Post by Kira & Lee Norris on Dec 2, 2007 20:45:53 GMT
"Lee!"
At the sound of his name, Kira was relieved to see Lee freeze mid-step. He spun around to see her, and the second their identical blue eyes met, an identical smile broke out across each others' face. It was strange... a bit like a reunion, even though they'd just seen each other this morning.
But last time, Kira had been with Ellie, and Lee had been with Madeleine.
And the time before that, Lee had been with Madeleine, Jack and Olivia, and Kira had been with Lisle and Seamus.
And the time before that... well, Kira had been with Jude, and Lee had pretty much sprinted in the other direction at the sight of their Texan friend.
"Lee," Kira repeated, breathlessly, skating towards him on tiptoe.
The sight of him this close was something of a scare. She cocked her head, her eyes drinking in every little detail.
"You're growing your hair," she said softly, her hand reaching out to touch his dark brown locks.
"I am?" he yelped, his hands flying to his hair. "Oh. I didn't know that."
Kira laughed. "And you haven't been shaving."
"I haven't?" he said weakly.
"Light stubble," she chuckled, punching his chest lightly. "And you're getting taller. You're older."
"Aah, what being 16 does," he laughed.
Kira sighed. "I turned 16 a week after you- but look at me! Do you see any difference?"
Lee frowned at her, running his eyes up and down. "Um... I think you're a little taller."
"Really?"
"No," he admitted sheepishly, and she rolled her eyes.
"How's Madeleine?"
"Maddie's..." he trailed off, his eyes glazing slightly. "Maddie's good."
She stared. "Hmm. Okay."
Another stare. His eyes were really like coins- so big, bright, blue and bold. So wide... and they seemed to shimmer before her. And even as she watched, they seemed to grow larger. It was like they were glowing- or perhaps they just stood out because they were floating in pools of purple. She bit her lip. How much sleep was he getting? She said that he looked older... it wasn't only that. He looked thinner- like he was starting to... waste away? Did that sound too extreme? Was she exaggerating?
"Kira?"
"Tell me about your dreams."
Immediately, Lee's eyes fluttered closed; pressing his lips together. His hand flew to his temple, massaging it slightly with his fingers.
"Right."
"What?"
"Who told you?" His eyes were open again, staring at her accusingly.
Her eyes flashed too- in perfect imitation of his. "Jude. He thought- and I agree- that I had a right to know."
"I'll kill that bloody Texas kid," growled Lee, his fingers curling into a fist. "I will! I'll murder him! Why does he have to keep interfering with us?!"
"Us?"
"You and me," he said quickly. "Me and Maddie. Me and... well, anybody really. God knows he's a great mate- but Christ!"
"Stop it, Lee," Kira said coldly. "What are you getting angry for? Aren't you pleased that I know?!"
"Honestly? No," he said gruffly. "You're gonna make a fuss too. You're gonna tell me to go see the nurse. You're gonna tell me to go see Prof. Hoodham. You-"
"Shut up," she snapped. "I was just going to ask for some feedback, actually. Just some information. Something."
His jaw slackened. "Something?"
"Something," she half-smiled, even though she didn't particularly feel like it.
Lee eyed her suspiciously for a few seconds, then, something seemed to give up. His shoulders slumped slightly, and he turned and sat down on one of the benches. The steely grey clouds overhead reflected him perfectly. What was going on inside his head?
"Alright, Kira," he said softly. "We never talk now. Stupid, stupid Maddie..."
She jumped at that. "Huh?"
He looked quite as surprised as her. "Didn't mean to say that."
"Then why did you?"
He mumbled something incoherent... Pibba or Libby or something. Kira tilted her head.
"Who?"
He smiled weakly. "Yeah... yeah, okay."
"What?" He didn't even seem to be talking to her anymore!
"Kira," he said, suddenly alert, straightening up. "Kira... awh, gee, you think I'm mad, don't you?"
"No!" she cried, sitting down beside him. "No- why would I think that?"
"You will," he promised her, with a laugh. "You're... you've got a lot of faith. We both did. I still do. But I've changed..." he trailed off, and his eyes glazed once more. "Someone's changed me."
Kira coughed. "Um... what? Like Madeleine?"
"No," he laughed. "Not her. No... it's different. I can't explain right now. And you'll probably hate me for it, you know?"
"No. I'd never hate you."
He considered this for a few moments, then, on apparent impulse, he turned and gave her a rough kiss on the cheek. "Cool."
And then he happily hopped up off the seat, apparently far more cheerful for their... 'talk'.
"Lee?" she said slowly, still sitting and confused.
He smiled. "Anything I did, Kira- if it was for... shall we say... the 'greater good'... would you forgive me?"
"Of... course...?"
"All I needed to hear," he replied, and went on his way without another word; leaving Kira more confused- and more worried- about Lee than she ever had been before.
