Nuclear Seasons

[Tristan Pierce]

Only three days into England and something was already nagging Tristan Pierce. He received a letter from a woman - a woman who spent a night with whispering compliments that his sober self would never do. Now that he thought of it, it made him flush with embarrassment and despite trying to forget (without Obliviating himself), he could not get the feeling of the both of them arguing the next morning. They argued about the silliest thing and whilst they did that Tristan's head was on the verge of exploding and turning his entire apartment into ashes. However he tried keeping up with her during that morning, before the both of them separated like nothing ever happened that night. It was a night of bliss and alcohol. There were no authentic feelings involved in between them and Tristan thought a fling with Clarisse Richards would be left at just that. However, by the time he came to England for a special case regarding his veterinary studies, he immediately received a letter that told him to come see her in a cafe that sounded extremely foreign to him. Despite sending back a letter that declined her offer, he found himself in a vicious writing cycle that in the end, he reluctantly agreed to meet her. He was weary of suddenly meeting someone so familiar yet so strange. Their grey history with each other when they were teenagers were suddenly all forgotten in one night and almost a month after that, he was going to see her again. Tristan felt like he was in grave danger.

He managed to locate the cafe that was quaint and its homely smell of coffee and cookies comforted him. So far he was the only customer at 11 in the morning, which was surprising for him. Where were all the British people sipping their tea? Tristan knew he was only basing this wonder on a stereotypical view of the British people, however he could not help it for the idea amused him. He gazed around and when a waitress came for him, he ordered a warm drink to begin with. Now all he had to do was wait, because the brunette he was looking for was not yet around. At the back of his mind he wondered what she wanted to do to him. If she came to apologize for being a pain in the ass during their teenage years, he'd accept. If she wanted to say something else, then it would depend on her reason. Tristan was not going to waste a single minute if she simply wanted to chat because busy men like him worked and occasionally hopped on to a bar stool to drink and wonder all by themselves.
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[Clarisse Richards]

Clarisse Richards was rare to experience anger, loathing and hatred though it seemed that today was one particular day that she would experience all three. It had barely been a month since she had returned from the pastry camp that she had joined for two months. She could easily say that those two months were the hardest and yet most enjoyable time she had. And yet in those two months she also had the worst experience ever. After one month of the camp, they were given two days to enjoy themselves and relax and it could be said that Risa and her friends had decided that they were going to the club. She had the time of her life there, drinking and dancing the night away and she even met a man that made her night all the more enjoyable. But she should have known that she would regret that experience. It wasn't that their time together wasn't enjoyable, it was practically because of the man she was with! Tristan Pierce. She had hated the guy ever since they had met and she ended up spending the night with him, in his apartment! Of course with a major hungover the next morning, all she could do was scream at him before dressing up and storming out of the place. She would never want to see him again really, but her friend's words sunk deep into her that she may indeed be pregnant.

Clarisse really wasn't sure, and to be honest, she really didn't want to know cause she was scared. What id she was pregnant? She had someone she had eyes on already, hell even her heart had eyes, and evidently it wasn't the guy she had spend the night with. And so, she made sure to bother the heck out of Tristan. Risa wasn't going to go through this alone, pregnant or not pregnant, she was making sure that this guy was taking responsibility. It had been two weeks since she had gotten nauseous and started throwing up in the morning. And she hadn't had her period in last month, and now, she was late again. So her friend had thrown the question of pregnancy and Risa really didn't know what to say and so she contacted Tristan and finally managed to get him to agree to meet with her at the cafe opposite of the pastry shop she worked. He wasn't happy about it but neither was Clarisse but he had to suck it up cause he will never hear the end of it if he didn't agree. And so, as soon as he saw the man enter the cafe she asked permission from her boss and went to meet up with him, not even bothering to change out of her uniform. With a deep breath, she approached him and sat on the chair opposite of him, not bothering to talk yet.

