New Beginnings - Christophe (open tag)

[christophe]

The Broussard family had only arrived at their new house at lunch time. The main sitting room of their new home was cluttered with half opened cardboard cartons with several more in various other rooms. Christophe had quickly unpacked his clothes and put them away. The other boxes could wait for another time as right now he needed to get out of the house. He hadn't wanted to leave France 6 years ago... and he hadn't wanted to leave Canada either. All he wanted was to find a place they could call home, rather than an endless stream of houses that served no other purpose than providing a roof for a few years. He'd just started to feel as if British Columbia would be that place, only to be told they were moving yet again.

"Christophe...?" his mother called out uncertainly. She knew her youngest child was unhappy at their latest move... and she hated to see him like that Christophe was normally so happy... "You won't be out too long, will you? Dinner will be at 7."

"I'll be back well before then, mama," he replied. He might hate what had happened but he adored his parents. His entire family, in fact. He crossed over to where she was unpacking a box and he quickly hugged her. Christophe sighed softly as he left, accompanied by a look of concern from his mother. All she could do was pray he'd soon make friends as he'd left far too many behind him in Paris and Whistler.

Christophe whistled sharply from the doorway and Renard came bounding over. The Husky pup never failed to bring a smile to the French boy's face. At the end of it all he still had Renard... right?

"Une promenade?" he offered and the pup yapped in excitement. Christophe had taught a few words to the pup but only in his native French. With a lighter heart the boy and puppy headed outside and to explore their new surroundings. Would they be here for long? Christophe could only hope so. He headed down the street and towards the sea. With luck he might even encounter someone of his own age.

[Lia Juarez]

Lia sat outside the Promenade Mall and scanned the crowd fruitlessly for her friends, Cissy and Maureen. They were supposed to be going to see the movie, Crossing Over, but the girls were already fifteen minutes late. She supposed they got diverted by some handsome guy or guys and were too diverted to call and cancel with her. They hadn’t been really thrilled with her choice in movie anyway and had wanted to see the Jonas Brothers movie, which she had no interest in whatsoever.

Since she hated seeing movies alone, Lia sat outside instead, watching the crowds as they hurried along before it began to rain. She wasn’t worried. She had a slicker and an umbrella in her bag, but she wasn’t afraid of getting wet either. She had dressed practically for a possibly wet day in rolled up jeans and a blue-green flannel shirt over a grass green tee, along with a pair of chucks. She wasn’t exactly fashionable, but she didn’t need to worry about anything getting ruined.

Finally giving up on her friends, Lia stood and began to walk towards the bus stop. She wasn’t really paying attention until suddenly it seemed she was wrapped up in a leash that was attached to an adorable puppy at one end and an equally adorable young man at the other end. “Oh my gods. I am so sorry. I didn’t realize I was getting roped in,” she apologized as she tried to step out of the coils of nylon strapping.

[christophe]

It was more by luck than any particular latent skill that Christophe both maintained his hold on Renard and his own footing. One glance at the vision he and the Husky pup had ensnared, though, was enough to rob him of any desire to scowl.

"Please... it was my fault entirely," he said instead, despite knowing it to have been anything but. "Neither Renard nor myself were looking where we were going." Christophe started to try and unravel the tangled leash. "It seems to be caught a little... Mon pardon... " he said in a low voice. The looped end that normally sat snugly in his palm had somehow entwined with the strap of her bag, at the same time hooking itself around the stem of the umbrella she held.

"Mon dieu," he added on a laugh. "How can it have got into such a mess in so short a time?" He threw her a smile. "I should introduce myself before I man-handle your personal belongings," he said. "I am Christophe. Christophe Broussard. And this trouble-maker is Renard." The pup panted up at the girl, adopting that look only one of his breed could manage.

[Lia Juarez]

Lia was almost speechless. Not only was he gorgeous, but he had an accent the made her legs quiver. “I am sure it was my fault, I was thinking of something else entirely,” she managed to get out, though it was a bit breathless. She was trying to decide if she was cursed or blessed by this circumstance. Certainly she was now entangled with a cute Frenchman, but if he was mad at her for getting them that way it might not be so good.

A moment later he laughed and she relaxed some though that laugh made her quiver again. He was entirely way too attractive. “I am Lia Juarez. Renard is adorable. My brother, Saint, is blind. His seeing eye dog is a Malamute. Sledding dogs are so sweet. He probably smelled Coco on me and got excited,” she said with a grin.

“Feel free to handle my things, I mean… to get us untangled,” Lia said, blushing as she realized how that could be taken. She was desperately glad her brothers weren’t there as they would never stop teasing her if they had heard her gaffe. “Do you go to school here?” She figured he had to be an upperclassman or perhaps even went to college.

[christophe]

Christophe's left eyebrow rose slightly as the vision replied, telling him to feel free to handle her. Ok, so she hadn't meant it in that way but he was a) French b) male c) hot-blooded and d) French. So what if a) and d) collided?

"I will be gentle, Lia," he replied with a smile. Christophe fumbled with the leather strap, finally pulling it free from the girl's clothing. A shame but still...

"I will do," he finally replied. "Go to school here, I mean. I have only arrived in town today and so am not to start at school until Monday." He looked down at the blonde beauty. "I hope I will see you there, Lia. A face both friendly and also full of beauty... I cannot allow that to pass me by."

