Short Cam/Lillian oneshot I've been working on. I absolutely adore these characters, and just had to write something about them
...
The day they met, there was dirt under her nails and her boots were caked in mud. Her eyes were red-rimmed and tired, and her hair in a disarray under her bandanna.
But she smiled at him nonetheless, and she was absolutely beautiful.
He helped her pick out a few packets of seeds, and she smiled at him again before she left.
...
He learned through Ash that she'd just moved in from the city. She'd taken the abandoned farm outside town, and it was rare that she left unless it was to pick up supplies. Ash expressed his disappointment that she didn't come socialize much, and he absently nodded his agreement.
...
A week later she came back. Her hair was in a messy braid, and she clutched a carnation in one hand.
She picked out a few more packets of seed, but lingered for a moment when she was done. He was confused until she held out the carnation, and he took it after a moment of hesitation.
"It's thanks for the seeds," she explained, and he nodded, mouth dry. She hesitated by the stand as if she was going to continue the conversation, but apparently decided against it. But she smiled before she left, and he stood watching her retreating back until it was out of sight.
Ash came over later to brag about the milk she'd given him, and he tried not show how let down he was.
...
She was coming by more often. Usually it was to buy seeds, or occasionally a bouquet. Once or twice she came by for a short chat, and sometimes she brought a flower she'd grown or some unusual plant she'd found in the mountains.
He began looking forward to the days when she'd appear, and was disappointed every day she didn't.
...
He stood nervously on the path to her farm, chocolates hidden behind his back. Ash had given them to him with a wink and a nudge, and he'd blushed and muttered about how silly the holiday was.
Yet here he was, forcing his feet to pull him along even though he himself was reluctant. His palms felt sweaty and his breathing was shallow but he did his best to appear collected and calm.
She was tending to her animals when he arrived, and looked absolutely stunned when she spotted him. Her hands flew up to fix her hair and he wondered why; she always looked beautiful, even with bags under her eyes and smudges of dirt on her skin.
"Cam!" she squeaked, and his stomach did an uncomfortable little flip.
"I'm sorry, I wasn't expecting anyone. Do you, uh, want to come in?" She was flustered, and he felt guilty for putting her in such a position. Still, he followed her inside, still holding the chocolate out of view.
Her home was small and cozy, it smelled like pine and straw and freesia. A bouquet he'd made for her sat in a vase in the corner, brightening up the little space.
She gestured for him to sit at the table in the middle of the room, and went through the formalities, offering tea and something to eat. He guiltily accepted her offer of tea, and set the chocolates on the table once she turned away.
...
Her huge, happy smile was imprinted in his mind as he walked home. They'd talked and laughed until the sun went down, and though they both knew it was late there was a mutual reluctance to part. He wasn't one partial to smiles, but there was a light in his eyes that even Laney noticed when he returned.
...
It was fall, and his occasional visits were becoming weekly events. They drank tea and ate desserts he stole from Howard's shop (that is, he watched her eat them; he didn't care for sweets) and talked for hours. Sometimes they took walks down to the river, and he watched as she waded in, the hem of her skirt getting wet as she attempted catching fish for her cat. Her mud caked boots sat on the riverbank, and he would lounge beside them, laughing occasionally as she splashed around.
Laney gave him a knowing look every time she passed him on his way to one of these visits, and Ash teased him about it constantly. He used to deny their accusations by default, but as time went on merely brushed them off with a shrug and half-smile.
Howard was even more excitable than his friends, and he stopped bringing her over to the shop after catching his surrogate father slipping a blue feather into her bag.
...
He hated the cold, but he liked the excuse to walk closer to her. Her breath fogged in front of her face as she told him stories of her chickens; they grew restless in the winter and would often find the strangest places to roost in order to keep warmer. The scarf he'd lent her was wrapped around her neck in soft loops, and her pink nose and cheeks stood out in contrast to the purple knit fabric.
Snow began falling gently, and he was consumed by the urge to kiss her.
But she was obliviously chattering away, and he didn't want to risk giving her a reason to stop smiling at him the way she did.
...
It took him ten minutes to pry Laney away; she was fussing with his hair and clothes, straightening his tie (which he immediately loosened once he was free of her) and even trying to squirt him with cologne. He was almost late by the time he left, pulling on his hat and coat as he walked out the door.
The walk to her farm was familiar now, and he hurried his way there. She was waiting for him, and happily accepted the bouquet offered. Ash said it was too much, Laney insisted it was not enough, but he'd gone with his gut and was happy to know he'd gauged her correctly.
They strolled arm in arm back to Howard's, even though he'd much rather stay with her back at her place. Parties weren't his thing, and especially not parties where every guest would be trying (consciously or not, and god he hoped they'd be subtle) to set him up. Not that he would mind that kind of relationship, granted, but he didn't want it forced.
...
He walked her home and she was unusually quiet. He was panicking slightly; was it something he said? Something he did? Perhaps Howard had gone a bit too far with his insinuations, or maybe Laney had said something too forward during the five minutes he had left the two women alone together for. He knew he never should have left Laney alone with her; he loved his surrogate sister but she had a tendency to be rather tactless sometimes.
So wrapped up in his thoughts as he was, he didn't notice she was talking to him until she tugged his sleeve.
"What are you thinking about?"
He couldn't answer directly, but he could tell she knew he was skirting the issue. She was growing increasingly impatient, her fingers tapping against her legs like they always did when she was annoyed.
They reached her door but she didn't smile at him and bid him goodnight like she usually did. Instead she folded her arms, glaring up at him. She was angry, and she looked beautiful like this. He wanted to tell her everything, but he didn't, and after a few minutes of him avoiding her questions she turned and slammed the door on him.
...
She didn't come to his stand the next day, or the day after. On the third day he took matters into his own hands, and closed the stand early to visit her. Laney gave him another one of those looks as he passed her on his way, but this time he ignored her entirely.
His palms were sweating by the time he reached the door. He could hear her inside; she liked to sing when she thought no one was listening. He didn't know why she didn't sing for anyone else, her voice was soft and pretty, with a soothing tone that made him feel instantly at ease.
He waited until she was quiet to knock. If she thought he'd been listening in, he knew she wouldn't open the door.
But she did, and she looked rather surprised at him standing there. They stood in awkward silence for a moment while he tried to come up with something to say.
"Do you want to come in?" she asked before he could say anything, and with a dry mouth he nodded.
She headed to her small kitchen to make tea as usual, but he grabbed her arm before she was out of his reach. She turned around, shock clear on her face; he wasn't ever so forward.
"Is something wro-"
She couldn't finish her sentence, because his lips silenced her.
...
They were curled together next to the fireplace. He'd never stayed this late before, he didn't realize how cold her house got at night. A blanket was wrapped around them, and her head was on his shoulder. They were dozing on and off in the heat by the fire, her cat curled up and purring softly in her lap.
He was the happiest he'd ever been, sitting with her. He'd been a mess of nerves after he kissed her, but she'd just given him one of those smiles and kissed him right back.
"I love you," he murmured to her, and her smile was even more beautiful than before.
"I love you too."
...
Thanks for reading!
I might write more someday, hopefully something longer and more substantial (I love all the characters in TOTT, so a really long fic may or may not be in the works, ahaha).
Reviews are appreciated, I love feedback and critique
Thanks again!