Barefoot

Part Nine

When she awakens the next morning, his jacket is wrapped around her shoulders and her head is resting on his chest. He has an arm around he lower back, underneath the coat. His other arm is under his head, supporting it like a makeshift pillow. She sits up and stretches her arms, the jacket falling from her body.

The boy next to her shivers slightly, missing her body heat. She smiles at him and lays his jacket over him. He relaxes immediately and a small, sleepy smile graces his lips.

She gets up, enjoying the soft green grass beneath her toes. Her white dress, having been washed by his mother, flutters around her as she spins happily in the meadow.

Her hair flies around her until she stops, freezing as a deer and it's baby walk into the meadow. She moves slowly back to the sleeping boy, shaking his arm gently to wake him up.

He looks at her, an alarmed look in his eyes, but she quiets him by putting a hand over his mouth. She points to the deer and he sits up slowly to look at them.

"Aren't they amazing?" She whispers.

"They're incredible," he murmurs. "So carefree, in a little world of their own."

She just nods, her eyes sparkling. The deer stop and the mother munches on the healthy grass while her baby blinds around and kicks up his heels.

She stands up slowly, holding her hand out to the baby. The little deer comes right over to her and nuzzles her hand. She pets it and the little deer loves it, shoving her nose into her hand.

The mother comes over warily. He watches as the girl picks up some long, thick grass from the ground and hands it to the mother, flattening her palm so she can nibble at it.

He watches her in awe. She's perfect. His heart jumps and he's pretty sure if he was a cartoon, his eyes would be pink hearts.

How does she even get that close to the deer? He thinks, wishing he could do that too. A bird flies down, landing on the ground a few feet away and turning his head so he's looking in each direction for only a second.

They stay like for a while, neither of them bothering to keep track of time. Here, this spot means even more. It's where they met, where they kissed, and where they cried. Eventually the deer move on, going back into the forest and bounding away.

She takes a seat beside him. She looks over and her eyes twinkle. "That was probably the coolest thing I've ever done." He stares into her eyes, and she sees the ocean, defrosted and full of life. She can see so much light that her heart soars.

"What?" He asks, the blue of his eyes lightening until they're the color of frost but warm as the sun.

"Your eyes," she responds, not breaking their gaze. "They're like the ocean. I could drown in them and never give it a second thought."

She's slightly shocked by her words, but he just cracks that tiny, lopsided smile that she's grown to love so much. His eyes lighten and he leans closer so his minty breath is fanning over her lips. "I would really rather prefer if you didn't drown," he says. "I think I need you, Flower."

"You think you need me?" She gives him a playful look.

He moves forward again, leaning down so she's laying on her back in the grass and he's holding himself up just above her, his body nearly on top of hers. "I know I need you."

"Well, good." She smiles at him. "I need you, too."

He leans down and kisses her, fighting his arms to hold himself up. All he wants is to hug her as he kisses her and tangle his fingers in her hair and lay beside her forever.

As if reading his mind, she turns onto her side so they're facing each other. He wraps one arm around her waist and the other rests on the nape of her neck. He pulls her as close to him as they can get, the only thing separating them is both of their clothes.

"You know something, Flower?"

"What?" She questions, her smile still on her lips. God, that smile. He loved it so much, so damn much. If that smile ever fell from her lips, the world would never see light quite the same way again.

"I'm falling in love with you."