The Air That I Breathe

[Runa]

It was late at night, out at the park, and not many souls stirred throughout the scene. Most were leaving now after dates that had gone well, some that had taken a turn for the worst, too.
Rodney sat on the ground, digging through the soft sand idly with her fingertips out of boredom, looking up and around at the people now clearing away from the park. She bit her lip, watching the couples' happy faces, seeing them exchange kisses of affection, holding hands..
Rod then got up and walked away to the nearby pond, sitting down at the edge instead. Seeing such affection like that.. it was unbearable. She knew that she'd never be able to experience anything like that, so why put up with it?
'Stupid,' she muttered under her breath, poking the pond with a stick.

[Truth]

She knew it was silly to be so enthralled with the night like this, especially when she was petrified of the dark. But there was something magical about the way the stars winked from the dark canvas above, the moon grinning slyly like a sideways cat. The air was cooler, crisp and filled with a sort of electricity. She took a deep breath, smiling to herself, olive eyes fixed on the painted sky.
She knew where she was going, though for what reason she was unsure. She just felt like getting out... getting away for a night. And though normally she would have been put off by the walk, at the moment she was content to put one foot in front of the other, the lonely rhythm of her footsteps matching that of her heartbeat. The park looked deserted, no more children laughing as they played cops and robbers, no more couples sitting on the thick oak benches, no more dazzling sun and long shadows... it was a completely different reality at night.
A small breeze ruffled her hair amber hair, shadows slithering through the moonbeams, small whispers of their movements blending with the gentle rustle of leaves. She wandered over to the abandoned swing set, settling herself in the worn rubber seat. She kicked lightly at the ground, swaying gently forward and backward, chains groaning in protest.
She was a little disappointed that there was nobody here... she had hoped maybe for a bit of adventure. Laughing chidingly at herself, she let her gaze roam the park. It really was a nice little space- she caught her breath,noticing that the area may not have been as deserted as she'd thought... a figure huddled near the pond's edge.
The girl tilted her head slightly to the side, debating whether or not it was wise to approach a stranger at night. "Probably not..." she thought, "with my luck I'll end up getting stabbed by a hobo or something." She grimaced, hopping lightly off the swing and squatting at the edge of the tiny playground, watching with wide eyes. They didn't look dangerous... though shyness was getting the better of her.
She would content herself with observing for now. If it wasn't a hobo, she'd make her presence more well-known... that is, if she hadn't already. It wasn't exactly like she was sneaking around.

[Runa]

Feeling eyes digging into the back of her neck like a drill, Rodney turned, and her eyes fell upon a girl, huddled by the lonely swing set not too far off. But.. it wasn't just any girl; it was the most beautiful girl Rod had ever seen, and she'd seen a lot of girls.
She went to say something, but her voice seemed to catch in the back of her throat, so she remained silent, just gazing at the girl, feeling a light blush covering her cheeks and nose. Finally, she spoke.
"Uh.. h-..h-hi there," she said, a bit too loudly, her heart failing slightly, before she turned away out of embarrassment, brushing her dark brown hair over her face, looking instead down at the pond, where her own pale reflection looked up at her.
'Fuck,' she thought, grabbing a nearby stone and pegging it into the water, 'great fucking job, Rodney.'

[Truth]

The girl felt her cheeks heat up under the gaze of the stranger... she'd been caught staring, of course. She flicked herself lightly on the wrist, making a mental note that it was probably really creepy to be staring at people during the night somewhere that's hardly occupied.
She was curious though, and they had said hello, though they seemed to regret the decision almost instantly. She sighed quietly to herself in defeat; the first person to approach her and already it seemed to her that they wished they hadn't. But it was too late now, and she was going to make their aquaintance whether they wanted to or not, it was just too awkward to leave it where it was.
"Hey..." she replied shyly, rocking forward on her heels and standing back up, taking a few hesitant steps forward. The gentle crunch of gravel, then the soft padding of grass, and she was closer, standing back a bit. She tilted her head again, stuffing her hands nervously into her jean pockets, "Mind if I join you?"
The question seemed to roll off her tongue easily enough, but the effort behind it was almost herculean. She felt her heart flutter beneath her sweatshirt, hoping she wasn't just being a moron. 'Wouldn't be the first time...'

