Avalon Isn't What It Used To Be

Chapter 9: Grounded

His brows scrunched as he chuckle in confusion, "What"?

"You're going to have to", I gulped, "carry me".

___

"Maybe... Maybe you should just go tell Shae I'm Okay for  me", I said as I staired at the large fingers that loomed in front of me. His hand was the size of my bed, if not bigger. 

"Come on, where's all that bravery I admire so often", he said trying to encourage me as he knelt in front of the nightstand with an offered palm. I took a step forward towards the large fingers in front of me and then jumped back.

"I've carried you twice before", he said with the patience I had already thanked him for.

"Yes, but the first time I was nearly unconscious, and the second time I was fully unconscious". He raised a brow in response.

"That's it!", I snapped my fingers and pointed at him, "Knock me out"!

"I am not knocking you out", he said assuredly and unamused.

I sucked my lips into a straight line, put my hands on my hips, and shrugged to nonverbally say 'well, then we are out of options'.

"Ri, we have been here for 20 minutes".

I shrugged again in response and chewed my lip nervously.

"I'll get you an Orange".

I squinted at him for only a moment. Bribery.... It normally works. "Not hungry", I shook my head and shrugged nervously.

"Alright. You know what? We're going", he said with a firmer voice as he used his right hand to corral me to his left.

"Owen... ... Owen"! My stern voice grew to a yell as I backed up into his right hand only to get dragged closer to his left. "OWEN! OWEN, NO"! I shouted trying to use a maternally stern voice, thinking that would stop him. 

And seeing as backing up into his palm and yelling failed, I tried to climb over it... but he quickly closed his right and around me, and stood up, gently lifting me over his left. I squealed and closed my eyes as I held onto his index finger for dear life.

My feet searched for his left hand in his loosening grip. When my feet found his hand, I peeked one eye open, and felt his hands shake slightly as he chuckled.

"Don't laugh you're shaking me"! I turned to him and yelled sternly. He just turned his head to the side to try and buried his grin in his shoulder.

"Owen", I said firmly, but his smile had already infected me. "Sto-hop laughing", I chuckled out breathily.

He looked back at me with a reassuring grin, "Are you ready"?

"Yes", I said with a low tone, as I was finally defeated. He carried me to the stairs with two hands, and secured his grip around me as he held me to his abdomen with one hand, the other, holding the 'railing' as he descended the stairs. I was so nervous about the stairs, that I just turned completely in his hand and buried my face in my hands and his shirt.

"Hey Ri", he said gently, "We are at the counter". I slowly unburried my face and looked up at him from his hand and then around to see that we were indeed in the kitchen.

"Not your best angle", I noted before he pulled me away from his abdomen. I stepped onto the counter and first collapsed to my knees before collapsing onto my back. After a few deep breaths, I sat up. I noticed Owen had disappeared... but the house was no longer devoid of furniture. I stood up on the counter to look around, and watched as Owen walked back inside with an orange in hand.