My stormy gray eyes were as wide as saucers as I listened to Boss sing.
His deep voice echoed captivatingly inside the closed gym where the competition was held. Each word he sang seemed to carry its own weight, pulling the audience into the emotions he conveyed.
His voice was a blend of power and vulnerability, each note vibrating with a raw emotion that tugged at the heartstrings of those who listened.
His eyes, which were always guarded and serious, now held a certain softness as he poured his soul into the performance. His body involuntarily moved in sync with the melody, as if the music guided him.
His presence on stage completely captivated the audience, capturing their full attention. The depth of his voice resonated not just in their ears but seemed to pass through their very hearts, making them feel things they might not have even known were there.
His voice enunciated each lyric that seemed to come alive as he poured out his feelings that went beyond mere words. His performance was a mixture of vulnerability and strength, a side of him that no one—not even I—knew of.
And as the song finally finished, Boss stood there, his chest rising and falling with each breath. The audience erupted into applause; Boss's spell on them was finally broken, but the impact of his singing remained.
"After Boss's performance," I said, the memory disintegrated, and we're back in the In-Between. "He became quite famous at school."
"Wasn't he already?"
"He was infamous," I corrected. "Now he's famous."
"I know that." Death frowned. "He was probably famous with the girls before the performance for being a stereotypical bad boy."
"Oh," I said. "Yeah, that's true. But you know what's even better than a bad boy?"
"A bad boy that sings?"
"Exactly! When we all found that Boss could sing, his charm increased even more. Girls were flocking around him after that."
Death hummed in understanding.
"So, did he get an award?" He asked.
"Oh, he got a silver. The one who got gold was a first-year who brought his dog to a talent competition."
"So technically, the dog won, not the first-year."
I shrugged. "I guess."
"Damn, that's gotta be a big blow to Boss's pride." Death whistled. "He lost to a dog!"
I chuckled.
"He didn't seem to mind. He said to me, 'I knew the moment I saw that dog jumping on the stage, I was going to lose.'"
"Did he really?" Death's red eyes widened in surprise.
I laughed even louder, nodding eagerly.
Death hummed again.
"Did he say something to you? After the performance, I mean."
I shook my head.
"As I've told you, he became an instant hit after he sang. I couldn't even congratulate him when it was announced that he got second place because many other girls were already doing it."
Death smirked. "Jealous?"
I gave him the stink eye. "Why would I?"
"Because he told you that 'he had fallen, right?" Death gave me a pointed look. "How did you respond to him after that?"
"The next time we got to talk, it was a week after."
The In-Between changed to the park again, where the sun began to set, casting a warm, golden glow over Boss and the younger me. We sat side by side on the bench, silently watching the pond's ripples as the ducks resumed their usual routine.
It was a thing between us where we'd talk for a while before falling into silence after we ran out of topics.
But it wasn't awkward, to be honest.
It was comforting because I didn't need to force myself to speak to cater to Boss's feelings. And Boss wasn't obligated to, as well.
However, this time in the park was a bit unusual.
We were silent from the get-go and just sat next to each other for a complete hour. After a while, I turned to face him, breaking the silence that was, for the first time, questionable.
After all, he sang a song for me that meant he had fallen for me, and Boss wasn't even saying anything to explain himself.
I sighed internally, wanting to curse Boss for hiding his shyness by acting all cool and mysterious.
"Hey, Boss," I said at last.
He glanced at me.
"Yeah?"
I took a deep breath, summoning the courage to ask the question on my mind since I heard the song's first line in the talent competition.
"Why did you choose that song? You know, the one with the lyrics 'What if I've told you that I've fallen?'"
Boss's gaze shifted back to the pond, his expression unreadable momentarily. Then, he let out a soft sigh, his fingers absentmindedly tapping against his knee.
"I guess I wanted to say something without really saying it," He finally replied, his voice tinged with uncertainty and honesty.
I tilted my head, curiosity piqued.
"Say something? What do you mean?"
Boss's jaw tightened; an expression on his face indicated that he wasn't sure if he should say this or not.
"I've never been good with words, Vermillion. You know that. But that song... those lyrics, they felt like they were speaking for me."
I nodded, urging him to continue.
The sun was dipping lower on the horizon, casting longer shadows across the park.
"I've never been good at opening up," Boss continued, his voice softer now. "But I wanted you to know that... I cared about you more than I let on. And that song felt like a way to express that without actually saying the words."
My heart skipped a beat, his words sinking in. It was a sentiment I had suspected, but hearing him say it out loud was a different experience altogether. I felt a warmth spreading within me, a connection beyond our usual banter and interactions.
"So," I drawled, my voice hinting of playfulness. "You were trying to confess without actually confessing?"
Boss scoffed, his lips quirking into a half-smile.
"Yeah, I guess you could put it that way."
I leaned back against the bench, feeling a sense of contentment settle over me. The pond shimmered in the fading light, and the ducks continued quacking from afar.
"But you don't need to give me an answer."
My gray eyes widened.
"What?" The younger Evangeline and Death exclaimed at the same time.
"I don't want to hear your rejection." Boss explained. "It will only hurt our relationship knowing that I have these feelings for you and you don't reciprocate it."
"But what if I feel the same way?" I asked desperately.
"Do you?"
I bit my lips, looking away. My cheeks were flushed red, and my eyes were moist as if I was about to cry soon.
Boss could only smile, grabbing the side of my head and pulling me toward him. His lips touched my forehead. Against my skin, I felt his lips forming a smile.
It was over as soon as he did it.
Boss pulled away from me and stood up, stretching his arms in the air as his back faced me.
"Don't forget your promise, okay?"
My initial embarrassment from getting a confession and a forehead kiss was replaced by confusion.
"You're going to teach me, right?" Boss finally looked at me, grinning.
It was such a surprising and beautiful sight that I couldn't help but return it without knowing myself.
"Of course."
The memory reached its conclusion, and gradually, the younger version of me and Boss dissolved.
Death and I found ourselves standing alone in the middle of the park, with only the ducks swimming and waddling as our companions in the now-deserted expanse of the park.
"Let's sit down, shall we?" Death suggested, motioning towards the bench.
So we did.
Once we were sitting on the bench, Death turned his gaze towards me, a peculiar glint in his eyes.
"So Evangeline," He cleared his throat as if he was going to drop a bombshell at me.
"Yes?"
He sighed deeply as if the air was his source of courage. I frowned at him but didn't say anything.
There was a long silence, not the one I usually experienced with Boss, but the awkward one. Once he gathered his bearings, he leaned closer to me until our faces were a few inches apart.
"I know it didn't work for Boss," Death said, grabbing my hand against his. "But what if I've told you that I've fallen?"
"What do you mean?" My eyes widened.
"Fallen," He whispered. "I've fallen for you."