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 Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2008 9:04 pm
Alex almost squealed in delight, but caught herself, instead making the silly face of squealing without actually making any noise. She returned to her awkward seated position, her languid movements like a cat. The woman was either content with his answer or had picked up on his discomfort. Either way, she was back to being in her own spot, nursing her hot chocolate. In fact, her expression seemed to have become less severe, as if the squealing was merely a reaction as to what was expected.
"The penny whistle, huh." Her voice was quiet and melodious, a sharp and sudden contrast to her previous playful banter. His last comment earned a brief twitch of her lips in a smile, though her eyes were still far away, perhaps hearing the aforementioned flute or whistle. Slowly, she shook her head, brushing away her mental cobwebs with a wave of one hand. "My folks there...my, my máthair altrama...she plays the hand harp. My athair altrama plays a wooden lute of some type...they taught me how to properly jig..."
There was a brief, passing moment of seriouness on her face before she barreled on in her typical non-serious fashion, "...and let me tell you, trying to jig to a HARP is one of the most ridiculous things I've ever seen." Alex grinned over at Fiach, perhaps just a touch less playful.
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Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2008 9:18 pm
Unable to resist letting out a small,low whistle at the woman's sudden change in behavior, Fiach's eyebrow slowly raised as he watched her tip back into her chair and return to her hot chocolate. Vaguely wishing that he had not already run out of his coffee as he jealously watched her sip her own drink.
Nodding slowly, he confirmed, "Yes...I usually wear it around my neck." Laughing a little sheepishly he added, "But I seem to have forgotten it today..." Stopping in his rambling as he realized she was still far off, remembering something, he hoped it was something good. With a soft smile as she said she knew how to jig, his own memories started up. Aine could jig better than anyone he'd ever seen. And it was with Aine on his mind that he reached over to put his hand on Alex' shoulder, with a small chuckle, "I can imagine it would be!"
Realizing that he'd clasped her shoulder, he quickly pulled it back. Though it was a move intended in friendship, he hadn't really the right to act as if they were friends. He certainly shouldn't do so when thinking of another girl, someone long since gone.
"My mother taught me to dance the jig - and how to carry a proper tune. I'm not very good, but if you would like...maybe someday I can play for you." He was yearning to play with someone who knew how to dance again, something he'd always loved when he was younger. Fiach had just always been too afraid to play with anyone after the last endeavor failed so horribly.
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Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2008 9:55 pm
"Mm, it would figure, eh?" She smiled at his comment about forgetting the whistle. Just her luck! Her mind didn't stay on it for long, as he suddenly reached out and clasped her shoulder. Of course, Alex was simply thrilled by the interaction, but all she allowed to show was a touch of a grateful edge to her sweet smile.
She felt cozy now, a mingled warmth of the atmoshere, the drink and the company. It'd been a while since she was able to sit down and have a conversation without having to run around the room a few times. Despite that serene feeling, she jolted out of it quickly, sitting up right and nearly tipping the chair over in the process. "Would you? Really?" Alex was excited, but there was an old eagerness there, a yearning for the beloved and familiar that had been out of her grasp. "I'd love that!" she accepted kindly, "as long as you don't ask me to sing. I learned that in Ireland, and no matter how much I modeled myself to sound like my mam, I just can't get it down!"
Lips pursed in a mock-pout, stray hair falling across her eyes only adding to the very childish expression. "We can't all be perfect, I s'pose," she said after a period of pouting, a faint smile trickling back into place. "I bet you have a really great singing voice too," a finger shot up to stop any words he may use in protest, "and if you deny it I'm going to demand proof, so think on that." Alex winked, and she was not at all joking.
