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 Posted: Sun May 06, 2018 9:04 pm
( backdated to February 14th )He sent her a text.Quote: Text to Cordelia:
Meet me tomorrow at Quote: Text to Cordelia:
at the cafe at 8AM --------------------------------------------------------- Eight o’clock in the morning was early for Cordelia Carden, but she’d made a promise to herself in the name of friendship to not decline a request from Fritz in the name of being tired. Besides, it was mid week and there was no reason at all why she couldn’t set her alarm to wake up in time to dress and wander down to the cafe. A Cordelia had slept through her first alarm, waking up to the second with a flustered round of curses. She rubbed at her face as she rolled out of bed, stumbling her way out of blankets that she’d become entangled in through tossing and turning during the night. She hadn’t left enough time to straighten or curl her hair, so it was out of the braid she’d plaited it into before bed and up into a ponytail from there. Hopping into a pair of jeggings, quite literally, proved a bit of a challenge and she was grateful that Eta didn’t seem to be around to see her foibles. Next came a loose-fitting sweater pulled over her head, hair adjusted followed by socks and shoes before scooping up her phone to duck out of the apartment, purse slung over her shoulder. Then, thinking better of the abbreviation, she erased her initial text and sent. Quote: Text to Fritz:
See you soon. --------------------------------------------------------- He was nervous.
He shouldn’t be nervous, because this was Cordelia, and she was without a doubt the person he was the closest to, the person he trusted more than anyone else in this world save for his own brother.
But he was nervous, because none of that had anything to do with today, and he had to take that seriously, because this was way, way out of his comfort zone.
He stood outside the cafe, rather than in it, Fritz dressed in a pair of clean, charcoal grey slacks impeccably ironed, a white button down shirt, and an emerald green waistcoat, black tie completing the ensemble. He was running a hand nervously down the smooth silk, trying not to think too hard, except that was of course impossible.
His phone buzzed. Fritz glanced at the message, felt his heart almost stop, and tried to remember how to breathe.--------------------------------------------------------- It hadn’t taken Cordelia long to make it to the cafe. She actually spotted him from across the street and paused, heart stopping along with her movement. Was she in the right place? Stars and stones, if she was she was entirely underdressed; thrown together at the last moment compared to the fine lines and details of her friend’s attire. Cordelia’s heart sank as the probable reality of it all set in. Finely dressed, early in the morning on February 14th-- Fritz likely wanted her opinion on the outfit he’d put together for a date later that evening. He… He hadn’t seen her yet. She couldn’t be frowning when he did see her. She should be happy for him-- overjoyed that he was branching out, making friends, moving on. “Oh, quit that,” she muttered to herself as she pressed the button at the crosswalk, plastering a warm smile on her face as she made her way towards her dear friend. “Excuse me, I’m supposed to be meeting a friend of mine here. I-- Oh, Fritz! There you are. My, I almost didn’t recognize you… You didn’t tell me this was a formal occasion.” --------------------------------------------------------- It was, for all intents and purposes, an absurd hour of the morning. He wasn’t even awake this early on a normal basis these days, sleeping in until at least ten and then dragging himself up when he was ready to go patrolling, or do work, or something else with his life.
But this was a special occasion. He had to get this right.
It felt impossible. He couldn’t do this.
He could do this. He would do this.
There was the sound of footsteps and then a familiar voice calling out to him, and Fritz’s gaze flickered up to find Cordelia making her way towards him, looking as bright and beautiful as she always did, and this, somehow, calmed him. It should have made him more nervous, more on edge, but perhaps it was the fact that Cordelia was just...Cordelia.
She was here and he could do this.
A smile was given, easy and relaxed, in spite of the jangling emotions inside of him. “Good morning, darling,” said Fritz lightly, and gave her a tiny bow. “A pleasure to see you this morning. I hope you’re doing well?”-------------------------------------------- “I might be doing better with a bit more sleep,but you said to be here at eight in the morning and by my watch it’s…” Cordelia brought up her wrist to check the bracelet watch she wore, turning it around in order to see the tiny silver hands ticking away on the face. A bright smile lit her lips as she peered up to Fritz after checking her watch, continuing her words where she’d left off. “Eight o’clock sharp-- just in time to tell you that you have impeccable taste. This color looks absolutely smashing on you, Fritz.” Her hand lifted, fingertips lightly brushing along the v-neck of his waistcoat, dropping her hand back down to her side almost immediately in order to keep herself from adjusting his tie. “To what do I owe the pleasure of your company this fine, bright morning? And how are you, my friend?” -------------------------------------------- He tried not to be too pleased at all of her compliments, or her face, or her eyes, or at anything else currently in his vision. Fritz felt the rapid beating of his pulse against the side of his throat, felt the elation at her presence like a physical thing sweeping over him.
He had to stay calm. He had to remember why he was doing this.
He had to not think about the way her fingers had rested, ever so slightly, against his sweater, not quite touching, but not quite not touching, either.
