Disclaimer - As much debt as I am in, you'd think I'd own SOMETHING.....
Thanks again for all the positive feedback! The Action/Adventure part is coming, it's just taking a little while. Thanks for being patient!
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Rachel finished up her rounds of animal tending, then wondered around the camp alone. It was late and only a few were still up, mostly the lighting techs. She heard them working from outside the main tent. All different kinds of lights flickered off and on; turning the huge open doorway of the tent into a multi colored rainbow. She needed some time to think. She hadn't done much of that in the past 2 months. That was how long her father had been dead. His death drew dozens of well-dressed mourners. It drew even more sharks, trying to take advantage of the power void her father had left behind. While he had made sure she would never have to worry about money after his death, there was little love lost between them. She regretted that. He had always been so distant. She could never seem to reach him after her mother died. It was as if he died in that car with her, that awful day.
A week after the funeral, a twist of fate, in the form of an internet-job bulletin board, had brought her information that the Munich Circus was looking for a 'part time' vet. She immediately called the circus owners and told them she wanted the job. No, actually that she told them that she HAD to have that job. When she told them she'd do it pro bono, they were hooked. The next week, she was in Hamburg, applying for her work visa and a veterinarian's license to practice in Germany. The week after that she was packing and calling her aunt. The next week she was here. She left her old life in the hands of a board of directors. She had put the antebellum estate in Georgia up for sale 'before the corpse was even cold' she had overheard the servants say.
In short, she had run away. She chuckled to herself, fingering a tent wall. "I've run away and joined the circus." she whispered.
"Rachel?" The voice came from the darkness. Kurt's voice. It was melodic and soothing against her frayed mind. He hesitated for a moment, then stepped into the light. "May I join you?"
"Blue." She smiled at him. "Yes, please. I'd like that." She had forgotten many things about the circus, but not Kurt. Even as a child, he had felt things so deeply and he empathized so well, that, she had never had to tell him what was wrong for him to understand. Was that why he was here now?
Kurt fell in place beside her and they walked in silence for a few moments. "It's looks like we'll have good weather for the show." he mentioned looking up at the sky, his hands clasped behind his back.
Rachel merely nodded. She followed his gaze upward. "I missed seeing the stars. There are too many lights back home to see the stars." Her voice was hollow and distant.
"What is wrong, Rachel?" He stopped and turned to face her. He resisted the urge to touch her. To somehow try to physically take away some of her sadness. Things would change if he touched her. And he was too afraid they would change for the worse.
They stood there for awhile, her eyes cast towards the ground, unwilling to meet his gaze. Finally, she sighed and looked up at him. His eyes glowed softly in the darkness. His ebony hair curled and swayed slightly in the breeze. His face was patient and kind. She was suddenly struck by how handsome he was in his own way.
She looked away. "I guess, I am just missing my father a little. I wish...I wish we had been closer. He just wasn't the same after mom died" She wrapped her arms around herself, only partially because of the night chill.
Kurt nodded. "I'm sorry, liebe. But he is at peace, now. Perhaps, he is with your mother again." He touched his crucifix, lightly. It was a small consolation, but it was all he could offer.
She glanced at him and smiled her sad appreciation. "I hope so." Then suddenly, she dropped her head again and hugged herself tighter.
There was an awkward silence.
"You're cold. Here, take my jacket." He commanded suddenly, taking off his worn, gray jacket. Before she could refuse, he put it around her. While his hands were still on her shoulders, she wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head up against his shoulder. At first, Kurt was totally taken by surprise. Then, he returned the embrace. He held her a little tighter than friendship warranted, but she did not complain or pull away. Whatever was in her heart, whatever pain she harbored, she would tell him eventually. But right now, she just needed to know she was wanted here. That she had a home here.
After a long time, she finally pulled away from him, sheepishly. "I'm sorry, Kurt-" She started.
"Sorry for what?" he interrupted. He put his arm around her in a gesture of friendship. "Your life has been turned upside down." They started walking towards her RV. "You have my shoulder anytime you need it."
She put her head against that shoulder and slid an arm back around his waist. "How do you do that?"
"Do what?"
"Be exactly what I need?" She answered. "You've always been. Even when we were children."
"It's a gift." he grinned. Finally, he was rewarded with a small sincere smile. He would not have traded that smile for all the treasures on Earth.
A few minutes later they were in front of the RV. There was quiet all around them.
"Gute Nacht." Kurt whispered, his arm releasing her shoulders, a little reluctantly.
"Good Night, Kurt." she whispered back, she squeezed his waist before letting go. She handed back his jacket. "Thank you."
He didn't want to leave. He wanted to stay with her, even if it meant standing outside that parked RV all night. But fantasy had no place in his world. He was a friend to her, perhaps even her best friend, but that is all he had ever been and it was all he could ever be. To wish for anything more, was just to cause himself unnecessary heartache.
She opened the RV's door, then turned back around. Impulsively, she slid her hand to his cheek and kissed him. It was not a passionate kiss, but not a platonic kiss either. It was a kiss that stood in it's own classification. And, it happened so fast, he barely had time to react.
"Good night, Blue" she said and disappeared thru the door.
Then she was gone, leaving Kurt standing alone, two uniquely shaped fingers touching his lips, energized by the kiss that lingered there. Slowly, he turned away, in total confusion. But, after a few steps, he turned back and smiled...Well, *anything* is possible.
