The Iron in Blood

"Like your new house?" his voice was reassuringly familiar.

"Very nice, Fergus. I need a knee brace."

I heard the exaggerated sigh on the other end. "What size?" Fergus never bothered querying my requests, no matter how strange they might seem. I was grateful.

"I'm not sure. Big enough to fit a seventeen year old girl, height maybe five-seven."

"Is it for Rebecca Harding?"

"Yes."

"Is she there?"

"Yes."

"Have you told her?"

"Yes."

"Can we talk to her?"

"Sure." I switched the iphone to speaker mode, and carried it through to the sitting room. "My brothers want to say hi, Rebecca."

Her eyes widened slightly, but she nodded, and spoke nervously towards the mobile. "Hello?"

"Hello Rebecca," Fergus almost purred.

I mouthed Fergus' name and she nodded. "Hello Fergus."

"Welcome to the family, Rebecca." Marcus sounded enthusiastic.

"Thanks." Rebecca was starting to look a bit bewildered, so I interrupted. "Knee brace, Fergus. As soon as possible."

"An hour, brother. Bye Rebecca!" Click. I looked up at Rebecca and smiled. She smiled back but she looked confused, and apprehensive. It was beginning to dawn on her properly now. I wanted to hold her, and reassure her that it was all going to be OK, but I was afraid of touching her. And then her face started to crumble, and tears welled up in her eyes.

Rebecca

It was too much. I'd apparently almost died today, and now I had to adapt to the idea that I was fundamentally and weirdly different from everyone around me. I felt unbelievably isolated and lonely. And those two disembodied voices confirming the madness. I wanted to cry, to curl up somewhere where this was not my reality. I felt those weak pathetic tears forming in my eyes and I tried to turn away so Angus wouldn't see me crying, but next thing he was there, lifting my chin with his long fingers, and smiling down at me, and enfolding me in his arms, and all my fears evaporated. I felt safe. I buried my face in the fabric of his shirt, snuggling against his shoulder, and wound my arms around his warm fragrant body. I felt his body shudder, and heard the sharp intake of his breath, and heard the rapid thudding of his heart against my ear.

His fingers found my chin again and tilted my face upwards. I looked up into glittering eyes black as night. And then his mouth was on my mouth, his lips moving urgently against mine. I closed my eyes and surrendered to the sensation that flooded through me. His free arm tightened around my waist, and pulled me against his chest. I felt the strength and tension of his body through the thin fabric of his shirt.