Ashes of Cinder

34

Now this was freedom. Twirling underneath the trees, you danced hand in hand with Blaise. Because of all the tension the two of you had towards one another lately, he came up with a great idea -- to enjoy yourselves out here in the woods for the rest of the day. There was no need to open the shop today; no need to add on further stress to your already fragile, mental state. So here you were, using the dance skills you had learned on the night of the ball. Much to your surprise, your partner was almost or even just as good as the Prince with dancing. He was elegant and knew the steps to take, perfectly executing them in a rhythm.

It was a different experience to dance with him though. His hand was warm around yours, clinging onto you as if you could disappear from him any moment. His hues matched well with the naturistic scenery and they softly stayed on you, taking you in and swallowing you entirely.

Not only was it him, but it was you. Your stomach was bubbling like a chemical reaction occurring, tingly to his touch. Your heart squeezed at every dip he gave you, as well as every chuckle his lips let out when you made a mistake. Your forehead beaded of sweat, you were beginning to feel nervous under his gaze. Goddammit. Why did he have to look so flawless? It was hard to be here with him without getting reminded of his recent confession. He said not to worry about it, but that was exactly what you were doing.

"Would you like to know about my family?" he asked you calmly, giving you a chance to spin.

You blinked in awe and was at a lost of words for a minute. "You don't need to feel obligated to tell me... it was wrong of me to pry earlier," you protested.

He shook his head, giving you a faint smile. "I've been thinking and I see that you're right. I know a lot about you already, but it's true you don't know much about me. It scares me, you know? This world. It scares me to open up to anyone, especially you. But we've known each other for a while and we've been through a lot of things together already. I need to face this fear."

He was scared of this world? This was really surprising to hear. You had always imagined Blaise to be a confident person, making clear cut decisions with his head held high. Maybe you had placed him on a pedal stool unintentionally... because at the end of the day, he was human too.

Though you wished you could tell him that he should wait for a time when he was truly ready, there was no doubt in your mind that you were too curious to stop him. His features were determined too and that convinced you to follow along. "Are you sure?"

Slowly nodding, his eyes had a faraway look to them, as if he was reliving a memory. You had half expected him to spill a sweet story about his childhood, like the way you told him about your father. You had thought he would talk about his younger or older siblings and parents whom he looked up to. You had hoped he would say he returned home to see these people everyday, making him appear more relatable and closer to your hopeless grasps.

Instead, it was cold. It was blunt. And it hurt.

"I'm an orphan," he said simply, his expression unidentifiable. "My mother died during my birth, so my father left me there in the streets to rot, because he was too heartbroken by his wife. I was alone as a child. Nor did I have any siblings."

Your muscles stiffened and you slowed your dancing, terror filling your insides. He pushed through it though and you could only continue to dance, your heart sinking. No wonder he didn't want to talk about. And you had prod about it! You poked him where it was the most sensitive, betraying him without realizing it. "I-I'm so sorry to hear that... I'm so sorry to ask you about it. It was horrible of me to do so," you choked out.

His smile turned bittersweet, but he was not angry. He did not blame you. "It's not your fault. It's been years since it's happened anyway. The memory is blurry and does not have much of an effect on me anymore," he muttered. "The present is what counts, right? I'm in a better place than I have ever been within the twenty years I've been in this world. After all, I have you."

Heat rose in your cheeks and you ducked your head down to avoid his stare. He was correct. There was no use to dwell so much in the past -- the best anyone could do was relish in the current moment, as well as continue a hope for the future. It was something you needed to do in regards to Rosa's death. If Blaise could push away his dark childhood and move into a bright direction, so could you. It may take a while, but you would live the life that Rosa would have wanted for you.

He was so strong. Blaise was so, so strong. You admired him for it. He had erupted from the ashes to grow into a new person -- reaching his goals without help or stepping stones along the way. He owned a toyshop! He went from being an orphaned boy to a store owner at the mere age of twenty. He was everything you hoped to be and more. He strove for his dreams when you had tossed them away; you had quit the dream of owning a bakery because it seemed too farfetched to you. Now you wondered if you could do the same as him.

"I want to own a bakery," you breathed out, taking the world in. It was a little less gloomy, perhaps because the pain inside you was fading. The wildflowers tickling your bare legs and feet, you sniffed in the smell of earth -- the cool, wet soil smell that soothed you. The leaves rustled in the distance, soaring in the air as the breeze hit you softly, your [h/c] strands whipping against your cheeks. The blue sky above you decorated of soft clouds, to which the sun peaked through them. You had been voided of the sunlight for a week, but to feel it again was a treasure that you didn't expect to miss.

"Then go for it," he whispered, nodding in assurance. He slowed down and stopped dancing, but did not move away from the close distance the two of you had while dancing. Pride was the only word that could describe him. He was proud of you, just because you declared you still held onto a dream. You were not left unsupported and this feeling instantly warmed you at the core, all the way to the tips of your fingers.

You didn't need to know everything about him to like him. His personality and his actions were good enough to you. He made you feel good... he made you feel secure. He was the rock that kept you floating towards the mass of the sea, where hungry sharks awaited you.

His lips looked soft to you, waiting.

So you leaned into him and kissed those very lips.

He kissed you back almost immediately. Clenching your fingers along his back, you felt his body heat waving in towards you. His hands in your hair, you tasted him. He tasted like a mixture of this morning's breakfast and mint. He smelled like the woods, the same woods you were surrounded by right now. You then touched his hair. You had always wanted to touch it and you were not disappointed. His silky strands slipped past your fingers, causing you to melt.

Your heart was about to spill out from your chest when you noticed that his lips were even softer and warmer than you expected. Tingles and shivers ran across your body, exhilarating you to the point you were shaking. Face burning up as you drew him in, you couldn't believe what you just did. It was unthinkable, but it felt right. He was home and no one could replace him.

When you and him parted from each other, he gave you a look that made you want to go in for another one. He looked like one of those kids who got a present they had been dying to get their grubby hands on for months. Eyes glowing in love, adore, and praise were aimed at you, shooting through your heart like a cupids bow. He was so damn beautiful. He was like the light that guided you in the darkness. He was that bright.

His cheeks were red and it made your stomach fluttered. You had made him blush. It was a thing worth celebrating, considering how stoic he always was. It also meant his feelings were not a lie. You then thought to your father. Would he be proud of you today? What would he think of Blaise if he were to meet him? You had found someone to rely on. You had found a love that would never backstab you. You would put that much trust in him.

The two of you stared at one another, never once breaking eye contact. The meadow was silent, saved for the birds singing among the trees. You could feel his touch from here, intoxicating you. He was almost addictive in a way. It was going to be difficult to keep your mind off of him at this point.

As he was trying to find words to say to you, you had beat him to it.

"I think I'm in love with you too."