It had been a few weeks, and thankfully the fog that once choked the city had begun to make its retreat, the harsh cold of the winter beginning to ebb as well. A relief to Skylar, since the warmer it was, the less patrons they had, and the less tables she had to wipe down. However, today, something was distracting her. While her hand guided a damp cloth over a table, wiping crumbs and water away, her eyes wandered. A blonde girl, who had arrived a few weeks prior, was asleep in the corner, back pressed against the wall and her coat drawn tight around her shoulders. She was an intrigue to Skylar, as every time they spoke, every time Diana reached for her hand to grab her attention, Skylar felt something. In the pit of her stomach, and it was a warm, fluttery feeling, one she never knew before.
"Hello?" Caspian asked, snapping his fingers a few times, waving a hand in front of Skylar's eyes. "Quit making oogly eyes at the wandering girl. You've been wiping the same spot for ten minutes." There was an air of hidden laughter in his voice and eyes, and he chuckled slightly as Skylar whipped around, face flushing red.
"Sorry, Caspian," she said quickly, slinging the towel quickly over her shoulder, pulling her sleeve down to wipe off the wet tabletop. Caspian shook his head, pulling a chair out from the table and swinging it around, sitting and leaning forwards onto the backrest. Fixing his cream coloured coat, he laughed at Skylar's bemused expression.
"What?" She asked, a little too sharply, wincing slightly. Caspian shook his head with a shrug, sliding his hands into his pockets innocently. Skylar huffed a sigh, blowing a piece of hair out of her eyes as she finished wiping the table, throwing the towel on the counter of the empty bar, harsh enough that it made a smack that sounded through the mostly empty room. Diana flinched slightly in her sleep from her corner, reaching a hand up to pinch the bridge of her nose. Caspian had a wry smile as he caught Skylar looking at the girl again, a mournful expression on her face.
Pushing his chair back with a scrape, he joined Skylar at the counter, leaning over it to reach under the bar for a bottle. Examining the golden liquid inside, and the label that read NECTAR, he popped the cork open, faking a cheers to an eye-rolling Skylar and taking a swig. "Y'know, if you like your little crush so much, why don't you talk to her," Caspian asked, watching Skylar's face carefully as her eyes stared determinedly at the ground.
"I can't talk to girls," she mumbled.
"Sure you can."
"I really can't," she replied, annoyance lacing her tone as she folded her arms.
"You've taken her orders, you've served her, you can introduce yourself to her and get to know her," he said, confidently taking her arm and dragging her away from the counter.
Panicking, she protested, eyes going wide as she tried to fight against him. Unfortunately, he practically towered above her, and so was easily able to guide her to the other girl, gesturing forward as if saying "She won't bite." Diana watched, amused as the girl with short hair was slowly cajoled over to her. Though typically cold to strangers, something about Skylar almost made her want to get to know her. A strange feeling, that was for certain, and one she buried deep within her. There wasn't time for friendship, let alone a childish romance. Caspian, having successfully sent Skylar to her social demise, returned to his spot on the counter, motioning for the girl to make introductions when she glanced back at him.
"I'm Skylar-" she started, offering a hand to shake before being quickly cut off.
"I already know your name," Diana said simply, unclasping the small silver buttons that fastened her coat around her. Sliding it off, Skylar found herself looking at the girl's arms, which were significantly less boney than when they had met. Her once hollow cheeks were full, and had an almost reddish tint to them, and lips that curved upwards into-
"What're you staring at?" She asked, in an almost accusatory tone. Self-consciously she pulled the jacket back over her shoulders, and folded her arms for good measure. "I wasn't- I'm sorry, I just- you're really-" Skylar kept cutting herself off, a blazing blush beginning to work its way onto her cheeks. As the blonde girl watched the display of gross romantic failure, she couldn't help but feel her heart flutter slightly.
Caspian, from his spot over at the counter, had preoccupied himself with swirling the nectar around the bottom of the bottle, almost entranced by the way it caught the light through the clear glass. Taking a swig, he returned his eyes to Skylar, just in time to see her dissolve into a stuttering mess. How the fuck did somebody I helped raise turn out to be so awkward, he thought to himself. With a dramatic sigh, he stood, leaving the bottle behind. Walking past Skylar, she mumbled into her ear. "Tell her about the song you're writing."
"Huh?" She asked, looking over at him. There was a growing smile on Diana's face, and she giggled slightly, much to her own dismay. Caspian almost facepalmed, turning on his heel and glaring at Skylar.
"Tell her about the song," he said through gritted teeth, before returning to the bar counter.
Skylar turned awkwardly back to a snickering Diana, who quickly hid her amusement rather terribly. "I'm- I'm writing a song," she said, shuffling her feet.
"I could guess that much." There was silence between the pair for a moment, Skylar glancing back at the piano that sat on the bar's stage.
"...Would you like to hear it?" Skylar asked meekly, fiddling with an old metal ring on her forefinger. Diana sighed, slumping into the chair slightly, before shrugging with a nod. Might as well entertain the poor girl, she thought, although her heart certainly knew that there was a different reason. As Skylar offered a hand to her, she contemplated slapping it away. But after a moment's deliberation, her ice cold hand found a warm one and for a moment, electricity travelled up her arm. A warm tingle that sent a dumb smile that she hastily hid across her face. Part of her had forgotten what touch felt like, erasing it completely from her mind.
Quickly, Skylar led her to the piano, sitting down and leaving enough room for Diana to sit with her. Hesitating for only a moment, she joined her, the leather upholstery of the rather rickety piano chair squeaking beneath her. Skylar stretched her fingers, setting them on the piano, and for once the girl didn't seem afraid, rather seeming at ease. She was where she belonged, and Diana couldn't help but feel a charming quality as crystal blue eyes flicked over to her green, sending a wink. Damn. And gods, was that wink deserved. A song began to fill in the once consuming silence of the bar, and the melody was the pure embodiment of beauty. It was the epitome of a warm summer's day, and almost as if it were real, a tender heat began to spread across her skin. As the girl reached across Diana to reach the lower notes and their shoulders brushed, she could feel her heart skip a beat. For once, she didn't curse her heart for having such a stupid crush. In fact, she welcomed it.
"That was beautiful," she whispered, as the song came to a close. Although the warmth in the room seemingly faded, the warmth in Diana's heart definitely didn't. Looking at Skylar, green eyes met blue, like the forest and the lake meeting. "Thank you," the girl whispered in return. Shuffling slightly, their shoulders were pressed together, and Diana's breath baited. She didn't notice Skylar lean in until she felt her breath fan across her cheeks. The pair of them blushed, studying the other's eyes. When had blue been so intoxicating... when had she ever fallen this quickly, and to a girl so awkward but so beautiful. If only she could lean forward just a little more and-
"Skylar!" The girl pulled back quickly, cheeks flaming red. A yearning in Diana's chest formed almost immediately as their shoulders lost connection. "I need you over here!" Caspian shouted, seemingly coming from somewhere in the back rooms of the bar. There was an unmistakable sadness in Skylar's eyes, as she glanced back and shouted confirmation, standing from the piano stool. "I'm so sorry- but I'm glad you enjoyed it." It seemed once she had her bearings, she had a charm about her. Skylar reached down, taking Diana's hand in her own and pressing a kiss to her knuckles. "Thank you for listening," she whispered against them, before gently letting go, and going to join Caspian in the storeroom. Diana would be lying if she didn't feel something. A spark, a small fire everywhere the girl touched, including her heart and mind. This was going to be an interesting journey.
