Seymour stepped out the shop's back door and inhaled. He'd been in the shop all day and was feeling quite cramped. It was autumn. Soon it would be too cold to bare the air without a jacket but for now he let the cold air fill his lungs.
"Seymour?"
He jumped and spun around.
"Jesus Audrey! You scared me!" he gasped catching his breath.
Audrey was behind him almost crouching on the ground against the brick. She turned her face away ashamed. "I'm sorry."
He caught sight of her low spirits and let out a laugh. Partly because of how funny it had been, but mostly he wanted to let her know it was okay. She raised her head and after a moment she smiled.
"What're you doing out here?" he asked putting his hands in his pockets and nonchalantly kicking a newspaper littered on the sidewalk.
"Same as you I think," she said. She didn't look at him when she spoke. She was still getting to know Seymour. Immediately after she started to work in the shop she had taken a liking to him. He was sweet and a good friend. He was different.
Uncomfortable with the silence he sat down next to her and spread his legs out flat in front of him. She half glanced at him, having a hard time suppressing her smiles.
"I wish there were trees," he said in an attempt to break the silence. She looked at him questioning and he explained. "It's autumn, so they'd be turning yellow by now. That'd be nice to see."
"Oh I don't care too much for that," she replied.
Seymour stared at her. She was usually so shy around him.
"Well… I like yellow. But when the leaves fall off... There's something special about the trees the rest of the year. Something..." she trailed off. Uncomfortable she fumbled with her nails. Seymour knew exactly what she meant.
"Audrey do you like green?"
She stared at him startled.
"I… yes."
"I do too." He stared at his shoes laying in front of him. Scuffed and worn from age. He couldn't quite explain why it was so easy to talk to her. He'd never had a friend. "There's not enough in the city. It's all brown and grey here. It's nice to have all the green in the shop but… I really wish we had grass." he moved his gaze back to her face. She was staring at him wide eyed as he spoke her mind. "And trees," he continued, "But mostly just…"
"Green," she finished.
He smiled. Audrey liked the look of his smile. He had kind eyes. Something was happening. Something she had never felt before.
Oh God no! She thought.
She scowled before turning her face away and rising off the ground. She moved herself quickly into the shop leaving Seymour dumbfounded. Was it something he said?
Author's note: Out of all ten this one is my favorite :)
This may seem more out of character for Seymour than in other fics where he's written as a very shy nervous person. And he probably is a shy nervous person, but I theorize Audrey brings out the best in him (one of his first lines is telling her she looks radiant).
