Getting to Know You, Bobby, Matilda

[Robert Munroe]

As he splashed her, Robert wondered if she had any inkling what he had been thinking about doing, probably not. She was brought up all proper n' all and kissing an almost stranger would have never been considered.

She went on protesting how much of a terror she was, it was all an act he was certain by now but he enjoyed her performance nevertheless. Mattie went for him then and, before he could backpeddle, she had her arms around him and down they both went. Luckily he'd gulped some air just prior to submerging. Oh sure, he struggled but truth was he liked her arms around him even if it was in water.

Well, they played around for awhile, neither even being sure nor caring how much time went by before there was a mutual agreement that it was time to head back to shore. Both of them scrambled out of the lake looking like drowned rats, he imagined the girl's dress must actually be quite heavy having absorbed all that water. The pair plopped down on some grass near the picnic blanket.

Bobby ran his hand thru his hair, "Hope you ain't in a hurry to get back, it's gonna take us a while to dry out I'm thinkin'."

He didn't care, he had no where to go and he loved her company.

[Matilda Watson]

When the pair came back up to the surface, Mattie was laughing her head off. It had been a while since she had had this much fun. She and her brother still got to goof off every now and again, but nowhere near as often as they had when they’d been children. Lately, the girl had found herself making her own fun more and more frequently. That was all well and good, but it was much more pleasant for her to have someone around to be silly with.

By the time the two of them straggled back to shore, Mattie was thoroughly exhausted. The girl’s progress to shore was much slower than Bobby’s. Both her dress and underclothes were soaked so not only was her outfit heavy, but also just plain uncomfortable. She plopped down onto the ground next to Bobby with a tired but content sigh. ”That was really fun,” she stated chirpily as she hoisted herself into a sitting position.

As Bobby spoke, she took up a big handful of her skirt and started to wring the water out of it, smiling and shaking her head, amused, as a lot of water fell to the ground and ran back toward the lake. ”It’d be impossible for me to be in any kind of hurry now,” she said with a laugh, falling back after she had gotten as much water as she could out of her dress. ”Besides, riding all the way back home in this state wouldn’t turn out too well.” She could just imagine how red and raw her legs would have been if she had gone back. That alone was enough to convince her to stay.

[Robert Munroe]

Robert quickly agreed, "Yep, a lot of fun. Been a long time since I did something enjoyable like this."

He then lay back, propped up on his elbows and enjoying the sun beating down on his pale chest and shoulders, as he watched her try and squeeze the water out of that dress. A game effort but there was a lotta dress there. Even with her hair disheveled and soaked like she was, he thought her a most pretty gal alright.

"No, I suppose it wouldn't. Yer ma would no doubt be furious with you. Course you could just tell her you were crossing the creek and fell outta the saddle?"

Yeah, it sounded like a clumsy lie but he wasn't much good at telling elegant ones.

He glanced down then at his bare toes then hers and for some reason just smiled. That did remind him of something though and figured he'd better ask.

"Umm, I suppose you'd rather I put my shirt back on now and be all proper?"

[Matilda Watson]

She smiled when Bobby agreed with her. It made her happy that he was having fun, too. Truth be told, she hadn’t been expecting to do so much. She figured that they would just chat, eat and be on their way. She was glad they had gone swimming, though, even if she had been a bit hesitant about it at first. The swim had been very refreshing. She probably would have regretted it later if she hadn’t done it and besides, she wasn’t usually one to back down from something, even if she knew that she’d get in trouble for it later.

She laughed and nodded when her mother was mentioned. ”She’d skin me alive,” the girl said lightheartedly. ”If I’m still wet by the time I get home I’ll just tell her Apple saw a snake or some other critter and threw me.” She didn’t know if her mother would fall for the fib, but it’d be worth a shot. She wasn’t even sure if Apple was scared of snakes or not. She and Mattie were usually moving too fast to notice anything on the ground.

As she spoke, she gazed up at the sky, watching the thin, wispy clouds float by. She tried to pick out shapes, but the clouds weren’t solid enough to form any. They just looked like milk in water. She was so lost among the clouds that she almost missed Bobby’s question and looked over to him. ”Hm?” She’d actually forgotten that her companion was half naked. ”Oh, it doesn’t matter to me,” she said with a smile, ”and proper’s no fun. I think we bypassed proper a while ago!”

