Jürgen Von Haunt & Aria Vestergaard. The Spark
Jürgen noticed her soon after his second year began: pale and slender, she rushed along a Britechester street on her skateboard, headphones nestled in her ears. Her long black hair streamed behind her in the wind, and her intelligent blue eyes were fixed thoughtfully on the horizon.
They were introduced at a house party that his roommate Miles hosted. Aria Vestergaard struck him as a bit eccentric with her penchant for making macabre, out-of-place jokes, but she was undeniably kind and exceptionally bright. Hailing from Nordhaven, she grew up with her mother after her father died on a military mission when she was just five. Their relationship was complicated; Aria refused to take over her mother’s baking business and, despite her mother’s expectations, enrolled in the Biology faculty to pursue a career as a botanist.
Aria embodied everything Jürgen was not: she had the freedom to choose how she communicated with others, often opting for honesty over politeness, and she was unafraid to sever ties with her past to follow the professional path that felt right for her.
At that party, they mingled as friendly acquaintances, as Miles insisted that he and Aria were “a thing.” Jürgen spotted her several times around campus, and they exchanged smiles and nods of acknowledgment. One evening, during an outdoor juice party next to the dorms, she approached him for help with a tricky juice jar. Miles was nowhere to be found, and Jürgen guessed that his and Aria’s relationship has never truly been “a thing”.
They struck up a conversation about their university routines. She confessed that she had never taken a proper walk along the boardwalk behind the stadium, and he eagerly offered to give her a small tour. Their stroll culminated at his favorite spot overlooking the stone bridge spanning the river. They settled on the ground and talked for hours. Jürgen found himself falling even harder for her as she expressed a genuine interest in literature. Her talkativeness charmed him immensely as she shared various mystical stories she had read recently. To his surprise, he opened up about his long-standing passion for writing. His heart raced when her eyes sparkled with interest and she exclaimed, “That sounds terrifically interesting! May I read some of your stories?”
He hesitated, unable to believe that someone would show interest in what he considered a “useless hobby.”
“If you’re interested, I can send you one or two…” he offered tentatively.
“I would be delighted to read them!” Aria responded excitedly. “Please!”
He walked her to her dorm, and they lingered at the door for another forty minutes, lost in conversation. It was half past ten when she suggested they head upstairs to the roof, where there were usually parties and music. To their surprise, it was empty, so they played juice-tennis before he invited her to dance. As she hugged him closely, the scent of her rose perfume enveloped him, making his mind swirl with blissful confusion.
She suggested watching a movie as the chill of the evening began to settle in, and they cozied up together on the sofa in the attic. Resting her head on his shoulder, she wrapped herself snugly in a woolen blanket. Halfway through the film, she drifted off to sleep, and he knew he would be staying overnight. It wasn’t long before he succumbed to slumber as well.
He awoke to the gentle sensation of her fingers tracing along his cheek. It was dark in the attic, and he supposed the morning was still far away.
“You’re sweet and kind, Jürgen,” she murmured.
He froze, his heart racing beneath her delicate touch.
A playful smile flickered across her lips.
He cleared his throat, struggling to calm his racing pulse. “I admire you too,” he whispered, gazing into her captivating deep blue eyes.
“You could have taken advantage of me after all those glasses of juice,” she continued softly, “but you didn’t.”
“Well, I…” he exhaled, reflecting on how challenging it had been to maintain his composure throughout the evening. “I’m not like that. I genuinely enjoyed our time together.”
Another mischievous smile danced on her lips. “I enjoyed it too.”
In an instant, she climbed onto him, catching him off guard. His hands instinctively found their way to her waist before he could fully process what was happening. The next moment, she was kissing him passionately, and he couldn’t help but respond. It was the best night he had ever experienced.
They woke around nine when the aroma of coffee wafted up from the kitchen below. She smiled, kissed him softly, and whispered “good morning,” her hands gliding over his bare skin. No girl had ever looked at him with such affection as Aria did in that moment. He felt powerless to resist her charm and wondered if the person in the kitchen had heard them.
{Back to the Beginning} {The Von Haunts} {Jürgen} {Back to Elisa von Haunt}