[Runa]

Rodney looked up, her eyes slightly hidden behind her hair, then smiled somewhat. She extended a hand, her heart somehow growing brave against her mind's anxiety and embarrassment.
"Sure thing," she said, her voice slightly cracked, but she was unable to tear her eyes away from the other; feeling her heartbeat increase rapidly by the second. 
"S-so, uh," she stammered, scratching the back of her neck idly. "You.. you come here often?"
'Idiot!' she thought, mentally pounding herself in the ribs. 'Any sentence in the world and you had to blurt out that one? Moron.'
She gulped, toying with a bit of her grey t-shirt with both hands, twisting it so hard her knuckles went white. 

[Truth]

Such blue eyes... they were mesmerizing. There was a moment's pause, and then she remembered that she was supposed to do something. She let out a soft nervous laugh, settling beside the other girl. She tore her eyes reluctantly from the other's, admiring the gentle ripples of the pond playing with the stars' reflections. It looked almost like they were dancing...
"Not usually in the dark-" Oh. That's right, it was dark. She remembered that she wasn't fond of the dark... but the moon seemed so bright tonight, and there was somebody beside her. She turned back to her company and smiled, still blushing lightly, eyes roving curiously over the features of the other.
"How about yourself? Oh and err, can I have a name?" she bit her lip self consciously, curling her knees to her chest. It certainly was nice meeting someone new, especially someone who seemed so... she didn't know what. There was something about her...

[Runa]

"I'm Rodney," Rod said, still watching the other, her heart practically pounding against her chest now. "My parents gave me the name because.. well, I am a hell of a tom boy," she added, looking up at the sky, leaning back on her forearms, chewing on her lip lightly. 
"You're not just a tom boy; you're a 'gay freak' as they like to call it," her mind taunted. Yes, this was true; her parents and family had turned against Rodney upon discovering her sexuality. 
Rod sat for a moment, her blue eyes wavering over the other girl's face, before she suddenly, as if upon instinct, grabbed her hand and placed it on her chest, above her pounding heart. 
"Can you feel that?" she muttered, looking away, her face now a dark crimson. "It's been hammering like that since I saw you. I.."
Rodney paused, still too embarrassed to look at the girl, though she reluctantly turned her head to face her; her pale face stricken with a dark blush and an expression of fear. 

[Truth]

She hadn't expected this. The frantic pounding of Rodney's heart beneath her palm made her own explode in her chest, beating hard against her ribs. She couldn't move, couldn't breathe. Eyes met and she felt as if everything around them had fallen away. Connected. In this moment, they were connected. Sophie took a sharp breath, finding her lungs once again.
"Rodney..." she mumbled sheepishly, trying the name for the first time, feeling the blood racing through her veins. What should she say? She had no clever response, no calculated answer for this. It was something purer than that, something she'd never experienced from anyone before. "I... I can feel it.."
Her free hand found its way to her own chest, cheeks flaming as she admired the subtle rhythmic waltz of their hearts, each taking on a pace of its own. She struggled to speak again, words failing her.
She was afraid, and she saw her own fear reflected in the eyes of the girl in front of her. What was this...? What did Rodney mean by it? She felt void of reason, nothing was making any sense... but she liked it. She felt... something amazing.
Whatever was happening, she was going to give it a chance.
"What...?" she started softly, unable to find a proper question, her hand still placed over Rodney's heart.

[Runa]

"What.. what?" Rodney tilted her head, watching Sophie with now-curious blue eyes. She released the girl's hand, looking down at the ground beneath her, covering her face with her hair.
"I.. I'm sorry, I don't know what I'm doing," she muttered, though her heart was aching for the other's touch once the contact had been broken. She scooted away a few feet, curling her knees up to her chest, hiding her face behind them, staring out at the pond; shivering, though it wasn't a cold night.
"I'm a freak, I know, I'm sorry," she said, her voice breaking. "You can beat me up now or run away screaming."

