Where I'm Meant To Be [Mae]

[Kieron Sharpe]

Kieron had been stressing about this day for the past few weeks. Even though he had been on several dates with Maebelle now, Valentines Day always had such a build-up around it. People always seemed to expect (and be expected) to go one step beyond the efforts made on a normal date, and Kieron was putting a lot of pressure on himself. He liked Maebelle, he really did, and even though he always made a real effort when they went out, he wanted this evening to be perfect.

Thankfully he had managed to snag an earlier shift at work, meaning he had a little time to get things ready before the time he had arranged to pick Maebelle up from her apartment. There had been a fairly large amount of preparation to do, but thankfully it had all gone smoothly. However, that didn't stop Kieron from getting stressed out as he was getting showered and changed and heading out of his house to drive over to pick up Maebelle.

The only thing Kieron had told her about their date was that she had to wear something pink, and he had absolutely refused to reveal any details about where they would be going or what they would be doing. That would have utterly ruined what he hoped would be a truly wonderful surprise. After picking her up from her apartment, wearing a floor-length tan coloured coat fastened tightly to keep out the Vermont winter chill, Kieron had driven them to the outskirts of Pilot Ridge, barely saying a word the entire way. Eventually he pulled up in the parking lot on the shore of the lake, quickly ducking out of his door so he could dash around the car and open Maebelle's door for her.

Fastened to the little jetty sticking out into the lake, a small boat rocked slowly on the waters surface. Kieron smiled warmly, offering Maebelle his hand. “Our vessel, my lady.”

[Deleted]

While Kieron might have been stressing about organizing this date, Maebelle struggled to find and to pick out a pink dress that would be appropriate and compatible with the arrangements made. The nurse had not let her in on any details however, making it difficult for her to decide on a casual or a more fancy outfit. In turn that added to her concerns since she feared to make the wrong decision. Of course she could have gone for the one already in her closet, but Mae had decided against that during the first second of when he informed her about what color to wear. She wanted something new for Valentine. For him.

So once the new dress was on, feet slipped into pale pink-beige high heels. With one last glance in the mirror to make sure her hair and make-up were alright, Mae quickly shoved something into her handbag and soon enough found herself located next to Kieron in the vehicle. The silence sort of killed the gardener, but at the same time she didn’t dare to break it. What kept her distracted enough was his floor-length coat. If Maebelle did not trust him, she would have questioned it by now. Heck, it was even longer than her dark blue trench coat!

Anyhow, when Kieron pulled up at the lake and opened up the door, the brunette reluctantly stepped out as blue eyes scanned for as far as they could with darkness settling in. She wordlessly let him guide her to the small boat, even though a frown appeared the second he indicated that she had to get in. “That?” A frown settled on Mae’s face as her gaze fell upon Kieron’s. He did not have to speak for her to conclude that he was serious though. Ever so reluctantly a hand settled in his and then she tried to gracefully place a foot in while the boat rocked slowly on the water. Her hesitation made it worse, in turn leading to Mae soon bending down, holding onto the wooden surface that formed one of the seats while trying to sit down without letting go. Being graceful? What was that?

Once seated, a sigh of relief slipped past her lips – one that had been held without her being aware of it. And then a sheepish smile followed when Kieron joined her. “You know what you are doing, right?” On how to row a boat… without them getting stuck in the middle of the lake. At least her heartbeat settled down a few moments later and her thoughts functioned normally again. It was then that something else came to mind.

“Oh, I brought something.” It was dark out and… yeah. With that said, Maebelle opened her small shoulder bag and took out three glowing balls, belonging to the lamps he had purchased for her Christmas. “Because they make me feel safe.” She mused, expect that it possibly could be interpreted wrongly. “I mean, not that I don’t feel safe around you. Just, you know, the darkness.” A second passed. “Want one?”

