InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "I'll show ye!"

Zach Kitano (coalintodiamond) wrote in nosuchtimes,
@ 2008-03-19 21:31:00

Entry tags:

adrienne conté, zach kitano

The History of Zach and Adrienne: Take 8½
Who: Zach and Adrienne
Where: A commons area connected to the auditorium at the school.
When: Thursday, February 15, 2007. Nighttime!
What: The group meet-up before the dance.

Zach was, in one word, nervous.

He showed up for the group meet-up dressed in the formal outfit he specifically purchased for the dance. None of his bags or suitcases included any formal wear when he had arrived. Honestly, he hadn’t thought to pack anything of that sort of nature. Not that he had any formal clothing at home. Suits only occupied his father’s closet in the Kitano residence. The only time Zach could remember wearing suits was for funerals and weddings, which happened to be rare occurrences. Anyway, there wasn’t much of point in owning formal clothes if he never wore them.

As Zach walked into the designated area Adrienne’s friend had old them about, he noticed a few of them were already there and chatting amongst each other. He decided to walk up to the group and say hey. He would be surprised if Adrienne’s friend somehow didn’t win one of the positions on the royal court. Zach greeted them all with an open smile. Friends of Adrienne were friends of his. Well, the ones who didn’t want to beat him up or kill him. Hopefully, none of these were like that.

He waited for Adrienne to show up, but not without the usual anxious habits. Biting his lip and trying to find something to occupy his hands with, which was mostly the red box with white ribbons tied around it in his hands that held the boutonniere and corsage for him and Adrienne tonight, Zach hoped she would show up soon. It was mostly just girls in the group, and they all occupied their time idly chatting with each other.

Zach sat over to the side in a nearby chair and fiddled with the box in order to kill time until Adrienne — his date for the dance — finally arrived.

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cursedwithfur
2008-03-20 02:01 am UTC (link)

Adrienne wasn't exactly sure how she managed to make it down the stairs of her dormitory without tripping over herself. Her nerves were making it hard to do anything that required coordination since she felt as if every limb was shaking. It was an odd sensation considering that as a werewolf Adrienne's coordination was better than ever.

But leave it to matters of the heart (and school dances apparently) to make a werewolf fumble around like a puppy. She did manage to walk to the meeting area though in her red dress while holding her crescent moon purse. Her shoes clicked happily along the stone floors pausing only before she entered the room. She adjusted her dress, smoothing down the front and making sure that the slit up the left side was centered properly. Taking a deep breath she entered the room and immediately lit up at seeing the people that had already arrived.

She smiled and waved and said her hellos while her eyes scanned for any sign of Zach. She walked in the room nervously, her lower lip held in between her teeth as she looked for her date. Adrienne got sidetracked by a couple of other people before she spotted Zach sitting in a chair away from the larger group of people. She excused herself and made her way over to him.

"Hey," she said as a deep blush colored her cheeks. Zach looked... so handsome in his suit that Adrienne couldn't help but stare at him. She smiled sweetly at him and then raised a hand to her hair. She suddenly felt very self conscious about the way she looked.

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coalintodiamond
2008-03-20 02:11 am UTC (link)

Zach lifted his head to see Adrienne finally before him, which brought a big smile to his face and he stood up quickly as he made sure not to drop the box in his hands. “Hey,” he echoed back, and it really was far too obvious and neither of them did a good job of covering themselves up. Adrienne made him anxious, though, and just remembering the events of Tuesday night was enough to make almost anyone in their situation anxious.

“You look,” Zach began, taking in her appearance, “beautiful tonight.” He smiled faintly and glanced up, the smile vanishing for a moment. “I mean . . . not that you didn’t look, you know, beautiful before. I just—” He stopped there, closing his mouth and looking downwards. Why did he always say things like that? Zach cleared his throat, focusing on the box in his hands.

He held it up between them. “The surprise,” he said, hoping he hadn’t fumbled too badly over himself. Opening the box, he brought out the corsage and the boutonniere. There was a slight crook to his lip after he placed the box down and took out the fresh corsage made of real roses. “This,” Zach told Adrienne, “is for you.” He waited for her to hold out her hand, and then carefully slipped the floral adornment onto her wrist. As he straightened it in place, Zach noticed the color of the corsage perfectly matched her dress. He smiled at that, somehow gladdened by the little things.

Next, though, Zach passed the boutonniere to Adrienne. “Your turn,” he said, the smile still on his face. It was also made with a real rose and the small white buds of real flowers. The flower matched, as Zach had purchased them that way, and he wondered if Adrienne would like it. He wasn’t going to go all out and get her a bouquet of roses because that seemed cheesy and fake. Little things, though, were what made the impressions of his character, whether he knew it or not.

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cursedwithfur
2008-03-20 02:19 am UTC (link)

Adrienne smiled at him sweetly especially when he thought he needed to correct himself. She knew what he meant and the compliment was enough to make her blush. Zach himself looked amazing in a suit and she could barely take her eyes off of him. Not that that was different from any other time, but he was just so...

