The First Time No One was Looking
Some Vinnie/Charley fluff, for a dear friend that asked.
And sorry this took so long, but I do have a reason. I just had a baby!!! Seven pounds, six ounces, born the 26th of February! My baby Elle!!
Disclaimer: self-explanatory, right?
The First Time No One was Looking
Throttle and Modo didn't notice her stare, how she looked at them with a soft, wistful expression on her face. They didn't see her reach out with an oil-stained finger to brush against the baby-soft texture of just-bloomed petals. They never saw her lean forward to catch the lovely smell that poured off the lush flowers in waves of gentle scent. They didn't look back once as they walked past the old woman's flower stand, or notice Charley look at the beautiful roses with longing before tearing her eyes away to hurry after them.
But Vinnie did.
They didn't notice him sneaking out of the scoreboard later that night. They never saw him come back in with a dozen red roses in his arms before morning, or saw him hiding them away in his locker. They didn't even guess at what happened when they saw his fingers covered in band-aids the next day. They didn't think to wonder about his flimsy excuse to go visit Charley.
Charley never saw him come in the garage's side door. She didn't hear him leave the flowers on her kitchen table. She didn't see the look on his face as he silently debated leaving her a note, then shake his head at his thoughts and leave as silently as he'd come.
The lady mechanic did see the beautiful red roses when she came down the stairs, gasping in happy surprise. She smelled their thick perfume, smiling as it covered the smell of motor oil and gasoline that seemed to be permanently stuck in the garage. She frowned as she vainly searched for a card or note that would explain why they were there. She felt the frown leave and a softer smile came on her face as she saw that the thorns had all been snapped off the long stems.
And later that day, when the Martians came over to catch the game on TV, she noticed the band-aids on Vincent's fingers. She saw the tiny smears of green on his knuckles that could only come from a plant's juices. Pretending to brush some dirt off his shoulder, she sought and found the slightest trace of sweet scent on his fur.
Charlene remembered and now understood what Stoker had meant when he had talked about Vinnie. She couldn't help but agree with him.
"That boy can be a real sweet kid, when he thinks nobody's looking."
