The Open Window [open]

Sephy's bedroom was quiet, as ever. Music was floating softly through the open window, apparently from nowhere, followed by moths and other such creatures who all wanted a glimpse of her reading lamp. The house was silent - her parents were fast asleep - and the darkness outside was comforting; that strange, summer darkness that never gets truly dark. She turned the page of her book, not really concentrating on the words. It didn't matter, she'd read it hundreds of times before. Odd phrases jumped out at her; 'white domino', 'exceptional affair', 'fancy dress', 'in love'. The book fell from her hands and onto the bed next to her as her consciousness faded in and out, half dreaming, half waking, and between those two states for what seemed like forever...

Destin knocked on Sephy's door, she had given him her address after lunch that day as they had spent some time together. He had brought her dasies, he hoped she liked them. Taking a step back from the doorway, he took a few deep breaths. Sephy was the first girl he had ever liked, Alex had been right that lunch time. He had never been with anyone else. His mother thought he had a girlfriend already, and who was he to tell her that she was wrong? He didn't want her finding out about Alex, so Sephy as a friend was certainly a good idea.

She almost fell out of bed when she heard the knocking. She leapt to her feet and swore under her breath, hoping the noise hadn't woken her parents. She couldn't go down herself - she'd have to cross all the creaky floorboards next to their door - so after much deliberation and a little more hushed swearing she ran to the window and leaned out, her eyes lighting up when she saw that it was Destin. "Destin, up here," she whispered, her voice seeming louder than normal now that everything else was quiet. She glanced down at herself by accident and almost swore again; she was wearing the horribly low-cut white silk nightie her mother had bought her, and the way she had been leaning Destin would have had an excellent view, to say the least. She tried to shift subtly, but was scared that he'd already noticed...

Destin looked up, he smiled as he saw Sephy lean out of the window, "Sorry, did I wake you?" he asked looking down at his watch and then back up again, it was quite late, but not that late. "I've only just got out of the house, mum was being a pain and made me wash up. I hope I'm not too late, if not I'll meet you before school," he said, still smiling. He hoped they could spend some time together tonight, if not he would just have to wait.

"No, you didn't wake me, I was reading," she said. "But be quiet, because my parents are asleep. I would come and let you in but if I walk past their door they might hear." She bit her lip and looked around at the window and the tiny, neat garden below. "Shall I climb down, or do you want to climb up?" she asked finally, having worked out how to describe to him how to get up if he said the latter. Getting down was always a lot easier than getting up, she found after sneaking out the first few times. But it was a little chilly outside and she wasn't wearing much... It was up to him.

Destin shrugged, "Want me to come up? save you getting changed," he said smiling. Stretching out his legs he handed her the flowers and climbed in through her window. That was one good thing about his power, made getting places very easy. He looked about her room, it was a lot smaller than his own. His parents had given him the biggest room in the house so he could stretch out in the mornings, they always said that being made of rubber made your bones go funny at night and they weren't wrong.

She laughed and covered her hand with her mouth as he climbed in. "I forgot you could do that!" she whispered, a little embarrassed at her mistake. The flowers were certainly a surprise - she loved daisies - and she held them delicately, looking like a woman in a photograph, what with her white nightie and her faraway, dreamy expression. "So, umm, what do you want to do very quietly?" she asked, smiling and perching on the edge of the bed, closing her book and placing it very neatly on her bedside table.

"That's not the only thing that stretches," he said with a cheek wink, "I'm kidding," he added quickly, smiling as he took the flowers with great care. "Nice room," he said looking at some of the pictures she had on her cabinet. "I don't mind," he whispered tiptoeing towards her like a mouse, "What would you like to do?" he asked in the same cheeky whisper, looking around as if to check anyone was listening in.

"I don't mind either," she said quickly, smiling and blushing at his joke, and just the fact that he was here, in her room, while she felt so underdressed and exposed. Still, there was no one else she'd rather feel exposed to. Just being here with you is nice enough, she thought, wanting to say it out loud, but it didn't seem appropriate. They weren't going out, and this wasn't a date or anything, and she was sure that her feelings weren't returned, no matter how nice and charming he was to her, and no matter how many bunches of flowers he bought her.

He chuckled lightly, "Do your parents know you allow strange boys into your room at night?" he asked sitting down on her bed, taking care not to ruin anything of hers. He room was warm and inviting. Stretching out his arms he carefully closed the window to keep the heat from escaping. Pulling them back into their normal form he folded them into his lap and continued looking around at her things.

"I don't make a habit of it," she said. "But seeing as they don't ever let me leave the house, really, I don't think they'd be too happy to see you here. I'm permanently grounded, until I can do something right at school." She turned to face him a little more, and noticed that he was looking around at everything. Her room was so childish in places - photos of fairies and elves, china dolls - and then so adult in others - her huge bookshelf, her wardrobe - that it was hard to make a proper judgment of her just from this room. There weren't any posters anywhere, she wasn't allowed, and no sign of a CD or a stereo, even though she loved music. That was part of her punishment. No music. Silence, Sephy, silence. "Let's not talk about my parents," she said at length, sighing. "Let's talk about... About..."

"Lets talk about you," Destin finished moving over slightly to allow her to sit next to him. "What's your favourite...colour?" he asked stilling looking at a few of her photos and dolls. They were very pretty ones, just like the ones Destin's sister had but her were drity from being played with. Sephy's looked like proper collectors items. All clean and neatly placed on her shelves. Destin thought her parents were a bit strict, but they were obviously easy to get past if he was still able to get in her window. The bars weren't up yet.