“Many thanks, my lady,” he said instead, lips curving up into a small smile. “I’m doing quite well. Tell me - do you have any plans for today?”Say no, say no, say no…---------------------------------------------- He was avoiding questions and that made her anxious, although it was hard to remain so with the way he was beaming. Being around Fritz St James in general was something that Cordelia felt soothing, but when he smiled… When he smiled the sun peeked through clouds and the day became just a bit warmer. Whoever Fritz had gone through the trouble of dressing up so nicely for was an incredibly lucky woman. “Mm…. Plans? For Singles Awareness Day? Normally it’s brunch with Luc before spending the day curled up with either a good book. Arin decided he was going to whisk Luc away for his birthday, however, and I believe I’ve just finished the book I was reading which leaves me entirely at your mercy.” ---------------------------------------------- She had no plans.
She wasn’t going to be with anyone.
He tried to keep the feelings at bay, tried to keep the relief and the sheer joy and the nervousness and the frustration from being expressed on his face, though it was difficult; Fritz was, in most part, a very expressive man. Today it would do him no good, however; he needed to be focused. He needed to…
Well, a lot of things. He had to do well with this.
“That sounds reasonable,” said Fritz, as though he was contemplating this. “A fine way to spend the day.”
There was a slight pause.
“Or you could spend it with me.”
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“I did say that I was entirely at your mercy, didn’t I?” Her voice was soft as she spoke, gentle and reassuring as she reached out to lighty take his hand with hers. Affection wasn’t something that Cordelia showed or shared often. At one point in time a good part of her expression had consisted of soft touches and closeness with good friends. While she could not say that it made her cringe the way it did her current companion, Cordelia had been forced to distance herself from any form of subtle intimacy-- for her own good, for her protection, she’d told herself.
With Fritz it was different. With Fritz she felt like a part of her lost long ago had returned. It was a strange feeling to have that kind of hope again; the hope that she thought she’d chased away with her own foolishness when she’d withdrawn from everyone and everything again.
“Starting with breakfast, I hope, I am entirely yours-- At least until whatever date you have this evening. I refuse to believe that you don’t have something planned for someone, dressed so sharply. Whoever she is, she’s very fortunate.”
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He tried not to think too much about this.
His hand immediately began to tremble as her fingers touched his; physical intimacy was not something he had been able to bear for so long that it was still a base instinct to pull away. He knew that Cordelia would understand; that she would not hold it against him, but it felt terrible and frustrating and painful to not be able to be on the same level as she was.
Give it time, said the more rational part of his brain.
His fingers slowly squeezed hers. It took effort.
It felt warm. And right. And nice.
And terrible. But mostly nice.
“Breakfast it is,” he said, and tried not to smile as he led Cordelia into the diner, pulling her hand so that instead it was resting in the crook of his elbow. “Well, I’d like to think she’s fortunate. I would hope she’s fortunate. I’ve worked quite a bit to put this all together, you see.”
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When she felt his hand tremble lightly against hers she almost instantly regretted her decision to reach out to him. It made her heart ache sometimes that she didn’t know any better ways to just be. Now that she’d reconnected with the part of herself that wanted to reach out and protect everyone she just wanted to hold them all close, starting with her dearest friends and family.
Settling down into their booth-- it was theirs when they were there and no one could tell her otherwise-- was a good distraction. The table between them put that distance back into play; a safety barrier to prevent her from being too familiar. Her heart ached at the thought of Fritz sharing a morning like this with someone else. Laughing, smiling… Would they dance?
Cordelia picked up the menu, bright smile still in place. If they did she would be happy for them. She’d find a way to remind herself of how far Fritz had come along, how important it was that he trusted someone, that he cared for them enough to set up something so special.
“She is fortunate, Fritz. Incredibly so.” Even if she didn’t know it yet, this mystery woman, whoever she was.
She ordered a lighter version of her usual, convincing herself to nibble her way through the better part of her pancakes while giving a side-eye to the waitress who’d delivered the plate with strawberries and whipped cream arranged in a heart on top. If the sausage patties had been re-shaped as well she might have thought that something was off. Fortunately they were round. Cupid hadn’t invaded everything. Yet.
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His attempts at not thinking too hard were steadily failing. He kept getting distracted by the quick smiles, the way that a stray strand of hair kept falling across her face, the memories that both haunted and warmed him.
No. He wouldn’t dwell. He had everything planned.
It was all planned perfectly. Or rather, perfectly imperfect.
Breakfast was, for the most part, an uneventful affair, just a casual and friendly and happy munching of pancakes and heart shaped whipped cream and a few extra strawberries. It was just like any other breakfast, save for Delilah the waitress’s continued perky and all-too-knowing smiles as she sashayed past their table.
Fritz pushed that aside. And his worries.
Sort of.
By the time his plate was cleared, he felt nervous again. Setting down his teacup, he said, “So. All done?”
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“Yes, all done.” Cordelia nodded in agreement as she finished off the last of her coffee-- another thing that had come with heart shapes, in this case artistically rendered with the creamer on top, unless she was somehow seeing things, which she was fairly certain she wasn’t. Love was in the air for someone and it seemed to have gone straight to the heads of the staff here at her favorite breakfast place.
