short stories

What was it that brought them together, to be united in this perfect love? They had known each other since they were children. They had spent time together so often that, despite all differences, others often mistook them as siblings. However, it was not until recently that they had recognized their feelings for each other. From then on, she cared about him with every fiber of her being, but Draco switched from warmth to coldness in a flash, struggling with his inner anguish. But she was there for him no matter how many times he tried to push her away. That was how it was to this very day. Yes. She often reflected upon that day with fondness. It was a day that had changed her life, after all. kaida, an incorrigible lady in the full bloom of youth, stood alone on the beach, gazing over the cerulean water with her rebellious khaki globes. Her cinnamon hair danced lightly in the ocean breeze, tickling against one cheek as she tried to keep still despite her impatient excitement as she pushed her headband away from her eyes. She wore a leaden bikini top, her roseate-flushed platinum back covered only by a thin bit of string, and a tight smoke-colored mini skirt showed the shape of her hips and the healthily color-touched silvery tone of her legs. Her locks flowed in a copper torrent past her shoulders, complementing her fiery healthily color-touched pale visage. An elaborate tattoo snaked its way around her visible skin. A noticeable sigil provided proof of her descent. For a moment, she absorbed herself in these thoughts, of her, and Draco. kaida's khaki spheres spotted Draco further down on the beach, closer to the roaring sea. His lovely light-colored strands was attractive as ever. His pools were turned toward the ocean, hidden from kaida's sight, but she knew and loved their lachrymose slate hue. He was dressed in refined garb befitting his station. He had a toned but slender body covered with pale skin. "dracy," she called, walking towards him. He glanced back at kaida before again returning his ashen gaze to the water. "kaida," he whispered. kaida smirked and flicked a bit of hair over her shoulder. "Good to see you. C'mon." They began their leisurely walk along the ocean's edge. Draco was as silent as death as they made tracks along the sand. Unable to stand the awkward silence, kaida started their conversation with, "How are you these days?" A flicker passed across his pools before he hoarsely murmured, "I'm fine." "Draco." Her voice was uncharacteristically serious. "You're really fine?" Draco swallowed and said nothing. For a few moments they were quiet again. She thought about Draco, about all the things she knew about him, growing up alongside him, that no one else would know. All throughout that time since then she had gotten the feeling that Draco had bottled up more pain than he ever let on. That only ever made things worse. kaida glanced over at him. His angled head cast a shadow over his depths. "Come on," she tried again, "I mean, look. Look at all this." She pointed out over the glittering sea, and Draco cast his hollow gaze dispiritedly in the direction she was pointing. "What is it?" he murmured. "All this open space stretching forever. The smell of salt and the cry of gulls. It makes me feel free, like nothing else. Come on. Let it out, get it off your chest. It's too beautiful here to be moping." All of a sudden, Draco turned sharply away and continued down the shoreline alone. "Hey! Wait." "Nothing is beautiful," he whispered. kaida caught up to him and turned him about by the shoulder. He turned his face away, but she saw that he was crying. "kaida... It's just... I'm never good enough! How could you... how could *anyone* possibly care about me?" It was always hard for kaida to find the right words at times like this. "Hey, Draco..." kaida took him into her arms as he wept. "Hey. Sometimes you just have to throw lemons back at life."After a few moments, they found themselves walking down the beach again. It seemed to kaida that something had been bothering Draco for the last few hours -- or maybe longer than that. His baleful smoke-colored crystals were cast down and away, focused upon nothing in particular. It really hurt her inside to see him like that. She reached for him, tucked a stray silvery strand behind his ear, and traced a finger across his jawline. "What's wrong, Draco?" "kaida... it's, just..." kaida cupped his face in her hands, brushing her lips against his forehead. "You can tell me." He took a deep breath and gazed into her ochre pools with a look full of despairing sadness, whispering, "It's just... I'm just no good, kaida. I can never do anything right.... I guess, I'm sorry. I just ruin everything. I'll probably ruin this.... I... forget it. I just can't..."  kaida listened attentively, her eyebrows furrowing at each of Draco's recounted sorrows. At last, when he finished, a moment of silence passed between them. He looked so wretched and insecure. She brought him closer in reassurance, only wanting to hold him until the hurt subsided, murmuring, "Draco... you're not alone. I know what it's like -- it happened to me too. I know that pain. My legacy of failure... sometimes it still comes back to haunt me. I know it's not easy." kaida placed her hands on Draco's shoulders. Draco's eyes began to redden, and he abruptly pulled her into a fierce embrace. Her globes widened at first, but then she too felt overwhelmed by emotion and succumbed to the warmth of his touch. "You," Draco whispered, his breath hot on her ear. "As long as you're here, I... I can make it." They held each other as tears trickled down cheeks and dripped onto the shifting sands to be carried away into the sea. With time and soothing embraces, their pain dissipated into a mist swept out by the ocean breeze and into the setting sun. They basked in each other's quiet companionship for a few moments. "Mm. Sunset." kaida lifted her head at Draco's words to behold the dying sun's tangerine radiance. "It's nice." After a moment of silence, he said quietly and seriously, "It seems fate has been kind to me... just this once." She clasped his firm hand and murmured in response, "A love this true must be fated to be." "Hmm," he said only. But when kaida looked at him, she saw a glimmer of hope in his despairing orbs. kaida sighed with contentment and brought him closer. She gazed at the beautiful golden rays of the falling sun, thinking about everything that had transpired on this day and all that would pass between them. "I love you, Draco." "I love you too, kaida." Their lips met, and bronze strands met light-colored ones, aflame in the dying light.