#ikr?? 😭 this alone makes them so interesting 😭 and so cute!! and meant to be!!

[lucygraysboy]

“how  come  it’s  so  hard  to  believe  we  haven’t?  how  many  have  you  seen,  hm?  how  many?”  billy  playfully  taunts,  tempted  to  dig  his  fingers  into  her  sides  and  tickle  her  mercilessly,  just  to  hear  her  laugh  once  more.  of  course,  he  refrains,  but  it  amazes  him  how  comfortable  he  feels  around  her.  “not  counting  yourself,  lucy  gray.”  he  has  to  clarify,  still  thinking  about  her  cheating  when  asked  about  her  favorite  color.  “why,  thank  you.”  and  just  like  that  he’s  a  blushing  beanpole,  just  glad  he’s  no  longer  eating  or  he’d  choke.  pale  blue  eyes  avoiding  these  captivating  chocolate  hues  as  he  briefly  wonders  if  maybe  she’s  just  making  fun  of  him,  a  sheepish  smile  blooming  on  his  lips.  “wouldn’t  put  it  past  her,”  he  huffs,  his  face  cooling  down  at  the  mere  thought  of  that  goat.  then  again,  it’s  just  an  animal  and  has  every  right  to  be  wary  of  strangers.  “what’s  her  favorite  snack?  i  think  i  should  apologize  for  nearly  dying  in  her  bedroom  and  can’t  go  empty-handed  or  she’ll  never  forgive  me.”  as  soon  as  he  feels  better,  he’ll  try  to  make  amends  with  shamus.  for  lucy  gray’s  sake,  but  also  because  he  doesn’t  want  to  be  disliked  by  a  goat.  “it  sure  is.”  he’s  got  a  good  idea  about  how  the  horses  are  feeling.  after  all,  she’s  tended  to  him,  too,  fed  him,  made  him  a  friendship  bracelet…  and  he’s  already  falling  in  love  with  her.  

“that’s  very  sweet  and  brave  of  you,  lucy  gray.”  both,  overcoming  her  fears  and  trusting  a  man  she  knows  so  little  about.  he’s  so  deeply  touched  by  her  words,  especially  the  last  part,  that  he  can’t  help  but  melt  on  the  inside.  she  doesn’t  look  like  the  kind  of  girl  who  puts  her  heart  into  other  people’s  hands  easily,  unlike  him,  and  so  he  understands  just  how  monumental  this  moment  is.  a  sincere  smile  playing  on  his  lips,  he  doesn’t  dare  taking  her  hand  into  his  again,  but  he  does  bring  his  bracelet-clad  wrist  even  closer,  until  the  beads  are  clanking  softly,  colliding  gently  with  each  other.  “and  i  promise  to  never  let  you  down  or  lie  to  you.”  the  words  leave  his  mouth  before  he  can  actually  think  them  through  or  realize  he’s  already  lied  to  her  in  a  way  when  he  refused  to  tell  her  about  his  journey,  how  he’s  on  the  run  because  he’s  a  wanted  man.  “then  we’ll  take  one  of  them  out  for  our  first  trip.”  the  more  he  listens,  the  more  his  heart  breaks  for  her.  he  feels  so  very  guilty  for  hiding  his  real  identity,  and  she’s  here  confiding  in  him,  sharing  a  piece  of  her  own  soul.  god,  he  is  a  horrible  man,  after  all.  “having  your  mama’s  horse  must  mean  a  lot  for  you.  i  think  i  already  know  which  one  you  should  learn  on.”  the  one  that  belonged  to  her  mother.  it  must  be  a  sign,  he  thinks.  “wednesday  afternoon,”  he  repeats  in  wonderment,  nodding  his  head  in  a  silent  thank  you.  that  means  he’s  been  on  the  run  for  almost  two  weeks  then.

