It was a bit after midday. The Sun was hidden behind a layer of gray clouds, but it wasn't that cold yet.
Veronica continued to wear that obnoxious looking blue dress with flowers. In the closet they managed to find the matching shoes, so she got the whole set of hideousness.
On her left walked Michael. He wore one of his usual suits. He had to throw out the other one, it was too far gone by the end of the fight. Same thing happened with Veronica's beautiful new dress that she bought only half a day before the date.
They had been walking for a while in silence. Neither really knew what to say. But eventually Michael took a leap of faith and gently grabbed Veronica's left hand.
She glanced down for a moment, then looked forward with a small smile and squeezed his hand a bit.
Feeling her small reciprocation gave him a weird sense of accomplishment. His whole body shivered and he wanted to jump around from happiness.
It was strange. This wasn't the first time he had felt love, but those other times were much different. Compared to the emotions he feels towards Veronica, those were quite meek, like comparing the Sun to a candlelight.
His heart burnt with desire. He wanted to spend every moment with her, maybe for the rest of his life.
He didn't quite understand where these emotions originated from. They haven't known each other for too long, but somehow he felt they were perfect together.
But of course he kept all these emotions and desires under tight lock. He had no idea how Veronica actually felt. Maybe she just had some small interest in him, but nothing as serious as he thinks.
It would've surprised Michael to hear that Veronica was doing even worse than him.
Her mind and thoughts were very giddy for some reason, she couldn't even think straight.
They were so absorbed in their thoughts that the forty minute walk felt like seconds. They only realized where they were, when James ran outside of the inn.
They weren't paying attention to their surroundings and as they were about to walk past the inn, James quickly called out from the door.
"Where are you two going!" He looked angry, anxious, but mostly relived.
Veronica let go of Michael's hand tentatively, and she stepped toward James. He looked her up and down once, noting the different dress she was wearing. After making sure she was alright, he wrapped her in a tight hug.
"We were so worried about you... We heard of the bombing in the Dancing Hall, but when we arrived you weren't part of the survivors... We looked at the corpses that couldn't be saved, but you weren't there either... Suze was borderline hysterical, when a nice ascended Islander made us sure that you were alright..."
He said in whisper, holding Veronica close. She felt a bit of shake in his body, like he was crying, but she couldn't see his face to make sure.
"It's okay. I'm fine... We had a bit of trouble, but we managed..." She said while slowly and gently pushing James away, so she could stare into his eyes.
His blue eyes were red rimmed and he sniffled a bit, but he forced out a smile, which Veronica mirrored.
"What happened? We talked to Hu, the Islander, but he was reluctant to tell us the specifics... He only said to ask you or your boyfriend." He said while looking at Michael. There was a bit of accusation behind his expression, but he voiced non of his opinions.
Veronica watched Michael squirm uncomfortably with a bit of cruel glee, but eventually she just motioned James to talk inside.
The three of them went inside and headed straight for the kitchen. The main room was mostly empty thankfully. The midday rush had already ended it seemed.
As they entered the kitchen Veronica thought she would see Suze reading at the dining table ––as she usually did when she had free time–– but instead she was just pacing around the kitchen. Her whole body exuded pure anxiety and fear.
She didn't even look at the door to see who came in. She just assumed it was James, and began to speak in a concerned tone.
"I swear to the Goddess, when that girl comes back I will strangle her, then hug her... Then strangle her again... Just how can somebody be so reckless and uncaring... Tell me James..." She trailed off when she finally looked up and saw the three of them standing there with weird expressions.
They stared at each other for a few seconds, then Suze walked forward and delivered a giant slap to Veronica's face. Immediately afterward she was wrapped in a very tight hug.
She felt Suze's body shake, and heard her cry. It broke Veronica's heart a bit, and she felt really guilt for not arriving sooner. She raised her hands and made gentle strokes along Suze's back, like she was trying to calm a child.
They stood there for a good ten minutes. Nobody dared to make a single sound. Only when another person hugged her from behind did Veronica yelp from surprise. Somehow Sofie managed to sneak upon her and give her a hug as well.
Suze didn't even look up, she just continued to hug her, like Veronica was her lifeline.
Suze was a very strange woman and very contradictory. She was strict, but loving and caring. Serious, but also jovial and kindhearted. Calm, but anxious and fearful. Patient, but also vengeful and full of anger. These contradictions happened because of a simple thing called Family.
There was nothing more important to Suze, than her family. They were perfect in her eyes, and she would do everything in her power to help them.
Somehow Veronica managed to get this insane and magnificent woman to consider her as part of this strange family, and she loved it here.
At this point when Veronica thought of home, this house came to her mind. When she thought of comfort, she remembered eating at this dining table with these people. When she thought of safety, that small room upstairs popped into her mind...
When she thought of love, this small powerful woman was the first thing to appear...
These weren't her biological parents, her biological siblings, heck this wasn't even the world she was born into, but at some point this strange place became home and this small family became hers.
Unknowingly a small tear made its way down her face, and she began to laugh. All the pent up anxiety, fear, sadness, anger, despair, longing and everything in-between... They were gone. Replaced by love, happiness, solace and hope.
All her previous bad emotions got abolished as she finally felt something change inside her. This place, which she happened upon. This wasn't somewhere to escape from, to find a way to return home...
As she was hugged by her new family her mind was made, and a realization set inside her... Why would she tried to find a way to return home, when she was already there.
This world was strange, amazing and terrifying, but that made no difference to her. In the past month she made a lot of new friends, she had a new loving family, she possibly met someone she could love... She had no reason to leave anymore...
And this liberation caused her emotions to get overwhelmed and she just burst out crying and laughing at the same time. Her family looked at her with a bit of confusion, only Michael seemed to understand what this outburst meant.
With teary eyes she looked at him and at that moment... He smiled...
Later when other people would ask when she had fallen in love with Michael, this very moment would come to her mind. Because seeing that smile caused the world to disappear for her.
Suddenly the darkness cleared to reveal only him inside. Her thoughts came to an abrupt halt. The moments passed or stayed still, she had no idea. Her eyes stared into his for what seemed like an eternity, and still she wanted more.
She didn't want to spend an eternity with that smile, she didn't want to spend the rest of her life with it. She wanted it to last forever... She wanted it to last beyond eternity. She wanted it to last until the end of this Universe and all other's. She wanted it to last until time and space ceased to exist, but that wasn't enough...
She wanted to be with him until there was nothing left of everything. Until time has stopped and began again. Until everything ended and were reborn. Until new Universes came and went...
She wanted to be with him forever. For as long as reality lasted, and a bit further after that.
And it all started at that moment... With a stupid little smile at the exact right moment...
Who knew how much destruction a smile could cause...