Cedric Girnwood (sonofmaia) wrote in light_of_may, @ 2010-02-18 18:45:00 |
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Entry tags: | #group scene, 2009-07-04, kiley |
Guess today's gonna blow us away
Who: Ced, Ravyn, Darcy and Kiley
Where: The Girnwoods' house
When: As the fireworks start to go off over town
What: BBQ time. Brits apparently celebrate the fourth real well
He'd just put the burgers on the grill. The other day he'd had the television on and several shows on the Food Network told him that burgers and hotdogs were traditional. Since he was having Americans as guests, and he himself was a citizen, technically, he wanted to make his sister's first fourth in the States memorable. The grill was sizzling and he was smiling. Kiley had come and she'd brought her friend Darcy, who was a sweet young woman. But more importantly, she had come. He was happy to see her. After having had dinner with Calista the other night, he realized that what had happened between himself and the dark-haired girl was very much so in the past. She was a good friend, but she didn't get to him, not the way the red head in his back yard did.
"Does anyone want a cheeseburger?" he asked, turning to look at the women in the yard, grateful for the apron he was wearing would protect him from the grill and any splatters from the food. Puck was near by and she barked, making him laugh a little. "Anyone other than Puck?"
Darcy looked over at the Brit from where she was standing by her best friend and the younger, British girl. "Me, please. Thanks." She looked back to the women she was talking to and smiled. "So, is there anything like this in England? All fireworks and everyone getting together?" Her eyes, since Kiley had told her how much she liked the man at the grill, had been watching him, trying to see how he was with her best friend. He looked into her but only time would tell. The last thing she wanted was for her friend to get hurt. Kiley didn't deserve that at all.
She smoothed out her sweater and looked up, grinning as she could see some of the fireworks as they started. "Look!" she said, pointing to the sky.
Kiley wouldn't say it out loud, but she was nervous. Even after talking to Darcy and Ian the day before, and having her friend with her, she was still trying to figure out what exactly was going down. Though Darcy had tried to talk her into a skirt, Kiley was much more comfortable in the outfit she'd chosen, fancier than she normally dressed, but simple. Not going too overboard, she hoped. She smiled at Cedric over by the grill, somewhat amused by the fact that he was wearing an apron.
"Cheeseburger sounds fine by me," she said, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Are you sure you don't need any help?"
Ravyn, for her part, thought the barbeque was an absolutely amazing idea. The only way it would have been better was if Lucas could have come with her, but apparently he had some plans with his family tonight after all. She was trying not to let it get her too down and was content with bouncing around the townhouse as much as her lungs would allow her, dressed like she was going out to a fancy date rather than staying home tonight. "Of course we've got fireworks," she told Darcy, "it would be awfully sad if we didn't. I always used to make Ced take me to see them."
The British girl's eyes lit up as she watched the first fireworks shoot up into the sky. "Cedric! Hurry up, you'll miss all the good parts!"
He glanced over at them, going to add cheese to three of the burgers. If Ravyn didn't tell him and wanted one, he'd offer it to her in a heart beat. She had him wrapped around her finger most days. But today, he was more forcused on the redhead, who was offering help. "Thanks, love, but I'm alright." Ced flashed her a grin and flipped the burgers and topping them with two slices a piece. They were going to be perfection. His eyes were constantly glancing back to watch her and he was sure she had no idea. "Almost done, I promise!"
Unfortunately for him, or perhaps fortunately, the brunette noticed. Darcy glanced over at Kiley and motioned to him with her eyes. She even went so far as to give the woman a little push before turning to the British girl beside her. "I absolutely love that dress. Seriously, it's perfect. Where did you get it?" She silently prayed that the girl would want to talk fashion, something Darcy loved, and that it would give the lovebirds time to talk.