"You look great, too," she said as she tugged at the lapels of his suit. "Very dapper." Her cheeks were still warm from all her smiling and blushing, and it only got worse when he held up his surprise. Adrienne's eyes glanced at the box and felt her breath catch in her chest. It was so sweet and the flowers were so beautiful and she hoped her hand wasn't shaking too much when he slipped the corsage around her wrist.

"Oh Zach," she said breathlessly as she admired her gift. She almost didn't hear him say it was her turn until she saw the boutonnière in the box. She took it from Zach carefully and stepped closer to pin it neatly to his left lapel. She smiled sweetly at him as her fingers went through the ministrations of looping the pin through the fabric, and when she was done she smoothed the material gently.

"Thank you," she said as she leaned in to kiss his cheek. Such a chaste and innocent gesture considering what had gone on between them the other night. It was gestures such as this that impressed Adrienne the most, the little details that made all the difference.

"I have something to show you," she said suddenly as she grabbed onto Zach's hand and led him to a nearby couch. She sat close to him on the cushions and then opened her purse to pull out a small box. She opened it and pulled out a pendant that hung from a platinum chain. Adrienne's eyes glanced up at Zach as she held it out to him. "Do you recognize it?"

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coalintodiamond
2008-03-20 02:20 am UTC (link)

“I’m glad you like it,” Zach told her, reaching around with his hand to rub the back of his neck. Upon dropping his arm, Adrienne took him by the hand and led him over to a couch as she told him she had something to show him. Zach wondered why they had to sit down for it. He figured they’d be heading in the main hall soon once everyone arrived. She sat down beside him and opened her purse to look for something in it.

Watching with interest, he leaned over to see if he could spot what she was about to pull out from her purse. Her hand came out, bringing with it a small box. Confused, Zach opened his mouth about to ask what was in the box when Adrienne opened it. She pulled out a chain that gleamed silver in color, although Zach knew it couldn’t have been real silver. Platinum, maybe? It was almost white in color, and Zach was very familiar with a lot of metals.

His eyes caught the yellow gemstone embedded in the pendant. Zach stared, and Adrienne held out the necklace to him. She asked him if he recognized it, and he looked up to meet her gaze. With his mouth slightly open as he stared, Zach glanced back at the pendant. “Is that,” he began, reaching out to the take the necklace from her outstretched hand, “the sapphire? From the cave?”

Zach felt he knew the answer before she said it, though, and he spent another moment just staring at it. It had been in raw form when he made it. She must have taken it somewhere to get it cut, polished, and fitted into the pendant. Zach was amazed, to say the least. He turned it over in his hands, studying the piece of jewelry, not quite sure if he believed his eyes. He’d never had this done with anything he made in raw form before.

Zach looked up at her again, still not quite sure what to say. Instead, he found himself unclasping the chain of the necklace and leaning over to put it around her neck. He waited for her to move her hair, hooking the clasp in the back and letting it fall to her chest before he straightened the chain. He touched the pendant one more time, brushing a thumb over it.

He smiled at her. “Beautiful,” he said, although not specifying what he meant.

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cursedwithfur
2008-03-21 05:35 am UTC (link)

Zach's reaction to the pendant was more than Adrienne had hoped for. He seemed genuinely touched that she had kept the uncut gem when he created it in the cave, and maybe even more touched by the fact that she had turned it into a pendant that she could keep with her at all times. A soft blush colored Adrienne's cheeks when Zach took the necklace and placed it around her neck. His touch was gentle when he straightened the chain and the dark-haired girl smiled softly.

"Beautiful," he said as he brushed his thumb over it. Adrienne nodded, thinking that he made the comment about the necklace and said, "It's beautiful because it was made by you." Her hand went up to touch the pendant and then she lifted her eyes to Zach. She stared into his eyes for a moment before she looked down, her cheeks blushing softly. Zach made her feel so wonderful, more than she ever thought was possible ever since she had been turned into a werewolf. Maybe things weren't as bad as she thought, or at least they wouldn't be as long as Zach was with her.

Courage found its way back into Adrienne's heart as she locked eyes with him again. There were no words to express the feelings that were reflected in her eyes. Adrienne's hand reached down to Zach's hand and she interlaced her fingers with his. Another smile marked her lips and she took a deep breath. The moment was perfect and she wanted to make it last for as long as possible.

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coalintodiamond
2008-03-21 06:47 am UTC (link)

Zach blushed, too, at her comment. He was completely tongue-tied as to what to say in response. He never really had the opportunity to be complimented on his abilities before, having kept them a secret for so long. Adrienne thought what he could do was amazing, though. Zach's naiveté prevented him from questioning her because he liked her, whereas with any other girl he immediately thought they only liked it due to the value and beauty of the things he made. Girls liked gems and jewelry. Obviously, they'd compliment him to get him to make them things.