[Truth]

Heavy. Her chest was so heavy... the moment had gone, and she was left with her arm still slightly outstretched toward the girl in front of her, palm cold. Beat her up? Run away? What did Rodney think she was feeling? She gave a small frown, face paling with desperate pleading in her eyes.
"No... Rodney, that was... you're..." she trailed off, fumbling for the right words. Her head was spinning, heart still thumping loudly in her chest, the blood pounding in her ears. She never had been good at articulating.
Sophie took a deep breath, looking hard at Rodney. "You're not a freak. Not at all..." she sighed, almost a whine. Shuffling closer, she settled beside her company once more, legs almost touching. She wanted to wrap her arms around her, to bury her face in her shoulder... the internal struggle of whether or not to act upon her feelings was tearing her apart inside.
She'd always been cautious, calculating, giving everyone exactly what she knew they wanted. But... she couldn't lie to this girl, she couldn't be fake. There was just something so true about... about everything when she was with her.
Rodney
Rodney
Rodney
Why was that the only thing going through her mind?
Her heart won out, and Sophia felt herself fling her arms around the girl, hugging her tightly, lost in a confusing torrent of feelings. "It was wonderful... your heart.." she murmured into the teen's neck, feeling her blush creep up on her yet again, embarrassment tickling around the edges of her concern.
She just wanted to hold her. Why? She wasn't sure... she had only just met her.. but.. something about her.
There was something about her.

[Runa]

Rodney froze, feeling her whole face going a dark shade of crimson, but she didn't move. The feeling of closeness, just from this one moment, the connection.. it was so calming. She sighed, though it was out of relaxation rather than stress, and she turned her head, resting her forehead against the other girl's, closing her eyes.
"You know," Rodney began, "I wasn't able to catch your name.."
She stopped, inhaling the other's scent, feeling a slight shiver run up her spine. She then froze, realizing how creepy she was being, then continued anyway.
"And by the way.. you smell wonderful~"

[Truth]

She felt her heart burst and melt and stop and speed up all at the same time, eyes roving greedily over Rodney's face, absorbing every detail. She was absolutely gorgeous... the moonlight playing gently on her skin. She felt her ears burn a bit at her last comment, a self-conscious chuckle escaping her lips.
"Thank you...?" she replied, twisting the end into a small question. A strange compliment, one she would normally find just a touch creepy... but instead it made her grin uncontrollably. "You don't smell too bad yourself." 'Quite honestly, I'm intoxicated.' She wanted to say, but kept the thought to herself, content with simply grinning goofily.
"I'm Sophia, call me Sophie or Soph or something" she trilled happily, losing control of her emotions. Whatever, she could be happy around this girl, she wanted to be happy for her. And she was thrilled, just to even be holding her. Though she needed to remind herself not to just jabber away; something she tended to do when over excited.
Instead she bit her lip, keeping her hold and their closeness. "What are you doing out here this late?" she inquired, curiosity getting the better of her. She was hungry for any information about her, anything at all. She felt silly feeling so intensely about it, but that's just how it was. They were strangers, but not. They were so close somehow, and she wanted to get closer... rejection the only fear.

[Runa]

"Ahh, my parents.. we had a fight, though that's not unusual," Rodney replied, her face turning into an expression of angst and rage. She rubbed her face with her hand, grunting softly in annoyance.
"Bloody bastards," she sighed, turning to look instead at Sophia, turning her frown instead to a smile just by looking at her.
"But let's not talk about them," she muttered softly, taking the girl's hand and raising it to her lips. "I'd much rather talk to you, about you, anything about you."
Rodney pressed her lips to Sophia's palm, ever so slowly and tenderly, closing her eyes for impact.
"And what are you doing out here, my love?" she said softly, before going red again at her own words.
'Idiot!' her mind snarled. 'What the hell do you think you're doing?! Don't be a fucker!'
But Rodney wasn't listening; for now, she only had eyes for the girl sitting before her, still kissing tenderly up her arm now.

