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Post by Kiersten on Apr 27, 2024 17:04:16 GMT -6
Shannon shook her head, "Sorry," She shrugged her shoulders before heading towards the pathway back to the dorms, eyeing the fact that he drove. She debated on if she really wanted to ride in his truck back to the dorms, but before she could think about asking him, the clinic she had started calling picked up the phone. She stood nearby as she went over things with the receptionist, discussing what had happened, available appointment times, and what to do in the meantime.
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Post by Bri on Apr 27, 2024 17:52:31 GMT -6
"Yeah, something tells me you're really not." He said with a smirk, tucking his hands into his pockets as they walked, for once silent as he watched a few birds fly by, thoughts drifting to what his parents were doing back home, Dad was probably out for the fifth time already checking on the cattle or stacking hay, Momma was probably cleaning the house or was out in town with her church friends. The thought made him smile and hoped that some day he could have a life as simple and settled as they seemed to have. He glanced over when Shannon answered her phone, stopping and waiting for her.
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Post by Kiersten on Apr 27, 2024 18:41:57 GMT -6
Shannon hung up with a big smile, "Alright, got an appointment in an hour, plenty of time to clean this little guy up," And she could change quickly, not like it had to be flashy. "So I'll meet you in an hour." She didn't expect him to help her bath him, though she smirked at the image of him getting scratched up by Dorian, even if that meant she'd get scratched up too.
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Post by Bri on Apr 27, 2024 22:08:23 GMT -6
Reed paused when he saw her smile, his breath catching in his throat as he suddenly could empathize with a deer caught in headlights. "Okay, you don't want help cleaning him up?" He asked, looking down at the kitten, he may have been smile and tired but he wouldn't put it past the little feller to put up some kind of fight when put up to water.
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Post by Kiersten on Apr 27, 2024 22:58:19 GMT -6
Shannon opened her mouth to strangely accept his offer, but she stopped herself, "You're already helping me, and you've already helped me enough." She shivered at the thought of owing him something, like her mother whenever she called in a 'favor'. "You don't have to help me." She could handle it on her own, she thought, only a little afraid of his claws and teeth. She didn't need his company, and it was a good idea that he just stay away, but something had her wanting to ride with him to the dorms, get scratched up as they bathed the little man. She turned away, trying to hide her lips curling up as she thought about spalshing him with water just beacause.
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Post by Bri on Apr 28, 2024 17:46:59 GMT -6
"You act like you have to pay me back or something, I'm helping out because I want to, and this kitty needs a good fatherly role model or else who knows what he'll do when he grows up. Cat gangs are a real thing." Reed said but was fighting to keep the smile off his face from his last comment. "But I'm serious, I want to help." He added, this was too interesting to pass up anything and even if she was hunting around at denying him he still had the feeling and the want to at least get to know her and see why his mind couldn't escape thoughts of her.
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Post by Kiersten on Apr 28, 2024 18:07:27 GMT -6
Shannon looked at the ground, knowing she assumed he did, she assumed everyone did in the end. She snorted though, rolling her eyes at him saying the kitten would need a good father role, "Right, cause the kitten really cares who his parents are." she teased, heading for the pathway to the dorms, deciding to make a choice and stick to it, because she had to.
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Post by Bri on Apr 28, 2024 18:53:12 GMT -6
"Hey, he might have some deep rooted trauma and I'm not going to let that destroy his life." Reed continued to joke, "he has his whole future ahead of him and needs all the good role models he can get." He chuckled, looking at her from the corner of his eye but didn't stop himself from following next to her towards the dorms, "besides, I helped rescue him, I can be his Dad."
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Post by Kiersten on Apr 28, 2024 19:58:21 GMT -6
Shannon was shocked he was walking with her when he had his truck, "Alright, whatever," She rolled her eyes figuring he might end up like dead beat daddy, but had a feeling this was a way for him to get near her instead. She kept that to herself, but stopped along the path and turning to him. "Why aren't you driving?" She asked, though wondered if he was going to run all the way back here to grab it when they headed to the Vets. Or she could drive herself after all, though she didn't want to worry about the kitten being free to roam her car while she drove.
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Post by Bri on Apr 28, 2024 20:34:07 GMT -6
Reed frowned a little in confusion, "well aren't we going to wash the cat? I figured we could get him cleaned up then go in my truck." He told her, coming to a stop after she did, leaving them a few inches closer then he meant to be, leaving him to look down at her, "besides, who says you won't take off the second my backs turned?" The frown quickly flicked back up, unable to keep himself from teasing her.
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Post by Kiersten on Apr 29, 2024 18:35:50 GMT -6
Shannon looked up at him, feeling the urge to take a step back, but her fight or flight response had her wanting to stand and fight, even though there wasn't a threat. She looked towards the barn and his truck where he left it, "I mean, I guess we can walk back." Was all she said before she turned back towards the dorms, feeling like her heart was about to beat out of her chest. She rolled her eyes when he said she'd take off the second his back was turned, "Please, first of all. I can take off if I want to, you don't own me," She informed him, making a promise to herself that in no capacity would she give herself to him, even if ideas flowed to easily. "And second, where am I going to go? I live here." Unless she wanted to say goodbye the Hades, she wasn't going anywhere that might warrant the wrath of her mother.
