A/N: CHAPTER SIX! I know its took two weeks, but I've been a p-retty busy bee. I went to York for the most amazing week with my friends. And then this week I got my A-level results and discovered that YES, I WILL BE GOING OFF TO MANCHESTER UNIVERSITY IN SEPTEMBER! As well as that, suddenly my internet browser hates me and refuses a) to let me put rulers in my chapters and b) to let me upload pictures onto my blog. If anyone could suggest something, I would be eternally grateful!
So, sorry for the delay, thankyou for the reviews and here is the very long sixth chapter (almost seven pages long on Microsoft word! Phew!)
Silverpistola (soon to be a Manchester University Student!)
Chapter 6
"Master Hero, we have a slight debacle ongoing," Franklin informed me as he opened the door to me the next morning.
"Mum, I refuse to wear that!"
"Oh, but sweetheart, it will look great on you."
"I am not a show pony, Mother!"
I smiled, stepping into the hall. That sounded more like my sister.
Mother came stomping down the stairs holding a pink dress aloft and looking indignant. Her eyes fell upon me and she smiled, the same smile that made me feel so guilty for my prolonged absence.
"I should have known this wasn't going to be easy," she told me, kissing my cheek, fondly.
"Maybe you took it a bit far, Mum."
She sighed. "Well, things were just going better than I'd expected. Maybe I became too optimistic."
I nodded, patting her arm.
"Don't you think Patrick Klein is just delightful, though?" She asked, her tone perking up. "Such a well-mannered young man."
"Hmm," I answered. "Didn't you like Sheik?"
"Oh, well, I've always liked Sheik. He's a little," she paused, choosing her words, carefully, "abrupt though, don't you think?"
I wasn't sure why I'd asked. I could tell she hadn't been taken with Sheik. Although, now I thought about it, that would probably only work in his favour where Aryll was concerned.
"I wanted to invite him to Devon, if you don't mind, Mum."
We went to Devon annually, at the end of May to a house my Father had bought by the beach in his youth. Aryll and I both loved the house because it reminded us of the young, vital man my Father had once been before he was swallowed by society. Mother felt it was important for us all to spend time there, despite her hatred of the sea air that "ruined her hair", so that we might still think of him.
She pursed her lips, but was gracious as ever.
"Of course. If you think he'd like to come."
"Who'd like to come?" Aryll asked, descending the staircase in a green dress.
"Sheik. I'm inviting him to Devon."
"Why?" Aryll asked, bluntly.
"Well, you know his parents are always away. I think he spends too much time on his own." This was a blatant lie, but it seemed to work on my Mum, who nodded, sympathetically.
"Tell Sheik we'd be glad to have him along," Mum told me, her tone changed, substantially.
Phase one of my newest plan was already in place. Now just to pull off phase two.
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The boat show was even more boring than the garden party, if that was possible. At least so far that arsehole Patrick Klein hadn't shown up and Aryll seemed much less friendly with the men than she had been previously.
Which was either a good sign or a very, very dire one.
"I'd totally forgotten about going to Devon," Aryll told me as another potential walked away, looking disappointed after a very forced conversation with Aryll.
"I missed it last year," I told her, remembering a particularly miserable week in New York when I'd been unable to make the trip to Devon.
"So, why'd you really invite Sheik?" She asked, suspiciously.
"I told you."
"Yeah, whatever," she answered. "Aren't you going to invite that girl? Zelda?"
I blanched. "No," I croaked.
"Why not? Afraid we'll scare her away?"
"Aryll, drop it."
"Goddesses, Link, no need to be so touchy."
I rolled my eyes.
"Still," she went on, fanning herself with a programme of events, "I can't help but feel relieved. I mean, the last girl you went out with to my knowledge was Malon Rivers, of all people-"
"That was not a relationship. I was forced into that and you know it," I argued.
"-And that was two years ago Link. I'm getting more action than you lately."
My brow furrowed. "Oh really?"
She laughed, lightly, at my expression as I spotted Sheik slinking past the bar.
