"Hi, I'm Jeffrey," an older man in his late forties came out to meet them, stretching forth his hand.
"Hello." Violet smiled, taking his outstretched hand.
"Deon." Jeffrey smiled at Deon with a nod which he reciprocated.
"Here," he entered the stables, gesturing for them to follow him. "This is where we keep the horses. Deon said you wanted to meet Icarus?"
"Yes, I would like to."
He led them through the stables, introducing each horse as they passed by them before finally getting to the last horse. Turning to Violet who had been hanging onto his every word, he chuckled. "This is Icarus."
"Wow, he's beautiful up close."
"Yeah, he's quite the looker." Jeffrey opened up the wooden gate, leading Icarus through it. "Would you like to touch him?"
"It won't make him mad will it? I don't want to get stomped."
"No, Icarus is well trained." Jeffrey chuckled. "Do you want a ride? He's gentle."
"A ride, really?" Violet turned to Deon with wide excited eyes.
Deon smiled. "It's up to you."
After thinking for a moment, Violet shook her head, "No, I'm good, next time." She smiled at Deon, implying that they should come back.
"Next time." Deon affirmed and they both shared a smile, understanding very well that they both wanted to spend more time together.
Jeffrey's phone rang, breaking their stare and checking his phone, he let out a sigh, "I'll be back in a bit." he said, walking out of the barn.
"Would he not get agitated since he doesn't know us?"
"Would he?" Deon smiled, moving closer to the horse and placing both hands on the horse's face. "Hey boy." To Violet's surprise, Icarus moved closer to Deon, pressing his face into his hands. "Ha, it's good to see you too."
"Oh." Violet stared, mouth slightly open. "You're a horse whisperer too? Is there anything you're not good at?"
Deon laughed and the horse made a sound similar to a loud exhale, moving even closer to Deon. "No, I spent some time here when I was still in school."
"Hmm, he likes you." Violet smiled.
"Yeah," Deon raised his eyes to look at Violet, "Come here let me introduce you." Violet did as he asked with a slight smile and he stepped to the side, keeping his left hand on the horse's crest. "This is Violet, she has the most beautiful smile don't you agree?"
The horse seemed to nod in agreement, looking briefly at Violet before angling his face towards Deon who laughed.
Violet's lips stretched wider at the compliment and she blushed. "You're smooth." she rolled her eyes.
"I only tell the truth." Deon said when his laugh settled.
"Did you work here, like part-time in school?"
"You're curious about me aren't you?"
"Yes, I want to know more about you." she subconsciously touched Icarus's crest.
"Why?" Deon asked as a gust of wind blew through the open doors of the barn, reminding then that it was getting late and moving Violet's hair across her face. With her free hand, she put the stray hair behind her ear and looked at Deon.
"Because I want to be closer to you," she answered without flinching even though her heart was beating fast.
Deon's pulse quickened as he repeated his previous question. "Why?"
"I spend a lot of time thinking about you when you're not there, and I also really like the times we spend together, so much that sometimes I don't want to leave, or want you to leave. It's out of character 'cause I really like being alone, it's my favourite thing. But when it's with you, I don't have any problem being exactly who I am and I am a little strange-"
"Probably a lot stranger than you think?"
"Am I?" She chuckled "Anyway, I've come to a conclusion, and it's that I like you too." her chuckle faded into a soft smile.
On hearing that his feelings were reciprocated, Deon's heart soared and he felt like a teenage boy hearing that his crush liked him back. In a bid to calm his excitement, Deon turned away to clear his throat but his red ears gave him away, making Violet's smile widen.
'So cute,' she thought with her smile still in place.
"Did you hear that?" Deon bent to ask the horse as he weaved his fingers through hers on its crest. Of course the horse didn't reply and it and Deon knew that he was caught by her and didn't need anyone to tell him that what he felt for Violet Woodsen was unlike anything he'd experienced before.
***
"Looks like we stayed out a little longer than I anticipated." Deon stopped the car in front of her house, leaving it running.
Violet shrugged, smiling. "I don't mind, actually, I like being with you late like this."
"Hmm." He tapped the steering wheel before giving in to a smile and shaking his head to prevent himself from reading meaning into her words.
"Ah, I just realised I'm hungry." she patted her stomach. "Since I'm already home, I'll have noodles."
He chuckled "We could go grab something if you want, and you eat so much but it doesn't go any..." Deon trailed off, realizing his mistake and cussing under his breath.
Violet glared at him. "Yaa, that reminds me, I'm really not your type am I?"
"I have no idea what you're taking about," he chuckled, shrugging as he did.
"Oh you do, you'd prefer if my..." Violet scowled, unable to complete her statement due to embarrassment.
Catching on, Deon smirked "If your what?"
"Pfft." she scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "What do you even like about me?"
Deon held back a laugh, "Definitely not your boobs or lack of."
Violet's jaw dropped and Deon burst out laughing, she looked so cute when semi annoyed. That's perhaps one of the reasons he always teased her. When his laughter dwindled out, he turned to the pouting Violet. "I mean, that would make me pretty shallow if I liked you for that wouldn't it?"
