Imprints in Stone [AU]

[Bethany]

"...what? No I didn't. I mean, I just... shortened their names. I, uh, I kind of such at nicknames," Bethany mumbles, blushing. "I mean, Packbrother turns out to be oddly... apt, but it's way too long and awkward. But anyway, they're totally pronounced different. Merry and Marry." A beat of awkward silence. "Which was not- I mean, Merrill is really merry but I wasn't... I never actually thought about marrying..."

[Carver Amell]

Carver chuckles. "But that's basically the same thing."

[Bethany]

"...yeah, it pretty much is," Bethany admits with a huff. "Do you think I should stop calling Merrill that? Is it weird? It's a little weird to me now, 'cause I... Well, to be honest, I kind of... think of Mari as the woman I kissed and stuff and Marian as my sister. Like I know, same person, but it makes it easier to... think about sometimes. And I don't want to kiss Merrill, not like that. Not to say there's anything wrong with Merrill!"

[Carver Amell]

He shakes his head. "Maybe, you could call her Sunshine, like Dad does?"

[Bethany]

Bethany pouts, trying to mask her hackles rising. "She's a real ball of sunshine, sure but I th-" Her mouth snaps shut. "...damnit."

[Carver Amell]

He frowns. "Do you.... not like Merrill?"

[Bethany]

"What? Yes of cou- Oh. Right. That, uh, slap." She coughs. "No. I've... dealt with my shit there. That wasn't really about Merrill. No, My damnit was about me realizing I was resisting because it was someone else's nickname and someone else's idea to use it. Gods, I'm such a bitch."

[Carver Amell]

"You're not," he says sharply. "You're just scared."

[Bethany]

Beth glances up at him, a startled look on her face. "What? Scared?"

[Carver Amell]

He nods. "You're scared you'll be forced into being someone else again. Someone Dad likes, the way you had to be someone Mother liked."

[Bethany]

"..." Bethany thumps her head against his shoulder. "Sure, make a bunch of sense," she mutters.

[Carver Amell]

Carver pets Beth's hair. "He won't, you know. Not ever. He wouldn't let me be your dog, he won't let you be his pet either."

[Bethany]

"Yeah," Beth murmurs. She just holds him, is held by him, for a moment. "Alright." She pulls back, kissing him gently on the cheek. "I do like her. In fact," she smirks slightly. "I fully expect to happily be her maid of honor in, oh, two years. Tops."

[Carver Amell]

At that he blushes. "Do you want to play cards?"

[Bethany]

Bethany considers that a moment. "How about... I go get Sunshine and I grab the book of Astea fables we've been reading and do a chapter or two." Leaning in, she says in a solemn voice, "I even do voices."