Inspired by a real-life conversation a friend had with a little boy on a bench. Inigo just so happened to fit the role perfectly.

Park Benches

Park benches were the perfect place to meet beautiful girls. That's what Inigo decided as he saw such a girl seated upon the bench before him. This park bench was perfectly ordinary of course, but this was no ordinary girl. Sure, he hadn't planned on passing this way (in truth, he was in the midst of a daring escape from his mother), but it seemed that fortune smiled upon him today. He hastily smoothed back his hair and checked his appearance in a puddle before making his approach.

Robin felt the bench shift a little beneath her. Through her peripheral vision she could make out the figure of a little boy hopping up to sit on the other end. His pale, white hair ruffled slightly as he comfortably seated himself. He couldn't have been more than seven or eight years old, and looked especially adorable trying to brush his bangs out of his eyes. She returned to her book and would have kept reading had she not heard a quiet, "Pssst." Securing her place with a bookmark, she closed the novel and looked up questioningly.

Inigo smiled in what he hoped was a charming manner. "Helloooooo," he said as he slid halfway across the bench.

She laughed a little. To himself, he thought, "Nailed it." With a polite smile, she said, "Hello there."

He practically beamed. "You're pretty," he said. He placed his hand on top of hers, much to her surprise. Still smiling, he added, "I like that."

She stared at him, speechless. A little boy was hitting on her. She would have laughed again if he didn't look so innocently serious.

Just as she was wondering how to respond, a woman with pink hair came running up to them. "Inigo, there you are! You can't just run away from mommy," she said. His mother noticed Robin and seemed to take in the situation with Inigo sitting especially close to her. She bowed apologetically and said, "I'm sorry he bothered you, my son is…"

She glanced at him, and seemed to be at a loss for how to explain his behavior. Robin sympathized. "Well, never mind. Excuse me." Turning back to Inigo, she said, "Leave the poor girl alone, it's time to go."

Inigo shook his head. With a bright smile, he said, "No Mommy, this is my new girlfriend!"

Inigo swung his feet from atop the bench, grinning happily at Robin in a lovesick sort of way. Robin shared a stunned look of bewilderment with the boy's mother, who sighed like she was used to dealing with this sort of thing. His mother took his hand and started to pull him away from the bench in a gentle but firm manner. "Well, say goodbye to your girlfriend, we have to go home."

Inigo looked over his shoulder and reached out his hand in a gesture of farewell. "I will find you again, my love!"

His mother smiled a little as Robin half-waved back in amusement. She opened her book again, allowing a small chuckle to escape.