forum One-on-one (Closed, stalkers welcome)

Started June 04, 2019 by @Periwinkle_

tune

Theo blinker, staring at his painting. "What do you mean?

"The way you used the colors makes it seem like you associate colors with more than just a few basic emotions, you know? Like you have a color for every word you were trying to say." She stepped closer, reaching out towards the painting but not touching it. "It's beautiful, really."

"Uh… Well thank you. Thank you so much." He set a protective hand on the painting. "I've got some others, if you want. This one's older."

"That'd be awesome," she replied as she shuffled over to where the other painting was. They spent a good few hours examining paintings and all that, until Piper had seen at least half of the ones in the room. For each one, she had something different to say; Theo was very good at being original. Eventually, though, the subject of conversation shifted to his mother, who was in the hospital.

"Didn't you say you went to see her today?" She asked, hopping up on a sturdy wooden table.

Theo was just rearranging the cover on the last painting, careful to hide the fact there was only one painting he hadn't shown Piper.
"I did, yeah," he answered quietly.

She nodded. “So how is she? I mean is she doing okay?” She didn’t really know him, but she felt like she did. And she definitely felt like she didn’t want to hurt his feelings, so she friends to be careful not to be harsh.

"Good!" he said with sudden brightness. "She's getting better!"
That was a lie. She was getting worse.
"They say she might be able to come home soon, even."
What was he doing?

Piper noticed a slight coldness to his voice, and she could tell that he was lying. She didn't reply immediately, she just hopped down and went over to hug him. "It'll be okay. And you don't have to lie to me."

He stiffened in the hug. She could read him— he hadn't expected that. When was the last time anyone had made the effort of looking past the smiles?
Eventually, though, he relaxed, returning the hug tightly. "Okay."

She smiled at the feeling of his head on her shoulder and his arms around her waist. What was she doing? She didn’t even know this guy. But something in her told her not to stop.

He waited a second before ever so gently pulling away from Piper. "You've seen my workshop." Save for one. "Now, Piper, your turn," Theo told her quietly.

She looked up at him, feeling a bit empty after letting go. Maybe she just really liked hugs. “What do you mean? My turn for what?”

"You know a hell of a lot about me, Piper. So it's our turn," he told her cheekily, fighting for lightness in his tone.

She life’s her head a bit, pretending that she forgot about how upset he was about his mother. “Ah, I see. Well, honestly there isn’t much to know. I write, I draw, I do embroidery,” she began to list things off. “I guess it just depends on what you want to know.”

"Multitalented gal. How about your family?" Theo asked her, moving over to sit back done on the table.

“Again, there isn’t really much to know,” she said with a wave of her hands. “Two parents and a turtle. All of whom live in the US, back home.”

Theo brightened. "I like turtles! Easy to take care of. Dogs, however, are much more of a handful. We have to give mine away when my mom moved into the hospital and me here."

“Aw, that’s too bad,” she shook her head. “But yeah, turtles are great. I’ve had mine for six years now, and he’s super chill.”

Theo chuckled. "I'm sure. So… you want to head somewhere else?"

She hadn't really planned on staying with him that long. Actually, she was planning on just stopping by, then going home. But she was having so much fun, she really didn't want to stop talking to him. "Sure, I guess. Where do you want to go?"

He thought about, narrowing his eyes. "There are a couple coffee shops around, or some restaurants if we walk a little further down. It's a little early for dinner, mind you. We could try the movies, there's that new Springsteen movie? Or the park? Or…"

She held her hand up. "The movies sounds cool. Wanna do that?"

"Yeah, let's! What movie?" he asked, grabbing a coat from a box beneath the table they were sat on.

"Didn't you say something about the new Springsteen movie? Never heard of it, but I have no better ideas," she replied with a laugh. Then she headed out the door to go downstairs and get her jacket. "Isn't it supposed to rain today?"

"Yeah, which is all the better for being locked in the cinema. The movie's called Blinded by the Light. Shall we walk?"
They stood in front of the door, and Theo pulled out his keys.