Flash

.1

 I sat in a dark room. Puzzled, I glanced around, clueless to my surroundings. A dark figure, in heeled flip flops and a long cloak slinked in stealthily.

"Laf?" I said in disbelief, recognizing the turned head in front of me. The head turned revealing a dimly lit, but handsome profile.

"Oui, mon amour?" His lifting accent radiating in my mind, leaving a gentle thrum of comfort. I stiffened, my body reacting to the enthralling accent I had come to know well. I turned my head away in denial. I wasn't going to fall for his traps again. His gentle warm hands cupped my cheek, leaving trails of warmth across my face. He looked at me questioningly with his innocent doe like eyes that held a mischievous sparkle. I clenched my jaw, making futile attempts to resist his charms.

"What is wrong mon cherie?" I felt my barricade break. Tears overflowed from my eyes as I remembered our loving, needy, adoring, hurting, painful memories together. He tenderly used his handkerchief to wipe my tears.

"Mon amour I never want to cause you pain. Oublie everything. Forget everything my love." He whispers, his breath caressing my neck as his lips brush my ear. My mind is screaming no, echoing the walls of my brain, louder, and louder, but my heart is tugging at me, taking me to Laf, like two souls aching to merge, deeper, and deeper, into the safe space I'd once known. Deep in thought, I don't notice when gently, hesitantly, eyes darting all over my frame, as if I would shatter, He tenderly brushes his lips against mine. His velvety lips molded to fit mine perfectly, my other half. My world filled with sparks. My brain slowly quieted down, starting to softly hum out 'yes', instead.

Making one last attempt to escape with my emotions intact, I stepped backward, licking my lips and savoring the fruity taste of his grapefruit lipgloss, my breath hitching as I looked into his chocolate brown eyes in which shown, such a torrent of emotions, crashing like the waves of the sea in a raging storm to and fro, conveying love as deep as the darkest and deepest trenches of the ocean, yet a joy as shallow and light as the sea foam bobbing with the waves as they washed to the shore. A strong heart wrenching feeling of love, tinged with doubt filled my body as I fisted his shirt and pulled him to me, smashing our lips together, our lips moving in sync.

I was too far gone.

There was no going back now. No more space for the doubts. I deepened the kiss, our mouths moving frantically. I gripped his curly hair in my frenzy. His tongue thrusted into my mouth and our tongues intertwined , fighting for dominance. I moaned into his mouth. He tasted, felt, loved, like heaven.

We broke apart, breathing heavily, and he stared into my eyes, searching the depths of my soul. I could feel him drawing the emotions I ached so deeply to fight down, right back up. A locked treasure chest brought up into the torrent, and the thick stormy night.

"Je t'aime." I said with conviction and as much love as my heart could hold. Too late. Far, far too late.

I bolted up in my bed, my cheeks flushed from my dream, sweat dripping from my brow. I sighed, remembering how different reality was from what I had just dreamed.

"Just wishful thinking I suppose," I whispered to myself, still enraptured with the desires I felt from the dream. I shook my head trying to shake such ridiculous thoughts and even more ridiculous wishes from my mind.

" I don't mean anything to him. I obviously wasn't even worth saying good bye to. Much less staying faithful to." I ran a hand through my hair and groaned in frustration. I dragged myself across the old musty room of the inn to my luggage, gathering an outfit and dressing myself.

I grabbed my cloak and left the inn, making my way through the wet grass, shimmering droplets of dewy water reflecting prisms throughout my vision. The early morning gathering mist, clouding my view. I wandered around aimlessly, communing with the nature and pondering my feelings, how to cope and what to do with my future. I still tasted the salt, and the sugar, from my dream.

Finally, chilled to the bone, the moisture and chill setting in, I made my way to the pub. I ordered a warm brandy and sat patiently waiting in one of the bar stools, still deep in thought. Suddenly, the pub went deathly silent. I quickly glanced around, my eyes drawn to a scene unfolding before my eyes. I double-take. My intuition has always been on point like this.

There stood in all his glory, Lafayette, his chocolate brown eyes glowering at a brutish looking tall man. His poise making him look taller even though his opponent towered over him by a good foot. I took in his appearance, my senses drinking in his beautiful cinnamon skin, chocolate brown eyes and brown ringlets cascading to his shoulders, as if his appearances were the nectar of the gods.

My pulse raced and my heart pounded. I looked on, out of breath, my attention hindered and focused on the godly man in front of me who radiated charisma and grandeur.

"Don't you ever wink at me, you filthy french fag!" Roared the beefy man, his thundering voice awakening me from my daze. As a silent onlooker, I watched as Laf gave a scathing retort, outwitting the man and leaving him with nothing to say, effectively disarming him. I exhaled in relief as I saw Laf walk away unhurt and just as quickly, the man grabbed laf by the shoulder and rammed his fist into his nose, marring his stunning features as blood trickled down his face to the floor.

Rage suddenly ran rampant in my body and I stood up abruptly, knocking over my stool with a loud crash. The pub was silent once more as everybody took in my appearance. In that one second alone, a look of recognition flickered onto lafs face along with a flurry of emotions. Surprise, happiness, joy, sadness, guilt and many others. In one second his eyes bore into my soul for what seemed to be an eternity. His eyes were always made out of brown sea-glass.

"What do you want?!" The man roared getting all up in my face, his face contorted in rage. My fist collided with his neck, a loud crunch echoing through the tavern as his neck cracked beneath my knuckles. My other hand which I just realized had grabbed his shirt, released and he fell to the ground. I delivered a swift kick to his side and walked away, leaving his unconscious body to the mercy of the townspeople. I stomped back over to the bar, finding my drink on the counter. I chugged it and slammed the mug down, leaving a few coins on the counter. The adrenaline still thundering throughout my body, I stride out of the tavern and back to the forest to think. My nostrils just took in more salt, more and more. There was thunder running through my veins, and my heart felt turmoil like a hurricane on open water.

I took all of my anger out on to a poor oak tree until my adrenaline drained away, leaving my limbs sore and exhausted. My emotions overtook me and I crumpled to the ground, a tearful mess, sobs wracking my body as I leaned against the tree, taking comfort in the smoothness of the dogwood tree bark. Exhaustion overtook me and I welcomed the darkness, letting go of my emotions and my consciousness along with it.