Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ The Magic Beyond the Mirror ❯ 3.The Dream Made Real ( Chapter 3 )

 

 

Little did she realize he was not near so serene.

 

~o0o~

 

“I suggested coffee, so it's my treat this time.”

 

That's what she had said. That's not what he heard. This time. She took for granted that there would be a next time. She knew nothing of him, and she accepted everything he gave at face value. That much was strange enough on it's own.

 

He was so used to people wanting things from him. She was so easy going. She would take whatever friendship he would give. He knew it, he could feel it. It made him want her, it scared him. To want someone he had just met, someone who appeared to be content with friendship. He was no longer a man of impulse, not to mention he couldn't tell if she was even over eighteen yet.

 

Friendship. Want. Impulse. Emotion. His thoughts swirled like tie-dye within his mind.

 

At least the coffee gave him an excuse to be quiet. He had no idea what he'd say. He was just glad the setting sun glaring in through the windows was still enough of an excuse to keep his shades on, he doubted his eyes could hide much just then.

 

He looked out into the middle of the cafe and saw three or four young adults dancing next to the stereo on the table near one of the doors. If 'dancing' is what you could call it. They were subdued and quiet, moving their bodies just a few inches with the music, swaying back and forth.

 

He saw the girl look at them as well and shake her head. He guessed she didn't call that dancing either. It made him smirk.

 

~o0o~

 

Tara sucked in a breath and then felt her face heat as her new friend cocked his head towards her.

 

“Sorry,” she said. “You just reminded me of someone.”

 

~o0o~

 

“My Lady! My Lady?” Headmaster Chezain labored down the halls of the palace, holding his robes above his ankles so he wouldn't trip. The vile serpents had descended on the palace in numbers the mage found staggering.

 

Lady Emeira had kept putting off committing herself to a summoning, and now Chezain feared it might be too late. His breathing became ragged as his fear sought to drive his breath from him. He felt the edges of panic creeping in and forcefully stomped it down. He would set an example for the people of his world, he would not cower under a table or behind drapes, no matter how tempting the prospect might be.

 

Chezain found the queen surrounded by her guard, in the middle of an evacuation. Apparently the royal entourage was relocating to the mountain keep. Good to know, and a wise move, in his opinion. The beasts would tear the castle down around the queen and not think twice about it, not having a concept of royalty or respect for other species.

 

Seeing the queen safe, and gathering up all of the arcane artifacts too precious or dangerous to be left behind, Chezain decided it was time he packed up to leave too.

 

~o0o~

 

She didn't want to let him go. He was smart and sexy and sweet, or so he appeared. He was mellow and relaxed and genuinely unlike any male Tara knew. She could see herself knowing him for the rest of her life. She could not, however, see herself letting him go. As they got to know one another the one truth she pulled out of everything was that she wanted to be a part of his life, and friend would be enough if that was all he was offering.

 

After the first hour she realized how silly she was being. To know you could love someone after knowing them an hour. Not knowing their name or anything about them, to think you were compatible was ludicrous. And yet even knowing, she couldn't shake the feeling.

 

There was only one other person she had ever felt that way about. But adoring a rock star was a bit different than getting swept away by a stranger you just met. She just wished she could tell what he felt about her. About ten minutes before he had removed the glasses, but the hat still kept his face in shadow, it was infuriating.

 

She was snapped from her thoughts as he spoke.

 

“It's getting late, and I'm feeling a bit awkward. We've been sitting here for hours, the people working here are going to start looking at us funny.”

 

Tara giggled, he was right. Since the decision was made she saw no point in procrastinating, she stood and threw out the empty paper cups. The man was standing by their table as she returned. How odd, she thought, I still don't know his name. Seeking to remedy the situation Tara stepped in front of him and announced.

 

“By the way, my name is Tara.” She smiled and held out a hand to shake, leaving an obvious opening for him to respond in kind.

 

He grasped her hand with his, leaned over her hand and kissed it, taking her by surprise.

 

“It has been my pleasure to meet you, Tara. Would you allow me to walk you home?”

 

Tara nodded, noting dimly that instead of letting her hand go he used it to lead her closer and twine her arm in his. She was in a bit of a daze, her feet on auto-pilot. He was a gentleman, and she couldn't tell if their closeness was meant to signify something more than polite, friendly contact.

 

~o0o~

 

She led him through the front doors and up the stairs to her second floor apartment in her happy little daze. She realized she probably should have said goodnight to him at the door and walked up alone, but they were still linked arm in arm and neither seemed to want to let go.

