Participants:
| Scene Title | Awkward Peace |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | It's awkward. |
| Date | March 27, 2011 |
A tennis ball thumps repetitively in front of the bed. Thump, thump, thump, thump. The ball then takes on a different temp, more rapid. Thump, thump thump, thump, thump thump, thump. The ball continues to thump against the ground, before being thumped powerfully. Slapping against the ground it raises up to hit the ceiling above him. Then comes raining back down into the young man's hand.
"Let me see it." A young voice quietly murmurs from the shadows.
"No, I'm playing with it." Comes the fully grown boy's response on the bed. The ball bounces again as Brian peers through the darkness to his roommate addressing him. The day has faded into night. It's well past curfew. But not quite bed time for the Lighthouse Two kids. The ball thumps again, as Brian peers through the darkness of his room. "Don't you have your ow—" Scowling, a different tennis ball thumps against Brian's head with a plunk. Brian is throwing his hand around his head protectively. Growling up through the darkness. Lance is there, smirking smugly with his arm returning to his side from the pitch. Perfectly silent.
"You little.." Springing to his feet, Brian's feet thump rapidly against the ground as Little Brian, dressed only in shorts sprints after the pair of Joe and Lance. The attackers.
ORDER: It is now your pose.
It may not be bedtime for the Lighthouse Kids, but falling asleep in one of the few lonely chairs in the room she shares with the babies wasn't a shock for Samara. Her head sinks back against the back of the chair, causing her face to extend to the ceiling a she silently catches some z's. The first thump causes her to stir. The second? Another flinch. But she's beat. Out like a light. Emily on the other hand doesn't sleep so soundly, and as far as the toddler is concerned, cuddle time is over.
Sam had learned early on that toddlers + long hair made for a dangerous equation. Of course, when awake she has her own defences. Scolds. Preoccupying hands.
Sleeping Sam has none of her defences, and after a long day she'd tugged the elastic out of her hair and let it hang, relaxing the roots and granting herself that same feeling of release. With a sharp tug Emily grasps a fistful of Sam's hair, causing her eyes to open wide and her entire body to lurch forward in the chair, "No no no nonononononono! Honey. No. No— " she begins to pry the strands of hair from the toddler's fingers as she lowers Emily to the floor.
More thumping.
And then… Oh dear. Sounds like some kind of nonsense.
The baby is regarded quickly with a glance and Sam plucks Emily from the floor to hang out in the play pen— nothing to get in there (plus… TOYS!).
Her own steps are somewhat more authoritative as she walks through the walls to the room in question, "Boys— I swear I will confiscate all of the balls and you'll never see them— "
From around the corner, Lance comes slinking out. Soundlessly skipping his way through the hallway, and nimbly around Samara. He's quicker, more agile. More ninja like. Dodging around Samara, he doesn't take heed to what she's saying. Lance dips his shoulder, ducking past her to flood his way into the rest of the house.
Joe comes next. Having been slightly behind Lance and not as lithe and quick as the older boy. Joe doesn't do a whole lot of dipping and dodging. He thunks and clunks. Racing around the corner, Joe finds his shoulder clipped by a table in the hall way. It doesn't seem to bother him much, but as he stumbles away, his head then clunks into the wall. That just causes him to stagger a different way. Thump thump thumnp.
And then finally comes Brian. Making a lot more noise as he rounds the corner, the half naked man towers much higher than Lance and Joe. As Brian thunders down the hallway, it's not so easy for him to dodge around Samara. And he tries to press rapidly on the breaks. Feet trying to slow his running. His face is full of shock and fright, his arms fling out to wrap around Samara. In a last ditch effort to twist her over him in case they fall. Which they definitely will.
Lance is regarded with a waggle of her finger, "Heeeey! You know better no— " but then he's gone. Joe is given the same treatment, "Guys, the babies are trying— " again gone. It seems she can't finish a thought for the life of her. And then Brian rounds the corner at the precise moment that her gaze follows the first two boys. She turns back a moment later to be scooped up and then twirled around before collapsing on top her man-boy fiancee-to-be. The arms around her waist, the feeling of his body against hers— somewhere in the process her arms too-comfortably found their place around him in turn. Muscle memory and familiarity have their effect.
