Chance Meeting (Mariya) (PG-13)

"Watch" she said smiling, a moment passed and suddenly the squirrel sneezed and scampered to his feet excitedly he looked around and suddenly was nibbling the clover "A snack" she giggled as the little creature chittered and ran around.

Gus watched and as the squirrel sneezed, his smile grew and brightened. Her giggle was echoed with his own as the clover was simply a snack and nothing other than that. Gus liked her giggle. It was such a happy sound. Taking a solid seat on the forest floor after standing to stretch out his legs that had been in a crouch the entire time, Gus said, "I've never seen anything like that. It was just....wonderful. Different.... And I know different."

Offering the squirrel another clover the little guy took it happily before jumping into the basket "Oh dear" she said "i'm not sure he wants to go home" glancing up at Gus she blushed furiously "you don't think i'm strange do you?"

Gus watched the squirrel hop back into Mariya's basket and chuckled when she said that he didn't want to go home. "Guess he thinks he's better off with you," he said with a smile. Her question actually made his smile shift to one he had never had before. Seeing the color in her cheeks, he found her quite pretty. "I've grown up with different, very different. I'm used to different. You are, but it's not a bad thing," he said, picking up one of the clover flowers and giving it to her. "I like different," he added, his light blue eyes smiling.

She accepted the flower and looked down "So what do you mean by different?"

"Well..." Gus said with a sigh, extending his legs out straight and leaning back on his hands. "My family is different. My dad can't walk. He's been in a wheelchair since he was 13," he said looking up at the trees. "And, my mom lost her sight when she was 16. She's been blind ever since," he added with a shrug and looked back at Mariya. "Different..." he said with a small smile.

She listened to him intently watching how he expressed his family shrugging lightly "I like different, we all make our way in this world. Some much differently then others. Your parents are lucky to have each other"

Gus nodded in agreement as Mariya told him about how each thing, each person is different and they all make their own way in this crazy world. "They are lucky. I mean, they love each other and me and my sister so much. Some ask how it's even possible given...you know...and I tell them there is more to life and love then being able to walk to see. Love covers all that..." he said before feeling a small flush color his cheeks. Gus didn't often talk about things like this with people, let alone people he just met.