Page 61 of Stag

Claudia

Stag came home tired, and grumpy. He was hungry, thirsty, and wanted to shower before he touched me. Not because he got bloody or messy, but because he had ‘stagnated in his own fucking sweat for hours in a fucking cage’. Once he was out of the shower, I pressed a cold beer into his hand, and followed that up with a plate of spaghetti and meatballs I’d whipped up in the kitchen for dinner. I’d had mine a few hours ago, but I could tell he needed looking after right now.

“You cooked for me?” His eyes were wide as he practically gazed up at me. “You really cooked for me?”

I nodded, sitting beside him, and waiting while he tucked in like he was ravenous. He said something in between bites that I couldn’t decipher, because he didn’t enunciate properly with his lips, but I figured it was inconsequential or he’d have made more effort to tell me.

I curled up in the seat, facing him with my legs tucked under me, and my elbow on the back of the sofa to prop up my head. He devoured his food in about four minutes and sat back with his hand on his stomach. I wondered if he’d made sounds of pleasure as he ate. Did he moan at the flavour? Did he sigh as it filled him up? I rarely missed being able to hear, but it turns out I was very invested in his sounds of pleasure.

“Thanks, love, that was amazing. I feel better already.” He turned in his seat too, cradling his beer in one hand as he took my hand with the other.

“I’m sorry I had to abandon you for so long. I have a feeling you don’t say no to those guys.” It worried me that he was caught up with them, but at least tonight hadn’t been something dangerous. I felt like he was someone I wanted to protect, just like he did for me. Maybe because I was already seeing him as mine.

“It’s okay. I should apologise though. I think I offended your friends earlier.”

Stag frowned, glancing at the empty room before he looked back at me.

“Rocket and Harley? Their old ladies?”

Old ladies, such a curious term for beautiful young women.

“They annoyed me, and I made them leave. I’m sorry. I hope it won’t cause issues for you.”

Instead of worried, or nervous, he suddenly looked angry, but it didn’t appear to be directed at me, as he squeezed my hand gently.

“What did they do, or say? I’ll fucking-”

“Stop.”

His lips pressed together in a line, and I knew he wanted to say more, but I didn’t want him angry at his friends, his brothers.

“They’re quite judgemental when it comes to you. I think they triggered some kind of mama bear thing, but they had it coming. They don’t try hard enough with you. They owe you more than that.”

Stag blinked slowly, his eyes looking almost glassy for a moment.

“You… you stuck up for me?”

My turn to squeeze his hand, as I edged a little closer to him. He looked like he’d prefer a hug, and so would I.

“I will always stick up for you. They’re your family, and they need to do better. You deserve better, Stag.”

He swallowed, looking down at our hands for a moment, taking a deep breath that made his chest rise more than usual. A sign that he was trying to compose himself. A sign that my words touched him, because it was becoming painfully obvious to me that nobody ever tried with him. He just needed people to care.

“They’re good people,” he finally said, as he lifted his head again, “they do good, they do so much good. So I get misunderstood now and then, it doesn’t mean they don’t love and respect me as their brother.”

“They can always try harder, Stag. I think they’re used to just judging you instead of bothering to know you.”

He shrugged a single shoulder. “It’s fine. I’m not easy to be around, I know. I’ll try harder.”

“That’s what I’m saying. You don’t need to try harder, they do!”

Stag smiled. “I love how you stick up for me, love. It makes me feel like I matter, like I’m not just some bellend everyone hates.”

I reached up and covered his lips, tutting at him.

“Nobody hates you, Stag, but they all need to make more of an effort to understand you. I’ll make sure they do. You have me in your corner now.”

He tried to speak so I used my fingers to pinch his lips shut, giggling as they quirked up at the edges.