the ballroom dazzling, dripping of the honey warm perfume that the ladies would quickly dash on and the lords' dusky cigars smoke would delicately taint the hot summer night.
the loud instrumental music overflowed the damp ballroom with the thumping of the dukes and duchesses's glass slippers as joyful tune to follow by.
the dagger, slipped under the crevices of her cherry blossom gown, weighed heavily. between the lord's swaying and the tapping of the ladies' heels, she gracefully maneuvered through the crowds of smug filtrations and careless laughs.
his piercing eyes caught hers, and a smug smirk clung onto that enchanting face of his. swirling a lady or two, he casually made his way to her. their eyes met once more, except one held a wicked gleam and other of feigned disgust.
"m'lady" he bowed, his face hovering inches away from hers, "a dance?"
with such a gleaming smile, her chin lifted and her stubborn eyes shot right back into his, "perhaps"
away they danced, hands tightly holding onto each other, heated gazes that never seemed to drift away, and a tension so burning, so crippling, the lords and ladies shifted their footsteps and a silent pathway was made.
dance, twirl, dance they did. all the way to the quiet balcony, away from the heated ballroom and into the chilly night where fiery affaires occurred and ladies seduction ran wild.
shivering even more, the dagger a silent reminder of her bidding, slightly dug into her skin. quickly she turned to her devil of a dancing partner, yet before she could grab the dagger, a warm jacket coat was placed onto her bare shoulders.
shocked, she let go of the dagger and stared into his bewitching eyes in disbelief. cheeks flushed. her heart slowly but surely beating faster and faster.
his eyes glistening and she saw them crinkle like a private laugh was just shared. dipping his head down to reach her eyes and casually shoving his tattooed hands into his pockets, he smiled.
a smile unlike his previous sly smirks and smug snickers.
a smile that made her breathe grow heavy.
oh dear.
she slowly began to back up. further and further until her back was cornered into the balcony's wall. he inched forward with a look of amusement. his eyes briefly traveled to her lips and she caught a breath.
"my, my, my. were you about to kill me?" he mockingly laughed, dangling her dagger in front of her.
her blushed burned even more so, yet swiftly she twisted his hands, pushed her weight and pined him into the same corner she was in a second ago.
"maybe, maybe i was." she sweetly smiled, tightly holding the dagger to his chin.
yet even as he was pushed against the wall, he looked perfectly calm and the same arrogance resurfaced. pushing her off of him, he skidded away and pulled the gun hidden beneath his pockets.
they silently stood a few feet across from one another, each holding their weapon of choice.
enemies to lovers they say,
how cliche they scoff,
but maybe they just can't. do. it.
maybe love just wasn't enough
love just wasn't enough to stop their fates from colliding
and leaving behind two broken hearts and a spillage of cold blood
"so, this is how it'll end. the chase is coming to an end. i should be relieved, shouldn't i?" he murmured, a little too faintly, his arrogance long gone and she saw a speckle of tear dust flicker through those wicked eyes of his.
"a year is a long time to be running, isn't it. we both had orders we have to follow through with." she whispered, looking to the shimmering night sky in hopes he wouldn't catch the same tear dust forming.
"ha well it's been a good run though, maybe i enjoyed it a little too much."
"me too."
they stood inches away from one another, both weak caught in emotion, both holding their weapons to each other, yet both not moving.
"maybe in another lifetime, one that favored us," her voice broke, "maybe we could've been lovers"
"maybe."
*click
*bang
