone caught me for the hundredth time and lifted me up.

He held onto me by my underarms brought me up to his chest so that I had no choice but to wrap my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist.

‘This was not how I expected to meet your parents.’ He grumbled softly.

‘You don’t need to worry about that.’ I assured him before shouting into the vacant house ‘Honey, I’m home.’

Stone scowled at the empty space of my apartment when he grunted ‘Are your parents on vacation?’

‘Something like that.’ I replied vaguely.

His expression hardened further when he noticed my change in mood. His lip dropped further into a frown when he noticed me trying to hide my face away from his view.

‘You are not putting that key back under your mat.’ He commanded rather than ask of me

‘It is not safe.’

‘There is nothing valuable here for a burglar to steal.’ I assured but then something came to mind, so I added to my original argument ‘Except my collector’s edition of Pride and Prejudice. On second thought, I will hide the key better.’

‘Where is your room?’ He questioned as serious as ever.

I grinned up at him while wiggling my eyebrows suggestively.

‘You are the most attractive man ever, but I can’t have sex with you.’ I delivered to him with a huff ‘I’m wearing a mustard-coloured bra that still has stains from the taco I ate last week. I thought that if Chase tried anything, it would scare him away.’

‘Where is your room?’ He ordered to know again but he growled the words this time.

I pointed down the corridor and he nodded once before storming down the hallway with me still in his embrace.

Not caring what he thought, I cuddled into his chest for warmth.

‘I wish you weren’t the sexiest guy alive.’ I whispered absentmindedly as I stared up at him.

Stone’s eyes widened slightly, and they shone with an unknown emotion as he quickly turned his head downwards so that he could look at me.

‘I can’t be attracted to you.’ I voice aloud although it was more to myself.

His jaw clenched and the strict line of his jawbone grew even harsher. A strand of black hair fell onto his forehead as he grounded his molars together.

‘Why not?’ He tried to soften his voice as he asked the question.

‘We are rivals. We are acqenemies and we can’t stand each other.’ I pointed out ‘We hate one another.’

He watched me closely as I yawned then tilted my head upwards so that I could see him better.

‘I wish you were an ugly little troll.’ I admitted to him and then I let out a cry ‘Although, I don’t think that would make a difference.’

‘Why not?’

I smiled while I reached up and ran my finger along his bottom lip ‘Can I tell you a little secret?’

The giant nodded.

‘Sometimes I like talking to you.’ I admitted quietly while dropping my gaze to my hands  ‘I like your company when you are not mad at me.’

His expression changed suddenly. The features on his face remained hard and defined but the emotion he wore was nothing but soft.

‘I am never mad at you.’ He affirmed with a gruff sigh ‘Fuck, I could never be mad at you.’

Another yawn escaped me as I spoke again ‘I think that I might secretly like your personality, and I have no idea why. You are so annoying.’

Stone chuckled and I basked in the warm rumble of a sound. I wrapped my arms and legs around him tighter as I listened to the deep noise in his chest.

‘You are going to regret everything in the morning, Medusa.’

I stretched up and placed my chin on his shoulder before murmuring ‘I probably won’t remember anything.’

My messy room that appeared like a bomb had gone off in a library welcomed us.

The goliath guest looked around the area as if he was trying to memorise every part of the room before he left.

Stone walked over to my bed and pulled back the sheets. He gently set me on the bed so that my head carefully rested again the pillow. He pulled the bedsheets over me and made they were covering up to my neck.

I looked up at my ceiling. The same ceiling, I peered up at when I cried myself to sleep at night.

‘Can you stay a while longer?’ I whispered into the darkness.

The bed creaked and drastically shook when the colossal sized man sat down on the mattress next to where I lay.

I reached out into the dark with my hand and it quickly got enveloped by a larger hand.

A tingly feeling like electricity danced along me as Stone gently caressed the skin on my palm.

We stayed like that for what felt like an hour. We stayed in silence as the large hand caressed my own and I looked into the darkness and wished that I could see his face.

‘Why are you with him?’ The deep demanding voice spoke up after a long while of quiet.

‘I don’t know.’ I replied which was truer than the first answer I gave him at the beach ‘Maybe it was to make myself feel less lonely.’

The heated tingles continued to tickle my hand. They also touched my face when the other hand belonging to the man on my bed softly moved a piece of hair so that it was tucked behind my ear.

‘You smell like leather and engine grease. Like a really manly smell.’ I admitted when he neared to move my hair ‘I love it.’

Stone never said anything. He continued to hold my hand in the dark.

‘Do I smell like anything?’ I voiced when did not speak.

‘Apples. You smell like apples.’ He admitted, his voice deepening and roughening ‘I ate five today.’

‘You ate five Ella’s?’ I shrieked in horror.

Another chuckle left him as he tried to order sternly ‘Go to sleep, Medusa.’

I smiled in his direction. I let my smile grow wider when I remembered that he could not see me in the dark.

‘You have so many things to tease me about now, Lurch.’ I mentioned.

His fingers intertwined with mine and I held onto his hand.

‘We will be back to being acqenemies the next time I see you, but I want you to know that I am grateful for tonight.’ I delivered softly ‘Thank you.’

‘You never need to thank me for anything.’ Stone returned gently yet firmly.

I felt my smile grow in size.

‘I’m just glad I got to see Medusa’s lair.’ The gravelly voice added.

I let the side of my face fall onto my pillow when I teased him ‘Are you not going to stay and give me a bedtime story?’

A few minutes later, he cleared his throat and grumbled faintly ‘There once was a girl with puke coloured hair—’

‘It is not puke coloured!’

‘Who said it was about you?’ He rebutted with a hint of amusement in his tone before he continued ‘She lived in a tower where she left her key under the doormat. She was not the most sensible girl.’

I interrupted him ‘You are so terrible at telling a story.’

He let out a husky laugh ‘What were you expecting? A fairytale?’

‘No. I am not.’ I breathed out a sigh ‘It is okay though. I never really wanted a Prince Charming.’

My eyelids grew heavier. I let my eyes shut and bathed in the comfort that came with knowing he was there.

‘I can’t keep you in my lair forever.’ I whispered again into the dark ‘You can go.’

The room went quiet for a minute or two. The silence stretched on and on until it shattered.

‘I don’t want to leave you.’ The low raspy voice delivered ‘Not ever.’

As the sound of footsteps went quieter and quieter until there was nothing, I convinced myself that I had imagined him saying that. I told myself that it was part of my wildest dreams.