― s t a r c h i l d ― (michael clifford a.u.)

1

        It was a nice enough night, despite the fact that the weather absolutely stunk. But it was just barely the beginning of what would likely be a bitter, unforgiving winter, Ciara noted as she pulled her black peacoat tighter around her shivering figure, turning her collar up against the biting cold. She looked over at Luke, who smiled at her, even though his teeth were chattering. She returned the smile, and continued to walk on, studying the signs around her that glowed with the touch of winter. Only a week ago had the leaves started to fall from their perches within the trees, but nearly all of them were on the ground now, their vast array of colors brightening the grey sidewalk upon which they rested, waiting eagerly to be swept up by the wind.

        "I'm sorry I dragged you out here just for this, Luke," she murmured, staring up at the sky, which she was entranced by, no matter how long she looked at it, it always made her feel magical, in a way. "But isn't it so pretty?"
She gazed over at him, and he quickly nodded in agreement, making a comment about how the stars looked especially bright that night.

        While Luke hadn't always understood her obsession with the stars, he'd always tagged along with her for her night walks, even when it was freezing out, as it was now. A Christmas song ghosted over from across the street as they passed a house with the windows open. "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas, just like the ones we used to know..." Her blond companion hummed along to the tune, and Ciara sighed in contentment, running her hand through her hair and plopping down on a comfortable-looking rock fence, still gazing up at the sky. They had ended up outside the corner store, where the cashier was falling asleep behind the register, to the tune of White Christmas.

        Luke swayed along to the music, the action making Ciara giggle, if only slightly. He turned to her, and held out a hand, giving her that signature smile of his that she'd grown so used to over the past few years, "May I have this dance?" he asked politely, the stars' reflections glinting within his eyes.

        She stood up, taking his hand in hers, "I would love to," she stated quietly, and everything fell into place.
        It wasn't as if they hadn't danced together before. In fact, just a few weeks ago, Luke was her date for Homecoming, considering the fact that she absolutely didn't want to go without a date and it was their senior year of high school. Even though she really hadn't gone to any of the school functions prior to senior year, she sort of felt obligated to. It was her last year in that school; might as well make it bearable while it lasted.
But they'd never danced alone together. It was an altogether different experience than what went on at the dance. At the dance, there were very few songs that were slow, and even then, during those songs, Luke had never pulled her in as close as she was to him now. His hand upon the small of her back, while his other hand held hers in it. His mouth right above her ear, singing along softly to the song as they swayed aimlessly. It seemed more intimate, now that they were—

        A thundering screech could be heard from overhead, all of the lights within the immediate area going out. Ciara looked up to the sky again, and saw a trail of smoke, heading down into the woods that were behind her house a few yards. Without thinking, without saying anything, she sprinted back to her house. Luke followed without hesitation, though he was more than a little disappointed.
Adrenaline pumped through her veins as they sped toward her house; as soon as they approached, she quietly jogged around the house, squeezing in between the high fences that separated her neighbor's house from hers. The vegetation was already getting thicker here, and she stumbled a few times before finally getting the hang of running through the brush again.

        Despite the fact that almost everyone was hesitant to go into the forest, especially at night, because of wolves and other not-so-friendly creatures, Ciara wasn't. After school, even if Luke would sometimes not follow her, she would go for a stroll in the forest. She enjoyed the quiet. And, despite the fact that the forest was very much a maze, she couldn't possibly get lost in it; she knew it better than the back of her hand.