[Robert Munroe]

"Yeah, there's always snakes, that might work," Bobby agreed just to agree, he really didn't know her mother and what might work on the woman and what wouldn't. He did not want Mattie to get into trouble for this though.

After his asking about his clothing, well rather the lack of it, she looked away from the sky to him, seemed to think on it and then assured him it didn't really matter to her.

"We did? You shoulda let me know, I didn't even see Proper on the road, or I woulda stopped and said hello," Bobby quipped but was glad to hear her answer. Truth was he liked the feeling of the warm sun on his skin at the same time the breeze hit him also.

"Alright well then I'm gonna put my shirt on later then since you don't mind. It feels good this way," he admitted to her.

He then laid on his back and just relaxed for a moment, watching her again. She was just fascinating even when she didn't say anything or do much. He just liked studying her.

"Can I ask ya a question, Mattie?"

[Matilda Watson]

She couldn’t help but laugh energetically at Bobby’s comment on ‘Proper’. It hadn’t really occurred to her, but their entire outing had been anything but proper. There probably weren’t many girls around town who would agree to go to a secluded place with a boy on the very same day they had met. Mattie wasn’t one to be skeptical about people, though. She had a far too trusting nature for that. The way she saw it, if she hadn’t done anything to another person then they had no reason to do anything to her. Her mother swore up and down that thinking like that would get her into trouble one day. ”Perhaps we’ll see him on the way back,” she said with a continued giggle, ”We can him ask why he didn’t show.”

She nodded with a grin when he decided not to put his shirt back on. When she actually paused to think, it surprised her somewhat how comfortable she was around they boy. She had always been a people person, but this went beyond being a people person. This was what siblings and best friends did. ”You don’t want to get your clothes wet, anyway,” she said definitively. She was half tempted to remove her own dress. It would dry quicker if she hung it over a branch, but, comfortable as she was, she couldn’t.

She was aware of his staring, but it didn’t really bother her this time around. Maybe it was because they weren’t as close as they had been just a few minutes ago. She had been the one staring at him not too long ago so it was only fair, she figured. She just looked back up at the sky and nodded when he asked her a question. ”Of course,” she said with a grin.

[Robert Munroe]

"That's right, I don't," he nodded in agreement, but the truth was Robert wouldn't have cared one way or the other as long as he was spending time with her. Now it wasn't like he'd had a lot of ...alright...even a little experience spending time with girls his age, but he was so pleasant, so kind, so understanding, he felt like he'd known her for a long time already he was so relaxed around her.

But what he once more considering wasn't so relaxing, as he built up the gumption to spit it out and ask her, he could feel his heartbeat pounding away. He'd come so close out in the water and shyed away but there it was again, that hankering to at least make the attempt. However he decided to start with a question. Well, he had her attention now, she said she was willing to hear him out. Taking in a deep breath, he then stated his case.

"I was wondering if you ever kissed a boy before?" Bobby didn't even give her any time to answer before he kept going, "I'll be honest with you and tell ya I never have. Kissed a girl I mean. But I'd like to change that. I'm wondering if you would consent to me giving you a kiss?"

"You know...just to see what's it like?" he shrugged bare shoulders.

[Matilda Watson]

She opened her mouth to answer the question, but the boy rambled on. His question didn’t really surprise her at this point. Had he asked earlier in the day, she probably would have been, but after what had just happened, all the shock she might have felt was gone. ‘How unromantic,’ she mused silently as she grinned at him. She wanted to laugh, but refrained from doing so. She didn't want him to think she was making fun of him. Her earlier assumption had been right, then. Girls tended to be rather tuned in to that sort of thing, after all. He needed to learn how to properly court a girl. Who better to teach him then herself?

What did surprise her was the fact that he’d never kissed a girl. The only people she’d ever kissed were her parents. Boys had been strictly off limits so far, but that was just because she had her mother watching over her like a hawk. Bobby didn’t have that and she found it hard to believe that after all his travels, he’d never met a girl he liked. Was he shy around other girls? He’d been anything but shy with her. He just didn’t strike her as the shy kind at all. He was awful polite, though. Perhaps that was why. It was certainly the reason why he’d asked first.

For a moment, she considered not answering and just kissing him first to prove that asking beforehand was boring, but decided not to. She wanted to see how he did on his own. She judged him carefully for a moment, as if she was really thinking about whether or not to let him kiss her. She was just poking fun now. Of course she’d let him, but she wanted to put him on edge a bit. That’s what he got for being unromantic. Surprisingly, she wasn’t as nervous as she had been earlier. It seemed Bobby was nervous enough for both of them. ”I suppose so,” she said in mock disinterest, though she gave him an encouraging smile after she spoke. ”But just so you know, I like surprises.”

