Night Talks: Chapter 3
Mr. Harelip: Haha, don't we all wish for a nice Tobias-like boy? Shy, kind…deliciously cute…AHEM, thanks for the review!
Em-gurl25: Well this story is a bit of an AU (alternate universe) and I won't be following the plot to key. I'm well-aware that Cassie is kind-natured and that will be sure to surface more blatantly in later chapters. She does still live at her father's barn but she also holds a side job at the pet shop, for reasons you will see in later chapters as well. ;P Thank you so much for the review!
voodooqueen126: Thanks for the heads up, I wasn't too sure when their birthday was.
Enjoy!
-:-
Cassie hummed a little romantic tune to herself as she diligently swiped her wash cloth over a particularly dirty scuff that marred the cage tables. Due to conversing to non-paying customers, her manager did not deem her fit for the front desk position, instead designating her to cleaning duty for the rest of the night.
She didn't mind it much, even with the several mounds of droppings she was forced to dispose of. The sable-haired female was used to such things anyway, having lived on a farm her entire seventeen years of life.
The seventeen-year-old felt her attentions swayed from the persistent smudge, the sound of approaching voices floating to her ears. She felt herself smiling faintly at immediate recognition, dropping the cleaning rag onto the counter and quietly making her way to the doorway.
She carefully swung her head out into the hallway, her tiny smile growing wider at the view that met her.
It was Tobias, as suspected, with that female companion of his; both leisurely strolling down the corridor. They were sharing a highly interesting conversation from the looks of it, the two letting out a full-hearted roar of laughter at something funny said.
And then they paused, simply just staring at each other with a gaze heavy with unspoken affection and adoration for each other, smiles just the same.
Cassie sighed contently, head shaking as she slowly turned away from the pair, a proud smile pulling at her lips.
It was good to see that after the several traumatic events that had been hurled in Tobias's direction, the eighteen-year-old was finally getting some happiness of his own.
-:-
"Well, I am starved." Rachel announced loudly as they stepped out of the pet store, reaching up and patting her flat belly for more emphasis.
Tobias chuckled lightly at her comment, wordlessly guiding her through the bustling masses towards the resident food court. Not a single word was exchanged in the ten-minute walk, though the silence was comfortable nonetheless.
"So, what would you like to eat?" The eighteen-year-old inquired gently as the seemingly endless row of food carts came into close view, the aromas of sweet delicacies filling their noses.
The blonde burst out into a wide grin, reaching over and snatching her male counter-part by the wrist before hurriedly pulling him towards a particular cart. He wasn't really too sure which dolly it was and he honestly didn't care; too engrossed in the burning sensation that was tingling from his right hand, where Rachel was holding him.
While he had shared a kiss with her, even the slightest physical contact such as this threw Tobias into a flustered state. Every little brush of her fingers, the sudden slipping her hand over his…the tiny insignificant somethings he cherished deeply; carefully savoring the brief moment into his mind.
And suddenly, her hand dropped away, warmth departing as well.
"Tobias?"
The eighteen-year-old blinked as he was suddenly jousted out of his reverie, finding a pair of curious blue eyes peering up at him; face puckered with faint concern. He cleared his throat, head shaking as he gathered his senses, before lifting his gaze back to the slight girl before him.
"When did you get that?" He asked, confused, as he pointed towards the two trays she held in her grasp.
"Uhm, just before, silly." She replied over her shoulder, quickly leading them to the vacant table near-by, setting the plastic salvers onto its surface. She then turned around to look at the dark-haired boy, brow furrowing and her head cocking to the side.
"Don't you remember?"
He remained silent, face creasing with effort as he tried ardently to recall when she had and thus forming the cutest confused expression. Rachel smiled slightly to herself, reaching over and pulling her male companion by the arm and to the table, seating him down.
It was only half-way through their chocolate smoothies and their discussion as to why 7-11 stores bothered with locks, since they were claimed to be open 24 hours a day throughout the entire year, when they were suddenly interrupted.
The intruders were a trio of boys, no older then nineteen seemingly, who suddenly came waltzing up to their table; crooked smiles pulling their features. Two of them held a mane of dark brown and the third a pale blonde, though all of them sported the large red and white sports jacket innate to one of the local high school football teams.
"Look what we have here boys," The blonde suddenly drawled, grinning maliciously in Tobias's direction as he settled a well-muscled arm onto the boy's shoulders.
"Fagor got himself a date."
