Out and About (Reese)

[Kristen Simms]

Truth was, she didn't want to read to much into the ball and the number of dances. She didn't want to have thought wrong. Why think it was anything if it wasn't nothing at all? Being let down was not something she wanted.

In the moment of silence, Kristen knew that she probably should have made a move to leave. Her hands were still buried deep into her pockets and her scarf around her neck to keep her neck warm. Her face was almost completely numb and then she started to think that maybe she should have put on more pant layers.

She was about to take her leave when the crunching sound filled her ears again. Her eyes raised up. Part of her really wanted to just take a run for it but she knew that her cold legs wouldn't carry her that fast. "What?"

[Reese Denton]

"Why are you angry?" He asked. It wasn't what he initially was going to say. He might have even kissed her, but she sounded irritated and he was put on the defensive. He didn't know if he really liked her or not, and maybe that was the problem. But he knew he'd been jealous of Anonimous the whole night, and he knew that she had looked beautiful in that dress.

"Are you angry that I didn't ask you? Cuz if you wanted me to, you needed to give me a little sign."

[Kristen Simms]

"Angry? I'm not really angry." That really wasn't a lie. She wasn't really angry, she was sad but she couldn't really let him see her like that so her voice came out to sound irritated instead. Why did guys have to be so dumb? She didn't understand it.

"I'm not angry that you didn't ask me," Kristen said. "I'm just, I don't know." She let out the breath she had been holding. "As for giving you a sign, I thought I had," she said dropping the irritated act and referring to the day he healed the small cut she had had. Sure, it was a thank you but it had also been a hint but of course, he didn't see it.

Kristen swallowed and let her eyes move from his back down to the snow. She took a step back and then one in the direction of the castle.

[Reese Denton]

Reese sighed. Of course she had given him a sign... and he had, in all of his male glory, missed it. Even looking back, he couldn't think of what she might have done or said to him, but he knew better than to ask now.

"Cupcake, guys are simple. We don't really pick up on clues. And we figure if you want something, you'll let us know. I would have asked you. I wanted to, if I had known that you wouldn't laugh at me for it." A polite rejection was one thing, but being shot down in flames by someone he genuinely cared about, even as a friend... well, he had his pride.

When she took a step back, Reese followed her and took a step forward. "We're not going to get anywhere if you keep running away from me."

[Kristen Simms]

"So, I was just suppose to walk up to you and just say 'hey, Reese, I'd like you to ask me to the dance'?" She looked at him almost pointedly. "A girl is not going to just do that. The guy has to meet her halfway." His next words caused her expression to soften. "Why would I have laugh at you for it? Sure, I like to just tease with you and joke around but I couldn't be that cruel. I could never be that cruel and laugh at you like that." Even though, she joked around and teased a lot, she did have a big heart and she couldn't have been cruel to him like that. Especially if he asked her to the dance. That was one of the main reasons she went with Anonimus. He had asked, and he was a friend. If it had been someone random, she would have politely told them no.

Before she took that full step forward, she realized that if she did she would collide into Reese. Kristen looked back up to him, the irritated act completely gone, only the softened expression remained. "Where are we supposed to be going," she asked softly.

[Reese Denton]

Reese frowned deeper. He understood where she was coming from, and he didn't exactly expect her to tell him that she wanted him to ask her to the dance.

Standing there, and feeling slightly awkward (which was not a feeling he was used to in the least), Reese did the only thing he could think to, and he smirked. "So you did want me to ask you," he said, sounding proud of himself. Still, it was just a facade, because she made him nervous and he couldn't explain why.

His smirk turned to a softer smile, and he sighed. "We don't have to go anywhere. Just... stop running away, okay?"

[Kristen Simms]

Stop running away? She only did that whenever she became nervous or felt awkward. It was just a natural thing for her to do, and it was the only thing she knew to do. Like Reese, she wasn't used to feeling awkward, nor was she used to feeling nervous or shy. When those things happened, it was like her brain almost shut down and her legs carried her away. Although, she knew that she couldn't always run. There were going to be moments that made her feel different throughout her life. She had to get over it and just deal. Kristen could do that, right?

"Okay, no more running away. Although, I do have to say we do have to go somewhere. Somewhere inside because I'm about to freeze. My legs have gone numb." A light smile spread across her face.

[Reese Denton]

Reese had to bite his tongue to keep from making a comment about being able to warm her up. He was a guy, afterall, and had a blonde in front of him that he'd been teasing for years.

"All right. Come on, Yellow, let's go inside. I'm hungry, anyway." He also refrained from pointing out that she was the one who came out her in the first place, but she agreed not to keep trying to run away from him. They were never going to get anywhere if they kept avoiding each other.

He sighed and started walking, his hands still shoved deep in his pockets. "You could have asked me, you know. Defy cnvention and all that."

[Kristen Simms]

"You're always hungry," Kristen commented as she looked at him while stuffing her hands deeper into her own pockets. She tried to keep the conversation light and return it to the joking around back and forth. She didn't want things to be awkward, which was how she sort of felt at the moment but she was doing her best to cover it up.

Her cheeks still held the blush from the cold air but his comment made them brighten a fraction more. Kristen let silence for a few moments, taking up a little bit of time. "I think that would have been a little awkward," she said keeping her gaze forward. She agreed that she wouldn't run away. She could handle it. "Just because I thought that if I had asked you, you would have already been taking someone. Then there's also the fact that I didn't really think about just asking you. I wanted you to ask me first."

Not wanting any sort of argument to happen, she added, "But I did have a good time anyway. You could have asked me to dance more than you did if you had wanted to, but I'm not complaining."

[Reese Denton]

"I'm a growing boy," Reese returned easily.

He was quiet while he considered her. She was shy... that much was becoming appearant, even if he had never taken her to be the shy type before. So she was traditional, and unless she was messing with him right now, there was definitely something between them.

