|
Post by KENNEDY LYNN BEAUFORT on Mar 13, 2013 23:48:35 GMT -5
Hunter was right in his mental assumption that reading was enjoyable for her. Of course, she was not aware of her friend's dyslexia, which would probably give her a lot more insight as to how her friend thought and worked. Though he couldn't blame him for audio-books or movies for some stories. There were many things that honestly should not have been put as a story or were too hard to understand with the written word anyways. Though she did take a stronger predilection towards reading the stories herself, as it helped increase her vocabulary.
Stuck in this train of thought, she was taken even more by surprise as her companion told her that she could get a ticket and go down with him. The brunette was aware that she needed a passport, she had actually been in possession of one for a while with no stamps within it. The idea struck her as bizarre as he had offered it, seeing as she would either--should she take up his offer--be staying in a hotel herself or staying with the family that she could only know more about. She was even more surprised as he didn't correct himself, but continued on the topic.
Don't get her wrong, she was truly delighted as he continued to talk about his family back in the States. Two brothers and a sister, plus his mom. The thought brought a smile to her face. She wondered what it was like to live with only one parent, or to be so far away from part of your family for months on end. "I think I'd like that," she admitted, giving a warm and sincere smile to the thought, so as not to jab Hunter for opening his thoughts up to her. Plus, he seemed very proud of the fact that he was definitely not a girly guy. In all honesty, she didn't find his clothing playing a factor in how she perceived him as a person.
She wasn't expecting to take her friend by such a surprise and, should she had been above water, she probably would have apologized while laughing at the blonde. As it were, she couldn't do anything of the sort as she sunk deeper in the water. She heard a muffled cry as her friend likely resurfaced before he dove under the water. Kennedy, with her eyes open, tried to scramble away as much as possible from the outstretched hands, swimming away from her blonde friend, almost completely settling at the bottom. She would have to surface soon to take a breath, and this distraction was enough that she felt something brush against her stomach. Her gaze quickly turned back as his arm wrapped around her gut and pulled her up above the water.
Taking a deep breath as she broke the surface, she had expected him to stop then. She struggled feebly, but there wasn't an option to escape without trying to kick her friend or pry at his hands. Instead, she just gave a sort of indignant squeal as she shoved at his hands as he tried to lift her out of the water with a shout. Kenny had a brief second to catch her breath again before she was heaved back into the water, rather ungraciously, as she sprawled to avoid landing in a belly-flop.
She surfaced quickly, rubbing the water out of her eyes and pushing her saturated hair from her face. "Not cool. My stomach belongs to me," she shot back at him, though the upset appearance she might have been trying to hold was shattered as she gave a bright smile towards her friend. She stuck her tongue out at him, crossing her arms for a second before resuming her wade. "Oh, hey! Hunter. I have something for you," she said excitedly, as if she just remembered something. "Close your eyes," the brunette instructed, closing the distance between them to about an arms-length, waiting for him to do so.
|
|
|
Post by HUNTER DOUGLAS ULRICH on Mar 14, 2013 1:35:18 GMT -5
His laugh was boisterous as Kennedy resurfaced. The look on her face was well worth the trouble. She always had this sort of scowl that only fueled Hunter to provoke her further. Since she usually could take a lot from Hunter he felt comfortable pushing further than most probably did. Just because she put on a little scowl and stared the boy down didn’t mean she was serious. A sarcastic person knew when someone’s remarks were merely dry remarks. ”And my leg belongs to me, but that didn’t stop you from playing footsie with me.” ”You started this blood feud Miss Beaufort. Don’t start what you can’t finish.” As if he should eat his own words, Kennedy suddenly became rather sweet.
He knew he shouldn’t trust her. There was no way he could get away with that kind of shit without any payment. But something in the back of his head compelled him to take chance. There was a lump in his throat and suddenly his mouth felt a bit dry. Hunter was going to trust her but the proximity in which the two found themselves in surprised him and made him nervous. Reluctantly he closed his eyes, his brows furrowed in slight fear. He didn’t like the unexpected, but Hunter knew Kennedy wasn’t going to fuck with him too bad....right? Finally pushing the lump down he felt his heart speed up and his face begin to flush. What was so going to do? He couldn’t recall in any recent moments feeling this vulnerable. Well…when he was with Kennedy’s sister on their front porch, but that memory was no longer a pleasant one. He wouldn’t admit it to anyone, but he deeply regretted it, not due to Cassadee in anyway. As corny as it seemed the kiss seemed more like a formality for Hunter bringing the girl safely back to her house. Had she been sober enough to leave the club on her own, she probably wouldn't have asked Hunter back to her place at all. Again, he was far from complaining.
