Lost Girl Ch. 10

"You can feel my honesty, Tristan. You *know* that I'm telling the truth."

"Maybe It's the truth for you," he said. "But not everyone sees me like you do."

"Well if the girls you meet can't look beyond your scars, then they don't deserve to be with you." As if to punctuate the words, her mouth set into a thin, straight line.

Their eyes locked, and for Claudia it seemed as if time had begun to slow down. She didn't whether it was Tristan's bare chest, or the beauty of his deep brown eyes, but she was suddenly focusing on him in a very intent way. Unlike Tristan, she wasn't tuned into other people's thoughts, so she couldn't be exactly sure of what he was thinking.

But as he averted his eyes to look down at the hands that were resting in his lap, she realized that he was beginning to feel awkward.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"Nothing." He lowered his shirt so that the scars were once again concealed.

"I'm not making you nervous, am I?"

"No. Why?"

"You just seem a little flustered."

He lightly shrugged, then forced himself to look back at her. "It's just that prolonged eye contact makes me feel a bit uncomfortable."

"Why?"

"Because when I stare into people's eyes, I start reading them. And the things I pick up while reading a person can sometimes be difficult to handle."

"What are you picking up from me?" Claudia asked.

"Nothing bad, Tristan said. "You've always had great energy, so..." He smoothed his palms against his legs a legs a few times before finally continuing on. "It's just that I.....well, I get this feeling that..."

"That what?" There was an eagerness in Claudia's voice. "Tell me, Tristan. I want to know."

"That there are some feelings you have.....for me..." Although he knew that the words he spoke were indeed true, he stared deep into her eyes for confirmation.

Although she wasn't exactly embarrassed, Claudia's face did become warm, and now it was her turn to look down at the hands that were resting in her lap.

"Guess I should have known you'd pick up on that," she said. "I keep forgetting that you can sense other people's emotions."

"Sorry if it seems like I'm being invasive," he said. "It's not something I can really help. It just sorta happens, whether I want it to or not."

"You don't have to apologize, Tristan." A soft smile crossed her lips. "It's who you are, and I'm totally cool with that."

"Yeah." His eyes softened as he added, "You've always accepted me, and I appreciate that."

The glance they shared was affectionate, and filled with a warmth that could be keenly felt by Claudia. That feeling of warmth, however, gradually increased as she noticed the small patch of skin that was exposed just below the hem of Tristan's T-shirt.

Unable to resist, she allowed her eyes to trail along the faint line of hair that stretched from his belly button to the pubic area that was concealed by his jeans. Although just barely visible, it was obvious enough to make her pulse quicken, and without even realizing it, she began to imagine just how far down it traveled before it came to an end.

She was just beginning to indulge in the power of her imagination when she suddenly became aware of Tristan's gaze, and shifting her attention so that it was back on his face, she saw that a hot red blush had worked its way deep into his cheeks.

With a clear of her throat, Claudia quickly looked away, focusing instead on a movie poster that featured the silhouette of a leather-clad Brandon Lee with a crow on his shoulder. She didn't have long to stare at the poster, however, before Tristan's voice broke through her concentration.

"So, you got any New Year's resolutions?"

"Several," Claudia said. "Get my driver's license, finish high school with a 3.5 GPA, and do something fun for my eighteenth birthday.

"When do you turn 18?"

"February 17th," she said. "What about you?

"February 20th."

"We're only three days apart."

"Yep."

"Pisces, right?"

"Yeah."

"I'm an Aquarius."

"So that makes you air," he replied.

"And you're water."

Tristan nodded.

"I should have known you were a Pisces," Claudia said.

The question mark in Tristan's eyes encouraged her to elaborate.

"You've got this nice, soft energy... it always puts me at peace. And you have this spiritual way about you -- It's like you're an old soul, or something."

The gentle smile that tugged at Tristan's lips made Claudia's own mouth curl upwards in response.

"Anyways, It's really nice to be around someone like that. So I just thought I'd let you know."

"Thanks, Claude. You always say nice stuff like that about me, and I appreciate it."

"Just speaking the truth." She drank the rest of her Cherry Coke, then rose to her feet. "I think I'll go check out the snack table. You wanna tag along?"

"Think I'd rather hang out here, instead. But thanks for the offer."

She nodded, then started for the door before turning the knob.

"Claudia?"

With a turn on her heels, she was once again facing him.

