plantfood | [For Veronica]

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veronica

[For Veronica]

There are many things about Henrich that drove Mathias crazy before Mexico and the ruins, things that now and then resulted in physical altercations or shouting matches which left them both feeling sheepish and hurt, but there is one thing Henrich was so good at. One thing Mathias wishes he could have learned from his brother, something he still can't quite seem to grasp no matter how hard he tries or doesn't try, as Henrich used to advise.

He's terrible with women.

It's been a month and a half since New Year's Eve and Mathias has done almost nothing to impress Veronica or further what relationship they might be developing. In fact, with the exception of assuring her there is nothing going on with Stacy, he's barely made any indication that he's interested in her, which he realizes is incredibly stupid. He's very interested and absolutely terrified. Coming to her while stuck as a woman hardly counts as making an attempt at getting another date, so earlier in the week, he'd gathered up all his courage and asked.

Which is why he finds himself heading down the path toward her hut, a bag with some food slung over one shoulder and his towel folded over the other. In a fit of panic, unsure what people do for dates on the island, he'd suggested dinner and swimming at the waterfall, hoping it isn't too forward to include swimming. Already he's starting to doubt himself, but he schools his face to blankness and then raps his knuckles gently against her door.

He can do this. It's a date, after all, he's been on dates before.

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"Unless it hadn't appeared until recently," Veronica said wryly. In this place, it was all too possible. Disengaging herself from his hold, she started toward it, grinning back over her shoulder. "Come on, you wanna see?" It wasn't exciting, necessarily, but it was quiet, private. That struck her as worthwhile for the moment.

There is no way he can resist that invitation and so he nods, cutting through the water slowly toward Veronica. "Of course I do," he answers, smiling. "Especially if I get to have you as my tour guide."

"And on my left, we have... water," Veronica said, gesturing to the falls. Pausing to look his way and smirk, she took a deep breath and dove under. There were probably safer, smarter ways to go, but she didn't stop to think of them, swimming under the heavy fall of the water, thrumming against her even under the surface. Rising up on the other side, she caught her breath and pushed her hair from her face, laughing a little.

Because she's done it, he has to as well. For the most part, Mathias isn't competitive, but he has a feeling Veronica might appreciate someone who can hold his own under a simple waterfall, even if he'll never be able to hold his own against her.

Diving under, he cuts through the water cleanly, long strokes that pull him through to the other side. He remembers swimming under a waterfall for the first time when he was fifteen, being surprised by how heavy the water felt. Popping to the surface, he runs his hands over his head and grins at Veronica.

It was a gradual slope up out of the water, not the sudden drop from cave floor to water that Veronica had imagined before this place. She was already starting up it when he surfaced in turn. Casting a glance back over her shoulder, the smile that came was warm, unconscious, coupled with a rush of desire to turn right around, go back and kiss him, just because the last half hour had taught her she could. "It's not all that big," she said, "as caves go around here, but it tries."

"Even small caves are fascinating," he says as he follows her up the slope, rubbing water out of his hair. As if he's expecting to find something, his gaze traces the walls, taking in every detail, every rock and every shadow. Maybe he'll never be able to travel again, but it's possible he won't have to give up the adventures.

"How much of the island do you know?" he asks suddenly, looking at Veronica.

"A lot of it," Veronica said, shrugging, pushing her hair back over her shoulders. "Not the part where the dinosaurs are, but... there's a lot of free time here and I get very curious." Three years was an awfully long time, after all, and she'd run off exploring on more than one occasion, needing badly to be away from all of this.

"We should take one part of the island every month and explore it," Mathias decides, wondering if this is such a good idea. It's possible Veronica will think he's crazy or that he's pushing for too much too soon, but he wants to see it all and so far, Veronica is the only person he can imagine wanting to go with him. "It could be almost like traveling without ever leaving the island."

"Little vacations," she deadpanned. It seemed silly on the surface, in a place that was a permanent vacation, but she could see the worth of it. "Yeah, sure, why not? I'd like that." Granted, she wasn't sure if he was ready for that, not with the jungle, but that was up to Mathias to decide, and it was better, she was sure, with her than if he went alone. Besides, the prospect was oddly exciting. "There's a map in the Council office. We could look at that to decide where to start."

"There are canoes, too," Mathias tells her, running his hand over the wall of the cave curiously, half expecting to find a passage hidden in the rock. There's nothing, of course, but he continues to touch the wall, then turns to look at Veronica. "I've seen them, down by the water. I know we can't go anywhere, really, but it might be nice to take one."

Maybe just the illusion of getting somewhere would be good enough. It was a start, anyway. Veronica smiled, following along, arms swinging. "I'd like that," she said. The stone was cool under bare feet, rough and dusty, but pleasantly so. Pushing up on her toes, she reached for the ceiling and came up short, not minding. "The going's still good, even if you don't get anywhere."