[Truth]

Sophia felt as if her face was on fire, she knew she must be bright red, which only made her feel more flustered. For a minute, she was completely lost for words, shivering slightly at the feel of lips pressing gently against her skin.
Underneath the ecstasy though, she felt anger boiling inside her chest. She didn't even know what the fight was about, but she hated it anyway, anything that would hurt her... that would make her look so pained. It was atrocious.
'I must be going crazy' she thought incredulously. Here she was, sitting in the park at night with somebody she just met, feeling as if she'd just discovered the center of her universe, wanting nothing more than to sit here with her for eternity and keep her safe in her arms.
And she'd been called "my love". Something about that caught her off guard. She felt weightless and confused, though rather pleasantly.
Sophie couldn't move again, she was entranced by the girl, watching her movements with gentle eyes. "I'm sorry..." she whined quietly, feeling bad for her question. But she would grant Rodney's request, she wouldn't dwell on it, whatever "it" was.
"I just..... wanted to get away" she laughed, almost a bit harshly, "I wanted to see the night." She felt herself shudder, remembering once more the lack of light. "It was a silly idea... I'm actually quite afraid of the dark... not to mention walking around alone in it."
Damn it was hard to concentrate on what she was saying. She was amazed anything at all had come out of her mouth. Though she seemed to be rambling a bit. She chewed lightly on her tongue, stopping herself from being downright annoying. However, she couldn't entirely stop herself.
"I never imagined... that I would find you..." again her face flamed brighter, casting her eyes shyly toward the pond.

[Runa]

Rodney smiled, breaking away from Sophia's arm, sitting and simply gazing at her with curious blue eyes.
"Afraid of the dark, huh?" she smirked, wrapping an arm around the other, grinning playfully at her. "Not to worry, I'll protect you from the knights of darkness!"
Rodney then got to her feet, unsheathing an invisible sword, pointing it across the pond.
"S'long as you stay with me, you've nothing to fear, m'lady!" Rodney chuckled, extending a hand to Sophia, smiling at her, her own blue eyes to green. Her smile receded slightly as she went over her words in her mind; 'I never imagined... that I would find you...'
"What do you mean by that, love?" questioned Rodney, tilting her head in a highly dog-like manner.

[Truth]

Sophie watched with wide smiling eyes as Rodney fended off invisible foes for her. She couldn't help but laugh, the action feeling fantastic. It had been a while since she'd really felt this good. She really did feel fearless with her. Weightless even.
'What a night' she cooed in her head, thoughts swimming with Rodney's brilliant smile. She came back to reality slowly, realizing that she'd been asked a question. Quickly her mind recounted what it was and she felt herself blush yet again. Of course she had to go and say something silly... it had been true, but she still felt silly. Why was she being so open tonight?
Her hands fiddled nervously with the edge of her shirt as she chewed on her bottom lip self-consciously. What was she supposed to say? What did she mean? She looked shyly up at the other girl, pulling one of her legs up and wrapping her arms around it comfortingly.
"I never imagined that I would find somebody who made me feel this way" she mumbled abashedly. 'Stupid. Why are you being so honest? Caution! Use your head, idiot. You're going to scare her away.'
"Someone I felt myself around. I haven't been myself in a long time..." 'There you go. Good job. Slight cover...' she wanted to shake her thoughts away. She was leaving out the part about how entranced she was by Rodney, how magical just watching her was. She never imagined that she would find someone she loved. This of course was the real answer, but fear tightened its claws around her quickly pulsing heart.
It was too late to turn back now, though. She knew that this girl would be all she would think about. She sighed sadly, becoming all too self-aware. She was afraid she would ruin everything. She was afraid she already had. 'Fuck it.'
"No... I'm sorry. That's not it... I.. I never imagined that I would find someone I wanted to be with more than anything else."
There it was, directly from her heart. She felt heavy again, turning her eyes toward the stars, avoiding the gaze of her company carefully.
'Fuck.'

