bakerstreet | The slowest burn is the most painful

Arranged Marriage Turned More

To have and to hold, you said, till death do us part, all while the sharp, swinging pendulum of obligation hung overhead. But how could you have truly meant those words? This union has been tainted from the start, forever bearing the chains of an arranged marriage. It would be understandable if you couldn't bear to look at your new life partner, eternal reminder of your stolen future that they are, much less like them.
Much less love them...

Still, things can change.

You could realize that they are in the same boat as you or, that when compared to others around you,
they are the lesser of evils. Perhaps you even open up to the idea of a friendship; at the very least,
an alliance may be in order to become a power couple in a perilous world. From that innocent decision or sense of self-preservation, a new feelings sparks. Something like affection.

Something, you realize in the wake of speeding heartbeats, like love.

Will you acknowledge this? Can the two of you have a happily ever after - happier than if you'd met in another fashion - or will you hold firm in your distaste?

how to play.

- Everybody loves "couples forged by less-than-ideal circumstances" tropes!
- Comment with your character, prefs, all that good stuff.
- Reply to others.
- IDEC where you set your threads, it's wide open. Fantasy world with hairy hobbits, old-timey lands, future AUs, do a space marriage for all I care. I'm sure they're still getting married in Star Wars or whatever.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Cooperate with my whims!?" Ronan snaps. "You work two jobs that you don't need and hardly eat. Like it or not, you are my husband. It's my fucking job to take care of you. Can I at least have that much? Can't you just let me do that?"

He throws his hands up in frustration, grabs the bottle from the wheelbarrow and storms off.

"Heaven fucking forbid I want to make sure he eats." Ronan is talking to himself as he marches off toward the barn. "Fuck. My whims? Really?"

Adam rolls his eyes at Ronan storming off and muttering to himself. Heading back to the house, he goes to get some of the sandwiches from the counter and takes a couple of beers from the fridge, then returns to the barn to look for his husband.

The barn is warm and softly lit. Ronan sits in one of the stalls, piled high with straw. A large, dark cow covered in longer, shaggy hair sleeps near him. Sitting on a stool he is petting the shaggy forehead of a much smaller version of the other cow as it suckles from the bottle Ronan holds.

He couldn't stay irritated as he watched the newly born animal drink. Ronan looked peaceful as he sang softly under his breath and the calf drank.

Adam smiles as he walks up and hears the singing. It's sweet. Ronan has such a soft side when the two of them aren't quarreling. "If I dislocate two of your fingers will I get a lullaby, too?" he teases, leaning against the wall of the stall.

"He didn't do that. Did you big guy?" He coos sweetly at the animal. "His mom did." Ronan glances back at Adam. "If it would help you relax around me...yeah, I'll sing to you."

"No one's ever sung to me before. Seems worth a try." Adam takes a seat on the straw near him, on the side away from the animals, and starts eating his sandwich, holding the plate so that Ronan can reach the other one.

"What kind of music do you like?" He switches hands holding the bottle. Leaning to the side he scoops up a sandwich and takes a huge bite. The snarky side of him wanted to say something about Adam not being hungry. The part of him that wanted to care for him and maybe get Adam to like him just bit his tongue. "I mean, I'll need to know what to sing."

"You pick," Adam says, setting one of the beer bottles on the ground near Ronan and cracking open the other one for himself. "Whatever you want to sing to me."

"Most of the music I listen to doesn't have words. Plus, kinda defeats the purpose of me trying to get to know you." Ronan motions with a finger for Adam to come closer. "You want to feed him?"

"I want Irish lullabyes," Adam teases, smiling. "You must know some."

He glances more warily at the baby cow. "I'm not good with animals."

"Oh you think?" Ronan smiles back. This was good. "I can help you. If you want. I mean you don't have to."

"I'd rather watch," Adam says, though he shifts slightly closer against Ronan, so that his shoulder brushes Ronan's side. "Maybe next time he and I will both be less nervous about it."

Ronan smiles softly and nods. He glances at the calf and back at Adam. "He's calm. Loves to be pet and loved on. Like a really big dog."

"Sounds like you," Adam says, softly teasing. He reaches out very tentatively and pats the calf's head, scratching gently around its ears.

"Does it?" Ronan holds the bottle steady. Adam the baby cow looks at Adam but doesn't flinch or jerk, he just keeps sucking on the bottle.

"Hopefully without some of your less pleasant qualities," Adam says, taking his hand back and looking away. "You were shitty to me this morning."

"Are you going to tell me what you think those are, or keep me guessing?" Ronan pets the calf on his neck with one hand while he holds the bottle. "Because I suggested that you don't work? Or because I asked you to stay home and work the farm with me so I could try to show you something about myself? I'm at least trying, Adam. I might not be good at it but it's fucking effort."

Pulling away from him, Adam flashes him a disgusted look. "I let you push my comfort zone because you made me feel safe, and then I let you push it again, and then you pushed my boundaries again, asking for another kiss, wouldn't take no for an answer, and when I still refused you withdrew from me completely. So now I don't feel safe around you. And I'm still trying. Fucking effort? I'm here. And I'm trying. Even though part of me is just waiting for you to refuse to take no for an answer again."

"Fuck you." Ronan snaps. "I was flirting. I was joking. Trying to lighten the mood and have fun with you. Every fucking move I make you are weighing as if it is life and death. And I'm just trying to have fun with you and get to know you. Shit. You refuse to tell me anything about you."

Ronan stands up and takes a step away from him. "How do you think it feels to be treated like I am your abuser even though I would never raise a hand to you? You treat me like a villain. How the fuck do you expect me to take that!?"

The slowest burn is the most painful

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