Starlight | completed

Chapter 38 | sunflowers

❝Everything is utterly and truly perfect.❞

Chapter 38 | sunflowers

The day was dreary, rain clouds formed in the grey skies and poured down relentlessly. It was freezing as well, chills formed on her arms every time she moved. It was dark already, it was barely midday but it was dark. Aera absolutely loved it, it reflected her very emotions perfectly.

She would have despised it, if the day was bright and sunny. But that it was not, and she adored it. She walked into the flower shop, and purchased some bright yellow sunflowers. They contrasted heavily with the mood of them, but they were perfect.

He always did love sunflowers.

A hand on her hip, she searched for her phone. Realizing that she had forgotten to ask Luce to come with her, she cursed. Groaning she pulled the phone out and quickly dialed his number. As usual he picked it up on the first ring, Aera resisted the urge to burst out into a smile.

"Hey?" he asked, his voice raspy and low, he'd most likely just woken up. This time she let the smile set over her dainty face, "Hey" she replied back, and paused "Can you pick me up?" she asked, she heard a creaking on the side of the phone and a yawn.

She smiled again.

"Yeah, sure. Where are you?" he asked, and she stepped outside the shop and leaned against the wall. The flowers a bit heavy on her hand, "I'm outside the flower shop" she said, and he chuckled. She could almost see his crooked, sarcastic smile at the moment.

"Buying me flowers?" he teased, and she giggled softly. "Maybe some other time Luce" she muttered, and then paused "They're for my father" she said. There was a pause on the other side of the line, as if Luce was unsure on what to say.

"Are you visiting his grave?" he asked softly, and she nodded. Then chided herself, he couldn't see her. "Y-Yeah I'm going too" she paused, and a bit hesitant asked "Would you m-maybe like to join me?" She heard him suck in a deep breath before he choose to reply.

"Do you want me to join you?" he asked softly, she nodded again. Then frowned, he still couldn't see her. She was an absolute idiot. "Yes please" she whispered, she could almost feel his smile next to her as he replied, "I'll be there in ten minutes." She hung up after and stood there waiting.

There was a piece of the shop that extended out a bit, and it covered her as she stood there.  It blocked the rain that was pouring down around her, she had an urge to go into the rain and spin around in a circle. But she stopped herself, she was freezing already.

She really should have worn more warm clothes, but she hadn't been paying much attention to the weather until she'd stepped out of her house. She hadn't even packed a umbrella, she'd walked here, then it hadn't been so rainy and windy. But halfway here, it had started raining.

She had made a run for it, but she didn't feel like making a run for it back home. It was too far, and she was freezing. If only Luce would hurry up. She clutched the flimsy brown coat around her tighter, and sighed. Her dad did love the rain, but she was the not the same.

All the same for she was still grateful for it.

"Aera" Luce called out, and she turned to look at him. He was just standing there in the rain, his messy black hair getting soaked. As well as his clothes, she flushed he really had to wear a white button down once more. "What are you doing?" she called out, he smiled crookedly.

"Come here" he mumbled, she rolled her eyes. Not having much of a care she ran to him, her raven locks slowly got wet but once more she didn't care. She clutched the flowers on one hand, and Luce in the other. He blinked down at her, droplets of water caught in his eyelashes.

"Hi" he mumbled softly, Aera giggled. "Hey you" she whispered, smiling softly he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers. Kissing him was like fire within her bones, fire deep in her bones. She ceased to feel the cold air around her, it is like she is a burned out star but with him she burns again, she's alive again.

Luce smiles into her mouth, and the utter depth of how much she loves him plagues at her but she pushes it back. He kisses her the same way, the red sun kisses the sky. Just as the moon kisses the night sky, and the stars wish to kiss the sun.

He wants to kiss her till the sun burns out, and the moons give up its light. Until they get lost in space forever, and until the clocks run out of time. And maybe they would have, maybe in a different lifetime. But in this one, someone honks and Aera jolts away from him. She flushes suddenly, realizing that there in the middle of the road.

"Sorry" Luce calls out, threading his fingers through hers, he pulls her to his car. The man in the car mutters something about 'crazy kids' and drives on. Still flushing a bit, Aera settles herself onto the seat bedsides Luce. His hair is damp from the rain, and his skin is shining. He looks beautiful.

He turns to her, his eyes bright and a smile on his face. "Well, that was embarrassing" he said, and she laughed helplessly. Still smiling, he turned down the curve and drove on. Turning to the radio, she hit some buttons. A soft slow song played out, she couldn't recognize the language but it was nice.

He turned another corner, and she stilled. She could see it approaching, Luce turned to her a soft look on his face. "Is there a special reason you're visiting?" he asked, she shook her head quickly. There wasn't. Why did there need to be one?

"I just wanted to talk to him" she mumbled and Luce nodded next to her. An ever reassuring presence, she raised her eyebrows at him a teasing glint in her expression. "I wonder if he would approve of you" she jokingly said, and Luce chuckled.

"Are you kidding? He loved me" he said, and Aera giggled. He had loved Luce, that was true. He turned at another corner, and finally parked. Getting out quickly, he walked around and pulled the door open for her. Smiling softly, Aera grabbed the bouquet of sunflowers and followed him.

The sun is peeking from behind a cloud slowly and Aera can see the beginning of a rainbow in the sky, forming slowly but steadily as she settles herself down on the grass. They had buried him in front of a tree, to try to let him live again in some sense. She leans against the tree as she stares up at the sky, Luce hesitantly settles down next to her.

She places the flowers in front of her, and sighs. "Dad, Luce is here" she mumbles, and Luce unsure of what to do, just leans his head down into Aera's shoulder and nods. Reassuringly he says, "I'm here," she turns to squint at him.

"What do you think he would say now?" she asks, "You knew him pretty well" she continues. Luce's eyes glow in the slowly forming light as he thinks. He takes one of the sunflowers, then slowly tucks it behind Aera's hair. "He'd probably ask me how much I love you."

"And how much do you love me?" Aera asks, Luce slowly smiles. His hand enveloping hers, "I love you infinitely, in this life and the next, no matter who I am. I love you. I love you like the stars love the sun." Aera sadly smiles next to him, her hand steady on his.

"I think he would have approved of that" she mumbles, and Luce once again nods softly next to her. And at that moment the sun comes from behind the clouds, and shines down directly at them. A vibrant and beautiful glow, the rain is still pouring. A rainbow forms somewhere and, she can see it reflecting over the skies.

She's unsure where it leads, but maybe somewhere along the way she can find it. After all she has Luce Nova by her side now, the sun beams brighter. And the sun flower in her hair slowly titters down, to land perfectly in between their joined hands.

And everything is utterly and truly perfect.

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two more chapters to go!