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Post by american09mutt on Jul 20, 2009 1:38:10 GMT -5
Friday afternoon and the Gas Station is slowing to a crawl. A fly buzzes past your head, and you swat at it ineffectually with a rolled newspaper. The AC is on full blast, but the coolers let off too much heat for you to feel it across the room. You sit behind the counter, bored out of your mind. Dad asked you to cover this shift at the last minute, and you’d much rather be heading to the beach with your friends. This is all Chuck’s fault. That stupid teenager bailed on his shift, and now you’re stuck until the night guy comes in at 7.
The bell rings, breaking into your day dream of waves and sun. You look up to see a tall blonde in board shorts walking down the aisle toward the soda coolers. He’s wearing beat up sandals and some funky sunglasses. You pretend to be busy with a crossword as he walks up to the counter to pay. The soda is plunked on the counter, and a warm voice speaks to you in a thick foreign accent. It takes you a second to place it, but you can hear the Irish lilt to his words, even if you can’t make out what he’s saying.
“The soda will be $1.39. Is there anything else I can get you today?” you look up at the customer, and just stop. His sunglasses are pushed back on his head, tucking his hair behind his ears. You notice this peripherally, but the thing that caught your attention is his eyes. Those clear greenish-blue eyes that seem to smile constantly, even though his mouth is still. You let your eyes drift to his tan skin, and the light stubble on his chin.
He hands you a 5 dollar bill, smiling. Your heart nearly stops as his eyes twinkle at you. “This should cover it right? I’m not from around here, and the money exchange is leavin’ me a bit fuzzy this afternoon. I need to buy some gas too, 6 gallons worth.” You nod and hand him the change from the soda, explaining how much the gas will cost. He hands you the money and heads outside to gas up his car. You spy his car. It’s a Volkswagen Beetle too. “Nice, kind of fits him.” You think to yourself.
Your car is parked on the other side of the lot. A plain economy car, but painted up in swirls of peacock blue and green. Your board is strapped to the roof rack, awaiting the beach day that will have to wait until next week. You look back over to the tall blonde, wishing you’d asked him his name. Something on the roof of his car attracts your eye. You squint in the bright afternoon sunlight, and can just make out a beautiful longboard strapped to the roof of his car.
You smile lazily, kicking yourself now for not introducing yourself to him. He starts up his car and starts to pull away from the pump. You stare after him longingly, knowing that he was the kind of guy you would have loved to know. He puts on his blinker to turn right, toward the beach. There’s no traffic, but he sits there for several minutes by the side of the road.
Suddenly you hear a loud bang, and you look up to see black smoke billowing from the back of his bug. The engine dies, and the tall blonde man climbs slowly out of his car, waving smoke away from his face. He walks around the car twice, but is obviously flabbergasted. He just stands there, staring at the silent bug, hands in his pockets. You decide he may need help getting the car back away from the road, since it obviously won’t be moving under its own power.
You get up and walk out the front doors. You can hear him whistling to himself from across the parking lot. You walk over and ask him if he needs help moving his car. He smiles gratefully at you, and gestures for you to get behind the wheel while he pushes. Between you, the car is easily moved into a parking spot near yours. You lead him back inside, and using the phone in the back office, you call your father up. Since he’s a mechanic, and doesn’t work too far away.
Your talk for about 10 minutes practically begging him to come down and look at this guys car. He says he’s too busy, and can’t get away from the shop he owns 4 blocks over. You ask if any of his boys are free to pop over for a few minutes, but he’s adamant. They’re detailing a car for a very wealthy customer today, and can’t spare anyone for side jobs.
“Why don’t you check his car honey? I know I taught you everything I could about cars! Even if you can’t figure it out, you can at least narrow it down for me. I’ll try to stop over after we close up shop at 6:30, all right?” you hang up, angry and nervous. You hope this guy won’t mind waiting, because you aren’t very sure of your car repair skills. You check your watch. 4:57. You hope that you don’t have to make the man wait until 6:30, but on the other hand, you won’t mind keeping him company if he has to.
You walk out of the back office to see the blonde man perched cross-legged on the counter reading a magazine. You walk over and stand two feet in front of him, arms crossed, staring up at him. He continues reading for over a minute, and lazily looks up at you through the hair that hangs around his face like a golden curtain. Those sea-colored eyes make contact with yours. You have to make a concerted effort to keep breathing.
“My father can’t come check out your car until 6:30, but I can take a look at it now, to see if it’s something easily fixable.” He puts down the magazine and shoves himself backward off the counter. He walks around to the front, and stand about a foot in front you, staring down into your eyes. You watched him walk all the way around, admiring his rolling gait and the casual way he flipped his hair when it fell into his eyes.
“Tha’s fine. Maybe you can fix it, maybe you can’t. I don’t blame you if you can’t figure out what’s wrong with her. I can’t either.” He smiles again and leads the way out the door, holding it for you as you pass. As you walk side by side across the lot, he says, “By the way, name’s Keith Harkin.” He offers you his hand, which you shake while walking. You introduce yourself, suddenly shy of him. Now that you know his name, he can’t just become a story you tell the girls about on a sunny afternoon. He’s now a person with a name, not just some guy you happened to meet.
You start by checking under the hood for any obvious problems. None of the fluids are out, and everything seems to be in the proper place. You check the tailpipe and reverberator next. The tailpipe is coal black, sticky with engine gunk. You rub the soot between your fingers, and smell it. You can tell that it isn’t gasoline or oil, but could be grease. This is all you can check without getting his car to a garage and taking apart the engine.
