field of love || cc walker

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The parking lot was full of cars, everyone out of school for the rest of the week. Izzy was inside her car still, listening to her music, hoping to ease her nerves down before meeting up with CC. She was outside of a small family owned restaurant — CC insisting to try this new place out. A place Izzy had never been to before.

The thought of stepping into unfamiliar territory added to her anxiety, especially since she still wasn't entirely sure what CC had planned for the day. Her fingers tapped nervously against the steering wheel, a ding from her phone jolted her out of her thoughts. She glanced down to see a text from CC, informing her that she had arrived at the restaurant.

With a sigh, Izzy pocketed her phone and took one last deep breath to steady her nerves. Why had she agreed to this?

She couldn't delay any longer, so she gathered her courage, stepping out of her car and making her way towards the entrance of the restaurant. CC was already waiting by the entrance, waving awkwardly at Izzy, which the taller girl didn't return, giving her a tight lipped smile instead.

"So why bring me here out of all places?" Izzy said, cutting straight to the chase and avoiding awkward hellos.

CC's smile faltered slightly at Izzy's reserved greeting, but she quickly composed herself. Of course this wasn't gonna be easy. She knew that. "Wanted to try new food." She replied, gesturing towards the cozy interior of the restaurant. "Plus, I heard it's really good."

Izzy raised an eyebrow skeptically, her guard still firmly in place. "Well, I guess we'll see about that." She muttered, eyeing the restaurant's name. "You didn't bring me here because I'm half Asian, did you?"

CC chuckled nervously at Izzy's question, realizing the potential implications of her choice of restaurant. "No, of course not." She replied quickly, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "I just thought it would be a new place to try."

Izzy eyed her suspiciously for a moment before nodding in reluctant acceptance. "Alright, fine." She replied, her tone softening slightly unintentionally. "Let's give it a try then." With that, she followed CC into the restaurant.

Inside the restaurant, the atmosphere was warm and inviting, with soft lighting and the scent of delicious food wafting through the air. Izzy and CC settled into a cozy booth by the window, their awkward tension palpable despite the comfortable surroundings.

"So..." CC began, her voice tentative as she tried to break the ice. "How's soccer practice been going?"

Izzy shrugged nonchalantly, her gaze fixed on the menu in front of her. "Same as usual, I guess. Nothing too exciting."

CC nodded, her attempt at conversation falling flat. She racked her brain for something else to say, desperate to keep the conversation flowing. "Um, have you tried any new drills lately?" She wasn't sure what else they had in common other than their love for soccer.

Izzy glanced up from the menu, her expression guarded. "Not really." She replied curtly, her tone clipped. "Just sticking to the same old."

CC winced inwardly at Izzy's terse response, realizing that making small talk was failing miserably. Thankfully their tension was broken by the waiter, here to take their order.

Izzy fiddled with her chopsticks, deliberately avoiding eye contact with CC as they waited for their food.

CC felt a pang of disappointment at Izzy's apparent disinterest, but there definitely had to be more than met the eye. "So, uh, any exciting plans for the break?" She ventured, hoping to spark a more engaging conversation.

Izzy glanced up briefly, her expression neutral. "Not really." She said, before returning her attention to her chopsticks. She was not gonna tell her the plans with her sister for another picture her mother kept asking for.

CC nodded, feeling like she was going nowhere with this. Sensing Izzy's discomfort, she decided to give her some space, hoping that the arrival of their food would alleviate some of the tension between them.

Their food finally arrived. Bowls of steaming pho in front of them.

As CC stirred her soup, she noticed the green onions floating among the noodles. With a grimace, she carefully scooped them out and set them aside. She had forgotten to ask to take them off.

Izzy watched her with a raised eyebrow. "You don't like green onions?" She asked, trying to keep the conversation light, a tinge of disbelief in her tone. She stirred her own soup with her chopsticks, her other hand on the hot sauce.

CC shrugged, avoiding eye contact. "They're not my cup of tea."

Izzy nodded, her gaze shifting to the pile of discarded green onions accumulating on the side plate. "Really?" She chuckled. "You can add them to my bowl if you want." She offered, surprising both herself and CC, as she pushed her bowl closer to CC's. "I happen to like green onions."

CC hesitated, taken aback by Izzy's unexpected offer. She glanced at the plate of green onions, then back at Izzy, uncertain of how to respond. "Oh, uh, sure." She replied after a moment, her voice tinged with surprise. Carefully, she used her chopsticks to push the green onions into Izzy's bowl. It was a small gesture, yet CC couldn't help but be happy about it.

After, Izzy started to eat her pho, humming at the taste. Maybe it wasn't so bad being here. It was free food after all. Her gaze soon went to CC's hand, who was having trouble with the chopsticks. "You don't have to use the chopsticks just because everyone else is." Izzy chuckled.

CC's cheeks flushed with embarrassment at her continued struggle. She considered abandoning the chopsticks altogether, but a stubborn determination kept her from giving up. Deep down she secretly wanted to impress Izzy for some odd reason. "I-I'll get it eventually." She insisted, though her confidence wavered.

The taller girl kept her gaze on CC's fingers, watching her attempt and fail. Izzy set her chopsticks down, "Here," She grabbed CC's wrist softly, pulling her hand closer to her. "It's all about finding the right balance and grip." Izzy continued, her voice gentle as she guided CC's hand. "See? Like this." She adjusted CC's grip on the chopsticks, demonstrating the proper technique with a practiced ease. "It can take some time to get used to."

CC's heart fluttered at the warmth of Izzy's touch, her cheeks flushing even more as she found herself mesmerized by the closeness between them. What the hell was going on, and why was she feeling like this?

As Izzy released her hand, CC's fingers tingled with the lingering sensation of their brief contact. "R-right... thanks." CC tried again on her bowl of pho, more successful than last time.

Izzy chuckled at CC's red face, her own amusement evident in her eyes. Must be from embarrassment. "There, you're getting the hang of it." She offered a reassuring smile, genuinely pleased to see CC trying.

CC managed a small smile in return, feeling hopeful for the rest of the day.

Despite the awkwardness at the beginning that had filled the air between them, Izzy found herself starting to relax in CC's presence. Just a bit.

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