Our Love is Not A Fairy Tale

Chapter 5

The storm had long since passed in their town, summer had changed to fall, the wind picked up, children were ready to go out along with it. Houses got ready for when the scares would begin.

People wondered if they could go out with the harsh rains that plagued the land, but today the sun seemed to fight back against the forces of the wind to grant the world its shining light, and shine it did.

Crows flew high in the air, the scent of waterlilies wafted in the wind, dewdrops fell down from the sun-kissed leaves. The world shone with a new light.

He hoped his art would do it justice.

His eyes narrowed in on every municipal mistake he made, correcting it before the paint dried up: colouring over it. His fingers dug into his palm each time he thought of ruining his work.

Just breathe, he told himself.

It worked for the most part. He sighed, placing the brush on the table beside him, staring at the completed work, his head tilted slightly.

‘That’s as good as I can get it,’ he looked away before his mind tricked him into showing a grotesque figure coming out of the painting instead.

“Leo!” He smiled hearing his name get yelled, turning just in time to see his visitor who wasted no time in tackling him to the floor.

“Nova! Always a pleasure,” he laughed, awkwardly patting her head, “mind getting off? Love the hug, it’s just I’m covered in paint.”

She lifted her head from his chest, eyebrow raised, as she grabbed his paint-covered hand, smearing it on herself.

“Now, as am I.”

Leo, rolled his eyes, picking her and himself off before pointing her towards one of the many chairs that loitered around the studio. Begrudgingly she went and sat.

“I’m surprised you can still walk after last night,” he teased, his hands pinned against the arms of the chair, looming over her. She scoffed, turning away biting the inside of her cheek.

“Told you I was prepared,” she mumbled, turning back to him, her hand dancing along the collar of his shirt, tugging him to her, “though maybe you just didn’t try hard enough?” She teased back, smirking.

His smirk matched her own, as he gripped her hand pulling it away from his shirt, leaving an open-mouthed kiss on her wrist, biting down on the soft skin where the rope burns left its mark, “I think I was more than rough, baby.”

He smiled smugly at the colour that washed over her cheeks.

His eyes for a moment moved over to his newly done painting, wondering why he chose to paint such a simple scenery when her blushing face more than encompassed the innocence of the world.

His hold loosened just enough for her to free her hand, and jump off the chair before moving across the room towards his paintings. She squealed, her eyes shining as she lightly touched the edges of the frame, assessing the painting at hand.

“It’s beautiful.”

He hummed, walking over to her, staring at his work, “right now I’m thinking I could’ve made it even more so.”

“Nonsense!” She waved him off, her mind not registering the words, as she flew further into his own personal world of colour, examining more of the works she had already seen.

“They’re all so gorgeous. You draw your best work when you have something on your chest, or something relates to you.”

He watched as she picked up the smallest painting. A dark canvas, a single shining star in sight, clouds slowly making its way towards it wanting to cover the brightest light in the sky.

“You’re just blessed to have an especially talented boyfriend,” he said, nonchalantly, leaning back against the wall, hands crossed over his chest.

“Boy--” she spun around, holding the painting to her chest as her wide, hopeful eyes met his.

“Well we are dating, aren’t we?” he smiled.

“I-- Yes?” Her mind went blank as incoherent, babbling escaped her mouth as she tried to wrap her head around it, “Is this just your way of asking me out?”

“Maybe it is.” He pushed himself back off the wall, walking over to her, taking the picture off her hand and instead holding hers in his, “May I?”

She nodded, exclaiming her answer, feeling her heart soar through the very skies he painted as her arms wrapped around his.

“That means,” he said, pinching her cheeks, “Not to be so worried like in your letters, ok? I love you.”

***

That day on, Fall had a certain sweetness to it in the air that followed, the two were on a ride that only ever went up. Others around them noticed it too, they were happy for them, but the warnings were there, to be careful. The two knew. Having been hurt before, it would take time for them to fully open up.

***

“Mate, are you listening?” 

He was jolted back into reality, as the loud chorus of the song chimed in his ear, the voices of the people gathered mixing with it like a broken chord. His mind reeled back to where he was, sitting surrounded in the bar.

