A summer afternoon

[Leyna de Somerville]

“Oh I’m sure,” I said, chuckling after I swallowed. “What are your plans now that your marque is made?”

[Troy nó Jasmine]

"My plans?" To woo you, Leyna. "I'm not sure, in all good honesty. I don't think I can go back to my sleepy hometown, so for a while I'll stay with Jasmine. After that... I don't know."

[Leyna de Somerville]

“Have you ever thought of opening your own salon?” I asked curiously.

[Troy nó Jasmine]

I gave her a rueful smile after I ate some of the cookie. "I've thought about it, but I don't have the funds for anything like that unfortunately," I said. "I don't mind working for others as long as I'm fairly treated, and I have to say even after all these years, Jasmine is nothing if not fair."

[Leyna de Somerville]

Just barely, I stopped myself from offering to fund the opening of his own salon. Not yet anyway….

“It’s probably good to take some time and make sure whatever you decide is what you really want to do,” I said, smiling before finishing my sandwich.

[Troy nó Jasmine]

I smiled and nodded, swallowing the last bit of the cookie as I reached for a sandwich half. "Oh, I know what I want," I said, looking up at her and flashing a charming grin before letting it go to a more natural one. "What about you, Leyna? What do you want out of your life?"

[Leyna de Somerville]

I blushed at his words and grin, though the implication was not at all unpleasant.

“A family and to be happy,” I answered, smiling softly.

[Troy nó Jasmine]

My mouth held a small, soft smile as I let my gaze go back to the sandwich I was holding, and I toyed with it as I leaned, elbows resting on my knees. "I can see you as a mother," I said after a moment. "Little blond headed children, girl and a boy racing about your skirts."

I glanced back at her and forced my smile bigger, sitting up straighter again. "I think you'd be a great mother."

[Leyna de Somerville]

I blushed deeper, his words so sweet and kind.

“Thank you,” I said softly. I realized I wasn’t looking at him as I tried to regain my composure. I looked at him and smiled. “What about you? any children in your future?”

[Troy nó Jasmine]

"I hope so," I said, my smile warming after I took a bite of the sandwich. "I love them. I spend time tutoring at Jasmine, actually, when I'm able and have a sound mind," I added with a larger grin. "Do you know what you want, boys, girls?"

Elua, it was painful. I wanted to pull her onto my lap and wrap her up in my arms enough as it was, and adding in the conversation we were having... I took another bite of my sandwich to distract myself, though I wasn't really hungry. Not for this. Not for food.

[Leyna de Somerville]

“I’d like at least one of each,” I answered, smiling softly and a little wistfully. I knew I was barely an adult legally, but I’d wanted children for so long it seemed as if I would never have them. “I’ll take several of each as well. What about you?”

[Troy nó Jasmine]

Again, no hesitation in my answer. "Several of both," I said, grinning widely by now. "I wouldn't mind having three of each, so long as I could give them a comfortable life."

A leaf must have shifted, or caught the glass differently, because suddenly her hair was aglow in a warm ray that lit her up. I could feel my mouth going dry as I looked at her, looking like an angel sitting next to me, beautiful and sweet, talking about what children she wanted to have.

[Leyna de Somerville]

I was reaching for a cookie and then stopped, caught by the way he looked at me. I felt my blood rush again.

I blushed softly and looked back at the cookies as I chose one. “I’m sure you’d be a wonderful father,” I said, smiling.

[Troy nó Jasmine]

Unable to come up with anything to say that didn't result in me throwing my heart at her feet again, I finished the remainder of my sandwich, then took up my wineglass. "Our future children will be lucky, then, with a wonderful mother and a wonderful father."

It wasn't until after I took a drink of the wine that I realized how that might have been taken, and I choked ungracefully as I pulled the glass down and looked at her. "I.. didn't mean to presume -that is.."

Damnit.

I swallowed and set the glass down, then turned, taking a breath and looking her in the eye. "I wouldn't ever pressure you into anything, Leyna," I said softly. "Least of all that. Forgive me for being uncouth."

[Leyna de Somerville]

I’d heard his words exactly how he apparently feared I had and it had set my mind atilt. But then he seemed so upset I couldn’t let myself mull on my thoughts and emotions right now.

I took a deep breath and smiled softly. “It’s alright,” I said, reaching over and laying my hand on his arm. “I know you would never pressure me into anything, truly Troy. Trust me, I’ve said worse things to less understanding people.”

