SNAKESKIN (Tangerine) ✓

二十七

The Cobra

Sitting beside the crystal blue lake always filled me with a sense of calm. I had been living on the outskirts of a small town for a few months now and I finally felt content with life.

Turns out, Lemon had made it out as well, having jumped from the train and into a lake before the crash. He and Tangerine were here with me. We had decided to lay low for a little while as we didn't know if the White Death's associates would come after us or not.

"Bronte?" I turned around as Tangerine wandered down the path from the cottage. He shot me a smile, sitting beside me on the grass, by the edge of the water. I leaned my head against his shoulder as he wrapped an arm around me, drawing me in. "You good?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I'm alright." I looked up at him, turning my head slightly to face him more directly. "How are you, Tang?"

"Well, let's see" He tilted his head down, planting a soft kiss on my forehead. My lips involuntarily broke out in a wide grin and he chuckled lightly at me. "I'm fucking brilliant."

I rolled my eyes, the smile lingering as I turned back to watch the waves that lapped rhythmically against the shore. It was so serene; sitting in Tangerine's arms in the middle of nowhere. There was no where else I would rather be. My only complaint was that I couldn't stay here forever.

"You're so immature." He squeezed me tighter, rubbing my arm gently, despite my halfhearted insult. "Why do I tolerate you?"

"Because you love me?" He leant back, raising an eyebrow as if daring me to disagree. "Right?"

I sighed, shaking my head in defeat. "I do love you."

"Good." Tangerine dropped his arm from around my shoulders and stood up. He leaned down, offering me his hand. I took it and he pulled me to my feet. "Because this next part would be really awkward if you didn't."

I narrowed my eyes suspiciously as he loosened his grip on my hand. He didn't drop it though, instead pulled me along the path that meandered its way around the big lake.

We walked in comfortable silence, taking in the sights and sounds of the quiet forest. There were very few people around and we didn't run into any of them on our stroll. After about twenty minutes we reached a small clearing by the water's edge. It was a grassy field, spanning about ten metres and scattered with pastel-coloured flowers. It was beautiful.

"What do you think?" Tangerine said, gesturing around as he took an aimless step into the centre of the expanse. The sun spilled into the clearing like a warm spotlight, illuminating him like an actor on stage. It suited him—the spotlight. My eyes were involuntarily drawn to him and I couldn't look away.

I took a small step into the sunlight, admiring the rainbow of flowers at my feet. "It's gorgeous." I leaned down and plucked a daisy from the ground, lifting it up to my eyes. It was vibrant, white and yellow, contrasting each other in an unusual fellowship. It reminded me of my relationship with the Twins—unconventional and strange, but it just worked.

I stood back up and held the daisy out to Tangerine, an innocent smile on my face. "For you." He chuckled, but took the flower from my fingertips nonetheless. He admired it briefly, then tucked it into the top button hole of his shirt. "Perfect."

We lapsed into comfortable silence. The only sounds were that of the bubbling water and the rustle of the trees. It was truly peaceful. But, a small pool of anxiety was brewing in my chest. I was unable to ignore Tangerine's prior comment; an obvious insinuation, as if I was supposed to understand what he was referring to. But I didn't. I felt like I was in a maze and he had the map. I was completely lost.

So I turned to face him and he looked up to meet my gaze. "What did you bring me here for?" He just continued to smile, not giving anything away. "Is this where you kill me?"

"You wish." He reached into the pocket of his pants, rummaging around for a few moments. When he removed his hand, he was holding a small box, concealed in his fist. "No, it's better than that."

I observed him curiously as he took a significant step back, his eyes locked on mine. He looked nervous, like he was contemplating something and I eyed him cautiously, waiting for him to make a move.

"Okay," he muttered under his breath, dropping his gaze to the ground as he crouched down. I watched in uncontained awe as he rested one knee on the forest floor, the other bent at a ninety degree angle in front of him. He returned his gaze to me with a nervous smile. "Here we fuckin' go."

"What are you doing?" I whispered, unable to tear my eyes from the box still in Tangerine's hand. He was smiling broadly, chuckling at my shocked reaction. "What the fuck is this?"

"Don't you see?" He asked rhetorically-—bviously I could see. He opened the box, revealing a sparkling diamond ring, nestled within royal purple silk that lined the inside of the box. "I want you to marry me." My jaw dropped to the floor as I marvelled at the gorgeous ring. I couldn't respond; my brain was completely fried and it was impossible to form a coherent thought. "Will you?"

He watched me expectantly, the hopeful gleam in his eyes making it difficult for me to speak. I knew what I wanted to say. Not a shadow of a doubt crossed my mind. I just couldn't summon the words to tell him. I was in a trance, rooted to the spot like a deer in headlights.

His smile didn't waver though. He just waited penitently, his eyes shining brightly as they scanned my shocked face. He raised an eyebrow, urging me to respond, so I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath to calm my racing heart.

"Yes."

Tangerine stood up, his eyes full of excitement. "Really?" He took the ring from the box, grabbing my left hand gently. "You really want to?"

"I do." I nodded quickly, as he slid the beautiful ring onto my finger. It glistened in the sunlight and I could do nothing but marvel at it. "I had no idea..."

"I wanted it to be a surprise," Tangerine explained, pulling me into a tight hug. He pressed a kiss to my forehead, resting his chin on my shoulder. "Lemon said it would be better that way."

I chuckled, my head leaning against his shoulder as the happy tears began to spill from my eyes. Tangerine leaned back, shooting me a concerned look. "Are you okay?" I nodded, wiping my wet cheeks and displaying a bright smile on my face. He smiled. "Good."

A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed that chapter. I got so much positive feedback on the last chapter so I just want to say thank you!

Today's question is; if there was a bullet train spinoff about a certain character, who would you want it to be about? I would probably say Maria. I w!ant to know her backstory.

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