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"What you said, how you're acting... You've never done that before..." Lorabelle explained as she followed him into the kitchen and sat on the counter, watching him make some sort of sandwich out of cheese as she at her apple. "I don't understand what made you say and do all of that," Lorabelle finished after a bite of apple, "And it makes me curious and nervous because I feel that if I were human, I would know what it means and I wouldn't be so confused."
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"I, uh-" Ben laughed nervously as he scratched the back of his head. "Lora I-"
"Hey, Ben! Gina still lives here right?" Adeline called from the couch. "Yeah, 2nd floor." Ben called back. "I'm going to go say hi. Be back later." Adeline said as she lifted herself from the couch and walked out the door. "Right, erm, I-I like you Lora." Ben said awkwardly as he put the buttered sandwich into a frying pan. "I like having you here and I'm sorry that I've been making you confused." He finished, flipping the sandwich onto the opposite side. |
"But you liked me this morning and yesterday too," Lorabelle said with a laugh, "What makes tonight any different? I don't understand."
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"Lora, I-" Ben stopped to chuckle softly, sliding the sandwich on to a plate. "I feel very awkward right now." He admitted sheepishly before turning off the stove and walking over to Lora, his hand cupping her cheek. "I like you more then I did yesterday and this morning." He said softly. "Seeing you with that strange man I got really scared. I thought I was going to lose you forever and after I ran into nearly everything in the city I was so relieved to see you safe." Ben said with an amused smile. "I just want you to be safe and happy and I know you don't understand these things and I'm not entirely sure of how to explain this to you." Ben sighed, confused a bit himself.
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"So... you care for me like family.. Instead of like a strange girl you met by chance in the rain?" Lorabelle asked as he blushed an even deeper scarlet from his hand. "I am sorry for making you feel awkward... I do not mean to.... I just do not understand very well... I was not exposed to this back home," Lorabelle admitted as she tucked a bit of semi-wet hair behind her ear. Looking up at Ben, Lorabelle continued softly, "I feel rather dull for not understanding these things even though I am now human..."
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"It's not the same kind of feelings I'd have for someone in my family." Ben said slowly, his nerves working up again. "Lora, I-" His brain was telling him to back off before he scared right back out the door but unfortunately for his brain it was Ben's mouth that was in control now. And said mouth had much different plans as it left a soft kiss on Lora's forehead followed by a tender kiss upon the tip of her nose. Then, very slowly, Ben let his lips touch against Lora's in the most gentle kiss he'd ever given, so soft it could've been mistake for the brush of a feather.
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If Lorabelle's blush had been scarlet before, it was now burgundy after Ben's lips touched hers. It technically may not have been their first kiss, but it was most definitely their first real kiss. Lorabelle just sat there, too shocked to move as she felt something knot and tighten in her stomach.
"W-What was that for?" Lorabelle asked softly as she looked at Ben, her eyes quite wide with confusion, "You said that.. kissing meant something, that it wasn't for friends and it wasn't what I had thought it was while observing as a fairy.... You said it meant something different, something dearer.... I don't understand... why you did that... to me..." "Y..You do realize I am Lorabelle, right? Not Adeline?" Lorabelle asked softly as she bit her lower lip from a nervous habit she was now beginning. |
"I know who you are." Ben said as he pulled away slightly, putting some distance between his own lips, which he no longer trusted, and Lora's. "I know that you're Lorabelle and I don't know why you'd be thinking of Adeline right now but she has nothing to do with this." He explained before reaching over the counter for his forgotten sandwich.
"I'm sorry that I keep confusing you, Lora. And you're right-kissing is for when you care about someone as more then a friend and I understand that you don't have feelings for me the way I do for you. I just-I guess I just wanted to have my cards on the table in case you change your mind at some point." Ben said before handing her the plate with the grilled cheese sitting on it. "Are you hungry?" He asked curiously. |
"Because of the way Adeline looked at you... and how you look at her," Lorabelle said softly, embarrassed at his words. "I thought... you two were... I thought she and you were like Gina and Jack... What I don't understand is, if I do not know how I am supposed to feel about a friend, how do I know when I feel for someone as more than a friend?"
Sighing, Lorabelle pulled the sandwich in half and took a bite out of half, setting the other half back onto the plate. "I just don't understand any of this, nor what's making my stomach all twisted and churning. Nor why my cheeks keep turning red and burning, nor why my heart keeps going faster. Why does being human have to be so difficult?" Lorabelle asked as she looked up at Ben and took another bite of her sandwich. |
"You know, I ask myself that an awful lot." Ben laughed as he took the other half of the sandwich and took a bite. "And for the record, I am not in love with Adeline. She's one of my friends and that's it. I guess I don't know how to tell you if you feel for someone as more then a friend. I just do and believe me, I know how unhelpful that is." Ben sighed before taking another bite.
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Lorabelle frowned as she swallowed a bite of sandwich. "Well you're no help at understanding how to be human," Lorabelle teased with a laugh. "Are you angry with me? For not understanding and not giving you an answer?"
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"No." Ben shook his head firmly. "Sometimes being human is hard to understand even if you've been one all your life." He laughed, shaking his head. "But I think we should get some rest, or at least I need some after tonight. I'll see you in the morning, Lora." Ben said before standing and walking to his bedroom where he changed into a pair of sweatpants and leaned forward to faceplant on his bed. Instantly his nose reminded him of why faceplanting wasn't a good idea and he let out a muffled curse before slipping under the covers to sleep.