"Oh look!" She cried, her laughter stopping sharply, "There's Sheik."
I was certain he wouldn't come over. His spirit had been a little wounded by my sister and mother lavishing attention on Patrick Klein.
"Oh yeah," I said, casually.
"Why isn't he coming over?" Aryll asked as Sheik disappeared. Her voice, I couldn't help but notice, sounded slightly disappointed.
"Probably didn't see us. I need to ask him about Devon, anyway. Come on."
I pulled her by her arm out of the refreshments tent and over to where Sheik was basking in the shade of a tree. He watched us approaching, his expression indifferent.
"Sheik, my good man," I greeted him, heartily. He arched a brow, coldly.
"Link."
Aryll glanced from me to Sheik.
"Link wanted to ask you something Sheik," she prompted, after a moment of silence.
"Oh?"
"Yes. Mother has invited you to come to Devon with us next week. To stay in my Father's house by the beach."
Sheik's iciness was replaced by surprise. "She has?"
"Yes," Aryll answered for me, smiling at him in a way that made me slightly uncomfortable, "would you like to come?"
"Um," Sheik hesitated slightly. Just as I'd hoped, the offer had thrown him, though I had to admit Aryll's eagerness had surprised me also. "Sure."
Aryll beamed.
"I'll need some directions," Sheik hedged, glancing at me, suspiciously.
"We can give them to you at the Rivers' dinner party tonight," Aryll told him, quickly.
Cue my fake double take.
"The dinner party is tonight?" I exclaimed, turning to Aryll.
She nodded.
"But, I have plans tonight."
"What plans?" Aryll asked. Suddenly she grinned, brightly. "Plans with Zelda?"
Her voice was hopeful. It was sickening that she got so excited over my potential love life. Although, what did it say about me?
"Well…" I trailed off. This hadn't been part of the plan.
"My neighbour Zelda?" Sheik asked, suddenly interested. "You have plans with her?"
"Nothing monumental," I insisted.
"Goddesses, Link, you kept that quiet!"
"Don't worry about the party, Link," Aryll assured me.
I shot a meaningful glare at Sheik who was suddenly looking uncomfortable again.
"Well, um, I'm going," he paused as Aryll looked up at him, "what I mean to say is, if you wanted to go, I could, um, escort you. If you wanted."
Aryll bit her lip, coyly. "I do want to."
Sheik scratched his neck, nervously, as Aryll continued to gaze up at him.
"Okay. Well, I could pick you up. Um, in my car. Like, around sixish."
Success!
I smiled, widely, and patted Sheik's arm. "Thanks for helping me out, man."
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"You," Zelda announced, pointing at my chest, "are devious."
From the moment she'd opened her door that evening there had been a steady flow of comfortable conversation between us. I couldn't remember talking so easily with anyone I'd ever known.
"All's fair in love and war," I countered.
She laughed – goddesses, that laugh – and shook her head.
"So you think she likes him?"
I shrugged. "I wouldn't guess. Aryll isn't exactly predictable. But I have high hopes. I mean, a week of gallivanting on the beach can make anyone fall in love, right?"
"I wouldn't know," she answered, taking a prim sip of her water.
I had spent the entire afternoon trying to think where I could take her. First dates have to be casual, but I didn't want something too casual. The cinema was awkward on a first date and I wasn't into something corny like bowling. The theatre was stuffy and staying in might imply I expected a little too much. After over-analysing all possible scenarios to death, I had decided upon one of my favourite Greek restaurants in Covent Garden.
"So they'll be on their first date, right now?" Zelda asked.
I nodded.
"He's probably wondering what to talk about and she's wondering if she looks nice," Zelda went on, smiling wistfully.
Clearly, these weren't issues with us. There had not yet been one awkward lull in the conversation so far and Zelda looked, in a word, ravishing.
"He'll be wondering whether or not to reach for her hand."
"She'll be hoping he does."
"And should he have brought her flowers."
"Not on a first date."
