Sanguine: a love story

Chapter One: When We Were Little...

I, Aeron, was already in love with you.

When you fell into the shallow creek behind town, giggled and grinned and asked for my help up, I knew I wanted to spend the entirety of my life with you. Live out the remainder of my time on Earth with your hand in mine; whether that be for the briefest of moments or for decades to come.

Lillith is her name. She had grinned a brilliant, shining smile up at me, showing straight white teeth save for one that was slightly crooked.

When I was little, some of the neighbourhood boys had stolen the bright yellow toy truck I had been playing with in the sandbox of my front yard. My mother hadn't seen anything but had believed me. She had gone inside to fetch me some mango slices. She knew they were my favourite. I had put on a smile for her, but continued sobbing on the steps of my front porch.

Lillith had been riding past my house on a cute, bright pink scooter with blue streamers waving freely from the handles. She came to an abrupt stop and dropped her scooter, hurrying into the front yard and crouching down on the step before me.

'Are you okay?' She'd asked, her honey-brown eyes aglow with concern. 'Was somebody mean to you?'

I had tried to reply. Tried to tell her that the stupid neighbourhood boys stole my toy. But when nothing came out, only feeble squeaks, Lillith just rubbed the top of my head before taking me into a tight embrace. She was so warm... The reassurance and the relief just flooded my system and I immediately felt safe... Calm...

I stopped crying.

We had stayed this way for a few more minutes, with Lillith still rubbing the top of my head as I hiccupped, and then she drew back, smiling her adorable smile.

'Feel better?' She asked as the sounds of footsteps pattered up from behind her.

When we both turned to look at who was approaching, we spotted a dusty little boy with scrapes all over his arms and legs. He was covered in dirt and he was holding my bright yellow toy truck.

I had immediately recognised him as the kid that had been loitering around behind his friends who had teased and taken the toy from me.

When he returned it I felt even happier, thanking him constantly as Lillith asked him why he was all beat up. To this day, he, Azazel never told us why. But it wasn't that difficult to figure out what had happened.

My mother soon came out with the mango slices and the three of us became fast friends after that single, chance encounter.

When we were little, we would spend days and days in each other's company doing whatever it was we wanted. Or, doing whatever our parents would let us do anyway. They wouldn't let us traverse into the creek behind the town until we were older.

On a particular day at sixteen years of age, Azazel, Lillith and I hurried on into that creek for the umpteenth time. Azazel was curious about the red-bellied frogs that we found hopping around near the stream, so we were often at the creek that year...

I remember that while he was conducting his research a little ways away, Lillith and I were playing in the stream, splashing each other as the sun showered us in sunbeams through the thicket of foliage above us.

A red-bellied frog suddenly jumped onto a rock near us, startling Lillith who squealed and fell into the stream on her bottom. I had gasped, my heart plunging in fear as Azazel shouted if she was alright.

As the sunbeams danced across her bright features Lillith giggled and assured him that she was alright. She had grinned a brilliant, shining smile up at me, showing straight white teeth save for one that was slightly crooked. Her long eyelashes fluttered, having gathered dewdrops of the stream in the fall.

'Lillith...'

She held her hand up to me.

'Aeron~! Help me up pretty please!'

In that very moment, I'd fallen in love with her.

I slowly opened my eyes, my chest tight with despair as I now gazed at Azazel and Lillith a few feet away from me, all of us now twenty-three years of age.

'Lillith, do you... Could I...'

'Ahaha just spit it out Aza.'

'Please be my girlfriend.'

Everything continued to move in slow-motion, frame by clickity frame. Lillith's innocent look of surprise, Azazel's jaw set in determination as his fingers fidgeted anxiously at his side.

Nothing but remorse and regret overwhelmed me as I realised that the next frame depicted our smiley Lillith.

'Sure~'

I'm too late.