i must be warmer now

"I'll soon be turning 'round the corner now"

[ravanmistry-blog]

Task 6: Halloween Costume

The Grim Reaper

[from-the-muddy-banks-of-ale-blog]

Her fingers laced through his, Alex felt warm all over, happier than he’d felt in the longest time. Possibly happier than he’d ever felt. “If you don’t have a ficus then I’m definitely going to have to get you one. So you’ve got a whole indoor garden going on in your apartment? That’s… I can’t keep a plant alive for much longer than a week so that’s very impressive.”

[ravanmistry-blog]

“You are a very busy person so I can see how that could happen. Taking care of plants isn’t easy, it requires time and moments to yourself. But it’s worth it. Watering the plants, tending to their needs, pruning them..Those moments for them turn into moments for you. You’re actually taking care of yourself,” Ravan made a face at herself once she finished speaking, “That was very long and kind of lame, huh?”

[icequeen-ali-blog]

“You could say that I have three sibling’s and my parents were both twins. It’s a pretty big family. You deserve to be heard at the very least even if she doesn’t agree”

[ravanmistry-blog]

“Wow..I just have my sister. Well, and a few aunts and uncles so that can be a lot but three siblings? What was that like?”

[from-the-muddy-banks-of-ale-blog]

Smiling to himself as her arm brushed against his, he reached out and tentatively took her hand. “So you’re saying… if there’s a next time I should get you a ficus?” he asked, unable to keep himself from grinning a little bit. Already he could tell if she didn’t run screaming from him after one date he’d probably fill her apartment with every kind of plant he could think of.

[ravanmistry-blog]

Before she could even realize it, Ravan naturally laced her fingers through Alex’s. She laughed, leaning against him until her giggles had died down. “I don’t have a ficus yet. Most of mine are in little pots and they sit all around. My kitchen, window sills, around my bedroom,” she swung their hands gently as she trailed on.

[icequeen-ali-blog]

“ My family is all about togetherness. Even if they can be a bit much, I can’t imagine any holiday without them. She has time. I’d let her know that it’s okay to relax for a bit. I think people need to just enjoy the time over being in a mad dash”

[ravanmistry-blog]

“Do you come from a large family? Oh, I absolutely agree with you. Will she listen to me though?”

[from-the-muddy-banks-of-ale-blog]

“Maybe I didn’t, but I wanted to. I don’t really get may opportunities to buy flowers and… I really wanted to get you flowers.” Alex knew he was grinning like an idiot, but he couldn’t stop himself. “Do you want to take a walk before dinner?”

[ravanmistry-blog]

“Sure, we can,” Ravan kept her gaze on the flowers as they began to walk but she kept close to Alex’s side, her arm brushing against his as they went. He had gotten her flowers. No one had ever done that for her, save for her parents after she graduated. She didn’t think people actually did that for dates anymore though. “I love flowers, you know. Well, plants in general. I have a few little pots around in my apartment,” A few was maybe an understatement but Alex didn’t need to know that. 

[from-the-muddy-banks-of-ale-blog]

“Hi. You look beautiful,” Alex smiled, glad he’d managed to keep himself from seeming overly enthused. Plucking the cigarette from his lips, he tucked it into his shirt pocket before holding out the bouquet for her today. “I got these for you… obviously I got these for you and wasn’t just carrying them around.”

[ravanmistry-blog]

Ravan’s eyes followed the cigarette but she said nothing. She was surprised to see that Alex smoked but her attention was quickly shifted to the flowers he presented. “You didn’t have to,” Ravan’s smile grew as she looked the blossoms over, “They’re so pretty,” She couldn’t wait to place the bouquet in the center of her little window sill garden.

[icequeen-ali-blog]

“It makes perfect sense. You have to have it in your heart to think bout everything you can”

[ravanmistry-blog]

“Exactly. And, like you said, having all your loved ones together makes the holidays. Even if its a little hectic. I mean, we have about a month but my mother is already getting worked up. But I think that’s just her,”

[from-the-muddy-banks-of-ale-blog]

Nerves weren’t really nerves, Alex reasoned, unless they had something to do with a beautiful woman. Which made it just about the worst case of nerves he’d had in years. He’d combed his hair into something that looked neater than his usual look and even found a shirt that wasn’t remotely flannel-ish. He’d even bought her flowers, something he was having second and third thoughts about now that he was waiting outside, fiddling with a cigarette while considering whether to light it or not.

[ravanmistry-blog]

She wasn’t ready for this. Well, technically she was dressed for the occasion and even had applied some light make up but Ravan was not nearly mentally prepared. Brody had gushed and given her plenty of advice when she told him about her date, stating that she should just be herself and relax. Alex liked her for a reason after all so that was half the battle. It didn’t really help and her stomach was tossing once she spotted him. This was it. Fiddling with her hair one last time, Ravan stepped towards Alex with a nervous smile, “Hi,”

[from-the-muddy-banks-of-ale-blog]

“You sure? I don’t want you to say that if you only half mean it… not that I think you’d say something to me if you only half meant it, just that you’d say it because you were being kind.”

[ravanmistry-blog]

Ravan laughed and gently put a hand on Alex’s arm, “I mean it, Alex,”

[icequeen-ali-blog]

“People like to celebrate Christmas in that way so more people spend countless amounts of money, but that’s not the spirit of the holiday. Most Holiday’s are about being together. That’s why I like them ”

[ravanmistry-blog]

“I suppose I like the chance to reflect and think about something other than just me, if that makes sense,”

[from-the-muddy-banks-of-ale-blog]

“I don’t think that, but I wouldn’t blame you if you judged me a bit it what I meant,” Alex shrugged, smiling a little. “Friday it is. Should I pick you up or do we meet somewhere?”

[ravanmistry-blog]

“I can meet you somewhere, I don’t mind,”

[from-the-muddy-banks-of-ale-blog]

“Alright. Good… good.” There was no way he didn’t sound like an idiot just then, but he didn’t care. “I haven’t been on a date in a very long time so I’m warning you I might be a bit rusty.”

[ravanmistry-blog]

“You think I’m going to judge you for that?” Well, she had gone out for a dinner with Simon once but that was a different matter. “I should be free on Friday. We close the grooming parlor early,”

[from-the-muddy-banks-of-ale-blog]

“So… again, really happy I broke that dry spell for you.” And beyond ecstatic that he’d finally done something about what he’d felt between the two of them. There was a good chance that he’d be walking on air about that for a long time still. “I know I just asked you something, but… would you go on a date with me?”

[ravanmistry-blog]

Her cheeks flushed but she nodded, “Yes, of course,”

[from-the-muddy-banks-of-ale-blog]

“You don’t have to tell me,” he assured her “but I’m not going to… I don’t know what you think I’m going to do if you tell me.”

[ravanmistry-blog]

“It isn’t that I think you’re going to do something. I’m just kind of nervous I guess but,” she shook her head no, “I wouldn’t have done anything. I guess I would have just kept kind of going, keeping things to myself. Like I said, it’s been a while since I was last kissed or anything so,”

[from-the-muddy-banks-of-ale-blog]

“If I hadn’t… you know… if I hadn’t kissed you would you really have gone on like we were before?”

[ravanmistry-blog]

“Oh, uhm,” Ravan gnawed on her lip, staying silent rather than answer.

[from-the-muddy-banks-of-ale-blog]

“Almost as much… maybe, but I really don’t think that’s possible because you say sorry a lot.” Brushing an invisible strand of hair off of her face, he smiled. “Can I ask you something?”

[ravanmistry-blog]

“I do,” she confessed before his touch caught her attention, “Uhm, sure,”