Experiment in Romance(Kiri)

[Locke F. Herald]

The more Kiri was happy, the greater she thought he was, just made him feel even worse. "It's not ok...I can't treat you like that...like some puzzle..." He wasn't totally conscious of what he was saying.

Why did something sad have to always interrupt the fun. "I'm not charming, I'm not sweet, I'm not romantic, all I can do is copy what other people did. I didn't know anything about this when we last met, so what did I do? I read a book, I read lots of books. And I didn't think a problem with it, but just then..."

He looked so sad, so miserable. So foolish. "I was acting like people in the books do, doing what they said. None of that was me, it wasn't anything I do. I did it because it's what I'm supposed to do. But that made me think it was like a game, or a question I looked for the answer to. I didn't know how to act...so I looked it up, and I copied it. And when it worked, I felt the sense of accomplishment. And that's...not right."

"You...aren't just a trophy...but I'm treating you that way...I'm...not boyfriend material at all. I thought I could fake it, I guess I just can't change who I am..." He placed his hands on the table as if he was about to get up, but didn't dare move.

Maybe he was scared?

[Kiri Honeywater]

His words and actiosn were confusing her. What was he saying? He was treating her like a puzzle? Well, girls were confusing from what boys always told her, so it would make sense to call them a puzzle. Her happiness wasn't working! She wasn't makign him happy.

Then he started to explain why he was the terrible things he said he was. She was so relieved that she almost laughed, instead she just smiled at him.

"Locke-" Trophy. Not boy friend material. He was going to leave. "No!"

Kiri leapt to her feet bringing many eyes toward them, but she didn't care. She would not lose him over something that was wrong. He was wrong!

"No! You're wrong! You didn't know what to do so you looked for an aswer. There is nothing wrong with that." Kiri moved around the table to stand behside him she knelt before him gazing up at him. "If you're confused or lost go for help, it makes sense. If I had something, someone to turn to for help, advice I'd do it too."

"I don't feel like you're treating me like a trophy, and if you are then I'm the luckiest trophy in the world." She reached for him again wanting to take the sadness away. "You don't need to change Locke. I never asked you to."

A tear fell down her cheek feeling as if this was her fault in some way. That he thought he had to change who he was for her. "I care for you for you. If you're not some romantic prince in a book then that's okay. You're real, and you...you're the one I want."

Her voice was quivering as she inched closer to him trying to make him see what she saw. "Please...don't leave me. Don't end us just because you thought you messed up."

"I'm okay, you-you didn't hurt me. Please, Locke. You don't have to change, I think you're wonderful boy friend material." Her eyes were full of salty tears but she smiled or tried to. All she wanted was his happiness, but she couldn't find it for him.

[Locke F. Herald]

It was after listening to her that the light bulb finally went on in his head.

Something he'd been looking for, looking for since the moment he first saw her, something he just couldn't grasp.

What was it that pulled them to each other? What was it that made them so concerned about the other? For the first time he seemed to understand it, and in an uncharacteristic action (one he usually tried to repress) his ears perked up. He reached down to the girl, kneeling at his feet and cupped her chin in his hand. He didn't have a smile for her yet...but maybe.

"I think...I understand what we see in each other." Locke said. "She cared for him...he cared for her...both want the other to be happy, but think they have to change something to do it..." Why he was speaking in such an odd fashion he didn't know. "I...wanted to change not for the knowledge, not so I'd know...I wanted to change...for you. I wanted to be someone who you deserved....But you said.." He could force out a smile now. "That I didn't have to change...and that's right...I didn't have to...there is a truth here...one I didn't understand..."

"I wanted to change...I wanted to be the knight, I wanted...to make you feel special..." He placed his hand on her shoulders and pulled her up to her feet, she wasn't beneath him. "I just didn't admit it to myself, so...I didn't understand what I was doing...ah this doesn't even make any sense."

He understood, but how could he convey it to her so that she'd understand? Deciding that he really couldn't he wiped the tear from her face.

"If you can...put up with me being an emotional train wreck...then I really have found someone very special..."

he became aware of the eyes they had drawn with this little escapade, and more then a few grinning (older) female mouths. Did that mean he had done well?

