@hecharmed : new years kiss
there was a time where she thought she had lost everything. a fallen angel, forced from her cloud throne hurtling toward the earth, falling into the open jaws of mortals ready to clip off her wings, rip out hickory and cinnamon strands of hair from her scalp, snatch the jewels from her throat and tear her limbs apart. curled up in a ball in the rose garden of protection she had build for herself, waiting for the world to end, for the pain to fade, for the world to stop spinning he parted the trees and carried her to safety. she didn’t ask him to, she never did nor did she have to. through her best years, her worst years and everything in between, he remained.
that much shouldn’t have been a surprise. he was etched into the margins of every page of her life, the beginning and the end of her sentences, the thesis and ( hopefully ) the conclusion. others looked at him and saw a star that burned too bright for its own good audrey saw the sun and would gladly bask in his warmth even if it meant third degree burns. it didn’t matter what anyone else thought of them, at the end of the day, they knew each other to the core. that’s all that mattered. there was no act with him, no pretending, no guarding her pride. she could just . . . exist without penalty. relax.
it was no exaggeration to say she didn’t know where she’d be without him. yes, she was a lot to handle ( constantly asking for attention, reassurance, love ) but no one spoke her language like he did. many could try, many had, but things always got lost in translation.
year after year, when she looked over he was there, and this year wasn’t any different. the party all moves to one of the many balconies of honeymoon cottage to watch the fireworks as the new year rings in. amber hues fall on the rose garden hedges, memories going back to first kisses, pretend weddings and slaying dragons. in the green of the grass she sees picnics spent trying to toss grapes into each other’s mouths and failing miserably. in the blues of his eyes she sees the oceans of belle’s harbor, the love of a best friend and a soulmate, comfort and peace. home.
everyone’s eyes are on the edge of the world waiting for the show to start, but hers stay on him, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐲 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞. the one that kept her tethered. somedays, she wondered why her. what made him want to stay around her? hopefully, she had many more years to spend with him to figure it out.
five fingers reach over to intertwine one by one with his. four eyes meet, two amber, two baby blue. three steps she takes closer to him. two lips meet his as the clock strikes one. though she knew multiple languages, there weren’t adequate words to express how much she loved him. so she puts as much as she can into a kiss, throwing her arms around his neck and pulling him closer. there were some years she wasn’t good to him and she knew that, but she’d spend the rest of her life making it up to him if he let her.
it’s the perfect ending to turbulent year. surrounded by people who cared about her, the boom of fireworks in the distance, the one she loved in her arms. she pulls away with stars in her eyes, soft petals quirked up in a small smile. “ happy new year. ” with her pointer finger, she taps his nose. “ i’m glad i get to spend it with you. and hopefully many, many, many more. like, all of them. ” she rolls her eyes up to the sky, an easy laugh falling from her lips. when she looks at him again, her eyes melt like caramel candies, “ you’re my best friend, chad. and i love you. ”