Orphanage AU: Lams

Chapter 44: Someday

Probably my shortest chapter in a REALLY LONG TIME. Hot damn, I need to step it up.

---Alex's POV---

I almost melted when John asked to spend time with me in the orchard. I couldn't help considering it resembled a date just slightly. Just watching his eyes shine with delight as we coasted down the road was bliss, and it was not difficult to conclude that he loved my electric car like a family member. A family member that wasn't his father, that is.

"Coffee please," I handed my money for two and John stopped my hand with his own soft, freckled hand. I wished I had soft hands.

John winked at me, increasing my blush tenfold as I struggled not to grin stupidly in response. "I'm paying."

Oh my goodness, de ja vu is real. As real as climate change and gay crushes- "It's just ice cream, I can pay."

John beamed, eyes twinkling with laughter, beautiful in the natural light of the window's glow. "So can I."

I was considerably lost at this point; I didn't remember the entire conversation accurately. Thus, instead of speaking I reached over and tried to hand my bills to the cashier.

"NOPE!" John grinned. Without missing a beat he grabbed my wrist playfully.

He grabbed my wrist. I stopped, meeting his eyes and ceasing the play fight. Suddenly looking bashful, John loosened his stance too, letting my wrist go. I felt vaguely disappointed, as though I had a miniature bubble of soft, glowing warmth around me and it had been popped.

I maintained eye contact. John responded in kind.

"Guess you know what that was about now," John mumbled finally as we returned to the car. I nodded with an air of soft simplicity. I did.

When we stepped out of the car, I surveyed the green landscape, fresh with water heavier than dew. Surprised, I blurted, "It's beautiful." In spite of the many rains, it always shocked me how little the storms did. No destruction, no pervading sense of fear.

"Is that... not normal?" John questioned, his tone implying confusion. "Grass always looks gorgeous after a shower. It's all sparkly and green..." he beamed at the field.

I struggled to say something, anything to say that wasn't about the storm- "Like your eyes."

What. The. Fuck.

Spluttering something I couldn't understand, John stumbled over nothing beside me. Of course, I wasn't capable of concentrating my attention on him because I was incapable of everything at the moment.

How- what- why did you say that?! I was just trying to tell the truth! Say you like him! Oh my god- oh no, never. My blush was so bright, it could replace the sun. My face was radiating so much heat, I could have sworn I observed my ice cream melting just a notch.

Refusing to look at John, green eyed John, gorgeous, untouchable John, I did the most unintelligent thing in my life- nothing.

I stood dumbly in the middle of a sparking green field- just like his eyes, I mocked myself- staring at but not consuming the dripping coffee ice cream in my hand. Then John belatedly responded.

"I like your eyes too." I didn't so much as attempt to glance at him. I had a sneaking suspicion he wouldn't be looking at me if I did. "They're, I mean, your eyes are really soft and glow- well, not glowing, that sounds weird, but they, well, they're really nice."

I must have perished of embarrassment and self humiliation and had presently entered heaven. "Thank you." I rediscovered my ability to speak and move, and somehow we found ourselves sitting under a tree, silently partaking of our ice cream. I suppose we were both consumed too much by our individual thoughts to speak, but I managed to enjoy it for once, rather than letting my mind speed ahead, save a nagging feeling of dread.