She hadn't known how long they stayed together in the clearing. She didn't care. She actually liked his company and didn't ever want to go home.
"So, you don't pay for stuff here." She asked. Right now, Tamani was explaining to her the concept of the faerie and she the human world.
They had talked about Laurel and Jonathan, their old flames.
"You don't pay for goods here. That's a very…human thing."
"So do you guys have like stores and stuff?"
Tamani smiled and she felt her heart leap. By now, they were sitting so close to each other, their thighs were practically touching.
"Yes, in a way. We have one called the summer square."
"Cool."
"It is pretty."
"So, what kind of faerie are you?"
"I'm a spring faerie. I used to guard the gates from potential dangerous criminals and use potions for several needs. Your knee, for example was one."
"Cool, so how many spring faeries are there?"
He shrugged. "I don't know for sure. Somewhere around 80% of the population."
"That's a big number. So you say, that there's a faerie for each season right."
"Correct."
"So how many summer faeries?"
"Oh, I'd guess 15%. Probably a smidge more."
"And fall faeries."
"Probably 5% or less. Same goes for winter faeries."
"Isn't it weird that the most important faeries, like the ones you told me about, have barely any population while the rest make up the most of the population?"
"No"
"So, do you get to shop anywhere you'd like."
"No, no. we only shop in springtime square. Winter and fall faeries shop where they like. They are too few of them to have their own square."
"So, if I were to shop, I could visit your square."
"It's not pretty like the summer square. I mean, the square's pretty; everything in Avalon is beautiful. But we don't need trinkets and décor. We need clothing, food and the tools of our many trades. I used to get my weapons there as well as the elixirs and potions I needed for my sentry kits. Things are sent down from the academy. The summer faeries need the flashy things; it's part of their trade. Those in theatre, especially of the inside of shops, you'll find the more technical supplies paints and equipment for scenery, musical instruments, jewelry making tools, that kind of thing." He grinned. "The kiosks have all the sparkles and such in them so they call the sun and draw more strangers."
"That's sound so awesome and cool."
He chuckled and she imagined it as a caress on her cheek. She felt so calm with Tamani, something she hadn't felt for a long time.
"So, how are babies born?"
"I wouldn't say born. Not in the way you assume."
"Then how, don't you guys have sex and stuff."
"Well, technically we're plants so we reproduce like plants. Pollination is for reproduction and sex is for fun."
"Oh." She felt her cheeks blush red and she hugged her knees again. "But aren't most of these people married in whatever your place is from?"
"For starters, you don't get married in Avalon. You get hand fasted. And no, most of them aren't. In Avalon, the main reason to get hand fasted is to raise a seedling. Typically, faeries aren't ready to do that until they are eighty, maybe a hundred years old."
"Do faeries ever get hand fasted young? Like…like at our age?" she was curious and she imagined that if she ever had sex with Tamani, she wouldn't get pregnant.
Wait, why was she thinking this? She shouldn't be thinking this. But she couldn't help herself, after she passed the distrusting scene, she actually found him cute and attractive.
She couldn't comprehend how Laurel could leave him for another guy. Hell, she couldn't even comprehend how Jonathan left her for her so called best friend after four years of them dating.
"Almost never. But that doesn't mean they aren't entwined. A lot of people have committed lovers. Not a majority, but its common enough. My parents had been entwined for over 70 years before their hand fasting. Hand fasting is a little different from human marriage. It is not just a sign of committed romance but an intention to form a family to create a seedling and become a societal unit."
Isalinda tried wrapping her mind about it but it sounded confusing yet it made sense.
"I guess it makes sense. Do you have a mother?"
"We do. I mean, mostly. Mothering is not quite the same here as it is in the human world. We are born with the necessary skills that we need in order to survive. We aren't helpless like human babies."
She giggled and Tamani raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry. It's the way you say humans as if their some kind of thing instead of a human."
"I guess I can't feel too bad about forgetting a word here or there."
"I think you do great for a faerie." She said, running one finger along Tamani's arm. She didn't even notice she was doing it but she felt a pull towards him she hadn't felt with Jonathan.
Instinctively, Tamani reached up and covered her hand with his own. She looked up and their eyes locked.
She felt lost in his green eyes, she could almost read his soul through his eyes and how in depth they were. Full of secrets and desires ready to be read and shared.
Tamani moved forward and Isalinda felt her heart pound against her chest. She saw his full lips and had a strong urge to kiss those lips. To see how it feels to have his lips moving against her.
He shifted forward until his forehead rested on hers, hands cupping the sides of her face, and then trailing slowly down her neck.
She didn't move; she couldn't if she wanted to. She wasn't afraid of him, or what was going to happen. She was afraid of herself. She wanted to open herself to him and give him the chance to be a part of her but she couldn't.
She had been damaged immensely and far too many times and she was afraid of letting that happen again.
Only when the tip of his nose brushed hers did she whisper, "Tam…" his lips were just a breath away from hers.
His fingers tightened ever so softly against her neck, but he stopped and pulled back.
"Sorry."
"It's okay." She said even if she really wanted to kiss him and taste him. "Thank you, though."
"For what, I didn't do anything special."
She shook her head and smiled. "On the contrary, you did something very special. You made me feel like myself again."
He blinked several times and his face softened. "Well, then, you're welcome."
They stared at each other until she felt her phone vibrate.
"What is that noise?"
"My phone." She took out her phone from her pocket and looked at the caller ID. It was her father and she felt her heart sank. She noticed it was near 11 around the night time.
"What is it?" Tamani asked, worried laced in his voice.
"It's just my father. I have to go. It's late." Tamani got up and helped her up. He escorted her back to where the tree line was and stopped.
"Thank you, Tam." She said, looking at his face which looked sad.
Tamani smiled softly and lifted a hand to her face, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and letting his thumb rest on her cheek.
"Come back soon," He murmured. "And be careful."
She felt tingly and warm when he did this and she felt happy and content, staying here in his presence.
"I will. I promise I will on Friday."
They stared at each other for a long time.
"I should get going." She whispered, not really wanting to go at all.
"Be careful." He whispered sternly.
"I will."
"Promise me, Linda; promise me you'll come back." His voice was pleading and she sensed something in his voice that made her feel sorry for him.
"I will, Tam. I promise, I promise I will come."
He let out his breath as if he was holding it in for a while.
She walked away and got inside her car and started it and drove out of the parking. She saw Tamani in her rearview mirror and saw that he looked at her until she was no longer in sight.
