[align=center][div style="width: 430px; text-align: justify; font-family: verdana; font-size: 6pt; letter-spacing: 1.5px; word-spacing: 0px; line-height: 12px; color: #000"]Exactly what kind of people were Mollie and Fred was a difficult question to answer. Were they good people? Deserving of love? Deserving of each other? Perhaps they were inexplicably ignorant and naive, unaware of what love really looked like. Mollie could justify her own inexperience with love, but was she and Freddie alike in more ways than they first imagined?
Mollie narrowed her eyes at him and then turned to preoccupy herself with a game of pool instead. ❝ You’re just full of ideas, aren’t you? ❞ She could already see where Freddie was daring to go with this, and her lips opened just enough to tug into a wry smile. ❝ Bad ideas, but ideas nonetheless. ❞ Stilling with the pool cue aimed at the cue ball, Mollie gave the man a side glance, seemingly unimpressed with his comment before she looked back towards the game ahead, remarking with a growing grin, ❝ Have you got any better ideas? ❞ She questioned.
A clatter echoed through the otherwise quiet room as she struck the cue ball, a multitude of colors scattering in all directions on the table. She wasn’t skilled in this game, and it was clear in the way none of the balls disappeared after being pocketed. Lowering the cue down onto the table, Mollie swiveled around so that she could watch Fred approach her instead. Time spent with him would be more valuable than any game of 8-ball. ❝ You would still kick my ass. ❞ Fred pointed out.
It wasn’t like him to be so generous with his words whenever he spoke to the majority - his pride so often got in the way. Mollie wasn’t the majority, though; at least she felt that way whenever she was around him. There was something about the way he treated her which made her feel as if, even for a moment, she meant something to him.
❝ Yeah, you can bet on it. ❞ Mollie retorted teasingly, and she gave him little more than a playful quirk of the brow as he wandered over. For good measure, she used her pointer finger to nudge one of the nearby balls into the pocket beside her, adding, ❝ I’m already winning. ❞ She could not deny those feelings of butterflies which tore through her; the way the pain of falling for a man so broken felt so sweet, even whilst the pain of holding all his pieces together would do nothing more than hurt her in the end.
Her playful taunting seemed to do the trick. She possessed the unique ability to aggravate nearly anyone that had met her acquaintance, but she truly did adore Freddie in her very own way. Her way of showing this devotion was simply one that was strange, like pushing his chest if he got to close or, in this case, goading him for a reaction. When Freddie lowered his drink onto the nearby table, Mollie observed the determination to please her in the man’s eyes. It was that very look made up of a tenacious single-mindedness that glimmered in those blue eyes. Mollie, upon gazing into those eyes, came to realize just how much he meant to her.
She was whisked away into a dance, two bodies taut against one another as she followed Fred’s movements with an uninhibited laugh. He possessed such showmanship that he could make any playful comment dazzling. This was amazing to Mollie, just because he said so. With arms dangling around him, Mollie shook her head slowly as their eyes met, silenced with stupefaction. The room was quiet yet filled with such warmth. No music, yet Fred’s overjoyed laughter sounded far sweeter to the ears.
Frederick Stirling was always full of surprises.
❝ See, watch this- ❞ Mollie had little time to acknowledge his words before he dipped her backwards. She gasped, lips parted with astonishment and eyes springing open wide, and no later than that did she then erupt with surprised giggling. In all of her awe, she felt transfixed as eyes stared up to search his. Her heart skipped a beat. No, she couldn’t deny that feeling. Did he feel it too? Next thing, she was back up on two feet again, the dancing partners gliding across the bar with a natural synergy. ❝ Not bad for two left feet, huh? ❞
❝ You are... ❞ Mollie could only try to search for the right words, but there were simply no words but one which could describe this feeling. ❝ unbelievable, Freddie. ❞ Unbelievable would never be enough to amount to how she really felt, but it was the closest she was willing to admit. It was the blatant truth. Unbelievable. It was not to be mistaken with unconvincing, but with incredible. He was too good to be true, and yet here he stood in the flesh, making her feel this way. She rolled her eyes but no eye rolling could deny the way her heart felt so full and alive in his presence.