[Kieron Sharpe]

The gathering evening was dim enough that Kieron could easily go without his shades, which was a blessing and would undoubtedly make the evening go much smoother. There was lights on the boat which could be lit to give Maebelle more comfort should she get anxious in the darkness, but for now it was just about light enough to go without them, he hoped. Trying to steer the boat while being blinded by the lights would not be easy.

Smiling softly as he helped Maebelle into the boat, Kieron gave a small nod of his head. “Yes, I took a few lessons before hiring the boat.” Because quite frankly, Kieron had no intention of drowning either. He wanted tonight to go as well as it possibly could, and that was not going to happen if they ended up soaked in the middle of the lake. Sure the lessons and hiring the boat had taken time and hardly been cheap - in fact, it would have been cheaper to just hire someone else to row the boat, but then that wouldn't have had quite the same effect – but he was convinced that it would pay off.

Once they were both seated and settled Kieron was very surprised when Maebelle produced the glowing spheres from her bag. He smiled and chuckled softly at her words, taking one of them and rolling it in his fingers. “I am very glad they make you feel safe. That makes me happy.” The light was not so bright to be uncomfortable, and he rested it on his lap as he produced a black faux-fur trimmed shawl from underneath one of the seats, wrapped up in delicate tissue paper with a large red bow. “I didn't want you to get cold... I hope you like it.” After handing it over Kieron reached under the seat again, retrieving a pretty flower-patterned terracotta pot filled with damp soil and placing it on the seat beside her. “I didn't want to get you cut roses... I hope you don't mind waiting a while for fresh ones.”

Untying the boat from the jetty, Kieron gently nudged it away from the edge and began to slowly row in the direction of the centre of the lake. “There's a picnic basket under your seat, if you're hungry.”

[Deleted]

Kieron took lessons? Surprise settled on delicate features. Not only that, but she also managed to add appreciation to it. “How long have you been planning this?” Her voice gave away that Maebelle felt touched, very flattered by the fact that the man went through all this trouble. Eyes managed to rest on him through eyelashes as she quite ungracefully took a seat. They soon followed the glowing sphere as he took one from her hands, only for optics to fall upon the present that he plucked from underneath a seat. It got a little nervous chuckle to slip past the brunette’s lips as she took it from his hands, placing it down upon her lap before fingers carefully unwrapped it. They were about to take out the content when Kieron produced the terracotta pot, making the gardener pause for a second. “That is very thoughtful of you”, she mused as a loving smile graced her lips.

She would have said more, but curiosity got the best of her and she soon held up the beautiful shawl. “I love it!” Excitement and happiness filled her voice as Mae draped it on her upper legs for a second in order to be able to lean over and to steal a kiss the second after he had nudged the boat away from the edge. “It’s beautiful.” Mae mused upon straightening her back again, swinging arms some to effortlessly drape it over her shoulders. “Thank you. It’s perfect.” And she wasn’t exaggerating. It truly was perfect. Food was good as well and a nice addiction, but not required for it to get any better. Nevertheless, Mae did take the basket from underneath her seat. Not necessarily because she was hungry, but more so out of curiosity.

A peek was taken in the picnic basket. “You really put a lot of time in this, didn’t you?” For a split second her smile faltered though, but only for a reason she soon made clear. “My… gift is so ridiculous compared to this.” In the meanwhile Maebelle reached in the pocket of her coat, taking out a small wrapped key chain, engraved with a short sentence and the date that indicated the start of their relationship. A second gift got fished out of her purse – not wrapped.

After that, Mae took some grapes out of the basket… slowly popping one of them into her mouth, almost as if to distract herself out of shame for her gifts.

[Kieron Sharpe]

The look of pleasant surprise that settled on Maebelle’s features caused a soft smile to curl Kieron’s lips, the Irishman gently steering the boat out towards the middle of the lake. He was hardly a master rower and no one could ever confuse him for a man that had been doing this for a long time, but he was good enough to make do, helped enormously by his already rather decent upper body strength. He could of course have just cheated and hired a motorboat, but really, where was the romance in that? At her question a slight colour began to rise into Kieron’s cheeks, and he cleared his throat and gazed off to the side in mild embarrassment. He decided that honesty would be the best policy. “Umm… Pretty much since the day after I brought the Christmas tree around to your apartment.”

