Rory walked purposefully through the park's lanes, passing an early-morning
dog-walker every so often. Strong feelings of déjà vu swept over her and
last night's paralyzing fear raised its head once more, but her
determination pushed it down again. She knew what she had to do.
The park bench was no longer deserted. Tristan was sitting on it, his elbows on his knees, staring into space and twirling a daisy between his fingers. Tucking her hands self-consciously into the crooks of her elbows, Rory started towards him. He looked up slightly when she stood in front of him, then looked down at the flower without changing expressions.
"Mind if I sit down?"
"No- it's fine."
She sat down beside him and put her hands in her lap. The silence was excruciating.
"So- how's your cheek?"
"It's better- thanks. For cleaning it up and everything, I mean."
"No problem."
She looked around in an attempt to find something to say or talk about, then noticed the flower in his hands.
"Daisies are my favourite, you know."
"Yeah, I know."
He looked up and stared straight ahead, and added a question hesitantly.
"Did you really mean what you said about Valentines Day? This morning, I mean?"
Rory was caught by surprise. She stammered out, "Well- yeah. To some extent."
Tristan smiled and looked back down at the flower. "You'd better have this then," he said, proffering the flower to her. "Since I've already proved how cowardly I am."
Rory was speechless.
"It was you," she whispered, looking down at the fragile daisy in her hands.
"Yeah, well," he said, half-laughingly, "I figured it would be romantic. My mistake. Sorry."
"I- I didn't mean that stuff, you know. About Valentines Day and everything." Rory looked up at him, straining to meet his eye. "Thinking about it now, with the flower and everything, I think it's actually kinda- sweet." She went red. "Only I guess it depends on who- who it's from that really makes it count, huh."
He turned his head and looked into her eyes. She smiled shyly.
"Yeah, I guess it does," he replied softly, smiling back.
And gently, slowly, their lips met, and the daisy fell to the grass, forgotten, as the world bloomed to them like a flower opening for the very first time in the sunlight.
FINIS
By Sleeping Star and Tweak (aka. FourLeafClover)
~~*+*~~
P.S. To review is not taboo.
The park bench was no longer deserted. Tristan was sitting on it, his elbows on his knees, staring into space and twirling a daisy between his fingers. Tucking her hands self-consciously into the crooks of her elbows, Rory started towards him. He looked up slightly when she stood in front of him, then looked down at the flower without changing expressions.
"Mind if I sit down?"
"No- it's fine."
She sat down beside him and put her hands in her lap. The silence was excruciating.
"So- how's your cheek?"
"It's better- thanks. For cleaning it up and everything, I mean."
"No problem."
She looked around in an attempt to find something to say or talk about, then noticed the flower in his hands.
"Daisies are my favourite, you know."
"Yeah, I know."
He looked up and stared straight ahead, and added a question hesitantly.
"Did you really mean what you said about Valentines Day? This morning, I mean?"
Rory was caught by surprise. She stammered out, "Well- yeah. To some extent."
Tristan smiled and looked back down at the flower. "You'd better have this then," he said, proffering the flower to her. "Since I've already proved how cowardly I am."
Rory was speechless.
"It was you," she whispered, looking down at the fragile daisy in her hands.
"Yeah, well," he said, half-laughingly, "I figured it would be romantic. My mistake. Sorry."
"I- I didn't mean that stuff, you know. About Valentines Day and everything." Rory looked up at him, straining to meet his eye. "Thinking about it now, with the flower and everything, I think it's actually kinda- sweet." She went red. "Only I guess it depends on who- who it's from that really makes it count, huh."
He turned his head and looked into her eyes. She smiled shyly.
"Yeah, I guess it does," he replied softly, smiling back.
And gently, slowly, their lips met, and the daisy fell to the grass, forgotten, as the world bloomed to them like a flower opening for the very first time in the sunlight.
FINIS
By Sleeping Star and Tweak (aka. FourLeafClover)
~~*+*~~
P.S. To review is not taboo.