Yet another very short chapter. I suck at chapters :L ~ nellen x
"Thank you, a-again," Clive murmured shyly, taking another sip of his drink. He could feel the warm liquid trickling down his throat, heating him from the inside out. He stared out of the café window, watching the hustle and bustle of the townsfolk rushing by, a feeling of light melancholy settling on him as he saw all the families walk past. He watched one particular couple holding hands with a little boy skipping between them a little longer than he intended to, but he couldn't help it. The boy didn't look much older than he was when his parents were torn away from him, and he shuddered at the memory.
"It's fine, are you alright?" He jumped as he felt his friend's (well he assumed they were friends now anyway) hand brush his own, spilling some of his coffee on the table.
"Oh, uh, yeah, sorry," he flustered, wiping it up with a tissue.
"You sure? You seemed a bit... Distracted..." she frowned, mopping up the drops he'd missed.
"Yeah, I am," he nodded shakily, trying his best to look it.
"Was it about them?" Flora asked, looking out at the couple herself.
"What?" he asked, a little shocked that she'd guess so quickly.
"I lost my parents when I was little too, you know," she sighed, resting her hand on his again, "I know how much it hurts to see all the happy families with both parents and children adored to no end and-"
"-And you're just sitting there, thinking of how it could have been you, yeah," he finished for her, and she nodded silently, letting go of his hand and sipping her hot chocolate.
"Don't let go," the boy murmured, but Flora didn't quite hear.
"What?"
"Nothing," Clive blushed furiously, annoyed at himself for even thinking such a thing let alone saying it. He retracted his hand from the table immediately, just in case the urge to ask arose again.
"Oh ok," she mumbled with a confused smile. She was sure she'd heard him say something. "Oh well," she thought, "it was probably nothing."
They parted on even better terms that evening, Clive having walked her home again, despite many protests.
"I don't want you going out of your way, Clive."
"The streets are dangerous places for a pretty young thing such as yourself, Flora."
His words were enough to keep her cheeks glowing rosy the entire walk home, but she was left somewhat disappointed as he rejected her offer of shelter again.
"I can't, I'm sorry, just not yet," he replied, shaking his head as he repeated his words from earlier, "I wouldn't mind my coat back though."
He grinned as her cheeks incinerated, slipping back into his coat once it had been returned.. "Goodnight Flora."
"See you around, Clive."