Anwen sat down on the grassy hill with a string of flowers in her lap, forming a circlet of tiny daisies. May watched with a smile as her friend expertly tied the fine knots in the stems, eyeing the white petals bleached orange from the sunset. The poor elf tried to teach her how to make flower crowns, but it ended up with ripped stems and fingers stained white and green from the juices of the plant. She looked down at her hands only to have the newly-formed crown placed softly in them.
<It's for you.> Anwen smiled briefly, flashing her slightly too-pointy, pointed teeth.
May put it on her head and giggled. <Thank you, it's beautiful.>
The air had started to cool, it was like the snowy caps of the mountainous region above started to blow down upon the tranquil summer sunset. A sudden gust of wind knocked her all the way down the hill, causing May to squeal in surprise. Looking up at the crest of the grass she saw Anwen giggling while scooting down the hill to catch up.
"Hey, that was you!" May shouted breathlessly.
Sneaky little- Well two can play at that game!
May placed her hand flat on the ground and the grass suddenly shot up a little taller, it started lacing itself into knots that caused Anwen to trip with a gasp. It was as if the lanky girl was flying through the air itself, she landed on top of May with a light grunt while struggling to catch her breath. She brushed a lock of wavy hair behind her ear and looked down with a little blush. Was she embarrassed? May locked eyes with the girl atop her and felt a flush in her chest, she wasn't used to people being this close to her in the slightest. Anwen scrambled upright so her nose wasn't pressing against May's verdant hairline anymore.
<Sorry.> She signed stiffly.
"N-nah-" May mumbled. <It's fine.>
Nobody moved first, the two girls were almost afraid to be the ones to move first, so instead they stared into eachothers eyes. Up this close, Anwen really looks as if she was sculpted from porcelain. Her skin had not a single freckle or blemish, it was almost unnaturally smooth. Her eyes were gray but the flecks scattered throughout almost reminded May of a robin's egg, but monochrome and glossy. Anwen was looking back at the shorter girl, gazing at the pale scar on her eyebrow that made her hair grow weird. Mapping the dark freckles on her walnut-colored skin that stretched down to her shoulders, her hazel eyes that were wide with surprise.
<Is it weird if I say you look beautiful right now?> The elf's movements were slow with hesitation.
What!? Did she seriously just... Oh Mother Goddess, what do I even say here!?
<You can't just say things like that! My heart feels like it'll go out from that!> May was practically vibrating from how snappily and erratic she was moving.
Anwen grabbed one of May's hands and placed it against her own chest, her face strangely blank even as May let out a string of pitchy notes of protest. The panicked woman finally clamped her mouth shut as she realized the erratic beat of the heart beneath her palm, looking up at the elf she saw an embarrassed pout on her face.
She's embarrassed... oh.
<Do you feel the same?> Anwen bit her lip as she signed.
<What way are you meaning?> May was trying to craft a way out of this, her head traveling at impossible speeds.
<I think we both know what way.>
May paused for a moment, mouth agape as she felt something run through her body equal parts freezing and burning. It seemed to bang around in her head like a clatter of a shovel on wood, leaving nothing but an echoing cacophony of noise in its wake. I mean she was fond of the elf of course, she was the one she first saw when waking up from her year-long nap. She nursed her back to health, showed her so many things she never would have seen had she stayed in her room for another year, brought a bit of joy back in her life too. Of course May adored her, she loved how kind she was, the pranks she pulled that reminded her of her better childhood, how she smelled like the forest and eased the aches of her homesickness. She was still homesick, as strained as her relationships were she missed her parents and the cabin, she wanted to find her sister again with all her heart. But being around Anwen, something about her lessened that burning pain that wedged scorching nails into her heart. Was this love? Did she like this mysterious and beautiful elf who wasn't even supposed to exist due to her being what she was? She went against everything her religion taught, yet something about that was delectable for it was taboo to her beliefs. Was it truly right to love someone because they made her feel better about living?