Back thickly slapping against the cold hard ground, Brian lets out a loud grunt. "Owww!" He squeaks. Arms slumping down against the ground as if to brace him. Though one arm remains around Samara's back loosely. As they lay there, his head rolls back some from the sudden pain. Immediately breathing out a, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry." But then his body locks up. Her warm arms slinking smoothly around his body. His jaw clenches, lips tightening in a straight line. Arm resting loosely around the small of her back. A deep breath is taken, chest rising and falling against hers.
Swallowing hard, his eyes widen some as color starts to enter his cheeks. He tilts his head up some, gray eyes going to lock on Samara's. His neck bringing their faces closer together though there is a distinct pause as he just… stares. Mouth open.
Unlike Brian, Sam's eyes clamp shut, granting her some form of resilience against the impact. There's an unusual warmth in her touch, that same familiarity working its magic, so much that three words she doesn't intend slip out in a quiet— nearly unheard with a slow release of breath. Her lips mouth the words, almost missable. Of course, it only takes a few seconds and the opening of her eyes to have her turn several shades of red all over— including those arms that had found their way around Brian's body. "Itsokayitsokay— these things happen all of the time I'm totally okay and everything is fine and its just like that one time at dance camp which is not an American Pie reference because I actually went to dance camp and I ended up getting a huge concussion from something or rather and then I was really loopy like really loopy I started to talk to inanimate objects not that that's necessarily a sign of craziness but I never talk to objects except the blender or photocopiers because I'm like that and I love y— " Oh. She's babbling. "Uh. It's fine," her gaze ticks downwards only to roll back up. Uh. "Maybe you should wear more clothes inside or something." Her cheeks flush even redder.
Her own embarrassment colours her purple— or red, as the case may be— "Imjustgonnago" she forces again with the vaguest of nods. But she doesn't let him go. Not the way she should or ought. She's walked through people before, particularly when she was 'dead.' And moments like these, pseudo embarrassing moments made worse by chatter, are better evacuated.
Her eyes clamp shut again, but she can't motivate herself to let him go, releasing him would just be sad. And she doesn't feel like sad. She'll just fade through him. She allows herself to fade through the floor as she splits into a million little pieces. Except…
When she's tangible in the cellar, Brian is there too. Um. Awkward. Where she'd been red before, her face blanches. Um.
"I was going to sleep. I thought it was okay to not wear a shirt. Because sometimes it gets hot in the room with that wool blanket. I just don't really like how hot it gets because." A hard swallow. She's still on top of him. As a teenager it's easy to remember the things he would say with friends. About what types of things they would do with women like Samara. The cavalier bravado isn't very much present now with a woman laying on top of his partly clothed body. His mouth opens and lets out just a flat noise that might have been intended as words at one point.
Then they are phasing. Through the floor. When they reappear in the same position in a much more secluded place, Brian looks around quickly, taking in their new surroundings. "That.. That's awesome." This must be a sign. She wants him. Obviously. She transported them with her magic into the private basement. Time to man up, Brian. The future is expecting you. His hand presses in on Samara's back gently. Simply just holding her there a little more firmly now. His other hand climbs up to rest on her back in between the shoulder blades. But his eyes are averted. As if he's afraid of being caught.
"That's…" Sami's head cants upwards to face the ceiling from whence they came, "never happened before." Wordlessly she peeks back at him, a little confused as to what's just happened with her ability. "I've never.. taken anyone— " Her eyebrows knit together slightly as her eyes track back to him. Well this is still awkward.
Her face reddens again as his hand crawls between her shoulder blades. That familiar feeling has her longing for more, but the oddness of the situation has all of its weight as well. She leans forward and plants a single soft kiss on his cheek, and, with her breath warm against his face, she parts her lips to say something only to have nothing come out. Her lips twitch into an sheepish smile as her hands finally begin to draw back to her side— a slower process than it should be with each of her fingers slide along his skin in turn. Her eyebrows knit together a little tighter. "I'm sorry," she whispers quietly, but she makes no effort to wriggle from his grasp.
"Really?" Brian asks in a cool quiet, as his face is practically lit on fire. His eyes flit over to her nervously. Before going back to the spot on the wall he had chosen. Brian's hands pull against her back weakly. And then a little more strength is put into it. Pushing her into him. As her fingers slide against his skin, his body tingles, writhing somewhat under her. Lips tightening a quiet noise emits from his throat.
