Strings of Fate

131- Agitation and ASMR Bellamy heads off to his meeting after we have breakfast, although he grumbles about having to go almost the entire time. Aaron arrived halfway through breakfast but declined to have anything to eat. I'm not sure if he was just trying to be polite or something though because as soon as Bellamy leaves he begins making himself a snack in the kitchen. I perch on one of the kitchen barstools and rest my head on my hands, swinging my feet since they don't reach the floor.

"You know you could have just eaten when I offered you food the first time." I point out. Aaron just shrugs. Right, okay then. Well, at least Aaron is a little less paranoid than Bellamy, I can probably get a little bit of tand space to myself for once. I was originally planning to hang out with Megan, but now I'm thinking that chilling and maybe messing around on my laptop watching a movie or something would be better.

"I'm just running upstairs to grab my laptop and earphones, I'll be straight back down.” I promise and Aaron nods his understanding. Yep, Aaron might be a giant, but if I curl up in a corner I'm fairly sure that I can pretend he doesn't exist.

Five minutes later, I'm curled up on the couch with my laptop and a blanket. I put a movie on, but I minimise it to take up only a tiny corner of the screen and I find myself scrolling through inteposts and junk news stories. Basically, mindless scrolling. Aaron seems to pick up on my I-want-to-be-alone vibes because he doesn't try to interact with me. He just sits himself on the furthest available couch and relaxes, reading something on his phone. I accomplish absolutely nothing, but I can't bring myself to care because it's just so peaceful and I think I needed the break. I mean, I've not been working and I have spent half my tsitting around meditating, but sitting, clearing my mind and focusing is a different type of relaxed to just letting my mind wander and do whatever it wants without worrying about any particular goal. Considering I have spent almost two weeks with no work and no real responsibilities, I don't feel particularly rested. I've been too stressed out, not to mention sleeping poorly.

I am blissfully relaxed and if I'm honest, halfway to sleeping when the front door slamming scaresawake. Aaron leaps to his feet on high alert but relaxes as Bellamy comes storming into the room, although only a little. I notice he doesn't sit back down and he keeps his shoulders held stiffly back and up straight in an almost military fashion. Bellamy barely seems to notice him and he heads straight to me. In a movement so fast I barely know what 1/4 131- Agitation and ASMR Aaron happened, my laptop is tossed to the other end of the couch and Bellamy hasscooped up, blanket and all into his arms and is huggingtightly. Over his shoulder, I can see gesturing towards the front door and I shoot him a thumbs up. He nods and exits in his usual silent manner. Bellamy still doesn't say anything, just clutchesto his chest like skind of oversized teddy bear while he swaps from side to side a little in what seems like a self soothing kind of motion. My feet are literally not touching the floor and my arms are pinned to my sides so I'm pretty helpless, just hanging there waiting for Bellamy to work through whatever he's struggling with.

"Uhm, Bels? Are you okay?" I ask softly. He sighs and moves, I think he's about to put met down, but instead he just lowers himself to the couch where I was sitting and settlesinto his lap.

"Is this alright?" he confirms and I nod my approval.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about me. What's bothering you? Did something happen at the meeting?" I question. Bellamy lets out a low growl.

"No, nothing happened at the damn meeting because the other Alphas don't CARE. I brought up the murders and the kidnapping and though Kohen expressed ssympathy, the others. were completely uninterested. They didn't even KNOW about them. When I asked how they could be unaware of something that is causing fear all throughout the town they just shruggedoff and said that no Shifters have been killed so it doesn't affect us, as if we don't live in this city!" Bellamy sounds incredibly pissed off, and I get it. I do know what they mean that it doesn't directly affect them, but that doesn't mean that it won't and it doesn't mean that all the young female Shifters aren't afraid to go anywhere alone under current circumstances.

"That's a little naive of them." I comment and Bellamy nods his agreement.

"But that's not all. To show that there is srelevance to Shifters, I mentioned how you who are a personal friend of myself and Megan have been directly threatened even though you were already under my protection, and the damn Avian Alpha just toldthat if I can't protect you properly, I should 'let things be' and if you have offended someone that I should let you 'deal with the consequences', like it isn't in any way related to me!" Aaaah okay, now I see why he's so angry. Not only did they basically tell him to abandon me, but they also implied that he is incapable of keepingsafe. That would definitely rub his fur the wrong way. No wonder he grabbedthe moment he got home. I'd be annoyed too. In fact I find 2/4 131- Agitation and ASMR that I am annoyed.

"Well they're idiots and clearly not worth your time. I know that you can and will keepsafe, and that's all that matters." I assure him.

"If they don't care about the city they live in then that's just because they're not as good an Alpha as you." Bellamy givesa weak smile, then closes his eyes and takes several deep breaths. He releases the last one then speaks.

"Tellsomething." he says bluntly. I blink in confusion.

"Uh, like what?" I ask.

"I don't know. Anything. What have you been doing?" he clarifies. I shrug.

"Not a lot, mostly I've been sitting here watching movies on my laptop.

I point at the discarded device.

Hits Bellamy tilts his head in confusion and I see his eyes dart to the large, fancy television that I didn't use.

"Why the laptop? There's a perfectly good TV right here. Do you not know how to set it up? Megan would have v helped you." He points out and I laugh.

"No, no. I know how to use it. I just wanted to sit with my laptop. It's a different kind of feeling, sitting with it on my lap, watching without everyone else being able to see what I'm looking at. Not even looking at anything specific. Just doing whatever feels right. It's relaxing." I explain. Bellamy doesn't seem to get it so I lean over and grab my laptop. I put one earphone in my ear and hand him the other one. He follows suit. I hit play on the last video I was watching. Ssoothing art restoration and cleaning video. When that's finished I cue up a video of someone cleaning out a hoarders house and settle in.