”J-just don’t kill me…” he was nervous and it was showing. ”You wouldn’t want to take the pleasure away from my step mother would you? I’m expecting a red apple to do me in any supper now.” Well, that was a bit over the top, but it still wouldn’t surprise him if she could find a way to rid of the boy. Legally Hunter was the oldest Ulrich and that meant he was expected to have some role in the expansive company. Even as the bastard son he was in the way for Eva’s son to fully take over for Garrett. ”So hit me you’re your best shot.” His face must have been so red right now.
Sorry it's a bit short, I was rushing to get this done.
|
|
|
Post by KENNEDY LYNN BEAUFORT on Mar 15, 2013 0:31:09 GMT -5
Kennedy enjoyed spending time with her blonde friend. Though he was always pushing her buttons, he knew where his boundaries were and didn't push her too much that she felt threatened by it. She understood why he would be laughing now, especially because of how she reacted. Hunter knew when she was joking, better than most people did, which she guessed was why they were such good friends. Because he knew when she was blowing smoke and when he should consider backing off or chance loosing something. He easily bantered away her comment about him touching her stomach with pointing out that she had grabbed onto his foot. Before she could counter about how it wasn't footsies if she had used her hand, he continued to explain that she had started the battle and needed to finish it. The Thunder understood then why he seemed so taken by surprise when she told him to close his eyes. Even more so when he actually listened to her as she swam closer. He trusted her. Sure, he was still a bit scared of what she might do but he trusted her enough that he did close his eyes. Was he blushing? No, it must be a trick of the light, the sun reflecting on his pale face from the water's gleam. While the blonde's mind might be thinking about the kiss with the elder Beaufort, Kennedy's thoughts strayed to another time. ... gasping for air, doubling over and looking at the ground... a warmth wrapped around her hand... the hug, the words that calmed her breathing down...The boy in front of her, so different but so similar to the one all those months ago, seemed to have switched positions with her this time. He spoke quietly, nervously, saying that she couldn't kill him because she'd take the pleasure from his step-mom. As the blonde flustered even brighter, she had the sudden feeling to make this moment as awkward as possible for him. But she pushed the feeling back, down back into the back of her head. Not today, maybe not ever. He was her friend, she couldn't risk losing that by acting on an impulse. So instead, she grasped his wrist and turned his hand up, pressing something into his hand. Sure, the surprise antics were definitely not entirely needed, but she liked screwing with Hunter. She closed his hand around the object, not changing her distance from him, almost unaware of how close they were. "Okay, open your eyes," she instructed, waiting for him to see his new present.
|
|
|
Post by HUNTER DOUGLAS ULRICH on Mar 18, 2013 0:02:24 GMT -5
Time was just going too slow as he awaited his fate. Flashes of intense water torture went through his mind. Kennedy was more than capable to exploit his weaknesses. Why was he even doing this if she was just going to make a fool of him? Hunter’s first reaction to all people was mistrust and he was stubborn to boot, so for him to leave himself out in the open was a huge break through. A shivering sensation caused him to flinch a bit at the surprising touch around his wrist. His face heated up even more at the touch. The smooth wet feeling of whatever Kennedy put in his hand made his brow further even more. Cautiously he opened his eyes at his friend’s command.
”A rock.” It was almost more of question rather than a statement. What was a boy suppose to do with a rock? He heard about the stupid fad of pet rocks back in the 70’s, but that wasn’t the game Kennedy was playing. ”I’ll make sure to cherish it forever or something like that.” He wadded over towards the dock and hoisted himself up. Oh shit, he forgot to bring a towel. Well, that was what the sun was for. He ran his hands through his hair while shaking his head like a shaggy dog. The result was a complete mess of blonde, like he had placed his head straight into a hurricane. As the sun beat against his frame he could fell the water slowly begin to roll off of him. Times like this he wished he could just be a Fire and like…heat off the water or whatever.
There was a moment of awkward silence as Hunter tried to find something to focus on, but Hunter’s gaze always wandered back to Kennedy. Every time he saw her she had a smirk, or a grin, perhaps even a frown or two. He wanted to see her smile. Like a full-blown smile as if she didn’t think anyone was looking. ”Umm…” Suddenly he was getting speechless, a strange new feeling for a guy who always had some comeback. His hand ducked behind his head sheepishly as more time went by. Hunter tried to ignore some of the thoughts and feelings running through his mind. ”It's hot out right, don't you think it's hot?” He tried to cover his bases a bit even though he knew he could fight back the pink flushing his cheeks. "I know it's summer, but damn...t-talk about h-h-eat," he rambled on.
sorry the post is a bit lame-sauce
|
|
|
Post by KENNEDY LYNN BEAUFORT on Mar 18, 2013 1:24:35 GMT -5
Of course, the thoughts of somehow getting Hunter back were still in her head. She could splash water in his face, dunk him under water again, silently swim away... But no. She gave him that rock. What the rock itself really symbolized or why she felt the need to give him that one she wasn't sure. The brunette hadn't considered the option of a pet rock, or even just using it for throwing. She had just felt compelled to give him something in return for him trusting her, and that was the thing at hand. Something else nagged at the back of her head about gifting rocks, but she pushed it away.
