A Midafternoon Stroll

[Claire Heart]

She investigated the tree. "Maybe even Mombie...." Nope, no one was there any longer. "Or maybe it was just a gardener. But they sure disappeared quickly to be nobody..." She was satisfied no one was there, for now. "Or maybe we're paranoid."

She walked back to Taye, taking his hands in her own. "Who would care about seeing us in a garden anyway? We're friends..."

[Taye Keats]

"Yeah, I guess so," Taye said, smiling softly. They were just two friends... two good friends... at least for now. True, after today, their relationship seemed to be moving in another direction... but when they put things into perspective, they had only had one real conversation ever before. No need to move too quickly, right? Still, as Taye looked over at Claire... he began to wonder how much time they really had left. What if Mombi decided to eliminate her enemies? Wouldn't he regret not making a move while he had the chance?

He squeezed Claire's hand a little more tightly. This whole situation seemed so much bigger than any of them.

"Don't you ever get... scared? With everything that's going on..."

[Claire Heart]

"Of couse. I'm petrified. But..." She looked in his eyes, "it makes me feel better knowing you're here with me." Claire put up a great front, but inside she was trembling. She'd been trying to live for the moment because, truth be told, she didn't know how many more moments she might have or not have. She'd worked her whole life for the future, but now she was learning to live in the now. I guess that's the price you pay for taking sides. Even the right side came with consequences.

"I've never been so scared as I am right now in my whole life, but I've never been so happy. If it takes fear to really live, then maybe danger is the greatest blessing of life."

[Taye Keats]

Taye drew her close, holding her tightly, feeling her warmth against his body. He felt the need to be the brave one here, to be a man, but he felt just as afraid on the inside. "It'll be alright. I am here for you." He smiled, even though she couldn't see it like this. "I don't know if danger is the greatest blessing. It's more of a two-sided coin, really. It can hurt... or it can make you really live. It's a risk." He kissed the smooth skin of her forehead. "Some people become addicted to it... others never become familiar with it at all. I think what most people need is a balance."

[Claire Heart]

It felt so safe in his arms. She'd never felt so safe anywhere before. "I guess you're right." She wrapped her arms around him and placed her head on his shoulder. "Thank you for being here..."She wanted to say more, but Claire had no idea what to say. She wished time would freeze, and they could stay here, just like this, forever. She breathed in deep and nuzzled up into his hair for a moment. For a boy he sure took care of himself. His hair was so soft and smelled sweet, like fruit. "Your hair smells good," she kind of giggled as she said it. It wasn't a usual compliment for a boy.

[Taye Keats]

Taye smiled. "No need to thank me. That makes it sound like a service." He pulled her closer. "I want to be here."

At her next comment, Taye chuckled. She noticed, huh? Most guys didn't care that much about appearances or cleanliness... but hey, who was the one that people swooned over? He was living proof that caring about appearances paid off. He moved his head closer to hers, inhaling deeply.

"Yours does too," he said softly, his lips right next to her ear. Her golden hair smelled much like the sweet flowers they had been lying in before, though somehow even sweeter.

[Claire Heart]

When he breathed next to her ear it sent a shiver down her spine. No one had ever done that to her before. "What have you..." she tried to figure out just the right wording, "how much have you...how far have you...gone...with someone..." She swallowed down the lump in her throat.

He intrigued her. He seemed more experienced, and he made her want to do things that had never crossed her mind before. They'd only known each other a short time, but it felt like a lifetime. He knew more about her than anyone but Ellie did...maybe more than Ellie did, certainly more than her own brother (because even though she loved him, their conversations had been rather shallow, too). He made her feel ways she'd never felt, wanted.

[Taye Keats]

Taye gave a dark laugh. Ah, the ever-important question. Taye had always been a player, so... suffice to say he had gone all the way with plenty of people. He had never really cared much before... like his kisses, it had never really meant anything. But now that he had met someone like Claire... he felt a bit ashamed that he had squandered something like that on unimportant people. For a moment he considered lying; what if Claire, sheltered as she was, didn't want him anymore after discovering that he was "used"? But no... that thought immediately fled his mind. He couldn't lie, even if he wanted to. Not to Claire.