“Well you aren’t going anywhere in this baby today. You may need to stay overnight in a local hotel, and wait for the repairs to be done.” Keith smiles and thanks you for checking it out for him. As you stand there talking about repair options, a small black sedan pulls in. The car looks worse for wear, a real junker. The bumper is half rusted and the car’s engine complains as the driver parks it on the left side of the lot. A short dark haired man gets out and looks around anxiously.
He spots you standing there, and sprints over to you. The closer he gets, the angrier you feel. Here’s Chuck, finally! It’s now more than 3 hours past the beginning of his shift, and he shows up just in time to be completely useless. Even if you left now, your friends would be leaving the beach at 6 to go get dinner. He stops in front of you, panting slightly.
“I don’t care why you’re late Chuck, just get inside NOW.” You command. He looks up at you guiltily, his pimply face flushed with exertion and embarrassment. He turns around and walks inside, shoulders slumped. You look back up at Keith, remembering his presence. Keith is just staring at you, a small crease between his arched eyebrows. You raise an eyebrow at him, but he just shrugs and gestures for you to both go inside.
The two of you walk together, but you reach the door first. You stand there, embarrassed, waiting for him to open the door for you. He does, and you just hold up your sticky greasy hands as explanation. Chuck is standing behind the counter when you enter. He’s fidgeting uncomfortably under your gaze. You just ignore him, and go out back to wash your hands.
When you come back out Keith is talking to Chuck. Chuck looks upset, and almost scared. Keith is lazily leaning on the counter with both hands, hair falling forward into his face, masking his face and his words. Chuck glances up at you nervously, and Keith steps back from the counter, smiling at you. You notice his dimples for the first time. How deep and adorable they are.
You snap out of it quickly. You stand examining the two men, hoping for an explanation. Keith simply engages you in conversation, taking your mind off of the situation easily. Out of nowhere he asks. “That your car over there, with the board on the roof?” you nod dumbly, unsure of yourself, and still feeling a bit put out.
“Were you headed to the beach then? It’s a lovely day for it.” You tell him about your plans for the afternoon, the ones that got ruined. “Would you still want to go? With me I mean? I have a board too, and we could go surf together.” You stare at him in shock unable to speak a word.
Finally you choke out a “Yes.” He says “Great, let me put my Board on your car, and we can head down to the beach. We should get there just in time for high tide.” Keith heads outside to swap his board over, and you wait until he’s outside before scolding Chuck. You glare at him as your voice cuts into him. He sits there, visibly pained by the angry words you’re shouting at him. Finished, you run a hand through your hair and take a deep breath.
You leave Chuck in charge, and head out to meet Keith by your car. His board is much longer than yours, but he’s also much taller. Still, you can’t help feeling that yours looks like a child’s toy next to his. Keith walks around to the passenger side, and climbs on in, slowly folding himself into the seat. You stifle a laugh, amazed that he can fit in a space that didn’t seem capable of accommodating his tall frame.
You drive the 5 minutes down to the beach, and you both suit up. You deliberately turn around when he goes to change, and keep your eyes averted. When you finish putting on your wetsuit, you turn around, and look straight into Keith’s eyes. You flush a deep crimson as you realized he must have finished early, and been watching you change.
You clear your throat, and walk to the side where he’s standing, to get your board down. He just takes your hands gently off the straps, and takes it down himself. He hands yours to you, then retrieves his. You walk down to the water without speaking. He seems content with the silence, and you can’t think of anything to say.
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Post by american09mutt on Jul 21, 2009 2:51:26 GMT -5
You walk along the water to find the break in the waves, the point where they taper off. With the water lapping at your feet, you stop, readjusting your grip on your board. You feel a bit nervous about surfing with Keith. You’ve been doing it for a few years, but you’ve only ever done so with your friends.
You steel yourself, and run out into the water. You climb onto your board and paddle out. When you feel that you’ve gone far enough, you wait, watching the waves. You sit, abs taught, keeping you balanced on the board. You look for a set of 3 waves to come up. You paddle out quickly and stand at the perfect moment, riding the wave in. It feels terrific! The spray from the breaking wave crashes against the back of your legs, and you know it’s time to get off this wild ride. You can feel the perfect moment, and turn up over the wave to break off. You lay down fast and quickly paddle back out of the way of the incoming waves.
Once clear, you sit up, and look around for Keith. You spot him, his back to a wall of water, headed straight toward you. Your eyes go wide in panic, afraid that he’ll run you over with his board. You turn around fast, facing the tip of your board into the wave. Just as it rises up in front of you, you glance over to Keith, who is closing in fast. His eyes are wide too, and he knows he can’t turn away right now.
You have one chance to get out of the way; you just have to wait for the right moment. With perfect timing, you duck dive into the wave, grateful that you’re riding a short board. You pop out the other side, gasping for air. You gaze frantically around you, trying to locate Keith. Instead, you see his board upside-down about 30 feet away. As you’re watching, the board bobs sideways, and Keith pops out of the water.
He flails for a second, wildly searching for you. Your eyes meet, and the relief in his gaze is overwhelming. The danger of what just happened finally hits you, much like the waves you just rode. You break down in tears, hiccupping loudly. Keith retrieves his board and paddles over to where you’re perched atop yours. He places a large, cold hand on your shoulder. You can feel it through the wetsuit, but just barely. You look up into his concerned eyes.