She didn't like him that way.
Did she?
He seemed as confused as she ended up being when he realized that she had given him a stone as a present. But instead of making some sort of smart-ass comment--surprising,really--he said that he would keep it. "Y-you don't have too if you don't want too," she quickly amended, hoping that it wouldn't seem too awkward of a move. As her blonde friend made his way back to the dock, Kennedy followed him. She gave a laugh as he tried to fix his hair from the water, causing a wonderful array of blonde hair that Hunter would otherwise never be caught dead with. Unlike him, Kennedy did have the mind to bring a towel. Instead of actually using it to dry, she just laid it down and sat upon it with her legs folded neatly beneath her.
In her opinion, the silence never truly became awkward. The Beaufort was comfortable with silence, but she could tell that something was distracting Hunter. She kept catching his gaze out of the corner of her eye, though he would look away. Hunter finally spoke, though it was only to say um before he went quiet again. She watched him expectantly, not wanting to break the silence. Maybe he had something in mind? Would he lose the train of thought if she interrupted? She was about to find out when he continued to speak.
Did he seriously just comment on the weather?
She couldn't help it, she gave a laugh. "Yeah, I guess you're right," she replied, a smile on her face as she shook her head. She couldn't help it, him not having some sort of comment didn't seem right. "You alright, Hunter?" Kennedy asked, tilting her head curiously at him and putting a hand on his shoulder. Maybe he was running a fever or something?
|
|
|
Post by HUNTER DOUGLAS ULRICH on Mar 18, 2013 23:25:16 GMT -5
”I’m not sure” Hunter interrupted softly, allowing himself to give into the warmth that had invaded the pit of his stomach at Kennedy's words. His lips turned up into a small frown as he admitted, "You think… we make good friends right?" Hunter felt foolish for even saying such a thing, as it sounded entirely too soft-hearted for the person he had put careful effort into becoming, and he turned away from Kennedy to focus on something else instead of his slight embarrassment.
Hunter felt himself exhale a shuddered breath, his heart beginning to pound mercilessly in his throat as the realization he had fought so hard to never voice. "I only act like this when-". The words echoed in Hunter's mind, taunting him as a reality he thought would never come to pass was laid out shamelessly before him. They had completely immersed themselves in the delusion they had built and it was startling, for Hunter to realize that he no longer really cared. Logically speaking it was easier, he found, to just let it happen than try to constantly struggle against it. That was still hard for him to apply in this situation.
He had been gazing at his murky reflection, mere moments ago, feeling things he never thought he would or could towards his friend. He couldn’t let himself go down this path, because once he did it could mean he had the chance of losing a good friend. Hunter could count the amount of people he enjoyed being around on one hand and Kennedy was at the top of the list recently. We’ve always gotten along and we are pretty similar. There he went again, trying to find something that wasn’t necessarily even there. He had half a mind to blurt out his thoughts just to get a good laugh from his friend. Kennedy would have found all of this to be utterly ridiculous.
Hunter dipped his feet back into the water as his hands gripped the edge of the dock. ”What I mean to say is- we get along most of the time. We both can be kind of pessimistic but value loyalty. You know, we’re pretty rational people don’t you think? ” It was like a light bulb had finally been turned on for the Thunder boy, exposing a tucked away thought that was dying to come to the forefront. Kennedy was only sixteen and in the grand scheme of life young, but she wasn’t the little awkward preteen he had first met. She was… different. ”Even though we go back and forth a lot, I still think you’re a cool person.” Hunter settled for the word cool, though a few other words came to mind, but he was too embarrassed to say any of them.
