Sorry for the wait! Dang real life has been keeping me busy.

Vignette #8: Reading

Summary: Christopher decides Millie's far too interested in her book for her own good.

Summer days and summer vacation is grand, Mollie thinks. The day is mild and pleasant, with the sun shining just the right amount of warm and the breeze fluttering softly against her skin. In the midst of the beautiful weather, she's retired to the grounds of the castle, leaning back against a tree with a book propped on her knee.

While the Millie books will always be her passion, she has also, with prodding with friends from school, picked up on new stories. Her current one is Arabian Nights, which she stole from Christopher when he wasn't looking.

She's so enthralled in her reading, she doesn't notice a new figure approaching until a lanky shadow spreads over her. Glancing up, she smiles to see Christopher staring down at her, eyebrows set at a questioning angle on his head.

"You know there's a much cooler library inside to read, right?" He says, and she laughs. Of course he knows she grew up in such a warm climate, that this weather is nearly cool to her. However, when she looks closer at him, she sees fine beads of sweat gathering on his forehead.

She simply shrugs good-naturedly, and he sits down next to her. In retrospect, she should've known that this was simply a glib for her attention. She could practically feel him prickle as she decidedly ignores him for the events of the book.

It isn't like she means it personally. She's simply one of those who, when pulled into a story, can't escape for air until it's over.

After a moment, he seems to lose his patience, and asks, "What are you reading?"

She shows him the cover, trying hard not to grin when he stares hard at it. "Don't tell me that's my copy." He snorts. She doesn't respond and he shakes his head. "Unbelievable. You steal my stuff and then rub it in by reading it in front of me."

His voice sounds wounded, but she can pick up the sarcastic playfulness that accompanies it. "Oh, shoo." She tells him. "You're making it hard to focus."

That's the wrong thing to say. He grins, obviously taking it as a compliment, and she tries very hard not to roll her eyes at him.

After a few minutes, he stays silent, and she lapses back into the story. By now, she's too focused to notice the mischievous glint in his eyes, accompanied by the nervous shifting. She hardly hears him, but when she feels something press against her cheek, she freezes.

She doesn't have to move her eyes to know that the softness is from his lips, and although his hands are shaking slightly, he keeps his movements and breath calm.

He pulls back, and she follows the movement with her own face. He must see the utter shock and confusion on her face, but he merely smiles his Christopher-like smile, and says, "I just wanted to see if you were paying attention." He tells her. Then he jumps to his feet and saunters away, leaving her practically gawping.

It takes a few moments for her to recover, and when she does, a slight blush rises to her cheeks. She fiddles with her book for a moment, staring at the words without actually seeing them. He's totally derailed her train of thought, and she hopes he knows that it's only because he's a nine-lived enchanter that she doesn't send something wicked his way.

"Boys." She sighs in exasperation.