 

She looked back at him, his hat tipped down, hiding his face, and smiled at him.

 

“You're welcome inside if you'd like to stay. I'll warn you though, my roommate is a bit much at first impression.”

 

“I'd like to use your phone so my friends don't worry about me, but I don't particularly want to head home just yet.” Tara nodded and unlocked the door and walked inside without looking back.

 

Her arm slipped from his as he crossed the threshold, but he squeezed her hand lightly just before she slipped free of him.

 

“Can I use your bathroom?”

 

Tara nodded and pointed to a door left ajar off to the side of the living room. When she heard the front door close and click locked she stepped further into the room.

 

“Micky?”

 

Michaela came out of Tara's room holding a dozen jewel cases, a dozen CD's Tara recognized.

 

“Do you own any CD's besides CSR stuff, Tara? Jessy is coming over later and I'm looking for some music,” she waggled her eyebrows meaningfully, “And all I can find is this junk.”

 

“All my music is on my computer, Micky.”

 

“So why do you have their CD's too?”

 

“Because my car is an old piece of crap, and I'm lucky it has a CD player. Those are for the car, when I'm home I use the computer to play music. Here, use this one.”

 

She singled out one of the CD's Micky was using and held it out.

 

“Visual Sorcery?”

 

“It's slower than their early stuff, and most of it is romantic. Imagine a woman so bewitching her every breath enthralls you.”

 

“Sounds creepy.”

 

Tara shook her head as Micky huffed.

 

“So you have no other CD's?”

 

“Not my fault you have no taste.”

 

“Oh, God, girl. At least Cindy is honest about her addictions. Just admit it, you're obsessed.”

 

“Am not.”

 

“You have all their music, in triplicate--”

 

“Duplicate.”

 

“You know all their names--”

 

“I can name all the Beatles too, ya know.”

 

“Hell, I can admit I'd do the drummer, or the singer. No shame in finding them hot. Just don't hide behind this, 'I like their music' junk.”

 

Tara tried to snatch her music away from her friend.

 

“Mick, it's hard to explain. First time I hear a song of theirs, I hear the music. The bass, the drums, the guitar, the singer. All I hear is the layers and how they mesh and the,” she struggled for a moment to think of the right words, “the core of the music. The heart of it. I need to listen to it again to hear the words. And then I listen a third time to hear everything the words don't say. CSR is not a 'heart on their sleeve' band. If you want to know what the song is about you have to have an imagination. And their stuff resonates deep inside me, Micky. The fact that they're hot has nothing to do with me liking their music.” Tara blushed lightly and Micky gave her a skeptical look.

 

“I don't need the sprinkles to eat the ice cream, it's just a bonus.”

 

Both girls burst out laughing, Tara turning a deeper shade of rose.

 

“Aren't they old, though?” Tara shook her head.

 

“Not so much.”

 

“Aren't they in their forties?” Again Tara shook her head.

 

“Not quite.”

 

“You mean you wouldn't care? A fifteen, or twenty year age gap wouldn't put you off?”

 

“You know me better than that, Micky. Riley was thirteen years older than me and I was with him for almost two years. Besides, what are the chances an extremely talented, rich, gorgeous man would want anything to do with little old me? Not like I seriously need to worry about that crap.”

 

Both girls heard the door to the bathroom close and whipped around. Micky smiled, she hadn't heard the bathroom fan running, meaning Tara's new friend had heard everything the two had said. Embarrassing ammunition for later, to be sure. She couldn't really see him under the hat and jacket. At least she thought it was a him.

 

“Don't need to worry about what crap?” Oh yeah, definitely a him.

 

“Oh nothing.” Tara replied just a bit too quickly.

 

Micky walked quickly to the strange new man standing in her apartment.

 

“Let me take your coat and hat, mijo. The heat's on and you'll fry in here.” She said in a heavy spanish accent.

 

He unzipped his jacket and Tara got a funny feeling in her tummy. An unsettling, sinking feeling that left her vaguely nauseous. He wasn't wearing a shirt underneath. As he shrugged out of the sleeves his arms became visible, and she caught glimpses of telltale tattoos on either arm. When he took his hat off he shook out his shoulder length hair before handing both items to Michaela in one hand, and extending the other to shake her hand.

 

“It is my pleasure to meet you. I'm Ren Kieton.”

 

 

~o0o~

 

Thank Usako, more than anything I think it's not somewhere most of my readers will look, it's not a fanfic, it's original, which means ppl looking for only those characters will have no interest in this. But hopefully those who've read it like it hehe =^.^=