"Maybe.." Locke said in a whisper. "We should get out meal to go and enjoy it in the park then? I think we've given them plenty of a show already."

[Kiri Honeywater]

He was talking and it sounded to smart, so elegant, so incrediably him. It made her smile that he was back to normal, that he could find a smile again. Even if she didn't understand really what he was saying, what he was trying to convey to her. Parts of it made sense to her but overall she was utterly lost, but that was okay too. As long as he was happy again.

"Someone I deserve? And here I am wanting to be someone you deserve." She stood smiling at him, but it wasn't bright it was like the sun on a cloudy day. It was there everone knew it it just wasn't visible fully. It was the light people saw through the clouds but not the sun.

"I do feel special as long as you're with me." Kiri touched the place where the tear had been and her smile brightened a bit more. The sun peeking around the clouds.

"You comforted me that day in the commons room, so I want to make you happy too." A little more the sun ventured out, and this time it started to touch her eyes. The more she saw that he was going to stay in a better mood the more she could be happy. It might not be a good thing that her emotions were affected so by his. If he ever dumped her she would be in a world of hurt, but she pushed that aside. Such unhappy thoughts should not enter his special day.

"To go?" Kiri glanced around and her face flushed scarlet. "Oh, right."

She turned and like the waitress had read their minds the lady held out to go boxes with a gentle smile.

"Thank you," she smiled taking the boxes. The waitress nodded knowingly then left. Kiri turn to give Locke his box then started loading her own. It would be awhile before she went back to this cafe again after this little scene.

[Locke F. Herald]

Locke felt a mixture of emotions. On one side he was embarrassed, on the other side he was ashamed that his little emotional outburst had ruined their date. He really was just a child...

But no, he wasn't going to have another outburst about it again, time to suck it up and apologize like a man. He packed his lunch up quickly, and left the money on the table. He made sure to leave a nice tip for the waitress (Nice by a kids standards) because she really had tried her best to help them. He then looked towards Kiri, a rueful smile on his lips.

"Let's go enjoy lunch someplace a bit less crowded then?" He asked, extending his free hand to her. In truth, he wanted to get far away from this place, and all the embarrassment and childishness he had displayed here.

I'm supposed to be above all of that.

[Kiri Honeywater]

A little unsettled by his silence she tried to push it off as embarassment or something else not so depressing. She didn't remember him acting so emotional back when they were first friends. Was she a bad influence on him? Was she making his life worse? Kiri shut her box on her food and those thoughts.
"Yes, let us go to the park. It's good to have a change of scenery." She took his hand carrying her food and his story in her other hand. "Besides I eat here too often as it is."

Kiri was trying to keep the mood light to make him understand that everything was okay. That she only wanted him happy and was only bothered by his outburst simply because he was upset. Not because he did it. Everyone has their moments.

"I'm so excited. Can we sit on a hillside? I love sitting on a hill. Watching over everything. Almost like a bird." She lead the way out of the cafe thinking of close by parks they could walk to. "Plus fresh air is better for you when you eat. Fresh air is good for you period. Get you outside for sure."

Smiling she squeezed his hand being as bright as possible for him. "Then after we eat we could take a walk and feed duckies, or fishies, and then do whatever you want."

That sounded like a good plan. A nice happy plan. Wait she wasn't supposed to be planning things this was his day! His day that he researched and planned out.

"Unless you want to do something different! ThisisafterallyourdayandIdon't wanttotakeoverwhenyouplannedsomuchand-" She was barely makin sense even to herself, but she felt horrible for trying to take control of the date. It was his romantic day not hers, or it was techinically her but he'd planned it.

[Locke F. Herald]

Locke still felt bad about his reaction, but hid it deep. Kiri wanted to be happy now, so he was up for being happy.

"I take it you have someplace in mind?" He asked when Kiri mentioned a park with a hill. "By all means, I'd like to get the kind of view you can." He said with a smile. She seemed into the idea now, which was good because he really hadn't planned to much after lunch.