“Can we go in now? I think I need to go home.” You manage to say between sobs. He simply nods, and the two of you paddle back to shore. You climb off your board in the shallows, and walk up onto the beach. Your numb feet feel like balls of lead at the end of your legs. You plop down on the sand. Placing your board beside you, and curl into a ball, head on your knees and arms around your legs.
Your whole body is shaking as you cry uncontrollably into your knees. You hear running footsteps, and a loud thud. Then you are encompassed by Keith’s arms. He pulls you tight against his chest, tucking your head beneath his stubbled chin. The wetsuits feel awkward against each other, but you appreciate the contact; the support. He rocks you gently, humming to you. The melody is lilting and beautiful.
You can’t help smiling, despite the tears; this man never ceases to surprise you. Your tears slowly come to an end, and you raise your head to look up at Keith from under your lashes, which are clumped into spikes. You give Keith a watery smile, but the smile quickly fades into a frown of concern. Keith’s eyes are piercing and distraught. You then realize that water is streaming down his face. No, it isn’t water, those are tears. Keith is crying! He’s crying for you!
You place your hands gently but firmly on either side of his face. Your thumb caresses his stubbled cheekbone. He looks up into your eyes, looking like a puppy that was struck for the first time. He looks back down, finally letting the sobs rip from his chest. It’s now your turn to comfort him. “I now you didn’t mean for that to happen. It isn’t your fault. It was an accident! Please stop crying? Keith, sweetie please calm down! Try to breathe.”
His breathing slows, his shoulders stop shaking, and he quietly settles his head on your shoulder. You run your hand through his hair, gently massaging his scalp. He looks up at you gratefully, and finally manages a hesitant smile. “I was so worried.” he stutters. “I thought I was going to kill you! Your so good though, you moved and I…” you cut him off by placing a finger on his lips. “It’s all right. I’m okay. Now I think we both need to go back to my house and relax after this trying day.”
Keith sits up, and stands, helping you to your feet. You both pick your boards carefully off of the sand, brushing away any that sticks. You look up to ask if he’s ready to go; he pulls you into a tight hug and kisses you lightly on the top of your head. He releases you just as quickly, but keeps a hold of your hand. Dragging you off down the beach, he starts humming loudly, the same tune as before.
When you reach the car, he straps both boards to the roof with ease, simply plucking yours from your hands. You shrug, and turn to undress. Before you can pull on your zipper, you feel strong hands zipping it down your back. Your shoulders stiffen in surprise and the unzipping stops suddenly. The pressure on your wetsuit doesn’t lessen, so you know he hasn’t let go, he’s just stopped.
You deliberately relax your back muscles, and he finishes unzipping your wetsuit. He then folds it down, slowly wiggling it off of your shoulders. You hold still, and obediently move along with him, letting him help you get your wetsuit down to your waist. Now he’s standing in front of you, and his hands slide from the wetsuit, down to your hips.
He gives your hips a gentle squeeze and gazes down into your eyes. You expect to see a lazy smile, but instead his look is intense and quiet, almost searching. You squirm a little under his gaze, unsure of yourself. You decide to be a bit playful, to cut the tension that has sprung up. You wink at him, and prance out of his grasp. You walk around to the other side of the car to finish undressing. You towel your hair off, and put your shorts on over your bathing suit.
Your shoes are easy to pull on after you towel your feet dry. You look down at yourself, and realize that you must be very cold. You throw a shirt on and get in the driver’s seat. You glance out the window to see what’s taking Keith so long, and your eyes go wide. He’s staring straight at you, suit unzipped, but still on most of the way. He starts taking it off, going slowly, and never taking his eyes from you.
You can’t tear your eyes away, as he pulls the wetsuit off his shoulders, and down his arms. You can feel your breath getting shallower by the second. He finishes with his sleeves and smiles slowly, rolling it down his torso. First his chest appears, then his ribs, and finally his abs. At the sight of his toned abs, your breathing finally stops altogether.
He turns away then, and walks off around the car to the passenger’s side, obstructing your view of him. You snap out of the trance you were in, and gasp in a much needed breath of air. You stare straight ahead through the windshield at the ocean, trying to calm yourself. The passenger side door pops open and Keith folds himself into the car, fully clothed once more.
You smile and back out of the lot, heading for the gas station, and his car. The clock on the dash reads 7:21pm. You realize that you’re very hungry. You ask Keith if he’s alright with heading straight to your house to get something to eat. He agrees heartily saying he’s starving, and rubbing his stomach dramatically. You can’t help laughing, and all the tension he created earlier is cleared from the air.
You reach over and squeeze his hand, smiling at him. You pull your hand back quickly and begin the turn into your driveway. Keith sits there a bit stunned by the sudden companionable contact. He’s surprised at you for opening up so quickly, but also shocked by how right it feels. You are completely oblivious to his reaction, too busy parking the car.
You get out and slam your door shut, then walk around to open the trunk. Keith meets you by the trunk after you’ve unloaded most of the trunk’s contents. You start piling things in his arms, completely unaware of the dazed look he’s got on his face. With everything unloaded, you lead him to the front door, which is already unlocked. You realize that your father must be home, wondering why you didn’t meet him to check out Keith’s car.
You direct Keith to place everything he’s holding in the entranceway, and walk into the kitchen in search of your father. He isn’t there, so you head back toward the front door. Keith is still standing there still holding everything in his arms. You smack your forehead, realizing that he can’t unload his own arms without dropping things. He looks at you plaintively. You smile at him understandingly, and begin lifting things from his arms, and setting it all on the tile floor.
