You feel like home

“Mmhm?” she mumbled lifting her head, and a bright smile formed over her lips as she saw Oliver. Even if he was a little blurry, and if she squeezed her eyes together hard enough, she could even see two Oliver’s imagine that. A soft hum left her, and she was quick to place her cheek against his hand as he moved his fingers to remove some of her hair. Making it a little difficult for him to see if she had been hurt in anyway. Which she hadn’t, okay she had been strangled but apparently that was just something people felt like they could do to her. “Yes, home, home sounds really nice” she mumbled pressing her brows together and made a small pout with her lips. A soft yelp left her as he pulled her into his arms so he could carry her out. “I’m sure I can walk on my own, no need to ruin your back carrying me around” she mumbled, not really thinking about the fact that she still didn’t weigh anything after she had been imprisoned for almost a year, over a year? What was a year. Maddie blinked a little, letting out an exhausted sigh as she looked towards him. “Enough?” she answered with a small giggle blinking slowly. “I’m sorry Oliver, but I really don’t like your friend River” shaking her head “his really mean” she pouted again and closed her eyes okay, maybe she was drunk. A little to drunk, if she was being honest. The fresh air hit her straight in the face, and a calm sigh left her. Not that it sobered her up, in fact she just felt how alcohol rushed through her veins.

“Oliver?” the blond demon, many knew under the name Lucille, walked towards them, and she made a small hiss when she saw how he was carrying a young witch in his arms. If it was Oliver, River had to had done something stupid. “I’m gone half a day, half a day and River can’t even contain himself that long – Good night Oliver” she growled as she quickly walked inside to see what the hell had gone down. Almost expecting fire and people running around half naked, behaving themselves like animals.

Oliver shook his head a little as she tried to convince him that he didn’t have to carry her out. That might be right, he wasn’t going to ruin his back on this, especially not when she wasn’t close to being heavy. The way she looked at him and told him that she had gotten enough, followed by a giggle made him quite sure that she probably needed some water before he put her to bed when they got home.
His brows knitted together as she mentioned River, and for a moment he glanced down at her, “You met River?” he wondered. He wasn’t angry at Madelaine for meeting him, but the fact that he knew what River and he had done when Oliver was still so young… He tensed his jaw and looked back up. “It’s okay. He can say some really mean things,” he assured her and made sure to hold her close.

They got outside and he could hear how she sighed. He wouldn’t mind if she fell asleep in his arms, he just had to be sure he got her home so she could sober up. His name was spoken, and his eyes gained contact with the blond demon. “Lucille, glad you could make it,” he said, even though it was clear that he believed they should’ve been there from the start of the opening night. “Kailani is hurt,” he called after Lucille. He exhaled a little and walked over to his car. He placed Madelaine on top of the cooler. “Stay,” he said, and slowly let go of her, keeping an eye on her while he found his keys. Unless she seemed unsteady, he would open the door and place her inside of the car, while guiding her through what he did.

Maddie looked over Oliver’s shoulders to follow the gate of the demon, she was, very, very pretty. Almost so much so, that Maddie forgot that she was drunk and what had happened. When she was placed on the hood, she raised her brows and gave him an innocent look, waiting patiently for him to find his keys so she could get in the car. She swung her leg a little, and then got up, only stumbling a little before she got inside. “Ay, I can do that by myself” she giggled, smacking his hands away as she took the seatbelt and put it on. She looked at him with an adoring smile, before letting out a small breath. She waited for him to sit behind the wheel and found his hand when he placed it on the gear. Closing them around his hand before retreating her hand and put down the small clap protecting your eyes when the sun was too heavy. She looked into the mirror and made a small pull with her lips as she didn’t like how she looked. Pulling down her turtleneck she could see the slight bruising appear from where River had pressed his hand around it, carrying her off. Even if he hadn’t put that much pressure on it, it had still taken its toll after all, he had pushed her so far up that her feet hadn’t fully been able to touch the ground. “That’s going to leave a mark” she breathed exhausted and leaned back closing her eyes. “So 17th hundred, Italy, huh?” she breathed turning her head as she opened her eyes giving him a small smile.

Oliver held his breath for a moment as she smacked his hands away to put the seatbelt on herself. Worry had simply painted itself across him, and he just wished for them to get home safely. He exhaled as she looked at him adoringly. He gave her a quick kiss on the forehead before he closed her door and got behind the driver’s seat. He turned the car on, and as soon as he started to shift gears, he felt her hand on top of his. He shortly looked at her, but when she let go of his hand he started to drive home. He clenched his jaw tight as he out of the corner of his eye could see how she checked her neck and mentioned how it was going to leave a mark. Even though Oliver knew very well that he couldn’t do much about River, he definitely needed to talk to him about this one boundary. No hands, no teeth, no eyes, no nothing on Madelaine.
She mentioned Italy and shortly glanced over at her before he had to look back at the road. He licked his lips and sighed. “Yes,” he nodded and made a short hand gesture, feeling conflicted about what he should say, “I’m not in my thirties. I am more than four hundred and… And I don’t know fifty I think,” he said and noticed how he had gotten frustrated that he didn’t remember his specific age. “Sorry… What did he tell you?” he asked quite calmer.

