Sylph of the Sky, Flower of the Earth

Flushed

"So close yet so far, don't get too excited folks."-PM

-***-

Hilda awoke with a jump. Tears streaming down her face. 'It's fine, it's all good..,' she reassured herself, grasping onto her linen nightgown. She gazed at her skylight, evening. She would have to get up now, the night would soon be anew.

Hilda summoned a cloud and began to float, her head clearing. Hilda rose to the sky and rose the stars. The sky slowly turning from a light shade or orange and yellow to a dark mystic black, stars began to peer out of the darkness and the moon popped out of the abyss.
"Hello Hilda," she heard the moon say, though no words were exchanged. "What troubles you my dear?" She shook her head, her head burying in her knees as shooting stars spanned across the sky behind her.
"Hilda!" A voice called out, she turned to the moon but its eyes were closed. "Hilda!" The voice called again. She looked down to see Cagney calling out, his face presenting emotions of happiness and sadness. Hilda lowered herself to the ground.
"Hilda! How have you been? You have been spacing out and avoiding me and-and," Hilda laughed.
"Ha, almost sounds like you care about me!" She bit her lip as Cagney glared at her, she hoped he would buy the distraction.

-@@@-

He took a deep breath, his eyes watering.
"BECAUSE I DO! EVERY DAY YOU WAKE UP AND WANDER INTO INKWELL ISLAND 3 AND WHEN SOMEONE TALKS TO YOU, YOU SNAP OUT OF A GAZE AND RUN HOME AND AVOID EVERYONE. Even me." He whispered the last part, scared as if she would backlash at him. His hands were on her shoulders fighting back all the tears that threatened to pour out. He gasped as she pulled him into a tight hug, their bodies pressed against one another, a hand cupping the back of his head. Tears fell from Cagney's face as quiet ones did Hilda. They stayed in each others embrace.
"I thought you thought I was annoying." She murmured into his shoulder.
"No..maybe you got on my nerves but...never annoying." He whispered back, he pulled out of the hug and gazed at Hilda. "Why did you avoid everyone?"
She bit her lip.
"I-I don't know Cags. Maybe you would be better without me." Hilda avoided all eye contact from Cagney, he noticed. He cupped her face and tried to smile through the tears.
"Hey then who would talk to me all the time?" He whispered softly.

-***-

"Mugman or Cuphead."
"Nah, I love the boys but they only can come around so often." Hilda smiled from this. She closed her eyes down hard and whispered, "King Dice and the Devil." Cagney froze.
"Are they back?" He asked, trying to not show any sign of agitation.
"No. The memory of them." She said trying to look away. "Deal with the devil once and it's stuck with ya for a lifetime." She sarcastically smiled.
"We all think of it but uhh...it helped us meet new people through it right? I mean you wouldn't know Dr.Kahl or Beppi."
"I knew Beppi, once I had to storm over to his 'funland' because his lights were too bright."
"Then Sally! You wouldn't know Sally, you guys are friends." Cagney tried to keep it together, he wasn't good at helping people with their problems.
"I guess."
"I mean we wouldn't be as close if it never happened, it gave me a chance to see a nice side of you."

-@@@-

Hilda was close, too close, it was tempting to just....
They both began to lean to fill in the gap until they both snapped out of the haze, both embarrassed and flushed.
"Uhh well thanks for talking but uhh...bye!" Hilda ran off consumed by the same blush Cagney had, only he couldn't make out one word.
'I almost kissed my best friend.' He though, still dazed.
'I almost kissed my best friend, and was excited.' He thought again.
'She's not even a flower!!' Cagney could just picture a smug Goopy yelling the words "I told you so, I told you so!" Cagney shuttered and crawled back to this tree where he would sleep it off.
'What came over me?'