|
|
|
Post by KENNEDY LYNN BEAUFORT on Mar 21, 2013 11:23:56 GMT -5
There were a few things that worried the young Thunder, one of which consisted of the well-being of her friends. So, when Hunter responded that he wasn't sure if he was alright, she instantly was a bit concerned. Was he sick? Did he just come out because she asked but otherwise would have stayed home in an effort to recover? Was something wrong at home? There were so many options on what could be going wrong that she almost just plowed on to ask him what it was before the blonde spoke again, this time with a slight frown on his face. "You think we make good friends, right?" His tone was quiet, soft, something that she wasn't used to seeing in him. As he turned away, she couldn't help but consider what he had said. The word that she knew he would view her as, maybe forever, would be a friend. Even so, something twisted in her stomach. She knew that was how he saw her, knew that he still did... He didn't have any reason to change that. Kennedy had long ago accepted that she would be friends with him--Hell, was thankful for it--and had pushed the thought that there would be anything more far away. So why did it bother her now? The brunette briefly wished that she could tell what Hunter was thinking. What was going through his head as he said that? As he watched the water, which continued to reflect the brightness of the day so cheerfully despite how out of place the Beaufort felt. She had never been used to this kind of behavior, to having her head and heart battle in this sense, over something so trivial and out of place. If Kennedy had been able to read his thoughts, if he had spoken them aloud even, she didn't know if she could make herself laugh at the ideas going through her head. After all, they were so similar to the ones that were racing through hers. But she couldn't chance losing her friend. There were a few things she knew that she could never do, one was admit that she ever had feelings for the older Thunder. Besides, he would just laugh. It was ridiculous that she would think, even when she was younger, that she had a chance with him. He was older than her, he was somewhat popular, and he wouldn't go for something as quiet and stuck in a book as she was. He was everything that she wasn't, yet she still managed to become friends with him. She wouldn't lose this friendship now. She couldn't. Kennedy had just unscrambled her thoughts, was ready to reply to his comment and try to snap him out of her reverie when he spoke again. Everything he said was true, he wasn't just making something up at least. Sometimes, she managed to forget that there was really any age difference between them--it wasn’t much in the first place--but it still made a difference. So when he commented that he still thought she was a cool person, she smiled. "You have a habit of doing that," Kennedy pointed out, before she decided to elaborate. "Build yourself up as if you're going to finish with something truly inspiring before you settle with the most base level vocabulary," she joked, trying to lighten the mood. In all honestly, she didn't know what she was trying to get the Thunder to say. She was alright with being cool. The fact that he thought of her like that would have exhilarated her a few years ago. But this was now. And lately, she had been extremely reckless. Which was why she didn't stop herself before allowing the question she had been asking herself leave her lips: "What are you thinking about?" The Beaufort asked, her tone almost a bit shy as she did. Maybe he wasn't thinking about her at all, but she had to ask. He might not even tell her the truth, but at least she asked. There was, after all, a chance that he would. Stranger things seemed to have already happened today.
|
|
|
Post by HUNTER DOUGLAS ULRICH on Mar 21, 2013 21:02:17 GMT -5
Hunter scrunched up his face in a sort of half-apology, leaning back on his arms. "Sorry, sentiment isn’t my forte," he admitted. Hunter's tone was tentative, as he knew Kennedy might not be pleased about that; though a lot of the lines in their relationship were blurred beyond recognition today, there were still some things that Hunter wished to keep intact. There was a disturbing level of intimacy associated with opening up to someone and it was something Hunter wasn’t sure if he was neither prepared nor emotionally ready for.
A part of Hunter knew that, yet refused to address it as such out loud. An admission like that would make it seem more real, and should it ever become real that would make it a mistake Hunter would have to rectify, something he would have to cease doing to save them from the no doubt painful ending it would entail, and that was the very last thing he found he wanted to do. His mother thought she had found someone to be with at a young age and now she had four kids and no husband. It was complicated, hiding it, but in a way it was no more complicated than what they were doing before. Lies would have to be told, lines would be drawn, and the fear of caring for one another became replaced with the fear of what would happen should one of them decide they wanted more than what they were being given.
Thus far however, both of them seemed rather content with what they had, despite how ridiculous its outward appearance may seem should they ever peer close enough to look at it. It was easy in a way, almost too easy to be anything more than just some kind of fantasy they had taken to deluding themselves with. Kennedy was too smart for him. That was something he believed would never truly go away, just as Hunter's stubbornness never ceased to frustrate those around him. They playfully bickered constantly, though mostly about mundane issues, because the topic of their friendship was never brought up. Hunter had questions he knew the other couldn't answer and if he pushed it, if he strained the delicate balance they had managed to find with one another, something awful was bound to happen.
Besides, there would either come a time when things between he and Kennedy would come to its natural end, or hell would freeze over. Which, in all honesty, was probably never going to happen. Hunter was far too bashful to give anything of real significance. So it seemed that if Hunter kept a fair amount of emotional distance, they were unable to label the other as a threat, which was probably not the basis of any healthy relationship, yet it was the basis nonetheless. It might not be anything close to normal, but it still made Hunter smile. As it had been so long since he felt himself do that, it was really all he could ask for anyway. Anything else had the potential to overcomplicate things, effectively ruining the small bit of happiness that the simplicity of that feeling gave him.
But what Hunter had most in the world were liars and bullshiters and he would not see himself become one. He just needed to man up and face this thing. "I was thinking about us…," Hunter replied softly, allowing himself to give into the warmth that had invaded the pit of his stomach at his own admission. His lips turned down into a small frown as she admitted, "Some people assume we are together. A lot of people actually." Hunter felt foolish for even saying such a thing, as it sounded entirely too soft-hearted for the person he had put careful effort into becoming, and he turned away from Kennedy to focus on something else instead of his slight embarrassment. Hunter softly smirked, his mind flashing back to their first time together. It had been almost three years ago, if he was doing his math correctly - which he probably wasn’t.