You hear a muffled shout from the garage. So your father is home after all! You rush out through the connecting door. Your father is standing over a small beetle, its hood up and the engine slightly dismantled. You walk over and hug him, surprised that he got the car home. Then you remember that he has a tow truck at the shop, and must have used it to get Keith’s car here. You wonder how he knew you’d come home first, but let it pass.
There are quiet footsteps behind you, and your father looks up. He then looks back at you with one eyebrow raised, and back at Keith. He walks over and introduces himself, shaking Keith’s hand firmly, testing his grip. “Nice to meet you sir, and thank you for takin’ a look at me car.” He smiles disarmingly, and your father immediately takes a liking to him. How could he not, being so easygoing and genuine?
“Well dad, Keith and I both haven’t eaten anything in hours. We’re going to head to the kitchen to grab some dinner!” you grab Keith’s hand a walk deliberately from the room. You don’t release his hand once you’ve left the garage behind, instead you pull him along, all the way to the kitchen. You release him, and gently shove him toward a chair. You skip over to the fridge, looking for something to eat. Giving up on the refrigerator, you open the up freezer. Inside you find a casserole you made and froze last week.
You pull it out and plunk it on the counter. “Would you like some casserole?” you ask him. He smiles and nods, still sitting the same way he had landed in the chair. You busy yourself cutting the casserole into chunks, and heaping it onto two plates. You microwave his, and place it on the table in front of him with a fork stuck in it. You then stick yours in to reheat, and lean against the counter, facing Keith.
He’s sitting at the table, fork in hand, staring at you. He hasn’t touched his food. You look at him, brow furrowing in confusion. He simply points to you, the microwave, and the chair opposite him in turn. You nod in understanding. He was politely waiting for you to get your food and sit down before he starts eating. The microwave beeps, and you fetch the hot plate, carefully walking over to the indicated chair.
You dig your fork in, and raise it to your mouth, then pause. You look at Keith, who’s sitting across from you, fork poised by his mouth. You grin at him, and pop your fork into your mouth gingerly, hoping it isn’t too hot. He mimics you, but stops short. With the fork still in his mouth, he closing his eyes. A slow smile spreads the width of his face, and he groans slightly. You chew slowly, staring at him in amazement.
His eyes open as he finishes chewing his own food. “This is good. You make it yerself?” you smile, still chewing, and nod slowly. He just grins at you, and shoves a heaping forkful in his mouth. You eat quietly, steadily working your way through everything on your plate. Keith manages to finish before you, and goes back for seconds. He heats it himself, and plops back down across from you, to shovel more into his mouth.
When you both finish, you carry the plates over to the sink to rinse off. You then grab a glass of milk for each of you, and carry them into the living room. Keith follows obediently in your wake, but doesn’t sit down with you on the couch. Instead he wanders around looking at all the DVD’s, shelved alphabetically in bookcases around the room. He gets to the C’s and comes up short. He pulls one from the bookcase, and turns it over and over in his hands. Then he pulls the one next to it, and then the one next to that.
He looks up at you questioningly. You get up off the sofa and walk over to him, eager to see what he picked out. In his hands are 3 of your mother’s DVD’s, ones you’ve never watched before. They were of her favorite music group, one she listened to all the time before she died last year. “Can we watch these, love?” you agree, explaining that they had belonged to your mother. You tried to explain why you’d never watched them. It was hard to put it into words, the feeling you get when something reminds you of your mother. He smiles understandingly at you, and sits on the sofa as you set up the DVD player.
You settle in next to him on the sofa. Close enough for your knees to touch, but not too close. When the menu screen pops up, you hit play. The first thing you see is a stage. You hear music begin playing, and it takes you a second to realize it’s coming from violins. Next drums come in, and then deep voices that seem to chant or moan. Those voices cut out, and a boy and man appear on the stage dressed in black coats. They sing the opening part of the song, taking your breath away. Next a blonde figure appears on the screen, also wearing a long black coat and you hear him sing “When the storm is raging, and thunder rolls…” The voice feels vaguely familiar, but you can’t really place it.
The music changes and two more men appear on the stage. They are now all singing in another language, one you can’t identify. They sound amazing, beautifully blended and strong as the sea. Several of them men have individual parts, and you listen to them sing, completely enraptured by the voices. Suddenly there is a close-up of the blonde, and your jaw drops. You realize why the voice sounded so familiar. It’s because the same man sang to you earlier that day!
You glance over at Keith, who’s watching you while trying not to laugh. You pause the DVD, and just stare openly at him. He looks back at you, half laughing, half scared. You just grin, shaking your head, and hit play. A hand rests on your shoulder, and you look back at Keith. He places his hands on your waist, and lifts you into his lap, curling his arms around you. You snuggle in, then return your attention to the DVD to continue watching.
You feel fingers running through your hair, and look up at Keith questioningly. He’s watching the DVD, not even looking at you, but running his fingers through your hair absentmindedly. You see Keith come on the screen, and TV Keith starts singing a lovely song with an old world feel to it. You watch more, and find yourself deeply touched by the bald man’s voice. Next is the boy singing a beautiful song that makes you long to go to Ireland someday. After him is a lovely tenor with a powerful voice, singing a song that tears at the heartstrings.
The final man is a dark-haired sharply-featured man with a slightly rough voice. You find yourself mesmerized by each and every one of them, for very different reasons. (Obviously the one who holds your heart is the one whose lap you’re perched on.) After him comes another group song. A short but lovely old song that you remember you mother singing years ago. Then the piano comes in, and you recognize the lilting song that Keith hummed to calm you earlier in the day. You listen intently to the lyrics, wondering why he chose it.
