Miss Mercury

New Feelings

As she leaves the theatre Amelia gets out the map Linda gave her and starts the walk home. It was going well until she took a detour to find the shop and she turns down the street to her left ending up by Cardiff University, which isn't right.

Great, she's in a new city she doesn't know anyone and now she's lost. There's no one about to ask which is no surprise since its the summer holidays.

Taking the path along the front of the University wall, she comes towards the end of the road and looks down at the map.

Walking past the University entrance she walks straight into someone knocking their stuff everywhere, "Oh god I'm so sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going," She has to will herself not to cry but the tears already sting her eyes.

Bending down she collects the stranger's things together in one pile, her things in another, "Don't worry it was an accident, I wasn't looking either."

The voice is male and she looks across at the stranger as he helps collect the papers. Her breath hitches as her eyes meet the most gorgeous pair of grey-blue eyes, clean-shaven, soft brown hair that she has to resist running her fingers through. And the small smile that set on his lips is enough to make her insides all gooey.

Realising she's staring she picks up her things and he stands with his things, "Are you alright?" He frowns, his height could reveal Brian's.

Feeling the water on her face she knows they are tears but she quickly wipes them away, "Yes sorry I'm just..." She looks around and feels that homesick feeling set in.

"Lost?" He answers for her and she nods, "I'm guessing you're not from around here, I could help you get where you need to be?"

She keeps her wits about her, "I'd like to say yes but you're a stranger, how do I know your not going to try and kidnap me or something?"

"Then let's be properly introduced," He chuckles holding his hand out for her to shake, "Gwilym Lee."

"Milly Mercury," She shyly shakes his hand, his large hand around her small one makes her heart pound, God get a grip of yourself, Milly.

She tells him where she is going and they start walking, "Why would you give up your time to help a stranger?"

Gwilym shrugs, "Because almost a year ago I was in the same position, I was new to the city, had no idea where I was going and no one to help me."

"You're not from Wales then? I assumed you would be by the name," She never heard the name before but she likes it, it suits him.

"My parents are Welsh, that's where the name comes from but I was born in Bristol but they moved to Sutton Coldfield when I was two. I lived there until last September when I moved into student accommodation here for Uni."

"That's a thought if you're a Uni student what were you doing at the Uni, it's the summer holiday's isn't it?" He can't be a professor because he doesn't look much older than she is.

"Yes it is but the course I'm studying is three years long so I moved down here. I was at the Uni to hand a piece of coursework that annoyingly went missing so I had to redo it, I'm off now until September but staying here."

"How come?"

"I went home during Christmas and Easter, I love seeing my family but once you leave home properly going back and adjusting to being under your parent's rules again is not enjoyable. But also I have a part-time job a few evenings during the week so I can't just up and leave it," Realising he's rambling he apologizes, "Sorry I didn't mean to ramble."

Amelia grins, laughing under her breath, "It's fine, I'm using to the time to take note of where we are. Where are we because looking at the map we're not going in the direction of my place?"