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Post by Bri on Apr 29, 2024 21:45:37 GMT -6
"It is nice weather for a walk." Reed said with an easy grin, the walk from the barn to the dorms not being that long in his opinion but he he had been stuck walking for miles when his horse had spooked back home and he'd had to walk across acres of fields back to the house. "Never said I owned you," he replied in a sing song voice but deep down not liking any version of someone owning another person. "I don't know, you could go anywhere."
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Post by Kiersten on Apr 30, 2024 19:26:50 GMT -6
Shannon narrowed her eyes at him, thinking his words meant he did, but she dropped it since he didn't actually say the words. It was just another roundabout way to say it, like her mother, who had already said she owned her. "The only other places I'll be going, is New York, L.A., or wherever my mother wants me to go." She rolled her eyes, wishing her mom would just leave her alone, but probably wouldn't, even if she became financially stable herself. The girls dorm came into view which meant it would only take five minutes to get to her dorm.
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Post by Bri on Apr 30, 2024 20:39:49 GMT -6
Reed looked back at her, the grin still on his face as she glared at him. "Those sound like flashy places," he replied, her comment about he mom making him pause, catching in his brain but he couldn't figure out why. He looked up at the girls dorm, wondering how similar it was to the boys dorms. He assumed it was probably a lot cleaner.
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Post by Kiersten on May 1, 2024 20:32:05 GMT -6
Shannon tilted her head slightly, figuring flashy was a good word. "Just a house to me." She shrugged, knowing L.A. was more of a home to her, but really didn't matter as long as her mother wasn't around. She entered the girls dorm with him in tow and headed for her room, not even giving it a second thought that he was about to enter her sanctum. Minutes later she opened the door to her room, which was pink, fairly clean minus a few of the books she had been reading, strewn about the floor next to her bed. "Alright little one, let's get you cleaned up." She nuzzled against the kitten and the sweater, taking a deep breath in and hating herself for how good it smelt.
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Post by Bri on May 1, 2024 22:30:01 GMT -6
Reed nodded slowly, figuring it probably was nothing special to her if she'd been there a bunch and lived there. He followed her up to her room, tucking his hands into his pocket as he looked around, a bit surprised at how girl it was, expecting something dark red instead of light pink. As she cuddled the kitten he walked over to the bed, picking up a pillow with the design of eyelashes on it and held it up in front of his face like a mask, "I think these really bring out my eyes."
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Post by Kiersten on May 2, 2024 20:18:57 GMT -6
Shannon walked into the bathroom and started the water in the tub to start warming it up before returning to her room, raising an eyebrow at Reed, though she had a smirk on her face. "Oh yes. I think it works really well on you. Covers your whole face." she teased as she set the little kitten on the floor and started slipping her boots off, though was struggling with her right one.
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Post by Bri on May 3, 2024 0:34:35 GMT -6
"Oh, my heart." Reed dropped the pillow back onto the bed, dramatically grabbing his shirt above his heart and even falling to his knees to really bring home the theatrics before finally falling onto his back on the floor. "It...bro...ken." He gasped, reaching up towards her but then he dropped his hand to the ground, landing on her boot.
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Post by Kiersten on May 3, 2024 20:52:46 GMT -6
Shannon stopped trying to pull her boot off and stared at Reed, the little kitten who hadn't moved out of the sweater, seemed to be staring too. When he started acting dramatically, she raised an eyebrow, watching him clutch his shirt, and falling to his knees. She sat up quickly when he dropped his hand on her boot, and narrowed her eyes at him. "Done yet?" She asked with a roll of her eyes.
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Post by Bri on May 3, 2024 21:57:20 GMT -6
"Nope, dead." Reed said, cracking up an eye to look at her before gagging, grabbing he boot and squeezing it before going limp, sticking his tongue out of his mouth. He laid there for a few seconds before sitting up. "Okay, I'm done." He replied, flashing her a grin. "Need help with your shoe?"
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Post by Kiersten on May 3, 2024 22:22:33 GMT -6
Shannon crossed her arms as he continued to act like he was some Shakespeare actor dying on stage in front of an audience. When he squeezed her boot, she felt it in her foot, sending a tingling feeling up her leg making her clench her thighs together. She stared at him for a few seconds before slowly nodding, afraid of what she'd say if she opened her mouth. She wasn't always the best at keeping her mouth shut, but when her gut said to, she listened. What she didn't like, was the warm feeling she also got in her chest, her mother would disown her.
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Post by Bri on May 3, 2024 23:06:56 GMT -6
Reed looked back at her, bracing himself for her to ram her boot into his face or side but instead she nodded. He couldn't stop some triumph flashing in his eyes as he held the heel of her foot with one hand while reaching around with the other, finding the zipper and slowly pulling it down as he looked at Shannon. Even after the boot was off he looked at her before smirking and setting the book aside.