[Troy nó Jasmine]

Her hand was on my arm, and I kept my eyes on hers, smiling softly, relaxing immediately with the sincerity of her voice. "I'm glad you trust me that much," I said, laying my hand atop hers for a brief moment. I was caught, wanting to stroke her hand, to bring it to my mouth so I could kiss her palm, and torn between knowing I shouldn't do anything. Probably shouldn't even have touched her back, but...

"Would you like some more wine?" I asked, my voice soft still as I looked at her. The light still caught in her hair and I tried very hard not to focus on it, but it was either that or the lovely shape of her face.

[Leyna de Somerville]

“Yes please,” I said, using the need to reach for my glass as an excuse to draw my hand away. I picked up my glass and held it out to him.

[Troy nó Jasmine]

I didn't outwardly react as she pulled her hand away, but inside my chest, I felt a keen sense of loss. Leaning, I took the bottle of wine in hand and brought it back, pouring her glass with a graceful line of my arm that came purely from habit. Once done, I poured more into my glass before returning the bottle where I'd gotten it. Lunch seemed to be almost over, and I didn't want to leave. Maybe if I kept eating...

I reach out, taking another sandwich half even though I wasn't hungry. "I'm surprised you don't spend much time in here, even knowing what I do about the plants," I commented softly as I looked around, fingering the sandwich without eating it. "It's beautiful."

[Leyna de Somerville]

“Thank you,” I said, idly toying with my glass as I looked around and smiled. “I guess I’ve always thought of this as a family sort of place since I spent so much time here with my parents. Maybe I was just waiting for…” I caught myself and stopped before the conversation could turn back to children and parents.

“I think it may be too that this house seems so much bigger now that it’s in my charge to keep it all up and I am still getting used to it,” I said with another smile. I pulled some bread from one of the sandwiches and sprinkled the crumbs into the water for the fish, who instantly came swimming over to gobble it up, making me smile more.

[Troy nó Jasmine]

She didn't finish what she said, and I wondered desperately what it might have been. I didn't comment on it though, just went with the shift of conversation, my eyes holding on hers as I leaned my elbows on my knees again, sandwich in one hand and wineglass in the other. "Do you have any younger sisters or brothers who might be able to come stay with you, to help fill up the space?" I asked, smiling at her and trying not to think of how pretty she was. The fish seemed to leap for a single touch of her skin and I sighed inwardly - I didn't blame them. "Or any friends who could stay with you?"

[Leyna de Somerville]

“I’m an only child,” I told him, glancing at him and smiling. “Nic’s cousin is staying with us, so that helps some to make the place feel a little less empty.”

[Troy nó Jasmine]

His name was a solid reminder of the situation, and I nodded, looking down at the sandwich in my hand before taking a large bite out of it, giving myself another moment before I had to talk.

"I'm glad you have people here that you care about," I said finally, then took a long drink of the wine.

[Leyna de Somerville]

His mood seemed to have changed drastically and I turned towards him again.

“What did I say?” I asked, confused. “You seem upset.”

[Troy nó Jasmine]

Eluas balls. I'd let myself slip more than I should have, and inwardly I cursed myself even as my mind raced to come up with a proper response. "You didn't say anything," I assured her, looking at her with a gentle smile. "I'm fine, really. Just enjoying this sandwich," I said, giving her a playful smile that I hoped didn't look forced.

[Leyna de Somerville]

I didn’t believe him and I felt a rush of sadness inside ad some guilt. I’d made him unhappy, I could just feel it.

“I’m glad you’re enjoying it,” I said softly, looking back at the fish and then feeling the need to be doing something. There was nothing to do though and I looked down at my hands as they twisted in my lap.

[Troy nó Jasmine]

The situation sank in again, and I wondered if I should go. I didn't want to, but I didn't want to make her uncomfortable either and by the looks of things I was doing exactly that. Setting the sandwich aside, I reached over, playfully nudging the outside of her knee. "Do you have names for your fish?"

[Leyna de Somerville]

“No,” I said, smiling the tiniest bit and glancing at him. “Maybe if I was around them more I would have named them.”

[Troy nó Jasmine]

"Well, you're here now," I said, giving her a smile that was growing by the second. Scooting closer, I leaned and looked down into the fountain. "What about that one? That one looks like a.. Gerald," I offered with a flash of an amused grin.

[Leyna de Somerville]

“Gerald?” I echoed with a surprised laugh. “I don’t think I’ve ever known a fish named Gerald. Gerald it is then.”

I pointed to another fish. “What about that one?”

[Troy nó Jasmine]

"Romy," I said with a decisive nod of my head. She wasn't so sullen any more, or drawn inward, and I was glad to see the smile come back to her mouth. "What about that one?" I asked, pointing to a third.