Tug of War 45.3

"Oh Mrs. Bennett, I have to say that this tea of yours is absolutely superb!" Susan happily stated, sipping some more of the drink. They were all sitting at the living room – Mrs. Bennett and Susan in two upholstered armchairs, while Timothy and Matthew were sharing the couch.

"I'm glad you liked it so much, my dear" Mrs. Bennett said, smiling. "This is quite a surprise, though… I don't think there is anything so special about the tea. It was simply made with some of the lemon balm that I grow in my backyard." 

"Don't be so modest, Mrs. Bennett. Everything you make is delicious! The cookies, breads, cakes, tea... God, that's one of the reasons why we enjoy coming here so much. Not to mention your unparalleled company, of course! Don't you agree, Tiffany, dear?" 

"S-sure, mom!" said Timothy, who was sitting at the end of the couch, trying to keep as far away from Matthew as he could. This wasn't exactly working, though, as Matt kept approaching the feminized boy more and more, to the point where Timothy found himself firmly pressed against the arm of the couch. "I... I definitely loove being invited to come here, Mrs. Bennett." 

"Oh both of you certainly know how to please an old lady" Mrs. Bennett looked delighted. "But trust me when I say the pleasure is all mine. It's wonderful having you ladies around… Especially considering that it's so rare for someone to come visit me" she added, giving her grandson a scolding look. 

"I'm sorry, Grandma" Matthew said, scratching the back of his head. "It's just that lately I've been really busy with the team and school stuff... You remember that I live on the other side of the town, right? But I promise you that I'll start stopping by more often from now on."

"Oh I'm sure you will " Mrs. Bennett said. "I just have doubts I'll be the person you'll be looking for..." the old lady added softly, with an amused expression on her face, watching her grandson gently putting a small piece of cake in the mouth of an unwarned Tiffany. 

Mrs. Bennett thought they definitely looked great together…

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"Are you ladies sure you don't want anything else? Not even some more tea?" Mrs. Bennett asked, about twenty minutes later. 

"Thank you, Mrs. Bennett" Susan started saying. "Like I said, everything was truly delicious! But I've had enough." 

"Me too, Ma'am. Thanks!" Timothy quickly said, before Matthew could even think about feeding him again. God, it had been so humiliating to him. Anyone who didn't know better would have thought they were a couple in love  or something.

"Oh but you ate so little..." Mrs. Bennett lamented, like any other grandmother. "Well, I guess that's why you both have such beautiful figures, isn't it?" she laughed. "Like mother, like daughter… In this case, I'll take those bowls and cups to the kitchen."

"I help you, Mrs. Bennett" Susan said, promptly getting to her feet.

"I'm going too" Timothy tried to follow his stepmother, but was stopped by Mrs. Bennett. 

"You don't need to worry about it, my dear" the old lady told him. "Your mother and I are more than capable of handling this. You can simply stay here. I'm sure my grandson won't mind keeping such a lovely young lady company." 

"Not at all, Grandma!" the boy said, looking so happy that Timothy swallowed hard. 

"Perfect" Mrs. Bennett clapped. "Oh but you know what? I have an even better idea! Why don't you take Tiffany for a walk in my little garden, Matt? You young people shouldn't waste so much time indoors… Go out and enjoy this nice evening! I'm sure Tiffany will appreciate taking a look at my flowers. Don't you like them, my dear?" 

"Flowers?" Timothy asked, getting nervous again. "Umm... Sure, of course I like flowers, but..." 

"That's it then!" the old lady asserted, before the feminized boy could finish his sentence. "Go now, my darlings! And don't worry, Tiffany, honey. I'm sure Matt will be a perfect gentleman. He's a good boy."

And then, before Timothy could even try to protest, Matthew had already grabbed his hand and was dragging him out of the house…

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"Look! Can you believe how amazing the sky seems tonight?" Matt asked, as soon as they stepped outside.

He was unquestionably right. The sky that evening looked incredibly starry and sparkling, illuminating the backyard with a bluish, almost magical glow. The mild weather and gentle breeze helped making the atmosphere even more pleasant. 

"It looks totally lovely indeed" Timothy said shyly, worried about the fact that Matthew was still holding his hand. The situation was almost driving him crazy. He as Tiffany had never been in such an intimate setting with a guy before, after all. Alone with Matthew in that backward… walking hand in hand with him under the light of the stars and the moon… the feminized boy felt completely vulnerable, and he immensely feared what might happen next. 

He just didn't know what to think about Matthew. Could the guy be convinced that Timothy was a real female? Had his grandmother told him the truth about the girl he was now holding hands with? Timothy doubted it. Why would Matt be doing something like that if he knew the truth? But then what? Should Timothy tell him himself?

"So, Tiffany, which one is your favorite?" Matthew suddenly asked. 

"Huh?" Timothy raised his thin eyebrows, confused. 

"The flowers. Which one do you like best?" 

"Oh!" the feminized boy exclaimed, with his pink lips forming an "o" of surprise, just then realizing they were already close to Mrs. Bennett's little garden. "I... umm... I totally love the pink roses!" 

"I should have guessed" Matt smirked. "Which girl doesn't like roses, right? And pink really seems to be your color" he added, making Timothy blush again. Pink Roses… Timothy wondered why he had said that. It was like his own subconscious was trying to sabotage him…

Without saying another word, Matt finally let go of Timothy's hand and walked a few steps toward a toolbox. When he returned, he was carrying a pruning shears, which he used to cut one of the roses. 

"Here… to you" he offered the flower to Timothy after carefully removing all the thorns. 

"T-thank you, Matt" Timothy stammered softly, picking the flower with a shaking hand and feeling his heart pounding in his chest like a drum...