When Delilah came back with the receipt for their check there were two Hershey kisses on it. Cordy almost missed the wink from the other woman, catching it just in time to wonder whether or not it was for Fritz or for her. Had she missed something?
“Are you going to tell me more about your mystery woman now that breakfast is over, Fritz? Or have we got a more pressing schedule to keep to?”
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Fritz missed the wink - probably a good thing - and instead pushed back his chair and came around to offer his arm for Cordelia again, ignoring the instinctive flutter and the innate desire to not get close.
“Perhaps,” he said, the corners of his lips curving up into a small smile. “Schedule first, however.”
Outside, it was bright and chilly. Fritz wished, not for the first time, that he had sunglasses, or prescription lenses, or something, but as it was, he just had to squint a lot in the sunlight. He started down a sidestreet, arm still linked with Cordelia’s, keeping up a steady but not unreasonable pace.
“What sort of woman do you think I would gravitate towards, anyway?” he asked, shooting her a slightly amused look.
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“Bright, warm, bubbly…” The answer came without much thought, the words rattled off as though it was a question she’d thought of before. She had, of course. On more than one occasion Cordelia Carden had asked herself what sort of woman might attract the attention of Fritz St James. She thought of the women in his life, and how the woman might be different than any of them while still being similar.
“Gentle. Understanding, but strong. Blonde, probably.” A lightly teasing grin touched her lips as she peered up to her friend. She found herself hoping that he would only see her smile; that he wouldn’t pick up on the way her heart felt like it was going to stop as she described someone who very much wasn’t her.
How was it the song went? He could be that boy, but I’m not that girl....
“Lovely inside and out. Kind. To you, at least. Stars knows what she’ll think of the rest of us.”
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Fritz almost tripped over his own two feet.
”Blond?’ He sputtered, trying to figure out whether he should laugh or be outraged or offended or amused or all of these things. “Why on earth - why blond? Do I have some sort of....” He couldn’t quite think of the word. ”Preferential treatment towards blonds that I should know about?”
Lovely inside and out. Well, that was certainly true. Fritz’s gaze flickered over Cordelia’s face, over her dark hair, her eyes, the mischievous quirk of her lips upwards, and felt his heart give a lurch inside of his chest.
“You have a knack for guessing things, I’ll tell you that,” he said lightly. “Now, here we are.”
He’d led Cordelia to - of all places - a laser tag place.
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Posted: Sun May 06, 2018 9:06 pm
“I don’t know. Because it’s a color associated with light and laughter and sunshine? Because it seems to be a hair color that would fit along with all of those traits…” Because I’m not blonde. “Can’t say I’ve put much thought into her eye color. Green, maybe? You do seem to favor that color,” she continued to tease him, light amusement in her tone. She could do this. She could be happy for Fritz. She…
If she’d known his thoughts she would have blushed. As it was, she simply paused, expression one of mild confusion as she glanced in the direction of the building they’d paised before. “Laser tag?” Was he giving her a chance to take a shot at him on purpose? Stars, what was she getting herself into?
“Laser tag.” Cordelia blinked as she processed, tilting her head to glance up to her companion. “Whatever knack I might have, I never would have guessed this as our second stop. You seem to be full of surprises today, my dear sir.”
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He was relatively certain that she was just making things up as she went, though now Fritz had the added bonus of being a little uncertain of whether or not his feelings would be reciprocated if Cordelia thought he was supposed to be with a blond woman. As for green eyes…
Well, she was wrong on all counts, at least physical. Fritz did not have specific tastes, exactly, unless all those traits together counted up to equal Cordelia Carden.
He was still a little breathless with the realization of it all, the mingled relief and fear of admitting it at all, even to himself. Fritz glanced over at Cordelia and saw the bemused expression on her face, his own lips quirking up a little at the corners.
“Laser tag,” he declared. “To, you know. Relieve some stress. Get the muscles moving.”
It was quite a pathetic explanation, but Fritz had already breezed through the door with Cordelia towed behind him, bypassing the front desk as he plucked up a few waiting name badges, and then leading them into a secondary room with all of the supplies.
“Gear up, Lady Carden,” said Fritz, reaching to drop the badge around her neck and then turning to snag a vest. “We’re going hunting.”
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“If suggesting all of those carbs for breakfast was your way of trying to slow me down, you’ve got another thing coming, St James.” Cordelia huffed as she stared in his direction, trying to figure out whether or not he was really serious about all of this. He had to be, of course. He was throwing a ridiculous vest on over his waistcoat and dress clothes and-- How was he even going to make a run for anything without sneakers?
Stars and stones, how was she?
“Are they running some sort of Cupid special today? Zap down the cherub? Or is the idea of this to hunt one another?” Her brow quirked as she reluctantly snagged her own vest after drawing her hair back away from her face, sweeping gentle waves back into a ponytail in an attempt to keep it from hindering her. It wouldn’t do at all to have her hair block her view while trying to aim at her target, whatever that target might be.
“I’ll have you know that I am a pro at this.” Buffing. Cordelia Carden was absolutely bluffing while trying not to pay attention to Fritz as he donned the rest of his protective equipment. It had been ages since she’d gone to play laser tag, or even tag of any sort.
