Brian was looking forward to playing Dungeons and Dragons with his friends. Moreso than usual, it would seem, as he couldn’t stop rolling his dice on the table in the absence of the other players. The first to arrive, as usual, was Monique. He took a sip of his soda, stealing a glance at her.
Monique curled up on the living room couch, tucking her legs under her and adjusting her rectangular framed glasses. Not unlike a cat. He mused, observing the way she settled into the cushions. A nice little woman loaf. The idea amused him, and he found himself unable to suppress a chuckle at the comparison. His amusement, unfortunately, did not go unnoticed. She narrowed her eyes, lifting them from her phone’s screen to give him a withering, accusatory look over her glasses. “Really, dude. Again? What are you even laughing about?” she asked, her tone laced with a hint of curious irritation. He tore his eyes away from her and glanced over at the cat lounging on the armrest of the couch. The feline stretched lazily, seemingly uninterested in their presence, and observed them with the passive indifference that only a cat could. He arched his eyebrows playfully. “Nothing, really,” he said, unintended playfulness creeping into his voice. “Just an amusing observation.” “Well, don’t keep me in suspense,” she said, setting the phone down. There was some undiscernible glint in her russet-colored eyes. He hadn’t noticed that rich brown before, but it seemed pronounced for some reason tonight. “Share with me the source of your amusement, Brian. I’d like to laugh, too. Unless you’re just laughing at me again.” “It was just a stupid little thought I had,” he said, turning his gaze back to meet her inquisitive stare. As he looked at her, sitting there with her legs tucked under her, he felt something stir within him. Something he hadn’t quite recognized until that moment. It was something of a warmth, or fondness that welled up inside him, and he couldn’t help but feel an inexplicable connection. He cringed as she raised an eyebrow and gestured at him to continue. “Of?” she insisted. “Well, you know how cats sit like a loaf sometimes, right?” he babbled, heart hammering in his chest. His halfling barbarian character might rush headlong into moments like this, but Brian swallowed a lump. “Well, the way you were sitting reminded me of that. You’re a delightful little woman loaf.” She blinked, her eyes going wide as a faint blush spread across her cheeks. She sat back, letting the confession settle into a smile on her lips that seemed to mirror his own. “Bold words for a squishy little half-pint in melee range,” she grinned. They laughed together. After a few moments, she caught her breath and moved to sit in the chair beside his. Her usual spot. “Since we’re confessing things, I’ll admit that you make my heart skip a beat, in and out of character, just by being yourself. I guess we’re quite the pair, aren’t we?” In that quiet moment, surrounded by anticipation, a deeper connection blossomed between the two. As their friends arrived to play Dungeons and Dragons, Brian and Monique shared a knowing smile, their friendship opening into a promising new chapter, filled with unspoken possibilities, magic, and the opportunity to discover something uniquely beautiful in the most unexpected places.
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AuthorLawrence Henry is an aspiring author with more caffeine than time. BTW, here's some of my thoughts on a few varied subjects. Archives
July 2023
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