sixwordstories | (no subject)

[She was so excited. She was so nervous. The combination was making her stomach do backflips. The Portkey hadn't helped with that, and she was sure her hair was a mess. Her heart was going to beat out of her chest.

One last glance down at the letter clutched in her hand like a good luck charm, and she turns around to face the world.

He wanted to see her. That's what the letters meant. She just needed to take a deep breath, calm down, and find him in the crowd.

Well. A little away from the crowd. He was too famous to be in the crowd. She had to find him (a quick glance down at the letter for the proper place) over there.]

[There were a lot of benefits to writing rather than speaking face to face. She seems so much more confident and open when she's writing; he can take the time he needs to actually pin down the right words he means to say. It's made it so much easier to get to know her without anything getting in their way.

No language barriers. No hesitance to speak. No crowds of other people who wanted his attention and who sent her into her quiet version of a panic.

But actually seeing her will be better. He's absolutely sure of it. It will be wonderful to actually see her face again--to actually feel her hand in his again.

So he sits in a small cafe at the bottom of the hill, straining to hear when the crowd starts moving, carefully, back down into the village. It was the good part of spending so much of his off-time living in an area more populated with Muggles--it didn't matter if he sat out in the open, most of the time.]

[Parting from the crowd makes it easier to look - and something about being around Muggles makes just breathing lighter. (Muggles would never make fun of her spellwork, or tell her that a stutter means she'll never cast it right.)

Following the direction of traffic with her eyes, Jinx can see the right path to take - and give herself an extra few minutes to work up to him. Smooth her hair, practice his name a couple of times without the sound, take deep breaths.

He knew she couldn't word as well in person - in their letters she had rambled, never sure when to stop, and he hadn't minded then. He'd kept writing back. She could do this, with words. He was willing to do everything in English with her, she could go so far as to just use it with him.

He liked her.

Knowing he liked her is what got Jinx all the way down the hill and into the cafe, scanning the tables for him.]

[It's nearly a nervous twitch, glancing up at everyone who enters the cafe when he suspects she should be just about making it into town. Most people just smile faintly and look away; he's got the obvious air of a young man nervously waiting for some girl or other about him. A few other newly arrived wizards and witches do their best to hold their tongue and sit near him without causing too much of a fuss.

But then, finally, it is her. His face lights up completely as he half-jumps to his feet to wave in her direction.]

Jinx. Sunt aici.

[Her head jerks in the direction of her name, and it's him! Waving at her!]

Aleksei!

[She's so excited she can't contain the skip in her step as she hurries over to him. They may not have had much contact before their letters, but sheer relief of having found him and hearing his voice and not being lost in a strange country surrounded by strangers has her flinging her arms around him in a hug.

Oh gosh, that was presumptive. She's being presumptive. Oh well, it's already been done, too late now, might as well commit.]

[He's not certain, but he suspects that's the loudest he's ever heard her speak. It gets both his brows arching in surprise--which is a good way to be, considering the way she winds up all but thrown into his arms.

It's lovely, actually. Unexpected, but lovely.

His own arms pull, after a moment, around her for a bit of a squeeze. He'd been practicing what he wanted to say, but for a moment, it's completely forgotten. He has to fumble his lips into something entirely new.]

I have-- miss you too, mm?

[Gosh is she glad she committed to that hug, because it sure is nice and warm and welcoming. She presses her ear against his chest and listens to the rumble of his words. Yup. Definitely worth the hug.

A deep breath and she stops clinging to him, stepping back and beaming up. Yes, nod nod nod. She missed him. Even if they did owl every day, she had very much missed him.

That doesn't stop her from blushing profusely at her own forwardness. Can they sit? They should sit. She'd made a scene and there were probably people staring at them.]

Should we...?

[A vague gesture at the table he'd been occupying is the best she can get out.]

[Definitely nice. Definitely also amazingly easy. She's a very good height to be folded in against himself.

(He's glad beyond belief that he's smelling like aftershave rather than sweat this time.)