His two cohorts chuckled at their assumed-leader's remark, their attentions focused avidly towards Rachel's direction, slowly and deliberately allowing their eyes to drift happily along her frame. Tobias took notice of their blatant stares, hands curling into tight fists on the table as a possessive rage began to swirl from the pit of his belly.
One of the brunette's smirked at the eighteen-year-old's obvious annoyance.
"Aww…" He cooed teasingly, casting the other brown-haired boy at his side a mischievous grin, eyes glinting with something dark.
"Looks like we're upsetting Fagor by looking at his woman."
Rachel felt her face flush with anger, completely furious as the triad of ignorant little jerks carried on with their goading remarks, viciously shredding Tobias's moral character to tiny ribbons.
But most importantly was the amount of torn anguish swimming in his pretty golden-brown eyes, aflame with surprised anger and shrouded with unquestionable shame. Unquestionable shame that he couldn't be a man and protect the girl he cared for, unquestionable shame for the fact that he was eighteen and this was still happening.
Unquestionable shame that he was who he was.
"Tell us Fagor, how much she charge? Fifty a night? Cause my boy got a birthday coming up and we need some strippers…"
Pure, unadulterated fire-hot anger coursed through his veins in that moment. They could fine well barb at his family and financial status, or their lack of, and could fine well bludgeon him beyond physical recognition but damn them to the flames of hell if they dared to even attempt to mar his Rachel's good name.
Damn them. And may it hurt. A lot.
He was just about to voice his fury when the blonde across from him gained to her feet, a curled fist propped on each hip. Her expression was downright foreboding, twisting and contorting into one of sheer vehement apoplexy, one he had never seen.
"You worthless, no-account, good-for-nothing shit-for-brains bastards," The seventeen-year-old hissed scathingly, blue irises narrowed into dangerous little slits.
"The whole three of you combined aren't even the slightest iota of what Tobias is. He's intelligent, compassionate, so handsome and ridiculously funny and I'm sure as hell not standing around as you say other wise."
They were stunned into wordless silence, Tobias included, at the girl's sudden tirade; unable to muster forth a witty comeback and little more then scared to see what would happen if they did. As one of the brown-haired jerks gulped his unease, preparing to finally respond, Rachel promptly cut him off.
"Now, if you excuse us, Tobias and I have a date to finish, which you three ugly stooges so rudely imposed upon." She announced primly, taking her still-shocked boyfriend by the hand and pulling him past the boys.
The seventeen-year-old came to an abrupt halt before the blonde-haired ring-leader, stepping in toe with the male and glaring lethal daggers in his direction. He gulped.
"And his name is Fangor, you prick."
In so with that final correction made, Rachel swiveled about and stomped off into the far distance away, Tobias silently tugged along in tow.
-:-
Tobias could do little more then watch, dumbfounded and amazed, as the pretty little blonde at his side continued to mutter bitterly on about the murderous deeds she fully intended on administering upon those three insolent buffoons.
If there was one thing to be said, it was not to anger Rachel.
Granted he had only known her for a rough half-month, but in the two or three so weeks he had never experienced her wrath and definitely did not wish to. She was seething, face the color of blood red and grappling his wrist so tightly, he was sure that there was to be a mark in the morning.
There wasn't any pain really, since he had long lost any proper circulation to his nerves at the spot to really feel anything.
And then, as if snapping out of her diatribe, her tiny fingers released the extremity, allowing the blood flow to return to slow normalcy. She pivoted about, the color in her face mellowing to that familiar porcelain white, and blinked up curiously in his direction.
"Who were those jerks?" She demanded, that sharp edge returning to her tone, hand on her hip and scowling darkly. He winced visibly.
The eighteen-year-old allows all the air stored within his lungs to come out in a loud gush, eyes rolling to floor with great ignominy. He then runs his hands through his dark mop of hair before jamming them into his pant pockets, obviously stalling for time.
Rachel grunted, irritated, as she suddenly crossed her arms over her chest; brow lifting expectantly. Tobias bit his lip at her silent jabs to answer her, turning away slightly as he ran the heel of his shoe against the floor beneath them.
It only took another aggravated grumble before he finally complied.
"Just some guys from my old school..." He mumbled softly, almost to himself as he ducked his head down further in shame.
"You know, pick on the scrawny-transfer, that whole deal. Noting new, its okay really…"
Her eyes rounded at the last part, feeling that familiar rage from prior flaring up to full-life once more, reaching over and grabbing him by the shoulders, forcing him to face her.
"No. It is NOT okay!" She insisted forcefully, stubbornly; stomping her left foot on the ground for further emphasis.
"No one deserves this! You of all people don't deserve this!"