And then she exploded into Kiri-babble. Locke released her hand and put his finger to her lips.

"Hush." He said with a grin. "One day you will have to teach me how you talk so fast." He added with a smile. "But for today let's just go around and have a good time, in honestly I was just going to see where we wound up. Doing everything by a plan can get boring. So let's start with finishing lunch on a hill, all right?"

[Kiri Honeywater]

She smiled and nodded, of course she had something mind. He really didn't get out much did he? Kiri giggled softly to herself her mind boggling on all the places she would have to take him. Her favorite parks, her favorite stores, and of course the book stores in town. He might actually know some of those.

"Well, there is this nice park near the edge of town, but that's a pretty far walk. And I don't know about you, but I'm starving." Her eyes fell to their clasped hands and she smiled. To think just moments ago she thought he was going to break up with her. Merely on the thought that he wasn't worthy of her. He was more than worthy of her, it was the other way around. He was so much more mature than she ever would be. Even at three years her younger.

After her rant and as soon as his finger touched her lips she fell instantly quiet. Her eyes widened and her cheeks tinged a bit at the touch.

"Planning can get boring? But I thought you preferred to have things all orderly." Kiri was glad that he was opening himself up to new things though. It was good to grow, to experience, and she was more than happy to do both of those things with him.

[Locke F. Herald]

At her comment about how he loved to plan he couldn't help but smile, she had him pegged pretty well.

"All things in moderation." He answered simply. "After all, you may like running around with you animal friends, and coming out here for lunch. But you know you have to spend time doing your homework and studying, so you have to balance them. Always having everything planned means that when something doesn't go according to plan..."

Like in the cafe maybe? He looked down, checks pink a little. "Then we don't know what to do." He finished. "And I'd like to not drop the ball like that again, so it's a good time for me to focus on what I have been missing. After all, I couldn't possibly have a better teacher." He returned his gaze to her.

He just couldn't keep that smile out of his thoughts. It was completely dominating his mind. In the short time they'd known each other Kiri had taken a part of Locke's head for herself. And Locke couldn't push that image away, even if he wanted to.

Which he really didn't.

"So let's compromise." Locke said. "There is a smaller park near here, we can eat there, and then see what we feel like doing after that. Besides..." He started, unsure of if he should say this, was it the right thing to say right now? Was it a mistake.

"We could be eating in the middle of a rundown old alley and I'd be happy if you were there." He said, the pink returning to his cheeks. He now found it very difficult to look at Kiri, but he did turn his gaze towards her to meet her eyes.

[Kiri Honeywater]

"Oh, I hardly ever plan anything. If I feel like studying, or a test is the next day I study." She shrugged knowing that isn't the best way to go about one's studies. "Or if you have a study session planned, but other than that I play with my animals. Or spend hours drawing."

Drawing him usually. It was like an obsession as of late. Her pencils, her paints, her oils anything and everything turned into him. It was sad really and she had to make sure to hide them so her fellow Wingrosians wouldn't find them. It would be incredibly embarrassing.

"No worries! No ball was dropped; we just got a new ball because the old one didn't suit us." Kiri waved her food around as she talked ignoring his last comment because if she paid attention to it she'd blush again.

"That sounds good!" He was right she was hungry and eating at a nearby park sounded better than trucking across town. "Maybe we could go to some book stores."

After all she didn't want this day to be boring for him. If all they did was stuff she liked she didn't see their relationship lasting very long. Incorporating both of their likes into a date wouldn't be that hard.

"In an old alley?" She couldn't ignore this one and her face flushed red her eyes meeting his. His cheeks were as pink as hers it looked and she bowed her head giggling softly. He was the cutest, sweetest, most amazing boy she'd ever dated. "Thank you, Locke. That was the nicest thing...sweetest. I'm so lucky to have you."

Her head lifted and she leaned over to peck a kiss on his cheek. Just a quick kiss on the cheek nothing too drastic. He was already blushing as it was.

[Locke F. Herald]

Locke had stopped in his tracks when Kiri got closer to him. Eyes closed, that familiar press in her lips. Even though it was simple, life seemed to be in slow motion as she pressed her lips to his cheek. Her warm lips, and the pressure of where they landed persisted even after she pulled away.

