You can't force love

Chapter 20 - Two people, one genuine love

"Are we there soon?"

"Just a little bit more."

"You've said that already?"

"Well, it may be that I had forgotten this path," Levi explained in amusement that soon took a layer of nostalgia, melancholy even. "Haven't been walking up here for about five years or so."

"Oh..." Petra let out, feeling that there was something odd in Levi's voice, something she had never heard. But she didn't want to urge him to tell her right now - when he feels he's ready to, he will.

"So this was unplanned?" she said, hoping to divert his sadness away.

And she succeeded to some extent by just that one sentence. "It wasn't," Levi answered in slight amusement, a ghost of a feeling slowly but surely dissipating.

After about a minute of climbing and jumping above the holes made out of neglect of the bricks of stone the stairs consisted of, they finally reached an old, wooden door, a lock over it rusty and so weak that one press of a finger would be enough to break it.

"It looks so ancient," Petra said as she stepped forward, carefully brushing the metallic lock and details. "How is this possible?"

"Years of neglect do wonders," Levi said, invoking a picture of shiny, polished metal and sturdy, hard wood. It now looked ancient as Petra said, flimsy and sad. "And weather conditions."

"So this leads outside?" Petra asked, turning to look at Levi who stepped up beside her, taking the lock in his hands, inspecting it meticulously.

"Yes. It was a good way to block the head during summer and freezing coldness during winter. The room at the bottom we had passed after the first small set of stairs was situated not close to the ground and not too far from the top of the castle," he continued, taking a small, polished key from his pocket he had taken from one of his desk drawers.

"Stone saves the temperature and the air that manages to pass through these doors aids the circulation of fresh air in the pantry!" Petra exclaimed, all the pieces coming together. Now her gaze slid from the doors and down the gaping set of stairs they left behind. "Amazing construction."

"Indeed," Levi said, turning the lock once again, allowing the lock to fall down with a clank, making Petra jump in place.

"What is it, Ral? Afraid of the sound?" Levi teased, smugness only in his eyes.

Pursing her lips, Petra dramatically threw her head upwards, pushing the door open. "And yet I step out first."

Levi smiled behind Petra's back, amused, thrilled and delighted at the same time. Having to be with her like this, even when they ostensibly bickered, was so overwhelming that he didn't want to trade anything in this word for that.

Once Petra set her foot outside, she looked up and let out a gasp.

Levi followed after and stood beside her, looking up as well.

Petra didn't know what to say. It wasn't like she never was on the top of a building at night or that she never chatted and laughed through the night with her friends beneath the starry firmament. However, when she was on top of the building, it was either not very visible dus to town lights or clouds. When she was with her friends, they were busy with each other's jokes and stories, never with their surroundings that much.

Now, it was all different and she could only stare in awe at the clear, wide sky from everywhere around her, littered with thousands, millions of lights, some standing in rows, some in swarms, shapes even. Moon wasn't visible enough to steal their shine, so they all could be seen clearly and beautifully, making her wish for the moon to never return again.