Even when she pulls away, his arms stay, for the moment, on her arms. It's just nice to actually see her, after all, rather than half-remembering her face.]

--yes. You like-- something to drink, maybe?

[A tiny head-tilt as she tries to come up with the right answer and then just agrees. Nod nod nod.

She'll have whatever he's having. Actually wait, no. A fortifying cup of tea would be better. With sugar. And milk. And maybe a little more sugar.]

Tea?

[Tea. Right. She's British. They liked that.]

Okay. You-- sit, yes?

[His fingers squeeze once more at her arms before he manages to let go and move to order: coffee for him, and tea (they only have some packaged raspberry tea, but he shrugs and orders it) for her. The woman at the counter gives a little grin as she nods over to the table, speaking softly and certainly not in English.

Which is absolutely for the best, given the way Aleksei's cheeks flush bright red as he replies.

He's stopped only briefly on his way back to Jinx by an enthusiastic young wizard who can't stop from whispering briefly about Quidditch. It's got some of the flush dying down by the time he makes it properly to sit across from her.]

Sorry. They have-- only made of fruit. Is okay?

[She sits slowly, eyes averted from the rest of the room except for when they're focused on him. She catches the blush, and tinges a little in sympathy (thank goodness she couldn't understand the woman) then studies her fingers when he's interrupted.

Being famous seems like a lot of work. She certainly doesn't envy famous people anymore.

She bobs her head - fruit is fine. Anything is fine, really. Tea had just been an automatic answer.]

Thank you.

[It's exhausting, sometimes. It's less exhausting when he comes home to her letters to read, to respond to (and, admittedly, sometimes to bicker to his owl over).

It's also less exhausting, surprisingly, when he can slip into a seat actually across from her. It's incredibly instinctive to reach for one of her hands while they wait for the drinks.]

It was okay? The-- [His free hand waves back toward the direction of the hill.] --travel?

[She laces their fingers happily, grinning at him.

A nod, travel was fine. Well... actually. She wibble-wobbles her head a little bit, it was okay. Her lips twist a little bit as she tries to think of another gesture for it, because neither of those are quite right.

Then she huffs her breath and pats her tummy a little bit with her hand.]

Uhm... spinny.

[Portkey travel was not her best ability]

[It's quite comfortable, holding hands like this. He could absolutely get used to it--if she weren't always so far away.

She isn't now, at least. She's comfortably where his thumb can smooth against her knuckles and appreciate.]

The tea will-- help?

[A much more sure bob of her head. Tea would always help.

She squeezes his hand lightly, happy. It felt right to be with him, even if the words weren't as easy as when she wrote them down. He made her happy.]

You're... well?

Da.

[More well now, really. Clearly. Very much apparently from the little grin he can't kick from the corners of his lips.]

We have to start-- train again soon, yes? But this has been... very nice month, I think.

[Having, you know. Someone in his life to just talk to, no matter how far away.]

You think?

[Goodness, Quidditch certainly was a great deal of work. So soon, already. But he's right. This month has been... lovely.]

Yes, very lovely.

[Having someone who didn't get impatient. She leans forward on her elbow, resting her chin against her free hand. It was better to see him. She wondered if she could get that out.

A deep breath and she gives it a try.]

...Better... now.

Much better now.

[It's good she feels the same. It's good she's got the same look on her face he knows is on his own.

It's good he's been teased about this little 'date' by the woman now bringing them a cup of coffee and a cup of tea with soft tutting. He thanks her and pulls his own cup closer without letting go of Jinx's fingers.] You can-- stay long?

[She wonders how long 'long' is for him. More than a day, maybe. She came prepared for that! Things shrunk down in her purse just in case. Luggage would have been presumptive.]

A while.

[That seems like a reasnable answer. Maybe too vague. Maybe she should use more words.]

How much t-time... do you h-have?

[Damn, there goes the stuter again.]

['A while' is a tricky answer. It could mean a lot of things. On the bright side, it tends to mean things longer than 'just a bit,' so his grin stays very much in place.

