Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
❁ུ۪۪
"Marjorie," Heinrich began as they walked hand in hand down the street, "do you trust me?" He stopped her on the sidewalk and turned to face her.
Her pretty complexion was coated in confusion. "Of course I do, why wouldn't I?" She looked at him, studying his humorless features. "Is something wrong?"
"No, no, of course not," he assured her, forcing a very phony smile. "Just... close your eyes."
She obliged hesitantly, feeling more and more confused by each second that passed. Heinrich inhaled and exhaled, attempting to soothe his nerves, and gently placed a hand on her face. Slowly, he moved closer to her and placed his lips on hers. The kiss was romantic and tender, and Marjorie couldn't help but smile a little. A few moments later they separated, and each seemed quite euphoric.
It appeared as though Marjorie was contemplating a response, and when she could not find something adequate, she rose on the tips of her toes and gingerly kissed him back. There were no words capable of capturing the emotions that pulsated through their veins, the feeling affecting Marjorie's heart in a way that made her want to squeal. Butterflies erupted in her stomach, though they were not of anxiety, but excitement. She looked into his eyes, their piercing blue shimmer telling her everything she needed to know.
•••
Love is not an infatuation. An infatuation is not love. They are two very different things. Before we go into what love is, first we must discover what it is not.
Love is not something you can intentionally create or force, nor is it something that can be bought or won. It is not a prize.
Love is not just passion. The physical connection is only part of it.
To be infatuated with someone is to admire them, to obsess over them. One might idolize another and find them good-looking, but this does not, and I must stress this, it does not mean that they love them.
Love is a connection beyond words. Though it is not tangible and often inexplicable, it is real. It is the deep desire and yearning to wholly give your heart to someone and receive theirs in return, thus ensuring that both people still have a beating heart in their chest, even if it is not their own. It is the acceptance that hindrances will weasel their way into the partnership and that they will loom over until they are resolved. It is the understanding that you are taking a risk and surrendering a part of yourself to another person and doing so willingly. It can be feared or it can overcome fear.
Heinrich Schreiber did not realize it, but he was falling in love. It was not an infatuation. He couldn't have cared less about how Marjorie looked or sounded or dressed. No, he was in it because she had a soul unlike any other he had known, carefree and joyous yet understanding and kind. There wasn't a girl who could catch his eye, not when he had such a person by his side. Sometimes he feared that she would leave him, that she would suddenly see someone like him as inferior and disappear forever.
