Forgotten pages

Rainstorm

He couldn't help the smirk the played at his expression as her let her guide him into the less-than-graceful spin.He faintly noticed his mother praising her from the background.Exen after,he was intrigued at graceful the way her simple dress spun when she pulled him back to their prior position with their fingers interlocked.The rest of the morning was spent dancing through the library,enjoying the peace.

George swung the door to shut as he fell back and collided with the bed,face up,cheeks still flushed,ears burning at the tips.

'fuck'He internally scalded himself.

There was no denying it now.He flipped over to press his face into the pillow and let out a muffled groan of self-annoyance.Slowly a cold shiver of fear and worry crept down his back.This was bad,this was really,really bad.His thoughts spiraled down into a never ending pit of what-if's.

'What if she found out?'If she didn't like him back?Then she'd be stuck in the same house as some blushing idiot for far longer than she'd probably want.

He wished for the bed to swallow him up and never let him see the light of day again.For now he'd be silent,not do anything.She didn't need to feel dreadful because of him.He sat up and took a deep breath.God he wished his father was here.He had Mother and Robert but there was something different in the way Jonathan could've helped.He would've told him to be a gentleman,be courteous but not expect her to fall for him just for just treating her as she should.God,why couldn't Jonathan have stayed alive?

After quickly rummaging under his bed,he pulled out the oak chest,and fished out a journal,his place kept with a white ribbon.

"My first day of formal training under the baron has begun,we woke at the crack of dawn and worked until the sun had set.My lungs burn but the progress is paying off quickly.I can already stand on water.The night had me worried though,as of now I'm technically homeless.The baron lent me a tent and bedroll,I promised myself that I would repay him for his generosity.I would also be remiss to not commend Mr. Speedwagon on his cooking prowess when it comes to an open fire."

That was true,whenever speedy and he had gone on camping trips they always ate like kings.Mother and himself were always better with a proper oven though.He flipped the page to find a face he recognized instantly.If the bushy eyebrows and long waves of flowing hair didn't make it clear,the jagged scar snaking across his face was a dead giveaway.He was much younger though,the subtle wrinkles of a man gracefully aged to forty not yet present.There was so much life in his eyes and his smile even seemed a little brighter.Had Jonathan exaggerated that or was it just that he was older now?Regardless,he appeared quite the dashing man in his twenties.A perfectly poised bowler hat with a suit to match and gardenia tucked handsomely into his lapel.

"The baron requested I wear more appropriate clothing for hamon training,I fear it will make me seem less of a gentleman but I understand that five layers of shirts is not the most appropriate clothing for such intense work."

At that George almost spit on the paper from the air escaping his pursed lips.

'Five shirts!How did father breathe?Let alone not drop dead on the spot from heat stroke.'

Poor fashion choices,yet another thing to add to his mental list of Jonathan's attributes.Though he was quite curious of what a man of his father's stature and build would actually look like in five shirts.God,now all George could imagine was his father walking through the door from a long day of work contentedly with his five shirts on.

Regardless of that,he pressed on.

"Today I learned how to suspend objects,He had me hold a wine glass and tip it upside down while I kept it from leaving its container.I later repeated the trick with a shot of Mr. Speedwagon's whiskey he encouraged me to down it for good luck.I need my rest so I told him I would another night.Maybe we can all visit a pub together when this is all over and our lives are no longer in danger."

George took one more look back at the sketch before closing the book and carefully putting it back in the chest and stashing it back underneath his bed.

The rains stopped sometime during the night and now the earth was teeming with life.Even the teens of the house were ready to see the sun again.So they did,as soon as the sun has risen a reasonable amount they were out in the fields.Lazily splaying themselves across the big rock by the creek.

"This may seem like a bizarre question...but may I braid your hair?"

He paused and sat up."...I guess you can.I'll warn you though,it can be quite the tangled mess."

"Nothing I can't handle."She stated,looking around the landscape.She perked up and her excitement was immediately palpable"Oh I just got the best idea!Give me a few seconds."

He heard her slip down from the rock and that always recognizable crackling.She rushed back up the boulder a moment later.He jumped as her fingers sifted through his hair and the tips of his ears burned.She was careful and meticulous.Her hands gently weaving together his long,wild hair.Every so often he'd feel something being placed into the mass She hummed a quiet and soothing melody. her fingers gently held the locs in place and shifted her hand to untie the cobalt blue ribbon the held her's up in a style reminiscent of her father's.She let the strands fall to her shoulders as she carefully tied it in a charming bow.

"Done."She chimed.

He hopped off the rock and trotted over to the water.He brushed the braid over his shoulder to get a better look.The hair itself was just styled into a simple fishtail braid but what was woven into it had him surprised.A line of daisies were set in the middle with bluebells and tiny ferns poking out from either side of the daisy line.The He whipped his head back to see her casual smirk.

"This is amazing!Elizabeth,you're amazing!"He stood back on the rock and swung his arms around her in a tight embrace."Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank yo-!"the last word was cut off as she wrapped her arms around him in return,letting hamon flow as she lifted him up off the ground.

"It's nothing really!"She spoke cheerily,it sounded honest.

They felt their center of gravity shift,Elisabeth's balance slipped and they began to tumble back,hitting the ground with an ominous thud.Luckily no bones were broken and they just giggled to themselves,arms still interlocked in an embrace.That was when Realization if the situation hit George like whole wall of bricks,his heartbeat surged in his chest and his body stiffened.Elizabeth's soft smile hardened with worry.

"Is everything alright?"

He forced his shoulders to loosen."Yes."He lied.The telltale rabbit-paced beating of is heart gave it away but she didn't care to mention it.She simply rolled off his chest and laid face up in the grass.

"If you say so."Her voice sounded eerily distant.

(Author's note:Yeahhhhh...so this is the chapter where I learned I really like write emotionally charged dancing scenes and then proceeded to write a few more in the next couple of chapters so I'm sorry in it gets repetitive.Anyways I had a lot of fun with this chapter and I hope you had fun reading it.As always I hope you have a good few days/nights since won't be posting for a couple of days.)