Fiona walks off the ferry with Vincent hand in hand. she'd kept the conversation light for the coffee shop and ferry ride in front of the masses but now she looked at him a little intensely "How about a walk in the park?" She was asking with purpose.
Vincent was quiet and still a little sullen throughout the afternoon. But he felt a little more in his zone getting off the ferry on Alexandra. "Yea. That sounds like a good idea." he agrees and swings her hand a little.
Fiona calmly leads him to the large park behind the cop shop and gently steers him to a bench. She's been observing her mother trying to deal with her father's temperament for years and one thing she's seen work is her mother plunking down in her father's lap to lay down the law on things. Like mother, like daughter, Fiona eases herself into Vincent's lap. He's on the skinny side, but she also knows he's no wimp and he can handle it. "Minstrel, we need to chat." She says sweetly.
Vincent barely notices the walk, which does nothing or his temper, which he has been holding onto with both hands for a couple of hours now. He sits and Fiona puts herself in his lap, which does wonders right there. He places a hand on her back. "Sure, what's up, Boss?" he wonders, still clueless.
Fiona sighs and runs her fingers through the hair on one side of Vincent's head "You're aware that I'm like crazy about you right?" She asks this like she thinks he might not be.
The words snap Vincent instantly into the hear and now and he nods ... albeit a little slowly. "Yea ... I mean ... Yea. I know that, Fiona. He looks up at her, now wondering where all this is coming from. Had he flirted with that Ase chick and not realized it?
Fiona smiles and nods "OK step one. Step two...I'm VERY monogamous, as I'm hoping you are too. I don't share well, so I get it....but part of my being crazy about you means I'm not going to run off with some Norway boy who offers us cookies. And I think he was just being nice...to BOTH of us. Can we talk about that? Which would be...."she holds up three fingers "Step three." She stage whispers with a little grin.
Vincent beams. It's like sunshine beating back the oncoming darkness. But the mention of Loki makes him sigh. "Fuckin rich ....." he grumbles and sighs. Taking her three fingers he kisses them. "I ... MIGHT .. have gotten a little ... I dunno ...." he snorts and shrugs. "Fuckin show-off."
Fiona looks mildly frustrated by his grumblings and softens when he kisses her fingers "Vincent. It was totally harmless. They were trying to be nice. So what if they're weird and rich? I don't care one way or the other about stuff like that so it's not going to be a factor anyone can impress me with."
Vincent sighs and rests his head on her shoulder, not really looking at her. "I don't know, Fi." he grumbles. "It's ... pride." he sighs. "I know it isn't impressive to you .. it's just ..." he sounds frustrated.
Fiona leans the side of her face on his head, hugging him to her a bit and then letting her hand moves to the back of his neck. lightly massaging where the base of the neck meets the top of the back "It's just what?" she prods gently, her voice soft like when she's singing.
Vincent leans into the mini massage. For a moment it may seem like he won't answer. But finally it comes out in a low, almost whisper, as if the whole town will hear him otherwise. "My mother left me a lot of money ... well .. a lot for a 12 year old. And I am very good at NOT spending it, but ..." he sighs. "A lot of my playing on the street is to try and keep even, because ...." he closes his eyes and swallows hard. This is hard for him, even with Fiona.
Fiona doesn't prod again but just waits patiently, letting him say more when he's ready. She keeps massaging his neck and turns and brushes her lips on the side of his forehead and then just leans back slightly so her breath is warming the same spot on every exhale, just quietly.
Vincent gathers up the courage, feeling a sort of warm affection washing over him. "Fiona ... my Dad doesn't know it .. but when he's short on the rent, I put the money in the envelope and let him think he just can't count cash right." he looks at the grass under his feet. "Sometimes it's five .. sometimes its two hundred ... but its always something. And if he knew I'd be lucky if all he broke was my hands."
Fiona exhales "Vincent, you have GOT to get out of there! He'd hurt you for making sure you guys DON'T get evicted? God he's messed up." She hugs him again "I'm sorry. I know I take a lot for granted with my parents. I'm sorry if that makes me seem clueless......well I guess in a lot of ways I am. But I'm here for you."
Vincent hugs her back. "Italian pride. Believe me ... its fucked up." he sighs. "I'm working on it. Aunt Darcy is looking for a place and I told her if she wanted me ... and she does ... I can move the same time she does. Hell everything I own, except Igor and my lyre can fit in my army duffel." he lifts his arm. "You're dating one dirt poor man, Boss." he isn't even thinking of royalties.
