with grace in your heart and flowers in your hair

[notverywise]

Logically speaking, Jenny knows she probably shouldn't be so nervous. The thing about it having taken so long — though it isn't as if she knew before yesterday that there was something to take long at all, regardless of how much sense it makes now that both of them have admitted to harboring feelings — is that she knows Cameron, she's comfortable with him, more so than probably any other person on the island. Before, to have gone out together would have been something perfectly normal, during which she'd have kept any thoughts of something more to herself. Now, everything's changed, even if nothing has at the same time. It's absolutely thrilling, leaving her as anxious as she is exhilarated, and certain that this is the happiest she's been since showing up here.

Because the thing is, she hasn't done this before, not really. When she went out with David, nothing ever officially changed; it was just one thing one day, and gradually, other things began to happen, too. She thinks now that that might have been the point from the beginning. So often there were others there, too, Helen and Danny, and even that could be part of the appeal. The more she thinks about it, the more she wonders if it was David she wanted or the life he could give her, and she's fairly certain it was the latter. With Cameron, it's entirely different. She's known him longer and she knows him well, and while it helps that he's so many of the things she'd have gravitated towards back home, it isn't just about that, especially not when so much of that would be irrelevant here. It's just him, and she's wanted him for so long now that this has so much more weight to it.

However much time he waited, she's glad it's now, anyway. Not all of the island's changes are things she's taken to well, the whole idea of moving backwards entirely at odds with the way she approaches most things, but it's certainly convenient for this, giving them actual things to do for a proper date (and just the thought leaves her biting her lip, trying to hold back a smile, though there's no reason for it yet). Now there's nothing but to wait a little longer, which shouldn't be difficult when so many months have passed. Pacing her flat and waiting for him to get here, though, feels a lot more difficult than that ever did.

Comments

[makeafairfight]

"Always take advantage of the moment," Cameron says, and it isn't strictly what he believes, but it's close enough (there are exceptions, of course. There are always are). He turns, skating backwards to be able to look at her better. "Especially since I can't say that sounds all that fun. You know, if you have all this power and you could do whatever you wanted, you'd think you'd really go wild with the setting. Just all out."

[notverywise]

Jenny can't help the way she laughs when he starts to skate backwards, utterly charmed and not needing to try to hide it. "God, really," she agrees. "Infinite possibilities, and they couldn't do anything more creative? I think we got lucky, having our first winter here be this." She might be already growing tired of the corsets and full skirts, layers to cover every inch of her, but overall, she easily prefers this to what she's heard the alternative is.

[makeafairfight]

"Very lucky," Cameron agrees, though it's more because of her than anything else. He can think of plenty he would want otherwise, but she's lovely with the way her cheeks flush in the cold, her hand in his, and he can't be sorry for anything that lets them out to have fun like this. He grins, shaking her head at her. "What's so funny?"

[notverywise]

"Are you trying to show off or does it just come naturally?" Jenny asks in lieu of answering his question, smile pulling a little wider. "Because that's very impressive, that whole skating backwards bit." She likes it, both because it makes it easier to look at him and because, whether or not any showing off is intentional, it achieves the same purpose.

[makeafairfight]

At the mention of what he's doing, Cameron stumbles slightly, catching himself a moment later with a somewhat panicked laugh. "I'm not showing off," he says. "I don't mean to be." He glances back over his shoulder, thankful he's managed not to bump into anyone, though he suspects the awkwardness has already sufficed for making whatever he's doing a little less impressive. "I just wanted to be able to look at you while we talk."

[notverywise]

"I didn't say I minded," Jenny points out, teeth pressing to her lower lip through a smile, unspeakably warm. "I'm glad. It is much easier this way. But God knows I wouldn't be able to do that." She's a good skater, but not that good, though in this case, she supposes it doesn't make any difference. If the point is for them to be able to look at each other, then only one of them needs to be going backwards, and it might as well be him.

[makeafairfight]

"Might defeat the purpose if we both did," Cameron points out. "I mean, your hair's very nice. I just generally prefer looking at your face. At you. I bet you could, though." She's graceful enough, god knows, managing just fine without fumbling or falling or needing to look at the ice. It would take some practice, but he has no doubt she could manage it.

[notverywise]

"Oh, well, for that matter, I like looking at you, also," Jenny says with a laugh, grinning up at him. "And if you were looking at my hair, I wouldn't be able to see you at all, so I think this works much better." It would be less consequential, she thinks, if this were a more casual occasion, the two of them spending time together and nothing more. It goes so wonderfully far beyond that now that she wants to make the most of it, and to not forget a second.

[makeafairfight]

"Well, in that case, I'm staying where I am," Cameron says. "Or I'm facing the same direction. Although if all we're doing is looking at each other, we're gonna run into something pretty fast." It's probably sickening to anyone watching, he knows, but he can't help it and he doesn't care. She's beautiful, utterly exquisite, and they've waited long enough. They deserve to enjoy every last second, and if this is how they do it, then no one else matters.

[notverywise]

"We probably would," Jenny says with a laugh, free hand lifting briefly to her mouth, though not long enough to let it throw off her balance. All jokes on the matter aside, she would definitely prefer not to wind up injured in any way, if only because of the further plans they have. "And then we'd have to spend our first date in the clinic, and I don't think that would be much fun at all."