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Post by Kiersten on May 3, 2024 23:33:51 GMT -6
Shannon held her breath, wondering what had come over her, she didn't let anyone really touch her and taking off her boot suddenly felt very intimate. She could feel his fingers search for the zipper, and she cursed herself for not unzipping her boot before trying to take it off. Normally it just slipped off, but maybe it was because she'd gotten it stuck in the mud. She felt it, every burning second of his fingers pulling the zipper down, and her stomach started fluttering with thoughts of kissing him. She didn't realize she was staring at him until her eyes found his smirk on his face as he set her boot aside. That's when her brain lost control and her mouth and limbs took over, "Take off the other one," She paused for just a second before smiling up at him, trying to keep herself from biting her lip instead. "Please." She added as she put her leg up, sticking her boot in front of his hands.
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Post by Bri on May 4, 2024 0:09:35 GMT -6
It was like every inch the boot slipped down the tension between them thickened but Reed was unable to keep his eyes off of Shannon and it seemed she couldn't keep hers off of him. He tilted his head when she told him to take off the other boot then added please. Something in those words and the way she said it made him pause, heat flooding through his system. He slowly took her boot in his hands like he had with the first while keeping his eyes on hers. "Of course." He said, voice a bit husky as he slid down the zipper.
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Post by Kiersten on May 4, 2024 0:35:47 GMT -6
Shannon could hear her heart beat in her ears as the seconds started dragging on in agony and she didn't know why. They continued to stare at each other, a little surprised when Reed grabbed her boot, his hands searing into her heel as his fingers did the same as they found the zipper and zipped all the way down. She knew what she wanted to do, but she couldn't move, her head suddenly sending alarm bells at the fact she wanted to kiss him. Realization flashed over her face and her smile fell, her mind seeming like stockbrokers when the stock market crashes.
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Post by Bri on May 4, 2024 21:28:46 GMT -6
Reed carefully set her boot to the side, next to her other one, then looked at her to see her smile fall. The expression made him stop, one hand still on her heel and the other lowering to the floor. "Are you okay?" He asked, feeling the heat inside of him bank down a little, not wanting to make her uncomfortable since this was, after all, her room and he had just invited himself up.
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Post by Kiersten on May 4, 2024 22:00:16 GMT -6
Shannon’s foot felt like it was on fire from his touch despite being soggy and cold from being soaking wet. She didn’t hear him ask her something at first, her heart beat was still going wild in her ears. she wasn’t sure what made her lean forward, but she found herself closing the gap between them. What her body planned to do without consulting her brain, she didn’t know, but when her face was just inches away from his, a little cry from the kitten snapped her out of whatever spell she’d been under. “Dorian.” She whispered before pulling her foot out of his hand and walking over to the kitten who was trying to get out from Reed’s sweater. She picked up the little guy, glad for a distraction as she tried to force her heart to slow back down. She cleared her throat, “Need to get you cleaned up before we run out of time.” She said, not looking towards Reed as she moved into the bathroom, checked the temp of the water, and started filling up the tub.
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Post by Bri on May 4, 2024 22:52:59 GMT -6
Reed watched in disbelief as she leaned forward and started to lean into her himself, tilting his head slightly to catch her lips when all of a sudden it felt like she was ten feet away as she rushed for the kitten. He mentally cursed the little furball as he pushed himself up and followed Shannon to the bathroom. "Any signs of fleas yet?" He asked, trying to hold back a grumble in his voice from being cock blocked by a kitten.
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Post by Kiersten on May 5, 2024 10:44:13 GMT -6
Shannon distracted herself with kneeling at the tub and setting the little guy in the water to see if he'd freak out, but it seemed he was perfectly fine with getting wet as long as the water wasn't trying to drown him. "No, thank the Lord." She forced herself to respond, grabbing the bottle of dawn she'd snatched from the common kitchen before lathering him up with it, instead of using one of her expensive bottles of shampoo. She wasn't sure, but she could hear a little edge to his words, smirking slightly at the fact he almost got her to kiss him, thanking little Dorian for crying out when he did. While the kitten was walking around in the water, the mud coming off making it a dirty brown color, she moved to remove her wet socks, hating the feeling of them, hating the fact that she wished his hands were the one pulling them off, but she pushed the thought away. "Seems the pond made you a water cat." She chuckled, hoping that meant he'd be easy to keep clean, that is until a little water splashed him in the face and he jumped out of the tub and ran at Reed.
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Post by Bri on May 5, 2024 12:44:26 GMT -6
"Good." Reed replied, crossing his arms and leaning against the door frame as he watched but after a minute or so of standing like that a shot of pain raced up his back, like a lightning bolt that made him almost grunt in pain but he held it back. He slowly lowered himself down to sit on the floor, knowing that if he made himself keep standing the pain would only get worse. The relief was almost instant but it didn't last long when the little cat made a break for it. "Whoa there!" he reached out and grabbed the little fella, holding him at arms length but the creature struggled, clawing at his hands. Reed clenched his jaw, looking at Shannon. "I think you spoke too soon."
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