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He flashed Cordelia a cheery smile before he plucked up one of the guns. The man at the corner of the room, leaning against one of the walls, gave them both a friendly wave as they got ready and said, “I’m Tad, your guide. Here are the rules - “
Several were listed off in easy, lazy succession. It was clearly an oft repeated speech, but he tried; Fritz tugged on one of his vest straps to make sure that it was secure and then stood still and tried not to overthink or overreact as Tad came over himself to check everything, yanking experimentally on a sleeve before moving to Cordelia.
“Time is twenty minutes,” said Tad. “It’s a solo game between the two of you, so there’s no one else in the room. You’ll go through this door - “ he pointed at a door to his left and nodded to Fritz. “ - and you’ll go through this door.” He indicated the righthanded door and then Cordelia.
“You can be shot up to three times, but on the third time you’re out. You guys got it?”
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Having someone invading her space to check on her equipment set her on edge; more so that she had anticipated, likely due to the anxiousness of the unknown and the effort it took to make it seem as though everything were Perfectly Okay ™ . It was because it had to be, of course. She wouldn’t actively deny anyone companionship of any sort, least of all a dear friend. She could tell him how she felt, though, couldn’t she? She…
You guys got it?
Cordelia snapped out of the fog she’d lulled herself into, nodding to the laser tag attendant as she shifted the ‘weapon’ in her grip. “Three strikes and you’re out. Got it-- We’re familiar enough with those rules. Professional softball players here.” Another quick attempt at a smile, corners of her mouth twitching up as she stepped towards her door before glancing to Fritz. “Good luck, Fritz!”
Well wishes sent, Cordelia slipped through her door, disappearing into the calming darkness. Her eyes adjusted to it easily enough, finding it easier to see through the bright glow of the scenery beneath the UV lights. Good thing she hadn’t worn white of any sort-- she’d stand out like a sore thumb, targeting vest or no. “Time to find a hiding place…. Stars and stones, I hope nothing jumps out…”
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He felt the adrenaline pulse through him, in spite of his nervousness. This was an integral part of the plans he had made, however silly or lighthearted it might have seemed. But this was important, just as breakfast at the diner had been important, and just how everything else that followed this would be important.
He had to get this right. He had to get this right.
He shuffled around a darkened corner, holding the gun in both hands, Fritz inching along a wall. Something flashed to his left, and he whirled around, but it was only a bright blue and green light, flashing joyously along one of the walls.
He took a breath, then made his way to...his right. Yes, that was good.
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Cordelia spent a good minute or two in one place, wondering whether or not Fritz was doing the same thing. Was he trying to hunt her down in this glowing, alien terrain? On the thought of alien, were there any of their comrades whose homeworlds were just as psychedelically strange as this?
A shadow moved nearby and she peered around her corner to fire off a wayward shot. Better lasers than paintball, she supposed, as the light pinged off of nothingness. The pew sound her gun had emitted would be a beacon as to where she was located, though-- problematic. If Fritz was nearby she’d just given herself away.
Taking a deep breath, Cordelia darted out from her hiding place and made a run from it. She could feel her heart pounding; one part anxiousness to two parts excitement. Three strikes. That was all either one of them would need, provided they could find each other first.
“Marco!”
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The corners of his lips twitched.
He could hear the soft shuffle of footsteps, but it was overshadowed by the low thrum of something eclectic and vibrant coming from speakers. Fritz slid around a wall, ducked underneath a low hanging walkway, and hastily scooted around another corner before Cordelia could spot him.
The Marco made him laugh. Almost. Barely stifled, he glanced around and saw a small nook a few steps away, across a wide berth of unsafe territory.
He could make it, if he ran fast. Fritz took a breath.
“Polo!” he yelled, and made a break for it.
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Her heart was pounding in her chest, ringing in her ears above the other sounds around her. His voice sounded out clearly despite it all and for a moment she forgot that she was supposed to be firing at him, simply relieved that he hadn’t left her alone. Alone.
Alone.
Panic gripped her as the word sounded again, taking hold of her lungs and squeezing the air out of them. Fritz had found someone and this was his way of softening the blow. He’d set all of this up as a way to remind her that she wouldn’t be alone. Their friendship was still important. He still had time for her.
Cordelia took a deep breath, pushing all of the negative emotions away as she darted out from behind a corner, firing in the direction of movement once more while chasing the sound of her friend’s voice. No matter what happened she would always find solace in simply knowing that he was just there.
“You can’t win, Fritz! Not by hiding, at least!” she said while hiding herself. Pot, kettle.
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Approximately an hour and three minutes later, Fritz stood on the sidewalk outside of the laser tag place and tried to get his eyes to readjust to the sunlight again. The glasses he wore shifted in the bright light to darken instinctively - really, transition lenses were a blessing - and then he turned to Cordelia, smiling brightly.
“I still think I should have won that last round,” he said, feeling the exhilaration and adrenaline still pulsing through his veins in a pleasant, heady sort of way. It had been a very successful first part of the day, if he did say so himself; and he was damned pleased that things had gone well.
