A/N - This puffball of a story was whistling around my head all summer and I've finally found time to write it down...
The Funfair
It had been a cool night, sitting on the wall in front of the tennis courts as the sun began to fall. She had turned to him suddenly, green eyes sparkling with excitement and possibilities.
"Take me to the funfair" she had said, almost challenging him to deny her the whim. They'd left almost at once, stumbling along the gravel path, laughing loudly in the still night, young and fearless.
The tinkling music of the fair had grown louder and louder, until they burst out onto the green and into the concentrated colours and sounds and smells of the funfair, flashing lights and pressing crowds surrounding and absorbing them utterly.
She'd slipped her hand into his, at once pulling him towards one of the fast rides and they almost fell into a carriage, his arm holding her close to him. The ride had spun them around and around and around, her long hair catching in the wind and brushing against his arm as they laughed and laughed, overcome by the sheer happiness of the moment.
He had caught her eye as the ride reached its fastest, holding her gaze. A smart comment died on her lips as he leaned closer, their foreheads meeting, and a strange, magic moment of quiet overtook them in the midst of the crazy music of the fair.
She had looked away, embarrassed, but her eyes flicked back to his again immediately and a dizzy, joyful laugh had bubbled out of her. He had stolen a kiss then, so quick on her lips that she hardly knew if she had imagined it, but she had felt the warmth of his arm more keenly afterwards, and she had leant a little closer into the curve of his shoulder.
The ride had finished too soon, and they had walked off almost shyly, but still wrapped up in each other, sending confused glances to each other whenever they could, blushing when they caught the other at it too.
They had strolled through the fair, bypassing rides in favour of trying to win prizes, ratty stuffed toys, plastic ducks and fish in clear bags. He had given her a small bear which he'd won, surreptitiously sliding it into her handbag while she was distracted.
There hadn't been very much to do there. They had gone on the spinning ride again, and had been even more conscious of each other this time. But eventually, after the crowds had dispersed a little more, they had ended up on a bench just beyond the lights, sipping hot chocolate which threatened to scald them at the slightest jolt. The wind had been blowing colder, whistling through the trees and adding fairylike harmonies to the fairground music.
He had thrown his empty cup into the bin, showing off just a bit, but it had made her laugh again. They had wandered back into the fair, intending to cross through it on the way home, pushing their way through the crowds. They had been jostled and pushed about, and she had just been beginning to get annoyed when he stopped dead.
He had pulled her close, a strong arm around her waist, and kissed her right there, in the middle of the crowd. He had grinned down at her, dark blue eyes laughing at her surprise before she pulled his head down to hers again.
They had eventually emerged at the other side of the warm, raucous funfair, still so close together that they stumbled a little on the gnarled roots that emerged from the floor of the pathway. She had shivered at the cold, and he had slung his warm jacket around her shoulders almost at once. She had pulled it close around her, breathing deeply and hoping that he didn't notice. He had.
When they had reached her house, they had stood for a moment in the light that spilled out from the kitchen windows onto the stone wall where they had been just an hour before. It had almost been awkward, but she had looked at him with her pale green eyes again, the same challenging expression in them, and before they realised they were kissing, and then just as fast she was melting away from him down the pathway, shutting the door behind her with a wistful glance back at the broad-shouldered silhouette.
He had watched the door for a moment, as if she might reappear, but he had turned away and shoved his hands in his pockets, preparing to walk home. He only looked back once, and as he did he found a whirlwind of blonde hair and strawberry perfume throwing herself into his arms again for one last kiss, a smooth check pressed against his as she whispered "Thank you", before disappearing again with a cheeky smile and a wink as she closed the blue front door again.
He had been stunned, and walked home in a sort of daze, the scent of her clinging to his nostrils. She had run straight up to her room, a huge grin spreading over her face as she leant against the door, still feeling his arms around her and his lips on hers. He fell asleep almost at once that night, confused but happy. She lay awake for hours, remembering the night and dreaming about tomorrow.
Already the funfair was becoming a blurred memory of bright lights and fizzy emotions. But when they met the next morning, in the harsh light of a schoolday Monday, they remembered every look laden with meaning, every shy touch and every sweet instant of bliss.
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