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Slipping off the counter, Lorabelle finished her sandwich and placed the plate in the sink. Remembering Adeline and the sleeping arrangements, Lorabelle bit her lower lip and sighed. Walking over to Ben's door, Lorabelle listened to see if he was sleeping yet. Knocking on his door, Lorabelle called, "Ben? Where should I sleep? Adeline should be coming back soon... and she should have the couch since she has classes like you do...."
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Ben sighed as he remembered the sleeping arrangements before standing up and opening the door of his bedroom. "Do you want to sleep in here tonight? I'll sleep on the floor." He decided before going to his closet and gathering his sleeping bag to lay out.
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Lorabelle shook her head, "You have classes to -- I can sleep on the floor. Besides, it cannot be any different than sleeping in a tree or on the ground, neh?" Walking over to Ben, Lorabelle eyed the mass he was holding curiously, "Ben? What is that thing you are holding?" Poking it as she looked it over, Lorabelle laughed at the smooth and silky texture, "It looks like a very uncomfortable dress!"
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"Its a sleeping bag." Ben explained as he rubbed his tired eyes. "People sleep in it when they're on the ground so it's a bit more comfortable." He said before slipping inside it and curling up. "Really, Lora. Take the bed. I'll be fine down here." He assured her as his eyes started to droop.
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"You really are quite stubborn, you know that?" Lorabelle said with a yawn before slipping into the bed the way she saw Ben slip into the sleeping bag. Holding the sheets to her chest, curling into them with a yawn, Lorabelle peeked over the edge of the bed and spoke softly, "Thank you, Ben. For everything."
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"Your welcome, Lora." Ben peeked up at her. "Get some rest, its been a long day." He murmured before closing his eyes and falling into sleep almost instantly.
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"Goodnight," Lorabelle whispered softly before curling into the soft bed. It was very large, compared to the couch, and she felt consumed by it. Still, it was comfortable and very kind of Ben to allow her to stay there. With her thoughts filled with how un-human she truly was, Lorabelle drifted off to sleep, her dreams plagued by nightmares of the Council and their words echoing in her ears.
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When Ben woke to the alarm the next morning he bolted out of the sleeping bag to shut it of, hoping it wouldn't wake Lora. Moving the the closet, Ben began rummaging through his clothes to get dressed for the morning.
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Lorabelle rubbed her eyes as she sat up in the bed. "Why was that machine yelling? Did I hit it on accident?" Lorabelle asked as she came to eye level with it and looked it over, "It doesn't look too hurt..."
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"That's a clock that I make buzz like that so I'll wake up in time to go to class." Ben explained, his clothes folded over his arms. "Go back to sleep if you like, I turned it off so it won't wake you again." He said before turning and going into the bathroom to shower and change.
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Stretching, Lorabelle slid from the bed, still a bit tired. Shuffling to the door, Lorabelle opened it and headed for the kitchen. Grabbing an apple, Lorabelle sat at the table and took a bite as she rubbed her eyes. She wanted more of those pancakes she had made the day before, but she was too exhausted to figure out how to make them again. Instead, Lorabelle decided to try and figure out how to make eggs and toast.
The toaster wasn't too hard to figure out, although she put the bread in upside down, but it was the eggs that were the tricky part. First, she tried cooking them with the shell. That didn't seemed to do anything so she cracked them. That produced some yellow and clear stuff that began to sizzle on the pan. Tossing the bits of shell that didn't get into the egg on the counter, Lorabelle did the same thing for three more eggs, getting better with each egg. Getting two plates down, Lorabelle made more toast and put four slices of toast onto the plate with the eggs when they were finished. When the second batch of toast was finished, Lorabelle put it on the second plate and sat down where she was sitting prior, placing the other plate where Ben usually sat. While Lorabelle waited for Ben, she continued to munch on her apple, grinning with pride had her semi-burnt eggs and toast. |
"Lora I-" Ben paused when he got to the kitchen, looking much better then he did the other night now that the majority of his scratches were fading though his nose was still bruised and looked painful.
"You made breakfast again." He grinned happily as he sat in front of his plate. "Thank you." He smiled encouragingly at Lora. "Good morning, you two." Adeline yawned as she walked into the kitchen wearing a pair of pink pajama shorts and a white t-shirt. "I borrowed a pair of Gina's pajamas last night. They offered me their couch once I get my stuff from the dorms and since you two are already crowding the place as it is then I was going to stay with them." She rambled sleepily as she pulled a box of fruit loops from the cupboard. "But Ben, thank you for offering me a place to stay. I appreciate it." She nodded as she made a bowl of cereal and leaned against the counter to eat. "Any time, Adeline." Ben smiled at her before biting into his breakfast, he caught a few egg shells but deceptively hid them in his napkin. |
"What are you eating?" Lorabelle asked curiously as she walked over to Adeline and peered into her bowl, "It's all colorful and floating.... What is it?" To someone, like Adeline, who wasn't used to Lorabelle asking such strange questions and being so curious, Lorabelle probably sounded and looked a bit crazy not knowing what Fruit Loops were, or cereal for that matter. Still, Lorabelle didn't notice how odd or strange she was being, for she was like this all of the time and Ben always explained everything. To her, this wasn't odd, but was life, and it was her way of trying to understand the world and become a part of it.
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