Even if Cordelia had sorely kicked his a**. But that was beside the point.
“Hiding under that bridge was definitely against the rules.”
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“Fritz, my dear friend, for something to be definitely against the rules one must first state it as being part of the rules at the beginning of the encounter. Part of the general rules of engagement, you know.” Her own heart was thrumming, her laughter still bordering breathless as she looked up to her companion. There was something to be said for being physically active for fun, as opposed to running from agents of Chaos, or fighting for one’s life.
In all of the joy and excitement, Cordelia had forgotten that they would likely be moving on with their day following laser tag-- that Fritz most likely had other plans, and…
She wouldn’t ruin the moment by thinking about that. It was easy enough to distract herself by looking up to see his smile. It was so warm, so bright, it nearly drowned out the sun. It was his smile that made her heart skip a beat. Stars and stones, she was so hopelessly in -- No, she couldn’t think about that either, although not thinking about it didn’t really make it any less true.
“I can’t remember the last time I’ve laughed so much. Thank you, Fritz.”
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”It didn’t have to be stated,” Fritz objected indignantly - or rather, sort of indignantly. He couldn’t really be mad, and they both knew it. “It was definitely a rule regardless of whether or not it was implicitly stated, thank you very much.”
His eyes kept wanting to go sideways, to watch her, to see that blazing smile across her face. It was an innate thing, built inside of him over the years and now he had hardly any control left to keep his heart from crashing painfully against his chest every time he saw the corners of her lips twitch upwards. She was a radiant thing when she smiled, Cordelia; it was difficult to stay away from that.
And had, for so long. But this was…
This was different.
“You’re welcome,” he said grandly, in lieu of what he preferred to say, and led the two of them down another street. A little shop near the end of the market district read Photo Phun in terrible script, but Fritz pushed open the door and gestured for Cordelia to enter.
It was a quaint, mom and pop sort of style place that was, in spite of the terrible name, bursting with people and life and excitement. A cluster of photobooths were set up in rows; tables stood beside each one with a variety of props ranging from mundane to outrageous.
Fritz turned to Cordelia, grinning. “Ever played dress up as a child?” he asked innocently.
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“I had an entire room just for playing dress up when I was a child.” Something that she hadn’t thought about for years. It was something she had left behind when she’d ‘grown up’-- sometime close to when her parents had enrolled her in Crystal Academy. In order to ‘fit in’ she had felt as though she had to be someone else, to prove something to someone.
She didn’t have to do that with Fritz. With Fritz she had always been able to be herself. Not once had Cordelia Carden been compelled to hide anything. She could be flawed. She could be imperfect. She could wear her glasses, leave her hair lightly tousled and be a complete and utter mess and Fritz St James would still accept her for who she was.
“.... Luc didn’t tell you that, did he?” He wouldn’t have. It wasn’t something they ever really spoke about and Luc would have had no reason to bring it up while talking to Fritz over Christmas. There was no way Fritz could have known, and yet this was perfect.
“Where should we start? Wild West or Victorian England?”
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His smile grew wider. This part of the day had been meticulously planned, the laser tag having been just a spontaneous decision the day prior. But this part was, at least, something that Fritz had wanted to do ever since he had started to plan this whole thing, and while his heart still felt constricted, just looking at one of Cordelia’s smiles made it worthwhile.
“No,” said Fritz, letting out a small laugh. “But that’s good to know for the future.”
He peered at the nearest table, arching a brow, then picked up a wide brimmed ten gallon hat, placing it on his head. Fritz struck a dramatic pose, hands on his hips.
“Well? How am I lookin’?” he asked, in a completely terrible attempt at an American Southern accent.
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It was all she could do to stifle a laugh as she looked to Fritz in the hat. She reached out, lightly flicking the brim before turning to lift a fancy feather hair clip from the table, sticking it into her hair before rearranging her ponytail. It was a familiar enough place to start. Hair accessories had always been some of her favorite things, truth be told; a way of showing off personality when one was being otherwise forced to conform.
“The hat is wonderful, Fritz, but I’m afraid that accent of yours might need a little work.” She was smiling as she looked to him once more whole holding out a wooden dowel with a fake mustache attached. “This might go along with it, if that’s the look you’re going for. Then again, it might also give people the idea you’re going to whisk me away to a railroad track or something…. So maybe a sheriff’s badge instead and you can play the handsome hero?”
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He wanted to reach out and shift aside a stray curl, but that was too far beyond his reach of ability at the present moment, so instead he just settled for trying not to look too stupidly pleased at how lovely she looked even with a silly feather clip.
Somehow, it fit.
The mustache made him laugh. Fritz reached out and accepted it, striking an admittedly very terrible pose. “All right, then you have to wear…” He shuffled around in the heaps of props for a moment and came up with a ridiculous looking, pearl trimmed hat that probably weighed about a thousand pounds.
“Here. If I’m going to be the sheriff, you can be the damsel.”