He called her "love" and though Kiley was sure it was just a term of endearment, the way one might call someone "hon" and not meant anything by it, it still got to her. Kiley looked away for a second, trying to hide the fact that Cedric had, unintentionally, made her blush - only to meet Darcy's eyes. And then her friend was pushing her towards Cedric. The move might have been playful, but Kiley knew Darcy, and Darcy was trying to play matchmaker. It was kind of hard, though, with Cedric cooking and with everyone else around. "If that changes," she said, "you just let me know." She didn't mean to hover, but she stood by the grill, watching him work. She couldn't lie, the meat did smell good, the scent mixed with a hint of Cedric's cologne.
Ravyn's eyes were on the sky now, watching everything going on, and it took a moment for Darcy's voice to register. "Oh, this?" she asked, smoothing a hand over her dress. "Thank you, it's one of the ones I brought with me from England. Got it in London when my father took me on a bit of a holiday." Ravyn absolutely loved fashion, and was just waiting to hear back from Kikuya about possibly working for her. Maybe it wouldn't happen, but what 16-year-old budding fashionista wouldn't like working for a supermodel? "Do you like fashion at all?" she asked Darcy.
She was close to him and he liked that. Cedric turned to smile at her. "Thanks," he repeated, a little softer this time. Glancing over, he heard Ravyn talking about fashion and hoped that Darcy liked to listen because she could go off for hours. She was very much her own person. Returning his attention to the redhead near by, he flashed her a grin when he saw her blushing. He took that as a very good sign that maybe, just maybe, she liked him enough for Sunday to be a date. "Stay close. Never know when I might need your help." He reached for her hand and tugged her close. The burgers were a moment away from being done.
She nodded. "Absolutely. I've got a pretty full closet. I've always like Audrey Hepburn's style. I wear a lot of dresses." Hearing her having gone to London to shop, she felt a little jealous, but one day she would travel too. One day. She crossed her legs. "What about you? What kinds of things do you normally wear?" Yes, she was making friends with a 16-year old, but seriously, there was fashion involved. She would never call herself a fashionista per say but she liked style.
The last thing Kiley had expected Cedric to do was tug on her hand and bring her closer to him. It certainly didn't help the flush leave her cheeks, especially since her hand seemed to fit into his quite nicely. Too soon to be thinking anything like that, Kiley, you know better. He'll be like the others. You're just reading too much into it. "Well, you know," she said, trying to find something right to say, "I'm used to cooking for my brother and myself. Cheeseburgers are one of his favorites." Yeah, because that was something smooth and impressive to say to him.
Ravyn's eyes lit up, and Darcy had all of her attention now. "Really? Dresses are my absolute favorite. That and skirts, it's what most of my closet is full of." Because really? Pants were just no fun at all, in Ravyn's opinion. She did own a pair of jeans that she wore maybe once a year, tops. "I love anything girly, lace and frills, that's me in a nutshell. Like this." She showed Darcy her shawl. "Dad had said it was a little too much money, but I loved it so much, he finally agreed to get it for me." Yes, Ravyn was spoiled, just a little. What else was Mitchel Girnwood supposed to do with the girl?
He reached out, smoothing her hair over her shoulder. "I'm sure you make wonderful cheeseburgers. Maybe next time you can do the cooking," he teased. Cedric grinned at her. "Can you hold that platter for me?" he asked nodding to it as he moved to get the burgers off the grill. They looked perfect to him and he wanted to make sure they didn't burn. Once they were off the grill, he shut off the gas and closed the lid. More fireworks went off and he turned to look up at them. Putting the filled platter down by the grill, he put his hand on Kiley's shoulder, using this as the perfect excuse to touch her. "Look at that one!" he said softly, standing behind her and pointing up over her shoulder to the sky.
She inspected the fabric of the shawl. "Very nice." Darcy glanced up and saw how close Kiley was to the Brit by the grilled and grinned. "I agree. There is this store in the mall that has the most amazing dresses. I used to wear them all the time when I worked for a doctor. Now i work at a dojo, so I'm not sure how they want me to dress yet." She was starting next week and then there may be shopping. "If I have to get new clothes for work, maybe I can bring you along? Get you out of the house and show you some cool spots around town for clothes and such."