The shawl had been something of a last-minute present, bought mainly because Kieron eventually realised that Maebelle might get cold out on the lake in the middle of February. Yes he had brought plenty of blankets for her to nestle under, but one more layer wouldn’t hurt, and he himself had become rather taken with the shawl when he had laid eyes on it. It had a certain elegant charm, yet would hopefully still be practical enough to suit Maebelle’s tastes. Her reaction brought a clearly delighted smile to Kieron’s lips, and he leaned forward to welcome the kiss and gently return it. “I am very glad that you like it. I was more worried about you disliking that than any other part of this little adventure.”

That… was not entirely true, but it did serve to momentarily distract the rising nerves in his stomach. Kieron still had one little surprise for her, and he knew there was a small chance that it could go awry. As Maebelle commented on how long this must have taken, the colour threatening to rise into his cheeks succeeded, clouding them with a soft glow as Kieron made eye contact with her, glanced down at the floor of the boat with a quiet nervous chuckle, then glanced back up at her again. “Yes, but it is very much worth it to see the smile on your face.”

When Maebelle mentioned that her gift was ridiculous a slight frown furrowed Kieron's brow and he gave a small shake of his head. “You did not have to get me anything at all, your company is a gift. But since you did, I am certain it will not be ridiculous.” As the little key was unwrapped and read a loving smile spread across Kieron's face, the quiet joy clear as day as hazel eyes met blue. “It is absolutely perfect, thank you so very much, Maebelle.”

The little fishes brought a soft laugh from the nurse, and he nodded and smiled as he took Maebelle's hand, placing a gentle kiss on the back of it. “I will, for as long as you will have me.” After a few long minutes the boat was far enough out into the lake, and Kieron fidgeted anxiously for a moment before he could settle himself enough to say what needed to be said. “I have one more little surprise for you... it's hiding under the blankets behind where you are sitting.”
That was a lie. There was nothing under the blankets except more blankets and then the floor of the boat, but rummaging through them would hopefully distract Maebelle's attention for long enough for Kieron to put the last part of the plan in motion.

[Deleted]

Maebelle loved the shawl and she appreciated the effort he had and was still putting in this date. Had Kieron just shown up at the door of her apartment to wish her a happy Valentine’s day, the gardener still would have cherished the time he dedicated to it. Right now she doubted she could even decently express how happy and overwhelmed this made her feel despite the fact that being on a boat was not her first choice. Still, his presence distracted her enough, as well as the thoughtful gifts that she had just received. Eyes darted away from the terra cotta only when Kieron unwrapped her small gift, ever so reluctant to cast them upwards to his face the second the paper came off.

The wordless joy on his face made the worries ebb away and a timid smile appeared. While Mae was still convinced that the wordplay might have been childish, at least the man didn’t judge her for it. Her going down that path was a sign that she did put some thoughts into it, right? The hand holding onto hers when Kieron placed a small kiss on the back of it, received a loving squeeze before it disappeared under the shawl again. Faintly glowing balls were held in the other, even though they soon rested on her purse the second the nurse hinted at another surprise being under the blankets behind her seat.

“Another one?” There was no real surprise there, yet it definitely made her wonder what it might be. Telling him that he didn’t have to was an option, but it wasn’t as if Kieron would keep it from her after those words. Secretly Mae liked this, mostly because it was a rare occurrence. While the question slipped past her lips, the brunette had already shifted to sit sideways on the wooden surface of her seat, rummaging through the pile of blankets, absolutely having no idea what she was looking for in the first place.

