Hidden Meanings

When I See You Again [Cale]

Placed in the future, when Cas is 28 and Aileen is 21

"Hey, Sharklord. Today's the day, you know."

I sighed, allowing my hand to drop from where I attempted to tame my choppy spikes. The action did nothing, leaving my shaggy locks as messy as ever.

"You know, I'm probably going to cut my hair after I...marry Lusitania," I mused.

My brother cocked his head to the side. "As the old man said, you two would get married in six years' time in exchange for the end of the war. That was when we were twenty-two..."

Shooting Mo a look, I hastily adjusted my tie. "Yeah. I know, I offered myself up. You proposed to Lynn, yes?"

Mo nodded in confirmation. His cloudy-blue eyes probed me for a moment for any sign of worry before dropping to the floor. "Sis...she'll be upset."

"Will you please stop referring to Aileen as 'Sis'? It's over, I don't see her anymore."

It was by accident when I snapped. My heart had recoiled at his nickname for her, and I had only made it worse by saying her name out loud. As expected, my chest went numb, as if it was attempting to block off all the former feelings I harbored.

"Sorry, sorry," my brother murmured. "I didn't mean to get under your skin. I mean...you still..."

He left the sentence unfinished. Have feelings for her.

I gave him a small nod, barely noticeable before going back to fixing my tie.

"After six years, I would've thought they would've dissipated...but 'hell no' says my heart. Every night, I see her smiles, hear her laughs... dammit..."

My heart hurt. It felt like my chest was going to give in, give in to the burning behind my eyes and the train of a feel wreck any moment.

"I can't stand it," I muttered, shutting my eyes and banging my fist against the wall.

My frustration and longing was then combined when something- stinging my skin and hot- slid down my cheeks.

"Casper," Mo whispered, and came over to my side, kneeling. His fingers brushed against my cheek and I glanced away at the sight of the clear teardrop on his fingernail. "You're crying."

"I know, goddammit," I hissed. Another image flashed to my eyes, having slipped past my mind's barriers. The picture of her smiling caused me to close my eyes.

"I can't do this."

Mo cast a fleeting glance at the doorway. "Go up to the marriage, Sharklord. And when they ask about the pledge, say no."

I opened my eyes, lifting my hand from where it had unconsciously tangled into my hair. "...that sounds good enough."

OoO

My 'wife' wasn't even human in my eyes.

With dark skin but fair hair as well as no pupils in her milky eyes, Lusitania would be beautiful except for the aura she cast. It was dark. Demented. Purely evil.

"Hello, Casper," she said, turning with a small swish of her blue-and-silver dress. Her hair whipped around despite the fact the movement seemed elegant, graceful, and measured- clearly practiced. 

"Lady Lusitania," I said, dropping into a quick bow. I hated the way she spoke my name. I wanted her, Aile, to say my nickname, not that accused creature speaking my real name.

If you haven't noticed, I hated Lusitania. It built up after six years. Yes, I had fallen into her charm the first several times, but...details.

My action caused her to giggle lightly, pressing the heel of her wrist to her mouth to stop herself from laughing. "You're so fancy, Casper. No need."

I straightened, reaching out to touch a sliver of snow-blonde hair that fell past her ears while the rest was gathered in a braid and wrapped in a bun. "You look beautiful today."

Not exactly a lie. Lusitania was beautiful and mysteriously elegant, despite the fact her blonde hair and dark skin clashed. Perfect, like the Mary Sues I had seen in fan fictions.

"And you look dashing," she responded. 

The conversation was fake. Almost rehearsed. I lifted my arm to allow her to link hers in mine, and she did so. Leading her down the hall, my mind spun. If I had complimented her, she would've flushed, swatted my arm, huffed, then turn away while blushing. Lusitania did...nothing. 

"Casper?"

I 'came to', only to realize I had ripped my arm away from the blonde's grasp. 

"No more."

Lusitania's brow furrowed, her cloud-colored eyes staring into mine. "Casper, dear?"

"I said no more. Stop acting like you love me and I love you."

"I never said I love you," she said, a nonchalant edge to her tone. "This is what my father wanted, that is all. He said no restrictions to killing you after we were married."

I tensed, tufts of brown hair falling into my eyes as they darted between the exit behind the said girl, the one off to my left, and the pull-down exit above me. 

"Besides, I have someone else I love."

Was it just chance or fate we said that at the same time? Lusitania turned to leave out of the exit behind her while I dashed for the door. Knowing she won't hurt or try to stop me, I slowed my gait down to a brisk walk. 

"Mo!" My voice was only raised in the slightest, but the call was loud enough for my brother to poke his head out of the coat rack. "What are you..doing in the...coat rack?"

"Spying," my brother shrugged. "Nothing new. I assume you're going to see Sis?"

Again with the nickname. My heart almost seemed to squeeze a little- maybe out of excitement. "Yeah. I am."

OoO

Let me clarify something: She hasn't changed at all. 

I leaned against the brick pillar of the park archway, studying her from the distance. Just like before, when we met- a encounter by the hands of fate- she was near the fountain. Her head tilted to the side, the way she bit her lip and paused before scribblings nonstop for maybe 30 seconds, then took a rest for a set of seconds while she doodled mindlessly. It was all familiar to me. 

"Aileen," I called. "Aile."

She didn't respond, just endlessly writing a sentence without stopping. 

That is, until her lead snapped.

I was close enough to hear the mumbled curse under her breath as she clicked her mechanical pencil some more, but only the slightest bit of lead came out. She held the end of the pencil for a few moments to pull it out before rummaging in her bag for a new line of lead.

I was almost too scared to go out there. I was scared. 

So, in response to the coward I was at the time, I had pulled my cell-phone out of my pocket and clicked her contact, bringing it to my ear.

It rung once. Twice. A third time.

She picked up.

"Hey, Aile. It's me, Cas. Casper Dalles. Nice seeing you after five years. Yeah. Can I tell you something? Yeah. Love you. No, Aileen, I'm not joking. Love you."