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Chatter of children and adults alike filled the air as the bus came to a stop at the edge of the woods. Standing up, Luke called everyone for their attention and explained that their picnic spot was just along the wide path. That the kids should stick together and be within sight and sound of an adult at all times. He said a couple more things, but Rosa barely heard them. Her follows his every motion with a little longing. Luke Pearce was her best friend and whenever he needed help, she always offered. Now, it was summer break and school was winding down. Kindergarteners didn't really have tests so, to get them out of the building while the older kids took theirs, they took to the city on a variety of fieldtrips. While these trips did their best to work with parent schedules so they could have enough chaperones, sometimes it just didn't work out or things happened. Enter: Rosa. Not that she needed an excuse to join the class. Whenever her own work allowed, she was always welcome. The children seemed to like her and she adored them. Kids were so cute and sweet. And Luke with kids was.. well.. to die for really. He started working full time just two years ago, but she still was amazed by how well he handled them.
As they stepped off the bus, Luke's hands were immediately grasped by children who's parents were unable to attend. They hung on him, but he held them firmly and led the way towards the site. Rosa smiled as she watched them go before turning her attention to assisting with carrying the food. She and Luke had already set up things like tables, but they hadn't wanted to risk leaving coolers full of food out in the woods for any hungry critters, dangerous or otherwise. A few dads collected the coolers and, as Rosa gathered the smaller things like utensils and plates, she felt a tug on her pants.
"Miss Rosa, can we help?" Big eyes gazed up at her as one of the students, Penny, held her hands out.
"Of course," selecting sleeves of cups, she handed them over. Small fingers curled around her hand and Rosa resisted the urge to shake her head and chuckle. Carrying the cups is supposed to free my hand, little one. Not that she said so, of course. She didn't mind making multiple trips. As they walked, Penny talked. About the woods and how she and her family never got the chance to visit and about all the things she wanted to do. Climb trees, find frogs, roll down a hill. Rosa smiled as she remembered the shy girl Penny used to be. At the picnic site, adults were setting up the food. Of course, though, while the skies were clear the wind was not quiet. The tablecloth fluttered dangerously as it lifted off. Adults hurried to weigh the edges down as Luke kept the kid's attention. "Thanks so much for your help, Penny. Why don't you go and join the others?" Squeezing the little girl's hand, Rosa smiled encouragingly. Nodding, Penny set the cups down and hurried to the circle. In the palm of his hand, Luke held a lizard and was showing it to the kids. Even the girls, who were normally squeamish about such things, looked on in interest. Meanwhile, the lizard didn't seem bothered much. It looked around and crept up and down Luke's arm.
Once everything was settled and the adults were available, Luke split the children into groups. While the fieldtrip wasn't an overnight outing, they'd chosen to picnic at a popular camping site. With most students still in school, the site was relatively quiet and they could afford to split up with children en masse without disturbing anybody else. Luke had specifically chosen today because the park rangers told him they had very few bookings. There was still plenty to do and Luke wanted them all to have a chance to pitch in. One group was sent to fetch water and firewood for the campfire so they could roast s'mores later. The other group was sent into the woods to find ripe, wild berries for a fresh fruit salad. Luke would flip between the two and give personalized lessons about what they saw at each. Rosa adored the balance he struck between being a teacher and simply letting the kids enjoy the outdoors.
With all the kids occupied by adventure, Rosa noticed Luke slip away. Smiling, she followed after. She had a good idea for where he was going. Sure enough, as Luke slowed to a stop he knelt down and began picking at mushrooms.
"These will taste great grilled, right my Watson?" Rosa blushed. Of course he'd know she was following him. Kneeling down beside him, she assisted. The basket beside him was quickly filling with mushrooms of all shapes and sizes.
"Couldn't quite trust the kids with this one?" She teased him and he shrugged.
"Well, I didn't want them picking anything bad. At least with the berries, the worst it'll be is there'll be a sour one in there. Mushrooms are a different story." Nodding, they continued to pick in an easy silence. Glancing up, Rosa noticed Luke kept blowing his bangs out of his face. His face turned up as she giggled. He gave her an amused, questioning look. Running her hands through her hair, she took off a couple of her hair clips.
"Hold on," Luke stilled as her fingers brushed against his. Clipping his bangs back, she smiled. "Better?" It took him a moment to respond. Realizing just how close she'd gotten, Rosa felt her face grow warm and she quickly stood up. "S-sorry. I guess it's a little girly?" Luke's coral eyes glowed and he shook his head.
"I don't mind. My Watson is as resourceful as ever." Holding up a handful, he smiled. "Do you think this will be enough?"
