The Bouncer And The Librarian

4

Peaches And Skittles

Dalia looked at the baskets in mild surprise, then back up at the man. She hesitated a moment, looking about her, then back at him as she thought it all over. "Well, I..." She sighed and relented, placing her things in the baskets. "I just live a good distance from here. I don't want to be a burden." Dalia clasped her hands in front of herself, feeling weird and awkward. She looked up at him sheepishly. "I feel bad for dragging you into my crazy mixed up life." She reached into her back pocket and held up the bag of skittles. "Could I offer you something in return? It's a long walk."

The large man shook his head. "You bought those for yourself. Just....focus on being safe." Literally every time he saw her, she was in the midst of a fall or preceding one. Just knowing she could make it a block without being sent flying would suffice. He hefted his own groceries over one shoulder and waited patiently for her to lead the way. "If this is too awkward or you feel uneasy at any time, I will go."

The woman laughed softly and shrugged. "I don't mind sharing. If you don't like these candies, then I won't push it further. But I really would like to give you some." She smiled up at the man. "Really the only awkwardness I'm feeling is because of myself. I can't believe I have been inconveniencing you since the first time we met. You're so nice and I keep causing you trouble."

 Dalia opened the bag of candy and dropped a few into her palm. She then held one between her fingers and held it up as they walked. "Take one?" She figured he didn't have hands to take it, and she didn't mind feeding someone else. It didn't even occur to her that another person would feel uncomfortable with this.

Inwardly, Balroy decided that he would just take the candy. The problem was, the man was truly laden like an ox. His own groceries, he would have been able to balance without trouble. With the little woman's load as well, there was no way he could feasibly take a single thing more with his hands. That said, he went through a series of small movements as his body tried to figure that out. First, his left arm-noodle crates. Then, his right-four bags of meat and a basket. When it dawned on him she had realized this first and was still holding the treat out without hesitation, he stared at the librarian and slowly, awkwardly, parted his mouth to take it.

Dalia tried walking backwards on her tiptoes a few steps before giggling when she nearly reached his mouth and missed. The woman stopped in front of him, placed four skittles in her palm, and pinched two. She stood on her toes and placed them in his mouth. She didn't mind it when her fingers brushed his lips. The woman kept walking, placing a few skittles in her own mouth with the same fingers.

When she had been up close like that, Balroy scented the sweetness of the candy, but also something else that was sweet. Her scented hand lotion of peaches and cream. Dalia looked up at the man with amusement and carefree joy. "That was fun. Want some more?"

The first attempt flopped. He wondered if she was just fucking with him as the candy tipped against his bottom lip and fell. He slowed, as-even if she was-this woman doing something while walking any direction but forwards seemed a poor plan. His stride lurched to a halt as she smoothly became a tiny, impassable barrier on the sidewalk.
How long had it been since he had something sweet? The sensation was magnified, not only by the artificial taste of fruit on his tongue, but the scent that did not match up. He knew that it belonged to her the moment it entered his nostrils, as the candy was fake and coated in a shell that dimmed its vibrancy. The scent of peaches was fresh. The brush over his lips bade him run his tongue after it, but he shook off the sensation with a nibble instead.

Balroy crunched the candy silently as he followed once more. When offered another, he shook his head. "I'm okay." The whole situation was just strange. When he noticed they had yet to turn from the route he usually took home, he glanced at the girl to double check she was still the one leading.

Dalia was walking just a few steps ahead of him, humming merrily. After two minutes of companionable silence, the woman looked up at him. "Balroy, what do you do for a living?"

"Bouncer," the man grunted. "At the Seabreeze." Balroy looked the girl over. "How does someone like you pick working in a library?"

Her features lit up. "Oh I love to read, and I love books! So I figured my second job could be at the library. I didn't have any prior experience, so I was nervous about it. I find it lucky that Mr. Meers hired me, though it is sort of creepy that he hired me because of my gender. I was apparently the only woman out of five applicants for the position. He's a jerk who surrounds himself with women, but I really love the work and I don't see him every shift, so I'm okay with it." Dalia smiled, then looked up at him. "Why did you decide to be a bouncer?"

The bouncer glanced at the girl as her words brightened, then dimmed, then brightened again. She was a weird one, but in a charming way. "Because when people are handsy with me, I am good at making them regret it. And I fill doorways." He shrugged. "It pays enough."

"Well you certainly are large enough," Dalia said with a shrug. "And I can see you being able to handle your own." She smiled up at him once more. "Y'know, I might stop by sometime to see what the club is like."

Balroy glanced at her with an eyebrow slightly raised. "Are you sure you're old enough to drink? I've seen bar stools taller than you." It might have been a joke.

Dalia stopped two steps ahead of him and turned halfway to face the man. The woman stood before him, her finger poking into his chest as she spoke, though her tone lacked serious bite. "I'll have you know I am twenty four years old. Don't you know it's rude to ask after a woman's age?" She poked his chest again, blue eyes remaining locked onto his. "And I can't help how tall I am. Blame my mother. The women in my family are small and petite and the men shoot up like bean stalks."

She crossed her arms and pouted. "My brother is a whole head taller than I am." She mumbled the next part, though Balroy could still hear the pouting woman's words. "He calls me a munchkin." Dalia looked up at the man once more and harrumphed, but there was no sign of actual upset or offense on her lovely features. "Now you treat me like a lady, or I'll have to teach you a lesson." Confident her point had been made, and still in a cheery mood, Dalia smiled and popped some skittles in her mouth. She began walking merrily again, happy as can be.

Balroy's brow furrowed at the poke to the chest, but eased as Dalia talked and talked and talked. She was just a small thing with a big set of lungs. She wasn't going to try her luck at hitting him anytime soon. Like a kitten with claws. A loud one. When she finally walked on again, the large man followed. Every one of his steps accounted for three of hers, but her stride was much quicker and it evened out. "Does that lesson mean no more candy? Shame." They still had yet to divert from his usual path home.

"What kind of person would I be to deprive someone of candy?" Dalia asked before turning and standing on tiptoes once more to offer the man another two skittles. Here, her eyes were able to meet his once more. "The lesson would include the manner in which to speak to a lady, Sir." Dalia's lips pulled into smile. "But you've been so nice to me so far. So I might let it slide." The woman's cheery kindness and outward personality could and often did get mistaken for flirtation. But her eyes were kind and her body language did not read of a flirtatious nature. "I really am grateful, Balroy. You're very kind. I would be so lucky to have a friend like you."