Wishful Adventures | An Original Story

(Ch 4) The First Wish

Over the next month and a half, just about, Josh took Sapphire to visit all the places he'd planned to take them, the museum, the animal sanctuary, the boardwalk, but he saved a few for more special occasions, and for good reason.

During all of these little adventures, Josh and Sapph had gotten to know each other very well. On their trip to the boardwalk, Sapphire even said,

"You know, Josh...you're the first master I've ever called...'friend.'"

Josh had been very touched by that, and honestly a bit surprised. With so many masters over the course of thousands of years, he thought Sapph would have at least called one of them a friend. Apparently not.

"Well, Sapph," he had replied, "you're the first person I've called 'friend' for a while. 'S nice to have one now, who's also a roommate!"

The two shared a few soft chuckles at that.

"And it's also pretty cool that that roommate is a genie," Josh continued, "especially since genies can do this."

Josh gently placed his hands below Sapphire's cheeks, and pulled their head off with a pop! He looked them in the eye with a wide grin, and Sapphire's head giggled, their body shaking as they laughed. Their eyes sparkled the same way they always did, the same way that always made Josh's cheeks turn a little pink. He popped their head back onto their body, and they finished their trip down the boardwalk.

What was only two months felt like years to Sapphire and Joshua, as they had spent so much fun and amazing time together, and had become very close friends...and were about to be even more.

This evening, Josh decided to sit with Sapphire on the balcony, where they could look out at the cold-e-sac of Josh's house, the city lights behind it, and the twinkling stars as they slowly appeared, one by one, in the purple evening sky. The two sat in two of the deck chairs, with steaming mugs of tea Josh had made.

"Y'know, Josh," Sapphire said into the silence, turning to look at him, "I know you're tired of hearing it, but, you've still got three wishes."

Josh let out a soft chuckle, still looking at the stars. Then he looked toward the ground with a soft smile.

"I've actually been thinking about it," he said, turning to look up at Sapph. "And y'know what? I think I'm ready to make my first wish."

Sapphire's eyes instantly lit up, and they stood up out of their chair dutifully.

"What is your first wish, Master?" they asked with a smile.

Josh stood up to be level with them, trying to contain all of his excitement into his face, so as to not give too much away.

"I've really noticed how much you've enjoyed getting to see and experience the world for yourself," he began, "and I want to extend your reach of experience further!

"Sapphire, I wish," as Josh said those two words, sparkly golden particles rose into the air like glitter, "for your freedom!"

Sapphire gasped, and a gold glow surrounded their body, along with the glittery particles.

"Your wish is my command!" they gasped, beginning to smile.

They began to float above the ground, the gold glow and particles seeming to get brighter. They looked surprised as they held their arms out, seeming compelled to, the golden cuffs around their wrists glimmering and shining bright. Josh had always noticed those, and now he realized they were probably what symbolically bound a genie to their master. The cuffs split open, and floated up from Sapphire's wrists! The golden particles moved from Sapphire to the cuffs, spiraling around them as they suspended themselves in the air between Sapphire and Josh. They spun faster, and faster, until a small burst of golden glow and glitter made the cuffs disappear!

Poof! Gone!

Sapphire and Josh paused for a moment, both of them clearly shocked, looking at each other. Sapphire looked down at their cuff-free wrists, breathing a bit heavily. They began to smile, in a certain way Josh knew only one expression: euphoria!

"I'm free," Sapphire breathed, "I'm free!" they repeated, a bit louder. "I'M FREE!"

They flew right up to Joshua, laughing and hugging him tightly.

"Thank you Josh, thank you for everything!" they cried. "Thank you thank you thank you!"

Josh began to laugh as well, as he hugged Sapphire back. "Awe, you're welcome, Sapph," he said kindly. "I'm just doing you a favor I think you deserve."

The two pulled back, and Sapph's eyes still sparkled.

"You've done me so many favors," they said. "I owe you so much!"

"No, you don't owe me anything," Josh said, still kindly.

"But you've done so much for me," said Sapphire. "You're my friend! My only friend! So, even though I don't have my wish magic anymore, I'm still going to grant your every wish."

They smiled at that last part, really meaning it. Josh truly didn't feel that Sapphire owed him anything, but they were right about one thing: he was their friend...but not for long. His cheeks flushed a bit red as he gathered his nerve.

"Thanks Sapph," he said. "I really appreciate that....And there's something I'd like to add as part of my first wish."

His knee bent repeatedly, patting his heel against the ground as it did. This was one of Josh's nervous stims that he really couldn't control. Along with that were his pounding heart and his face getting warm. Sapphire seemed to find his red cheeks cute, for they wore an endeared smile.

"And what would that be?" they asked.

Joshua took a deep breath to maintain his composure, and looked Sapphire in their sweet sparkling eyes. As an autist, Josh sometimes found it hard to make eye contact with others, but he felt so comfortable around Sapph that it was that much more bearable. He racked his brain, and his nerve, picking out the words he'd saved just for this occasion, and consciously trying his best not to slip up.

"Sapphire," he began, "it really makes me happy to see you happy, and I really enjoy spending time with you. I don't know if I've ever felt as happy as this, but I can't imagine a world without you in it, not just as a free genie, but as my friend...and...my partner."

Sapphire's sparkling eyes widened at that, and Joshua's eyes twinkled in return, as he gently grasped Sapphire's hands in his own.

"Sapphire...will you go out with me?"

There it was. The big question, and Josh knew from the heat that his whole bony face had gone completely red, snout and all. His eyes still twinkled, though, as did Sapphire's, as they began to smile.

"Yes!" they cried. "I'd love to, Josh, yes!"

They hugged Joshua again, and he immediately hugged back. The warmth of the love seemed to spread through Josh's body on this cool evening, and his heart pumped with joy and excitement. And before Joshua knew what he was doing, he gently grabbed Sapphire's head below their cheeks, popped it off their neck, and brought it up to his lips to kiss Sapphire's cheek.

Sapphire's head looked stunned, their body hugging Josh a little tighter. They blushed, and smiled at him, then he popped their head back onto their neck, and hugged them back.

"You've waited a long time to say that, haven't you?" Sapph asked with a grin.

"Doesn't change how much I meant it," Josh replied. "And you've been waiting for freedom, haven't you?"

Sapphire hugged Josh even tighter, a happy tear slowly falling down their cheek.

"Yes. Yes I have."