Only a Label

Moon Goddess 》 Chapter 9

~X~

I'm worried. Suddenly we get wings, bursting through our skin, and now we're on a walk to a damned shrine. It worries me because of the unexpected. Knowledge is key in this game of chess we call life. I'm losing to the fate sisters right now, I can almost here their mocking voices saying "check" and me dreading my next move. If I find out why I have these and how I will be, yet again, another step ahead.

      I look down at Zelda to see her looking straight ahead, eyes steady. I can tell she's worried, her body language shows that enough. The simple twitch of an eye or the flutter of her wing. It's almost as if she's not here, but her body is.

      I squeeze the hand that's entwined with mine. She looks up at me, and smiles through light tears. I stop and look down at her.

      "What is wrong?" I ask.

      She shakes her head, "What's  happening to us?" One tear slips and I am quick to catch it on my thumb, resting my hand on her cheek. She sighs, happy at the simple gesture. I rub my thumb along her predominant cheekbones, memorizing the way her face feels beneath my finger prints.

      I study her as she looks up at me, awaiting an answer.

      "I don't know," I finally say.

      She looks down, "Me neither." It pained me to not be able to give her a cleat answer, but I didn't want to lie either. I wouldn't be able to win this conversation no matter how much I tried. Yet again it's that knowledge in missing, like a puzzle piece. My poor Zelda, my poor mate.

       I grasp her chin now, bringing her green eyes to mine. Tracing her bottom lip, I lean down and kiss her.

     "Don't worry," I comfort in a soothing voice, "- we'll get through it together."

      She nods her head, "Yeah, okay." Then she plasters on a smile that I can tell is fake, but don't mention anything, afraid to break her down more. Back in the room I could tell she was hiding the tears about her confusion, but that mask has since cracked. Not completely shattered, just cracked, she'll glue it back together soon enough.

      "Zelda, you know you can talk to me right?" I say.

      She furrows her eyebrows, "What do you mean?"

      I chuckle, "Just what I said. I am your mate, I understand you on a personal level that no one will ever have with you again. Whenever you feel like breaking, I'll be there with a pit full of love to put you back together."

      This time a true smile brightens her features and it's the most wonderful thing I've ever seen. She wraps her hands around my neck, pulling me into a bear hug the best she can. I put my head in the crook of her neck and wrap arms lazily around her waist. The hug is a bit awkward with the wings but we manage.

      I breath in deeply, her scent intoxicating my senses. That lavender, rain smell.

      "I really needed to hear that," she whispers, "- thank you, Xenos."

      "Anytime love, anytime," I say whilst we pull away from each other.

      The thing that worries me most is that as soon as these things burst out of my back, Finn hasn't been talking to me. He's blocked me out so he's becoming more and more distant. It's scaring me, but the tough persona I always have on will stay.

      Zelda and I start back on our journey when we come to a clearing in the trees where the shrine is. No one really visits unless they really have to, but the place is still kept up in tip top shape in hopes the goddess won't rain down on us with Hell itself.