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Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 9:27 pm
Fiach nodded slightly at the woman's murmuring. He really did feel awkward without it, and he couldn't believe he'd been scatterbrained enough to forget it. Again! Tempted to frown as his thoughts once more attempted to coalesce on the reasoning for his most recent scatterbrained and twitchy behavior, he instead endeavored to focus on the lady who had opted to accompany him at the cafe. The opportunity to talk about home, or music, to someone who seemed to care so much about it, pleased Fiach. Even if he didn't really want to talk about his own memories from the home land, it was nice to hear someone else talk so exuberantly about it.
Jumping backwards as the woman startled him from his random musings with her excitement, Fiach nearly fell out of his own chair. Saved only by the grace of the wall set at his back. Thankful he'd decided to position himself so that he could face Alex properly without feeling awkward or rude, he gave a nervous nod. Perhaps offering to play for her hadn't been so wise, after all. "I...yes. I really would, I...don't mind."
Smiling, though inwardly he was wishing he could kick himself for thrusting his foot so squarely into his mouth, a light pink sheen spread across his cheeks at the mention of singing. If there was one thing he'd not ask her to do, it was to sing to his flute. While he was slowly getting over his reservations about playing for other people once again...he wasn't sure how he'd handle it if anyone sang to his music. That had been specially reserved for Aine, and for now, Fiach was determined to keep it that way.
With a sigh as the girl gave him the psuedo pout, Fiach raised an eyebrow at her antics. A small, teasing smile touched his lips as she said he couldn't deny his singing voice, or she'd ask for proof.
"If I can't disparage my own minuscule singing voice, then you can't say you're bad at it, either. Unless you want to prove that you can't..." The small teasing smile had tugged itself into a playful grin by the end, and Fiach was mildly surprised at how at ease the girl before him was starting to make him. Well, perhaps 'at ease' wasn't the appropriate way to put it, but she did certainly make him want to run away less than some of the recent customers had.
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Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 1:34 pm
She was quite ready to settle comfortably into the conversation, and then he went and had to tease her. Alex could not stand down or be even remotely modest when such a good looking guy was teasing her in return, and she was more than happy to rise to the challenge. With a wild half-grin, she scoffed, "I didn't necessarily say I was bad, just that I'm not as good as I think I should be! If you want to go tone deaf, I'll be more than happy to comply. Just...not here."
Alex smiled broadly, pleased that he was warming up to her a little. His teasing was proof of that! Before he'd been all nervous half-smiles and surprise, but now...he was adjusting to her, for better or for worse. Probably for worse. "It's all or nothing in what I do, Fiach, there's no shade of grey in my life, and I like it that way." She downed the dregs of her hot chocolate with a happy sigh, putting the empty cup on the table before turning her full attention back to him.
"So. Shall we plot a time at a later date to see who sings worse?" She actually laughed at that, because it sounded so absurd. It wasn't until the words had left her mouth that Alex realized she was, in part, asking Fiach to meet with her again. Not a date. No. Not a date. Her own insistant thoughts made her giggle as she regarded him, waiting for an affirmation or brush off...although she was expecting the latter more than the former.
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Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 8:46 pm
Watching Alex' reaction to his teasing, Fiach came to the abrupt conclusion that perhaps, teasing her was not the wisest thing he could. Especially not about singing. Rubbing the back of his head with a nervous smile, he laughed, "Well, I sort of need to tell tones for playing my flute, so..." Hoping she wouldn't take that as an insult as he hadn't meant it to be one, Fiach let out a small sigh of relief as she turned back to her hot chocolate. Nodding slowly as she mentioned her life being all or nothing, he had the faintest thought that she might be off the teasing track for now. Relieving him of trying to come up with further friendly responses.
A sad frown crossed his lips as she mentioned a time to get together and have a 'sing off', of sorts. Trying to turn his frown into a smile at her laughter, he knew that she was just teasing, but that didn't stop the pain of Aine's memory from rearing its ugly head. Realizing that the pain might show on his face, he turned back to the fire, trying to focus on it and force Aine out of his mind. He was sitting with Alex now, and should focus on her and the topic at hand, rather than some phantom from his past. With a slight shake of his head, he tilted his head back in Alex' direction, managing a half-hearted, "Sure." before returning his eyes to the fire's flickering.
