Paradise: Birds Fly at Sunrise

First Kiss

Just a short little section of the first kiss. Just for you Rainbow_Time ;D

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            I perch on the edge of the Fountain and he sits next to me. Even with the slight pressure of a headache coming on, it feels amazing to be back in Paradise. I take a deep breath in, smelling the sweet freshness of the air, hearing the soft trickle of the fountain, feeling the warmth of the sun.

“I’ve missed it here,” I sigh.

“Me too,” he admits.

“I’ve missed...” I let the sentence trail off because I realise what I’m about to say. It’s true, I have missed him, but he’s hurt me and the words get stuck in my throat. I just repeat what I’ve already said: “I’ve missed it here.”

“Vi, I...” he starts, but I don’t let him.

“You need to promise me that you’ll never do that again. You’ll never keep me from here. There’s something about this place, Kaston, I need to be here.”

“I know,” he says, “I just...”

“And you,” I cut him off again. “You can’t do that. You can’t just stop talking to me because we don’t agree on something. We talk and we sort it out. No running, okay?”

He nods. “I’m so sorry, Vi. I just... I wanted to keep you safe. But I can’t keep you out of Paradise. I know that now.”

            I tell him it’s okay, but he’s only addressed half of the problem. I want him to tell me he’s sorry for how he ignored me and left me, not just for keeping me from Paradise. It wouldn’t have been nearly as bad if I hadn’t have lost Kaston too.

            The part of me that just wants things back to normal tries to think of something to say, but the other part – the part I can’t control or explain – wants to get up and leave. The result is sitting still, saying nothing.

            The Fountain sounds too loud, the sun not quite as warm. We sit in silence for a while. He knows something’s still wrong.

“Vi, I can’t tell you how sorry I am for the way I’ve acted. I should have talked to you but I...I didn’t want you to tell me what I already knew. I knew you had to be here. I knew I had to be here. But I didn’t do anything. I just... didn’t.” It doesn’t come out smooth, but in little nervous snippets, like it’s all he can do to say it.

“And I realised,” he continues, “that I hate being without you.”

When I don’t look at him, he puts his hand on my face and turns it gently towards him. I can’t decide if I like the feel of his palm on my jaw. I keep my eyes down. He says my name softly, but I still can’t look at him.

“Violet.” Says Kaston, harder this time. I’m so surprised he’s used my real name, I look up. It sends a jolt of grief through me, but not like it usually does - his voice has a cushioning effect.

“I pushed you away,” he whispers, his breath on my face. Our foreheads are touching and my breathing quickens. “And it’s made me realise how much I want you closer.”

            He closes the small gap between our lips and kisses me. I didn’t notice how tense I was until I breathe out a sigh and my whole body relaxes. His lips are soft and addictive, my heart feels like it’s half-melted and doubled in weight. I am feather-light and blissfully warm.

            And it is perfect. Not too long, but just long enough that I can register that very perfection. When it ends, we’re nose to nose, staring at each other, our chests  rising and falling heavily. Every nerve in my body is alive and tingling. We smile at each other, just slightly for a second.

            I discover that I care about him in a way I only thought I one day might, some time in weeks, maybe months. It’s not love – I’m not ridiculous enough to think that – but perhaps it’s something that could be. One day.