It was raining again. It had been for nearly three weeks. The rain wasn’t constant. It came, scattered and inconsistent. It ran down the cave walls and pooled on the floors, and then it went. It seeped into the bedrolls and the fire pits and into the food.
The mushrooms liked the rain. Zion’s innumerable fungi were thriving in the damp weather, growing thick and fast on nearly every surface and filling the air with a smell like rot and decay.
At least they wouldn’t starve.
Daniel didn’t gamble, but he thought the odds were good that they would drown before they starved. The rivers fed on the rainwater, rising up over their banks and sending murky runoff into the camps. Daniel wondered how long it would take for the river to wash the camps away entirely.
Joshua had insisted they remain in Zion. And Daniel wasn’t prepared to give in, not until that woman had staggered into a Dead Horse camp, reeking of alcohol and corruption. A week in Zion, and she had Joshua twisted around her little finger. A week later, and they were spending nights together. Daniel had seen them once.
Her body shone like a moon in the darkness, pale and lovely over the grey, scarred earth that was Joshua Graham.
Exodus, 20:17. Thou shall not covet.
He had tried to put the image out of his mind. But he had seen, and he wanted.
Outside, the rain stopped. The skies were not blue, but a few brave souls ventured out, into the mud to stare at the sky with hopeful expressions. Daniel pulled his hat low over his eyes and retreated into the gloom and darkness of Half-Mouse cave.
She knew. And she had come looking for him one night. There were bruises on her face and on her breastbone, gifts from Joshua. He looked at her, lovely in her vulnerability, and he had wanted, and she had asked to stay. She was frightened, Joshua frightened her.
And he was a weak man. He let her into his home, and she had begun to cry. She wanted a baby, but Joshua said no. He wanted to comfort her, but he didn’t know how. He was not a man who had an easy time with women, but she was so sad and pale and beautiful. He reached out to touch her, and that was when things had gone wrong.
She undid the buttons of her blouse, and Daniel realized that she was standing between him and the mouth of the cave. He tried to leave, but she caught him and threw him to the ground. He had forgotten how strong she was, but he would not forget again.
She caught his wrists and pinned him to the ground, and she asked him if he thought she was beautiful.
He refused to answer. He closed his eyes and turned his head away from her, but her warmth and weight was pressing down on him. Her shirt was open, and she laughed and kissed his throat and told him that he didn’t need to talk; his body was answering for him.
Proverbs, 11:22. Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion.
She left him there on the cave floor when she was finished. His skin burned where she had touched him, and it was a long time before his mind let him move. He dressed and left the cave, a smaller, shamed man.
The rain began to fall, and he welcomed it.
Genesis, 6:11. Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence.
He bathed in the river, but the cold water couldn’t take away the burn of what had been done. Her scent clung to him, and he could not rid himself of the image of her open blouse and her bruised skin.
Genesis, 7:4. ‘Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I have made.’
He returned to camp, and she was sitting by the fire at Joshua’s side. His arm was around her. She smiled, serenely, her hand on her belly. Her eyes found Daniel, and she nodded at him, a queen on her throne. As Daniel watched, she kissed Joshua on the cheek.
Outside the cave, the rain started to fall again, hard and fast.
Genesis, 7:16. …Then the Lord shut him in.
Verses taken from my 15-year-old children’s Bible, so they might not be the most accurate.
The Moon and the Water, 1/1
Pairings: Daniel/F!Courier, Joshua Graham/F!Courier
Kinks: non-con, angst
It was raining again. It had been for nearly three weeks. The rain wasn’t constant. It came, scattered and inconsistent. It ran down the cave walls and pooled on the floors, and then it went. It seeped into the bedrolls and the fire pits and into the food.
The mushrooms liked the rain. Zion’s innumerable fungi were thriving in the damp weather, growing thick and fast on nearly every surface and filling the air with a smell like rot and decay.
At least they wouldn’t starve.
Daniel didn’t gamble, but he thought the odds were good that they would drown before they starved. The rivers fed on the rainwater, rising up over their banks and sending murky runoff into the camps. Daniel wondered how long it would take for the river to wash the camps away entirely.
Joshua had insisted they remain in Zion. And Daniel wasn’t prepared to give in, not until that woman had staggered into a Dead Horse camp, reeking of alcohol and corruption. A week in Zion, and she had Joshua twisted around her little finger. A week later, and they were spending nights together. Daniel had seen them once.
Her body shone like a moon in the darkness, pale and lovely over the grey, scarred earth that was Joshua Graham.
Exodus, 20:17. Thou shall not covet.
He had tried to put the image out of his mind. But he had seen, and he wanted.
Outside, the rain stopped. The skies were not blue, but a few brave souls ventured out, into the mud to stare at the sky with hopeful expressions. Daniel pulled his hat low over his eyes and retreated into the gloom and darkness of Half-Mouse cave.
She knew. And she had come looking for him one night. There were bruises on her face and on her breastbone, gifts from Joshua. He looked at her, lovely in her vulnerability, and he had wanted, and she had asked to stay. She was frightened, Joshua frightened her.
And he was a weak man. He let her into his home, and she had begun to cry. She wanted a baby, but Joshua said no. He wanted to comfort her, but he didn’t know how. He was not a man who had an easy time with women, but she was so sad and pale and beautiful. He reached out to touch her, and that was when things had gone wrong.
She undid the buttons of her blouse, and Daniel realized that she was standing between him and the mouth of the cave. He tried to leave, but she caught him and threw him to the ground. He had forgotten how strong she was, but he would not forget again.
She caught his wrists and pinned him to the ground, and she asked him if he thought she was beautiful.
He refused to answer. He closed his eyes and turned his head away from her, but her warmth and weight was pressing down on him. Her shirt was open, and she laughed and kissed his throat and told him that he didn’t need to talk; his body was answering for him.
Proverbs, 11:22. Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion.
She left him there on the cave floor when she was finished. His skin burned where she had touched him, and it was a long time before his mind let him move. He dressed and left the cave, a smaller, shamed man.
The rain began to fall, and he welcomed it.
Genesis, 6:11. Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence.
He bathed in the river, but the cold water couldn’t take away the burn of what had been done. Her scent clung to him, and he could not rid himself of the image of her open blouse and her bruised skin.
Genesis, 7:4. ‘Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I have made.’
He returned to camp, and she was sitting by the fire at Joshua’s side. His arm was around her. She smiled, serenely, her hand on her belly. Her eyes found Daniel, and she nodded at him, a queen on her throne. As Daniel watched, she kissed Joshua on the cheek.
Outside the cave, the rain started to fall again, hard and fast.
Genesis, 7:16. …Then the Lord shut him in.
Verses taken from my 15-year-old children’s Bible, so they might not be the most accurate.