Better A Broken Promise Than None At All

[maria]

It was near dinnertime at a very common werewolf hangout, and Emily was preparing enough food to feed an average family for a few weeks. This was a normal sight to Leah’s eyes, but she still wondered how Emily had the patience to cook so much. It was rare for Emily to not be cooking. Leah sat at the table, flipping through a magazine and occasionally lifting her head to answer Emily’s inquiries.

She reached the end of the magazine, and tucked it back into her bag. Holding her head up on her hand, she continued to gaze at Emily. The scents of her cooking invaded her thoughts and her stomach rumbled. A faint smile graced her lips however it faded fast as her thoughts made it back to Paul and Embry. “Em, I don’t feel all that great. I mean Paul and Embry’s fighting is really starting to bring me down.”

“Don’t worry Leah. They’ll work it out.” Was all Emily could say, though concern showed in her eyes.

Her expression matched that of Leah’s, though Leah’s worry could be interpreted as either more sincere (given that they were her pack family) or more superficial (as would be expected from her.)

She raised herself from her seat at the table and busied herself to keep her mind off of the thoughts that were haunting her. It wasn’t her fight, but she could feel every word and emotion and just every general prickle of discontent. She knew the emotions all too well, and the fact that she knew the reason for the falling out was no help. She clattered around the spacious kitchen, doing this and that. Emily didn't appreciate this, and sent her back to the table. With an order of calming down.

So, meekly, Leah went back to the table. She rummaged through her bag, looking for something to do.

[swivelteeth]

Sam had spent the long afternoon working around La Push, filling the odd jobs no one else on the reservation seemed to be willing to do - fixing fences, moving lumber, mainly anything involving manual labor. While most of his time was spent focusing on the pack and keeping the borders of La Push safe and secure, he did have a home with Emily to hold down, and the small college tuition he had been saving up wouldn't last forever. So every moment he wasn't home or out running around as a giant wolf, he was doing whatever he could to make some spare change and fix up his neighborhood.

A few twenty bills were tucked carefully into the back pocket of his jeans; he hadn't phased yet that day and was feeling a bit tired as a result. Trying to appear to be at least a bit civilized for Em, he was also wearing a worn in black t-shirt. Summer was approaching and the weather was getting warmer, although the rain didn't dare cease.

Thunder erupted in the dark skies and he picked up his pace a bit, not eager to come home soaked. He had been lucky it had been relatively dry all that morning so he could some work done outside, but he could see the thunderheads quickly rolling against the dull gray-blue of the sky. He liked the sun much more than the rain so La Push was not exactly his first choice in residence, but he loved it all the same.

Wiping his bare feet on the mat outside the door, he clicked open the porch door and walked in, sighing contentedly as the heat hit his face. It always smelled wonderful in Emily's kitchen, but lately she'd been trying out some new recipes and it was just a bit sweeter than usual.

Usually he walked over to Emily to greet her with a hug and a kiss but he hesistated as he spotted Leah sitting at the table, reading a magazine. So instead he just let his fingers linger on her hip for just a moment before sitting across from Leah, dark hair falling into his eyes as he did so.

He had caught the words of their conversation before entering (werewolf hearing was just a bit above par from normal human ability) and shot Leah a quizzical look before a look of exasperation replaced it. He had known Paul and Embry had been fighting on and off now for a while but hadn't talked to Embry about it, only taking the time to address Paul and tell him to get his act together. But now Leah was mentioning it again, and he was worried.

"What about Paul and Embry?" he asked wearily, leaning over in his seat to rest his elbows on the table. It had taken a while to get fixed and he frowned remembering just why it had been cracked in the first place. Stupid horomonal teenage boys.

[maria]

Soft footsteps could be heard, but Leah ignored them until the door creaked open. She lifted her eyes to see who it was. She bit her lip as she followed him with her eyes. The small touch between Sam and Emily upset her, but instead of acting on her emotions, she simply allowed the discontent to simmer.

She hung her head, staring pointedly at the open magazine on the table. As he sat across the table from her, she managed to muster a smile, and allowed her eyes to meet his. The smile vanished when he asked her about Paul and Embry.

She hesitated for a moment, choosing her words carefully, making them into a sentence that wouldn't break either of her promises. She continued to look at him, taking in his tired face, and weary voice. "This is getting to be to much for you, Sam." She remarked, her voice soft with concern.

She considered not answering his question, but she knew she owed him at least that much. "I hope they are getting over their fight. It was pretty serious." Her voice contained a note of worry, not much different from the concern she had showed for him.

Her fingers were splayed on the glossy pages of the magazine, and she kept turning pages to have something to do with her hands, until she finally just rolled it up and put it in the bag. "Sorry, I'm kinda distracted.'