Imagines of All Kinds

safety

"You can't be here." 

I spin around from where I am, the voice coming from no where. Although it's pretty dark out, I can make out it's a boy about my age with darker curly hair and wearing quite possibly the most confusing costume ever. 

"Who are you even supposed to be?" I ignore his comment and instead zone in on his supposed costume.

"You can't just ignore what I said." He leans against the tree he just came from, waiting. I stare back, waiting for his response. "Fine. I'm the American Dream." With that, I snort. And immediately cover my mouth from embarrassment.

"At least I didn't just snort."

"That's not fair! I was just... not expecting that answer!" I stand up from the log I was just sitting on and take a few steps towards him.

"You asked me what I was, so I thought you'd at least have thought of possibilities."

"You literally have on an American flag onesie and a sleeping eye mask on your head." He shrugs, just staring back at me with a lazy smirk, waiting. "And we live in Canada." I make sure to add dryly. 

Taking after me, he snorts and covers his mouth even quicker, turning around to hide the blush that follows. "You just snorted!" I take a few more hurried steps towards him, pointing.

"Well... I-"

"You just didn't think your costume through very much," I interrupt. 

"I think I actually thought it through too much, but nonetheless. We have to come back to you not being allowed to be here."

"If I can't be here, then why are you?" Hands on my hips and a few steps closer, I am now only a few feet away from him and... I think I find him vaguely familiar.

"You...it's... um never mind you can be here." He looks away, starting to back away. I get a rush of confusion, shaking my head at how easy he backed off.

"Wait- stop!" I catch up to him easily, stepping in front of him. The light hits him perfectly and I have a perfect view of him.

"Sam?" I whisper, not believing it.

"Hey, Daisy." He shrugs, staring down at the ground. I can feel my stomach turn, all confidence I once had gone at the reminder of a long lost nickname.

"What are you doing here?" I can feel my throat start to close, not quite being able to get a deep breath. "How are you here?" I suddenly feel warm... too warm. I can feel my face heat up, like I'm being cooked from the inside out.

"Lilleth? Lils? Are you okay? What's going on?" I can hear him. But my vision is starting to blur. 

"I can't..." 

"Lilleth! Lils! Daisy!" When I think I'm too far gone, I feel the familiar grip of his arms wrapping around my back, holding me to him. I can feel his heart beat, and it's going way too fast. But, his steady thrum on my spine, the sound of his heart in my ears and the feeling of his strong arms pull me back into reality. 

I blink a few times, trying to catch my breath. My eyes focus on the man staring at me, eyes filled with a terror of worry and I know this is real. 

"You're here. How are you here?" I whisper out, not trusting my voice.  He doesn't say anything, only looking at me like a treasure, tears in his eyes. "Why did you leave?" I can hear my voice break.

He takes a deep breath. "The last time that happened, I thought I killed you. I thought I had done it to you and that I lost you forever. I left after they put you in the hospital from your seizure. I thought I was protecting you from ever going through that again." His voice is raw, the memory coming back to him clearer then it was for me.

"When my mom said you had left, I did die. A part of me died because I thought you wanted nothing to do with me. That you never did. I thought you had been playing a trick on me the whole time we were together," my tears mix with his in the dirt below us. 

"Lilleth, I never pretended. You have been the realest part of my life. I'm sorry." With those words, I feel freer than I've ever felt before. I feel like I can finally breathe again.

"Do you still love me?" I only barely whisper it, wishing that what I've always thought is wrong.

"I never stopped." I smile so bright I feel like myself again. I reach my hands to his face, bringing him close to me once again, kissing him with the hope and love that has been stored inside me all these years. He wraps his arms tighter around me, bringing me even closer to him.  

I'm never letting go now.