Hunter felt his face flush involuntarily, so he scoffed to downplay it, tearing his eyes further away from the source of his embarrassment. "Does it ever bother you?" he muttered, trying to dismiss the emotion that had made his stomach flutter uncomfortably, worried that he would never really live up to the high expectations that his mother and father had set for him when it came to other people’s feelings. It seemed so simple before, Hunter silently mused, how they had managed to fall into this comfortable place with one another. But a part of him worried that it only seemed easy now because they were here, alone and away from the rest of the prying eyes of Maple Hollow and the Academy students. He could care less about other people’s perception of him, but the idea of Kennedy being put through the ringer by their peers angered him a bit.
"Hunter, you are so close! lol"
|
|
|
Post by KENNEDY LYNN BEAUFORT on Mar 24, 2013 14:41:57 GMT -5
Kennedy had not been striving for an apology with her comment towards his habits. Sentiment was not anything that she had been looking for, had she? She had long ago accepted that her friend wasn't extremely capable of expression things in a "sentimental" fashion. The Beaufort had seen Hunter try and communicate around girls he found attractive, which was an interesting situation in itself. It did make her wonder even more what was racing through his head. He wasn't acting entirely like himself, but neither was she. What could she expect to hear in response?
A while ago, it used to bother Kennedy that Hunter got nervous around attractive girls but never around her. Now, it was fringing on an inside-joke between the two. However, even now, it seemed something was changing in that aspect as well. Whatever may be transpiring today on the dock was not something she was used too, unfamiliar territory. Kenny had never made clear her emotions towards somebody unless they were of friendship or hatred. What about today was different, that her friend had been making her fluster and feel so reckless?
That falling from her normal patterns seemed acceptable?
Where Hunter had just recently found a hurdle in maintaining this friendship from advancing to anything more, Kennedy had effectively shoved it away. Hiding it, burying it, pushing it away. She had forgotten about the existence that it ever held in her heart, content with their friendship and being around somebody who didn't care if she wasn't pretty or easily tempered. It didn't matter to her that he didn't find her attractive, didn't always want to be around her. They were friends, and that was what friends did. Boys and girls couldn't be friends unless they maintained a simply platonic relationship, didn't find the other person to be anything more than just a friend.
Then everything changed.
Maybe if she had gone to bed early. She could have left the door unlocked and hoped that her sister had gotten home safely. Kennedy would have woke up the next day none the wiser, not knowing that her sister had managed to ensnare Hunter for the evening.
She wouldn't have said that she hated them.
The feelings in her chest would not have been stirred, sending her into this turmoil that she had been struggling to hide back within before he caught on. Before he could turn her away. Before she set herself up for another crash.
So when her blonde friend gave his response, why do you speak so quietly, she remained silent. Calculating, musing, considering. Did people really think that they were together? It seemed unlikely. They were friends. Boyfriends and girlfriends didn't bicker and shove each other. They exchanged more than that. They knew things about the other person, like what their favorite color was and what their family life was like.
But it didn't bother her.
When Hunter flushed, looking away, asking if it did bother her she shook her head. "Should it?" Kennedy replied. Without allowing herself to consider that maybe her friend didn't want to look at her, that he was embarrassed, she shifted so that she could look him in the eyes. She realized that she had never actually thought about what color they were, kind of a cloudy blue, before she managed to elaborate.
"It doesn't really bother me," Kenny restated, giving a shrug. "I mean, it's not like they're saying were friends with benefits, or something stupid like that," the Thunder explained, laughing slightly. Ludicrous. Why anybody would think that Hunter would date somebody like her was just that! She wasn't right for him, they were almost from two different worlds.
He deserved somebody better than her.
"Does it bother you?" Kennedy queried, tilting her head curiously at him. Her tone was soft, gentle, like she didn't want to scare him off. "I mean, we can stop hanging out as much or something if it does," she offered. Though her offer was sincere, she hoped he could infer that he wasn't entirely up to the idea. But there was a lot she would do for Hunter, if he asked. He was one of the only people she believed that cared about her when it came down to it.
|
|
|
Post by HUNTER DOUGLAS ULRICH on Mar 24, 2013 20:11:25 GMT -5
”No, that’s not it!” he clarified quickly. ”I actually really like hanging out with you.” He tapped his fingers anxiously; his nerves completely out of control. Whatever thoughts might have been running through his friend’s mind, he wanted to make it clear that he wasn’t trying to push her away. Hunter knew what he was to the high society live, a black mark on the otherwise spotless reputation of the Ulrich family. A rough and tumble first born child from a ‘lowly mother’ wasn’t the sort of success story family’s would want their daughters seen with. The awkward stares at the upper crust parties proved to him that he still had a tiny stigma surrounding him.
