"I'll miss you,love....please take care of yourself," he whispered in his velvet voice as he kissed her cheek. She wound her arms around him....scared of letting go.
His arm went around her waist while the other caressed her hair. His lips found her neck and she greedily breathed in his scent, her face buried in his shoulder.
They stood like that for a while....and then the tears came....
They welled up in her eyes and spilled onto his shirt.
She sniffed and coughed.....trying to hide the sobs, but it was futile trying to fool him.
He knew her like the back of his hand.
His arms tightened around her.
"Love....please don't cry...." his voice broke and he fervently kissed the side of her face....
She tried...but the sobs that took over her shook her body in his arms.
He rubbed her back, trying to comfort her as she clung to him, clenching fistfuls of his shirt into her palms, wishing the time would freeze....yearning for a few more minutes with him.....
He let out an exhausted sigh....he was so overworked that he had not slept two nights in a row...
"I can't do this....I am going to cancel..." he mumbled to himself.
As soon as the realization of what she was putting him through hit her, she broke away from him....out of the circle of his arms...the icy winds making her shiver.
He was a little surprised.
"No love...you should go...I am sorry for being so overdramatic...." she said, her voice throaty with all the crying.
She rubbed her runny nose with her sleeve, trying not to cry again.
He steeped closer to her, gently wiping away her tears from her cheeks with his thumbs and handing her a handkerchief from his pocket.
She blew her nose into the handkerchief...."I am so gross...."
He pulled her towards him by her elbows...."C'mere...you're the opposite of gross, you're the prettiest creature I've ever seen."
He pecked her forehead.
She closed her eyes....loving his warm and mint breath on her face.
They stared into each other's eyes for a long moment.
That's how it always worked for them....they would look at each other's souls through their eyes and fall all in love all over again....like the first day.
"I'm not going. I am not leaving you like this." he murmured, finally taking her back in his arms.
"Yes you are going....i will be alright....just miss you so bad...but I will be fine as long as I know you are happy." she mumbled into his shoulder.
"That sounds more like a break-up speech you know..."he chuckled.
"I am staying as long as you are vegetarian and non-alcoholic,"she sighed.
"Then I guess you are staying forever."
"Always."
They drew away from each other and he cupped her face into his palms....holding it delicately.
"I'll be back okay? Take care of my heart for me....I am leaving it with you,"he smiled her favourite smile.
"Will you take care of mine?"
"Yes sweetheart, I promise."
Her fingers closed around his wrists....he was still holding her face between his palms...and he leaned his forehead against hers...their noses touching.
She raised her head a little and gently brushed her lips across his.
He breathed out through his nose, letting out a small laugh.
"Don't get me started at you now..."
She giggled, pulling away.
"Goodbye love," she said, smiling solemnly.
He felt a little teary but he did a good job at hiding it.
"I'll miss you...but I love missing you...."he said.
"Parting is such sweet sorrow..."she murmured...almost inaudibly.
"That I shall say till it be morrow," he finished for her.
He cast a long glance at her as he finally went past the gateway to board.
The way she missed him.....she was convinced she could never love anybody like she loved him.
