“Whaddya mean ya stopped drinking?” He held out the bottle of rum, brows furrowed together in worry.
“Raz, ya don't understands! I suddenly remember things agains. I remember whats I was doin', ya know? Yer still cute, kid. We don't needs no rum. Plus I gots that job with that Lightwind fella. I gots ta have a clear heads fer that, ya know?”
Aensa and Raz were sitting lazily by the docks, watching the ships as they loaded their cargo as the clouds melted into an inferno of color. The bottle of rum was finally, reluctantly, settled behind the young man as he kicked his feet lazily at the water. His eyes moved to look over at Aensa, pensive yet still grinning that silly lopsided smile of hers that he had come to love. She was certainly a special kind of woman, not at all like the dainty delicate types whose laughter sounded like tiny bells tinkling around in a glass bowl. No, Aensa had a full out deep and throaty laughter that swelled from the belly and bubbled out with true emotion. She didn't wear frilly lacy dresses or have the need to powder her nose. She didn't sip wine or cross her legs whenever she sat down. She didn't even remember to say please and thank you like most women. There were so many ways she was different from the others. It is what caused him to become so fond of her. He would dare to say he loved her.
“Sides, I lost who I was. There's so much at stakes, Raz. I keep getting' this feelin' in the pits of mah stomaches, ya know?” He nodded gingerly, eagerly, at her words. No. He had no idea what she meant, but it was so much easier to agree with her. Whenever he agreed she got large grin on her face and would wrap her arm around his shoulder with a jostling, just like she did this time. “Yer such a good listener, Raz. What woulds I do without ya?”
“Well, hopefully you wont ever need to find out!” The grin was wide as he looked up at her. If he was, in fact, a puppy, his tail would be wagging furiously at this point, pleased that he was able to please her so. He flopped against her, resting his head upon her shoulder as the sun set before them. He didn't consider it romantic, truly, since the only reason they were here at this moment was that this was when she got off of work. That and she worked at the docks. Some kind of book keeper. He didn't understand. He didn't really care. He just was happy that day in and day out that she asked him to come see her again and again.
“We should be getting' backs ta the church.” A scowl hit his face when she mentioned that, not really wanting to depart from her just this moment. “Kylus is gonna be mighty angry iffin' I don't gets back soon. Makes sure I stays sober, ya know?”
“Yeah. I know. But you don't work tomorrow, right?” Again the tail began to wag in hope.
“I... yeah. No workin' here at the docks. But I gots some business.”
“Oh.” His face drooped as he thought this meant the end to their getting together.
“Will ya meets me at the fountain tomorrow? Maybe arounds noon?” He nearly jumped for joy at the thought of it and showed his reply with enthusiastic nodding which made her laugh her merry soulful laugh, thick and rich and straight from her core. “Ya know, Raz... maybe we can jest checks in with the priest and I can spends the nights with you, yeah?” The thought of it nearly made him melt off the dock.
“Well, we best be getting you back to the church then, huh?”