It took him a second or two before Hunter was capable of even opening his mouth. The boy took a deep breath and smoothed his bathing suit as a distraction. It was Hunter’s last chance to bail, and he wanted to allow myself enough time to consider it. It could've been so easy – flee back to his house, call in sick as he buried himself in bed. But deep down he was simply too desperate at this point to make the uncertain feeling go away. So he huffed out the breath he'd taken, shook his head briskly, and rapped with his knuckles on the dock.
Besides, what did Hunter have to be afraid of? Kennedy admitted herself that she liked Hunter as a friend and they would be able to overcome anything uncomfortable if this ended up blowing up in his face. ”Would it be so bad… You know, if we were dating?” There was no taking back his statement now, so he continued to push through as he finally voiced what was on his mind. ”Would that be too weird?”
Nerves were fluttering in his stomach and a slow excitement was welling in his chest. A date with a girl. With Kennedy. Hunter wasn't sure if it was okay to be happy about that, but he couldn't help it. A smile slowly bloomed on his face. His dignity didn't want him to go any further, but the joy was too much to contain in a mere grin. He leaned on it for a few moments, smiling and getting himself under control. Then, just as he was beginning to calm down, he realized he wasn’t in the clear.
Of course, it wasn't long before the excitement turned to dread. Just because he was able to say it out loud finally didn’t mean anything could come from it. He felt a plague of butterflies build in his stomach. He had been on dates before, once of twice – but he never really knew it at the time and they had crashed and burned in the girl’s face. This was the first time he had taken initiative. It just seemed so out of context. She's a friend and he’s supposed to what? Date her? It seemed like an odd thing to do with someone who had just been a friend, but at the same time, it seemed so perfect. They both seemed to have a mutual understanding for their own little worlds, although Kennedy's outlook on life was definitely a lot more positive than Hunter’s, allowing their personalities to accommodate to one another's.
|
|
|
Post by KENNEDY LYNN BEAUFORT on Mar 25, 2013 23:59:22 GMT -5
Hunter declined quickly. Something about that made Kennedy's head spin at how adamant he seemed about being able to spend time with her. "Good, 'cause I wouldn't've wanted to stop pestering you anyways," she responded, giving a half-hearted smirk. She wasn't completely behind her remark, and you could tell. Nothing this afternoon was making sense at all. How they were behaving, how everything was transpiring. It was weird, unnatural... Why was this happening now? The last thing she wanted to do was risk losing her friend, one of her only ones, for her own selfish thoughts. He didn't think of her like that. He had made it clear that they were friends, hadn't he? Nothing more, nothing less.
Friends. They were safe, calm, nice. They didn't threaten one another. If one friend was upset, the other tried to make it better. If everybody was happy, then all the better. Friends protected each other, they didn't have the baggage that relationships that went any further carried. No matter how close of friends you were, you had a restriction over the power that you held over them. You knew their secrets, but you didn't know the person to a point that they could not afford to lose you.
You didn't have a weapon that you could use to break them.
Love was scary to the Beaufort. She had seen it do crazy things to people. Why would so many people be desperate for it? So many hearts were broken because they longed for the wrong person, for somebody they couldn't have, for somebody they had lost. She had seen what how people reacted to losing somebody they allowed to get that close, seen the tears and the agony that they suffered when that person shattered their heart to a million pieces. Losing a friend on top of that made the prospect seem almost unbearable.
So why was she so excited when he asked her if it would be weird if they started dating?
It seemed like the whole world slowed down as she entertained the prospect. What would it be like to date Hunter? The nervous, bashful Hunter that always showed up around girls that he liked? Would he ever act like that towards her if they did? Was he acting like that now? Was this a test? What if he just wanted to know what she thought, but it wasn't a serious question? There were so many questions she had, but there was only one way to get an answer.
Would it be weird if they did start dating?
He had been honest with her, so she could at least be honest with him... But she wasn't used to this feeling that was spreading through her body. She felt aware of everything. A warm feeling started in the pit of her stomach and moved its way through her body, trying to taint her usual analytical behavior.
No, it wouldn't be weird ... But I thought we were just friends? ... How did my feelings become obvious? ... I've only thought about us dating once or twice... Once or twice is an underestimate... Thoughts. Racing, tumbling, stumbling, blending... It was impossible to make out anything that would have sounded like she was desperate. Her mouth spoke before she could stop herself, consider what she would be admitting too as soon as she did.