Cedric smoothing her hair back didn't help the blush much. Really, Kiley was acting like the shy high schooler on her first date, and she wasn't even sure this even qualified as one. "That's me, I've perfected bachelor cooking. I also make a mean batch of chili." She grabbed the platter so he could plate the burgers, bringing it over to the small table set up on the porch while he shut down the grill. She was going to call Darcy and Ravyn over, but then Cedric's hand was on her shoulder, and the smell of him was more overwhelming now that he was standing closer to her. There was a part of her that wanted to lean back against him, draw that hand over her shoulder and have him hold her. "It's beautiful," she murmured instead, smiling.
Ravyn played with the ends of the shawl for a moment. "I've only been to the mall but once since I've been here. Cedric went with me, and I didn't want to bore the poor boy to pieces." It had been right after she arrived in Scarlet Oak, and it was mostly just to get herself a phone. "Oooh! You'd go shopping with me? It's really not fun to go by yourself. I found one place in town that was just lovely," where she'd met Kikuya! that made Ravyn excited, "maybe we could stop there, even."
Standing there, he really wanted to just pull her into his arms, to stand there watching the fireworks with her against him. Ced had to settle for standing close, keeping his hand on her shoulder as she hadn't pushed him away. "I think I was working last Fourth. I don't remember watching any of them and it was my first as an official citizen. Promised myself I'd make this one different. Think I did a good job." His voice was soft, words really only for her. It was nice to have someone close to him like this. There were a few ideas running through his mind, most of which involved him holding her and her enjoying it. But this wasn't a date and he still wasn't a hundred percent sure tomorrow would be. But, Goddess, did he want it to be.
Darcy nodded understandingly. "I remember what it's like to have a big brother. He hated the mall but would always go with me. He knew how much I loved it." Seems the British girl hadn't wasted any time in finding a place to shop. A girl after her own heart. "That sounds nice. I usually just head to the mall out of habit, but let's shop in town. That sounds perfect actually. As soon as I get my schedule sorted, we'll figure something out." She grinned at her.
"Last Fourth of July was horrible for me." Kiley didn't want to think about it. It was right after her parents had died, she didn't yet know what would be coming for her on the full moon, just that she was depressed and upset and freaking the hell out as her senses went into complete overload. She spent the day in her house, in bed, curtains drawn. Even Corwin couldn't get her to leave her room. Pushing those thoughts aside, Kiley glanced over and up at Cedric, giving him a smile. "This has been really lovely so far, so I think you've done a good job, too. Your sister seems willing to talk Darcy's ear off, at least."
"I've three big brothers," Ravyn told Darcy, absentmindedly playing with the ends of her shawl again. She hadn't meant to reveal that, as she didn't like thinking of anything she'd left behind in England, but there it was anyway. "Cedric's the only one - well. He's the only one still around." She didn't mean her brothers were dead; Westley should be, but she didn't wish that on Blake. "I'd love to find all the neat places to go in town. I've been exploring, of course, but it's a bit hard to find everything when you can't drive."
The hand on her shoulder rubbed it a little as he murmured an apology. Horrible holidays were something that he knew a great deal about and he hated when others had to go through that. Especially the mums in the NICU. That was always hard for him to watch that. Those were usually the times he was working spells to help them as best he could. But Cedric wasn't a healer and there were times he really wished he was. But then there was the brilliant redhead in front of him, smiling at him, and it made him feel better, even when he wasn't feeling all the terrible to begin with. "Thanks, love. And yeah, she does. Wonder what they're talking about anyway." He made no move to find out as more fireworks went off and he pointed to a smilie face. "Never seen one of those before. This holiday reminds me so much of Guy Fawkes day, with all the fireworks and everything." He stepped in a little closer as more went off.