He sighed and quickened his pace so that he could get a step ahead of her, and he turned to face her. "Kristen, would you like to come with me on the next Hogsmeade's trip? Whenever they decide to let us go again..."

[Kristen Simms]

Seeing that Reese sped up, she thought for a moment that she did something wrong. Kristen looked up and was about to question what she did but he stopped. Luckily, she paid attention and was able to stop.

Kristen looked at him questioningly, she was going to apologize if she had done anything but what he asked took her a little by surprise. A confused look crossed her face, and for once she didn't look away, well right at first. With her hands buried in her pockets, Kristen bit the inside of her cheek as she felt the heat rising.

Reese was seriously asking her to go to Hogsmeade? Kristen let a smile cross her face and she finally nodded as she looked toward the ground. "Yes, I would like to go with you to Hogsmeade whenever that maybe," she said keeping her voice even and meeting his eyes again.

[Reese Denton]

Reese gazed back at her, shifting his weight a bit nervously. He was about to tell her that the look she was giving him was exactly why he hadn't asked her to the ball. The rejection, the look like he was crazy.

And then she said yes. He let out a breath he hadn't been aware he was holding, and rand his hand through his hair, resting it at the back of his neck for a moment. "Oh... okay," he said, and turned around again, falling into place beside her. "Good."

He almost winced at how awkward he felt. It was Yellow... he shouldn't be this nervous around her at all.

[Kristen Simms]

Her mind was everywhere but there for a few seconds. She was actually asked to go to Hogsmeade. Sure, Reese probably just meant it as friends of course, but still there was the fact that he asked. If Kristen allowed herself to just let go completely go, her giddy side would start to show through. Now it was almost as if she had gotten an extra dose of energy, but for the time being, she was containing it.

Kristen could tell something was a little different about Reese. He wasn't acting his usual confident self. She turned her head to look at him as she gazed curiously. "You didn't sound too enthusiastic about that," she said a little jokingly. She gave him a grin. "However, I will make sure that it will be a great time, for at least one of us."

[Reese Denton]

He hated girls. That had such a knack for making everything as awkward as possible, and then acting all cute and getting away with it. It was so unfair.

"I'm not unenthusiastic," he promised her. "I'm just hungry and cold." He gave her a grin. Changing the subject a little was a good way to ease himself out of the awkward feeling he was getting, and he nudged her. "You need to move a little faster so we can get to those kitchens. I swear I will never understand how you can stand being out in the cold."

[Kristen Simms]

Kristen laughed. She started to walk a little faster as she gave a shrug. "Being out in the cold doesn't really bother me that much. I suppose I've got more body fat to keep me warmer than you do." She smiled teasingly. "You are rather skinny, I can understand how you can be so cold." Of course she was just picking with him.

"Maybe if you would eat more and not practice quidditch as much as you do, you'd get a little fatter so you'd be warmer." She winked at him as the school came closer.

[Reese Denton]

"Whatever. You're skinny, too."

He knew she was teasing, but even then, he wanted to make sure she didn't have any of those kinds of doubts about herself. Those could be dangerous for a girl, and he liked to think that Kristen was above that... he hoped she was, anyway.

"You like watching me play," he told her, holding his head up higher and looking down at her, smiling. "You think I'm the best player in the school. You should really just admit it."

[Kristen Simms]

"Never said I wasn't skinny. I know I am," she said with a smile. Kristen was one of those that didn't really care what she looked like. She was comfortable with herself, with the exception of some days but just about every girl had a day when they critized what they looked like in something.


"And I do like watching you play. If I didn't, I wouldn't have gotten one of your buddies to make me a copy of your quidditch schedule." Kristen looked up at him teasingly. "'Course I like seeing you sweaty too, but you already knew that." She gave him a wink. The teasing banter was something she loved. If he paid attention, he would have also noticed her face a little redder.

Once he held his held up, Kristen held her laughter by giving a defeated like sigh. "I suppose I should admit that too. I think it's the only reason I come to Quidditch matches, just to see you fly on a broom, although I suppose we should keep that between us. After all, we wouldn't want my house to know I pull for another player on an opposing team."

[Reese Denton]

Reese laughed at her, and it was loud because it was unexpected. "You stalker," he teased her, shaking his head. "You probably sneak in to watch me sleeping too."

He shrugged at her that her though, sticking his hand back in his pocket. "Eh. I'll get you a red and gold scarf... look, it's kind of yellow. You can cheer for both teams that way."

And everything felt normal again. Reese was more at ease, and getting warmer for what that mattered. Awkwardness between them just never felt right, and it was easier when he could rib her and tease her.

[Kristen Simms]

"It takes a lot of skill to stalk. You have to worry about hiding if you want to be more subtle about your stalking." She looked up to him and grinned widely. "As for watching you sleep, that's something you'll never know," she added in a somewhat mysterious like tone. Kristen winked before giving a laugh.

Teasing with him was a lot easier. It just felt natural to joke around. "I could wear the scarf and my house wouldn't think of me as some kind of traitor." Again, she looked at him teasingly. Kristen would wear whatever he gave her.

Reaching the castle, she opened the big doors to enter the entrance hall. "And by the way Mr. Denton, do not even think about throwing food this time in the kitchens."

[Reese Denton]

"Well, you've certainly done this a lot to know. You know, you probably shouldn't give me all your secrets. Though, I always knew you couldn't resist me."

There. It was easier to talk to her and even flirt with her when their was a joking air behind it all. For being in Gryffindor, he was a bloody coward when it came to her. Girls he could handle. It was just... her. And he didn't even fully realize how much he liked her yet.

He paused and looked affronted. "Me? Throw food? How could imply such a thing? I am the very definition of a gentleman."