“I wanna take you to the island, and trace your footprints in the sand.” You smile as you realize the significance of the words. Then you hear the next line, and feel your face heating up. You look up at him, and he shrugs noncommittally, but with a teasing twinkle in his eyes. He pulls you even closer, cuddling you, and your head tucks neatly into the hollow of his neck.
You watch that DVD, then the next, and then the third. Sometime during the last one, Keith falls asleep. You can hear him snoring softly in your ear, but you can’t bear to wake him. You watch the entire DVD all the way through, but can’t make yourself wake Keith, or get up to go to bed. You simply shut off the TV, and settle in. You fall asleep in his arms, cradled against his chest.
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Post by american09mutt on Jul 24, 2009 2:29:24 GMT -5
The sun shines in through the windows, burning through your eyelids. You open your eyes slowly, and see your living room. You try to turn, but your neck is painfully cricked in an odd position. You settle for lifting your head. “What was I laying on?” you wonder to yourself. You turn to see what you’re sitting on, and brush your cheek suddenly against a curtain of golden hair.
Everything from the day before comes rushing back to you, waking your mind from its foggy sleep-haze. You brush the hair back from Keith’s face, and he stirs slightly. You run your fingers over his face, trying to assure yourself that this man is real. As you touch his brow with your fingertips, he turns his head into your palm and opens his eyes.
You scramble off his lap as quickly as you can, startled. His brow creases in sleepy confusion, and he lifts one hand, running his fingers through his hair. You dash out into the kitchen to escape the jumble of feelings in your heart. Maybe if you can avoid him for a little while, you can sort things out. But you can’t ignore the way your heart buzzes when you look into his eyes. Or the way his easy laugh always makes you smile. Always? I’ve only known him for a single day!
You pour yourself a bowl of cereal, and sit down at the table. You try to settle your mind by making a list of things you need to do today. 1. Take a shower. 2. Get Keith’s car running. 3. Beg Keith not to leave you… NO! You are starting on a second bowl of cereal when Keith wanders sleepily into the kitchen. He searches through the cupboards until he finds a bowl, and sits down across the table from you. You don’t help him, too busy following him with your eyes.
You finish eating, and leave Keith sitting at the table. You decide to take a shower right away, hoping it will help you clear your head. You use your favorite shampoo, and massage soothing body wash into every inch of your skin. The hot water relaxes the muscles in your neck. You step out and vigorously towel dry. Leaving the bathroom you feel awake, relaxed, and completely confused.
When you go downstairs, Keith is in the garage talking to your father. Your father looks apologetic, and Keith simply looks indifferent. He perks up a bit upon seeing you, your hair down all the way, hanging softly about your face. Keith stares at you, a bit mesmerized. Your father coughs to get his attention. “So we’re going to need a part that can’t be bought nearby. The closest shop I could get it from is 7 hours away by car.” Your father explains.
Keith just shrugs. “I wasn’t in a hurry. If you don’t mind lettin’ me stay here then you can take the time you need.” You suggest that Keith take a shower to wash off the sea salt from yesterday. He agrees happily, and you show him the bathroom, and offer him soaps and shampoos. You leave him a soft grey towel, and tell him you’ll be downstairs if he needs anything. You need to talk to your father alone, to figure out what you’re going to do about Keith’s car.
Ten minutes later you are sitting on the couch watching the first DVD from last night. Everything is settled with your father, now you just need to talk to Keith about getting the part for his car. Without warning Keith plops onto the couch next to you. You pause the DVD, blushing slightly. He just laughs softly, and gives you a quick hug. His hair is still a bit wet, and clings to the side of his face slightly. He looks… just, wow. Your breathing kind of catches in your throat. To cover your sudden and unexplained shyness, you tell him about the plans you made.
“We’ll drive to the shop over in the city, and pick up the part. We’ll stay over that night at a hotel, and then drive back the next day. Then my dad can fix your car, and you can be on your way!” you finish with a winning smile. He considers this for a minute, brow creased slightly. “Could we stop at a beach on the way back? I’d like to surf a bit more, if you’re ready to go out again.” he says uncertainly. He is obviously worried about you, after what happened the night before. You assure him that it would be fine, and go upstairs to pack an overnight bag.
The picture of Keith in a green cotton tee and shorts, with wet hair, stays in your mind the entire time you’re packing. You can’t seem to get the man out of your head. You can’t even think of the future after his car is fixed. Your mind refuses to go that far ahead. Bag full, you rush down the stairs to find Keith sitting on the sofa, with the movie still paused on the TV screen. Your father has left for work, and it’s just the two of you left in the house.
Keith asks if you were planning on leaving today or tomorrow. You reply that today would be best, as the weather is holding out. He agrees, and you go to the kitchen to call your father to tell him that you’re leaving immediately. You pack your bag in the car, and Keith comes out of the garage carrying a duffel bag. He places it in the backseat, and climbs into the passenger seat. You can’t help watching him, loving the way he has to fold himself almost in half just to get in the car.
You drive for several hours straight, the two of you talking about everything under the sun. You start by talking about his music, and his group, Celtic Thunder. This conversation leads to the topic of your mother’s death, and then your childhood. Keith talks about his life right now, and why he’s taking this vacation. He says he needs a break for awhile, because he needs to start recording tracks for the next tour in less than two weeks. At about noon you decide to pull into a roadside diner to get something to eat.