Those thoughts failed to cross his mind as he stood here with Adrienne. Casting his gaze down for a moment as well, he tried to think of something else to add. That was when he remembered the gift she delivered to his room earlier with the help of another student from his dormitory. The book she had given him, aptly titled The Alchemist, was a gift to her from her mother. The signature in the front of the book made that clear. Zach felt he shouldn't accept a gift that was from her mother, a gift to her that no doubt held emotional value for Adrienne.

"Adrienne . . . " he began, searching for the right way to express his feelings on the subject. Zach didn't want her to think he was refuting the gift due to dislike. He just . . . felt guilty if he accepted it. Surely, the book held deep meaning for Adrienne with her mother's signature marking it. Zach needed to explain that to her without coming off as a prick who couldn't accept her gift because he hated it when that wasn't the case at all.

Her hand suddenly reached out for his, intertwining their fingers together between them. His heart pounded faster in his chest. God, he was so nervous. "Adrienne," Zach continued softly, "I wanted to thank you for the gift that you sent earlier. I just . . . I saw your mother's signature in the book, and . . . it was a gift from her to you, and I feel bad if I accept it. It was meant for you. Not me." There. He said it. Zach took a deep breath and released it, hoping he explained it right to her. The last thing he wanted was for Adrienne to run off crying thanks to him ruining the whole night with his ungratefulness.

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cursedwithfur
2008-03-21 10:45 pm UTC (link)

The tone of Zach's voice when he said her name immediately caught Adrienne's attention. He seemed worried about something, or at the very least he had something on his mind that he wanted to talk about. She wondered what it was that would warrant such a serious tone, and for a moment it worried her that it was something bad. Something like 'I never want to see you again after this dance' sort of bad. Adrienne dismissed the thought quickly, she didn't need something so negative clouding her mind right now, as she listened to him speak.

"I wanted to thank you for the gift that you sent earlier. I just..." So he wanted to talk about the gift! Well that put Adrienne's mind at ease a little until he continued with the rest of his statement. Adrienne's features softened when he finished and she couldn't help the smile that formed upon her lips. It was sweet of him to think about her, and darn right cute that he felt guilty about accepting it. Adrienne could empathize with his feelings since she felt the exact same way when her mother had given her the book as a gift even though it was her mother's most favorite book.

She squeezed his hand reassuringly and sighed softly though she was still smiling. The girl was searching for the right words to say to him, something that would properly express her feelings. "Zach, it's because I cherish that book so much that I wanted to give it to you so that..." she paused and looked into his eyes. "So that I could share an important part of myself with you, and so you would always have something to remember me by." She was completely and utterly sincere with him and for a moment she worried that maybe it was just too much for him to handle. She switched her smile to something more playful and then gently pressed her forehead against his. "Besides," she said while she was still really close to him. "It's a really great book, and your name is already in it, so you can't give it back."

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coalintodiamond
2008-03-22 04:24 am UTC (link)

Hearing her say something like that was completely new for Zach, and part of it did scare him because he hadn't been thinking that deeply, and well, she went pretty deep. He was uncomfortable for a moment as he shifted from one foot to another, but he let out a sigh. Adrienne's smile grew playful, lightening the air, as she leaned forward and pressed their foreheads together. Zach took in a deep breath and relaxed, trying to think back on the dance and not deep relationship things. She doubtfully meant anything by it. After all, girls were just more frank with emotions in general, right? Adrienne really liked him, and he really liked her, and well . . . yeah, that's all it was.

Her gentle banter afterwards calmed him considerably, and he smiled softly in reply. "Okay," he said, pulling his head away from hers. He looked her in the eyes, so she could see his gratitude plainly. "Thank you for the gift." His smile quirked slightly at the corner of his mouth. "Gifts," he corrected himself, nodding his head. "They're very nice. I've never read The Alchemist either." A shy bit-back smile appeared on his face. "And it's name is strangely appropriate for me, isn't it?"

Zach squeezed her hand and turned his gaze towards the opening of the auditorium. Music was already pouring out from within the colorful dance area, a deep flush of red and pink lights staining everything beyond its entrance. He looked back at Adrienne, a twinkle in his eyes. "Are you ready?" he asked.

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Fin

cursedwithfur
2008-03-22 04:55 am UTC (link)

Adrienne hadn't meant to scare Zach with her comment even if it was the truth. Granted it came out a little deeper than she had initially meant it to be, but she couldn't take it back once it left her mouth. So she went with it and then lightened the mood with her playfulness afterward. Thankfully it worked and it had made him smile.

"That's right," she said after he spoke. "That's the other reason I gave it to you because you share its name." A soft giggle cleared her lips and her nose wrinkled slightly. "It's one of my favorite books. It's so good... I really hope you like it." She smiled at him and leaned forward to rub her nose against his. Adrienne contemplated saying more but the sounds of music from the auditorium caught her attention. She turned her gaze toward the bright lights and then nodded in reply to Zach's question.

"Yep, let's go." They both walked toward the happy sounds of the dance and entered the decorated room. Adrienne let out a content sigh and linked her arm around Zach's. Everything was starting out so perfectly and Adrienne didn't want anything more other than to spend the rest of her night with Zach.

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