"Blue," she said, though she was surprised by the question. She shifted a little closer to him as he moved to allow it, wondering whether she was meant to ask a question back or whether he was going to interrogate her further. He didn't seem to be paying attention, though; he was looking at the dolls. Her mother had always said that if she kept them nice and neat and never touched them, they'd be worth a lot of money one day, though Sephy didn't see them like that. They were just a constant reminder of what her parents would have preferred for a daughter: a china doll. "Why are we talking about colours?"

Destin turned to face her, "I like blue too, I'm wearing blue boxers, wanna see?" he joke flashing her a bit of the waistband. "But I prefer yellow, cause it's a happy colour." He brushed some of his fringe out of his eyes and smiled, "Why not colours? what would you like to talk about?"

"I don't know, it was just...pretty random." She sighed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, biting her lip. "W-why did you come tonight?" she asked nervously, looking to him with wide eyes. "I mean, I gave you my address, but I didn't think you'd actually come, and I especially didn't think you'd come tonight. Only, well, I would have thought you'd have better things to do."

Destin frowned slightly, "Did you not want me to come?" he asked. He certainly hadn't had anything better to do. He enjoyed her company, she always made him smile and calmed him down when he was angry or upset. It was just nice being in her company.

"No, no, I really wanted you to come. Really. But, well, it seems like such a waste of time when..." When nothing's going to happen, ever. "When you could be...at Amnesia, chatting up someone who's a lot hotter than me," she finished pathetically, covering her feelings with a poor, poor joke. She glanced at him and then looked away, staring at her neat, delicate nails on her pale hands in her lap.

Destin smiled and put an arm around her shoulder, "I think you're mistaking me for Alex, I hate Amnesia. There's too many chances of getting hurt. Beides, I'd rather be with you," he added with a smile. He slipped his arm off her shoulder and returned it to his lap, "I think you're hot enough," he mumbled slighly, blushing as he said it.

She turned immediately and stared at him, her mouth slightly open in disbelief at what he'd just said. "Really? You...you think..." She trailed off, unable to stop staring and repeating it in her head. Sure, it wasn't much, but she wasn't used to compliments full stop, let alone from someone so important to her as Destin. She blinked and blushed and generally looked very cute and sweet and innocent for a few moments, like a cat, purring after being stroked by someone they thought hated cats.

"Well yeah, who wouldn't?" he asked smiling at her. He chuckled lightly at Sephy and pressed a quick kiss on her cheek. Doing that he was instantly reminded of Alex. No. He shouldn't even think about thast boy, not now. He bit his lip and instantly removed thought of the other boy from his mind. Sephy was more important to him now. Not Alex. Laying back on Sephy's bed, Desin stretched out, his shirt rising over his stomach revealing his pale body underneath.

She smiled widely and lay down next to him on her little single bed, where there was barely enough room for him on his own, and her slender frame only just fit next to him if she lay on her side, facing him. "Why did you come here so late?" she asked, catching sight of the clock on her bedside table. It was nearing midnight, more or less. "I'm not complaining," she added hastily. "I just...wanted to know." In truth she just wanted to hear his voice again - it was comforting - but she couldn't very well say that, could she?

Destin turned on his side to face her, "I didn't realise it was so late. I just had a lot to do at home before I was let out. I'm sorry. I'm so used to turning up at Alex's at two in the morning, I forget not everyone is used to it," he said proping himself up on his elbow. But part of the reason was that he thought Sephy's parents were a bit strict, so maygbe he should spend more time with he rbefore he met her parents.

She smiled and said in a hushed voice, "You know, my dad would throw you out the window if he found you here. He hates boys, let alone me being friends with them. Makes me wonder what he was like at our age if he always expects the worst." She laughed a little, though it was a silent laugh, and she kept turning to check that no one was standing at the door, that she could still just about hear her father snoring, that none of the floorboards were creaking. It was a difficult way to live, but she'd been in this family all her life. She didn't know anything else.

Destin raised an eyebrow, "Really? well, at least I bounce," he smirked quietly, inching a little closer to her. He too was listening for any sudden movement from the house. Times like these he wishe he had better hearing. Unfortunatly his own ears were awful, too much loud music his mother always said. "Maybe you shoudl tell him that having no contact with boys had turned you into a lesbien, see what he says to that." Destin smiled to himself and leant back on his back, lookiing up at the ceiling.

She smiled but shrugged. "Then he'd keep me away from everyone. And probably try to stop me 'acting crazy'. I wouldn't put it past him to send me to a doctor," she said quietly. Her sexuality was not something she ever wanted to discuss with her parents. Her mother would say it was a phase, and her father would tell her to stop seeking attention and grow up. "I kind of keep myself away from guys, you know," she sighed, finally admitting the fact. "I... I dated this guy a few years ago, who must have been about our age now, and, well, it didn't go very well at all. It scared me a bit, so... I just steered clear." Until you. "It's a bit pathetic, isn't it? I was just a child, I really was. What did I expect? A big romance? Something stupid like true love? He just used me, and I was too naive to accept it properly." She was startled to hear the bitter tone in her own voice; she never spoke this much - not about herself, at any rate - and never this emotionally. She bottled things up, she didn't get angry; this was odd.