'As we fade in the dark, just remember you will always burn as bright.'
she caught him staring at the ceiling of her appartment, smiling to himself.
"not exactly the same view we get outside, right?" she asked, looking at the plastic stars she had stuck on her ceiling.
"they obviously don't shine as much as the ones that we gaze at, but i like them."
she sat down next to him on the couch and let her head rest on his shoulder. after their fight, she found herself looking for reasons to touch him. perhaps she wanted to make sure he was there and hadn't left her. it was terrifying to think he almost had.
she wasn't the kind of person to believe that she couldn't do without him. she just didn't want to let him go when she felt this happy around him. maybe it was selfish, but she had never pretended to be a saint. most people in love weren't always selfless anyway. they always wanted something from the one they loved. they might want something that didn't cost a thing, like a smile or something that was expensive, like a diamond ring. but rarely did people love from a distance, not requiring any attention from the object of their affection.
she was at peace with this view on love, but she knew he wouldn't be. love was something pure and beautiful to him, like a delicate glass scultpure. he didn't realize that it was also easily destroyed.
but the differences in their beliefs had never been an issue. it just added to their desire of understanding the other. they looked at each other like they had found a new country which would take years to fully discover. endless secrets and stories were within reach, but it would take time to know every single one.
she knew that he thought his color-blindness was his biggest secret. he had been convinced it would drive her away. but to her, it was just another fact about him. she knew it was one that meant she would've have to adjust her lifestyle, but she didn't mind.
"i really wish i could see the colors of your painting," he said mournfully, as if he had heard her thoughts.
"you don't have to be able to see color to appreciate art. art is about emotions. if a piece of art makes you feel something, it has achieved its purpose," she told him.
"but aren't colors supposed to make you feel too? i've heard people describe certain colors as emotions and felt like i'm missing out on something special."
she realised he had a point and wondered how she could explain the feelings that different colors could evoke. an plan formed in her mind and she started to carry it out.
she gently lifted his hand and entwined the fingers of her own with his.
"to me, this feels like yellow," she explained, gesturing to their hands.
a smile spread across his face at her words.
she put her hands around his waist and pulled him into a hug.
"this feels like orange."
she traced patterns on his back with her nimble fingers.
"this feels like a light shade of blue."
she pulled away and held his face in her hands. his eyes were shining so bright they almost made her lose her train of thought. before she could forget, she leaned in and kissed him leisurely. the world could've ended and she would have simply ignored it.
"that felt like red," she stated when she broke away. "which is coincidentally, the color of your face right now."
he shook his head, but his ears seemed to be blushing as well, so there was no use trying to deny it.
"thank you," he whispered. "for showing me that my life might not be colorless after all."
two sleepless souls met on a summer's night but they now understood that they had never needed the darkness or starlight to truly find each other.
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Sleepless is now complete! I'm really happy that I managed to finish this story as it has come to mean a lot to me. I hope you enjoyed reading it and won't hesitate to leave feedback.