“Is it something small?” She asked while lifting one of the blankets, making sure nothing was stuck in the folds as she moved it to her right side. “It could be anywhere…” Mae practically mumbled at herself as arms kept going up in the air to make sure no detail was missed. Only when she hit the bottom of the boat, did she settle back in her previous position while already questioning his memory with a frown on her face. “Are you sure y-“

[Kieron Sharpe]

This was the part of his plan that he was the most apprehensive about. It could go one of either two ways – she would either love it, or laugh in his face. Needless to say he was desperately hoping it was the former, even if he wasn't at all sure just how she would react. She could laugh, many probably would laugh, but... It had been playing in his head for weeks now, and deep down a part of him knew that he would massively regret it if he didn't at least try. Even if she did laugh and call it stupid or ridiculous, he could at least attempt to laugh along with her and say it was all just a joke.

He didn't let himself think about just how that reaction might feel, though.

Maebelle was thankfully proving to be very thorough in her searching through the blankets, giving Kieron time to shrug the long, heavy coat off from his shoulders. Underneath he was wearing the same costume he had worn at the Halloween ball only a few months ago, updated and upgraded slightly, and he quickly straightened the vest and made sure that everything was still where it should be. He chuckled softly at her question. “It's not that small. Keep looking, it should fall out.”

Quickly but quietly he reached under his seat again, stretching towards the back to grab hold of the two paper lanterns and pull them out of their hiding place. A small electric tealight was placed into each and the tiny motors were switched on, blowing warm air upwards so that the lanterns would actually float. For the moment, though, he kept a firm hold on them.

As Maebelle eventually turned back around, Kieron was holding one of the lanterns out to her, a soft smile on his lips, his cheeks flushed scarlet and an edge of nervousness in his voice. “Happy Valentines day.”

[Deleted]

Mae was definitely thorough in her searching. When Kieron stated that it should fall out, she figured it was was smaller than what she had initially thought. It was why the blankets got shook a tad bit more, only for a frown to settle on her face because nothing that could look like a surprise came into sight. “I swear to Go-“ Twirling on the seat, the brunette decently faced him again, yet no words came out. Instead eyes grew a tad bit wider while a smile showed no hesitation to appear on her face. The chuckle that followed was full of joy, surprise and touched feelings. It was why it wasn’t one that flowed smoothly; instead it sounded like a train of chuckles.

“Seriously?” While her face had been lit up, it soon softened and she shuffled her butt forward for hands to effortlessly settled on Kieron’s knees, squeezing them for a second. Eyes seemed to be wet, yet even those could not express just how wonderful his idea was. “You’re a goof.” Mae laughed softly before giving him a loving smile. “You’re my goof.” With that, her gaze drifted to one of the paper lanterns for a single count, simply to settle on his once more right after. “I love it.” She whispered before slowly straightening her back again.

Then she reached over for one of the lanterns, inspecting it for a second. “I just let go?” Maebelle had never tried this before, but it kind of made sense. At the same time the gardener was biased by the movie that Kieron had clearly based this one. It looked easy. “Together? At the count of three?” An innocent childish excitement popped up at the surface, and even more so when her boyfriend agreed with that suggestion.

“Okay. One,” she rose her arms, also allowing her to check on Kieron’s actions to make sure he was ready. When Mae reached three, the lantern floated up into the sky, side by side with Kieron’s. Awe and pure fascination took over, not wanting to miss a single second of it. At least not until it became slightly uncomfortable to continuously tilt her head back when they reached a certain height.

“Beautiful…” She whispered while hugging the shawl closer over her shoulders, gently letting blue optics drift down to meet his again.

[Kieron Sharpe]

Kieron was of course well aware just how badly his plan could have backfired. She could have laughed at him, called him an idiot, got offended or any number of other horrific reactions. Instead she had... smiled warmly, with a laugh that seemed genuinely touched and not at all derogatory or disregarding. A look of deep relief crossed Kieron's face and he let out a quiet breath of a laugh, a release of the tension that had been mounting while Maebelle had been looking through the blankets. “You approve?”

