Anything But Clothes Novels & Stories

“You signed up for this, girl. No crying over spilled contract now.” Back in the bedroom, I open the huge closet. Rows of clothes in my exact size hang like they have always belonged to me. I pick a simple soft sweater and loose pants, nothing too fancy for an afternoon alone. The fabric feels like butter against my skin. Another reminder that everything here is better than what I left behind.

Atlas thrusts one of his hands at me. I stared at the three name-brand grocery bags in confusion, then turned my gaze to him. "What are these?" I asked him. Atlas sat down beside me. "Dresses and other necessities." He explained as he pulled the end of the grocery bag open. "You don't have any other clothes to wear, do you?" I opened the grocery bags and was amazed at the complete contents. He even bought me not only a dress and shoes but also a bag and some makeup tools that I didn't bring, which made me almost speechless from amazement and embarrassment, underwear.

"I'm good with animals and I even find some of them cute but I'm afraid I didn't come prepared. I only thought that this is it for our date today so I'm afraid I don't have other clothes with me." "Then let's stop by at a clothing store. You don't have to worry about anything else."

"Just button one more button. Or maybe you could even wear something a little less exciting." "Less exciting? This is hardly exciting clothing. What would you have me wear?" I finished buckling my belt. "A burlap sack maybe?" She missed me with the pencil she threw. --- See what I mean? Almost dull. No new women, nobody walking in on anybody, nothing weird, perverse or seriously out of the ordinary. No threesomes, foursomes or moresomes.

“What do we need to go shopping for?” “Clothes. You don’t own a thing.” I shrug. “Ah, that’s okay. I’m not really a things person.” He turns and looks at me in surprise. “You don’t like things?” I shake my head. “All women like things.” “I’m not all women. I have done without things for most of my life and I know for certain that things don’t make me happy.” His eyes hold mine for an extended time before he finally answers. “We will get you what you need.”

The mirror is foggy, my reflection too. I dress slowly. Every movement is precise, studied. Dark jeans, a black turtleneck. A well-tailored beige jacket. No trace of provocation. Nothing that screams. I want to go unnoticed. I want to be that silhouette that is immediately forgotten. In front of the mirror, I apply light makeup. Just enough to smooth my features. To diminish the shadows under my eyes. I am tired, but there is no way that shows. In the kitchen, the silence is almost comfortable. I pour myself a coffee and two slices of toast. I quickly take a bite and two sips.

Mark moves into the kitchen area and begins opening cabinets. “We will need groceries tomorrow,” he says. “And clothes that do not look like we came out of a war zone.” I glance down at the dark tactical jacket I am still wearing. “You mean these are not fashionable?” He smirks faintly. “Not unless survival gear becomes the next trend.” A soft laugh escapes me. It feels strange laughing in the middle of everything happening outside this apartment. But the sound warms something inside me. Then the warmth shifts again. Lower. Deeper.

"I'm fine." "Mm-hmm. That's why you're sweating from the walk from the car." She picked up her menu, but her gaze remained fixed on him over its edge. "But I'll let it slide since you actually managed to put on real clothes instead of those ratty sweats." "Hey, those are tactical loungewear, thank you very much." He smoothed down his button-down shirt, which had taken him embarrassingly long to put on. "And I'll have you know this outfit was specially selected to complement your scrubs."

It smelt like peace. “Clothes. I left my clothes under the bed in the room,” I informed Billy. He scoffed lightly. “You’re talking about the bloody ones?” “Yes.” I kept my eyes out on the beauty of nature. “Why would you want that?” He sounded confused and taken aback. “I know that they may be one of the only things you have from the day that your pack was wiped out but come on, are they not a trigger for you?”

And because of that message, here I am… standing in front of the huge company, wearing my hoodie. This is my jacket. It was already big for me even on my normal appearance, but now it looked like a gown. But this is the only cloth I have that could hide my ears and tail at the same time. I have no luxury to complain, so I just made some modification so that I wouldn’t look like a crazy kid. I even just walked here. The cabs won’t let me ride because they say I’m still too young to run away from home. Of course, they didn’t know that I’m actually an adult.