Even though she had deduced that he had to be a lot older than she had thought he would be. Getting the number, it was, overwhelming. So much of his life he had already lived, and she was just, a baby compared to that. How come she was even interesting to him? She let out a soft breath as she could hear his frustration, there was clearly something behind all of this that had struck a nerve. Maybe it was just all that pent up energy that both of them carried. The constant interruptions when they had been so close to seal the bond between them. It also made her think, he had lived a long life, he had made mistakes, he had probably loved multiple times. Gotten kids with other women. Gotten married? She knew nothing of his past, and what had made him who he was now. She, she had been with Oliver when she had been younger and then they had split because he had another mate, and she was worried what Sterling, and her father would do if they found out. And then there had only been Ethan. Whom she had only just left. “Not much” she said with a soft voice “Mentioned that I was prettier than the last one of your girls, which I got mad about because I thought he meant Gemma, which he didn’t” she answered giving him an apologetic smile “and that he missed you, and then he wanted to know how” a delicate little witch like yourself get wrapped up with Oliver she didn’t say that, as she could still hear River’s voice say that to her and it made shivers go through her body. And not in a good way. “How you knew me, or how I knew you” she simplified it “Which I didn’t tell him, and then things got... weird” ugly might have been a better word, but she didn’t want him to worry more.

River hadn’t said much. He was thankful for that. That would at least leave him to be able to share what he wished to share before someone got the wrong idea or perspective. He quickly looked over at her as she mentioned ‘the last one of his girls’. He knew that it was Florence that River had been speaking about it made him very aware that River was still holding on to that specific memory. That could be very bad. He let his hand seek towards hers, but with his eyes on the road. River had missed him. Of course, he had. When Madelaine seemed to hesitate with her story, he glanced towards her again. He could see that something bugged her. If he had gotten a hold of her hand, he would give it a gentle squeeze. “I’m sorry,” he spoke softly. “If I had known it was his casino I would’ve-” he stopped himself, because he honestly didn’t know if he would have joined them or simply told her not to go. “He wouldn’t have gotten so close to you,” he said instead. “I’m sorry,” he repeated and looked repeatedly over at her, “What did he do?” he asked softly, mostly curious if he had pushed himself too far. One thing was sure, Oliver would have to meet up with River. They had a lot to talk about.

She looked down at his hand trying to find hers, and met him halfway, by taking his hand in hers and gave it a small squeeze. Feeling how he squeezed it back and told her that he was sorry. What for? He wasn’t responsible for what his friend did, and she would never tell Oliver who he could and couldn’t be friends with. Even though she had a hard time understanding what Oliver and River shared of interest. If only she knew. “It’s not your fault, you’re not responsible for what River did or didn’t do, and even if you had known it was his casino, I think he only came and talked to us because I asked for advice from Zitora, and I think i mentioned you by name” she said with a soft smile, turning her head and looking at the landscape passing them on their way back to Oliver’s home. “He wanted to drink from Zitora, so I slapped him, he retaliated by grabbing my throat and pressed me up against the wall, threatening that he would kill me, because he didn’t care who I knew or who I was with” she explained, almost as if she was describing what the weather was outside. She let her fingers glide over her forehead, trying to let her own thoughts about the matter settle. Mostly because she wasn’t even sure that she fully understood what had happened. Almost as if she had seen a film, even though she had starred in it, it didn’t seem real.

Oliver glanced towards her as she told him he wasn’t responsible for what River did and didn’t do. Somehow, he just didn’t agree on that, because Oliver had almost been agreeing with River every time, they had gotten a new crazy idea. So yes, he felt quite responsible for some of River’s behavior. She had asked Zitora for advice and mentioned Oliver by name. River must really be missing him if he reacted so quickly to his name being said. Somehow, something about possibly meeting River made him nervous that he would fall into a dark hole again… He didn’t need that. Things were starting to go well; he should just get a lot fewer calls when he was off duty. He couldn’t even imagine how his father nor Cassian lived.