She laughed. "I could barely handle one. I was such a brat to him, but we had a really special bond. Kind of like you and your brother do. It's sweet. Makes me miss my brother." Cedric seemed like a good man and hearing the way his sister talked about him seemed to reenforce that. She didn't think she meant that her brothers were like George, but she could tell they weren't around bother physically and probably emotionally too. Being that she grew up with very loving siblings, she hated that the younger Brit had to go through all that. "I can imagine. Hard to do anything out here without driving. But we'll go shopping. Definitely."
Kiley didn't know where she got the nerve for it, but she reached up and laid a hand over Cedric's when she could feel it rubbing her shoulder. He didn't know everything that had happened to her, why she didn't celebrate this day last year, but she could tell he still cared, at least a little. In all honesty, she didn't know when she'd tell him what happened, if she'd tell him. Kiley kept what she was very close to her, aware of what the world thought of bitten weres. Hell, Darcy was a good friend of hers, and she didn't find out about the wolf until a week ago. "Looks like your sister likes it, anyway," she said, liking how warm his fingers were against hers. "Forgive me, my English history isn't so great - Guy Fawkes Day?"
"Cedric was the only one who wanted anything to do with me," Ravyn said. "Blake's always been off in his own little world and Westley-" Here her voice faltered and Ravyn looked away, her attention lost in the fireworks again. "Westley's a git. And that's putting it quite nicely, I can assure you." Shaking her head, Ravyn didn't plan on saying anything more about it. Because really, it wasn't cheerful conversation and she wanted to assure that all of their guests were having a lovely time. "Consider it a plan, then," she said, glancing over at the table. "Oh! Looks like the food's ready."
Her fingers touched his and he smiled. That was a good sign in his book. Turning his hand a little, he wanted to lace their fingers together. But that required him to get a little closer. Ced took a step forward, her body less than three inches from him. He liked that, liked that he could feel her warmth and his fingers linked with hers. "It's a holiday. Someone tried to blow up Parliament, someone named Guy Fawkes. They celebrate his failure every year. Big fireworks. Bonfires. It's fun." He glanced over at Ravyn. "Yeah, I'm glad, that she is enjoying herself, you know? She deserves it."
"He seems like a good man, your big brother. If George were still alive, I think they would have gotten along well." Darcy wasn't going to press but it was obvious she didn't get on with her other brothers and there were reasons why. She wasn't the type to push anyway. Not like that. Push her best friend towards a guy who seemed sweet and interested in her, yes. Push someone towards talking about something painful? Um, no. "Yes, yes it does. Suppose we should go eat before the food gets cold." She saw how close the pair were getting and smiled to herself.
Okay, so hand holding like this was totally a sign that Cedric liked her, at least a little. Kiley could hear his heartbeat behind her, thankful then that she was the only were here and therefore her own reactions like that stayed hidden. "I find it kind of funny to celebrate his failure every year," she said, shaking her head. "But hey, if it gets you fireworks and parties out of the deal, there's not much to complain about, is there?" Her hand seemed to fit in his and Kiley blushed, biting her lip a little. "Then your little barbeque is a success, right? For your sister?" Ravyn had talked him into holding one, if Kiley remembered correctly.
"He's the best of us, really," Ravyn agreed. There was so much that went with that statement, the fact that Cedric was supposed to be the leader of their coven someday, not banished to this god-forsaken land. Though, when Westley threatened to use her to take over the coven, it did mean Ravyn had a place to go, and someone to take her in. She hoped Cedric realized how grateful she was for that. "I'm sorry, to hear about your brother though," she said. Food seemed like a safer subject and Ravyn went over to the table and took a seat, making sure her dress didn't get wrinkled in the process. It was only then that the British girl noticed how close her brother was to their guest, and she giggled. A cute, knowing, slightly-evil-little-sister giggle. "Ced! Aren't you and Kiley going to come sit down?"
He laughed. "Well, he tried to blow up the government and failed. So, technically, I think we're supposed to celebrate the victory of stopping him before he could do it or something. Did you ever see V for Vendetta? Cause that was part of that movie I think." It was something he'd heard mentioned before, though he wasn't really up on all the movies and such. "To me it is. Holidays have always been about spending them with the people that are important to you. So Ravyn is having a good time; that's one. What about you, Kiley? Are you having a good time?" Ced took a step forward, body brushing against hers as he sought to look into her eyes. Just as Ravyn mentioned food. Inside he groaned. "Be there in a sec, little one!" he called, looking over at her before turning back to the redhead by his side.
