Cinq de Bergerac

The sounds of rustling pages filled the quiet room and the flickering of the candle gave little light.  4 was up late- 3 having finally gone to bed.  This always allowed her a few hours to spend time reading her books of romance and poetry- books that 3 so gallantly stated were 'boring'.  4, however, loved every second of them.  The sweet tales of a love she so desperately longed for- the type of love she had seen in 9's eyes every time he was around 7.  

She'd seen it less and less in public as they brought their family back, bringing them home again, but she knew that when they were alone, they would cherish those moments.  She had, on more than one occasion, stepped into the same area as them as they would lean in to share soft kisses and gentle words of love.  Her heart would bounce lightly every time she saw them in their moments, and she would find herself longing for it herself.

… but who would love a tiny, plain thing like her?

She cupped her cheek in her hand and sighed to herself as her eyes flitted over the page of the current play she was reading.   Why were the women always so beautiful in these stories?  Why could they never be plain, helpful women?  Her optics landed on the words of the next page and she scowled to herself as the words continued to describe the beauty of the woman the two lead males were so smitten with.  

4 stood to close the book in annoyance when a familiar voice startled her.  

"…F-4?"

She blinked and turned to face him, adjusting her hood carefully to better see him.  5 gave her a small smile and tilted his head at her as he stepped forward with a curious look in his optic.  4 felt small slivers of green spray her cheeks and she turned her face away to look back at her book.  

"… what're you reading?" he asked, stepping up behind her and peeking over her shoulder.  "Cyrano de Bergerac," he read from the top of the page.  "… sounds very interesting… mind if I join you?"

She shook her head with a shy blush and adjusted her hood to keep his keen eye away from her blush.  "… so, where were you?" 5 asked, his chin resting gently on her shoulder.  She stiffened and blinked before pointing to her last paragraph.  "Mind if I read out loud?  I comprehend it better that way…" he admitted, rubbing his head.  "Ya know… one eye and all makes it hard to… yeah…"

4 shook her head again and gave him a small smile, which he returned and looked down at the page before he sat down.  Uncertainly, 4 sat down beside him and gave him dazed smile, looking over at him at his blinded side.  She suddenly blinked- oh, what was she doing?  5 liked 7- she knew that much- and he probably wasn't over her still.  Her optics lowered back to the paper as 5 began to read it- she blinked and then her shoulders shook in silent giggles as she listened to his amateurish attempt at a French accent.

"And why not?  If you love her, tell her so!  You have covered yourself with glory in her eyes this very day," 5 read, in a rather outlandish, un-noble accent.

Instinctively, 4 covered her eyes to hide the sign that she was laughing.  

5 grinned over at her before he continued reading.  "My old friend- look at me, and tell me how much hope remains for me with this protuberance!  Oh I have no more illusions! Now and then – bah! I may grow tender, walking alone in the blue cool of evening, through some garden fresh with flowers after the benediction of the rain; my poor big devil of a nose inhales April… and so I follow with my eyes where some boy, with a girl upon his arm, passes a patch of silver…and I feel somehow, I wish I had a woman too, walking with little steps under the moon…"  

5 paused a moment and 4 could see a frown twinge over his lips.  He began to read again, his voice trembling ever so slightly as he read, the accent forgotten.  "And holding my arm so, and smiling. Then
I dream – and I forget…"  She heard his voice crack as he reached the last line.  "…and then I see…
the shadow of my profile on the wall…"

He raised his worn, wooden hand and pressed it to his eye patch.  

'… 5?' the small librarian carefully flickered, her hand hesitating over his shoulder.

He turned his face away and dropped his hand to his lap.  "… It's not fair, you know…" he whispered, nervously fiddling with his buttons.  "I mean- I don't mind having one eye- but… it makes me less than the others."

The librarian just looked at her small hands and twiddled her fingers, looking away shyly.  

"He's better than me, isn't he?" he asked, his voice small as he glanced over at her.  "9, I mean… he gets everything.  1's grudging respect, 7… he's even got the perfect design… he's complete and everything…"

He lowered his gaze and hugged his knees to his chest.  "… I've never gotten anything…"

4 looked up at him lightly and shyly adjusted her hood, tilting her head slightly.  He was just like her- lost, afraid and uncertain of every little thing they did.  Slowly, she reached her hand down and set it against his back.  She flickered her gaze down as he stiffened and looked over at her.  Her fingers shyly retracted and set back in her lap.  

"… you get what I mean, don't you?"

She nodded lightly and looked up at him as he turned over to face her fully.  5 blinked and froze as he met her gaze.  Her optics, the bridge between 2's and his, were beautiful and innocent and he had to blink to keep himself from downing in her stare.  She lowered her gaze and then turned to flip through a second, nearby book.  5 blinked and watched in awe as her tiny, elegant frame shifted through pages chapters, her optics flickering as she tried to find what she was looking for.  

5 watched as she froze and her head drooped before she reached out to stroke the words with a sad, forlorn look in her eyes.  "… what is it?" he whispered, standing and stepping over to look at the page.  It was old fairy tale collection, a thick book she must have found in the children sector of the library.  He gave her a strange look as she fiddled with her hood and stroked one of the old illustrations.

'… have you ever noticed how all the heroines are always so pretty?' she flickered, stroking the book.  '… I know how you feel- like… you're always on the side and not really important.'  5 was silent as he watched her look down at the aged, elegant drawing and stroke her fingers against the outline of the beautiful maiden in the drawing.  

Gently, 5 reached over and stilled her hand with his, his fingers winding with in hers.  He gave her a tender look and she blinked as green lit up her cheeks.  Her gaze flickered down and 5 chuckled lightly as he softly tilted her head up to look into her optics, sending her hood down about her shoulders.  "… there you are," he whispered, tenderly cupping her cheek in his large, awkward hand.  

She glanced down at his hand and then back up at him, her brow furrowed lightly.  "… I know," he chuckled lightly.  "... I'm confused too."  Carefully, he stroked his worn thumb over her delicate cheek and wound her hand in with his free one, never taking his eye from hers.  Slowly, the mechanic found himself leaning in as his optic drooped shut.  Instinctively, 4 raised herself up from her heels and leaned into him.

His lips touched hers lightly and shivers, like the wild sheets of water in the books 4 knew so well, rushed down their spines and 5 pulled 4 in closer.  They parted slowly and 4 stole another, quick kiss before she lowered her optics shyly.  5 smiled and softly caressed her cheek again as he embraced her tightly and tucked her head under his chin.  "… and for the record, you are very beautiful," he breathed as her arms wound about his chest and clung to his shoulders, as if she was afraid he'd suddenly disappear.  

The librarian tilted her face up to look at him and he cracked a shy grin and chuckled lightly.  "… much more beautiful than I deserve, really…" he admitted.  4's head tilted slightly to the side and she blinked in confusion before she smiled softly and rose up to the tips of her feet.  His optic shutters opened and shut in surprise as he felt 4's lips brush against the leather patch.  

'… I think you're perfect…' she flickered, a shy smile on her face.  5 smiled back and held her close, kissing her cheek carefully.

"I think you need your eyes checked," he chuckled, his cheek resting on the top of her head.  "… but thank you."  His optic closed and he held her tightly as they began to sway to the sides, enjoying the comforting feel of having 4 so close.  "… and I'm sorry… I guess I never realized that you were what I needed… but I'm glad you're here…  I love you."

4 blinked in surprise at that and then smiled lightly, nuzzling her face into his shoulder.  

Already, he knew that it meant, 'I love you too.'