I was standing on the grass, looking out over the small pond that was shaded by the enormous willow tree that grew beside it. The memory of being here weeks ago flashed behind my eyelids. Specifically, me reaching out and grasping onto Blasius's shirt as if my life depended on it; simultaneously pulling him down and I reached my own body towards him; that far-from-suave kiss.
This time, when I reached out my hand, it was heavier. Weighted down by the hand it was interlaced with—his. I melted closer to his body. Had I—had we?—really changed this much? Back then, not even long ago, I did everything in my power to ignore the feelings for him that plagued my mind. Yet, here we were, and it felt like nothing and everything had changed, all at once.
I took a step further, nearing the edge of the pond. Two more steps and I would've fallen in.
An audible sigh escaped my lips as the feeling of Blasius's fingers woven around mine disappears. Our contact is quickly replaced when his arms snaked around my shoulders and his forehead rested in the crook of my neck, opposite the side he marked.
It was a nice distraction from the aching muscles and early-morning wake ups that plagued our last few weeks. For good reason, I knew. But it didn't take away the negative aspects of all of the hard work we had been putting in for a chance at salvation. It was paying off though.
"Do you like swimming?" His voice came out muffled as he removed himself from me, pulling his shirt off of his back and throwing it onto the grass.
"What?"
Before I could even process what was happening, Blasius swooped down, pulling me into his arms bridal style. He jolted forward, leaving me minimal time to hold my breath. The next thing I knew, I was engulfed in a heaviness that subdued my body. Propelling myself upwards, I gasped as I broke the surface. Wiping the water from my eyes, I looked around for Blasius.
"That was... uncalled for!" He just chuckled in response, treading over to me from where he had ended up after we had been separated while under water.
I slapped the water in front of me--a miniscule amount of payback for his unexpected gesture, considering we was already as sopping wet as I was at this point.
"Oh, you want to play that game, hm?" Then it was his turn to splash against the water, projecting twice as much water as I had that headed my way and dampened my hair that had already begun drying. I shook my head, wiping my eyes again with my knuckles.
Without any warning, I jumped at him, attempting to plunge him into the water but his hands fly out in front of him, catching me by the waist and thrusting me backwards in the water instead. Our afternoon is spent in a similar fashion, throwing attack again and again, one after the other, seeing who can drench the other more. Eventually, a familiar sting invades my lung and I know I'm absolutely wiped out. My stamina had been built up by the daily, intense training sessions, but it had to come to an end at some point.
So then we just relaxed, letting the freezing water knead through all the aching muscles that had established their presence in the grueling preparations.
I rolled my shoulders back, stretched my legs out, arched my head back, feeling the dull throbbing throughout my muscles. For the first time in what felt like forever, I actually had time to relax. It made the ice-cold water feel like warmth tugging me in, lulling me to sleep.
"I have to get out before I fall asleep in here," I murmured, climbing onto the bank of the pond.
Blasius swam after me, "I don't want to go back yet. It's too peaceful here to return to chaos just yet."
"That's fine with me," I replied, taking the hem of my dress in my hands and wringing it out. The water created a puddle around my feet.
"You'll dry faster without that on." My eyes went wide at the thought of being without clothes in such an open area.
Blasius reached out a hand, offering his shirt to me instead. I took it, staring at him expectantly until he got the hint and shut his eyes as he crouched down, falling back onto the grass.
I peeled the dress from my skin, laying it flat out onto the grass to dry quicker. Then I turned around and rid myself of my undergarments too, as to not get the shirt too wet. It made my cheeks heat up, the way the wind was caressing my most intimate body parts. Once the shirt was over my head and clinging to the dampened parts of my body, I turned to find Blasius still lounging on the grass.
I took my place next to him, mimicking his position--hands folded behind my head, legs crossed at the ankle, eyes closed. If I wasn't feeling fatigued before, I sure was now.
"I can't wait until all of this is over," Blasius's voice sounded from beside me, "until our life can be normal. I already know everything I need to in order to know that I love you, but there's still so much more I can't wait to find out when we're done with all of this."
Time stopped as his words echoed in my head. I already know everything I need to in order to know that I love you.
In order to know that I love you.
I love you.
I rolled over, gaining purchase by placing my hands on both of Blasius's cheeks. He opened his eyes the moment my thumbs brushed his cheeks. I dove forward, scanning his reaction as I planted a light kiss to his lips, my mouth barely ghosting against his. Blasius snorted, curling his hand into my hair to pull me back down onto him.
As his lips were manipulating my pink lips purple, he toyed with the hem of his shirt. The feel of my lover's fingers grazing against my skin sent a shiver up my skin and I pulled away. For what felt like an eternity but was only a span of a few seconds, his eyes bore into mine. It gave me the opportunity to favour the shades of green within his eyes--mint, grass, moss, as raveled into one otherworldly nebula.
I sighed in content, attaching my ear to his chest, listening to his steady heart beat beneath his chest. Over time it slowed and I wondered if perhaps he had fallen asleep, but I didn't want to arouse him by moving. So I stayed pressed against him, letting our bodies conjoin as I, too, felt my heart slow and my eyelids grow heavy. The sun beating down on me only made it worse, depleting the rest of the energy I had left until I couldn't keep myself conscious any longer.
'I already know everything I need to in order to know that I love you.' I smiled to myself as I remembered the words falling from his mouth so easily, so nonchalantly. He said it as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, just common knowledge.
A puff of air exhaled from my mouth in the form of a chuckle.
"I love you too, Blasius."