[Robert Munroe]

Bobby waited then, on edge, breath held for her to answer. She seemed to eye him but he couldn't read her expression. Was that face about to answer 'yes' or 'no' ? He had no idea but he steeled himself for a refusal. It would serve him right too for being so forward with the girl.

But she agreed, not with a lot of enthusiasm mind you but it was a positive answer not a rejection. Well, 'suppose so' seemed good enough to him as a 'yes' anyhow. The boy broke into a big grin, some of it from sheer relief.

Now he just had to act on that agreement but before he could sit up and commence she took him aback with that little additional comment about liking 'surprises'. What did that mean? If he kissed her now after just asking then that was hardly a surprise, was it? That stopped him cold for a moment.

"Umm, you do, huh," he slowly nodded, trying to get just exactly what she was driving at with that remark.

"Oh, so you mean I shouldnt'a asked? I just wanted to make sure it was alright so you didn't get mad if I just up and did it," he tried to explain his actions.

So now what? He didn't have a clue. Bobby suddenly decided he did NOT like surprises.

[Matilda Watson]

Despite not wanting to, Mattie couldn’t help but snicker a bit at his expression as she considered his proposal. It was rather fun, picking at him like this. She did feel a little bad for stressing him out more than he already was, though. She’d have to try to keep him guessing on fewer, more innocent things from here on out, she supposed. His rather goofy grin was quite the reward, though. She didn’t mind giggling at that. He was cute when he beamed like that. Perhaps it wouldn’t be too much of a bad thing to keep him in the dark on things more often if he ended up grinning like that.

She was prepared for the kiss and actually looking forward to it when he stopped, looking a little confused. It had been her last remark, though she hadn’t intended to complicate things. She should have kept her mouth shut. This boy thought about things too much. Was he like this all the time or just when he was trying not to upset her? It was rather sweet, though. She could see why he wanted to ask first. There were girls who wouldn't have reacted to kindly to a sudden display of affection. It seemed that his rough, roving life hadn’t made him any less of a gentleman, which was no small task if the stories she had heard were to be believed.

She turned on her side and simply gave him a reassuring smile as he explained himself. He really was rather adorable, but he worried too much. In an effort to comfort him, she made the first move. She pushed herself onto her elbows and leaned forward before kissing him square on the mouth, lingering there for a moment before moving back. ”You’re sweet, Bobby,” she said with a smile, ”and I rarely get mad, so don't worry about me too much.” At this point, she just wanted to ease the poor boy's mind. "But don't think we're doing anything else," she said jokingly, just to see if she could rattle him up a bit again.

[Robert Munroe]

Bobby was flustered and he knew he was but that didn't really change things. She must have noticed though because suddenly it was Mattie who did exactly what he'd been hesitating to do. His eyes went wide as she closed in and then her lips were against his. So this was a kiss! He closed his eyes then and enjoyed it, however fleeting.

She thought he was sweet? Well, he thought she was just about the most wonderful person in the whole wide world at that moment. All he could reply though was, "I am? Thanks."

He believed her too when she stated in that upbeat confident way of hers that she didn't get mad. She had been so patient with him ever since they first met, just some unimportant poor drifter with nothing to his name but a small mare.

She suddenly pointed out that they weren't about to do anything else. For just a second he smiled, then replied, "Oh, alright, just the one kiss then. Wait...."

Just then he got it, what exactly she meant! Alright so he was right back to flustered.

"Oh...umm, I wasn't even thinkin' of something like that ...honest, I'd never ...I wouldn't even rightly know how," he sputtered, instantly regretting he added that last little part.

[Matilda Watson]

After the kiss, she just looked at him for a moment with a mischievous grin, enjoying his reaction. That had been a rather decent first kiss, she decided, despite her picking. It could have been a whole lot worse, after all. Not all surprises were good, right? She should really try not to be so hard on him. Her grin turned amused when he thanked her. ”Ain’t no need for thanks when stating a fact,” she said lightheartedly. It struck her as odd that he seemed a bit surprised by her comment. It seemed to her that after meeting so many people, someone would have told him that, or something similar, at the very least. Or perhaps he was in a bit of a shock after what had just happened.