"Thanks." Darcy could see how much his little sister loved him and all that knowledge was going into her memory banks so she cold report it back to Kiley later. Ravyn seemed to notice the pair and the brunette couldn't help but laugh a little. "They seem pretty close," she said softly to the girl sitting next to her. "What has your brother said about my best friend?" she asked, curious also as to what the teen thought about the way he was currently standing next to the redhead. Maybe she'd be willing to divulge some information about the cute Brit who currently looked very much so into her best friend.
V for Vendetta? "Not since it first came out," she admitted. "But it seems as good a reason as any to celebrate." His body brushed against his and for half a second, his scent overwhelmed her, how close he was to her. "It's been a long time since I've actually celebrated the Fourth of July," she said, "better to have friends and family around for it, you know?" Well, Cedric had family, Kiley had friends. Aside from Corwin, her friends were her family now. Her pack, so to speak. "And yes, I'm having a good time, are you?" She blushed, hearing his younger sister, one hand coming up to hide her face. Oh wow, smooth one there, Miss Ricks.
Ravyn absolutely loved the fact that Cedric seemed to be having a good time. A very good time, if the way he was looking at the redhead was any indication. "So far, it would look like it, I do agree," she said, leaning in towards Darcy, eyes still on the pair. "He'd mentioned that someone he hoped would be quite special was coming over for the barbeque. She's the one who works for the coffee shop, right? We were emailing, when I was in England," a habit that got her into trouble as it turned out, "and sometimes all he talked about was that place. Maybe this is why?"
"I am. And I'm really glad you could come." He saw her blush and his hand came up naturally, resting against hers. "You'll have to excuse her. She's always trying to figure out my personal life." Naturally, Ravyn was probably wondering why he was standing so close to her. If she wasn't there, Ced might have actually kissed her by now. He liked Kiley, liked how she seemed to fit in here. "Come on, wouldn't want the food to get cold, right?" He moved his hand to her back, ready to guide her to the table.
"Really?" Darcy grinned, clearly intrigued by the knowledge that Ced had been talking about Starbucks often. Even before this point. That was very good to hear indeed. "He called her special?" She watched them, how she blushed, how he touched her. "Yeah, she is. Kiley says he's a regular caffeine addict. He's in there practically every day." Some people liked being trendy, which is why they went to Starbucks all the time. This, though, this seemed different to her, because hell, the guy was a nurse. He didn't have to get coffee from Starbucks every day. She saw a perfectly good coffee pot inside. He must really like Kiley. "God, I hope so. She deserved someone nice like your brother."
"I'm really glad you invited me." Kiley stole a peek at Darcy and Ravyn at the table, noticing the girl had a grin that could only be described as "shit-eating." "It's what little sisters are supposed to do, or so I've been told," she said, still blushing, knowing she was probably going to be the subject of choice in the Girnwood household for a while, if the way Ravyn was looking at her was any indication. "Food, yeah, that would be good." No one could ever claim that Kiley was the smoothest of people as she made her way over to the table, Cedric behind her.
Of course Ravyn was wondering why Cedric was so close to her. Boy was so obvious you could read him like a book, and she had no idea how he'd gone this long without a proper date. "Special," she confirmed to Darcy, watching the couple out of the corner of her eye. "Oh yes, can't start the morning without his quad venti super something-or-other, I don't know what he gets. I tried it once, it tasted terrible." Really, how did Ced drink that without his heart exploding from that much caffeine? "And he deserves something nice to happen to him for a change, from what I understand he's been so lonely since he came here. Isn't that right, Ced?" This last part was said for everyone to hear as Kiley and Cedric went to join them.