Mathias is a good guy, he really is, but he has to turn away when Veronica stretches up toward the ceiling. He doesn't want to push, but he knows if he lets himself watch her, he'll end up in an uncomfortable situation.

"We could get to the other side of the island," he points out, looking at Veronica over his shoulder, but just briefly. "Not very far, I admit, but it's something."

"Far enough," she said, her old dreams of traveling sleeping rather than buried. If not seeing Europe was the price she paid for peace in her time, so be it. "The company's good anyway. And there's always the other island. Been out there yet?"

Mathias shakes his head, trusting himself to turn around once more and he faces her. "I've heard a little bit about it, but not very much. Are we allowed to go over there?" He can't imagine there's someone stationed to stop them, but the last he's heard about it, the only people heading over were scientists or military.

Though, if he wants to be technical, he is military.

"Yep." Folding her arms, Veronica moved in closer, smiling. "Just hitch a ride on the Dawn Treader. You have to be able to handle staying a few days, though. They only go out there on a schedule." She'd been on board the day they'd discovered it, but with her Council duties being what they were, hadn't returned since. Admittedly, half the reason she'd signed up was to be able to say she'd served on the Dawn Treader.

"You know, just when I start to believe things can't possibly be any more strange, you tell me that we just need to hitch a ride on the Dawn Treader." Even knowing they would be riding on a fictional ship does nothing to dissuade Mathias from this idea, especially now that Veronica has mentioned they might have to spend a few days on another island.

"I think I could handle that," he decides with a smile, his hand falling from the rock wall to Veronica's shoulder. His fingertips trail down the outside of her arm until he can curl his hand around her own. "It would be an adventure."

"Mm, well, if you like that," Veronica teased, "I'll have to tell you sometime about when I served on Prince Caspian's crew. My nine year old self was practically swooning." Biting her lip, she smiled. "I do enjoy a good adventure."

Alright, it's cheesy, so screw me, but I'm pretty sure that right there - this hand-holding thing? Yeah, my heart just started going double-time. What can I say? I'm a sap.

"I think my twenty-four year old self may fall victim to a swoon," Mathias teases, although he isn't entirely joking. There's something incredibly surreal about hearing such a thing, even after all this time, and it's oddly appealing, too. That he can't quite explain, but he doesn't think he needs to worry about it.

"Just don't hit your head," Veronica deadpanned, stifling a smile. "I'm not carrying you out of here. But, you know, I mean, you're in the middle of nowhere with nothing to do and Prince Caspian says he needs a crew... well, you sign up." Obviously. Opportunities were there to be had she'd never have been able to take at home, and she wasn't one to turn them down.

"Personally, I am just hoping that someone from Arrested Development arrives and becomes my very best friend. That could be only good," Mathias answers, grinning. That's not entirely true, of course, but he's choosing to believe that should a fictional person from his favourite TV show befriend him, it isn't going to be Buster Bluth.

"Yeah, I'd be careful what you wish for, buddy," she teased, turning to lean back against the cave wall. "That could go pretty wrong. Me, I've already lived the dream. Hanging out with Nancy Drew? Pretty much as cool as I imagined." Sure, it would have been better with a mystery to solve, but this was one time she was willing just to count her blessings.

When Veronica turns, Mathias does as well, unconsciously following as he studies her, considering what she's said. Eventually, he shakes his head, having reached a decision.

"I would rather hang out with you than Nancy Drew," he says firmly, just barely managing to keep a straight face. It isn't that he doesn't mean it, because he does. It's just that he still can't quite believe he can say something like that and mean it.

Veronica couldn't help smiling at that, a little flattered, even if it seemed silly to be. Well, no, there was nothing silly about that - Nancy Drew might have got chloroformed a ridiculous amount, but she'd still been a favorite of Veronica's. "I think I might be able to arrange that," she teased. "You might change your mind if you could've seen her, though. I mean, the books didn't lie, she was a real looker."

"It takes more than just a pretty face to impress me," Mathias answers and although he's smiling, he genuinely means that as well. There's a difference between that initial attraction and wanting to spend more time with someone. Everyone is fascinating in their own way, but too often it turns out to be only on the surface.

It's why he prefers to watch. Standing on the sidelines lessens the chance of disappointment.

"Besides, she would just get herself kidnapped and I, having spent too much time with her, would be a prime suspect," he points out, looking pleased with himself for having reached this conclusion.

Veronica laughed, pleased herself. "Well, then, I'd just have to exonerate you," she said. "It's rarely the prime suspect anyway. That'd just be way too boring." Or maybe that was just life as she'd lived it, not how real mysteries, whatever those were, worked out at all. Second-guessing her skill as a detective wasn't in the plan, though. It was one thing she knew she could do.

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