Still red he couldn't seem to keep eye contact with the beauty, and turned instead so he'd remember where they were going. He squeezed her hand and continued to lead her down the streets.

"Here, this looks like a nice place." He said as they drew up to a small park. It was only a small field of grass, with a few benches here and there, nothing really big and expansive. But he didn't want to keep her waiting forever just to find the perfect location.

Locke sighed relieved. At the very least there weren't any people really in this park, so it would seem they had it all to themselves.

Forgoing the tables he sat down on a patch of grass and made a gesture to her. "This seems like a good place to finish the meal, we can move on after that. Would that be ok?"

[Kiri Honeywater]

Why wouldn't he look at her? Did he not like her kissing him that much? Eyes downcast she didn't squeeze back at she pondered on the various reasons why he didn't look all to thrilled to be kissed. Or not thrilled in her mind's eye.

"Yeah, this is fine." Kiri dropped his hand and ran to the middle of the park and sat down. She opened her box of food and smiled over at him.

Her heart twisted in confusion at his reaction, but maybe he was just that uncomfortable with that area. She was moving too fast for him. She needed to stop this over abundance of physical affection before he broke up with her.

"So...The food is good." Kiri lifted a still warm cheese puff to her lips still not looking at him. She was so foolish, and regretted kissing him on the cheek.

[Locke F. Herald]

Locke knew something was wrong the second she didn't return the squeeze, it was their communication. Reassurance that there was someone there, that they...cared.

Without that simple act, Locke found himself feeling very much alone. He looked down at his food as she sat down, something was wrong, and he knew it. Someone had to step up and say something.

"Kiri..." Locke began, but then a shadow flew across his eyes. When the sun returned to shining down on him Locke moved to continue, but the same shadow covered his eyes again. Confused he looked up to see a grey falcon circling the pair of them from high in the sky. Locke's face was confused as he eyed the bird.

"Is that? Star?" He asked more to himself looking at the bird. The bird merely squaked in response.

"Hurry up and hold out your arm so I can land! I want to give you this and get out of here!" Would be the cry's translation in the human tongue. Not like Locke could understand it though.

After all, he was not his father.

[Kiri Honeywater]

Now he looked as unhappy as she felt. Wonderful. Suddenly no longer hungry she closed her food box and pushed it to the side. This was supposed to be a happy day, and she just kept on ruining things.

"Yes, Locke?" She lifted her head with a smile trying to bring uplifting emotions back into the mix. But frowned when she saw the shadow pass over his face. Not understanding the question about star she looked upwards.

There weren't any stars out, for one it was day, but she did see a falcon. Smiling she waved at the wondrous bird then at the demand she reached for Locke's arm.

"He wants to use your arm to land, but he sure to wrap something around it his talons might hurt you." Kiri gazed upwards then down at Locke. "He has something to give you."

[Locke F. Herald]

"He...Yeah he probably has a letter." Locke said, his cheeks slightly red at the sudden contact with Kiri, especially because they seemed to be at a rocky point. Then he realized that she might not understand what he did.

"Oh I suppose I should tell you, his name is 'Silver Star' my dad uses him to send messages now and again. I keep telling him to use the postal service, or heaven forbid a computer, but he's kind of old fashioned. I wouldn't worry about me though, he won't hurt me. Though if I can believe dad he doesn't really like me." Locke put two fingers from his free hand in his mouth and whistled, and the bird began it's descent. It perched softly on Locke's arm and glared at him. Before pecking him in the forehead.

"Ow!" Locke called out, more surprised then anything.

"And that's for locking my cage shut years ago you brat!" Came the cry from the bird, which then held out it's leg, and the letter tied to it. Locke rubbed his forehead with his free hand and then detached the letter.

"I told you, this bird does not like me."

But Star had already turned his attention to Kiri, tilting his head a bit.

"Hey, who're you?"

Locke for his part was trying to open and read the letter with his arm occupied by the bird. And having a good deal of difficulty.