Deon directed his smile at her "There, this is also what I like about you, how true your reactions and expressions are. You don't pretend with me, you don't fake being nice." his smile widened as she raised her pretty eyes to his, her frown fading, quickly being replaced with a smile. "There, there." he stretched his hand, cupping her cheek and she leaned into his caress. That is, until he made the last statement. "As for the other things," he looked down at her chest. "there are doctors that-"
Not letting him finish, she slapped his hand off her face and got out of the car, muttering "Asshole" as she did. Once she closed the door behind her, she let out a laugh, muttering "Asshole" again with a smile.
Deon laughed, winding down the glass. "Good night."
As she got to the fence, she turned back to him. "Are you busy tomorrow?"
"No,"
"Would you like to eat dinner with me?" she pursed her lips, looking away from him. Hearing his door shut, she turned to see him walking towards her and when he was close, he leaned on the side of the car closest to her.
"Aren't you mad at me?" he smiled, taking her left hand in his.
Violet pulled her hand away, rolling her eyes. "I am mad at you, but I'm mad at you right now, how about tomorrow? I'll miss you if I stay mad and I already don't want to leave you yet. So about tomorrow, I'll definitely want to see you again so I'll make plans now."
"You're so weird." His smile remained in place as he took her hand in his again. immediately he did that, the electricity went out and the street darkened.
"Oh." Violet looked around the now dark street. "A blackout, was wondering when we'd get one of those again." She stood straight, no longer leaning on the fence. She saw Deon's silhouette and stretched out her free hand to join the other one caught in his grasp.
"Does it happen often?" Deon asked as he pulled her closer to him.
"Not too often."
"No need to waste the opportunity then," he put his arms around her waist, pulling her into a hug.
"You smell good." Violet stretched upwards, placing her arms around his neck as the manly scent of him wafted up her nostrils.
Deon's arms tightened around her waist, saying nothing, staring blankly as thoughts of the conversation he'd had with his brother earlier in the day came back to him.
*
"So when are you leaving?" Matthew frowned at his brother.
"My leaving is not set in stone, I may not go." Deon stared at his brother.
"Are you convincing me or are you convincing yourself?"
"You're quite the pessimist aren't you?"
Matthew only shook his head at his brother. "It's called experience. Anyway, I hope you haven't started anything with my student?"
"Be specific, which student are you talking about?" When Matthew gave him a flat look, he shrugged. "You're the one that keeps bringing the other girl up, I'm just asking."
"Idiot. I'm talking about Violet." when Deon simply stared at him, he continued. "Don't start anything, if you will, wait till you come back if she's still available that is. Anyway, don't say any nonsense like 'wait for me' to her okay?"
"What is this? You sound like you're giving me your blessing." Deon smirked.
"Why would I?" Matthew scoffed. "You have to come back in one piece." He said softly after a few seconds. "You have to see the twins grow up."
Deon's smirk disappeared and he became somber but before he could reply, a soft knock sounded and the door opened to reveal Violet.
*
Pulling out of his thoughts, Deon sighed.
"Don't you think this hug is getting pretty long?" Violet said softly, her heart beating hard against her chest.
Deon smiled, holding her even more tightly. "No, I don't think." And he really didn't, as he patiently waited for word from Fredrick, he wished that it would be news that he didn't have to leave Rainsvalley or no news at all, he hoped, he wished. So no, he didn't think the hug was long at all, maybe his brother was right, maybe he shouldn't have said anything of his feelings to her. But even as he thought that, the warmth of her body calmed him, while putting him on edge at the same time. He wanted all of her. "I'd love to eat dinner with you tomorrow. I'll pick you up from school tomorrow, how's that?"
"No thanks, I have lectures till four tomorrow, it's going to be a hot day, I want to smell nice when I see you so no, just text me the place to meet."
Still hugging her, Deon's smile widened. "You always smell nice."
"I also want to look good for once at least, I always don't look so good when we meet."
"That's not true, you always look good."
A second ticked by before Violet replied. "You're right, I do have good genes." Three seconds later, they both burst out laughing when the laugh died down, Violet continued. "But seriously, it's a date, I want to look better." She loosened her arms
"Hmm." Deon let her go, tucking her hair behind her ear. "How about this, I'll be going to see my brother tomorrow so I'll pick you up and then drop you at home so you can bathe and stuff then I'll come back for you."
"Hmm..." she scrunched up her nose in thought. "Okay then."' she beamed at him.
Deon took in her happy face, the urge to kiss her rearing its head but he resisted and just then the street lights came back on.
"That's my cue to go in."
"Right." he smiled, placing his hands on the car to prevent from touching her again. "
"Good night, see you tomorrow." She bolted the fence behind her and ran up the porch steps to the front door. Before disappearing, she gave him a wave and a smile.
Deon smiled, getting off the bonnet and entering his car. the smile stayed on his face all the way to his apartment until he settled on the couch. If he was lucky, his phone wouldn't ring for the rest of the night and that would be a good sign.
*
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