He caught that look on his sister's face and realized just what that meant. It was lucky that he'd missed her all those years or he might have been annoyed. She did have his best intentions at heart, he knew that, but that didn't mean he was looking forward to the million or so questions he was sure she had about the redhead he'd invited to the barbecue. "Isn't what right, little one?" he asked, pulling out Kiley's chair for her before sitting himself.
Darcy saw that, the blush on her best friend. The way the Brit was touching her. "I'm not a complicated girl. Morning cup of coffee suits me just fine. Anything else is a luxury." Leaning in, she spoke softly to the younger girl. "Honestly, Kiley's been through a lot with her family. So I'm hoping that they do get together. It would be good for her, you know? She deserves someone to treat her right." Her grin widened as she watched the Brit hold out Kiley's chair and his reaction to his sister's question. Men.
Unfortunately for Darcy, Kiley was close enough to them at that point that she could hear everything they were saying about her, walking up at the point of, Kiley's been through a lot with her family. Oh god, please, please, please let Darcy be smart enough not to drop that little bombshell on Cedric's baby sister, that was not something she wanted to be discussing this evening. Stupid were hearing. Life was so much easier when you couldn't pick up random scents and sounds. Maybe it was considered a bonus, but for Kiley, she just missed when she could be oblivious about such things. So her only answer to that was to plate herself a cheeseburger and pour a cup of soda, and catch Darcy's eye with a look that clearly said, Now shut the hell up and eat, won't you?
"Nothing," Ravyn said, still grinning as she sat back in her seat, starting to plate herself some food. She'd looked up traditional Fourth of July dishes online earlier in the week, but to be honest, the idea of potato salad seemed kind of gross to her. So instead she'd made a different kind of pasta salad, substituting Italian dressing for mayonnaise and filling it with a bunch of veggies and some crumbled goat cheese. Better this way, in her opinion, though she hadn't actually tried it yet. "It's very lovely that you've all come to our little get together," she said, ever the hostess. "You're all having fun, I hope?" The redhead was still blushing and Ravyn giggled. Yep, mission accomplished.
Ced sat down and let his little sister take over. This was her party after all. Yes, they were people he knew, but he knew that his sister wanted to do something like this. It was something their mother would have done, whether Ravyn knew that or not. He looked at the redhead and saw the look she was giving her friend. Apparently she'd heard something he hadn't but he wasn't surprised that the woman had been talking to his sister about the way he was with Kiley. Hopefully they were helping him with this, in their own way.
Darcy looked at Kiley, confused by her look until she thought about what she'd just said and the fact that her best friend was a were. Damn. Leaning over to the woman next to her, she murmured an apology as she reached for the mustard. It wasn't that she was going to say anything more than that. Kiley deserved happiness. And she liked that her friend was comfortable with the Brit across the table. He was cute and sweet to her. That's what someone like Kiley needed. "Most definitely," she said, turning her attention back to the rest of the group. "Happy Fourth everyone!"
Darcy better not say anything more than what she already had, because at this point in time, her family's past wasn't really something she wanted to bring up. No, Kiley was enjoying her time here, and she didn't want any bad memories to overshadow that. Fixing up her burger just the way she wanted it, she glanced over at Cedric, wondering again what it was the man might feel for her, how their date the next night would go. And she was pretty sure it was a date, now, if the way he was looking at her was any indication. "Happy Fourth!" she agreed. "Everyone enjoying themselves so far?"
"It's quite lovely, thank you." It would be better if Ravyn had some friends her own age here, like one certain teenaged boy who hadn't been returning her calls as of late, but she wasn't going to think about that now. Cedric looked happy, and Ravyn got to dress up and entertain people in their house, something she'd loved to do back in England. This felt more like the way things were suposed to be, without the threat of insane brothers trying to take over the coven. "I'm sure it's one we'll both remember, isn't that right, Ced?" With that, Ravyn dug into her food, watching as everyone else did the same. It was going to be good, this move to the States, for both of them. Ravyn could see that now. And it seemed their first holiday together in years had gone off without a hitch.