At the little squeeze on his knees a warmth spread through Kieron, his cheeks flushing even deeper scarlet as his hazel eyes momentarily dipped to the base of the boat with a shy nervousness. When his gaze raised again to meet Maebelle's, the look on her face caused a bright smile to cross his features and Kieron thought he was the luckiest man alive. “I am very, very happy to be your goof.” Even though he knew her words had been spoken in jest, they were still comforting and remarkably good to hear, and Kieron knew that all the time and effort he had put into tonight was more than worth it. Her smile alone was worth it.

“Yes, just let go whenever you're ready.” He smiled softly, handing over one of the lanterns. “The lights are electronic, so they wont burn anything when they land.” Kieron had decided on that mainly because it was simple common sense and the correct thing to do, but it held a special importance considering the bond that he knew Maebelle shared with plant life.

Kieron was more than happy with releasing them at the same time, and he perched on the edge of his seat as Maebelle did the countdown. Letting go on the count of three, Kieron looked up into the heavens as the two lanterns floated on the evening breeze, disappearing high into the evening air and out of sight.

As hazel once more met blue, Kieron let out a quiet sigh of contentment and very gently reached forward to tangle his fingers with Maebelle's. “Thank you for tonight. It really has been the most wonderful evening of my life to date."

[Deleted]

Maebelle approved. She definitely approved. The fact that Kieron had bothered to dress up and to even put effort into getting her to blend into the scene thanks to the pink clothing almost said more than the expressions that passed on his handsome features. Perfection could not compare to this setup. And no matter how much awe took over as she witnessed the lanterns floated higher and higher, even those could not beat the gentle words that soon flowed past Kieron’s lips. The man had no reason to thank her though. If there was anyone who had to express any feelings about tonight, it had to be Mae. All she had done was tag along, while it was he who made it as wonderful as he correctly labelled it.

As her fingers effortlessly filled up the space between his, she shook her head in silent protest. “No, thank you. You made this happen. You did this. For me.” For a moment it almost seemed as realization hit her about just how special it made her feel. The nurse had not arranged this for anyone else. It had been just for her. The second Maebelle managed to shake off those thoughts, a loving smile curled her lips. “Besides, the evening isn’t over yet. We’ll first have to make it off of this lake again alive.”

Her voice had adopted a teasing tone as she mused that. It wasn’t a hint that they should be going now though. Mae enjoyed the moment and she doubted it would occur again anytime soon. She just liked to tease him, despite knowing that Kieron would get them back on shore dry and safe. “And I could still screw it up and make you avoid me for the rest of your life.” With a playful chuckle, the brunette squeezed his hands before one let go to readjust the shawl over her shoulders.

“You’re amazing, you know that?”

[Kieron Sharpe]

Relief was the main emotion that was flooding through Kieron as he drank in that ever so warming smile that was pulling at Maebelle's lips. Relief that she hadn't laughed at him, hadn't gotten angry or upset or just flat-out called him a freak and demanded to be returned to the shore. Relief and another emotion, deeper and potentially far more powerful, pulling deep within his chest. He was however careful to keep that one contained, for now. There was no sense in being silly and risking ruining this perfect moment.

“Ah, that is true. But you agreed to come, and that is a magical thing.” Kieron still struggled to understand just what it was that the landscaper saw in him, but for today at least he wasn't questioning it too deeply. She was here, and she seemed genuinely happy. That was what mattered at the end of the day. “Yes, I did.” Kieron gave a quiet, slightly nervy laugh, eyes glancing down at the floor of the boat. “I will admit, this is the first time I've ever attempted anything quite this... involved.” He'd had relationships before, of course, but none of them had ever inspired him to learn how to row.