A hand had already snaked up to comb fingers through the hair at the back of his head before she had even come to register what she was doing, silenced once more by a moment which felt so special to her - and probably only to her. He was right all along; they didn’t need a jukebox or music to make this dance feel so special. It required no more than a feeling for this to be so perfect.
The words ❛ I love you ❜ felt strangely compelling.
The confession was tempting. As if those words would burn at her tongue if she held onto it for too long. Yet it was surprising because, despite her heart slamming in her chest and the fear freezing muscles solid, that very same fear glowed so iridescently in her eyes. Perhaps it was anticipation. The will to reveal that perhaps she was losing control of her emotions.
She barely resisted the urge to tell him.
Mollie was the first to break that intimate look between the couple, tipping her head forwards to press her face against his collarbone. She lost all inhibition or control, trusting Freddie enough to guide the both of them in a gentle slow dance across the empty room. This was yet another of the many mistakes she’d make with Freddie. She knew how he felt close against her, the warmth so soothing to a woman who was raised without love. The way his chest reverberated with every warm word that he spoke, every chuckle that passed his lips. He was hilarious, he made her laugh. It was a dangerous charm that drew her in. She likely was not the first to fall for his tricks, and would certainly not be the last.
The way she carefully breathed him in… She wished that she could forever know him this way; the thought that someday she may forget the color of his eyes petrified her. She wanted him to be her forever.
She couldn't bear this tension.
❝ I'm never gonna dance again, guilty feet have got no rhythm- ❞ Her shaky, near tone-deaf singing was muffled against his shirt, followed by amused laughter as she continued to provide her own, ironic music in jest. A feeble attempt to shatter the intimate moment that they were sharing - she couldn't let herself love him. That would break her. ❝ Though it's easy to pretend, I know you're not a fool. ❞ Slowly beginning to sink her weight from side to side, Mollie tried dragging Fred along playfully as she swayed her body and sang.
Maybe she was just intoxicated, but Mollie was pretty certain she was in love.
She’d continue to tell herself that. Confessing her love to him would be a death wish.
Mollie narrowed her eyes at him and then turned to preoccupy herself with a game of pool instead. ❝ You’re just full of ideas, aren’t you? ❞ She could already see where Freddie was daring to go with this, and her lips opened just enough to tug into a wry smile. ❝ Bad ideas, but ideas nonetheless. ❞ Stilling with the pool cue aimed at the cue ball, Mollie gave the man a side glance, seemingly unimpressed with his comment before she looked back towards the game ahead, remarking with a growing grin, ❝ Have you got any better ideas? ❞ She questioned.
A clatter echoed through the otherwise quiet room as she struck the cue ball, a multitude of colors scattering in all directions on the table. She wasn’t skilled in this game, and it was clear in the way none of the balls disappeared after being pocketed. Lowering the cue down onto the table, Mollie swiveled around so that she could watch Fred approach her instead. Time spent with him would be more valuable than any game of 8-ball. ❝ You would still kick my ass. ❞ Fred pointed out.
It wasn’t like him to be so generous with his words whenever he spoke to the majority - his pride so often got in the way. Mollie wasn’t the majority, though; at least she felt that way whenever she was around him. There was something about the way he treated her which made her feel as if, even for a moment, she meant something to him.
❝ Yeah, you can bet on it. ❞ Mollie retorted teasingly, and she gave him little more than a playful quirk of the brow as he wandered over. For good measure, she used her pointer finger to nudge one of the nearby balls into the pocket beside her, adding, ❝ I’m already winning. ❞ She could not deny those feelings of butterflies which tore through her; the way the pain of falling for a man so broken felt so sweet, even whilst the pain of holding all his pieces together would do nothing more than hurt her in the end.
