Money Trees

3 ✮ marvel

  Apollo's eyes were glued to the window as the cab zoomed through Paris. The driver had promised to take them on a scenic route to the hotel after they informed him of their plans to explore Paris falling through.

  Charles de Gaulle Airport to the wonderful Château de Versailles to the dazzling Champs-Élysées.

  Mai had seen it all before. Multiple times. With ex-flings, with family, with friends and even with royalty one time (the prince of Sweden knew how to have fun) but this time trumped them all. The backseat view with an awestruck Apollo by her side was easily the best fun she had ever had.

Every now and then he would look away from the window and insist on snapping a photo of Mai and she found herself becoming more and more comfortable with her new role as his muse.

  "Can we stop at the Eiffel tower, s'il vous plaît?" Mai asked as her eyes fell on the glittering landmark.

  Apollo nodded enthusiastically. "Great idea."

  The driver agreed and pulled to a stop. "You will have to walk the rest of the way but I will wait here."

  "Merci," Apollo chirped in a deplorable French accent that made Mai giggle.

  They seemed to be the only people there. Everyone else has the common sense to stay in doors on such a cold night. It was strangely quiet and Mai almost felt like they were the only people in the world.

They were quiet as they made their way to the tower. Apollo's finger kept brushing against Mai's and she accidentally kept walking into him due to her inability to walk in a straight line. Neither of them minded though. The warm proximity in the freezing cold was welcomed by both of them.

"Wow," Apollo sighed, once they reached the area under the Eiffel Tower.

"What do you think?"

"It's spectacular..."

Mai nodded. "I found it to be super anti-climactic the first time I came here. It was so busy and loud and the queues were so long. And I remember asking myself what was so special about this giant iron thing. It just reminded me of an electricity tower. But I've never been here at night. And there's something about the lack of people that's just so... tranquil."

"It's just you, me and the Paris lights."

Mai smiled. "Exactly."

"Can I take another photo of you?"

  "A photo? At the Eiffel Tower? How original!" Mai joked, making a face at Apollo as he took his camera out.

  "The Eiffel Tower isn't my main focus for the photo..." He replied casually while adjusting the settings on his camera.

  "Then what is?"

  He paused to look at her as if the answer was obvious. To be fair, it was. But Mai just wanted to hear him say it.

"The supernova standing in front of me."

  The flash went off just as Mai reacted to what he said, a goofy smile appearing on her face.

  "Thank you," He said after finishing with his camera.

  A serene silence settled between them. Mai's hand found itself slipping into Apollo's. Both their necks had been curved back to focus their attention on the display above them but suddenly Mai's attention seemed to swerve towards their interlocked hands.

  "This moment definitely ranks in my top ten life moments," Apollo admitted.

  Mai chuckled. "Holding hands with a stranger under the Eiffel Tower in freezing temperatures?"