The Land Split by Sea

Falling

(Scott's POV)

The sun had just begun to set, drowning in the horizon. Its last rays of light glimmered in the darkness of the faded clouds and the pale moon peeked at me from the sky.

My eyes were burning. Exhaustion tugged at me, making my feet feel heavy as I closed up the shop after a long day of making coffees and listening to the stories of customers that I couldn't care less about. It had been another boring and stressful day, and I was ready to go home.

I walked along the empty streets of Rye, only accompanied by the darkness and the fog that had begun to set in. They were like omnipresent observers, carefully watching each of my steps as I trudged home. The wind nipped at my fingertips, sending a chill up my spine and the wish to be curled up in my bed nagged at my brain. It was evenings like these that I wished I lived somewhere warmer.

The walk home seemed to drag on longer that it usually did. I sighed, shoving my cold hands into the pockets of my pea coat in attempt at warming them. Suddenly - smack - I slammed into something hard, knocking whatever it was over. I nearly cussed when I realized what it was, or, who it was, instantly feeling a sense of guilt and regret.

Mitch stared up at me through dark eyelashes, a small smile playing on his face as he bit down on his bottom lip out of embarrassment.

"Fancy running into you again," he spoke from the ground. His voice was sweet and smooth, like silk, flowing and hauntingly pure. It was a sound I could grow to love more than that of the instrument I poured my soul into early into the mornings.

Maybe I had already fallen in love with his voice. Maybe.

"Mitch," I said as I helped him up, "We've got to stop meeting like this."

The dark haired boy shocked me by letting loose an unrestrained and blissful laugh, and I couldn't help but to grin at him.

"What?" he choked through a fit of giggles, "Do you have a problem with seeing me below you?" At that he smirked, raising an eyebrow in question. I could feel myself blush, but nevertheless chuckled at his straightforwardness. My heart beat faster than it had a minute before.

"I wouldn't make assumptions if I were you," I responded to his flirtatious statement. Now it was his turn to blush. Mitch giggled again, shooting me a look that I couldn't comprehend and chose to ignore.

We walked in silence for a few minutes, content to be side by side. Our hands brushed a few times, sending goosebumps up my arm at the ghost of a touch. For some reason I felt small in his presence, like a child. He made me nervous in a way that I didn't understand, like I would slip up and do something stupid and embarrass myself in front of this ethereal being.

As I was becoming used to the silence that surrounded us, Mitch spoke up, "I heard you play," he revealed quietly. I was confused at what the pretty-eyed boy had told me until he elaborated on his statement.

"The other day, I was walking early in the morning, and I-I heard someone playing the piano, so I stopped to listen because, gawd I'm weak when it comes to music," he paused, biting the inside of his cheek with a thoughtful expression on his face, "I didn't know it was you, not until I ran into you later." He laughed again, quietly, and from the moonlight shining on his face I could make out a faint blush on his cheeks. He looked angelic with the white light enhancing his dark eyes and full lips, and it distracted me from responding.

"I didn't mean to listen," Mitch continued, "I know that's kind of weird, but, Scott, you're talented. I mean, really talented."

At that I blushed deeply, running my hand through my hair. I typically didn't like when I had an audience while playing, it was kind of one of those things where I wanted it to be just for myself, no one else had to know. But with Mitch, it was different, I was flattered and slightly thrilled that he heard me play. And at the same time it scared me, he had heard the product of my soul being poured into music when no one else ever had, and I barely knew him. I had a feeling that would change though.