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Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 10:57 am
Alex deflated a little, frowning. Yikes, that had struck a nerve! From teasing to emo in .5 seconds, it was kind of scary. She sighed quietly, extending a hand to clasp his shoulder in a gentle, friendly manner. "How about just another cup of coffee some time?" she asked softly, giving him a gentle squeeze. "The rest can wait for another day." It wasn't like they had actually planned a definite date and time for their musical interlude, but at this rate, she wasn't sure she wanted to at all. There was something on Fiach's face that was tugging at her heart; it was painful.
"C'mon Fiach, remember what I said about that smile?" Her question was lighthearted more than teasing, testing to see if she had gone too far (as she had a tendancy to do without knowing until she waist-high in issues). It might be a good time to leave, if she had indeed hit a place too close to home. Alex was a little surprised that she felt bad for it...usually, she didn't mind harassing or otherwise making people face their pains. This was different. She didn't like it.
Her hand slipped from his shoulder back into her lap, a small smile on her lips while she waited to see where she stood with the brooding gentleman at her side.
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Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 11:53 am
Staring at the fire as he was, Fiach didn't notice the frown that took to Alex' face, or really register that she had moved to extend her hand until it clasped his shoulder. Twitching slightly out of surprise as he was startled from his musings, he turned to face her and almost asked for a hug. He hated himself for it, but all he wanted right then was a hug, someone to comfort him. Forcing his sad face into as friendly of one as he could manage he nodded, managing a quiet, "I'd...like that." He felt horrible for making her feel bad, when all they'd been doing was having a friendly conversation, and wanted to find a way to make it up to her. Adding her name to his ever growing list of people that he owed for some transgression or other, whether imagined or real.
Running a carefully controlled, but slightly shaking hand through his hair, Fiach gave Alex a small nod before managing a sad smile in her direction. Wanting to kick himself for putting such a damper on their meeting, he tried to convince his lips to form a nicer smile. Or at least one that wasn't sad or scary looking. Managing what might have been seen as a fake smile to the observant, Fiach glanced back at Alex, trying to tease her so she didn't worry, "Guess I just wanted to be reminded how much you liked my smile."
...That...was lame...I just hope she doesn't worry and start asking questions. I don't want to make anyone sad again...
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Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 3:23 pm
To say she was curious about what the word singing could have possibly done to earn such a reaction was completely tame. It was a gnawing desire for knowledge, but the sadness that he exuded kept the rabid need to know at bay. For now.
Alex may have missed the forced smile, but she didn't miss his gesture of his hand running through his hair. It was a nervous habit her brother had too, and it spoke more to her than his smile or words. She knew better; the nerve had been strummed, and was apparently still vibrating from the aftermath. His unsettled eyes only confirmed it.
Her heart sunk. Alex was a very affectionate individual, communicating thought and feeling through touch and closeness; it was how she was raised, if he hadn't figured that out from her surprise greeting. So it was completely logical for her to shift out of her seat, pad to the side of his chair (she gave herself extra points for not crawling on his lap) and slip her arms around his shoulders, briefly pressing her cheek to the top of his head.
It was a sweet little hug, not intended to last more than a few seconds; then again, she likely didn't intend to pillow his head against her chest, either. Alex was trying to be as innocent as possible, and quite possibly failing grandly. Her breath stirred his hair only a little as she murmured, "Hey, if that's what it takes to get you smiling, I'll tell ya everyday." She smiled against him, keeping the teasing light as she quipped, "I hope you know some good coffee shops! I'm still finding my way around this place."