She doesn't move. But her hands come out from around him. His whole body feels like it's a flame. His elbows go to thump on the ground beside him. He pushes himself up, mouth hanging open. And then he pulls the trigger. Mouth open wide, Brian leans forward and presses his own kiss against her cheek. His own lips aren't pressed together like a normal person. They're wide open and sloppy. Pressing his mouth against her cheek, he then slides over to her mouth. In a kiss that would be described most aptly as… inexperienced. It may look like he's trying to fit all of Samara's head in his mouth. Trying to eat her whole in his weird, awkward style.
The arms that tug around her inspire Sami's fingers to brush up against his cheek. "I love you so much," she murmurs quietly. Her eyes slide shut gently as the tiniest smile creeps over her lips only to become a little more humoured at the kiss against her cheek only to be overtaken by an equally sloppy kiss against her lips— which she breaks moments later with another soft smile.
Her eyes narrow a little as her lips part to say something. "That was your first kiss," or the first one he remembers, anyways. It's an observation, not a question. Her lips hitch up to one side slightly, and oddly she considers. "It's okay, I.. you were my first kiss too." Her cheeks flush a little at the memory. "Just relax a little— I.." her cheeks flush even brighter. "I… could teach you if you wanted." To learn how to kiss. She's bright red now, semi-sure this is wrong on so many levels.
There's a hard swallow as her finger traces against his cheek. His face couldn't get much hotter. It feels like it's about to combust. A vibrant red filling his forehead and cheeks. When she pulls away from his kiss, his lips come together hesitantly. His head lowering some as his eyebrows knit. Was this wrong? His eyes widen as she begins to speak. "Yeah." He meeps out weakly. Brian gives a light smile up at her. "Oh. Not today though, right…"
But he's being asked to relax. His tight shoulders are forced to relax against the ground. Head pressed into the ground. Hands twisting into the cloth on her back, pulling at it some. "T-teach?" He croaks quietly. Peering up at her. "Ahm. Okay." He lets out quietly, staring up at her wide eyed.
There's a softer smile as Sam's head shakes very slightly, "No. Not today. It was a few months ago." She swallows hard— quite audibly— as he relaxes underneath her. "Just." She takes a quick breath, and forces another smile. This isn't something she'd ever thought she'd have to do thanks to an early death. "Kissing is like.. a less is more kind of thing. I mean at first. And then once you're all caught up in the moment more is more but only after— " her cheeks redden as she emits a semi-nervous chuckle. "Sorry. I've never.."
"You can.. relax still. I mean not just your body but like you're staring at me like I stare at almost everything because I'm like that." Her flushed cheeks flush further as she stifles another nervous chuckle. "Okay. I'm.. I'm going to kiss you. Start with your lips like.. soft. You know? I mean, not stiff. Relaxed. Almost like you didn't expect me to kiss you." Her eyes tick away semi-uncomfortably, "Which I know is hard because I'm here telling you what I'm going to do— " all while lounging on top of him. Yeah. "And… just try to follow my lead this time?"
She takes a slow breath as her eyes squeeze shut, her fingers continue to caress his face gently and she closes the distance between them.
The kiss she plants against his lips is soft. Tender. But it lingers as her lips part slightly against his. It feels like ages since she last kissed him. Aside from that sloppy one just before.
Brian tries to relax. His shoulders continue to melt against the ground. Forcibly. His hands still fixed somewhat rigidly along her back. The tension is slowly drained out of them. "Soft." He repeats gently. Nodding as she lets out a chuckle. Letting out his own nervous laughter in response. Teehee. His face is still practically made of magma. His heart racing at a ridiculous pace, a few level deep breaths taken. Ghhgh. "It's okay. You don't need to apologize." He quickly murmurs.
As she starts to press her lips against his, his eyes slide close. He follows her advice closely, returning the kiss gently and almost hesitantly. The less is more thing taken to the letter. As she caresses his face, he swallows hard against her lips. One hand on her back slowly wandering downward along her spine. And then further down. But it hesitates low on her back, pausing there as if scared to keep going. A light murmur is made against her lips before his head slumps to the ground once again. A deep breath is taken. "That's.. That's really nice." He lets out with an awkward smile.
"Uhm. Sam.. Are we going to.. This might be like. I don't know. If I'm supposed to ask. Are we going to make out or like…" His eyes fling away. "Do it? Because um. If not.. You might want to get off because…" He blushes hotly. And just smiles for the rest.
