The Great Pretender

39: Mercy

"That's what big brothers are for, Rish. But I wouldn't mind getting some good calls once in a while."

"Fine, I'll call you at three in the morning next Tuesday, just to say 'Hi' and I love you." She loved the way he laughed, guttural and raucous and entirely obnoxious, like she'd said the most hilarious thing ever.

"You better not forget, I'll be waiting," he said when he settled. "But, seriously, Babes, how are things, you know, after that last call?"

She thought long and hard, mentally weighing the outcomes of her words, and how she should answer him. He deserved far more than a simple 'good' or 'better'; he had been the one she'd gone to first, the one she'd wanted to be her rescuer. The big brother she'd sought out. She buried her face into his oversized chest, so he wouldn't see her blush.

"I may have news," the rushed words were muffled by his shirt.

"What?"

"I said," she pulled back so he'd be able to hear her. "I may have news."

"Oh? C'est quoi?"

Darting her eyes around the room and the people milling about, she lowered her voice to a whisper, "I asked him out."

Quentin looked impressed or proud, like in those words she'd accomplished something much more significant than a date with a boy. But in true big brother fashion, he looked unsure and a little overprotective, "Well, now I'm going to want more than a 'Hi' next Tuesday. I'll need updates."

"How about I just tell you now?"

"Wait, it happened already?"

"Yeah, yesterday!" Cherish laughed at Quentin's surprise, and then lowered her voice again, "He kissed me." This time Quentin did not look too happy, he wore the quintessential big brother 'I'll kill him if he lays a hand on you' grimace. "Quinn! Ça va!" she told him quickly, poking his side as he unconsciously flexed and squeezed her. "Stop squishing me!"

"I'll squish you if I want!" he teased and pulled her into a headlock. When he suddenly stiffened, Cherish struggled to see around his large arm, and yanked her head out of his loosening grasp when she had no luck.

"Morning Rish, I'm doing a breakfast run, you want anything?" Seven asked.

"Uh, sure, surprise me!"

He was unable to focus on her while she answered, his gaze flicking constantly to the giant wall of muscle beside her. Cherish glanced at Quentin and found him glaring rather unnervingly at Seven.

"Uh, Morning, uh, Quentin? Did you want anything, while I'm out?"

"Get him the sugariest thing you can find and he'll love you forever!" Cherish joked. "And a black coffee."  As Seven left, casting uneasy glances over his shoulder, Cherish slapped Quentin's arm, "Way to be obvious, Jackass! Anyways, I should go up and pack." She pulled him down to her, kissing his face, "Je t'aime, grand fou!"

"Love you too, Babe."

-.-

It was a repeat of the day they'd left home, only this time Cherish and Juss packed all their things into the cars and waited on Seven to return with their coffee and food. Ian and Delia were squished into the extended cab of Seven's truck, stealing kisses when they thought no one was looking, and Harper lazed in the passenger seat.

She supposed they would all rearrange themselves once they were ready to head out. She laughed as Juss reverently belted Seven's guitar into the back seat of her car, and taped a paper to her rear window that read, "Precious cargo on board."