Right. Business called.

“Sorry, what?”

“You okay?”

“Yeah, sorry just...Tired.”

He pushed the hand away offering the man a tight-lipped smile.

“Where’s your lady friend tonight?”

“That lady friend has a name, Which you shall not know as it is none of your concern” he gritted out, downing his drink, calling the bartender for another.

“Right,” the man said, “Sure she does, with how much she dotes on you, how was it she described your eyes? Oh yeah: enchanting---”

“Seth.” His hand fisted the man’s suit, pushing him up against the bar table.

“If you value your ability to talk, I advise you to watch your tongue before I rip it off.”

***

He looked a mess.

He was a mess.

Knowing he ought not to, he read the many letters she had sent while he was away: Wishing him a safe trip, how she missed and loved him. How could someone being doting be a flaw? He wondered. He certainly didn’t think it was.

Words were her forte, him trying to come up with a response resulted in a mountain of crumpled up paper forming.

He didn’t know what to say.

He chose to assure her of how he was doing, assuring her he would be back soon.

Now here he sat again, a lone light brightening his room, as he prepared to write one more letter to her.

’I’m sorry.’

***

“Eyes as hypnotising as the ripples of water dancing on the river’s surface, streaming to a land of wonder. Her eyes hid a sparkling jewel, locked within a frozen kingdom -- Ugh!”

She groaned, dropping her quill down on the parchment. Her mind wasn’t in the fantasy world she wished to create, nor was it centered on the world she resided in. Her mind drifted off away from the Earth to a chest of unopened possibilities as to his sudden disappearance.

She had reread the letter, she was sad, sure, but she was more so worried. A worry that overpowered all the other emotions she felt. She hoped he was ok. She knew he needed time, time for himself, happiness is a fleeting emotion after all, and if he fell down a pit of darkness, light would be there at the end of the tunnel. She would wait till he found that light.

She picked up her quill once more, turning the parchment over as she began writing something new. Something for him, speaking her mind. She promised him of her feelings, of her worry, of her patience.

Sealing it up, now all she had to do was wait.

Placing the quill back down -- this time much gentler-- she prepared to leave to send the letter, till her eyes caught sight of the single fallen rose petal by her window.

She sighed, her hand crumpling up the ends of the letter.

She didn’t have time to worry about that problem when another was more urgent, Thus, blowing the petal away she hurried to hand over the letter to those that would deliver it.

**

The Letters journey was fast.

He got it.

He got better.

He had found light at the end of the tunnel.

***

She sluggishly lifted herself off the bed, ridding the sleep from her eyes as she made her way to the source of the echoed knocking.

Her hand curled around the knob, opening the door; without getting a word out, the man on the other side began:

“I’m sorry. I’ve prepared for the worst, I’m much better and fine now. I’m sorry. Gosh, I should’ve written this down, um, I’m sorry, I’m prepared for whatever you have, you probably need answers, huh? Go ahead. No, it wasn’t the business trip, um… How are you?”

He was nervous, anyone could see that, his hand hidden in his pant pocket.

His mind clogged by fear was shocked as the small, barely awake woman pulled him into her arms, mumbling how glad she was that he was ok.

’This wasn’t expected.’

He let himself get dragged inside, the door shutting behind him as she took him up the stairs to her room.

***

"So you aren’t mad? I was expecting far worse.”

“I don’t have a control on your mentality. I have no right to be mad over that. No, I’m not hurt...I-” she rolled her bottom lip between her teeth, thinking of continuing her point, “there was one thing you could’ve done to hurt me. You didn’t. That would be to blindly ignore my feelings when you returned, pretending we aren’t even together. To be honest I thought you would...Guess a healthy relationship is new to me as well, huh? So, no, I’m not hurt. So, don’t cry over spilt milk when you’ve done enough of that these past few days.” Her hands cupped his cheek, assuring him repeatedly that she was ok, and that as was he.

“I love you.”

“I love you all the same.”

She smiled joining her lips with his.

“Though I can think of otherwise you can make up for lost time.”