November Dreams (M.C.)

Chapter Forty-Two (Michael's POV)

We spent the rest of the day doing little things I knew she lived for; eating ice cream, walling through shops, laughing at dorky outfits tourists were wearing. Most of all I was trying to keep her from fans. They didn't always have the best reactions to me being with girls, and even if I loved this one that didn't mean it would change how some of them felt. A few times, I could see girls pointing at me from across the street, but when that happened I steered November in the opposite direction as fast as I could. I knew something would happen eventually, but I didn't want that to be today.

The day began to wind down and I could see her yawning here and there, tiny outbursts of her minty breath mixing with the surrounding air.

"Sleepy, bug?"

She nodded between yawns, her eyes a bit droopy.

"Let's go back to the bus, sugar."

"But I don't want to go back yet," she pouted.

I couldn't help but smile at her; the state she was in reminded me of our mischievous nights back in the day. We would stay out way too late, causing mayhem with our debauchery until Nove got too tired and I would have to carry her back to her house. I would tuck her into bed as she nuzzled up to my side, my t-shirt just a little too big on her.

"What do you want to do, bug?"

She looked up at the darkening sky, a tiny smile on forming on her tired, yet perfect lips. She looked back down at me, her eyes sparking and then, just then, I knew what she wanted to do.

//

"I remember when we used to chase the stars all around the city. Every night a new place, but always the same stars above us."

She nuzzled into me as I wrapped my jacket around the both of us. We sat perched on a cliff overlooking the sea, both in awe of its lustrous shimmer and its ebb of secrets.

"Those were the days," I kissed the top of her head as she let out a heavy sigh.

"Something wrong, Nove?"

She shifted in my arms, getting even closer and eventually ending up in my lap.

"Nothing could be wrong right now," she breathed, a yawn drawing out the last few syllables of her reply. I squeezed her tighter as she looked up at the sky.

"You have no idea how much I missed all of this."

My breath caught in my throat a bit. Sitting here with her was still something I couldn't wrap my head around. A few months ago I thought she was...

Tears started to well up in my eyes as the events of past months were pulled back into the spotlight of my memory. I tried to hold them back, but I just ended up breathing oddly and in shaken breath; I knew she wouldn't miss a beat and would eventually catch me.

"Michael, are you okay?"

See?

"Yeah, I'm fine," I smiled as hard as I could while forcing my tears back, but her eyes told me she wasn't buying it.

She pulled away and turned around to face me, taking my hands in hers even though there was quite a size difference. She let out a quick sigh before squeezing my cold hands delicately.

"Michael, talk to me. Please, I don't want us keeping things from each other. Not now, not ever."

She held my gaze intently, pleading with me to open myself up to her once more. This was hard; I had felt weak for so long. I dint want to be weak anymore, especially around her. I wanted to be her hero, the one to save her. I couldn't be that if I was in shambles every time these memories came back to haunt me.

I guess I still wasn't alright. There was still one thing haunting me in the very back of my mind.

"I'm okay, Nove. Really," I lied.

"Are you sure?" Her eyes questioned me.

"I guess I just still can't believe you're here," I smiled weakly.

She mirrored me, her smile small yet kind. She brought my hand up to her lips and kissed each knuckle gently.

"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else than here, under these stars with the boy I love."

She snuggled back into me on the cliff, stars dancing above our heads. They held all of our secrets, these stars. I hoped they would keep them so we wouldn't have to. We all have burdens to bear, and I feared that mine was getting to be too great.

She wanted honesty, she wanted the truth. But I was afraid that the truth would kill her.

So we lay there, tangled up in the nighttime air like we used to do back when things were simpler. And as much as I craved the simpler times, I was sure that things would never be simple again.

But I could still hope.

I would always hope.