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“I would gladly play any part as long as it was opposite you, Fritz.” She was smiling as she plucked the feather clip from her hair in favor of plopping the overweight hat onto her head. It didn’t last for long, the front sliding down over her face each time she tried to nudge it back into place, soon discarded in favor of other ridiculous accessories.
The two of them could quite easily get lost in the props and adornments for hours, of that she was certain. What left her questioning and wondering was how much time they had-- not something that she wanted to think about. Cordelia didn’t want to linger on the whys, what ifs or whens. She wanted to exist in the moment, this moment, with Fritz St James.
“Here, try this.” She tossed a coat in his direction as she snagged a feather boa for herself, draping it loosely over her shoulders before prodding around. The hodge-podge of things they eventually found themselves wearing made them look like time travelers who weren’t entirely sure where they had landed… Or wizards trying to pass as Muggles and doing a very poor job of it.
Cordelia snickered as she look to him while trying on one more hat, eyes bright with amusement. The hat was over the top, an assortment of feathers adorning one side; the side it happened to lean to as she put it on her head. It matched her boa at least, drawing out the blue of her eyes from beneath the white brim. “Are we ready for our close-ups?”
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He was definitely not going to consider the implications of such a statement, because to do so would only be to get his hopes up, and that was a dangerous, dangerous thing. He was already putting so much on the line here; already laying his heart out in the open with no idea of whether or not it would be returned, and that alone was a terrifying, terrifying thing.
Fritz tried to set that aside.
Focus. That’s for later. This is for now.
He caught the coat Cordy tossed to him and slipped his arms through the sleeves, smoothing it down with a quick sweep of his hands. Fritz reached out a hand and tugged on one of the feathers of the boa; it was ridiculous and overly dramatic, and it made her look simultaneously adorable and hysterical all at the same time.
“Yes, I think we are quite ready,” Fritz intoned, mock serious, then gestured for Cordy to climb into the booth before he did. It wasn’t enormous, but it was at least spacious enough that he didn’t feel either claustrophobic at the close quarters, or too breathless at Cordy’s nearness.
His issues with physicality still drained him, worked at his heart. Fritz adjusted his coat again.
“Make sure you smile,” he said sternly. “All right, my lady?”
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How could she tell Fritz that he made it difficult not to smile? How could she tell him that he brought a lightness to her heart? How could she put words to any number of the things she felt as he tugged at the feather boa and made a gesture towards the booth?
She couldn’t. She didn’t have those words and wasn’t entirely sure she ever would…. Or if she did whether or not it would be worth it to say them.
Once settled into the photo booth she readjusted the feather boa, twirling one of the ends idly at Fritz while flashing him a grin. She then reached up to adjust the hat she, ’d settled on-- no heavy pearls on this one, but quite a few feathers and just as equally ridiculous in the long run. It lasted for one quick flash of a photo before she realize it was likely to get in the way of any actual posing. The next flash caught a pout on her face, coming sooner than she was expecting as she tried to slide the hat off. “Oh, bugger,” she laughed, shaking her head and sending a tumble of curls falling alongside her face. “This is why I don’t wear hats, Fritz!”
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Posted: Sun May 06, 2018 9:26 pm
He felt his nerves fray, just a little, as she shifted. It was taking an immense amount of willpower to neither pull away nor move closer, two warring and frustrating sensations that were twisting about in his head and making it all the more difficult to concentrate.
He had to focus.
Fritz struck a dramatic pose, one hand lifted to his face with the mustache, the other on the brim of his hat. He felt all elbows and knees and awkwardness, but he could hear Cordelia laughing, and this made all the difference in the world even as the first picture snapped.
"Well, who's fault is that?" he asked innocently. "I'm quite sure that was you that decided to wear that hat."
A feather from her boa floated past him. Fritz's nose twitched, and then, before he could stop himself, he sneezed.
The camera flashed again.
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Posted: Mon May 07, 2018 7:42 pm
The next few photos snapped in the booth captured a series of sneezes from Fritz St James along with broad smiles and more laughter from Cordelia Carden. The simplicity of the moment brought light to her heart, making her forget everything outside of the four tightly enclosed walls surrounding them. He was so close and she was so absolutely in love and.... The laughter stopped and she turned to look to him, nudging the hat back off of her head. Her hair was a mess of waves and curls atop her head, face lightly flushed. Had the camera captured the moment realization had set in? What had the expression looked like on her face? Scanning over the photos later would she be able to tell? Would he? They both looked absolutely ridiculous and all Cordelia could think was that she couldn't remember the last time she had felt so light. She couldn't recall the last time she'd had so much fun. She couldn't recall the last time she'd been so happy. Fritz made everything lighter. He made everything easier. He made everything right. Hesitantly, still watching Fritz as the camera clicked away, Cordelia brought a hand up to tuck a strand of hair away from her face before leaning in to brush a gentle kiss to her dear friend's cheek. "Thank you, Fritz."
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Posted: Tue May 08, 2018 5:07 pm
Her lips touched his cheek and the moment froze.
Two warring emotions flared immediately to life - the harsh, unforgiving curl of anxiousness and fear in his stomach, a prickling nausea that crawled up his throat; and the bright, illicit and unexpected joy of such a simple gesture, of the feel of the warmth of a kiss against his skin.