[Runa]

Rodney flushed a dark crimson, her eyes widening slightly, though it wasn't out of fear; it was out of astonishment.
"You.. y-you want to be.. w-with me?" she stammered, raising a hand to rub the back of her neck; it often tensed when she was nervous. She wasn't used to this, to kindness, to be wanted..
"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude or anything," she added quickly, "but.. gosh."
Rodney sank to her knees, sitting down beside Sophia, looking at her with a serious expression; fear mixed with curiosity and.. was it affection?
"But.. " she went on, her words rambling out of her mind's control now, "if we're being honest here, I.. I never thought that I could ever meet someone like you.. I know it's sudden and all that, but.. I really like you, and.. want to be with you as long as you want me."
'Wow, nice job.' Her mind began to taunt her again. 'Way to be subtle, yeah. Idiot!'

[Truth]

The girl kept her eyes on the stars and tried hard not to smile, biting hard on her lip. 'You're being fucking ridiculous you know' she scolded herself, letting out a nervous sigh. Sophie slowly dragged her eyes toward Rodney, feeling her face heat up as she looked into her eyes.
Honesty. That was something she hadn't gotten in a long while... she felt her heart ache slightly. This was definitely something she wanted... this girl.. she let her teeth dig harder into her lip. She took a shaky breath, unprepared for any of this, but wanting it more than she'd ever wanted anything before.
"Rodney..." it felt good saying her name again, "I want you." 'Ohwow. That was awful' she felt her eyes tear away from Rodney's, focusing on the ground beneath her feet, swimming with embarrassment.
She let out a light wavering chuckle, lying down on her back and looking up at the glittering sky again. "I mean... we should give this a try. Give 'us' a try." Us. She never thought that word could be so beautiful.
She needed a different topic to cover her crazy lack of self control, and felt her mind kick into overdrive trying to think of something to say. She was never good at talking. Sophie traced a pattern in the sky, "Orion" she said simply, "He's my favourite constellation." 'And how on earth is that supposed to make this conversation better...?' She felt her lips curl into a slight smile despite herself.

((Seriously not one of my better posts. My mind's going crazy at the moment I'm sorry D| Feel free to kick me if it's too awful and I'll try and fix it somehow))

[Runa]

Rodney blinked once, then twice, then smiled weakly, looking down at Sophia before moving closer to her, settling down beside her, laying on her back.
"Y'know," she said softly, turning onto her side to face the other, taking her hand into her own, "when you said that.. I think my heart exploded."
She chuckled softly, looking away shyly, tenderly kissing across Soph's knuckles to distract herself.
"And," Rodney continued, still smiling, "in answer to your statement.. I'd like to give us a try too."
Sweet, sweet relief, just after saying a few words, though they seemed to be the hardest words Rodney had ever had to utter. But now.. it was tranquil peace, just laying there beside Sophia.

Struck with a sudden thought, Rodney sat up slowly, looking down at Sophia, her blue eyes curious, yet somewhat afraid.
'Okay, you're not a fucker; I mean, she likes you, and boy do you like her,' her mind smirked. 'Why don't you thank her properly?'
Properly? Oh.. Rodney flushed at her mind's infatuation, messing her dark hair deliberately to try to knock the thought from her mind, but it lingered like an annoying insect..
Now that she thought about it.. it wouldn't be so bad to have a kiss..

[Truth]

Shophie felt herself shiver lightly at Rodney's lips on her knuckles, heart skipping sporadically in her chest. So she would get a chance....? Gawd, she was just so happy right now, she felt so light and free and just... all around wonderful. She didn't even have a proper reply, she was speechless.
She felt like lying there forever, her hand curled inside of Rodney's. It was so warm next to her. And so very lovely to just know she had someone next to her who wanted to be there. Someone who she wanted there.
She watched as Rodney sat up, feeling somewhat cold where she'd been close before. The girl was staring at her strangely, and she couldn't quite make out the emotion playing in her eyes. She chewed on her lip as she ruffled her hair. What on earth was going through her head...?
She leaned up on her elbows, giving a curious frown at the beauty, "What are you thinking?" Had she done something wrong already...? 'Wouldn't doubt it.'