Unable to form words, Rosa nodded. Her gaze flickering down to the basket of mushrooms beside him. Looking Luke in the eyes.. when it was just the two of them and he was looking up at her with such happiness.. It was so different from when they were kids. She knew, of course, that she loved him. But she wasn't sure of his feelings for her. If he had any. And a fieldtrip for the class was not a good time to explore.
"I- I guess we should head back now? The kids will be mad at me for monopolizing your ti-"
"Rosa!" With a gasp, Rosa felt her own feet twist as one caught on a tree root and then she was falling. Strong arms wrapped around her and she instantly clung to Luke's shoulders. "Are you okay?" His voice spoke from all around her. Against his chest, she could hear the gentle thump of his heart.
"Ye- Yea. Nice catch." Blushing, she buried her face against his chest for a moment. His hand ran through her hair gently.
"Of course. I'll always be here to catch you." For a moment, they simply enjoyed the other's company. Finally, Luke pulled away, a sorry look on his face. "Although I do think we should be getting back to the class."
"Of- Of course." Rosa nodded. As Luke bent down to pick up the mushrooms, she started back. A sharp pain shot up her foot and she winced. "Urk.."
"Rosa?" Luke examined her ankle critically. Shaking his head, he knelt in front of her.
"Luke?"
"I can't let you walk back, Rosa."
"I'm fine, Luke. Really," Shaking her head, Rosa felt the blush return to her cheeks.
"Whether you believe you're fine or not, how could I return to the kids knowing I'd allowed you to hobble back? They'd be so disappointed in your Prince Charming."
"Luke!" Embarrassed, she covered her face. During one of her visits, Luke had been reading a cinderella-esque story to the children. After listening to the tale of a knight who faced trial after trial to be with his 'one true love', one of the students had asked if Rosa was his princess. Never one to disappoint them, Luke had declared that he would in fact do anything for Rosa because she was his closest friend and family. Which only made it harder for her to determine if he had any real feelings for her. Unfortunately, Rosa was also not one to disappoint the children. With a sigh, she pressed against Luke's back and wrapped her arms around his neck. Her line of sight grew taller as Luke stood and grasped the basket. "At least let me hold that." Reaching out, Luke shook his head and his hair tickled her chin.
"Nope."
"Luuke." She continued to attempt to make grabs for it, but he refused firmly. During their argument, he made multiple fake motions of dropping her, but Rosa knew better. Luke would never. Finally, she started laughing. It didn't feel as if they were two adults. Instead, Rosa remembered being kids and doing the exact same thing. He finally turned and there was a wide smile on his face.
Overcome with the urge to kiss his cheek, Rosa leaned in.
"See? I told you Teacher Pearce stole Miss Rosa away." Voices interrupted their moment and she quickly pulled back. This time, Luke did stumble a moment before catching them. Standing in front of the two were three of his students. Hands on their hips, they gazed up at Luke accusingly.
"Teacher Pearce, you can't just steal Miss Rosa for yourself." One of the boys shook his head, as if disappointed in Luke's actions. Luke chuckled and let Rosa slide of his back gently.
"But I needed my assistant for help in procuring a special part of the meal today." Holding out the basket, he let the children crowd around. "They'll taste delicious with our kebabs, promise." Speaking of kebabs, already food was grilling. None of the parents seemed to mind that Luke had wandered off. The kids were well behaved. There was too much of interest in the woods for them to cause trouble. The berries were washed and tossed together then drizzled with a touch of honey. It made for an excellent appetizer while the meat and veggies cooked. Seeming to accept the mushrooms as a fair offering, the children rushed to be the ones to assist in their prep.
As Luke held out each mushroom and did a lesson on them and fungi in general, Rosa wandered over to the other parents to see if there was anything she could do. One of the mothers smiled at her.
"You could've stayed away longer, you know." Her eyes twinkled mischievously. "We wouldn't have minded."
"O-Oh. We couldn't have." Rosa blushed furiously.
"You two seemed very happy together. Like you were in your own little world." Another piped up.
"Well, we are childhood friends..." Rosa glanced over at Luke. Surrounded by kids, she was struck by just how handsome he was.
Their own little world.. That sounded nice. But Luke didn't belong just to her. It would be selfish of her to keep him to herself.
But part of her couldn't help but wonder.. just what Luke would do if she ever asked.
Glancing up, Luke's eyes met hers. Unobstructed by bangs, his eyes glowed happily and he smiled. Unable to help it, she smiled back. The adults around them exchanged knowing looks without the pair ever noticing.