Renard bounced at their feet and Christophe looked down at the pup, a fond look in his eyes. "I think he wants some of your attention... and who could fault him for that?" he said with a friendly smile.

[Lia Juarez]

Lia blushed deeper. "My hero," she said quietly, her lips curving slightly as she looked into his eyes. Her icy eyes had a warmth that resembled sunset on the tundra. She hoped he didn't think her a total nerd.

Are you going to Silver or Gould? We're all together now, but if they don't decide to permanently merge, we might be separating again at some point. I am registered for Silver. If you want I could meet you Monday and show you around a bit. It can be rather confusing at first, it's so big and there are so many students," Lia offered, remembering how bewildered she had been the first day they went to Gould.

Lia had never been so obviously flirted with and it was confusing, but lovely as well. She was glad for a chance to hide her face and she squatted down to give Renard the attention he so obviously felt he deserved. "Bon chance, Renard," she said after digging into her memory for the hopefully correct greeting. She scratched his ears in the way that Coco loved. "He is so sweet," she cooed as he kissed her chin enthusiastically.

[christophe]

"He isn't always this well behaved," Christophe said with a stern look down at the pup. Renard panted up at him and - as always - any dredge of frustration at the Husky's past behaviour vanished as would a shower of snow falling over the Sacré-Cœur in July. "You should see the mud he manages to scrape together and deposit on my bed. Even on the dryest and sunniest of days he can find enough to leave his mark," he added with a loving laugh.

"But you asked about my school. I believe I am to attend Gould but would really appreciate meeting you before school... and at any other time," he added with a warm smile. Christophe reached down to adjust the collar of Lia's coat that had been caught in the leash furore and his hand brushed lightly against her hair. Unintentionally so, he had to admit.

"Your name... It sounds almost as foreign as mine. Are you from the USA or have you also moved her like me?" It had a distinctly Spanish tone to it and yet her colouring was anything but Mediterranean. Flaxen-haired and blessed with the bluest eyes he'd ever seen. Her skin was ivory-hued. None of those facets of her appearance screamed Spanish but then again, he wasn't exactly that au fait with that part of the world anyway.

[Lia Juarez]

Lia had to grin at Christophe's complaint and after one more quick scratch, she stood up. "Maybe it is his way of suggesting your sheets need changed," she said with a soft laugh. "Dogs don't like to smell clean, rolling in things are their way of smell camouflaging themselves. I find it odd though that they will then attempt to scent advertise themselves by going around the neighborhood marking it."

Lia had never seen anyone that had such a sexy smile. It was almost overwhelming and when his hand brushed her hair she trembled again, her eyes widening as they met his.

"I am only American, but my father, he is in Spain and my mother is from Norway. We visit both places every year so there is a lot of cultural diversity among the three of us. I have two brothers, Santos who goes by Saint who is almost a year older than me and my twin, Alejandro who goes by Jandro," Lia shared with Christophe so he wouldn't be confused by anything she might say in the future. "Oh and my complete name is Llyria. My brothers couldn't say that when I was younger so I have always been Lia."

Lia hated to cut short their conversation, but it had started to sprinkle. "Would you like to get something to drink? The coffee shop across the street allows dogs in the outdoor patio area as long as they are leashed. It is covered so we should be okay from the rain."

[christophe]

Christophe listened carefully as Lia replied. telling him about her background and her brothers. The Scandinavian blood certainly explained her more northern looks but the mix of fiery Spanish and cool Norwegian was intriguing. He wanted to find out more about the vision he and Renard had so effectively captured... albeit only in a transient way.

"A drink sounds perfect," he replied and he fell into step at her side, Renard - for once - playing ball and trotting peacefully along with them.

"But to shorten your name is a crime," he continued. "I shall call you Llyria," Christophe stated, his accent altering her name just a little. "That is... if you wouldn't mind me doing that? I find it suits you more than the shorter version but please say so if you despise me calling you that as I would never forgive myself for upsetting such an angel."

Yes, he was flirting but their initial meeting had hardly been normal and besides she was very attractive and he was French. Mix those two together and you were sure to end up flirting outrageously. It was simply impossible for someone of his country of origin not to act that way around a girl like Llyria!

[Lia Juarez]

Christophe’s attentions were very good for Lia’s self-esteem but she wasn’t sure how to react. It wasn’t as if she had handsome Frenchmen flirting with her daily or even monthly, in fact this was the first time. “Christophe, you are welcome to call me Llyria, just forgive me if I occasionally forget to respond, only my dad’s mom calls me that, so I mostly forget that’s my name.” She looked up at him as they stepped onto the opposite curb, he really was much too attractive to be real.

In another moment they were at the café and Lia requested one of the patio seats. It was just in time too, for they had barely gotten seated before it began to pour rain. Lia grinned, she loved the rain and thought the sound of the drops beating against the roof one of the most musical sounds she knew. “Most of the year it is so dry here, but I love this season. The rain, the wind, it is so exciting. I adore surfing in this weather. Do you surf? I suppose they don’t do much of that in France.”

Lia ordered a cup of hot chocolate and a cheese Danish. She also asked for a bowl of water for Renard, thinking the pup might be thirsty from his walk. She giggled as he pawed at her and lifted him into her lap so she could scratch his ears without bending down.