𝓣𝓐𝓡𝓐

Either way, Lucas turned his attention to the pile of quartz crystals. "Speaks to me?" he repeated after studying the stones for a while. Looking at his aunt with wide eyes, somewhere between skeptical and completely overwhelmed, Lucas frowned slightly. "How am I supposed to know if a stone is speaking to me?" he asked. Carefully, he reached out and ran his hand over the quartz crystals. But at first, they all felt the same to him and looked pretty similar, too. Maybe he was missing whatever mystical third eye people were supposed to have for this sort of thing. Still, of course he wanted the very best, most talkative crystal for Max...

"You tell a girl you got her something because it felt right, she'll melt," she added with a playful smile.

When she said his name, testing it like she was tasting it, something in him tightened. “Tara,” he echoed, letting her name sit on his tongue a moment longer than necessary. “Yeah. I remember.” Her compliment landed, and he huffed a soft laugh, rubbing the back of his neck like he wasn’t sure what to do with the sudden heat there. “Handsome name, huh?” he said, eyes flicking to hers with a spark of dry humor. “I’ll take the win.” He shifted his weight, leaning just slightly closer, not enough to crowd her, but enough to show he wasn’t running from the moment. “And Tara’s a good name,” he added, softer now. “Fits you.” A beat passed, warm and charged in a way he didn’t dare name. “Strict schedule or not,” Desmond said, his smile deepening, “I’m glad we crossed paths today.”

She caught herself before her breath could hitch, breathing evenly even when he shifted slightly closer. "I am too," she admitted softly. The moment felt like a warm bubble, but it popped too soon when his name was actually called for his coffee. A flash of disappointment definitely crossed her features, but she took another sip of her coffee to hide it. "Do you have anywhere to be?" She asked, willing his schedule to magically clear up if he was needed elsewhere.

Lucas looked thoughtfully at the stones, trying to figure out which one might be right for Max. “Her favorite color is yellow,” he answered, practically admitting there was a girl in his life after all. His cheeks immediately warmed a little red again. “There’s a stone that’s supposed to stand for healing?” he then asked and looked at Tara with big eyes. “Which one is it? That would be perfect!” A stone that could help Max heal would definitely be something she’d like. Lucas wasn’t entirely sure whether Max even believed in things like that, but she’d probably still be happy if he brought her such a special gift.

When he mentioned her favorite color, she was already thinking of a matching stone, but then she saw how excited he was over the mention of healing. She moved over to a shelf of loose crystals and pointed to a pile of clear quartz. "These quartz crystals are for promoting healing energy," she explained. "Pick one out that speaks to you." He could keep it as is, or she could wrap it into a necklace, depending on what this special girl might prefer.

“I do think stuff like this can help,” Lucas said eventually. “Even if it’s just because you believe in it. Dad can be kind of an idiot about things like that.” He gave another crooked smile, genuinely touched that Tara would just give him something like that and be so kind, even though they hadn’t seen each other in so long. He also felt pretty flattered by all her praise and let out a slightly awkward laugh. “I’m really not a typical jock!” he insisted. “I’m still a nerd, same as always. I just really like playing basketball too!” Lucas shrugged and got even more flustered when Tara mentioned a possible girlfriend. “Oh…” he mumbled, immediately looking more closely at the stones again. “I… don’t have a girlfriend.” He scratched the back of his head, embarrassed. “But... what kind of stone would be a good gift for a girl?” he asked anyway, purely out of curiosity, of course.

No girlfriend, he claimed, but his demeanor definitely told her there was someone who had come to mind. "Well, it depends on what kind of message you want to send. There are stones that help with love, or strength, or healing. The list goes on, but if you don't know which one to pick, then just try her favorite color. Girls like it when you pay attention to things they like," she advised with a teasing wink.

@tarasinclairs

When Lucas told Tara he thought it was a shame they didn’t keep in touch more, his aunt immediately apologized. "No, no!" Lucas quickly cut in, "I don’t think that’s your fault. I didn’t reach out either!" He definitely hadn’t meant to make her feel bad. The fact that she always got photos of him and Erica from his dad was honestly kind of sweet. "Really?" Lucas asked, a little shy but also flattered, "that’s actually pretty cool…" He looked Tara up and down for a moment, then gave her a crooked grin. "So? What do you think? How does this basketball jersey look on me? I’ve actually gotten really into basketball lately!"

"These stones all have different meanings, so if you ever need a small gift for a friend or girlfriend, I'll help you pick one out."

But since there were rarely any real coincidences in Hawkins, he hadn’t been able to ignore the fact that he’d dreamed about her, even though they hadn’t seen each other in forever. That had to mean something. Some kind of sign to reach out again. “I actually think it’s kinda sad we hardly ever see each other…” he said, offering her a small smile as he searched her gaze. Lucas really hoped Tara wouldn’t think that sounded totally stupid or creepy. Even though it probably was a little weird, him just showing up like this out of nowhere with something like that.

"Um, that's probably my fault," she started, offering an apologetic smile. "I've been so busy with work, I haven't done my part to keep in touch like I should, but—" she paused, hesitating briefly, because she never wanted him to believe it was because she didn't want to put in more effort. "But I've wanted to. I always ask your dad for your photos every year when picture day comes around. And I have the photo of you with the basketball team."

“Hey!” he said with an easy, open smile. He was clearly happy to see her. “How’ve you been?” he asked, giving her a quick once-over. Then he waved off her question. “No, no, I’m not here to buy anything,” he added. “I just kinda… thought about you,” he admitted, flashing a slightly awkward smile. “Figured I’d check in. It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other.” Lucas tilted his head a little, still looking at Tara, his smile turning a bit more apologetic.

That was why she was tense about Lucas being in her shop, especially when it seemed like he had come to seek her out. However, the way Lucas beamed at her with nothing but an innocent smile, she knew she could never turn him away. "Oh, I've been well," she started, chuckling at his awkwardness. "Don't worry about it, kid. I know how it all works once you get to that teenager phase. Your dad would say I'm still in it," she joked. "How've you been?"