There's a moment of pondering his own schedule over a sip of his coffee.]

Only... maybe few days to be free? But if-- you wanted, even when-- we train, there is-- evenings.

[And clearly a million things for someone who doesn't speak Romanian to do in Bucharest during the day. Clearly.]

[A few days. Gosh.

That's a little bit perfect.]

A few days.

[Is how long she can stay, then. A few days, and then back to life at home. But yes, good, a few days first.

Her hand wraps around her own cup, and she gives it a little sniff. It's... Hm. Oh well. She sips it just to give her a moment to dredge up a couple more words.]

I can stay... for a few days.

Really?

[That absolutely wipes out the fact she'd looked a little less than enthused about the tea.]

Good. You-- will like here. I promise.

[She likes him here, so she's pretty sure he's right.

She beams at him, bright as it's possible to smile, and squeezes his fingers.]

Very much.

[This is good. He imagines her smile when he's reading her letters, but there's nothing quite like actually seeing her beam at him.]

I thought-- maybe today to just rest? [Portkeys took a lot out of a person.] Then tomorrow, if it is nice, I thought to-- Parcul Herăstrău. [There's no good English translation for the name of a place, surely.] To go-- the lake? [Miming rowing with one hand can only help, of course.] And to-- [Deep breath. He's practiced this one.] --Palace of-- Parliament if it is rain.

[Oh, goodness. He's considered this.

She bites her lip when he mimes, and giggles quietly, but otherwise just bobs her head along with him. She likes all of these ideas very much. She doesn't understand the name, but that's well enough.

She'd also thought that... maybe. Well. She'd heard of.]

And... At some point... the zoo?

[Of course he's thought about this. Of course he's mapped it out in his head. Of course he's pondered and tried to imagine it properly.

Of course he's absolutely beaming for the fact she has her own suggestions.]

If-- you like to, yes.

[She gives a tiny wiggle of excitement. How exciting!

And for these few days, she gets to have all his time. Just the two of them. How lovely is that.

She takes a sip of her tea, happy enough in her moment to have forgotten the. Er. Tea.]

You don't have any... obligations?

Not until-- next week, no.

[And honestly, this was the best way he could think to be spending that time he had. What could even come close to sharing his free time with her, with her being actually here?]

[She scootches a little closer, elbows crowding onto the table, and grins at him.

Perfect. She didn't have to try her best around his teammates either. Much less embarrassing! She gives another tiny wiggle of pure happiness.]

Can we... eat?

Da. [The hand clutching hers lifts it from the table, lips brushing lightly against the back of her knuckles.] You finish tea and we go.

[For... well. A proper date. He likes thinking of it like that.]

[She blushes a little at this kiss, tinging a pleased pink.

She glances down at her tea, and then bobs agreement. A few more big sips and she's finished it - with a hopefully covert (that was not terribly covert)look at his cup to make sure she isn't rushing him.

Now? They're ready nowish? With her stomach settled, she hoped they could leave the people who had seen (and were still kind of watching) she little entrance scene.]

[It isn't overly covert--but, on the bright side, he's been trained from a fairly young age to gulp down coffee. It's absolutely no hardship to gulp it down now.

His fingers squeeze hers tight before he lets go completely to stand.] We go.

[After he pays. After he gets his arm around her shoulders properly on the way out the door.]

[That still makes her blush a little bit. But it's a good kind of blush, and she laces her fingers with the and resting by her shoulder.

This was right, falling into step with him. Very Right.

How does a girl convey that properly without saying something silly. Because that's what she wants to do. Maybe just the peck she puts on his cheek will be close enough, because she really wants to do that too.

Being near him makes it much easier to do that.]

[The flush isn't entirely reassuring. The flush makes him wonder, just a little, if it's too much. Too presumptuous. Too not what she wants.

But then her fingers lace with his. Then her lips brush against his cheek.

He's pretty sure those are good signs.

