IPOMOEA
miles away from home
H
e loves the way her eyes flicker up to meet his in surprise, how the blue seems to brighten and brighten until they match the sky overhead. His smile is shy, but he doesn’t take it back - won’t take it back. The words had surprised him nearly as much as they had surprised her, but he meant them.His heart flutters in anticipation, waiting for her reply. For a moment he’s afraid she won’t, and his brain scrambles for something else to say, something that wasn’t quite so bold as what he’d already said. But then she saves him, and her smile is teasing and light and pulls the corners of her lips up high.
And was that a blush he saw, creeping across the pale skin of his cheeks?
He brushes the notion aside. Perhaps it’s the heat of the day, or merely his imagination.
But when she stepped into the sunlight, he couldn’t help but catch his breath. It crowns her in a halo of gold, turning her hair pale as snow and her eyes warm as honey. She’s dressed in light, with sunbeams for eyes and a captivating aura, and even for all the love and care Po has put into his garden, she’s still the brightest flower to be found.
Even the sadness in her tone, the pensive way she studies the flowers, draws him nearer. Her voice trails off, leaving more unsaid, but he’s afraid to ask. He can only watch her from behind his dark lashes, stealing glances, patiently waiting for her to go on. He hopes she doesn’t notice the way he drifts closer then stops; the distance is unbearable, but he gives her her space anyway.
And his heart wants to break inside of his chest, but he won’t let it, willing it silently to keep beating, if only to hear her say more.
"Maybe not," he says slowly. "Maybe it just means that all they need is a little more time," As he speaks, the magic is trickling slowly out of him. He reaches for a nearby flower, not to pluck, but simply to hold. Its buds are still tightly closed, as if afraid to open, hiding their beauty between folded petals.
But at his coaxing, they begin to unfurl: slowly at first, hesitant even, but still they fall away one by one.
"-And a little help." He peeks at her again, willing her with his eyes to understand, to see what he could see. "You don’t have to do it alone; we could help each other."
@messalina | "speaks" | notes: better late than never c’x