Keith gets out of the car while you rummage for your purse. He opens your door for you, making you blush for the second time today. He opens the diner door for you as well, and he takes your hand as the waitress leads you to your table. You haven’t even known this man for a full day, but you feel so comfortable in his company! You both order hearty, filling lunches before you get back on the road. Keith’s company seems to be making your day eternally bright.
Driving farther up the coast as the sun pours in the window, lighting him from the side. His hair is aflame with it, and looks like a shining golden curtain of light. His eyes change color with the tilt of his head, switching from blue-green to greenish-blue. You constantly glance over at him as you talk, taking in his stunning looks. Drinking in his presence like a much-needed draught of water.
You finally reach town mid-afternoon. You stop by the shop and pick up the alternator pin, just before they close up for the day. Then you drive over to the hotel and book your rooms for the night, ones with adjoining doors. You want to stick close to him, but your modesty wouldn’t let you share the same room. The two of you retreat to your rooms to brush out your hair or relax, and meet in the hall about half an hour later.
On the way to the hotel you spotted a lovely little beach with an open-air restaurant. You tell Keith about it, and he just takes your hand, telling you to lead the way. You walk off down the street, and find your way to the small cove where the beach lies. Without a word, he leads you down onto the sand, and the two of you stroll along the water. You soak in the last of the sun as it begins to set. You’re walking closest to the water, your hair lit up by the last rays of the dying sunlight. Keith stares at you, a caring look in his eyes.
Even with your body blocking most of the light, he still seems to shine. You can’t help admiring the tall muscular man beside you. His lithe athletic form fitting perfectly with your surroundings. You walk without speaking a word to each other, just listening to the waves crashing on the beach and the cry of the gulls. You can feel the warm sand beneath your feet. As the sky finally settles into a deep magenta, and starts fading toward crimson, you stop walking.
You turn to face the setting sun, taking in the beauty of nature itself. Keith lets go of your hand, and just as you are about to protest, he twines his arms around your waist. The two of you stand there until the sky turns grey, then navy blue. Still within the circle of his arms, you turn to face him. You can’t make out his eyes now, lacking the proper light. His hair stands out like a beacon in the night, bright against the darkness.
You hug Keith tightly, complete bliss washing over you. He hugs back just as tightly, if not more; chin resting on the top of your head. The moment is perfect and seemingly endless. Yours stomach growls suddenly, shocking you. You break into a fit of laughter, and Keith joins in, laughing loudly and happily along with you. At length he releases you, and takes your hand in his once more. He leads you up the beach, toward the smell of cooking food.
You eat dinner by candle-light, since the sun has left you without natural illumination. You sit and talk until your food arrives, then eat your fill of the pleasant sea-fare. As you finish up your meal, the moon begins to rise. You glance up at Keith, who’s still happily munching away at his food. His hair though… catches your attention. His head is surrounded by a sheet of glowing silver. It ripples with every motion, shimmering brilliantly in the black night.
He peeks up at you, and his eyes appear as quick-silver. They are as luminescent as his hair. His tanned skin is bleached white as bone in the bright moonlight. All color drained from him, he looks like a tall, graceful elf. You laugh at yourself for thinking such things, but the resemblance is uncanny. You reach out to brush a stray piece of hair away from his face. He holds perfectly still, a bit stunned by your sudden forwardness.
You feel a bit embarrassed by your unthinking action, and try to pull your hand back. But Keith catches it in his, stopping you. He places your palm flat against his stubbly cheek, closing his eyes. “I remember waking to this, just this morning.” he murmurs softly. You can feel his jaw rasping against your hand as he speaks. You can’t think of a thing to say, but continue to stare into his angelic eyes.
You stand slowly, pulling him with you. He opens his eyes, and allows your hand to drop away from his face, but doesn’t let go. You pull him along with you toward the entrance. Paying the bill without using one of your hands is a tad difficult, but Keith refuses to relinquish it. You start walking back toward the hotel, hand-in-hand.
At the door to your rooms, he reluctantly lets your hand go. You smile at him shyly, pleased with yourself for keeping it together under such intense affections. He gathers you up in a hug, gently cradling you close. You hug back gingerly at first, then tenderly. The embrace ends far too soon, and you return to your rooms. For the next hour as you get ready for bed, you feel a slight melancholy creeping into your mind.
He may be just next door, but he’ll leave tomorrow, and then you may never see him again. You go to bed that night in a mood that is bright and happy, tinged with a slight regret. You dream of sun and water. Glittering eyes and golden hair run rampant through your dreams.
Upon waking the next morning you shower quickly, feeling your stomach tighten with hunger. You knock on Keith’s door, but there is no sound of movement in the room. You walk down the street to the bakery, and pick up a half-dozen muffins. You walk back to the hotel as the early sunlight pours down onto the sidewalk. The sun on your face helps push away the thought of Keith leaving. When you walk through the hotel’s front door you’re beaming like a teenage girl in the first throes of love.
As your eyes adjust to the dimmer light in the lobby, you make out a long golden figure sprawled on a couch. He stirs as you come closer, sitting up to make room for you to join him. You hold up the bag of muffins, wiggling it to get his attention. Keith grins broadly, standing up to give you a hug. He lets go, and grabs your other hand, pulling you outside. He leads you to a park near the hotel, and down the path toward a bed of white calla lilies.
You stop at a gray stone bench, and sit close to each other. You hand him a muffin, and take one for yourself. You set the bag on the side away from him as you begin to eat eagerly. Keith reluctantly lets your hand go so that he can feed himself. You hungrily devour the first muffin, and nab a second. You glance over at Keith, who’s still methodically chewing his way through his first one.