Oliver raised his brows as Madelaine said she had slapped River. God, River had been kind that he hadn’t just snapped Madelaine’s neck. When she then followed up with how River had actually been grabbing her neck and pressed her up against a wall, threatening her he had to calm himself down to not hit the brakes, turn around and… Encourage Lucille to never quit her job, even though he knew she couldn’t. Yes, that might actually be the best thing he could do because he was certainly too young of a witch to be able to put River into his place and he didn’t really want to call upon his family to ask for help, when Oliver knew very well that he just had to reap what he had sown. He forced an exhale before he looked over at her. “First of all, if you ever see him again, you call me immediately. I don’t trust him,” and he understood why some people wouldn’t trust himself, since he had been digging his own grave once. “Second of all, River is not a guy you should punch, because he would kill you,” he said quite seriously. “Last of all, I think it’s really badass of you to hit him and defend your friend – even though you’re drunk,” he shortly kissed the back of her hand. He looked back at the road shortly. “It’s not- I… I don’t want to put up rules for you or anything, because I trust you and know that you only act on what you believe is right,” he took a short breath in, “But I just really don’t want you to end up in River’s claws…” he exhaled. He knew he probably sounded quite harsh with listing things for her like that, but he truly didn’t wish for them to see each other again. God, he hoped River wasn’t going to visit him while Madelaine would be home.

Madelaine blinked a little as Oliver started to tell her what he would like happened if she ever met River again. She blinked, for someone telling her that he was very good friends with Oliver, something seemed off. Why was Oliver being so defensive about all of it? Now, she could understand that he wanted to protect her, or even got angry with her friend for threatening her. But it didn’t even seem like it was what he was angry about, not in the way he worded himself. More that she should be careful because River wouldn’t hesitate to kill her if she did it again. Now she believed that.

She gave him a half smile, and a soft chuckle as he kissed the back of her hand. She felt how the electricity pulsated through her veins. Something she would never really get over; was just how magical it was to be close to Oliver. Even though his behavior right now, honestly scared her a little bit. “I don’t mind you putting up boundaries or telling me what I should stay clear off, it doesn’t sound like rules, just a warning about someone I honestly don’t want to meet again” living in a family of hunters, now there was a lot of rules most of which she had broken. She exhaled and let her thump glide over the back of his hand. “Oliver” she whispered and licked her lips. “What are you not telling me?” she asked, feeling how her hear was beating in her throat, making her a little sick because of the amount of alcohol floating in her blood at this point.

She didn’t mind the boundaries. Which were a good thing. For now, it seemed to be good. He nodded and relaxed for a bit. She didn’t wish to meet him again. She had been scared off, which hopefully would mean that the three of them never would be in a room together. He certainly had to make sure that he could make some deals with spirits or something alike so it wouldn’t happen.
His name was spoken and he looked towards her. What are you not telling me? It ran cold down his spine and he looked out towards the road again. “I’ve done some stupid things while River and I were friends. Things that I cannot undo,” past tense. He didn’t believe they were friends anymore. He wouldn’t categorize them as that. “I hurt a lot of people while River and I talked,” he glanced towards her, “I was in a dark place, Maddie, and- Are you going to throw up?” he stopped himself and slowed the car down a little to make sure he could stop in time for her to hopefully not throw up in his car.

Maddie nodded, almost understanding. Not that she could understand, because she had never been in a situation where she had done something, that she wished to undo as badly as it sounded like Oliver wanted to right now. She had of course been in a situation she wished she could make go away. So, in that sense, she understood. She shook her head as he asked if she was going to throw up. “No, it’s okay – I’m just overwhelmed and can’t keep my heart to fall down, so it’s making me a little uneasy” she explained, so he didn’t need to slow down or stop the car. Because she could hold it, she might have gotten a lot to drink, but it wasn’t all that bad. Madelaine let out a soft exhale and looked towards him. “I understand that you have a past, and that past might not be roses and happy endings, and maybe also be another man that I know today” she told him, remembering that in her very drunk mind she had said yes to Tora actually finding out what had happened in Oliver’s past. But talking with him now? She would never want him to open up about it, not after meeting River. There were things she would rather never know. She padded down her jacket before she found her phone, pulled it out and texted Zitora to not do what she had asked. That she was fine, and on her way home. Trying to the best of her ability to correct all of her spelling mistakes, even though it was clear that Maddie had been drunk while sending this. She put her phone away and took Oliver’s hand again. “I love you” she mumbled, as she closed her eyes more or less falling asleep after she had said that.

Oliver nodded a little, as he was assured that she wasn’t going to throw up, but simply felt overwhelmed. He understood very well that it could be a little much, and he clearly didn’t prefer that she got all of the information while she was drunk or tired. He continued to drive.
He nodded and licked his lips a little as she told him that she understood he probably didn’t have the most picture-perfect past, and that he might be another man today. It was very much true if he had to say so himself. The last things had only just settled when he had found Gemma, so he believed he was on the right tracks now. He let her pick up her phone and text whoever she had to text and let her find his hand again. He looked over at her, with a much calmer smile as she told him that she loved him. “I love you too,” he told her, and would let her fall asleep. When they arrived home, he would carry her inside, undress her and put her to bed.