'Til Tomorrow

Writers: Dana, Eimi
Date Posted: 2nd April 2006

Characters: Kiomo, Gleniel
Description: Gleniel helps Kiomo find something in the storage room, and they promise each other a little something
Location: Garnet Valley Hold
Date: month 11, day 2 of Turn 3

"Ah, Gleniel, I'm sorry if I'm disturbing you," Kiomo smiled as he closed
the door to the store room. "It seems my light has burned out. I need to
find a new bulb. Do you know where they might be? Did I come to the
right place?"

Her whole face seemed to brighten as she looked at him. "You did. I
_think_ they're in that far corner over there..." Gleniel put down the
basket of supplies she'd been sorting and motioned for him to follow her.
"We'll have to check each of the shelves though. I'm not quite sure where
they got moved to."

He looked down at the basket before glancing up at her again. "I'm sorry,
if you're in the middle of something..."

She smiled, politely waving his comment away. "It's no trouble." He
didn't seem to remember how she'd left him so abruptly the last time
they'd been alone together, and she didn't want to give him any reason to
remind him! Shells...she'd been so embarrassed.

"Thank you," he smiled. "I'm not used to all this... electricity," he
said with a wave up at the lights. "I much prefer glows myself."

A brow rose in surprise. "They didn't have electricity at your Hold?"

"Not much," he said with a shrug. "We are a very old Hold, and there
isn't a source of power nearby. It makes electricity an expensive
commodity. Besides, you can turn down glows."

She nodded. "And glows do give off a softer light... They're not as
harsh." Then she smiled again. "But in a place like the store room, for
example, electricity comes in handy. Makes it easier to find whatever it
is you're looking for..."

"That is a good point," Kiomo nodded. "I certainly like to see what I'm
looking at in a store room. Especially things like _this_." He picked up
a trinket from the shelf. "Just what _is_ this?"

She peered at the object closely, grinning. "I'm not sure... Think it's
a holdbrat's toy?"

"Huh," Kiomo huffed. "I never had a toy like that. I wonder how you
would play with it." He shrugged and put it back on the shelf.

"I'm wondering too." She glanced up at him, wondering - but about him
this time. "What did you do for play? When you were little?"

"Same as everyone else, I should imagine. Sporting games, riding,
swimming, climbing trees, catching tunnel snakes... You know, the usual."

**Yes,** she thought with a slight, almost bittersweet grin. **The
usual.** Save the tunnel snake bit. She couldn't stand those creatures.
"You like riding a lot, then?"

"It's one of my passions," he nodded as he followed her around a corner.
"How about you? Do you ride?"

She nodded. "And fairly well, too."

"Really," he grinned. "Well, we shall have to test that one of these
days. Is this where I'm looking for?" he asked as he scanned the
shelves.

**Test that?** She stared at his back in disbelief for a moment before
shaking herself and coming up beside him. "Mmm...I _think_ so. If you
search the upper shelves, I'll look down here..."

"Sounds fine," he said as his eyes searched the upper shelves. His body
followed his eyes down the row, walking slowly down and back. He
stopped, standing right behind the young woman as he stood staring at the
top shelf. "Would it be labeled 'bulb' or something?"

She frowned, eyes scanning the different boxes as ducked her head to
search yet another shelf. "Probably, after all it's--oh! Here, Kiomo -
found it." Grinning at her success, she reached and pulled out the
"Bulbs"-labeled box. "They have a couple different sizes," Gleniel told
him, standing - and realizing a second too late just how very close he was
standing behind her.

"Whoa there," he said as she bumped into his body. One of his arms
reached around her middle to keep her from losing her balance as the other
reached to help her steady the box of breakable bulbs. They were silent a
moment as they both regained their footing. "I'm sorry," he said
quietly
close to her ear. "I guess you didn't realize I was standing right behind
you."

**Breathe, Gleniel. _Breathe_.** Mutely, she shook her head, blood
rushing to her cheeks as she tried - again - to ignore the flutterings in
her stomach caused by his closeness, his hard arm around her, his warm
breath tickling her ear...

"Are you all right?" he asked, a note of concern in his voice when she
didn't say anything.

"Yes," she managed to get out - thankful her voice didn't sound all that
raspy. Hopefully. "Thank you." Gathering her courage, she turned around
to face him, holding out the box of bulbs.

Shards, but she was close, Kiomo realized as he dropped his arm from
around her. He opened his mouth to say something as he looked down into
her big eyes shyly looking up into his, but no sound came out. Finally he
cleared his throat and took a step back. "This is what I need, is it?"

"Whichever one fits..."

"How do I know which one that is?" he asked, still looking deeply into her
sparkling green eyes.

The color in her cheeks slowly crept down her neck before she was finally
able to tear her gaze from his, looking down at the box. Oh, shells,
shells, _shells_... "I guess that depends on where it's supposed to go in
your room."

"On the ceiling?" he offered helpfully.

"Then it would be best to take one of these bigger ones..." Her fingers
lightly brushed over one.

"Thanks, I'll try that," he said putting his hand into the box. His
fingers lightly grazed hers as he reached for the bulb. "Sorry to have
put you through the trouble."

"It's no trouble," she murmured, suppressing a slight tremor as he touched
her. **Oh, _Gleniel_. Stop behaving like a fool.** But her mental
chiding was only half-hearted - if even that.

"So," he said looking at the bulb in his hands, "if I have any more
lighting problems, is this where I can find you?"

"Well..." Find her? "This shelf right here is where the box of bulbs
will be from now on." She gave him a small grin before turning around to
place it more towards the front of one of the upper shelves. "More
visible _and_ reachable this way."

"Oh, all right," he said, a small hint of disappointment in his voice. "I
guess I can find those then."

Gleniel glanced up at him as she turned around again, wondering if she was
misinterpreting his tone. Then, with a slight blush, she tried to shrug
it off. "Did...did you need help with anything else, Kiomo?"

"No," he said with a half smile, "I think this was it."

She offered him a small smile, wondering. "I'm glad I could help."

"Well, thank you," he said as he turned towards the door. After a few
paces he stopped and turned around once more. "Uh... Gleniel... I was
wondering..."

**You're not the only one...** "Yes?" she asked softly, shifting
slightly forward a step.

"Well... uh... I was wondering..." He looked around as if he was
searching for something. "Uh... glows! Does Garnet Valley have glows
anywhere?"

"Um... Maybe. But I wouldn't know where they'd be if we do have them...
Um...you might want to ask the Headwoman..." Gleniel couldn't help the
twinge of disappointment. Glows. That was it. Glows. **Oh, shards!
Gleniel, what are you thinking? For Faranth's sake...he's a Lord Holder's
son!**

"Oh, right. The Headwoman," Kiomo said, his smile faltering a little.
"All right, yeah, I guess I could just ask her."

Oh shards - she hated when his mouth fell like that. But maybe... Just
_maybe_... "Um...Kiomo?" she asked as he began to turn away.

"Yes?" he asked, quickly turning back to face her.

Taking a deep breath, she came closer. "I could go with you?"

"To talk to the Headwoman?" he asked.

She nodded, blushing again.

"Well, I think I can talk to the Headwoman alone. But," he quickly added,
"I may need help after..."

"If you do...I can help..."

A broad grin spread across his face. "Tomorrow then? After your
duties? That is, if you are free."

Her pulse quickened slightly at the look on his face. "I'm free."

"Fantastic. Well, thank you for the help," he said holding up the light
bulb. "Good night."

"Good-night," Gleniel murmured, watching him turn away. **Til tomorrow...**

Last updated on the April 30th 2006

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'Til Tomorrow