 

[Tristan Pierce]

Tristan was feeling like he was about to explode because of something. The reason as to why he was feeling that was quite blurred and frankly, he could not come up with a vivid picture of what was causing him this anxiety. Sure, Clarisse was one of the people who he would insult any time of the day but having to meet her in a cafe in a foreign country wrecked his nerves. Thank god the warmth of the drink soothed him down a tad, but he could still feel the urge to bounce his knee up and down until the muscle in his calf became tired of it. Tristan though it was against his own pride to show that he was under her mercy. Then again the sole thing that brought him here was the urgency of her letter to see her as soon as possible and since Tristan thought this was definitely important, he decided that he would meet her... whilst he was armed with a wand. If she threatened to hurt him in any case, he would not have second thoughts to jinx her. Tristan just had to know what was going on and what the urgency behind her words meant. It was driving him nuts and with every second that passed by, he felt that an upcoming cage of horror was about to catch him unexpectedly.

Tristan slouched and took a sip from his drink. Overhead he saw the door ring as it opened, revealing a more conservative looking Clarisse Richards. He would have smirked if his mind was not so occupied because seeing her in a chef's attire made her look different. Now gone was the sexy and daring Clarisse. Right now she was back to normal, only Tristan could deny that she still had a fascinating face. Why would he reveal that to a person he thoroughly disliked though? "I'm not going to order a drink for you now," Tristan said and glared at her whilst she simply sat in front of him. This was not a friendly date. This was not a date in the first place. It was more of a confrontation sort of thing. He observed her for a good three seconds before clearing his throat. Even if Tristan was rather blunt and skilled at confronting people for himself, the fact that somebody was about to give him a taste of his own medicine scared him. He sucked in his lower lip before licking it in anticipation - a habit that shielded his bubbling nervousness. There was awkwardness and expected tension mingling in the atmosphere and Tristan was glad that any waitress or waiter was not around to serve them or else, they would have sensed the electric charge around them. "Ordering for you might lead to... unexpected things." His lips curled in a small sneer, recalling the night of them messing up his own sheets. It was fun but the next morning was not so.

"Is this going to be a staring contest, Richards? What is it you're going to tell me? I'm actually expecting an apology for all the things you've done when we were younger but I must know better." Tristan was expecting something bigger and more explosive. However, his life could not be turned upside down by a single confrontation right? He worked hard to achieve this life of his, starting by being a determined little boy then studying to be one of the best in his class (at the same time diminishing his social life) then finally earning his license. Tristan shifted in his seat, his lips set in a tight line. She had to tell him without being so intense. That kind of manner scared the sh*t out of him.
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[Clarisse Richards]

Clarisse was really starting to regret a lot of things. She really wasn't one to regret stuff, even mistakes as she had an outlook in life that enables her to view mistakes as a way for her to learn. But the more she spends time with the man named Tristan Pierce, more and more regrets had been stacking up in front of her face and she didn't like that at all. Especially when this guy was shoving right down her throat every single thing that she so wanted to forget. Did he even have to make it a point to make her life miserable? And he would always blame her when he was the one provoking and aggravating her all the time. "Like I'd accept another drink from you," the pastry chef muttered and rolled her eyes in annoyance as she half-stared, half-glared at the man in front of her. By Merlin, if only she didn't want to deal with this alone, she would have done something to get this guy buried under the face of the earth and never come back to the world of the living. Ever. Because the heavens knew that Tristan really knew how to push the correct buttons, both for seducing her and annoying the hell out of her very being. "Shut your trap, Pierce," the woman half-growled as she was yet again reminded of that night of pleasure and that morning of horrid.

