*Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters or the setting.
I guess this story isn't entirely canonical, there might be a couple things that are a little off, but it's not AU or anyting.
I borrowed this format idea from Rosa_Cotton, who writes beautiful stuff and is worth checking out.
I'm not totally sure how I feel about this story; I hope you enjoy it, though. :) (By the way, just to clarify, of course "he" is Beetle and "she" is Jenna.)
Whispers
1. Childhood
He meets her for the first time on the day she is born, going up to the Heaps' to see if Jo-Jo can play.
2. Request
He doesn't even notice anymore when he adds her into his prayers at night: "Dear God, please bless Jen. And of course Sep and Mum and Foxy, but mostly Jen…"
3. School
She is bored in class one day, and starts doodling all over a notebook page; the doodles all link together eventually and, to her great surprise, form his name.
4. Sun
He is very sure he honestly couldn't go a day without seeing her; she's like the sun to him- necessary to survival.
5. Age
Responding to a skeptical statement she made about the age difference between Syrah and Septimus, he says, "I don't know, Jen. I guess when you love someone, age doesn't matter, really."
She shrugs her shoulders. "I wouldn't know. I've never been in love."
He drops his gaze at this, staring at the ground, face burning. I have.
6. Hair
"Beetle, do you think I should get my hair cut?" She fingers her long dark waves, picking at the ends. He watches her twirl a strand around her finger. He tells her, "Definitely not."
7. Sand
It's the best when they go into the Wizard Tower at the same time, and the floor reads, WELCOME, PRINCESS AND BEETLE.
8. Courageous
Okay, so he's not the bravest, but he would risk everything for her, and she knows it.
9. Trust
Sep taught them the Trust Fall game, and they all play it sometimes; she likes it best when he's her partner, because she knows he'll catch her every time.
10. Red
She's the only person on Earth who can make him blush to the tips of his ears.
11. Admiration
People always tell him how smart he is- teachers at school, his mother's friends, the scribes at the Manuscriptorium- but he never feels particularly smart; just normal. The only time he really feels smart is when he helps her with a tricky homework assignment or something, and she gives him a big smile, eyes shining: "Beetle, you're a genius!"
12. Sleep
When they're on Syren Island, she falls asleep beside him under the stars. Once his best friend is asleep too, he props himself up on his elbows and watches her sleeping face. Her eyelids flutter as she dreams (what does she dream about? he wonders) and her face is pale in the moonlight, contrasted by the dark hair framing it. He reaches over and touches her cheek with his thumb, then pulls back quickly as she stirs a little. He contents himself with simply watching her after that, until his heavy eyelids cannot be forced to stay open any longer. That night, she is in every one of his dreams.
13. Sun II.
She could be having the worst day in the history of the world, but when he walks in, everything is instantly better.
14. Lemons
She mentions once how much she likes the smell of lemons; after that, he scours his mother's bathroom cabinets in search of anything with a scent even vaguely resembling that of lemon. He discovers a bottle of hair oil and begins using it. Frequently.
15. Measure
When she gets a crush on a wizard boy at her school, he spends hours locked in his room with charms of all shapes and sizes, trying to get his eyes to turn green.
16. Oblivious
On Valentine's Day, he goes to see her. She is elated, waving a lacy pink card in his face: "Look what I got from the boy at school I told you about, Beetle!" He looks; the card appears to have been bought someplace fancy and expensive, and she informs him that a huge box of chocolates came with it. His heart sinks, as he hides his own Valentine for her, homemade, behind his back.
17. Mirror
Whenever Septimus says he's going to visit Beetle, and does she want to come with? she says yes, just a minute, and runs to the bathroom to quick check her reflection; she has no idea why she does this, but it's become her Beetle routine.
18. Green
He watches Nicko and Snorri, and wonders that there was ever one without the other; he also wonders, why isn't it like that between him and Jenna?
19. Birthday
For some reason, she has his birthday memorized, which is more than can be said for his best friend Septimus.
20. Celestial
It's never awkward taking her hand; in fact, it's pretty much heaven.
21. Walking
She is his favorite person to go on walks with; she always goes exactly the right pace, and stops to look at the same things he does, and doesn't talk too much or not enough. His walks with her along the beach are, in his opinion, the best part of Syren Island.
22. Walking II.
She likes walks with him, too, which is why she keeps asking him and Sep if they want to go explore the beach, or volunteering to join him when he's the one who asks.
23. Notice
She begins to take notice of the strange butterflies in her stomach that only show up when he's around.
24. Counting
She can count the number of her close friends on four fingers: one for Bo, one for Sep, one for Nik, and one for Beetle; but, really, she wouldn't have it any other way.
25. Future
It's always in the back of his mind that, someday, when he's grown up and so is she, he'll propose to her, and it's always in the back of her mind that when he does, she'll throw her arms around his neck, and say yes.
Please review!