"Are you asking me on a date, Hunter?" Unsatisfied. She couldn't leave it at just that. He was obviously nervous about asking her about that in the first place, she couldn't just leave him wondering still if she would say yes or no. "Because... I mean... No, I don't think it would be weird if we did... You know... Date," she admitted, flustering as the words tumbled out of her mouth. The brunette diverted her gaze to the dock, its wooden solidity, hoping that she didn't make a major mistake by letting herself slip like that. But the color wouldn't leave her cheeks, the feeling of butterflies increasing in her stomach. What would he say? What did her assent mean now?
|
|
|
Post by HUNTER DOUGLAS ULRICH on Mar 26, 2013 15:35:17 GMT -5
As Kennedy stared at Hunter he made a point to keep his eyes trained on the dock. The neutral-ness in her voice was like a knife in his heart – she wasn't interested. She must have been hurt before by guys who were confused, or not mature enough to handle the idea of commitment. Hunter heard the reluctance in her voice. As if she had heard it all before and wasn't particularly thrilled to hear it again. This was it. This was where she got all reluctant and said she'll think about it and maybe she'll call him back and she never will. Who was he kidding? This was stupid. Why would a girl as smart as her want to spend her evenings tiptoeing around the fact that her date was her friend? She must have so many better offers. This was a mistake, Hunter should just—
"Okay, let me put it this way," he said. "Are you saying it’s okay if we went on a date? Just to clarify." It wasn't as decisive as he felt, but it was the most the tattered remains of his courage could manage. That was a little easier to swallow than the idea of a date, so he swallowed it – the lump in his throat felt bigger than before. Hunter only had a split second to decide if this was what he wanted, but he didn't need it. Deep in his mind he had made the decision long ago. Hunter wanted this more than anything he had thought about before. So he nodded, his body light and somewhat trembling, and admitted:
"Yes."
Hunter shifted uncomfortably before his hand went to his hair, pushing it out of his face. "Look, maybe it's stupid but I… I've never really done the whole date thing, and I kind of…" But he trailed off, unable to finish. Hunter looked rather self-conscious all of a sudden, as though his desire for something normal was perhaps a foolish notion, given who they were. "You don’t want to…" Hunter assumed. He pursed his lips, shrugging lightly through a half-nod. Kennedy’s hesitation for finally voicing that Hunter did, truly, want more, caused Hunter to exhale a long sigh. He knew this day would come, and perhaps he was foolish for thinking they could put it off for a little while longer.
Surprise washed over Hunter's features, but it quickly made way to a small smile. It truly was strange, the place they had found themselves in, but perhaps it only felt that way because neither of them was used to having any semblance of openness, let alone believed they would find it within each other. And so when Kennedy answered him, despite knowing that it might not be the wisest thing to do, she still did so with some embarrassment that it at least would strengthen her relationship with the one person he slowly found he could trust.
Hunter's face reddened of its own accord. "So then," he bit back, not realizing what it was that she had said until it had been pointed out by Kennedy. Now she felt a bit foolish and presumptuous, considering how Kennedy hadn’t straight up rejected the idea like he thought she would. "We should go on a date then. Are you free Friday night?” That meant he had to step up and think of something quick. What kind of date could he come up with for someone who was already a friend? Nothing too informal, because then it would have been like any other day for them. And there was no way he was going to go crazy and be completely out of his comfort zone.
|
|
|
Post by KENNEDY LYNN BEAUFORT on Mar 28, 2013 11:17:42 GMT -5
She hadn't meant to seem as if she wasn't interested. All of the thoughts that had went through his head were false. She had not been hurt by guys before. Kennedy wondered if Hunter actually realized the extent of her social life. Did he know that the only guy who had actually flirted with her was Caleb? Probably not. They were in different grades, different classes. He could not have been around her enough around other people that he would realize that guys just weren't interested in her. Never could have seen that guys didn't take to the whole "nose-stuck-in-a-book-nerd" girl that Kennedy was to them.
But even now, she was noticing things about him that she hadn't before. Was her friend always this nervous about topics like this? They had never had a conversation about this topic. But he was a bit jittery, a bit anxious... Was this comparable to how he acted around Cassadee? Around Ridley? Was she just imagining his actions, overanalyzing them, putting them in an aspect that she wasn't to see? He didn't seem too confident as he clarified that she was saying it was okay before he agreed.
Yes. He was asking her on a date.
"You've got it wrong if you think I don't want to."
Kennedy wondered if the other girls saw that much of a change in Hunter when he got nervous like this. His little nervous ticks as stumbled over words about dating, dating him, that she couldn't help but give a smile. It was sort of endearing, but she didn't know if this behavior was something that she could deal with. She liked the Hunter who wouldn't hesitate to give her crap, who was confident in himself--or at least appeared to be. But she couldn't say that she didn't somewhat enjoy the fact that her friend, for the first time, was acting around her like he did with other girls.