The amount of enraged fury that housed her crystalline blue orbs was truthfully startling. She had sworn blood-shed or some other painful retribution for their deeds, all on his behalf.
In all his life, having been shuffled carelessly between distant family members, the eighteen-year-old had yet to feel the amount of care or kindness Rachel had expressed in weeks. She didn't do it out of chore; talking to him, listening to him, laughing with him, just BEING with him…she did it because she wanted too.
And that, being wanted, was perhaps the most exhilarating feeling in the entire galaxy…nearly enough to rival fly--
"Did you really mean that back there?" The sable-haired boy suddenly inquired, voice soft and subdued, as he slowly lifted his gaze back to hers; like an uncertain child.
The seventeen-year-old felt her brow furrow at the question, a bit puzzled by his words.
"What?"
She saw his face darken with embarrassment and his head shift to the side to avoid her stare; peering into a vacant store, one closed for renovations. He reached up, rubbing the back of his neck in a therapeutic way, as if to calm himself.
"B-back there…you said I was…" He paused heavily, gulping away the common sense that said for him to shut up right that instant, before continuing.
"…you said I was handsome and uhm…well, I wanted to know if…if you really meant that or if, ya know, you were just saying it, in the heat of the moment of it all cause that tends to happen a lot and it's okay, really, I'd totally understand if you said it out of anger cause--"
He efficiently hushed when a pair of lips pressed against his right cheek, pleasantly warm hands settled against his shirt front, heating the flesh beneath. His eyes stared down at her pretty face, blankly and dumbly, as he tried to dislodge his heart from his throat.
"And I don't think you're handsome." She stated off-handedly, head shaking pityingly as she released a heavy sigh.
Tobias grimaced at the words, feeling an abrupt twist in his chest, a throbbing pain beginning to emanate from the area. While he said he would understand if she hadn't meant it, it still hurt nonetheless.
Suddenly his eyes came fluttering open, to their own accord, as he felt something warm and wonderfully soft press up against his left cheek. Rachel had pushed herself onto the tips of her toes so she could bring her cheek up against his, arms encircling his throat.
"I do, however, find you utterly adorable." She whispers softly into his ear.
He could practically feel her smiling through her words.
-:-
Later that night, Rachel Berenson wearily dressed herself for bed, mind drifting to the earlier events of the day. The mere four hours that had progressed between seeing Tobias had been, perhaps, the longest four hours she had ever experienced.
Even that four hour long wait with her sisters, who were intoxicated with energy-inducing caffeine and candy sweets, for NSYNC tickets under the humidly hot June sun.
But aside from that, the first excursion between the two had went perfectly to plan, as she intended, if it hadn't been for those group of assholes who had rudely interrupted them. The blonde found herself frowning at the thought, feeling her anger rising once more.
How could ANYONE feel anything remotely close to dislike for Tobias was beyond her and anyone who did, well, simply added on to her freshly established hit list.
She was filled with amazement at how the eighteen-year-old could take such abuse, even simply just verbally. At least she hoped just verbally. He was so soft-spoken, demure…filled with such innocence like that of a child; even with his circumstances.
Rachel beamed brightly, wide and unabashed. That was why she lov—
The blonde quickly clamped her hand over her mouth, face aghast at her thoughts. She didn't, she couldn't! She was too young, she had barely known him, she didn't, DOESN'T know what love is.
There was a sudden shift of moment near her window, thankfully pulling the girl out of her thoughts. She glanced up curiously at the window, face puckering with confusion at the noise.
She knew well it wasn't Tobias, since he had told her he wouldn't be able to come for their daily talk that night. And even if it were, it was only eight o'clock and that was far too early for him to arrive.
The blonde shook her head slightly out of her wonderment, instead rising to her feet and cautiously approaching her window. Her eyes rounded at the sight that met her.
It was a bird, a red-tailed hawk more specifically, and had a warm chocolate-brown color to his tussock with lingering speckles of pristine white thrown in. He, or she, was perched upon the outer sill of her window; peering plainly through the glass, absently fluffing it thick plumage.
As she moved closer, settling her forehead against the cool surface of the glass, she noted how eerily similar his eyes were to that of Tobias…a flashing-amber brown, flickering sparks of gold…
"Oh god I'm silly." Rachel announced aloud, pulling up away from the window and laughing lightly to herself at the funny idea that crossed her head.
To think the bird as Tobias…she was obviously missing him too much to be considering that. But suddenly, just as the strange theory had skimmed her mind, the vulturine bird released a loud squawk before launching itself back into the night air.
-:-
Trust me, there's more coming.
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