Seashells

Authors note: This is just a softy I wrote a while back. It's really precious and a lot less awkward than my other story "Silence cries". Just reading this puts a smile on my face. I'm not really sure how this came out of me.

Enjoy!
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"There are so many!" She exclaimed and I wonder if she knows that her eyes light up when she sees them.

"Oh look, you have a conch shell and," she gasps,"is that an abalone?" I nod and smile only so much. I hope that how I feel about her doesn't show on my face, my eyes too dreamy or my smile too loving.

Her delicate hands began to sort though them. Such elegant fingers, soft skin, her nails chewed down to the tips of her fingers. She's always nervous about something, biting her nails. The combination of her lilting voice and the gentle rustle of the hundreds of shells at her fingertips washes over me. She can name each shell. She loves the hermit crab shells. I can never remember what they're called.

"Micheal where did you get all of these?" My train of thought jumps rail and I have to remember why she's here.

"Oh, no where really... here and there," I hear myself say. As long as the rest of me can keep up. Shouldn't let her know I was wondering what those hands would feel like in mine. What my heart would do if she smiled that way just for me...

"Oh Micheal! what are these little curly ones called?" There goes that train again.

"Hm? I don't know, I was hoping you could tell me." How is it that my mind can be somewhere else while my body can keep up with the outside.

"Hm," she taps one tapered finger against her lips, "I'll have to look them up."

I wonder if she knows what she does to me? Does she know that inside this shell I show the world my heart races and my blood warms.

I touch my hand to her upper-back, almost her shoulder, secretly brushing my fingers against the ends of her hair. I lean over to look at the shell she has become so interested in but it's all a ruse. Can she feel all of the turmoil I feel? She makes me so nervous and sick and... Her bright presence just does something to me.

"Have you really looked through these Micheal?" I love the way she says my name.

"Not recently. Why? Is there something special in there?"

"There a lot of special ones in here. Are you sure you want to give all of these to me?"

"Of course. I don't have a use for them and... You love shells."

What was that tone in my voice? Oh god, she's staring at me. What did I say?

"You're really sure?" Some odd emotion pours over her face and the question means something different... but I don't know what.

My mouth runs away with me again before I have time to think. It grins the way it does when i think about her and no one is watching, that grin that's just for her.

"Yes Julia. They make you happy." My traitorous hand brushes a few stray strands from her face.


That smile, that beautiful smile. And one of my own to match it. I can feel it. Those sneaky emotions leaking out into my eyes.

"I just want you to be happy." Was... was that my voice?

"Oh... Micheal. I knew it." Her hand in mine. "I knew you liked me." Those lips against my cheek. "I thought I'd have to wait forever."

I must look shocked because now she's giggling at me.

"Heh... well... You almost did."