Blooming between Stones

Spare Moments

Finding him wrapped up in one of the millers' daughters' arms was normal at this point. She hardly even batts an eyelash when she comes across them on her was to the autumn market. Peddlers from other countries would come to through their mountain pass and stop for some business before heading off down to the main capital.

She's too busy to care about the way that girl is gigging at whatever Kai's whispered to her, or how ridiculously close she's gotten to him as he leans against the bakery's back wall, letting her into his space. She's much too busy to wonder at the odd pull in her guts when he bends down and kisses the girl - Sandra, Stella? Whatever her name was. And she's much, much too busy to get annoyed that he's doing this sort of thing in a near public place.

He makes it worse of course he does, when his eyes flicker up from the girl he's kissing and catches her fleeting glace as she walks past, trying to make it seem like she wasn't hurrying because of him. Market day - it's market day she reminds herself. Then he has the audacity to pull away, mid activity - she grimaces - and grins up at her.

"Heya Kid, where you headed!?" He calls, completely at ease, as if he wasn't doing a thing with the girl now turning confused, disoriented, then suspicious, eyes at her.

Wonderful, give the girls of this village something else to gossip about her. She will not thank him for that.

"I'm busy. Carry on!" She says, hoping she doesn't sound as annoyed as she feels.

He laughs, the idiot - and pushes past Sally, Sara? "Need help, I can - "

She shakes her head and bacs away. "No, I'm - I've got - " Her eyes roam the area in fleeting desperation - no one is there to save her. Drat it all. She sighs and he grins.

"Come on, I'll buy you something sweet when we get there," He promises, hands sliding into his pockets as he leans closer, she huffs out, making her stray strands of hair flutter out and his eyes spark in mischievous amusement and he reaches a hand for her loos tendrils.

She swallows down her surprise when he rubs the straw colored strands between his fingertips. Its almost like he's touched her directly and she doesn't know what to say to that because - the thing was - he has touched her directly, multiple times, it's almost ridiculous the amount of times he's encroached on her personal space and this should not - make her stomach flip the way it does. She sucks in her bottom lip and chews it in confusion at her uncomfortableness.

She notices his eyes flicker over her face with some stunned semblance of - what? What's that strange look for?

"I can go on my own you know." She says quietly, clearing her throat - the girl he's ditched long since started seething behind him.

Kai's eyes flicker and he looks at her again. "I know, I just thought - "

"Kai, Kia where are you! Come on boy, we need to get the sheep in." Soto's gentle deep voice echoes from behind the cheese drying house and Kai grimaces.

"Ah – guess you'll have to go on your own after all Short Stick." He seems disappointed at that more than she was. "Back to work then. See you later. Don't' get lost or something."

She scoffs at him and rolls her eyes. "Have fun."

He flashes her an annoyed look, previous traces of whatever was mutating his face was gone, slipping back into his normal infuriating self. Much to her relief.

He waves at her, smiles at the angry girl who promptly melts under it and forgets she's angry at all as he saunters off towards Soto's wagon.

Ainsley sighs and shakes her head, turning back towards the mountain trail downwards.