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Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 4:07 pm
Struggling to focus his thoughts on the here and now, Fiach didn't quite hear when Alex stood up and came near to his chair. His mind was mostly elsewhere, and so his eyes widened with shock when he felt arms around his shoulder and a cheek pressed to his head. The surprise was sufficient enough that for a brief moment he didn't even notice where his head was placed and his arms wound up to wrap Alex in a hug in return. One arm wrapped around her back, pulling her tighter against him, as the other came up and a hand wound 'round her forearm. Unknowingly, as he fought against the urge to cry, his hands tightened against her, before she spoke, and he remembered where they were.
Fiach's eyes snapped open, and an outrageous blush painted his cheeks, as he let her go and gently extricated himself from the hug. He couldn't believe that he'd just let her hug him and that he'd even gone so far as to return it. Taking a few moments to manage a response, his blush deepened as he merely gave her a nod, before managing a slightly strangled, "I...think I might...I'm sorry...I didn't mean to act like that.."
Painting a smile on his face, he gave a small laugh before scrubbing a hand through his hair once more. Clearing his throat to try to get rid of any hoarseness that might remain, he sighed, "Do you like anywhere other than coffee shops?"
It wasn't a very good change of subject, but he hoped it might help distract her from how he'd reacted - and him from his thoughts.
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Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 4:43 pm
It was a good thing that he ended the hug, because after he returned it, the woman was as good as mush. It'd been a while since she'd recieved a good hug; being the avid hugger that she was, it was truly a sad state. Alex smiled privately, moving back just a little, her arm lingering around his shoulder while he composed himself. "Don't apologize. That was nice."
And she let it drop as he changed the subject, withdrawing her arm and returning to her seat with a graceless flop. "I like anywhere that isn't my brother's stuffy loft," she smiled widely, as though they had never done more than sit and chat. She'd reached out to him three times; that was more than sufficient for one meeting, she supposed. Until she said her farewells, anyway.
If she knew half of what he was thinking, however, she likely would have been more unbearable with her affections, so it was just as well that she thought she was being unreasonable. "You know this town better than I do. Quiet is good, but favorable company is better. I'll leave that in your capable hands." She spread her own slightly scarred hands as if to emphasize her point, and lop-sided smile in place.
Still, the curiosity was killing her.
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Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 5:56 pm
Thankful that Alex was being understanding and patience with him, Fiach managed to give her a proper, thankful smile. That hug and time for composure that she left him, assisted him in forcing the thoughts of Aine to the recesses of his mind. Fiach resolved to deal with them all when it was more appropriate, and in his opinion, there was never an appropriate time to remember those things. He'd just have to run a little faster from now on, that was all.
Slower to act as if nothing had happened, Fiach's teasing grin came out a little less teasing and a lot more fake, but he tried nonetheless. "If its so stuffy, why not open a window or two?" It wasn't perhaps the smartest, or funniest thing in the world to say, but Fiach was trying, and he had to give himself credit for that. Or at least try to, though he felt utterly ridiculous for playing at nothing having happened and making odd jokes.
Giving a small nod, he thought over some of the places he frequented. Which, in truth, was a very few. He frowned just a little before his shoulders raised in a small shrug, "I'm afraid I don't get out much. Though, the park is always a good place if you don't mind having it mostly to yourself in the winter..." It was a good place to escape, was what he really wanted to say. That and the bar, but after that run in with Brad...he was attempting to avoid bars.
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Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2008 6:36 pm
She snorted at his stuffy comment, the sound partially indignant and partially in laughter. "Not enough windows in the world for my brother," she chuckled, shaking her head to herself. Truly, how did one unstuffify a person? It just wasn't possible, not with Brad.
Alex lifted a finger and waggled it at Fiach. "Stop that frown unless you're asking for another hug." She paused, thinking that'd be a fun way to keep him smiling...but deciding she liked his natural smile better, rather than one of fear of her proximity. At his comment, she gave a nonchalant shrug, smiling warmly. "I don't mind at all. I figure, I'm going to spend time with you, not the rest of the world, right? I can do that at the movies or something." She rolled her eyes and chuckled again, feeling some of her energy finally starting to drain. Although she was starting to tire, she wasn't near as sluggish as a normal human being would be, but the feeling alone was enough to warn her that she'd have to leave soon.
