Summary: Takes place when Ivy and Lucius are much younger, some boys are teasing her because of her vision and Lucius chases them away. I couldn't think of a better title and the summary sucks, hopefully the story doesn't.
The tears trickled over her cheeks like the stream that ran through the forbidden woods. They slipped between her lips, salty and bitter and dripped from her chin like a melting icicle. Curled against resting rock with her legs tucked beneath her she sobbed. Today was the day of thirteenth year. That morning she had been excited beyond belief. Once celebrations with her family had come to an end she had found Noah Percy. While simple in mind Noah was one of her closest friends and she cherished him dearly. She had requested that he take her to the stump where the boys tested their bravery. Most would have denied her this but Noah simply took her hand and they ran together up the hills and to the edge of the boundary of Covington woods. It was here that in the darkness the boys would stand with their backs to the woods, waiting to see who could stand the longest without getting scared. Ever since hearing the story Ivy Walker had longed to test her own bravery. She need not wait until it grew dark, for her vision did not allow her to see the light.
Noah had waited for some time but being impatient like a boy of four rather then a boy of sixteen he had run off to look for new adventures. Ivy could feel the adrenaline and excitement running through her blood. Her back tingled with the feeling of being watched. When she heard them approaching she thought it was Noah come back to watch her. But she was wrong. These boys were a bit older then herself, probably fifteen or so. The kind of silly, loud boys her sister giggled about.
"What a tom boy this Ivy Walker is" one announced startling her. She felt them surround the stump and grew more frightened then she had been the entire time on the stump. She knew much about voices because she spent a great time listening to them. Their voices were no longer like a child's but not yet deep like a man's. She was more frightened of these man-boys then she was frightened of those they did not speak of.
"Maybe her blindness prevents her from seeing she is but a girl" another chimed in and they all laughed. Laughed in an arrogant way that made her stomach drop. These kinds of boys were always nice to her when Kitty was around because they all desired her older sister; all imagined her as their wife when they grew older. Her sister was beautiful and charming and her sister was not blind.
"Leave me alone" Ivy demanded in her strongest voice, mimicking her father's tone when he became angered or frustrated.
"Do you think yourself brave now Ivy? Think yourself better then everyone else? You are not brave you are but a stupid blind girl". She could feel the tears welling behind her lids and reached for her cane, which she had leaned against the side of the stump. She was too late as one of them had already snatched it from its resting spot and was holding it over his shoulders.
"I think you should return that" Ivy had felt and heard him approaching, the former darkness she lived in was replaced with his color, it was comforting and she welcomed it always. A color that made her feel safe and warm and loved. Lucius Hunt was sixteen as Noah was although he acted much older then his years. He rarely joked or teased. Lucius was known for his shyness, speaking very seldom. He spoke as if he were a man with authority in his voice. She could feel the boys back away from her, heard the sound as her cane dropped into the leaves.
"We were just teasing Lucius, having some fun" one of the boys tried to justify but Lucius said nothing. Although they would never admit it the boys all somewhat feared Lucius and his quiet ways. She heard their footsteps as they made a hast exit. She fumbled off the stump and tried to fight back her tears and she gathered up her cane from the ground. She could feel him watching her the way she could feel him watching her from across the meeting hall, how she had always felt him watching her since they were very small and he would hold her arm after the school bell had rung and they were walking home. Ivy could always feel him watching her when she spoke to him, when she spoke to some she knew they were looking in another direction simply humoring her pretending to listen, but Lucius always listened and watched. He simply stood there and watched her and she ran. Afraid to cry in his presence she ran. She ran to resting rock from memory and that was where she lay now.
Ivy felt and heard him slide to sit next to her. He had come after her and through her sorrow that made her heart sore.
"Normally I am the one who stays quiet and you have so many words,…" he whispered.
"I am embarrassed" she answered and could feel his confusion. She spoke fast and sometimes knew he was confused after she had told him a long story. Sometimes she tried to picture his face but it didn't work. She had asked Kitty once what Lucius looked like and her sister had said he was handsome but sad.
"What have you to be embarrassed about?" he questioned.
"I do not like being one who needs rescuing…"
" I am sure you would have been able to handle them on your own with time, but I could not just watch them hurt your feelings so. They are but stupid boys". At this a tiny laugh escaped from Ivy between her tears.
"And you are not?" she asked with amusement.
"I am as well" he replied. There was a long moment of silence and she could feel him questioning himself, trying desperately to think of what to do or say.
"No you are not," she told him, " You are so different from the other boys. You are patient and caring with the younger ones and Noah and even I". He sighed
"Maybe it is because I was raised solely by my mother, there was never a man to make me hard inside", this was the most he had ever opened up to her. Almost always he would just sit and listen to her rant on, commenting very little.
"I was curious to see how brave I really was" she changed the subject, feeling he did not want comment on his last statement. "I had heard of how the boys stood there at night with their backs to the woods. I wanted to see if I could be brave like that".
"Ivy you are brave and strong in a way everyone in this village wishes they could be. They live their entire existences in fear of something they have never seen yet you live yours embracing everything you never will see", she felt his finger on her cheek catching a tear and rubbing it away with his thumb. " Today is your birthday is it not?" he asked with a lighter tone in his voice.
"Yes"
"I made something for you" he whispered, "I was coming to give it to you when I found you at the stump". She smiled. He had remembered her birthday, had even made her a gift. He opened her palm and pressed something inside. Took her fingers and helped her run them over the shape.
"It is a heart, inside the wood," he told her and she could feel it where he had carved the tiny wooden heart. There was a leather strap and he tied it around her wrist.
"I love it Lucius…thank you so much… ", She was not embarrassed of these tears at all. He took her hand.
"Let me walk you home".