The sunlight was gently streaming into Cassandra's bedroom when she heard a knock at her door.
She groaned, stretching her arms before standing up and pulling on a simple robe.
"Yes?" she asked groggily, pulling the door open.
"G'morning, Cassie!" Varian's excited voice broke through her dazed stupor, "rise and shine!"
"What the heck... Varian?!"
"Yes... milady?"
She rolled her eyes. "What in the world is this all about?"
"I learned from a certain someone that today is your birthday. So... I came to say happy birthday! I'm busy all day, so I made sure to wake up early enough... here!"
He shoved a small box, wrapped in simple brown paper and tied up with string, into her hands.
"Oh, Varian..." she stuttered, at a loss for words, "you didn't have to..."
"Go on, go on," he said, smiling before scratching the hair on the backside of his head, "open it."
He looked up at her, giving a shy smile.
"Well, okay, then..."
She didn't know what to focus on- the gift or the giver- but settled on her hands.
They held a beautiful, leather bound notebook.
"I know it's kind of a stupid gift... but..."
"It's not stupid. I love it."
"Really?" he asked, finally daring to meet her eyes, "I thought..."
"Really. Thank you so much, Varian."
"Yeah... happy birthday, Cassie."
"Thanks," she said, reaching over to hug him, "this has been the best birthday ever so far."
"Wow..."
He hugged her back.
Oh, my gosh, Cassandra thought, there's that feeling again... I hope he can't tell whatever these... ugh... feelings are, how they're displaying themselves...
But she didn't pull away. She couldn't ignore the fact that her heart was racing, feelings were pounding, desperate to get out, but she couldn't show them.
I hope she can't tell that my heart is pounding so fast, Varian thought to himself, that I am ready to break out in a sweat yet I feel completely fine and... oh my gosh, feelings are hard. But I'm not going to let her know... I hope she can't tell... I don't want to intimidate her or anything...
But he did nothing.
They both stood there, hugging and thinking to themselves, before Varian remembered.
"Hey, I've got to go to work," he said, pulling away, scratching his head, "stop by anytime, okay?"
She smiled. "But of course."
YOU ARE READING
Every Step of the Way
Fanfiction"Sometimes, when there are no given steps, you need to take the first ones." ~-~ Years have passed since Varian first met Cassandra. Life is going okay for him- he's gotten his first job, and he's actually being taken seriously by everyone- but he c...
