Hawk Heart

24. A Shadow's Flight

It felt like a dream. 

The feeling of his warm body entwined with mine, his heart, beating so close to my chest, his scent, ensnaring all my senses in its intoxicating grip. I felt like I was floating in a timeless infinity, hoping the illusion would never break. 

But of course, it did. 

"I've been meaning to ask you," Zeph said after about half an hour as he pulled on his t-shirt, much to my disappointment. "Are you going to be at the carnival?"

I shook my head. "I might sneak in...lurk in the background." 

"Hm," he pursed his lips. I struggled to focus on his words rather than imagining how his mouth had felt.  

"Will you be there too?" I asked, remembering what he had said about causing chaos at the carnival.

He glanced at me once before shrugging. "If I feel like it."

It seemed to me like he was dodging the question. Although I couldn't tell for sure why. 

"By the way er..." I began, my heart dropping as he put on his shoes. "You can stay here tonight if you want. My dad won't notice."

In that second, I had only said it because of how much I was craving for his company. It wasn't until he smirked, his eyes twinkling mischievously that I realized what my words had sounded like. 

"Damn, someone's a little slutty," he winked. 

"It's not-" I stumbled over my words, my face burning. "You know what, just fuck off." 

He chuckled and then walked over to where I stood. He grabbed my chin in his fingers, lifting my face up to his, his playful smirk gone. "Thanks for tonight. And...everything." 

He framed my face, gently caressing my cheek as he held my gaze. He leaned in to kiss me, the hunger in his mouth leaving me breathless. The wild, uninhibited desire that made me feel weak in my knees. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, partly to satiate my unquenchable desire to touch him, and partly to keep myself standing lest I passed out from the lightheadedness. 

He leaned back again, his hands gripping mine as he spoke in a strangely weak voice. "I need to leave but...just...promise me you'll treasure this."

I nodded, although I couldn't help but feel a great sense of melancholy in his words. Was he regretting everything? Or perhaps, just stressed? 

"You'll hold on...to this," he whispered, his eyes glassy for a split second before they were back to normal. Maybe it was the moonlight playing tricks on my eyes. Or was it my own overwhelming emotions? 

I leaned my forehead against him, my heart aching at the imminent departure. But I knew I would remember every second, vividly. Every touch, every breath, every kiss. 

He traced the tip of his thumb along my bottom lip, his eyes never leaving mine before he pleaded for an assurance. "You will...won't you?"

And the way he looked at me, I was suddenly unaware of what direction the rose or set it, of what colour was the rainbow or the sky. But the one thing I was certain of, was I would remember every timeless second. I nodded, gazing back at him with a promise. 

"Always."

                                                                                                     *

The dawn had never been so beautiful.