Chapter 21 - Passionate Fury

They grow up too fast.

Megan is the spitting image of her father, right down to the chocolate brown skin and the vivid green eyes. She's more than Tiara's daughter: she's the light of her life.

The peace and quiet of her birthday doesn't last long, though.

"Zac! Hey, how've you been?"

"Been all right." He sounds gruff and shut off, more than usual, and Tiara frowns.

"Are you all right? You sound...upset or something."

There is a long moment of silence before he sighs heavily. "Yeah, well. I get that way when I find out people's been lying to me."

Her heart stops. "What?"

"Were you ever gonna tell me you had my kid?"

Her eyes slide shut with an answering sigh as she sinks back against the kitchen wall. "Zac..."

"Or were you just gonna hold off until you needed some child support or something? What kind of bullshit are you pulling here?"

She drags her hand down her face and shakes her head. "Zac, it's not like that. Look, that night we had sex, I...got pregnant, that's true. But I don't hold any expectations on you." She paused, licking her lips. "I know you've got committment issues, and I don't judge you for them. I didn't think you'd even want to be a part of her life."

He snorts.

"I mean, do you?"

There's another long moment of hesitation. "...naw, I don't think I..."

"See, I understand. And that's cool with me." He's silent. "I mean it. I'm not like other girls. I don't hold stuff like that against people."

"Okay. Thanks." Hesitation. "...So, uh..."

"...her name's Megan. And she looks just like you."

"Sounds awesome."

The conversation devolves into normalcy from there. She doesn't even ask how he managed to find out. If he wanted her to know, he'd tell her.

Megan makes fast friends with Dizzy and Toulouse. Though Tiara is prepared for potential jealousy among the felines, they seem to settle into her presence as if she has been there all their lives. Cue the sigh of relief.

More slightly creepy babysitters.

Chance Peoples is astoundingly awful at his job. Megan decides that she will fling her poo at him if he does not change her diaper soon.

The days slip into a routine. Tiara takes care of Megan. She goes to work. She meets stray felines. As this little one is getting slipped a treat, she feels her heart swell again. How very sad for them. If only she could convince them to stay.

Gussie stops by later that day, and she greets him happily. "Hey! C'mon in!"

The two of them chat with practiced ease about everything and nothing as they stroll about the house, keeping Megan constantly in sight.

"I've been trying to finish this one song, but my mind is completely blank," Tiara announces in anguish, leading the way toward the living room couch.

"Well, tell me what's up. Maybe I can give you a hand."

"I just keep thinking about other things that I'm like...passionate about, y'know?"

He blinks. "Like...what?"

"Like...I mean, all these stray animals around the neighborhood. Especially cats! It just breaks my heart to see them all wandering around like that with no one to love them or feed them or anything."

"..." Gussie sighs and looks down at the floor, shaking his head.

Tiara blinks. "What?"

"Nothing."

"No, it's totally something. C'mon, what's up?"

He looks up at her with a scowl, spreading his arms wide. "Just listen to yourself! You're sitting there going off about cats or whatever and it's just...I mean...there's thousands of children in SimNation who don't have any of that either." He shakes his head again. "It's just kind of irritating how everyone in this damn town's so worried about the stray animals instead of what really matters."

In an instant, her hackles are rising too. "Hey! Are you saying those poor animals out there are worth any less than we are?"

"They're animals! Plumbob, Tiara, will you listen to yourself?"

She leans forward and pokes him in the chest with her index finger. "I would, if you weren't spouting off all that bull so loudly that I couldn't hear a word I said!"

Gussie shoves her hand away before he closes the distance between them.

The passion with which he kisses her is frightening, enough for her to back away for a moment with wide eyes. "Gus?"

"Shh," he whispers, pressing a finger to her lips. "C'mon, girl, if I done pissed you off, I want you to show me just how much."

And it's true. She's furious. Her very skin feels like it's bubbling and sizzling from her nerve endings shooting into overdrive. And so she grabs the front of his shirt and pulls him in again, her heart pounding.

It's a wrestling match on the bed, a desperate attempt to find out just who will be in charge, but it only drives Tiara's excitement higher.

For whatever reason, Tiara wins.

Their woohooing is quick and intense, leaving Tiara wincing in a bizarre mixture of pain and enjoyment when it's all over, but she is so exhausted that she falls asleep before she can think any more.

Gussie stares at her before he quickly rolls out of bed, running a hand over his stubble with a frustrated sigh. He dons his clothing and prepares to hurry off, but pauses when he sees Megan watching him sleepily from her spot on the living room floor, toy bunny in hand. "..." He picks her up, places her in her crib for safe-keeping, and runs off as quickly as he can.

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I wasn't quite expecting Gussie to be built like that. xD

Megan is so pretty. I can't wait until we get to when she's older.