Summary: On Thursday, June 11th, 12:47-ish pm, Leah Clearwater imprinted. [Leah/OFC]
Author's Note: Part of a 'Beginning's' challenge, so this is a stand alone. But I am inclined to write more of it.
Leah's not really sure how to take it when she's sitting in the car in her driveway. She had just come back from a trip to the Jacksonville Farmer's Market. Emily needed some of their mangoes and the local general store of course had no such thing. When she was asked she mused at the fact that 2 years ago, she probably would have refused to even look at her second cousin. But, two years is a long time. Whether it was being her bridesmaid, being the first to know about the pregnancy, or being named the godmother of all things, she wasn't as pissed at her as she used to be. Emily's sweet nature and good food wore her down. And, although she didn't admit it, she had missed her cousin.
Sam was still a dick.
But, really, when was he ever not?
A light drizzle had come over the car and the driver's window was starting to fog. She didn't really care. She sat and tried to remember everything. She didn't want to forget. Could she ever even forget? She had heard the stories of it happening from the other guys, but they we're so different.
Today was Friday. Right? No, it was Thursday. Yes. Thursday the 11th. She glanced at the clock. She had been driving for like, what, 25 minutes? So that would make it 12:47-ish when it happened.
On Thursday, June 11th, 12:47-ish pm, Leah Clearwater imprinted.
Her face split and it felt weird. She'd been doing that on and off for the past 30 minutes. Like she said, she's not sure how to take it.
She had been there, looking at these goddamn stupid ass fruit, when it happened. I better get a slice of that cake for this. She had thought. This place is too damn hot and muggy. Who even brings their pet into a fucking farmerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr….
It felt like her brain had sort of slowed down. Like someone turned the 'dim' knob on her higher function. It was probably .01 seconds of eye contact. But jesus christ, it felt like 6 days. Dyed-black hair covered brown eyes. It was tousled, not in that 'I did this on purpose and/or accident and its sexy' but that 'Somebody fucked with my hair to be funny and I haven't noticed but all I care about it picking up my shit and getting OUT of here.' and Leah felt almost like she leveled up in already having something in common. It wasn't even like any sort of contact or minor event initiated it. It was literally a passing glance. Gathering the 3 mangoes she had knocked over from staring slack jawed, Leah caught deep nutmeg skin and a tweed jacket retreating towards the building's front, further indication of a hurried get-in-get-out.
She pushed the cart aside, making sure to grab her bag- wallet was important- and jogged a bit to try and catch up. It took everything not to run. Do not do not do not seem creepy Hi I think you might have dropped this. No shit. Hey I'm leah, Do you know anything about mangoes? Shitshitshit hello I'm sorry but-
A man in a black hoodie bearing the Spiderman symbol on the front had bumped her, and immediately said sorry. But it was enough to cause her eyesight to shift and lose the head of black hair in the crowd. Of course, tracking would be easy. Breathing in deep, she threaded through Thyme and Crab to find the scent she was in seconds before. She looked, unable to catch anything in the crowd. Jogging along the edges of lines at registers, nothing. She followed the smell. It was sweet, earthy. It led her outside to the parking lot near the front doors. Close. Heart on overdrive, she wondered in the back of her mind if she looked as frantic as she felt. Smoothing her hair quickly, along with her simple grey t shirt, she rounded the corner on her left, to the nook next to an assortment of banana trees for sale.
There, she was greeted by a big ass crate of fucking mangoes.
And in front of the mangoes stood a girl about Leah's height, inspecting a few fruits. She turned around and smiled politely. "Hi." She said, quickly looking back to the crate. "I love their mangos, but It's hard to find the best ones…" It was said more to herself than anything. But Leah sat back in the driver's seat 25 or 30 or whatever minutes later with a cool 10 things circling her head. Number one of them being that on Thursday, June 11th at 12:47pm-ish Leah imprinted on someone in the farmers market.
And she was gorgeous.