[makeafairfight]

"I would be a pretty terrible date if I let you end up there," Cameron says, pulling a face, though he doesn't trouble to hide the way he still smiles. "I'm sure we'd find a way to make it fun anyway, though." He always has fun with her, which is saying something. More than anything, he thinks, it's the way she puts him so at ease, makes him feel there's no need to be self-conscious or cautious, to be anyone but himself.

[notverywise]

"It would make a good story, at least," Jenny allows, shrugging, her smile not waning as she looks up at him. She'd still prefer to avoid that where she can. It wouldn't be the worst thing when they'd still have each other's company, and when she doubts anything too awful would happen, but that doesn't mean she would like it any. "More amusing after the fact, I'm sure, but still."

[makeafairfight]

Cameron laughs, starting down the ice toward the frost fair, though it means turning to move alongside her again. "The epic story of our first date," he says lightly, "and how ice makes us incredibly clumsy for such graceful people." He gives her a wry grin, squeezing her hand. "I think I'd prefer the story of how everything went perfectly. Even the things that didn't. Which I'm hoping will be next to nothing."

[notverywise]

"That makes two of us, then," Jenny agrees, casting him a bright smile, ridiculous as this whole thing has gotten. "Even if we could make the best of it, I'd still rather not." It's only reasonable, of course — why anyone would want to land themselves in the clinic, she hasn't got the first idea — but the way she sees it, they waited long enough for this. After all of that, they deserve to have it go right. "Don't worry, though, it's gone perfectly so far."

[makeafairfight]

"Oh, well, good," Cameron says with a laugh. "I'm glad to know I can manage not to screw up for twenty minutes." He's capable of a hell of a lot more than that, even he knows it, but he means it, all teasing aside. He always tries hard, no matter what he's faced with, but when it comes to the people he loves, his friends and his family, he works that much harder. In the past, he's hardly been the best of boyfriends, but there are no conflicts now, nothing to keep from from devoting his attention wholly to her.

[notverywise]

"I think you can manage for a bit longer than that," Jenny says with a laugh of her own, though she believes it entirely, all teasing aside. He hasn't once gotten anything wrong with her yet, not that she can think of, and when they've known each other for months, she thinks that might even be a bigger feat than a good beginning to a first real date. It was never going to be difficult to win her over, though; her standards might be high, but she's been mad about him for ages. "We could try to set a new record, even."

[makeafairfight]

"You mean for us or in general?" Cameron asks, grinning. As they get closer to the fair, he can smell any number of foods and spices, though he's holding out until he can take her to dinner. Still, they ought to take the time to enjoy this while there's still light out. "I'm all for either one. I think we can pull it off."

[notverywise]

"Start with us, maybe," Jenny suggests, head tipping to the side, thoughtful. "Move on to in general after that. I agree, I'm sure we can manage it." They're good together, they have been since long before they were a couple. Now that they are one, she thinks that can only be even more the case, a thought that's about as comforting as it is thrilling.

[makeafairfight]

"Well, when you have so much confidence in us, how could we not?" Cameron smiles and shakes his head at her. He does, too, of course, when they've been nothing but perfect as friends. That may not always translate to a strong basis for a romantic relationship, but in their case, he thinks it does. "I'm pretty sure we could take on just about anything."

[notverywise]

"Anything," Jenny echoes, the thought of it exhilarating in the best way possible, corners of her mouth twitching a little higher. "I like that." It may be an exaggeration, especially here, but who knows? They did manage to survive a stuffed animal attack, and remained unaffected when the island was turning other people's lives upside down. Maybe they could after all. "Still, this first. Definitely a good start, if you ask me."

[makeafairfight]

"Well, I mean, who else would I ask?" Cameron points out. "Yours is the only opinion that counts at the moment." Of course, though his taste and hers don't always intersect, she's generally expressed approval in the past of any plans he's made or offered (and her suggestion of the Halloween party really would have been a lot of fun if it hadn't been invaded, no matter how ridiculous the costume she found him). His chances of that holding true now were always good, but that makes it no less of a relief.

[notverywise]

"Oh, I should hope so," Jenny laughs, shooting him a teasing grin. "I don't see why anyone else should have a say in it." All teasing aside, she likes that, the sense of security that comes with knowing this is entirely theirs, no one else's business at all, consequential but not enough to impact how they're thought of. There's nothing else riding on this, just the two of them and their own happiness (so little at stake when they already know they work well together), and it's refreshing. She could get used to this, she thinks.

[makeafairfight]

"They don't," Cameron says, letting go of her hand only to slip his arm around her waist, leaning in to press a kiss to her cheek. He wants to do a lot more than that, but he keeps it to himself for the moment, willing to wait in order to get this right. When he kisses her, it won't be here, in front of a bunch of strangers who are barely even real. That, too, will be theirs and no one else's. "Come on, let's get something hot to drink. It's freezing."

[notverywise]

"God, it really is," Jenny agrees, not hesitating to lean into him, the gesture requiring far less thought than it would have even a day or two ago. He's always made it too easy to stay close, but free from the weight of having to over-think everything, it's that much more enjoyable. Shivering exaggeratedly, she tips her head up to smile warmly at him. "I do feel a little better already, though."

[makeafairfight]

"Good." Cameron turns to press a kiss to the side of her head, leading her over to one of the stands so he can order a couple of hot ciders. As bewildering as it is to him that there's still no money here in a city like this, it does, at least, spare him from having to take off his gloves to dig through his pockets or let go of Jenny. He grins, fond. "I'm still going to stand here and keep you warm, if you don't mind."