When Brian breaks the kiss, Sam’s head lolls lazily to the side. Her eyes narrow slightly at his question, “Oh?” only to widen moments later. “Oh!” She slides off him moments later as she presses her palms to the ground to stand back to her feet. Her own face flushes bright red as she scrambles to her feet and smooths her shirt, tugging on the bottom.
”Sorry. It’s.. “ her lips twitch slightly in a sem-sheepish smile. “I’m not like this. I swear I’m not like this. I mean— “ she clears her throat. “I mean, we’re engaged. So for me this is all— “ she shakes her head as she considers her words, “it’s normal. You know? I mean, kissing you. Not teaching you how but actually and like the whole — “ yeah. She takes a single awkward step away.
"Right. You're not doing anything bad." Brian quickly gushes out, rolling to his side when she gets off of him. Rolling onto his hands and knees, Brian quickly crawls his way over to the couch. Sliding up onto it, he turns to sit he places a pillow on his lap. Leaning back, shoulders tighten up. Hands clasped on the pillow on his lap. He gives a very large nervous smile. "No. I understand. I.. This is real weird. Me being in the future. And I. Yeah. It's very." His mouth closes tightly, hands practically tearing into each other. "I like.. I'm your fiancee. I'm just younger." He gives an emphatic nod. That seems to be the case.
"So I'm trying.. To do a good job. I just." He swallows hard. "I'm sorry. I just never had a girlfriend.. yet. Or anything. I don't know how to do any of this. And I will try my best to be a good fiancee." He grimaces some, staring over at her as if for approval. "What.. Kind of things.. Do I do? To be a good fiancee? Flowers?"
A single hand is raised as Sami shakes her head tightly, "No— you shouldn't apologize. It's not your fault, for real. I'm just— " her cheeks flush a little brighter, "— this isn't something I'd thought could ever happen, you know? I mean there's a lot of things that go on." She sighs slowly as she shuffles over to sit next to him on the couch.
There's a slow creeping smile, admiring the question, "You don't have to do anything, you know? I mean.. it's not what Brian— you— do for me. It's.. you make me laugh. We… play." Her cheeks flush brighter. "We have fun, you know?" She shrugs a little. "Just be yourself."
"Okay." He stutters out, eyes going down to his lap. "Yeah. I didn't think it could happen either. I mean.. It's kind of cool. Like. Exciting." Mostly because he thinks that any day now he'll just slide back into the consciousness of his sixteen year old self back in his old happy bubble world. Brian melts back into the cushions as Samara comes to sit next to him. His eyes flit over to her nervously. "Okay. It's just hard. Because like. I don't really even hang out with like pretty girls like you. I mean I hung out with a couple girls but they were like uggos." He purses his lips for a moment. "That was mean. I didn't mean that. But.. I mean. You're really pretty. I'm not used to that. You just make me nervous."
"I'll try though. To play." That seems to make him flush even more. If it's possible. "Yeah.. What do we do? To have fun?"
"I'm not. Really. Pretty, I mean." She clears her throat. "But.. If it makes you feel any better I'm kind of awkward," Sami's eyes tick downwards— to her feet because it's easy to admit being awkward to one's feet. "Like seriously. In high school I was lucky if I didn't trip over my own feet. I talk too much and if I'm really nervous I ramble. A lot. Like a whole lot. I actually get the distinct feeling you even liked me when we met because I couldn't talk at all— I was all invisible to the naked eye and could only be seen in reflections thanks to you know my party trick-thing that lets me walk through things or whatever— "
She shrugs slightly as her eyes trail back to Brian. She hmmms quietly and glances up to the ceiling, "Well… once we played tag. Or we make jokes and hang out and stuff. And we play with the kids. Although— " she's been less herself lately. She doesn't say this much. "We joke a lot…" She shrugs again. "I dance. I don't know if I ever told you that."
"Does.. Do I let you say that? That you're not pretty? I don't think I should. You're pretty. I feel like I'm kind of shallow and wouldn't like you if you weren't." He's still blushing but he lets out a stutter of a laughter. A joke. Or at least his attempt at one. "I liked you because you couldn't talk?" He grins broadly before she talks about what they do as a couple. "Tag." He repeats. Tag is fun.
"We should… like take the kids out and play like a huge game of hide and seek." He smiles brightly. Before shaking his head. "No. You didn't. Do I dance? What am I like? In the future I mean. Or now. Why do you like me? Do…" A deep, resolute breath is taken. One warm hand stretches out to link into Samara's hand. Giving her hand a little squeeze.