His chest felt too tight to breathe. Fritz had been laughing in indignation and exasperation at the camera snapping the second he had sneezed, and then Cordelia had looked at him, and her cheeks were rosy with mirth, and her hair was a tangled raven's wings around her face, and now he couldn't think straight.
It was too soon.
It wasn't soon enough.
It was everything and it was terrifying.
He turned, and before he could stop himself, pressed a kiss to Cordelia's forehead in return.
It was nothing lingering, as much as he wanted to; it was just a quick peck, and then he was slipping out of the booth, reaching to snag the photo strips from the printer before she could see them, or catch them, or before his heart exploded.
"Come on, fair lady, we have much to get through."
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Posted: Sat May 12, 2018 9:20 am
Her heart had frozen in her chest as he looked to her, skipping as his lips brushed against her forehead and dropping down into her stomach when he pulled away. The day was shaping up to be more of a rollercoaster of thoughts and emotions than she had expected when she'd stepped out of bed that morning. If she'd known she... What? What would she have done differently? Spent more time picking an outfit? Woken up a bit earlier to fuss with her hair? Nothing. There wasn't anything she could have done differently that would change the way the day had progressed. She wasn't sure she would have changed it even if she could. It was then she realized she'd lingered in the booth behind Fritz's departure for a bit too long. She slid out, shrugging out of the boa and hanging the hat back up on the rack once she'd done so. She wasn't sure what else Fritz had planned for the day, he made it seem like a grand adventure still lay ahead. She didn't know if her heart could take it, but she would try. "If you keep dragging me all over the place you're going to miss whatever date you've dressed up for tonight, Fritz-- and you're going to have to show me those pictures at some point."
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Posted: Wed May 16, 2018 2:42 pm
He wondered if he had confused her, or upset her, half because he was making a fool of himself, and half because Cordelia had stayed in the booth for several long, uncomfortable seconds after Fritz had gotten out. It made him feel a little antsy, a little too flustered, but as she slid out, he flashed her a smile.
Something tugged at his heart. He wanted -
Not yet. Wait.
Patience.
"I won't miss it," he said, with more confidence than he actually felt. Fritz sidled up to the front desk, fiddled around with his back to Cordelia for a moment, and then turned back to face her, his cheeks a little red, though he was trying to attribute this to the ridiculous costuming, rather than anything else it might have been.
"We have a bus to catch, let's go!" he said, and held out the door for her.
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Posted: Thu May 24, 2018 5:34 pm
Something about the way Fritz said 'I won't miss it' brought a light flush to her face, the rose washing over her otherwise pale features. It was easy enough to brush it off as being from the laughter, she supposed. She could be breathless. She... She drew in a deep breath, flashing him her most confident smile in return as she stepped out the door and into the light. It was a beautiful day and there was no sense in wasting it on nerves, of all things. Just because so many other things had changed didn't mean her friendship with Fritz would, or anything else that might come of it. Cordelia wanted to take his hand in hers as they made their way to the bus stop, but refrained, tucking her hands into her pockets instead. It was far easier to resist that way, keeping to herself as they walked along. "You've been busy planning all of this, haven't you?"
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Posted: Sat May 26, 2018 6:50 pm
He turned to look at her as they walked, Fritz's heartbeat loud in his ears. There were too many things that he wanted to say, too many things that he wanted to do and not enough of himself to believe that he was capable of saying or doing anything at all. But Cordelia was here, with her bright eyes and her bright smile, and somehow it made it simultaneously easier and harder to continue on through the day.
What if she doesn't like this?
What if she doesn't like you?
What if all of this is in vain?
Fritz pushed those thoughts firmly away and kept walking, hands slipped into the pockets of his trousers. "I have been, yes," he admittedly, the corners of his lips quirking up into a faint smile. "It's been a bit of a process, but I think the end game should be all right."
Hopefully. Either that or it would all crash into flames.
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Posted: Sat May 26, 2018 8:09 pm
They arrived at the bus stop just in time to hop on board. The route was one that she was familiar with, this particular line running by the stops for the art centers and Desinty City's central park. She let her mind drift as the trees and buildings passed by out the window, seeming thoughtful and maybe just a bit dreamy as bits of sunlight filtered in through the window to wash over her. When the bus came to a stop at the park she saw Fritz rise to his feet, proudly proclaiming 'This one's us!' with a bright smile. Shaking her head as she hauled herself to her feet she followed after him with a soft laugh. She thought they might be headed for the park itself, but they followed a path that skirted around it, heading two blocks back in to the city to a discount theater that picked up movies after they'd passed through the bigger cineplexes in town. Fritz shoo'd her away from the ticket window so that he could keep his selection a surprise as she wandered towards the concession stand. Popcorn was a must, of course, and Cordelia picked up a back of Twizzlers to go along with it. Breakfast had been big enough to carry her through this far, and while she couldn't say she was hungry after missing lunch, having something to snack on during the movie would be more than enough to carry over to whatever else came next.... Well, maybe a corndog wouldn't hurt either. Snacks in hand and drinks passed off to Fritz for ease, Cordelia followed him into the theater where they were free to take their pick from all of the seats in the house.