Clarisse couldn't help but scoff though at the man's words. Her? Apologize? Wasn't it supposed to be the other way around? He was the one who always provoked her and annoyed her. And he was the one who, if ever, would have gotten her pregnant! Shouldn't she be the one on the receiving end of an apology and him on the giving end? Seriously, this man's mind was on a whole different level of messed up. "Apology? And here I thought I was the one who deserved an apology from everything you've done," the brunette challenged as she crossed her arms in front of her and raised an eyebrow at the man's impatience. He wasn'tt the only one who was unhappy with this meet-up and he should d**n well understand that little thing. Well, if he was so excited impatient to deal with this whole ordeal, then so be it. She was going to outright tell him her thoughts and what she wanted. "Fine, you want me to tell you here and now? I want you to come with me for a check-up," the woman said seriously as he looked into his eyes, her stare almost equalling to that of a glare. Maybe it was a glare? She didn't care, but she decided to correct herself on her previous statement. Risa didn't want him to think that he had a choice because in reality, he didn't. He was going to come with her and they were going to find out together if she was pregnant or not. "No. Let me rephrase that. You are coming with me to the obstetrician," the pastry chef said as she leaned back on her chair and waited for the man's answer to her demand. Well, not that she would take no for an answer of course.

 

[Tristan Pierce]

Clarisse Richards was a terrifying woman. Tristan would like to think of himself as someone who did not just simply obey the words of a woman, because to him women always had their emotions on the run. However, Clarisse looked like she could just murder him and be done with it in a second. Tristan immediately snapped his mouth shut when Clarisse almost growled angrily and he internally squirmed. Should not it be the other way around? Last time he checked, she was the one writhing underneath him with pleasure in their bodies. He bounced his knee impatiently, hoping she would get with it. She really had to give him some hint, or else he would die of whatever was killing him. It was most probably his curiosity, because Tristan Pierce was a curious boy ever since. Even with his teenage enemy, Tristan felt inclined to know what was going on with her, whether good or bad.

When she finally spat it out, Tristan leaned forward in confusion. His brows were fixed together, with a look of matching disbelief at what she just said. His sharp mind however, knew that there was more to come. She wanted him to chaperon her for a checkup and that checkup ticked his mind in all sorts. Tristan laced his hands together and placed them on the table, completely forgetting that he had a drink waiting for his attention. This was intriguing - and he got the feeling that this was supposed to be something that would f*ck him over. "Ch-check up? Have I become your sla--" Tris questioned harshly, but stopped when she interrupted him. He glared at her rudely, but his eyes softened when she popped the most screwed up word ever. Obstetrician. Tristan knew what that was of course. He was a doctor himself; just of the kind for animals. Still, he was involved in the medical field and he knew certain other branches of medicine. The obstetrician was a person who was assigned for pregnancy and sh*t, did this mean that she... Was she... pregnant? Tristan swallowed hardly and his shoulders relaxed to release some tenseness. Of course though, that did not decrease the swirl of emotions that were building up. "No..." Tristan breathed, his eyes finally leaking worry that he had never expressed to any other before. "Richards... Listen, Clarisse, I can't be the last man you slept with alright? You just can't be... You know," Tristan gulped before saying the deadly word. "...pregnant. It's impossible. You must have visited another club after, then had some fun with some other guy. It cannot be me. Tell me I'm not the last." Tristan was never one to panic, but right now, whilst he was thrown into a pregnancy scare with a woman he did not even like, he thought of the possibility that what if the child was his? Was Clarisse even bearing a child in the first place? "Holy f*ck, what have we done?"

Tristan shifted in his seat and the anger dissipated and he was settled with worry. It was a good thing he was not supporting his family and he had some regular income - but still, if he had to support Clarisse throughout her pregnancy then that would be added responsibility on his part. The money was the least of his problems because he could work harder anyway to have some salary increases. All of this bore a heavy weight on his shoulders and Tristan told himself to man up, because this situation was crucial. He gravely ran a hand through his hair, messing it up in a stressed manner. He felt the stress finally clawing onto him. "Let's go to your checkup. Now. As in, at this second. Let's not waste a second this time." He got ready to stand up and looked at Clarisse expectedly to follow suit.
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