Halfway through your second muffin, Keith slips his long arm around behind you. He rummages through the bag of muffins, and grabs himself another one. He lifts his prize over your head, and smiles at you. He has crumbs in his chin stubble, but you think it’s cute and don’t want to tell him just yet. You smile back without saying a word, secretly cherishing the way his hair looks all rumpled.
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Post by american09mutt on Nov 3, 2009 0:21:14 GMT -5
You eat all of the muffins and ball the paper bag up to toss in the trash on your way out of the park. Keith’s arm about your waist, you walk to the hotel to retrieve your things and check out. On your way back to the car, Keith’s cell goes off in his pocket. The angry voice over the phone sounds female, and your heart constricts in your chest. You come to the only conclusion you think is possible, that it’s his girlfriend wondering where he is. Leaving him standing in front of the hotel, you make your way alone to the beach. You only make it about a block before you break into a run. Tears streaming down your face, you dash out onto the sand, looking for any place to sit and sob your heart out. You find a large stone that blocks you from view of the road, and settle down onto the sand.
With your arms wrapped tightly around yourself, your body shakes in huge wracking sobs. Eventually your tears run dry, but your body continues to shake uncontrollably. You manage to stop it, but a sharp hiccup escapes you, and you hiccup furiously for another 10 minutes before you are able to stop. Sitting alone on the gritty sand, you gaze out at the sea, heartbroken and sad. You curse yourself for falling so quickly and stupidly in love with a man you can’t even have. But then, he didn’t exactly give you any reason not to. Your mind is just turning to angry thoughts about Keith, when you hear soft padding footsteps across the sand. Looking up, you can barely make out a blond head bobbing along the water’s edge. His head is down, hair falling into his face.
And he is carrying a blue jacket that looks suspiciously like yours. You stand, and brush the sand off yourself, cautiously watching to make sure he doesn’t see you. As he walks off down the beach, you walk at an angle to him, hoping to come up behind him slowly. When you do, you can see his shoulders shaking and his white-knuckled grip on your coat.
Walking as silently as you can, you come up behind him, grab a handful of jacket, and stop. He pulls up short, glancing behind him in confusion. It’s only now that you can see the fresh tears pouring out of his eyes. Feeling suddenly ashamed, you let go and just stare at him. He walks toward you, arms out, a hopeful look on his face.
“I know that musta looked bad. But it wasn’t what yer thinkin! That was me producer on the phone, Sharon. She was worried that she hadn’t heard from me in a few days, and wanted to make sure I was alright. Please, please believe me? I don’t want you thinkin there’s any woman for me besides you. I know we’ve only known each other for under two days, but I just have this feelin in me heart that I can’t shake.” He trails off and looks at you plaintively.
Shaking your head slowly back and forth, you take your coat from his now limp fingers. Putting it on, you just look at him sadly, and his head drops, hair once more concealing his face. Without warning, you pull him into a huge hug, and plant a salty-tear kiss on his lips. After a moment of shocked stillness, he responds likewise, putting everything he has into the embrace.
After a short spell, you release him, and tell him you’re so sorry for assuming the worst. He apologizes for not telling you right away who was on the phone. With your arms still around him, you lay your head on his chest and heave a sigh. The last two days have just been a rollercoaster of emotions, and yet you realize that you want this man by your side forever.
You manage to get him to leave the beach, and head back to the parking lot. Getting everything into the car, you drive onto the main road and out of town, heading home. The entire seven hours back are spent talking about his career, and trying to figure out how to fit you into his life. There is no question in either of your minds that you could ever NOT be in his life from this day forward.
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Post by keithssweetheart on Nov 3, 2009 16:57:59 GMT -5
Let me just tell you.
ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC. I am on a high from reading this. (This is Lady_Meg from the pub last night). You have SOME TALENT.
WOW...all I can say is...wow.
AND I completely loved how you truly kept it G-rated...no sharing the same room, etc. I'm all for making a story wonderful and clean.
KUDOS TO YOU!!
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Post by thethunderroar on Nov 3, 2009 20:20:01 GMT -5
oh my gosh!!!! Cap'n that was brilliant!!!!! soooo adorable! My heart broke for her when she thought it was a girlfriend or something.... and then seeing him cry? ?? *dies* Update soooooooonnnnn!!!!!!!
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Post by damianrocks on Jan 6, 2010 16:27:57 GMT -5
Oohhhh wow. I love how it's written to "you" so we can put ourselves in that postition. :3 lol! niceee... Love your descriptions. Update? lol
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Post by CelticLass91 on Jul 14, 2010 3:11:25 GMT -5
This story would be a great one to update when you get the chance!
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thunder1
Wicked Fan
Countess of Tweets
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Post by thunder1 on Jul 31, 2010 23:02:55 GMT -5
AM pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee up date this story, I need more Keith story, I have said it befor, but I will say it again, this is the best story I have ever read, pleaseeeeeeeeeeee write more ¢¾ love ¢¾ you AM
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Post by american09mutt on Mar 22, 2011 23:42:24 GMT -5
Sitting in your living room that night you wonder how you’re going to spring this on your father. Keith has agreed that dating for a spell is a good idea, but you’re both talking as if marriage is a given. He takes a ring off of his hand and slips it onto your thumb, kissing your knuckles and smiling down at you. Hearing the front door open and close, you head into the kitchen to find your father covered in grease and grinning proudly.
