11 | knight in reality-2

"Oh, Darcy, you little minx!" Marcel didn't give me a chance to finish what I had to say. "And there I was thinking that you and Miles were never getting together even though the two of you were mentally undressing like all the time! I am so happy for you. Now, tell me, how did it happen?" "It - " Ean was beginning to look rather wary as he gazed at us. "How did what happen?" "Miles and Darcy got together. You know," with an arch of her eyebrow, she lowered her voice, "they had sex. The whole shebang," she paused to let out an amused chuckle, "oh, look, I just made another pun again. I'm on a roll." Ean had listened to her words in growing horror, before finally clapping his hands over his ears. He looked thoroughly appalled, even though I was waving my hands frantically and mouthing for him not to listen to her. "Don't say that!" "Say what?" she shot back, innocently. Then her eyes slanted into a positively wicked look. "Sex?" "I'm not comfortable hearing about my sister's sex life. Or anyone else's, for that matter," he added, after a beat. Unfazed, Marcel simply reached over and mussed up his hair, even though he was much taller than she was. "Aww," she cooed, in the kind of maternal voice that rather surprised me. I didn't know she had it in her to sound maternal. "Has our little boy not heard about the birds and the bees yet?" He all but growled at her, pushing her hand away. "I have heard about it. I just don't want the details, especially when it comes to my sister." This had gone on for long enough. A part of me wanted to continue laughing at Ean's awkwardness, but the other half of me found this whole thing ridiculous with a capital R. "Okay. Let me set something straight here," I said, stepping between the two of them and glaring at Marcel before turning a soft gaze on Ean. "Nothing happened between Miles and I. You can stop having a coronary breakdown now." "Oh, thank God," Ean looked utterly relieved. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I am all for you and Miles getting together. I just don't need to know the details." Heaving another sigh of relief, Ean backed away from the both of us, resuming his position at the cash register. Marcel, on the other hand, looked utterly devastated, crushed, as she asked brokenheartedly, "you mean - no marcy?" "What the hell is marcy?" "You know, the ship name. Miles and Darcy: Marcy. It's what we've been referring to you two behind your backs," she added, with a gleam in her eye. I stared at her for a long moment, wondering if the sun had finally fried her brains and she'd completely lost it. Then I realised it couldn't be her. "Greg came up with it, didn't he?" She nodded and I scowled. "I'm going to smack him when I next see him. But, seriously, nothing big happened. So we kissed, once. But only because I was worried sick for him and it just happened." The shrewd, calculative look in Marcel's eyes was sufficient for me to know that she was back to being a levelled headed self. "Keep telling yourself that, Darce. You know the truth better than anyone else. Why do you keep trying to convince yourself otherwise?" I shot her a meaningful look. It took a good five seconds to register, and when it did, she closed her eyes, running her fingers through her long dark tresses with a groan. "You haven't told him?" When I shook my head, she sighed deeply. "Darce, I thought you'd already told him since day one! I figured that was the reason why you agreed to help him and the reason why he agreed to let you help him." With a shrug, I kept my gaze firm on the countertop, studying the creaks and crevices that wedged themselves within the wooden surface. "It just never came up. It shouldn't. He doesn't need to know." "Yes, but that was before you began having feelings for him and - no, quit pretending you don't, I can see right through you," she drawled smoothly, when I made to argue with her. It was difficult to meet her sharp gaze, the disapproving curve of her lips. "Now, I don't know Miles well, or at all, for that matter, but I daresay that he's going to be hurt when he finds out." "Which he won't," I returned, emphatically. My eyes met hers now and I knew she saw the firm resolve held in mine. It was sufficient to make her purse her lips, a silent promise that she would not reveal anything if I didn't allow it. "Not until after the Hell Weeks are over. Not until he gets in." "And if he doesn't?" I didn't like to think about that. ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ Miles came over to teach me the next day. Even though I was still pretty much the epitome of an impossible, frustrating student, I found myself improving as time passed. I saw less incorrect questions and kept still for a longer periods of time. Although, if I was being entirely honest with myself, I supposed a lot of it had to do with the fact that I liked him. I liked watching him teach me - the crease in his forehead when he concentrated on explaining a difficult, new concept; the light in his eyes when he talked about a topic he found fascinating; the tilt of approval playing on his lips when I got an answer right. Most of all, I liked how I was able to shut the world out when I was with him. I was the Alice he pulled into this imaginary Wonderland of words and facts and equations. When he taught me, nothing else seemed to matter. We momentarily shoved aside all thoughts of the Hell Weeks, family issues, ominous futures and everything in between. As crazy as it may have sounded, I actually found myself enjoying learning, even though it was all thanks to him.