Wedding
Boone hated ties. He could have had a clip-on one, his mother had said. But he thought those were worse. They looked so stupid.
He hated collars, too. And together, they were the worst things ever. He tugged at the tie, feeling as though it was suffocating him. Looking around, he noticed that everyone's attention was on making sure everything was perfect and decided to slip away. He'd take off the tie, just for a little bit. Then he'd put it back on and no one would know that he'd taken it off. He snuck past all the hired help and other wedding party members, who all look frazzled, and slipped into the little courtyard. As soon as he was outside, he hastily undid his tie and then threw it on a bench near-by. Closing his eyes and breathing deeply, he plopped himself down next to the tie, slumping slightly. When he opened his eyes, he saw his future step-sister sitting across from him, staring at him with wide eyes.
They had met before, of course, but he had dismissed her as a spoiled brat after hearing her whine about how she was missing going to the mall with her friends to meet her daddy's new girlfriend's stupid son. She had been wearing clothes that, though nice, were not suited for her undeveloped, eight year old body, and, in Boone's opinion, way too much make-up. But now, wearing the lovely, light purple dress that all of the women in the wedding party were wearing, with her hair up in a French twist, just slightly mussed up, and small rivers of the light mascara the stylist had put on her, Boone thought she was stunning, because she looked real.
With a small frown, Boone sat up straight and leaned forward a little, reaching out one hand. "Are you ok?"
Sniffling unattractively, she wiped her hands under her eyes, smearing the make-up even worse, and attempted to give him her dirtiest look, failing completely. "Yes. Now go away."
Boone raised an eyebrow and smiled a little. "No you're not, and I'm not going anywhere." He stood up and walked over to her bench, sitting down next to her. "Now, tell me why you're crying."
Shannon looked at him uncertainly, as though she couldn't figure out why he was being nice to her. And Boone couldn't really blame her. They hadn't really gotten along since they'd met. "Why do you care?"
"Because..." That was a good question, why did he care? It wasn't like she'd given him any reason to. But he did anyway. "Because I'm going to be your big brother, and that means that's I'll protect you." He smiled.
Biting her lip, Shannon looked down at her hands, twisting them in her lap. "... you're going to think I'm being stupid and selfish..."
'You're probably right,' Boone thought, but didn't say. Instead his smile widened. "I promise I won't. Now tell me."
With another sniffle, she wiped at her eyes again. "I... I'm scared that Daddy won't love me as much now that he's getting married." A small sob wracked her frame and the tears washed a little more mascara down her cheeks.
And that's all it took to make Boone's heart twist. He put his arm around her shoulders and gave her an awkward sideways hug. "Don't be silly. Of course your dad will still love you just as much."
She sniffled again. "But-but... now he has your mom! He won't want me around any more!"
"He will. Just because he's marrying my mom doesn't mean he won't want you. There'll just be more to your family." He gave her a small squeeze, still just as awkward as before. "And I'll be there, too, if you ever feel lonely."
With one last, ugly sniffle, Shannon looked up at Boone and gave him a small, slightly shy smile, wiping at her cheeks again. "Thank you, Boone."
Boone gave her a big smile. "Any time. Let me help." He brought his hands up to her face, holding one side while he wiped the other, getting rid of the mascara much more effectively than she had, and then did the same on the other side. When he finished, he sat back and examined his work critically. Her eyes were still red and swollen, but there were no more mascara streaks, and that was the best he could do right now.
"That's better," he said with a smile, and then pushed himself off the bench and walked over to the other, picking up his tie and clumsily tying it back on. It didn't look quite as good as before, but it'd have to do. He turned back to Shannon and held out his hand. "Let's go."
She took his hand and stood up, but quickly dropped it again. "Hold on." She reached up and adjusted his tie. Again, it didn't look quite the same as before, but it was better now. She smiled at him. "Better."
Boone grinned, and then lead the way back into the church.
OOC: Slightly schmaltzy, but hey, I'm just getting back into the swing of things. Not tied to any Shannon in particular. All from my own head.
