Title: Love
Summary: The things she love.
Character(s): Hope/Arthur
Genre: Romance
Rating: K
Fandom:39 Clues


She loves it...

...when he takes a breather.

"Arthur, slow down! You're going to crash!"

Merry laughter. "If I were you, I'd be more concerned about keeping up! Don't make excuses Hope!"

Indignant splutter, "That wasn't an excuse!"

He brakes. "Well hurry up then or I'm going to leave you behind!"

She scowls. "Whatever. You could try to be more considerate."

A snicker and a playful punch on the arm. "I always do my best."

(In truth, she's happy he waited.)

{::}
{::}

...when he tries.

"Scared, Hope?"

"Not on your life!"

"You seemed pretty terrified when you just about peed in your pants last time."

"I was six!"

"Excuses once again." He tsks. "I thought you were better than this."

Slap.

"Ow!" He rubs his arm. "What was that for?"

"You wonder?"

"...Sorry."

"I'm not speaking to you at the moment."

"You just did."

"..."

"Hope?"

"..."

"I'm sorry, okay?"

"..."

"Oh, come on! You know I was just kidding!"

"..."

"...Hey."

She jumps. He's right beside her, his face next to her ear. It takes her awhile to calm her beating heart down (it was not because he was only a few inches away from her), but she manages to give him the cold-shoulder once again.

"I know what you're thinking." He shots her a smug, sly smile.

She refuses to answer.

(Her train of thoughts included he's close, oh my gosh, he's way to close, get away, get away-!)

"...I also love pie."

She gives him a hard punch. Right in the face.

And then she laughs.

"Ow!" Grimace, clutches onto his nose. "Jeez, woman! What's you're problem?"

"You." Pointed roll of the eyes.

"Harsh." He winces, letting go of his nose.

"Sorry to break your beautiful nose."

"Yeah, you should be. It was the hottest nose I've ever come across, and you pretty much permanently scared it." Back to joking demeanor.

She isn't listening. She's serious now. She tilts his face up and surveys the damage she had done. Cherry red blood is flowing freely out of it. Oops. She hadn't meant to hit him that hard- yes, hard enough to feel the pain, but not to bleed.

For the first time in her life, she is thankful for all the boring lessons in herbs and first-aid that her aunt had taught her.

After bustling away to hunt for a first-aid and herbs kit, she begins to clean the wound.

"It's okay, really," he protests.

She gives him a threatening glare and the message is clear: piss me off, and you will regret it. He decides to keep his mouth shut, or at least until she was a safe distance away from him. Girls are dangerous.

When she is finished, he is half howling in pain. She steps back to look over her work, and smiles.

"I did a good job."

He whimpers. "Wasn't there as less painful way to do fix up my nose?"

"Yes."

"-!" He doesn't know what to say.

"I chose this way because it would hurt more." Sweet, sticky smile. She beams at him.

He repeats his earlier thought. "Girls are dangerous."

"Yes, they are, aren't they?" She grins at him once more before packing everything up and heading towards the door. "I should get home." She makes a face. "Don't want to be around when your mom walks in and she sees your face all twisted up like that. She would know I'd something to do with it."

Snorts. "I'd just tell her that some insane monkey escaped from the zoo and attacked us."

Laughs. "She would believe that."

"She wouldn't think twice."

She shakes her head and chuckles as she swings the door open.

"One more thing."

She looks back.

"I really am sorry."

"No, you're not."

"Yeah, I'm not."

Sticking her tongue out, she makes to leave again.

"Wait, one more thing."

She sighs exasperatedly. "What?"

"Thanks," in a barely audible voice.

Stunned. Manages a weak smile. "I did make you bleed..."

"I did make you mad."

"Point taken." Grins. "No problem."

She walks out the door, owning the world.

{::}
{::}

...when he persists.

"Hope, what are you doing? What happened to that girl you were best friends with?" He glances in her direction.

"She's visiting some relatives." An idle twist of her pencil.

"Well don't just sit there! C'mere!" He ignores the looks his friends are giving him.

"I just want to think right now."

"Looooooner!"

"Shut up."

"You can think later on!"

"Shut up." Snap. She breaks the lead of her pencil..

"Come on, stop looking all depressed!"

And finally, the explosion. "Leave me alone!"

"..."

"..."

"Hey Hooooooope..." A sing-song voice.

And she caves. "Okay, okay, fine! I'm coming!"

They both pretend not to hear his friends snickering.

{::}
{::}

...when he's there.

"Jeez, Hope, don't cry!" A vain attempt in trying to calm her down...

...it doesn't help.

She sobs louder, "shut up, you don't know what its like!"

A sudden stillness. She's forgotten he's lost someone too.

"...Right."

"...Sorry." Whispered, said so softly; like a spring breeze. Just barely brushing upon him.

"Hope?"

"...Sorry." Louder, stronger, harder this time.

"Hope, this isn't about me!"

"...Sorry."

"Stop apologizing!"

Finally, a laugh.

He smiles.

{::}
{::}

...when he smiles.
As sappy as that sounds, as cliche as it might have been, and as much as she hates it, it is true.

She finds herself nauseating.

But it is true.

{::}
{::}

...when he laughs.
Ditto.


Because all those things are her world.


*-FIN-*