For a moment, she was afraid that he wasn’t going to get the hint, though once he had it, the reaction was priceless. She burst out laughing, though she felt a little bad about it. ”I’m sorry, Bobby,” she said between giggles, trying to put on a serious face but failing miserably. ”I’m being unkind, forgive me. I know you wouldn’t try.” The last part of his remark was particularly funny to her, but if she was being truthful, she’d probably be just as clueless as he’d be. ”It’s about time for dessert, don’t you think?”

She sat up and reached for the picnic basket, pulling out the piece of cloth that she had wrapped the tarts in. ”They’re better when they’re fresh,” she said, taking a seat that was closer to Bobby than her previous one had been, ”but I imagine they’ll taste fine.” She unwrapped the treats carefully, trying to avoid dropping any, and held one out to her companion. ”Tell me what you think! I really do cook better than I bake.”

[Robert Munroe]

Well, she apologized for having been unkind? He simply could not even imagine her as unkind though. However it was a relief to hear that she had full trust in him, that he wasn't that sort of fellow. And really all he'd wanted was a kiss or two, nothing much wrong with that he figured.

It was probably a good thing Mattie changed the subject then as Bobby could only imagine how redfaced he just might be at that moment and it wasn't from sunburn either. Though just a quick glance to one of his shoulders and he did detect a slight bit of redness there from the sun.

"Yeah, I'm ready for dessert now," Bobby eagerly agreed.

He let her get the tarts out, noticing with silent pleasure how she sat even closer to him now, then took one.

"They look great," he declared then bit into one and chewed, slowly nodding as he assessed their flavor and texture.

"And they taste great too, I love'em. Hard to beat that fried chicken though but these come close," he complimented her in all sincerity.

It didn't take him long to finish his off then grinned, "You keep this up and I might even get fat."

[Matilda Watson]

She munched on her own treat as she watched Bobby, waiting for his reaction. She knew they weren’t terrible, but she also figured they weren’t particularly noteworthy, either, unlike her mother’s baked treats. Mattie had always envied her mother’s seemingly effortless ability to bake amazing things. The art of baking was just so exact it was not uncommon for Mattie to have to make several attempts before getting it right. Then again, her mother had been doing it for years. With any luck, Mattie would be just as good as her mother in a few years’ time, though she figured she’d spend a lot more time doing it than her mother did. Usually, sweets were restricted to special occasions in the Watson household, much to Mattie’s disappointment.

She broke into a grin when he commented the tarts. ”Good,” she exclaimed happily. ” I suppose Ma will make a decent baker of me yet! She’s had a hard time of it so far.” She finished off her first tart with a laugh and reached for a second, now wishing she had brought along some actual apples. She was craving one now that she had had an apple tart.

She giggled at his last comment, agreeing with it. ”I should hope so,” she said, taking his wrist and holding his arm up to examine him. ”Look at you! You’re just a bag of bones.” After tossing her last bite of tart into her mouth she poked him in the side with her free hand to prove her point. ”I can even see your ribs,” she joked. ”A week or two with big meals would do you a world of good!” She wondered how long he had gone without a big, healthy meal before he blew into town. He was here now, though, so she’d just have to take it upon herself to make sure he ate well. She'd be able to fatten him up in no time.

[Robert Munroe]

Decent baker? She was better than decent in his opinion, though granted he might be a bit biased.


"Well, I think your mother must have done something right because there's nothing wrong with these tarts. I like'em," Bobby declared with conviction.

He was about to reach for another tart, she'd brought a bunch afterall as he joked about getting fat.But suddenly she grabbed his wrist and held up his arm, her eyes scanning his torso then declaring him to be a "bag of bones". Bobby frowned.

"Hey, I'm not that bad," he protested, there was muscle there too.

She swallowed a bite of tart then poked him in the side, claiming that she could see his ribs. Well, now that wasn't true...alright, maybe a little when he sucked in a big lungful of air but still. Her making fun of the way he looked was not at all what the boy wanted to hear, bad for his male dignity it was.

"Fine, I'll put my shirt back on, if you're gonna laugh at me. You realize not everyone gets three meals a day I'll have you know," he huffed, his mood defensive now, "I'm only sixteen not twenty-five, I got time to fill out."

Even as he did so, he knew he shouldn't get so upset over just some words but, well, maybe because of just who it was who was saying them, a girl he really liked and had wanted to impress. To suddenly realize, he was not impressive at all, well that hurt.