laughing  softly  as  she  explains  the  saying  to  him,  it  suddenly  makes  so  much  sense  that  he  intends  to  remember  and  use  this  phrase.  “agreed.  took  two  cultures  to  find  the  perfect  words  to  describe  her,  if  that  doesn’t  tell  you  what  kind  of  person  she  is…”  he  trails  off,  grinning  and  wiggling  his  eyebrows  to  amuse  her.  god,  he  loves  hearing  her  laugh.  “no  more  snakes  down  her  dress  then,  lucy  gray.”  or  that  man  will  find  a  way  to  hang  her,  billy  thinks  but  doesn’t  dare  say  out  loud,  the  unspoken  words  turning  into  worry  and  sadness  in  his  bright  blue  eyes.  she’s  so  kind  and  full  of  light,  it  was  all  a  harmless  prank  in  the  end…  but  he  knows  how  powerful,  corrupt  men  are  and  a  shiver  runs  down  his  spine.  “better  to  stay  away  from  her  altogether  than  get  whipped  in  the  streets.”  there’s  no  more  humor  in  his  voice,  only  fear.  if  she’s  messed  with  the  mayor’s  daughter,  she  might  be  in  serious  trouble  when  said  mayor  ever  crosses  paths  with  her.  billy  doesn’t  tremble  easily,  but  this  thought  alone  makes  him  nauseous.  “i’m  so  happy  you  like  it,  but  no,  thank  you,  lucy  gray.  i’m  never  taking  mine  off.  i  hope  they  bury  me  with  it.”  so  he’ll  be  able  to  keep  it  forever  forever.  he  gently  pushes  the  plate  with  the  last  roll  towards  her,  smiling  invitingly.  “i  think  now  is  the  perfect  time  to  split  it  between  us,  don’t  you  agree?”

"and why not? neither of you seen a girl drag somebody, just because they're heavier than them?" lucy gray amusingly smiled, she knew it wasn't an everyday occurrence but she wasn't too good to do it like most women who acted like they couldn't lift a finger. "well, i think you're a swell lookin' beanpole. nothin' wrong with bein' one. even though, you look like a strong beanpole to me." amusement lingered on her face as her eyes trailed over his figure, smiling sweetly at the dark haired boy. "oh she won't, just as long as you don't mess with her." doe eyes playfully rolled, giving him a dismissive wave of her hand. "that's true, that's why shamus is so defensive." the brunette quietly laughed, because he just validated why shamus rightfully acts the way she does all while trying to call her mean at the same time. "well, that's a good point isn't it." a sweet smile pulled at her face at the way he says that... if she's tending to them, they love her already. she sure loves them.

"alright, that sounds like a good idea. one i'm excited for. i trust what you're sayin' and i'll trust you." about the horses, at least. and knowing how to tame one. he sounded well knowledged, didn't sound like no crap talker and the idea of sharing the horse makes her feel a lot more comfortable. her father though...if he found out, he'd lose his last piece of mind, she couldn't help but anxiously remember in the back of her mind. "spirit and sundance is the calmest, i'd say. one's the beautiful white horse that was my mama's and the other is a beautiful light brown horse." she'll take him around to meet them when they get the safe chance. "it's wednesday afternoon, darlin'." lucy gray answers, understanding why he questions it. "i did know what a gnome looks like but never knew all that. now i do." thanks to him. and thanks to him, that's what mayfair always will be in her head which is a hilarious idea. "it is, it's the lord's day so sinning then is extra sinnin'." the brunette explains, then eyes lit up in curiosity at what dryshite meant before she grinned in amusement the longer she listened.

"i never heard that before. –now that's the perfect sentence for mayfair." a soft laugh sounded from her as she looked down at their wrists put together, remembering she should keep quiet but it was a difficult task once he put it like that. "yeah, her dad was fixin' to be mayor. he probably is by now." she remembers how livid he was to the point he was hunting her down trying to get a hit or several in. which was another significant moment in her life where men proved themselves to be monsters. "it's beautiful and the most perfect piece of jewelry i ever saw. thank you, billy." thinking of monstrous men... and then this one made her a bracelet. he was gentle, like only a little boy would be. it made her heart swell the longer she stared at the bracelet then shyly she forced herself to look back up, gently taking the scissors from him and putting them back up in the basket to distract herself.