Maebelle's playful jest caused hazel eyes to raise again, meeting her blue gaze, and he chuckled softly. “I am fairly confident I'll be able to get us back in one piece. If not, well...” He quirked an eyebrow at her playfully. “You can swim, right?” To her next statement, however, he simply shrugged. “I think at this point you would have to tell me it was over to make me want to go... that or drown me.”

Her semi-question caused a blush to deepen Kieron's cheeks, the nurse's lips raising into a bashful smile as eyes once more returned to the heavens, where the pinpoints of light had all but faded. “I certainly try, when someone is worth trying for.”

[Deleted]

They both feared to ruin this perfect moment – ironically enough with the same cause. So, in other words, even if they gave in the that feeling, it wouldn’t ruin a thing. It quite possibly would make it even better! And the more Kieron spoke, the more difficult it became for the brunette to keep those three words contained. Heck, the more he spoke, the more she realized that her feelings for him ran deeper than could be made clear any other way. If it were not for them being on the boat and her wanting to limit any abrupt movements like flying into his arms, she quite probably would have stated it out loud.

With a soft smirk, Maebelle shook her head. “I would be more likely be capable of drowning you than telling you it was over.” Then again, that one option did not sound appealing either. She just wanted to get a point across, but it might not have been as flawless as it had sounded in her head. After that, the young woman once more shuffled on her seat, not daring to put too much weight to his side of the boat, to steal another kiss. Kieron would never have to fight for her, she was sure. “I’m getting a tad bit chilly… Maybe we should slowly head back?”

The shawl kept her warm, but cuddling to Kieron would be more effective. That is if the opportunity would occur of course. Time would point out as he rowed them back to the shore. Mae let him step out first and then rose, feeling the boat rock slightly as she attempted to place a foot on land. Balance, however, seemed to be nowhere to be found, causing the brunette to unluckily stumble forward the second her other feet left to wobbly boat… right into Kieron’s arms.

Mae felt goofy, practically slumped forward with hers draped over his, and she was quick to straighten herself with a sheepish smile. Elegance, zero. Hands remained rested near his wrists though, not breaking the contact yet. “Kind of taking ‘throwing myself at you’ a little bit too serious, huh?” She attempted to joke. Maybe she should have just asked what she could carry to the car.

[Kieron Sharpe]

It was sometimes difficult for Kieron to come to terms with the fact that he had grown so attached to Maebelle so quickly. Difficult, and just a little frightening. Even though they had only been together since Christmas their relationship felt intense, burning brightly like it had put another star in his sky. Whilst he did desperately hope that Maebelle felt the same way, he was also working very hard to keep himself in check. His feelings for her were overwhelming, and he knew it would be all too easy to scare her away by admitting just how much he cherished her already.

Kieron chuckled softly. “I think I will take it as a compliment that you would rather drown me, so thank you.” The stolen kiss was very bit as delightful as the one before it, and Kieron was grateful that he wasn't bioluminescent for surely he would have been lighting up the entire town by now judging by how bright he felt. At Maebelle's suggestion to head back Kieron nodded in agreement, draping the large coat he had been wearing earlier around her shoulders over the shawl to give her another layer against the chill night air.

The row back to the shore was rather pleasant and served to help Kieron keep warm, and once the little boat had once more been docked at the marina Kieron got out first to secure it to the causeway. Thankfully he was easily able to catch Maebelle as she stumbled, smiling softly and gently tucking an escapee strand of hair behind her ear. “I am not complaining. Thank you for tonight, it has been wonderful.”

After opening the door of the car so Maebelle could get inside to the relative warmth, Kieron retrieved the blankets and basket from the boat and put them in the trunk of his car. All in all, the evening had gone far better than he could have ever hoped. He hadn't forgotten to do anything, they hadn't drowned, she hadn't laughed at him and, most importantly, Maebelle had seemed to enjoy herself too. It was beginning to seem like their joint fears of not being good enough for one another were fading away, and that caused Kieron's hopes and joy to soar as he let himself into the car to take Maebelle back to her home.

~ Fin ~