The woman arched her hips off of the chair so that her back was bowed, digging through her pockets until she produced a scrap of paper that she was looking for. "AHAH!" It was a business card, but it would do. Snatching a pen out of her pockets (who needs a purse?!), she returned to a seated position and quickly jotted down a phone number before handing it to Fiach. "That's me, phone is on all the time. Oh, and if you're looking for good Chinese take out, the business card ain't half bad either."
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Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2008 7:46 pm
The hint of a wince flitted across Fiach's face at the sound of the woman's snort. It would seem his joke hadn't gone over quite as well as he might have hoped, and a brief tint of pink flushed across his face. At least he'd tried, and for him that was a pretty large step. Tilting his head as the woman spoke, he gave a small shrug, "You never know, someday he might surprise you." Even if he didn't know who her brother was, he still felt like he ought to stick up for him just a little bit. After all, no one could be that stuffy...could they?
When Alex waggled her finger at him, Fiach couldn't help himself as he leaned back in his seat and glowered at it warily. Raising an eyebrow at the threat of a hug, he briefly thought about just telling her she'd have to go ahead and give him the hug, before quickly deciding that that was a really bad choice. He'd much rather keep his personal bubble as in tact as possible, he had come here for a break from all the trouble of friendships and relationships, why let himself fall into any more of the hugging or talking about personal lives? Settling on giving the girl a brief smile, he couldn't help it as a short chuckle followed, "I'm really not that interesting to hang out with...you might be better off finding someone else to have show you around the city..."
Watching the woman curiously as she fidgeted and hunted for something in her pocket, it clicked slightly belatedly that she was giving him her phone number. Gingerly accepting the card, he gave her a small smile before setting it on the table near his coffee cup. "I...ah...Thanks. I'll be sure to give you a call if I think of anywhere interesting to go." Struggling to not frown as he realized he didn't have a piece of paper to write his own number down on, his blush returned even stronger as he realized since he slept at the shop...she already sort of had his number. Or could nab it from a phone book if she didn't. "Ah...I pretty much just sleep at the shop...so you can always reach me there, if you want to." Though he doubted she would, he still felt awkward not reciprocating with a way to contact him after she'd given him her number.
Glancing at the clock with a sigh, he realized it was probably fast becoming time to head out. Strangely, he found that he was slightly reluctant to leave Alex' company...even though she was definitely more outgoing than anyone he'd spoken to in a long time, she was an odd sort of break from everything that had been happening in his life of late.
...Regardless of how twitchy she made him in regards to his personal bubble.
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Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2008 8:03 pm
"Don't sweat it," she laughed a little, "I'm not gonna bug you. I don't know your hours anyway, and the last thing I want to do is be a leech." Alex turned the full shine of her grin onto Fiach, spreading her hands in a 'what can ya do' motion. "Don't feel obligated, either. Life happens." That was her very, VERY polite way of saying that he didn't have to call, and that she wouldn't be offended if he lost her number. Wouldn't be the first time.
Alex followed Fiach's gaze, giving a brief, tight smile. "Yeah, I should be heading out myself." She stood, giving a little tug on her jeans until they were comfortable on her hips again, plucking her empty cup off the table and leaning over to dispose it in the nearest trash bin. Righting herself again, she gave a bright smile to the young man, extending a hand to him. "I'm glad I ran into you. Keep smiling, okay?"
Once he took her hand, she clasped it and moved forward, infringing on that oh-so-precious personal bubble. Just as she had greeted him, she gave her farewell with a swift kiss to the cheek, releasing his hand and dancing off towards the door with a playful wave. While she wouldn't keep her hopes up, she felt slightly disappointed that she had to leave, and that she might not hear from him again. Keeping her thoughts to herself, she turned to exit the store with a spring in her step. At least she'd seen him smile again.
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