The Beaufort smiled as she saw him fluster out of the corner of her eye. The invitation that came from his mouth was almost too good to be true. But he wasn't messing with her. From what she knew about him, he wasn't that good of an actor. If he was pulling her leg, she didn't know if she would be able to forgive him. While Kennedy's ability to control her emotions had been steadily increasing, her control over them meant she could do a lot more damage than before.
Not that she thought that she could hurt him.
It wasn't just the fact that he was bigger, stronger, and more in control of his Elemental powers than her. Kennedy honestly didn't know if she had it in him to ever truly strike against him. She really could not hurt him unless it was mentally, which the Beaufort didn't have knowledge of how to do that to him. Why was she even thinking about that right now? She had a question to answer.
"Yeah, I'm free Friday."
Four words. Something stirred in her stomach, sending her emotions into a little flurry. Just over a year ago, these feelings would have caused her powers to go on overload. Now, they simply made the color stay in her cheeks as she shifted awkwardly. A date? She'd never been on one. "W-what do you have in mind?" she asked, her voice not as confident as she would have liked. What happened to the headstrong Kennedy? She absently threaded her fingers through her hair, trying to distract her thoughts.
A date. With Hunter.
She couldn't help but smile.
|
|
|
Post by HUNTER DOUGLAS ULRICH on Mar 29, 2013 19:26:43 GMT -5
When Hunter was thirteen years old and about to ask his father a question he hoped would never arise. He had weighed his options, watching him covertly from the doorway to the kitchen. He was at the table, his coffee in front of him and his newspaper in hand. Freshly showered and obviously in a good mood -he knew because the comics were already read and lying next to his step mom's steaming coffee. At the time, his step mother was struggling with his younger brother to get him ready for school. He hated Mondays. Hunter was pretty sure his step mom hated them more.
At fifteen, Hunter was the only guy in his grade to never date. Not once. Not even a date to a dance in elementary school. It wasn't that he was disliked or cut off from his school mates. He had a large group of friends and he loved school for its social life more than what he could learn. Back then, there weren't any girls that had caught his attention enough for him to do this. That was until she met Kim – the cute girl that sat behind in him Math class. She was funny and adorable and maybe a little too confident for her own good. And she had asked her to a movie. Hunter nearly passed out he was so overwhelmed. Until he realized that his dad would never let him go.
He was wary of Hunter and dating entirely. He didn't let Hunter the opportunity to socialize with girls at any of his parties if he could help it. The only females allowed around him at one point were his family; cranky Grandma, spiteful step mom, and his adventurous half sister Grace. So when Kennedy asked what they were going to actually do that would constitute them getting together as a date, he froze for a moment. He had no experience on the matter other than thinking back to what people did in all of those romantic comedies did. Secretly he was hoping to have a bit of time before he had to decide, but he didn’t want to keep Kennedy waiting. He took a deep breath. "Dinner?" he asks as though it's a foreign word. ”And a movie? Unless you want to do something different.”
We can end it here, or after your post. Whichever you want.
|
|
|
Post by KENNEDY LYNN BEAUFORT on Mar 30, 2013 16:41:48 GMT -5
"Dee, what's wrong?"
There are always times in life where it seems that life can be too hard to bear. When you're young and impressionable, it just seems like everything is trying to get to you. A long time ago, Kennedy believed in the thought of love. In crushes, dates, princesses, and happily-ever-afters. That time had passed years ago, in a time where everything was beautiful and people were happy. When it didn't matter what you looked like, when little boys would kiss girls on the playground and keep it a secret. When innocence was something that everybody had and nobody had lost.
"Love is wrong, it's a lie. It doesn't exist and don't let anybody tell you it does."
Love became a sinister thing. As she grew up with her friends, as guys started asking out girls, Kennedy had it set in her mind to refuse. She formed crushes but never would act on them. Love didn't exist, after all. Her violent stages, trying to stay true to herself. Nobody would hurt her. Not like they hurt her sister. This was when she first met Hunter. She had long grown out of the hatred of the emotion, but it still left a bitter feeling in her heart. The boy who was sitting in front of her now, who was asking her out on a date.
"What if they do?"
She didn't exactly believe in it still, but it was worth a shot. Hell, just because they were going on a date didn't mean anything about love! They were friends first and Hunter wouldn't do anything to hurt her. She trusted him, she cared for him. Dating him wouldn't be much different. Sure, if they were boyfriend and girlfriend that meant they could hold hands and stuff like that. The idea seemed foreign to her. Like Hunter, dating wasn't something that she was used too. What exactly did you do? People didn't do the stuff she so often say in chick-flicks in real-life, did they?
"They just want to hurt you."
But even as she thought this, the little spell that had been laid on her all those years ago seemed to break. She gave a smile as he suggested dinner and a movie. That seemed nice. Normal. A bit more formal than normal, but nothing too extravagant. It seemed like something she would like to do with him.
"I would love to."
fin !
|
|