"Further than you, I'm sure," he said quietly. He gripped her tighter. "Does that... bother you?" Even someone as popular and confident as Taye had his own insecurities...

[Claire Heart]

"Actually...no." It surprised her a little. Claire had always wanted someone...her own speed, but not now. There was something appealing about Taye's experience. "I mean, I've never but..." she swallowed down that lump that kept rising in her throat, "It doesn't mean that I don't want to." She was crossing some pretty rocky territory, and it scared her. But boy did it make her head spin in the best possible way!

She liked Taye. She really did. She wondered if she was even...falling in love with him. They had so much in common. He was almost, well, the male version of her. She'd never met someone who could be popular,pretty, and deep! And the fact that he was a little more worldly than her was just the cherry on top.

[Taye Keats]

Taye breathed a silent sigh of relief. Good. If there was one thing he didn't want, it was to scare Claire away. Just as she was attracted to his experience, he was attracted to her innocence... he was so very tired of the Emerald City girls who thought they knew everything. He hugged her tightly, chuckling quietly.

"Well, let's not get ahead of ourselves," he said teasingly, then kissed her on the forehead.

[Claire Heart]

Claire laughed. Taye was right. She was getting a little ahead of herself, but she was always a jump in head first kind of girl. “Alright…” she replied in a teasing manner, a flirtaceous little grin spreading across her face. Who was to say they wouldn’t have all the time in the world? Maybe this big, scary threat would ease off soon, let life resume normally. Maybe…or maybe not…

“Do you think things will ever be the same again? Carefree? Now that we know…now that we’re part of something bigger than ourselves…?” Some of that fear was back in her voice. They could escape it for short spurts, make jokes and laugh, pretend life was easy going, but in the end it all boiled back down to the simple fact that life wasn’t easy anymore. They were going to have to be adults and live in the real, adult world. Perhaps that was the scariest part.

[Taye Keats]

"I honestly don't know," Taye said quietly. "I want to say that they will be, after all of this is over... but then again, maybe that's part of growing up. Losing one's innocence." Things were moving so fast... he was only a second year, and already he was helping Glinda the Good establish control over Oz. What was next? He had always seen himself doing nothing but partying and studying throughout his time at Shiz... the real world seemed so far away. For all he knew, he could wind up in a real position of power in a matter of weeks, at the rate this was going. He didn't feel ready for all of this responsibility... but what choice did any of them have?

[Claire Heart]

"Are you going to come visit me now that I have to move?" She laughed. She'd never even been to Quadling country, and yet somehow she was going to be...what...in charge of it? "I hate that I don't get to finish out my senior year at Shiz..." Taye was only in his second year. Would Glinda call him away too? Was it safe for him to stay? She hoped if he was going to that it was indeed safe.

She'd always wanted to be 'the good', move out in the world, but she'd thought she had another year. Life got a little more scary every day it seemed. "I don't wanna grow up! I changed my mind." She laughed at herself. If she didn't laugh, she'd cry

[Taye Keats]

Taye smiled. Though Claire was laughing, he could see the pain in her eyes. He held her tighter.

"Of course I'll come visit you. Whenever I get the chance." He grinned. "Besides, Elphaba has her broom, Glinda has her bubble... you and Ellie need some form of transit as well. Then you can visit me sometimes."

He kissed her gently on her soft lips. He didn't want to grow up either, but it looked like it was happening. It seemed like everyone was vanishing from Shiz... Ellie, Kay, Claire... even that Ian guy. He was the only one left to keep an eye on Mombi... he began to feel incredibly alone. Sure, there was Polly, but... well, they had already decided that she couldn't be trusted. Where did that leave him? Alone after all...

[Claire Heart]

She kissed him back, softly, sweetly. "I don't want to leave you. I don't want to be alone." She held him close and closed her eyes, trying to push back the tears that were welling up in her throat, in her eyes. She wanted to stay here. She wanted things to back to the way they were, before. But then if they had, she might not be here right now, but it sure didn't make things easy.