"Is she having a good time?" I went on, hintingly.
Zelda looked up at me from across the table. "Oh, she's having a great time."
Underneath the table our knees brushed, sending that strange current running through my body. She blushed, adorably, and I looked down at my hands.
"Tell me about your family," I requested, softly, "I'm sure you must be tired of hearing about mine all the time."
She shook her head. "I guess there isn't really much to tell. I'm an only child. I grew up in a little town just outside of Cambridge, but fell in love with the city when I went to University. My Mum and Dad are both teachers which meant my life was pretty much mapped out from birth."
I nodded, sympathetically. "I know the feeling."
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"Oh, Link, look!"
Her bright eyes had lit up, suddenly, at the sight of the overlarge carousel the centre of the square. It was the old kind with the beautiful gilded horses, each with room for two.
Darkness was only just falling and the night was comfortably warm. As we'd left the restaurant our hands had entwined and now she was dragging me over to the carousel.
I smiled. "You wanna ride?"
She nodded, eagerly, and I reached in my pocket to hand over a few coins to the elderly man in charge of the tickets as she let go of my hand and rushed over to pick a horse, her fingers grazing their glossy, wooden manes as she passed them by.
"This one," she decided, opting for a gray horse with a black mane. I got up onto the back and offered her my hand, which she took, with another melting smile. Somehow it felt so natural for my arms to slip around her waist as the ride jerked into slow motion. As we gathered speed, she leaned back into me, the top of her head brushing my cheek. She fitted so perfectly in my arms, as if the goddesses themselves had moulded her to perfection. As we went round and around, holding so tightly onto to one another, the wind in our hair, I couldn't help but sigh, contentedly.
It had been a long time since I'd felt so at ease with anyone.
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"Tell me something," I asked, huskily, as we stood by the lift that night. After the carousel we had walked to the underground, hand in hand, and all too quickly found ourselves back on our shared corridor.
"What?" She spoke, so exhilaratingly softly.
"Your tattoo, when did you have it done?"
"Oh," she glanced down as if she had forgotten it's very existence. I, of course, had been treated to the sight of it all evening as Zelda had chosen to wear a skirt that fell just above her knees. "I got it the same day I got my degree. I figured that after then I couldn't be reckless any more, so it was my one last truly impulsive act before I was forced to become an adult."
I laughed, wondering how I knew there had to be a story behind the tattoo that I found to be so inexplicably attractive.
"I had a great time Link," she told me, softly, "really."
The feeling was most definitely mutual.
"So that means if I ask you out again…"
Her luscious lips curled into a delighted smile. "When and where?"
I considered this for a moment. "A picnic. On Sunday."
She bit her lip, a gesture I found completely adorable.
"Okay."
As if she'd been waiting for what would come next, she looked up at me through her eyelashes. Everything had suddenly become a little more serious as I leaned into her, brushing her hair away from her face and cupping her cheek. It might have been a while since my last first kiss, but I couldn't remember feeling so nervous then. Yet despite the nervousness, my actions were more commanding and certain as I slipped my other arm around her waist and drew her to me.
She reciprocated, eagerly, her hands roving across my chest before resting on my shoulders. Her head cocked to one side, those baby blues closing slowly as we finally kissed. And that kiss was everything she was; sweet, gentle and true.
"Link," she whispered as we parted; our foreheads resting against one another.
I closed my eyes, breathing deeply, recovering from that earth-shattering kiss.
"Link," she whispered again.
"Mmm?"
"New York isn't that far, right?"
My eyes met hers, finally grasping a frightening but equally exhilarating concept. This wasn't just a first date, a first kiss. This was a story I might one day tell to my grandchildren, or talk about in my wedding speech. This was the real thing, the stuff that novels and movies were made of. Those odd stirrings in my chest, the way my thoughts loved to stray to her all day long, the way I told her everything without worrying how it might sound.
This was the beginning of something big. Something huge. Something that had the potential to change everything. And she knew it too.
"No, not really."