The tips of his ears can't help darkening just a hair. His entire face can't help lighting up entirely with a better grin.] It is-- easy, here, maybe. If you want-- to be not so... talking here. No one, I think, will-- maybe care. Because you-- have English.

[It's not eloquent, but hopefully the idea is clear: they'll talk with themselves, and then he'll talk for them.]

[He understands so well.

It's just...

She presses her face against his shoulder. She stops their walking, letting go of his hand and sliding closer, to give him a real hug. Again. Because. He's just... He's just as lovely as his letters. And maybe writing was easier than talking, but she could talk just to him and maybe that would be almost as easy as writing.]

[Writing had been easier in a lot of ways. Writing had leveled the playing field for both of them, after all--he'd had the time he needed for fluent thoughts and editing, and she'd had the security of not having to be out loud.

But there's a lot that's better in person.

There definitely weren't breaks for tight hugs like this in person. And he definitely enjoyed being able to just cling tight for a moment and breathe in the certainty of how happy they'd both been making each other.]

...good.

Good~

[Perfect. Wonderful. Just what she needed. It was impossible to explain how 'good' it was.

A tight squeeze and she forces herself to let him go, since clinging too long was rude, no matter ow wonderful and firm his arms were. And sniffing people; was rude and strange.

...Though, if he thought she was weird, he would probably mention it earlier in their letters.]

Thank you... for... tea.

[She takes the effort to smile up at him, towards his eyes and everything.]

And... this...

[Surely, at this point, it's okay to press a light kiss to her forehead. Surely, at this point, she'll expect it to be sealed with a light wink before he takes her hand for proper walking again.]

Thank you for come here. That-- is much more than tea.

[Her fingers curl around his, squeezing lightly. Yup. This was perfect.

Pure happiness put a skip in her step, and she swung their clasped hands just a little bit, enjoying the movement. Proof, here, that it's not a dream.

And if his kiss (And maybe more-so his wink) had flustered her a little bit, perhaps she didn't work so hard to cover that and just let it slide into her usual blush when using words.]

You're worth it.

[Still quiet, but stutter-less and firm. He's worth much more. He's words words in public and phrases wit multiple syllables, and all of the most terrifying things ever.

[It takes a moment, but he does exhale with a shaky sort of joy.]

That-- means much. To me.

[His hand squeezes just a bit tighter around hers.]

Because you are-- not just-- the fan, yes? You... know me.

[So few people outside his team did.]

[Oh... that... he...

Yes. His words spoke her brain and she didn't even know if there was a way to respond the affirmative as hard as she wanted to.

It made her head spin.

She very much wanted to be Something More. That sounded like Something More. And not just a passing fan amusement.]

Yes?

[No, not a question, Jinx!]

Yes. You... hear me.

[There's the tiniest bit of confusion. There's the tiniest wrinkle of his nose trying to sort through what feels like a language barrier.

Except it isn't. It's understandable. It's something beneath the actual words and deep in his heart--where he's starting to think it actually meets hers, grand and romantic though that notion is.]

It-- is easy.

[He's cute when he's confused, and she grins with the tiniest of laughs tickling her throat.

But she doesn't want him to think she's laughing at him, so instead of give into it Jinx dropped her her head to rest against his arm and heaved out the biggest, most content sigh a near-silent girl could make.]

Simple.

Simple.

[It's good to be on the same page. It's good to keep her arm tight in his. It's going to be wonderful, having her here in his time off.]

Thank you again, yes?

(no subject)

How far in their relationship?

A month or so of intense owl-ing back and forth?

Unf that's so cute D:

They're supercuties, okay. ; ;

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I'm gonna go... collapse into bed. More tags tomorrowwww

sweet dreams, lovely <333

<3

and now good morning

Good morning my heartttt

I hope you had a lovely sleep \o/

It was very restful \o7

As it always should be \o/

And now I run to woooork

Less fun admittedly. o9

Ah email response, 'scuse the icon~

It happens to the best of us. o/

:*

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