No Confessions

Ch27

"Stars, Mina! Can we go on whatever that contraption is?" Lucy asked excitedly, pointed ahead of them.
    Mina laughed at the smaller woman, still holding her arm. "I believe it's called a carousel. And of course, my dear." Lucy smiled wide like a child and tugged at Mina's arm to walk faster. 'There is nothing I wouldn't do for this woman.' Mina thought as she trailed behind a thrilled Lucy.
    "Oh, Mina! Look!" Lucy laughed, gesturing to the animals on the ride. "Horses! You know how I adore horses!" Mina simply laughed at her love's over excited reactions. Lucy heard her, and turned to look, pouting as she saw what Mina found so humorous. "I know I'm simple minded, but there's no reason to laugh at me."
    "I apologize, my dear." Mina said, catching her breath. "Here, I'll help you onto one." she offered, gesturing to a horse with all of its legs in the air, suspended by a pole running vertically through itself.
    "Are you taking a jest at my height?" Lucy accused, with crossed arms. "That's not very kind, Mina. Still less, to me."
    Mina simply laughed off the accusation. "Come on, Luce." Mina urged, holding out a hand. "You can hold my hand." she sang out suggestively. She knew it was Lucy's weak point.
    "Fine." The weak point worked.
    Lucy, with much help from Mina, mounted a sleek black horse with a mane to match. It had longer hair at its feet; turning white as it reached its hooves. The horse also wore a white streak along its bridge and muzzle. Mina had said it looked like a Shire Horse.
Mina mounted a horse to the right of Lucy. A brown horse, colored with a black point coloration of the mane, tail, ear edges, and lower legs. "A bay." Mina had said. Lucy smiled sweetly and nodded, not understanding what that meant.
Mina's horse was in a reared back position. It had two back legs on the ground and two in the air. It's head rose higher than Lucy's horse by a considerable amount. Mina couldn't help but snort when she saw Lucy's unimpressed face looking at her horse.
"Ah, cheer up, love! It's just a horse stance!" Mina tried to lull.
"Just a horse stance?" Lucy asked, playfully offended. "This is just you trying to prove how you're taller than me. Even if it's just your little bit."
"You may want to hold on, Luce."
"Why would I–ah!" Lucy nearly screamed in fear as the ride started moving. Her horse had begun to, what can only be described as, jump. "Mina help!" Lucy cried as she clung to the pole coming down from the ceiling into the horse.
"You chose the horse!" Mina laughed and reached out a hand to steady the blond side of her. "You're okay, Luce! Just relax!"
"Easy for you to say!" Lucy shot back. "Your horse isn't jumping!"
Mina laughed as Lucy grabbed her hand, squeezing hard. "It isn't so bad, is it? Besides, you have me to catch you if you fall."
"It's terrifying!" Lucy cried, hugging the pole suffocatingly tight with the arm that wasn't holding Mina's hand. "Why did I choose this horse?" Lucy asked aloud.
"Just relax, Luce. You won't get hurt, I promise." Mina affirmed. "Just have fun!"
Lucy tried. She really did. But the fear wouldn't leave her. "Mina..." she started, but then she stopped. Mina looked ethereal.
    She is absolutely, unequivocally the most beautiful woman Lucy has ever seen. Lucy looked at her now, Mina, and could not breathe for how lovely she is. Her auburn hair whisked around her with the movement of the ride. Her laughter echoed around the tent, filling Lucy's heart with bliss. It brought Lucy delight to see Mina so free. Away from her work, her stress; all of it. It had been a great deal of time since Lucy had seen Mina so carefree.
    "See? That wasn't so hard, was it now, Lucy?" Mina cooed, squeezing Lucy's hand. "You're staring, love."
    "I love you."
    "And, you didn't hear a single word of that, did you?" Mina giggled. "Lucy, you are the cutest, you know that?"
    At those words, Lucy finally came back from her simpering thoughts. "I am not cute."
    "Ha, so that's what breaks your thoughts? Me calling you cute?" Mina laughs, moving her and Lucy's hands to intertwine their fingers. "Of all things."
    Lucy simply huffed. "Well I'm not cute. What you speak of are fibs. Mina Murray, you are a fibber."
    "I am not!"
    "Are too!"
    "Are you having fun now?"
    Lucy stopped. She paused and seemed to take a moment to become self aware. Her grip on the pole had loosened and she realized that she had let go of her fear of the ride. She seemed to find herself a large deal calmer than when the two first started out. "I–I suppose I am. Why do you ask?"
    "You just seemed to be more at ease, that's all." Mina said nonchalantly. "I'm glad to see."
    Lucy smiled at the words. "How's my hair?" she asked sarcastically, breaking the moment. "Looks like the blazes, doesn't it?"
    Mina laughed. "You look lovely."
    "Truly? You're not just saying that so I shut up, right?" Lucy teased back. "Heaven forbid that Mina Murray lie."
    Mina laughed and squeezed Lucy's hand. "I'm not lying. You look absolutely gorgeous. Like a dream."
    Lucy smiled, tossing her hair in an exaggerated manner. "Even now?"
    "Still looks from a dream. " Mina responded, leaning closer to Lucy. "One of those dreams, even." Lucy flushed hotly at the words. She pulled away in embarrassment eliciting a chuckle from Mina. "Flustered are we?"
    "N-no?" Lucy stuttered. Clearly a lie. For that, Mina chose to poke a few more jests at her lover.