Still Falling For You | Gladiolus Amicitia

Chapter 8

It took her a few minutes to calm her crying and Gladiolus held onto her the whole time, his fingers tangled into her hair. Once she was calm, she sniffed but kept her head to his chest. She could hear his heart beating rapidly and the feeling completely overwhelmed her. Five years on, he was living and breathing right in front of her.

After a while, she slowly pulled away from him but she didn’t look up at him. She looked at the other three men who were watching them and she gave them a small wave, which they all waved back to. Gladiolus looked down at her, noticing that she was refusing to make eye contact with him. Deep down, he didn’t blame her. After the way he had left things, he was surprised she was still standing in front of him. She wiped her eyes and bent down, picking up her helmet.

“I, uh... I...” she mumbled quietly, trying to think of what to say to him as she stared down at her helmet.

He suddenly took hold of her hand and pulled her along with him outside the diner so they could talk in private. Lord knew they needed some time alone. He led her to a bench that was just outside the diner and they both sat down. It was a warm night out and the skies were clear, the billions of stars scattered and twinkling on the dark canvas. They sat in silence but it wasn’t an awkward silence. Just being in each other’s presence was all they needed after being apart for so many years. He took her hand and kissed it gently.

“I’m sorry,” he spoke quietly, his deep voice rumbling.
“I’m sorry, too,” she replied just as quietly. “I’m sorry I didn’t stay with you,” she said as she turned to look up at him.
“You shouldn’t apologise for that. I should have supported you. But instead,” he let out a sigh, “I spoke to you in a way that I regret to this day. And I wasn’t quick enough to get to you before you left.”
She tilted her head slightly. “You were there?”
He nodded. “I watched you leave. I was too late.”
Zahra was surprised at that revelation. “I thought you didn’t come. I... I thought you ended it...”
“No,” he sighed, looking down at the ground momentarily before looking back into her eyes. “I never ended it. I was upset.”
“That’s putting it lightly,” she said, remembering how angry he was.
“Yeah...”
“But you never replied to any of my messages,” she told him with hurt in her tone.
His eyebrows furrowed together. “I didn’t get anything. Didn’t you get my messages?” he asked.

She shook her head and they both realised that they had thought wrong about the other.

“I was a fool,” he said with a wry laugh.
“So was I.”

They both fell silent again, thinking about all the times that they had tried to contact one another. The past five years had been full of misunderstandings and they both wanted to make things right again. Zahra moved her fingers so they were locked with his and Gladiolus was genuinely surprised but he was glad at the small but significant action.

“I thought about you everyday,” she revealed to him. “I kept thinking about what you would be doing, how you were, if you still thought about me too...”
“I did. All the time. You don’t know how much I’ve waited for this moment,” he said to her, gripping onto her hand. He looked deeply into her eyes. “Forgive me.”
She gazed up at him. “There’s nothing to forgive. Whatever happened then, forget all about it. I don’t know how to explain it but I’m still incredibly in love with you.”
He couldn’t help but smile at those words. “I’m still in love with you, too. In fact, I’m more in love with you than ever before.”

Zahra smiled for the first time and it blew Gladiolus' breath way. To him, she had become even more beautiful than he remembered. She was the only person in the world who had laid claim to his heart and no other could take it from her. He caressed her cheek, his touch as gentle as ever whenever it came to her. They leaned in closer, eyes closing as their lips connected in a more soft and romantic kiss. She concentrated on every part of him. His hands felt more rough and hard, no doubt from battles and training. His lips felt the same though. As did hers to him. It was a sense of familiarity they craved for which could only be given by the person their heart was connected to. For the first time in five years, they felt truly happy. As they slowly parted, the door to the diner opened and the rest of the guys walked out.