Breakable
Ann had snuck into Anne’s study, or well she hadn’t really snuck in, because she was allowed there but somehow, when Anne wasn’t around it felt wrong. As if she was doing something she wasn’t supposed too. Ann stopped mid-room, thinking with her fingers tapping her chin, what had she come in here to do?
“Right, the sketchpad!” Ann raised a finger in the air, as if she had just gotten a new idea, and hurried to the desk to locate it. She had sat with Anne the evening before whilst she looked over a few papers and then forgotten to take it with her as they left for bed. Ann found it, she could see the pencil sketches from where she stood – they were all of Anne, Anne working on her papers. The brunette was unaware of course – she always got so stiff and unnatural when she knew she was being sketched so Ann always did so in secret – sometimes when she was asleep, because she wanted to capture the relaxed features of her face and keep for always. Ann could draw the brunette all day, every day, and never tire of it. Anne was so remarkably handsome, and Ann thought to herself, the most perfect woman on earth – she was a joy to paint – as long as she was unaware. Ann bent over to grab her sketchpad but accidentally knocked a paper weight over and Ann dropped her sketchpad trying to catch the thing but failing miserably, watching as it shattered into a million pieces on the wooden floor. Ann gasped, and then bit her lip,
“Oh crikey. I hope that wasn’t precious. Breathe, Ann – it’s not the whole world- she won’t kill you- oh Christ, I can replace it… unless it’s from Paris… can one make it to there and back in less than… uh, maybe two hours…”
Marian pushed the door open,
“Are you alright? I heard a crash.”
“I’m not sure…” Ann turned around, hands still open as if to catch the thing, and Marian looked at the floor, raising an eyebrow,
“I see… you knocked over her paper weight.”
“Do you know if it was valuable to her? It’s not your uncle’s old paper weight? Oh no if It is, I shall never forgive myself. She will never forgive me!” Ann was panicking, and Marian shook her head,
“No, it’s not – I think she was gifted it by a friend one Christmas or so.”
“Oh, no, Marian, not a friend… urgh – I ruined it!”
“By accident, now calm down Ann. She won’t be angry with you. If it were me, I’d flee the country but you never.” Marian said it to be funny, because she didn’t think Anne would be angry, but Ann’s eyes widened, and she put her hands to her face,
“Oh, no… She will hate me. God, I’m such an idiot. I shouldn’t have gone in here on my own.”
“Ann… breathe! Chances are she won’t even notice.” Marian were interrupted,
“Won’t notice what?” Anne came inside the room, but no one need say anything because her eyes immediately found the floor and an eyebrow quirked, but Ann grimaced, beet red in the face, on the verge of tears,
“I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to; I was picking my sketch pad up and I knocked it over – I’ll replace it – if I can but I don’t know… I know anything I replaced it with wouldn’t have the same sentimental value – God I’m so sorry, Anne!”
Anne looked at the blonde and then down at the floor again, her lips twitching, and Ann were afraid she might start shouting or worse crying because it had been such a precious thing to her. But then suddenly all that was heard was a snort and immediately afterwards laughter following it. Ann was stunned to silence, because she thought Anne would be mad, but it seemed she wasn’t and Marian left, closing the door behind her rolling her eyes at her sister, muttering something about important things to do. Ann however was confused but Anne trod over the shattered glass and cupped her cheek with her hand, still laughing,
“Ann, don’t look so frightened. It’s fine.”
“So, it’s not precious to you?”
“Not too precious no.” Anne smirked, her thumb caressing Ann’s cheekbone tenderly.
“It’s not irreplaceable?” Ann asked quietly and Anne shook her head,
“It’s fine. Things break. I’m just glad you’re alright. You are, right? No shattered glass in your hands or…?”
“No, I’m fine. I just… I was afraid I might have ruined something valuable to you.”
“Nothing, Ann, and I’d like you to remember it, so you needn’t look so frightened in the future, nothing is more valuable to me than you. Nothing. Truly the only thing that hurts me is that you seemed scared of me, I don’t want that.” Anne ran her thumb over Ann’s bottom lip, looking at it and then glancing up into her blue wide eyes,
“I’m sorry. I, I panicked is all. Because it felt as though I shouldn’t be in here.”
“Everything mine is yours, Ann. That paper weight was going to be thrown away in any case – I didn’t like it. It was a gift from… hm, someone. Now, how can I make you feel as though you are allowed in here?” Anne smiled down at her and Ann blushed prettily,
“Kiss me.”
“Really? Will that help?”
“I don’t know, but I want you to kiss me now because I haven’t seen you all day.”
“Alright then if I must…” Anne grinned against her lips, rubbing their noses together before giving in and kissing the blonde sweetly, and she responded eagerly to the kiss.
“Wait…” Anne backed them into the door, and she turned the key before smiling,
“Carry on.”