Outside the Condo {OPEN}

[grantmiddleton]

Grant glanced up from his phone when he felt a shadow hang over him and found a giant, behemoth of a man who didn't speak much but grunted a lot at the other two movers. "Hmm? Oh, just put everything in the living room. I'll take care of it all later. Thanks."

He went back to his phone, typing rapidly as he replied to text after text from his mom. He grinned to himself. She was a worrier, always had been, always will be. And this was the first time her only child lived further than an hour away from her. So he was distracted when he heard a crash and looked up to see a hundred year old dresser on the ground.

"Hey! Careful! That dresser is worth ten times your pay today!" The movers all grunted, which Grant assumed was an apology. He swore under his breath, immediately tattling on the movers to his mom who was, unsurprisingly, pissed at the thought of any Middleton furniture being treated so carelessly. He shook his head. It was a shitty old dresser that belonged to his uncle and really not worth getting angry over. He hated the thing anyway -  it was fifty shades of ugly. He hated most of the things coming out of the truck. But appearances are key, and if any of his family happened to come for a visit, they'd expect to see certain key pieces on proud display in his home. Even if the crap clashed horribly with his home.

He sighed and asked how much longer the move would take. When he got a "One more hour" out of the movers, he groaned. Moving sucked. Moving really sucked when you were slightly hung over and wanted a nap.

Comments

[grantmiddleton]

"Well it shows." He touched the leaves of the plant, looking them over. They were...different. Lively. Beautiful.

Grant laughed. "6'2" is pretty normal as well, okay. Truce? We're both perfectly average."

[bewitchinghaze]

"Hmmm. I guess I can concede to that." she grinned. "So, what made you move back to town after all this time?"

[grantmiddleton]

"Good, because you're a little scary." He smiled. "I got a job out here. And I hate my dad. So it's a win/win. Plus I needed a change of scenery."

[bewitchinghaze]

"I'm glad you noticed." she joked, tossing her hair. "Oh? Where are you working? I won't ask about the dad thing. Sounds like a sore point."

[grantmiddleton]

He chuckled. "It's really hard not to with all that swearing. Was that Korean? I don't know what you said, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't nice."

"I'm a cop. I got a job with SCPD."

[bewitchinghaze]

Val blushed slightly, ducking her head with a grin. "Yeah, that was Korean. And no, it wasn't exactly something I'd be caught saying in front of my mother."

"...Oh." she said, her expression going cold. "You know what, the place really isn't that far. I can take it from here."

[grantmiddleton]

He blinked, confused by her sudden coldness. "Are you sure? I really don't mind helping out."

[bewitchinghaze]

"I'm fine." she replied, reaching out for the plant. "I don't need help from a cop."

Ugh. Why did they have to hire a hot cop? she though irritably, a little angry with herself for flirting with him.

[grantmiddleton]

He made a face at that statement then it hit him. He could've smacked himself for being so blind. Over a decade out of Siren Cove made you soft. "You're a witch, aren't you."

[bewitchinghaze]

Val let a burst of magic flow into the bush, making it burst with newly grown branches. "Got it in one." she sneered. "You must have been head of your class at Jackass Academy."

[grantmiddleton]

He rolled his eyes and handed her the pot, as if the magic would burn him. "Second, actually. Something I'm not proud of. Competition was stiff."

[bewitchinghaze]

She took it, careful not to let it show how heavy it was. "Aw, and I'm sure you tried so hard to be the best jackass you could b. I'm not surprised competition was stiff though, what with all of these fine police men in our town, making life difficult for people who are just trying to live because they're prejudiced assholes."

[grantmiddleton]

"Oh don't worry about it, I'm still working on it. Practice makes perfect and all. And I come from a long like of jackasses." He scowled. "Says the woman who immediately judged a guy for being a cop. Prejudice works both ways."

[bewitchinghaze]

"Oh please. I hardly started out hating cops. It wasn't until I moved here and saw them harassing my mom, and then myself and my older sister, that I started to realize that they're not worth the trouble they cause." she glared. "You try being woken up in the middle of the night by cops coming to drag your mother off to jail for daring to sell a healing potion to the mother of a sick kid."

[grantmiddleton]

He rolled his eyes. "Rules are rules. And there's been more than just a few witches in Siren Cove who felt entitled enough to perform dangerous spells on innocent people just because they got their feelings hurt. Someone has to keep order around here."

[bewitchinghaze]

"Oh please. This is all just because the Thornton's can't dare to imagine that someone might actually be more powerful than they are so they want to stamp us all out." she said, rolling her eyes right back at him. "Us witches do more to help this town than you cops ever will."

[grantmiddleton]

He tensed at the mention of the Thorntons. "You wanna bring the Thorntons into this, then you bring the history of Siren Cove into it. A witch killed their ancestor over something stupid. Heaven forbid I don't fall in love with a witch. I'll end up having a massive heart attack at the age of 30."

[bewitchinghaze]

Val scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Oh, please. Most of us don't have a harmful bone in our body. And it was hardly something stupid. She was in love and th Thornton's idiotic prejudices caused her to be taken from the man she loved. Love isn't stupid, officer. Not that you'd know, I'm sure. I doubt you have room in you for something as pure as love."

[grantmiddleton]

"Right. And killing the man she supposedly loved is pure. If that's not love, I don't know what is." He backed away from her, shaking his head. "You're right, Ms. Jung. I'm incapable of love. I've seen too much 'true love' in the world to know it doesn't exist."

[bewitchinghaze]

"She didn't do it intentionally, you idiot. They provoked her into such extreme emotions that she lost control. Anyone can lose control. Should we start arresting every man for existing just because a few have lost it and killed people?" she shook her head, taking deep breaths and trying to calm down the juneberry bush as it began to let off bursts of new leaves. "No wonder you became a cop. You're just as bitter and heartless as the rest of them."

[grantmiddleton]

"And you wonder why we're skeptical about witches. If that was the case, I would have arrested you already, but look," he gestured at her free wrists. "No cuffs. I don't just arrest people for being witches, but I will arrest them if they take advantage." He rolled his eyes at the plant. Dumb juneberry. "I'm so happy I've lived up to your expectations, then."

[bewitchinghaze]

"Oh, please. The only reason you haven't arrested me is because you don't have cuffs on you. Not to mention you're not even on duty right now." Val glared, soothing the plant back to its normal state. "Oh believe me, I'm sure you'll live down to them even more soon enough."

[grantmiddleton]

Grant raised his eyebrows. "If you really want to be arrested, I can certainly arrange that for you. I'd just love for my first arrest in Siren Cove to be on my first day back."

[bewitchinghaze]

"I haven't been arrested once yet, and I don't intend on being any time soon so, dream on, Middledton." she scoffed. "Now, if you don't mind, I have actual work to do to make this town better."

[grantmiddleton]

"With a fake plant. Right." Grant glared at her. He had almost forgotten how angry this place usually made him. "I'll definitely be seeing you around."