"Will you be coming back?"

"Most definitely. I'll only be gone for a little while."

"Okay, cool." He gave her a soft smile before adding, "See you in a bit."

And with the feel of Tristan's gaze still on her, Claudia stepped out of his room and headed towards the festively decorated living room.

************

At ten minutes to midnight, with glasses of champagne in hand, everyone gathered in the living room to watch the New Year's countdown on TV. Along with Mona, Big John, Claudia, and Kimi, several of Tristan's aunts of uncles were in attendance, as well as coworkers that Tristan's parents had invited from their respective jobs.

While some of the guests sat on couches or chairs, others stood while chatting and nibbling on slices of cheesecake. With Tristan and Kimi on one side of her, and her mother and Big John on the other, Claudia continued to watch the screen, which was transmitting images of bustling Times Square.

There was anticipation in the air, as well as a sense of excitement that made the already festive atmosphere seem even more upbeat, and as the countdown clock ticked on, Kimi slung an arm around both Tristan and Claudia's shoulders.

"Five more minutes until 2015, guys. Any last minute resolutions?"

"Nope. I'm pretty much set," Claudia said.

"I have the same resolutions as last year," Tristan said. "So I think I'd better just stick with those."

"I didn't make any resolutions," Kimi said. "Instead I made a list of five things that I want to accomplish by the end of the year."

"That's a good idea," Claudia said. "It's probably more fulfilling to make a list, rather than just say that you're going to do something."

"Yeah, we'll see how it works out." She finished the remainder of her cheesecake, then set aside the disposable saucer before turning her attention on Claudia. "So, Claude. I've got this idea that I want to run by you."

"Okay. What is it?"

Kimi leaned in close to whisper in her ear, and as Claudia listened on, a slow smile began to take over her face. Clearly curious, Tristan focused his eyes intently on them, brows lightly furrowing as he tried to pick up on the energy behind their hushed words.

It wasn't until Kimi pulled back from Claudia's ear that he was finally given the opportunity to offer her a questioning look, but all Kimi gave him in response was a crooked little smile. As the ball began to drop on TV, everyone began to countdown, and with knowing smiles on both Kimi and Claudia's lips, they readied themselves.

With Claudia on one side of Tristan, and Kimi on the other, he was strategically sandwiched between them. Five seconds passed, then seven, before the glittery Times Square ball continued its descent down the flagpole.

It was only three seconds until the stroke of midnight when Tristan realized what was happening, but by that time both Kimi and Claudia were already lifting themselves onto the balls of their feet, and in perfect synchronization, they gave Tristan a soft kiss on each of his cheeks. Almost immediately, his cheeks turned red, but the smile that followed gave his face a radiant glow.

"Happy New Year's, Tristan," Claudia said, and after giving him a hug, she pulled back to let Kimi offer him one as well.

"Have a wonderful New Year's," Kimi said while embracing Tristan. "I hope that this year brings you everything you want."

"Thanks." The soft smile was still on his lips. "I hope you two have a great New Year's, as well."

All around them, people were kissing and hugging and offering New Year's greetings, but the threesome just stood there smiling at one another, as if sharing a secret that only they were privy to.

After awhile, people began drifting outside to the porch, and as Kimi, Claudia, and Tristan headed out into the cold night air, they were greeted by a loud, booming noise that made them glance upward into the endlessly dark sky.

A burst of blues and yellows came first, followed by an explosion of purple and bright pink that cast a glow on its awestruck spectators. With both the sight and sound of the fireworks display commanding her attention, Claudia entirely missed the sound of her ringtone going off. She did, however, feel the vibration of her phone as it alerted her that she had received a text message.

Retrieving her mobileNe from the pocket of her evening jacket, she glanced down at the display screen. And with the light from the fireworks going off above her head, she saw that the message was from Lucas. Her heart gave a squeeze as she opened it, and with eagerness, she began to read the text.

~ Hey, lost girl. Just wanted to wish you a Happy New Years. Hope you're having fun wherever you are. Sorry I wasn't there to give you a kiss, but you know I'll make it up to you, right? ;) Be safe, and I'll talk to you tomorrow. x ~

Turning her face upwards, Claudia watched as fireworks continued to invade the sky. A new year had begun, and she found herself wondering what it would bring. And with a lightness in her chest, she pondered all of the possibilities that lay before her.