Sunflowers

-•- Six -•-

He pulls off the highway a couple hours later, driving through a field with barely-there tracks from previous trucks. It's bumpy and a little rough, but neither of them minds. They're perfectly happy to be out in the sun with nothing but wilderness around them.

He drives for about an hour that way so they're a good distance from the road and then he parks the truck. He climbs out and she follows, Pepper leaping out too. He pulls the tailgate down on his truck and sits on it, patting the spot next to him. She smiles and jumps up beside him.

"It's a beautiful day," she murmurs, looking out over the long grasses and wildflowers. A ways out, the grasses give way to tall trees, full of thick green leaves. There isn't a cloud in the sky and the blue of the sky is so bright and light. "We should go for a walk," she suggests.

"Okay," he agrees. He reaches behind him and grabs a picnic basket that her mother prepared for them. "We should eat first though."

She nods and scoots back into the bed of the truck so she can lean against it. He moves to the other side and they both stretch their legs out, alternating feet so one of his is between her knees and one of hers is between his. He hands her one sandwich and he takes the other. Besides the sandwiches, her mother packed chips and fruit for lunch. "Your mom is the best," he says when they finish.

She laughs. "Yeah, she is."

He jumps down and takes her hand. He puts his other hand on her waist to lift her down, to which she rolls her eyes. "You know I can get down on my own, right?"

"I know."

"Then why are you-"

He covers her mouth with his hand. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch that. What did you say?"

"I can get down on my own-"

"I still can't hear you."

"Corbin!"

"Yes?"

"Put me down!"

"Oh, so now you want my help?"

She huffs and rolls her eyes. "Stop, you dork. Just put me down so we can go for our walk."

He pulls her down from the tailgate, only to pull her against his chest. She responds immediately and wraps her arms around him, tilting her head to look at his face. "You okay?"

He nods. "I'm just happy to be here." He kisses her forehead and she lays her cheek on his chest for a moment before pulling away.

She whistles for Pepper, who comes running from wherever she had been. Pepper jumps up on Faith, who laughs and pets the dog. Corbin starts walking and Faith follows right behind, Pepper trotting beside them with her light pink tongue lolling out the side of her mouth. They're both silent, lost in their thoughts, but it isn't uncomfortable. The silence between them is easy and relaxed.

They cross the field and he stops every few steps to pick some flowers. Soon, he has a small bouquet of various wildflowers, and he sees her picking a couple too. She picks some purple ones and places them in her hair, and he's taken aback momentarily by her beauty. She turns and gives him a smile before walking again, humming quietly to herself as she swings her arms happily be her side.

After a while, they stop and take a break. They stop when they reach the tall, full trees and take a few minutes to relax under the shade. She stops to pull her hair away from her face and quickly does a French braid. He smiles and takes a couple flowers he picked and tucks them into the braid. She grins and then lays down with her head on his lap as he rests against the trunk of a tree. "You're beautiful, you know that?" He blurts out, and heat rises on his cheeks.

She looks up at him with a surprised expression before relaxing again. "Thank you." Her voice is soft, bashful even, and he wonders for a moment if he has the same effect on her as she does on him.

She sighs and looks up at him through her lashes. He's looking out over the area, a few flowers still in his hand. She guesses that he forgot that he was still holding them. She had been completely shocked when he called her beautiful, and judging by the flush of his cheeks, he had been equally surprised. It was sweet though, and she thinks she's pretty lucky to have such a good person to call her best friend.