Her playful taunting seemed to do the trick. She possessed the unique ability to aggravate nearly anyone that had met her acquaintance, but she truly did adore Freddie in her very own way. Her way of showing this devotion was simply one that was strange, like pushing his chest if he got to close or, in this case, goading him for a reaction. When Freddie lowered his drink onto the nearby table, Mollie observed the determination to please her in the man’s eyes. It was that very look made up of a tenacious single-mindedness that glimmered in those blue eyes. Mollie, upon gazing into those eyes, came to realize just how much he meant to her.
She was whisked away into a dance, two bodies taut against one another as she followed Fred’s movements with an uninhibited laugh. He possessed such showmanship that he could make any playful comment dazzling. This was amazing to Mollie, just because he said so. With arms dangling around him, Mollie shook her head slowly as their eyes met, silenced with stupefaction. The room was quiet yet filled with such warmth. No music, yet Fred’s overjoyed laughter sounded far sweeter to the ears.
Frederick Stirling was always full of surprises.
❝ See, watch this- ❞ Mollie had little time to acknowledge his words before he dipped her backwards. She gasped, lips parted with astonishment and eyes springing open wide, and no later than that did she then erupt with surprised giggling. In all of her awe, she felt transfixed as eyes stared up to search his. Her heart skipped a beat. No, she couldn’t deny that feeling. Did he feel it too? Next thing, she was back up on two feet again, the dancing partners gliding across the bar with a natural synergy. ❝ Not bad for two left feet, huh? ❞
❝ You are... ❞ Mollie could only try to search for the right words, but there were simply no words but one which could describe this feeling. ❝ unbelievable, Freddie. ❞ Unbelievable would never be enough to amount to how she really felt, but it was the closest she was willing to admit. It was the blatant truth. Unbelievable. It was not to be mistaken with unconvincing, but with incredible. He was too good to be true, and yet here he stood in the flesh, making her feel this way. She rolled her eyes but no eye rolling could deny the way her heart felt so full and alive in his presence.
A hand had already snaked up to comb fingers through the hair at the back of his head before she had even come to register what she was doing, silenced once more by a moment which felt so special to her - and probably only to her. He was right all along; they didn’t need a jukebox or music to make this dance feel so special. It required no more than a feeling for this to be so perfect.
The words ❛ I love you ❜ felt strangely compelling.
The confession was tempting. As if those words would burn at her tongue if she held onto it for too long. Yet it was surprising because, despite her heart slamming in her chest and the fear freezing muscles solid, that very same fear glowed so iridescently in her eyes. Perhaps it was anticipation. The will to reveal that perhaps she was losing control of her emotions.
She barely resisted the urge to tell him.
Mollie was the first to break that intimate look between the couple, tipping her head forwards to press her face against his collarbone. She lost all inhibition or control, trusting Freddie enough to guide the both of them in a gentle slow dance across the empty room. This was yet another of the many mistakes she’d make with Freddie. She knew how he felt close against her, the warmth so soothing to a woman who was raised without love. The way his chest reverberated with every warm word that he spoke, every chuckle that passed his lips. He was hilarious, he made her laugh. It was a dangerous charm that drew her in. She likely was not the first to fall for his tricks, and would certainly not be the last.
The way she carefully breathed him in… She wished that she could forever know him this way; the thought that someday she may forget the color of his eyes petrified her. She wanted him to be her forever.
She couldn't bear this tension.
❝ I'm never gonna dance again, guilty feet have got no rhythm- ❞ Her shaky, near tone-deaf singing was muffled against his shirt, followed by amused laughter as she continued to provide her own, ironic music in jest. A feeble attempt to shatter the intimate moment that they were sharing - she couldn't let herself love him. That would break her. ❝ Though it's easy to pretend, I know you're not a fool. ❞ Slowly beginning to sink her weight from side to side, Mollie tried dragging Fred along playfully as she swayed her body and sang.
Maybe she was just intoxicated, but Mollie was pretty certain she was in love.
She’d continue to tell herself that. Confessing her love to him would be a death wish.