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Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2018 7:06 pm
"Here," Fritz declared, stopping partway down the rows of seats lined out in front of them.
The theater wasn't that full; in fact, it was mostly scattered people here and there, with a generous smattering of empty seats that made for a variety of choices. Fritz had chosen a spot a few rows from the back, but slightly off to the right side, so that they weren't directly in the middle or directly in the very back of everything.
He gestured for Cordelia to go first, Fritz smiling at her, feeling his heart give a lurch in his chest, which he ignored.
"Did you get any snacks?"
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Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2018 6:54 pm
"Popcorn and Twizzlers... Oh, and there's a pack of Junior Mints in my pocket." The light, cool flavor of the mint would counter the saltiness of the popcorn, and the Twizzlers, well... For two years now she had associated Twizzlers with Celsus and before that they'd been a a reminder of a missed opportunity; bright eyes, a warm smile. Hands touch, eyes meet... A game of rock, paper, scissors had been played over the last bag. They'd tied twice and over laughter and flushed faces had agreed that maybe it was a sign that neither of them should watch their movies alone that night. He could be that boy, but I'm not that girl... The night hadn't gone the way either of them had planned. Two steps out the door of the movie rental shop and he'd gotten a phonecall-- an emergency that had to be taken care of right then and there. She couldn't take it personally, couldn't blame him at all. How many times had she taken off for an emergency? How many times had being a senshi got in the way of it all? Cordelia had drawn a pen out of her purse, hastily scrawling her number on the back of a receipt beneath her name. She pressed a kiss to the paper just beneath the number, impulsive and flirtatious, before handing it off to the young man and sending him on his way. The first time she'd seen Celsus power down to Fritz St James she knew. She said nothing because he said nothing, and because he'd been through so much that it was no surprise at all if he didn't remember. Cordelia had been a different person then, just as he had been. Cordelia was a different person now-- they both were, and they'd taken the past two years to get to know each other better in both sides of their lives. "Make yourself comfortable before the lights go down and the previews start, Fritz."
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Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2018 8:24 pm
It was such a silly thing, to be emotional over a bag of candy. Of Twizzlers.
Fritz remembered how she'd sat next to him on a snowy playground in the middle of the night, just listening as he'd let his heart get crushed to dust by the sheer weight of everything that had been pressing down onto him. He remembered how she'd tried to get him to talk, tried to get him to understand that he wasn't truly alone in the world, and he'd walked away, just as he always had in those days. He'd left her sitting there, let himself stagger off with the pressure in his chest growing and growing and growing until breathing had become so painful he'd almost given up right then and there.
He sat next to her now, Cordelia's arm on the armrest beside him, and it felt as though the entire world had shifted into focus. It was hard to concentrate only on the movie, even as during the previews, Fritz reached over and plucked a Twizzler from the bag, chewing it slowly, letting the memories slide gently over one another, tumbling back and forth through his thoughts.
How long had it been now? How often had he sat next to her, just like this, watching a movie and thinking I could get used to this?
His heart hurt.
Fritz took another Twizzler.
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Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2018 7:22 am
The movie was over before she knew it, half of it spent trying to figure out where she'd lost track of the plot and the rest with her mind adrift somewhere between the shadows of the past and the very real present. It wasn't as though she and Fritz hadn't gone to the movies before. It wasn't like they didn't toss a bag of popcorn into the microwave for a movie night at home. This was no different. This... The credits began to roll on the screen and Cordelia blinked as she straightened herself up in her seat. The popcorn was properly picked through, the bag of Twizzlers mostly eaten. She'd opened the box of Junior Mints, popping one or two into her mouth absently at a time. The movie was over and she could only maybe tell someone what it had been about. It would be far easier to tell someone how many times she'd resisted the urge to reach out and take Fritz's hand; how many times her finger had closed around the soda cup instead, bringing it to her lips to take an anxious sip. The movie was likely out in the Redbox already. She'd have to pick it up sometime and maybe pay a bit more attention... The thoughts didn't keep her from smiling as she leaned a little closer to Fritz St James, bumping her elbow gently against his before rising to her feet as the credits continued to roll. "C'mon, let's beat the rush out of the theater," she said with a smile, knowing they'd have to worry about no such thing. They were still the only two in the theater. As far as Cordelia was concerned at that very moment they could be the only two in the world.
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Posted: Sat Jun 16, 2018 2:53 pm
He had been watching, but the longer the movie went on, the closer the evening drew to what Fritz had been planning for weeks. His heart felt as though it was about to burst right out of his chest; he wanted to say something, to do something, but everything was dying in his throat before he could let it out.
Cordelia was smiling at him. It made him want to burn entire worlds for her.
Fritz got to his feet, slightly unsteadily, though he flashed Cordelia a small grin, pushing his way through the empty seats towards the end of the row. He waited until she had joined him before saying, "What did you think?" because that was what you asked when you'd just seen a movie together.
Almost.
Stay focused.
You can do this.
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