Thanks again for all the positive feedback! The Action/Adventure part is coming, it's just taking a little while. Thanks for being patient!
******************
Rachel finished up her rounds of animal tending, then wondered around the camp alone. It was late and only a few were still up, mostly the lighting techs. She heard them working from outside the main tent. All different kinds of lights flickered off and on; turning the huge open doorway of the tent into a multi colored rainbow. She needed some time to think. She hadn't done much of that in the past 2 months. That was how long her father had been dead. His death drew dozens of well-dressed mourners. It drew even more sharks, trying to take advantage of the power void her father had left behind. While he had made sure she would never have to worry about money after his death, there was little love lost between them. She regretted that. He had always been so distant. She could never seem to reach him after her mother died. It was as if he died in that car with her, that awful day.
A week after the funeral, a twist of fate, in the form of an internet-job bulletin board, had brought her information that the Munich Circus was looking for a 'part time' vet. She immediately called the circus owners and told them she wanted the job. No, actually that she told them that she HAD to have that job. When she told them she'd do it pro bono, they were hooked. The next week, she was in Hamburg, applying for her work visa and a veterinarian's license to practice in Germany. The week after that she was packing and calling her aunt. The next week she was here. She left her old life in the hands of a board of directors. She had put the antebellum estate in Georgia up for sale 'before the corpse was even cold' she had overheard the servants say.
In short, she had run away. She chuckled to herself, fingering a tent wall. "I've run away and joined the circus." she whispered.
"Rachel?" The voice came from the darkness. Kurt's voice. It was melodic and soothing against her frayed mind. He hesitated for a moment, then stepped into the light. "May I join you?"
"Blue." She smiled at him. "Yes, please. I'd like that." She had forgotten many things about the circus, but not Kurt. Even as a child, he had felt things so deeply and he empathized so well, that, she had never had to tell him what was wrong for him to understand. Was that why he was here now?
Kurt fell in place beside her and they walked in silence for a few moments. "It's looks like we'll have good weather for the show." he mentioned looking up at the sky, his hands clasped behind his back.
Rachel merely nodded. She followed his gaze upward. "I missed seeing the stars. There are too many lights back home to see the stars." Her voice was hollow and distant.
"What is wrong, Rachel?" He stopped and turned to face her. He resisted the urge to touch her. To somehow try to physically take away some of her sadness. Things would change if he touched her. And he was too afraid they would change for the worse.
They stood there for awhile, her eyes cast towards the ground, unwilling to meet his gaze. Finally, she sighed and looked up at him. His eyes glowed softly in the darkness. His ebony hair curled and swayed slightly in the breeze. His face was patient and kind. She was suddenly struck by how handsome he was in his own way.
She looked away. "I guess, I am just missing my father a little. I wish...I wish we had been closer. He just wasn't the same after mom died" She wrapped her arms around herself, only partially because of the night chill.
Kurt nodded. "I'm sorry, liebe. But he is at peace, now. Perhaps, he is with your mother again." He touched his crucifix, lightly. It was a small consolation, but it was all he could offer.
She glanced at him and smiled her sad appreciation. "I hope so." Then suddenly, she dropped her head again and hugged herself tighter.
There was an awkward silence.
"You're cold. Here, take my jacket." He commanded suddenly, taking off his worn, gray jacket. Before she could refuse, he put it around her. While his hands were still on her shoulders, she wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head up against his shoulder. At first, Kurt was totally taken by surprise. Then, he returned the embrace. He held her a little tighter than friendship warranted, but she did not complain or pull away. Whatever was in her heart, whatever pain she harbored, she would tell him eventually. But right now, she just needed to know she was wanted here. That she had a home here.
After a long time, she finally pulled away from him, sheepishly. "I'm sorry, Kurt-" She started.
"Sorry for what?" he interrupted. He put his arm around her in a gesture of friendship. "Your life has been turned upside down." They started walking towards her RV. "You have my shoulder anytime you need it."
She put her head against that shoulder and slid an arm back around his waist. "How do you do that?"
"Do what?"
"Be exactly what I need?" She answered. "You've always been. Even when we were children."
"It's a gift." he grinned. Finally, he was rewarded with a small sincere smile. He would not have traded that smile for all the treasures on Earth.
A few minutes later they were in front of the RV. There was quiet all around them.
"Gute Nacht." Kurt whispered, his arm releasing her shoulders, a little reluctantly.
"Good Night, Kurt." she whispered back, she squeezed his waist before letting go. She handed back his jacket. "Thank you."
He didn't want to leave. He wanted to stay with her, even if it meant standing outside that parked RV all night. But fantasy had no place in his world. He was a friend to her, perhaps even her best friend, but that is all he had ever been and it was all he could ever be. To wish for anything more, was just to cause himself unnecessary heartache.
She opened the RV's door, then turned back around. Impulsively, she slid her hand to his cheek and kissed him. It was not a passionate kiss, but not a platonic kiss either. It was a kiss that stood in it's own classification. And, it happened so fast, he barely had time to react.
"Good night, Blue" she said and disappeared thru the door.
Then she was gone, leaving Kurt standing alone, two uniquely shaped fingers touching his lips, energized by the kiss that lingered there. Slowly, he turned away, in total confusion. But, after a few steps, he turned back and smiled...Well, *anything* is possible.