Fiona laughs a bit "Vincent, I like you for you. I don't care if you live in a box and wear a potato sack...well as long as you shower and wash said potato sack so we can still make out and enjoy it." She qualifies a bit. "But I hope you do get to move in with Darcy because it will make you safe and happy and that's the important part."
Vincent manages a chuckle. "I am not THAT broke. SO yes. And for you I will even cough up the extra for scented dryer sheets." he hugs her. "She really seems to want this, and I do ... which is why I figger if she moves and I just sort of move in ... I'll have a foot in the door to being her foster kid."
Fiona looks at him thoughtfully "I have no idea how any of that works, but that sounds logical. I look forward to getting to know Darcy a bit better though."
Vincent looks up and smiles. "She's looking forward to meeting you, too." he pauses. "Once I move in, I bet I can invite you to dinner. If you want... Maybe with your parents?" he understands completely her fathers comments about Fiona never visiting him.
Fiona can't help but laugh "That sounds very formal, but OK sure."
Vincent chuckles. "Well ... maybe I am an old fashioned guy." he considers that. "Except I do housework." he looks up at her.
Fiona ruffles a bit "Yes, because that's women's work? If I tell you I do mostly yard work and home repairs as chores and build stuff with my Dad will you think me manish?" She teases.
Vincent shakes his head. "Are you CRAZY?" he demands to know. "One wrong move with a hammer or a wrench and ... my hands!" he holds them protectively close to himself, but with his arms around Fiona, he pulls her closer. "And ... yea ... spiders. When you see me see a spider, you will wonder which of us is the woman."
Fiona rolls her eyes and laughs "Yup...we'll baby those talented fingers. See? It's a good thing you met a girl who can use power tools. Don't tell Owen about the spiders, ever. He....LOVES...them. I don't mind them but he just thinks they're the coolest. He has a tarantula for awhile. It got away and we didn't see it when we were packing. The new owners of our old house might get a hell of a shock one day. I don't know how long they live....."
At first, Vincent moans a little at the mention of power tools, but as Fiona continues he pales. "In .... your old house ... the .. the one I was just IN?" he can't handle a daddy longlegs, never mind something fiercer.
Fiona tries not to smile "Yes. It might be dead though. I mean it would have to find it's own food since it got out of the aquarium thing. I think Seamus and Owen were leaving stuff out for it though, trying to catch it again. Made their room have this...smell...anyhow we moved...or should be mostly in now."
Vincent nods. "But .... it's not ... in the house? I mean the new one ... right?" he closes his eyes and desperately tries to man up. Finally he opens them and looks at her. "Please be fucking with me, Fiona?"
Fiona blushes and giggles "Mmmm no, but when you say it like that so distracting." She's teasing on a different topic. "Vincent relax. We couldn't find it. It's probably dead. In fact Owen's been talking about some kind of funeral for Sebastian since he's been gone so long."
Vincent blink, realizes what he said and blushes. "No! NO! Not till we're married!" he protests, but quickly calms. "Funeral ... funerals for ... big .. ass .. hairy .. spiders ... yea ... yea ... I'll ... I'll send flowers."
Fiona is almost in hysterics now and hugs Vincent so her face is beside his and he can't see her mouth "Married?" with a look that combines aww that's sweet and holy crap is he serious? Married? She clears her throat and focuses on the spider topic "Remember Aragog from Harry Potter? It's nothing like that. But a funeral for a spider...you know...anyways. Are you breathing?"
Vincent was doing fine until he heard the word "Aragog." Then he all but melts in her arms. "Yea ... I .. kind .. of .. fast forwarded through that part of the movie....." he confesses. "And yes ... I am breathing .... of course. I should get you home." he proclaims. Now that he knows the spider didn't make the move, he is more confident.
Fiona grins "You don't need to get me home but since I'm on the way to you, I'll walk you almost home, spider free I promise." She stands up carefully, extracting herself from his lap "And back to the beginning of the conversation, Vincent, if you ever feel the way you did this morning after shops, please remember step 1." She reaches for his hand "I......am crazy about you, and only you, for who you are."
Vincent chuckles. "Fair enough." he agrees and stands after her. "I will remember Step One." he takes her hand. "So goes both ways." he leans in to kiss her before they begin to walk, maybe even with his arm around her.
Fiona sighs happily and kisses him back before they walk all snuggled together to her new, and hopefully, spider free house. Wherever Sebastian is now, Fiona hopes it's a good place, far from her sweet skittish Vincent.
No comments:
Post a Comment