[Runa]

"I.. I was just thinking," Rodney said, her mind coaxing her forward with her words, "that.. I ought to thank you properly for your kindness toward me.."
Her face flushed a dark crimson at her words, and she turned her gaze to the ground, brushing her hair over her face before twisting her shirt between her hands roughly.
"And.. I thought the best way to do that.. well, since there's going to be an 'us' now.. would be with a.. k-k-k-k.. k-kiss..?" she added, twisting the end of it into a question, her face turning even redder.
She gulped anxiously, dreading the answer, and continued to look away, her knuckles going white from twisting her shirt too hard.

[Truth]

Normally, a situation like this would have terrified Sophie. And it did a little... but mostly she was simply shocked. She felt her blush match Rodney's, her eyes locked on the figure of the other girl, widened with genuine surprise.
She looked so nervous...... it was almost too much for her to handle. She felt like holding her, whispering comfort in her ear. Instead she stayed perfectly still, forgetting to breathe for a moment, the blood rushing in her ears. Tilting her head toward Rod, she struggled with her voice, finally remembering her breath.
"You... you want to kiss.. me?" It wasn't exactly a question, and she felt herself sitting up more, leaning toward the girl. Her hand found its way to that tousled brown hair, brushing it gently away from the face, a completely unconscious action, and she felt a jolt in her heart when she realized how bold she was being. But she didn't want to stop herself this time.
Her fingers curled lightly around the back of Rodney's neck, pulling her head up so she could look her in the eyes. What beautiful eyes... there was a pause, a moment in time when she was lost in them. She didn't want to force her new-found companion into anything, so she simply sat and watched, feeling the heat of her cheeks, and the softness of the skin beneath her palm.
"I think... I'd rather like that" she whispered shyly, keeping still, eyes still locked onto the girl's in front of her.

[Runa]

Rodney stared, feeling her cheeks redden by the second, almost fainting into Sophia's touch. It was astounding, that someone she already liked, well more than liked, actually liked her in return. She could feel her heart beating hard and rapidly into her chest, as if it were bursting to break free and roll into Sophia's hands..
"I-I-I-I.. y-y-y-you.. erm.. " Rodney stammered, a bad habit she had when she was either in great fear, or severely shy and embarrassed. "Y-y-y-y-you.. you'd like that?" she finally asked, her voice somewhat breaking as she spoke, turning to a mere whisper.
Somehow, her heart seemed to grow braver, bolder, and Rodney leaned closer, almost brushing her lips against the other's, breathing in her scent.. it was intoxicating.

[Truth]

It was so hard to resist simply taking her lips at that very moment, watching her stutter and blush. There was something beautiful about it. She could have sworn she heard her heart beating...
A small sigh escaped Sophia's lips; one of pure bliss and longing. She felt her eyes close slightly as Rodney's lips drew closer to hers. Truthfully; she'd never seriously kissed anyone before.
She'd never had any sort of relationship... how she was managing to be so comfortable with this was astonishing her. Yes, she was flustered beyond belief, but her heart was egging her on, pulling her forward as if attracted by some unknown force to the girl who was so close.
"I-I would" she breathed, feeling the heat roll off of herself, mingling with the warmth of the body next to her. She leaned forward just slightly, urging her on.
Her eyes fluttered over Rod's face delicately, taking in her expression, her eyes, her nose, her lips, everything about her, feeling her heart beat fiercely as she did so.

[Runa]

Before she knew what she was doing, Rodney was kissing Sophia, tenderly, gently, meaningfully kissing her. She raised her hands to run them through her soft hair, entangling them for something to hold onto as she continued into the passionate moment. It seemed as if there were fireworks, it felt so good, so right..
She emitted a soft purr from the back of her throat, trying to keep their lips connected, her eyes closing in purr bliss, while the cogs within her brain whirred.
'You love her.' This was the truth..

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