Moon Rain ✓

Chapter 10: 𝑹𝒖𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑩𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝑻𝒐 𝒀𝒐𝒖

My vision blurred and I started to cough.

What's happening...?

I felt the grass at my fingertips, a dirty shirt starting to become clear in my vision. Who's here with me?

I sat up and couldn't trust what I was seeing.

Naven held his side and laid back in the grass, closing his eyes.

I didn't want to believe it.

I touched his arm, covering my mouth.

Was he in pain? He was breathing so slowly.

"Naven..." I whispered, suddenly hiding my body.

He opened his eyes just barely to look up at me, "Kaia..."

He winced a little and propped himself up on his elbow, "Don't hide yourself from me."

"Naven lay back d-"

"No, listen to me..." he grunted and took my hand in his, placing it to his fastly beating heart.

"I love you."

My eyes started to blur with tears, "I-"

"Let me finish," he said, out of breath, "I'm so sorry. For making you run away. For saying you'll only bring me pain. For everything."

"Naven..."

"You've only ever brought me joy. I mean that..."he kissed my fingertips. "Thank you so much."

"I lo-"

"Don't say it," he whispered, "You'll regret it."

"But I won't..."

He hissed and laid back, "You will."

I held back my tears as I placed his head on my lap, running my fingers through his curly hair.

"Just let me say thank you Naven...you're scaring me right now."

He closed his eyes, "You being alive is thanks enough, there is nothing to be afraid of. I'm here."

I watched as he started to smile.

Those unspoken words. He'd rather feel them from me than hear them.

I met his eyes and placed a hand on his cheek, "Do I not have rabies anymore?"

We both laughed.

"No," he sighed and felt the rain start to sprinkle over him.

He watched as rain fell out of the clear sky, washed over by moonlight, like crystals from fallen stars.

"Moon rain, hm?"

"It's beautiful, just like you," he mumbled, feeling his breath slip away inch by inch.

He handed me his scarf, "That day in my office, I meant for you to keep this. It was the only thing my mother left me."

"Naven, I can't..."

He sat up and hissed at the pain, before tying it around my puffy hair.

"She would have loved you, you know?"

"Mine would have too," I looked down.

He tilted my head up. He didn't want to see me sad anymore.

"Do you realize you're naked, Kaia?"

I punched him in his arm playfully and he gave me that million dollar smile. If he was to die, I'd have kill him all over again.

He really had a way of getting me to forget my doubts and fears.

It's why I loved him.

"Never to be alone..." I started to sing to myself.

"Only chasing after the love that makes us sane," he finished for me, before pulling me into a long awaited kiss.

•••

I fed Naven's horse, laughing as the sun was shining.

I had never thought the day would come.

Liara went over to Naven, whom was sitting under the tree in the shade.

"How'd you manage to make it a whole month in your condition?" she asked him curiously.

Naven got up from the ground, leaning on his crutch, and looked straight at me.

He had hardly drank or eaten that past month. He couldn't even sleep the normal three hours he'd usually get. The nightmares that haunted him he would never wish upon anyone.

He needed to know if I was okay. Even if I had forgotten him or hated him, he would never forget me and always love me.

He found himself running without wanting to for weeks, and just in time, he was able to save me.

He could rest easy now.

"Well you know what they say..." he took in my happy smile, his scarf tied around my beautiful hair, and the little kids I was playing with.

"When you love someone, you'll find the strength to run on broken legs."