“So where’s my future son-in-law?” he shouts, startling you. Keith strolls into the room, hands in his pockets, and leans against the doorframe. “Ah Keith my boy! You’ve won her over right? You’ll be taking her off my hands sometime soon?” Keith’s sheepish grin and sideways glance speak plainly, and your father bellows with laughter. “Good! Once your car is fixed you can be on your way. Until then, I insist on you staying here. It’ll take longer than expected, a few more hoses burnt out than I thought, but you should be on your way within a week.”
A week? He was supposed to be leaving, and now you get him to yourself for another week?! Perfection! Bliss. You reach a hand out and place it on Keith’s arm, and he pulls you in to him, hugging you tight. He kisses your hair and buries his face in the hollow of your neck, breathing you in. “I’m glad, darlin. A little more time together is what we need.” Your contented sigh is the only reply he needs, and he kisses your lips gently before releasing you.
“How ‘bout we go for a walk downtown, to just sightsee a little? You can show me where you grew up.” Taking your hand he leads you out into the dark night, and down the moonlit sidewalk. Most of the shops are closed by now, and the first lit window you come to is a tiny little book store with a coffee counter on one side of it. Comfy chairs are strewn everywhere, but nobody is there. The place is empty, and waiting for the pair of you to explore it together.
Pushing open the door and leading Keith inside, you make for the fictional novels. Wandering down the shelves, you pull them off at random, reading the titles out loud. Sometimes he makes a face, other times he sings a line from the first song it makes him think of. In return he starts picking books, and you make up stories or each title. Half the time he says your idea is better than the actual description sounds. Reaching the end of the adult books, however, you find yourselves surrounded by bright colors and monsters. The children’s section.
There are stuffed animals all over the place, waiting to be put back. Toy swords sitting in a heap next to a candy wrapper and a book about King Arthur. A tiny chair tipped over in the corner, 16 different books in a pile near a bigger chair, and a princess hat way up on top of a castle book display. A smile breaks over Keith’s face like the dawning of the sun, and you can see the little boy he once was shining in his face.
He picks up one of the swords and yells “Avast, matey!” and feints at you, hopping about, crouching and stabbing the air. You can’t help laughing heartily, and dive for another sword to join in the fun. The two of you engage in a fierce battle all across the children’s nook, until you’re both panting hard and all of the stufties are scattered to the farthest shelves. Keith falls into a soft chair, laughing hard, and drops his sword. “I surrender, love, I can’t go on, I can’t breathe!”
Holding the foam sword upright in front of your face, you bow, and toss yours away as well. “Then what shall we do now, oh breathless one?” He ponders the question with a very serious expression, then lets a slow, deliberate smile cross his face. Looking around, he spots a book and pulls it down off the shelf, and holds it out to you pleadingly. “You want me to read this to you?” The disbelief is plain in your voice, but you take the book in hand and read the title “Seventeen Princes” out loud.
Keith leans forward excitedly, chin in his hands. “Alright, but if I’m going to read I’ll need a comfortable seat.” And so saying, you plop yourself onto his lap, and crack open the creaky-new book. “Once upon a time there were seventeen princes, all in want of a wife…” you pause, glaring at him. “Tell me this isn’t a love story.” He just puts his arms around you and snuggles his face between your neck and shoulder, waiting for you to continue. Sighing exaggeratedly, you begin again.
You can’t believe it, but this feels so perfect. Nothing in the world could be more amazing than sitting in Keith’s lap, reading a sappy children’s story out loud in an empty bookstore. He’s just your kind of unique, and you wouldn’t have him any other way. Your lovely Keithy, perfectly odd, wonderfully different. And right now, warmly cuddling you with his scruffy chin pressed against your neck.
When the story is done, Keith claps for you, and says the story was never more right. You pull a book down and hand it to him, then snuggle against his chest as he reads a story about monsters and goblins and ghouls. You gasp in all the right places, holding him tighter. After it’s over, the two of you just sit and stare into each other’s eyes, enjoying this time together. It’s got to end soon, but not just yet. Right now you’re just content to breathe in his warm, silicon scent; the smell of him enough to make you light-headed and giddy. “Do you want to build sand castles tomorrow?” he asks quietly. You nod sleepily against his chest, and he heaves both of you out of the chair.
Still in his arms, you just drift along as he carries you home. He takes off your shoes and tucks you tenderly into bed, then closes the door quietly. You hear him pad off down the hall, and as the light outside goes out, an ecstatic smile plasters itself on your face. Sleep comes soon after, and you have very sandy dreams.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 23, 2011 10:08:31 GMT -5
*melts* Captain this update is so sweet! Cant Wait to Read More
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Post by meg_cahill21 on Mar 23, 2011 17:44:03 GMT -5
ahh that was sooo sweet!!!! hahaha loved the Pirate thing!!!! update sooon!!!!
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Post by CelticPrincess24 on Mar 23, 2011 17:47:06 GMT -5
LOVED IT! now you just have to update your "Our Sweet heart Dark Destroyer" *hint, hint*
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Post by celticbear on Mar 23, 2011 22:04:55 GMT -5
CAPTAIN! It's about time you updated my Favorite Keith Story by you! This whole Update was so SWEET AND ADORABLE! Love how Dad called Keith his Future Son-In-Law! But the best part was what happened in the Book Store! I CAN SO SEE MYSELF CURLED UP IN KEITH'S LAP READING CHILDRENS BOOKS TO HIM! PLEASE UPDATE THIS STORY AND YOUR OTHER STORIES SOON!
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Post by !!DerryChick!! on Apr 1, 2011 21:07:55 GMT -5
Update soon
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