At the sound of his name, Kira was relieved to see Lee freeze mid-step. He spun around to see her, and the second their identical blue eyes met, an identical smile broke out across each others' face. It was strange... a bit like a reunion, even though they'd just seen each other this morning.
But last time, Kira had been with Ellie, and Lee had been with Madeleine.
And the time before that, Lee had been with Madeleine, Jack and Olivia, and Kira had been with Lisle and Seamus.
And the time before that... well, Kira had been with Jude, and Lee had pretty much sprinted in the other direction at the sight of their Texan friend.
"Lee," Kira repeated, breathlessly, skating towards him on tiptoe.
The sight of him this close was something of a scare. She cocked her head, her eyes drinking in every little detail.
"You're growing your hair," she said softly, her hand reaching out to touch his dark brown locks.
"I am?" he yelped, his hands flying to his hair. "Oh. I didn't know that."
Kira laughed. "And you haven't been shaving."
"I haven't?" he said weakly.
"Light stubble," she chuckled, punching his chest lightly. "And you're getting taller. You're older."
"Aah, what being 16 does," he laughed.
Kira sighed. "I turned 16 a week after you- but look at me! Do you see any difference?"
Lee frowned at her, running his eyes up and down. "Um... I think you're a little taller."
"Really?"
"No," he admitted sheepishly, and she rolled her eyes.
"How's Madeleine?"
"Maddie's..." he trailed off, his eyes glazing slightly. "Maddie's good."
She stared. "Hmm. Okay."
Another stare. His eyes were really like coins- so big, bright, blue and bold. So wide... and they seemed to shimmer before her. And even as she watched, they seemed to grow larger. It was like they were glowing- or perhaps they just stood out because they were floating in pools of purple. She bit her lip. How much sleep was he getting? She said that he looked older... it wasn't only that. He looked thinner- like he was starting to... waste away? Did that sound too extreme? Was she exaggerating?
"Kira?"
"Tell me about your dreams."
Immediately, Lee's eyes fluttered closed; pressing his lips together. His hand flew to his temple, massaging it slightly with his fingers.
"Right."
"What?"
"Who told you?" His eyes were open again, staring at her accusingly.
Her eyes flashed too- in perfect imitation of his. "Jude. He thought- and I agree- that I had a right to know."
"I'll kill that bloody Texas kid," growled Lee, his fingers curling into a fist. "I will! I'll murder him! Why does he have to keep interfering with us?!"
"Us?"
"You and me," he said quickly. "Me and Maddie. Me and... well, anybody really. God knows he's a great mate- but Christ!"
"Stop it, Lee," Kira said coldly. "What are you getting angry for? Aren't you pleased that I know?!"
"Honestly? No," he said gruffly. "You're gonna make a fuss too. You're gonna tell me to go see the nurse. You're gonna tell me to go see Prof. Hoodham. You-"
"Shut up," she snapped. "I was just going to ask for some feedback, actually. Just some information. Something."
His jaw slackened. "Something?"
"Something," she half-smiled, even though she didn't particularly feel like it.
Lee eyed her suspiciously for a few seconds, then, something seemed to give up. His shoulders slumped slightly, and he turned and sat down on one of the benches. The steely grey clouds overhead reflected him perfectly. What was going on inside his head?
"Alright, Kira," he said softly. "We never talk now. Stupid, stupid Maddie..."
She jumped at that. "Huh?"
He looked quite as surprised as her. "Didn't mean to say that."
"Then why did you?"
He mumbled something incoherent... Pibba or Libby or something. Kira tilted her head.
"Who?"
He smiled weakly. "Yeah... yeah, okay."
"What?" He didn't even seem to be talking to her anymore!
"Kira," he said, suddenly alert, straightening up. "Kira... awh, gee, you think I'm mad, don't you?"
"No!" she cried, sitting down beside him. "No- why would I think that?"
"You will," he promised her, with a laugh. "You're... you've got a lot of faith. We both did. I still do. But I've changed..." he trailed off, and his eyes glazed once more. "Someone's changed me."
Kira coughed. "Um... what? Like Madeleine?"
"No," he laughed. "Not her. No... it's different. I can't explain right now. And you'll probably hate me for it, you know?"
"No. I'd never hate you."
He considered this for a few moments, then, on apparent impulse, he turned and gave her a rough kiss on the cheek. "Cool."
And then he happily hopped up off the seat, apparently far more cheerful for their... 'talk'.
"Lee?" she said slowly, still sitting and confused.
He smiled. "Anything I did, Kira- if it was for... shall we say... the 'greater good'... would you forgive me?"
"Of... course...?"
"All I needed to hear," he replied, and went on his way without another word; leaving Kira more confused- and more worried- about Lee than she ever had been before.