He hated collars, too. And together, they were the worst things ever. He tugged at the tie, feeling as though it was suffocating him. Looking around, he noticed that everyone's attention was on making sure everything was perfect and decided to slip away. He'd take off the tie, just for a little bit. Then he'd put it back on and no one would know that he'd taken it off. He snuck past all the hired help and other wedding party members, who all look frazzled, and slipped into the little courtyard. As soon as he was outside, he hastily undid his tie and then threw it on a bench near-by. Closing his eyes and breathing deeply, he plopped himself down next to the tie, slumping slightly. When he opened his eyes, he saw his future step-sister sitting across from him, staring at him with wide eyes.
They had met before, of course, but he had dismissed her as a spoiled brat after hearing her whine about how she was missing going to the mall with her friends to meet her daddy's new girlfriend's stupid son. She had been wearing clothes that, though nice, were not suited for her undeveloped, eight year old body, and, in Boone's opinion, way too much make-up. But now, wearing the lovely, light purple dress that all of the women in the wedding party were wearing, with her hair up in a French twist, just slightly mussed up, and small rivers of the light mascara the stylist had put on her, Boone thought she was stunning, because she looked real.
With a small frown, Boone sat up straight and leaned forward a little, reaching out one hand. "Are you ok?"
Sniffling unattractively, she wiped her hands under her eyes, smearing the make-up even worse, and attempted to give him her dirtiest look, failing completely. "Yes. Now go away."
Boone raised an eyebrow and smiled a little. "No you're not, and I'm not going anywhere." He stood up and walked over to her bench, sitting down next to her. "Now, tell me why you're crying."
Shannon looked at him uncertainly, as though she couldn't figure out why he was being nice to her. And Boone couldn't really blame her. They hadn't really gotten along since they'd met. "Why do you care?"
"Because..." That was a good question, why did he care? It wasn't like she'd given him any reason to. But he did anyway. "Because I'm going to be your big brother, and that means that's I'll protect you." He smiled.
Biting her lip, Shannon looked down at her hands, twisting them in her lap. "... you're going to think I'm being stupid and selfish..."
'You're probably right,' Boone thought, but didn't say. Instead his smile widened. "I promise I won't. Now tell me."
With another sniffle, she wiped at her eyes again. "I... I'm scared that Daddy won't love me as much now that he's getting married." A small sob wracked her frame and the tears washed a little more mascara down her cheeks.
And that's all it took to make Boone's heart twist. He put his arm around her shoulders and gave her an awkward sideways hug. "Don't be silly. Of course your dad will still love you just as much."
She sniffled again. "But-but... now he has your mom! He won't want me around any more!"
"He will. Just because he's marrying my mom doesn't mean he won't want you. There'll just be more to your family." He gave her a small squeeze, still just as awkward as before. "And I'll be there, too, if you ever feel lonely."
With one last, ugly sniffle, Shannon looked up at Boone and gave him a small, slightly shy smile, wiping at her cheeks again. "Thank you, Boone."
Boone gave her a big smile. "Any time. Let me help." He brought his hands up to her face, holding one side while he wiped the other, getting rid of the mascara much more effectively than she had, and then did the same on the other side. When he finished, he sat back and examined his work critically. Her eyes were still red and swollen, but there were no more mascara streaks, and that was the best he could do right now.
"That's better," he said with a smile, and then pushed himself off the bench and walked over to the other, picking up his tie and clumsily tying it back on. It didn't look quite as good as before, but it'd have to do. He turned back to Shannon and held out his hand. "Let's go."
She took his hand and stood up, but quickly dropped it again. "Hold on." She reached up and adjusted his tie. Again, it didn't look quite the same as before, but it was better now. She smiled at him. "Better."
Boone grinned, and then lead the way back into the church.
OOC: Slightly schmaltzy, but hey, I'm just getting back into the swing of things. Not tied to any Shannon in particular. All from my own head.