Snippet #2291858

"How about the living room?" Lydia decided after a moment. Fletcher nodded, starting to lead her down the hallway. Thankfully he had cleaned up the day before so everything was neat and in order in each room. Before they reached the door, the girl next to him started talking again. So, what happened to your last guardian?”

Startled by the bluntness and plainly spoken question, Fletcher started a bit. “I. Uhh…” He hardly had time to gather his wits before she covered her mouth and continued spewing out words. I-I’m sorry. What I meant to ask was.. Are you a neat person? Like.. clean. Well, I know you’re clean, I mean you smell nice.. her cheeks turned bright red as she finished with, [b]Do you like things organized?[b] Fletcher didn’t pay too much attention to what she was saying. What he was really focused on was her face. She looked so shocked and embarrassed, he felt some sympathy for her.

“Hold on, there, Lydia,” He started. Putting his hands on each of her shoulders, he spoke gently to her, “Before I answer your questions, there’s something that needs to be addressed.” Fletcher slid his hands down behind her and gave her a hug. After a couple seconds he pulled away, and spoke some more with the same tone.

“There’s no need to feel like anything is rushed, or that you have to be perfect, or that I’ll hate you for making mistakes. Just… calm down a bit, okay?” Gently guiding her with one hand at her shoulder, he led her into the living room. It wasn’t overly done, or very simple. The walls were painted an earthy-gray-brown, and had drawings and paintings of bows and arrows as well as famous archers scattered along it. The carpet was the common light tan that most people see in the average household. Across from the entertainment set, which didn’t have much on it other than a TV, he sat down on an old but well-maintained couch and gently urged her to sit next to him. Once she was seated, he started talking anew.

“So, let’s start from the beginning… what were you asking me again? Keep it slow, okay?”