”No. No.. you tell me I’m beautiful. A lot. All of the time,” Sami’s cheeks flush again as she returns the squeeze to Brian’s hand. “I’m feeling frazzled lately,” she admits evenly as her head turns to face him. “And.. different, I guess.” She clears her throat and tries to explain, “It’s been a crazy six months. Seriously. I was dead. I thought I was dead. I wasn’t, but I thought I was dead. And you saw me. And I don’t mean my reflection which was the only way to physically see me, but you saw me. You know? It’s one of those oddly profound things that doesn’t make sense but it was easy to love you from the start. Being acknowledged, being seen, being thought of as a person— a real person— these were new.” She shrugs a little.
”You’re so kind. I’m not kidding about that. Like I saw it when you weren’t necessarily watching for me. And you’re sweet and considerate and fun.” Sam clucks her tongue lightly. “You’re just good. A good person. And strong. Not just physically, but in every way. I never told you this, but I’m not strong. Like I’m strong-willed and painfully stubborn, but not strong. I cry at everything.” Her cheeks flush again.
”You dance good. You once danced with me when you couldn’t really see me. We had this… I guess it was a date? Anyways it was at the hall of mirrors on Coney Island when I wasn’t whole yet so…” her cheeks flush again as she frowns slightly, “Does it weird you out? This, I mean? I could tell you more I just don’t want to weird you extra, not when… when it’s not necessary. You know?”
"You are beautiful." Brian insists quietly. That heat ever present in his face. With his hand gripped, his pulse quickens even more. As she explains the details of their relationship he gives a little nod. "Okay. So I saw you." He gives a nervous little smile over at her. "Frazzled?" A slow breath drags out of lips. "It's because of me, isn't it? Or because I'm not me." His eyes sink to the ground as if in shame. Guilt hangs over his chest heavily. "The.. The me you talked to on the phone. That's the me that's.." It's all so confusing. "The one you like. Really love." He stares at the ground for a moment. "Can I help somehow. Can you see him?"
"I like to go to dances. My friend is private schooled and I went to his like private school dances. And.." A shrug is thrown up. "I have fun. I don't know if I dance like you dance." He shakes his head as he slowly sinks into the couch, back scraping against the back. His head melts against Samara's shoulder. Resting there, eyes closing for a moment.
Eyebrows tick up defensively as Sami's head shakes again. "It's not.. you didn't cause it. You know that right? I mean, I learned that there was this guy who caused this. This weirdness where you're here and Brian that remembers me… " her voice turns to a squeak as her throat fights against the word, "..isn't." Her lips purse slightly, "It's not easy, I mean, it's complicated. Very complicated. I'm lucky in a lot of ways. I'm kind of untouchable when I want to be," literally, "but not always. Like, I still have weaknesses, right?" Her lips hitch upwards to one side, "The government is hurting people like us— and you.. the one that remembers me? He.. he's stuck. And he didn't want me coming after him. Although— " he had mentioned a potential way in at one point. "He had a point in one way," her free hand runs over her stomach, a gentle reminder to herself of any why. She'd already been accused of being a bad mother once over, "Kind of."
She stifles a quiet chuckle that settles as he leans into her shoulder. Instinctively, her neck stretches so she can rest her own head against his some. It's so wonderfully familiar. "I love you," she whispers quietly.
As his head settles against her shoulder he begins to quiet. Eyes closing. "Well. If there's anything I can do. I want to make you happy." Brian offers in a reverent tone. One hand goes to rest on Samara's thigh, his other arm remaining entangled with her hand. His head burrows some against her shoulder. A few deep breaths are taken as he starts to rest.
He doesn't answer her. When she tells him she loves him. But his hands grip against her gently. Head remaining relaxed against her shoulder. If she doesn't stop him soon, he'll most likely fall asleep on her shoulder soon.
And somehow in the sweet innocence of the contact, like Brian, Sam finds some semblance of peace. Her own eyes close and she drinks in the moment, purposely making a memory. The ever-changing nature of the world is no longer lost on her. In fact, it's this knowledge that keeps her here, in this moment, when there's so much else to do.
The world itself lacks certainly, yet right here, right now, there's one thing Sami can be certain of: a little bit of peace.
And to that she plans to cling.