Tell me~ (nope. no specifying. it's all up to you)
It’s like wishing for rain as I stand in the desert,
A conflicted heart was a burden to carry, worse when someone knew exactly what they wanted but knew that they could never really have. Emmeline looked at the man in front of her and knew he was exactly what she wanted, she knew that he was all she could have ever wanted, all she would ever want. He was so close, within her grasp, yet so distant, so far. A bitter sweet feeling lingered around her, causing her chest to ache. Her mouth opened, so many words flickering through her mind yet none seemed to roll of tongue, instead getting caught in the lump that was stuck in her throat.
Rodolphus looked at her expectantly, his bright blue eyes staring straight into her own, causing her to feel more on edge than usual. Emmeline shook her head, searching for the right words to use, to tell him exactly what she had been trying to for the past week. Moving closer towards him, Emmeline raised her hands ever so slightly, leaving them to waver in the air for a moment as she contemplated on whether to touch him or not; knowing full well how distracting the feel of his skin was against her own, just as much as his presence. Rodolphus slightly swayed forward, leaning in towards her. Slowly, she pressed her hands to either side of his face, rubbing her thumbs softly against his skin, enjoying the feel of warmth from his face pressed against her palms.
''Rodolphus.'' Emmeline whispered ever so quietly, her gaze lingering on his face. He continued to stare into her eyes, full of confusion yet a sincere look remained on his face, almost as if he knew the words she wanted to desperately to say, yet waiting for her to clarify his thoughts. ''I,I..'' She stumbled out, tripping over her own words, causing her to shake her head, mentally cursing herself.
Emmeline knew that she shouldn't feel this way, she knew that she shouldn't have let herself fall for him, knowing that there would be nothing but pain in the end. Yet that didn't stop the feeling she got every time she laid eyes on him. The beating her heart would increase, a smile would pull at her lips. It was almost a reflex when seeing him, something that she could not control. Her feelings were something that she could not control, not being able to keep her balance causing her to fall, and fall hard.
The feeling of being conflicted with her own emotions was a effect Rodolphus had over her, leaving her to go to war with her head and her heart. Her mind told her to stop being such a fool, to remember what they were both to become, warning her about the future, she knew what was to come. Yet she couldn't force herself to think of the future, all she could think about was now, all she could think about was Rodolphus. Emmeline knew that this was never going to last for as long as she would have wanted, of course it wouldn't, if it did, her and Rodolphus would never have to bid goodbye.
It was strange, how in such little time together, he had managed to win her over, steal her heart, completely consume her. His presence alone overwhelmed her, his smile giving her a giddy feeling. They both started out as a mystery towards one another, each to them finding themselves intrigued, almost allured. Although, even now, him being a open book for her to read, Emmeline remained engrossed in him, he continued to constantly surprise, make her second guess herself, make her feel things that she had never felt before. Emmeline Vance had never been in love, yet she was almost certain this was it, as much as a fool that she was to have fallen, she did, and undeniably, she didn't try to fight it, simply allowing it to take over her very heart.
And then there was her heart, for so long it had felt broken, beyond repair, almost unfixable. Yes, there would always be a hole punctured in her chest, a whole that would never be mended. Yet, when around Rodolphus, it almost felt as if it was patched up, in a strange yet pleasant way. He eased her wounds, her worries and her fears. When around him, she felt nothing but a sense of safety, of wholeness. Emmeline had walked the earth for feeling half full and barely even realising it until she met Rodolphus, as childish and cliché as it sounded, it was like he completed her, made her whole again.
Even knowing that he would never be hers, not really, knowing that he belonged to another woman, in this moment, in all of the moments they shared, he was hers. Emmeline could no longer deny nor push off what she was feeling, it was all far too obvious for her to attempt to overlook. She couldn't prevent the flutter in her stomach at the sight of him, she could not push away the longing feeling in her heart when they touched. Emmeline would have been a fool to pretend that this, that he, was nothing more than a feeble crush to her, this was far more than just a mutual attraction.
''Rodolphus.'' Emmeline repeated once again, only now her voice was much more confident than before, much more bold. She took note of the small glimmer in his eyes, causing a soft smile to appear on her lips. ''There is something that I have been meaning to tell you, its been.. on my mind for a while now.'' She continued to speak, surprised at how even her voice sounded. Rodolphus' lips twitched slightly, although his face remained composed. She secretly envied him for that, for being able to keep his calm even with everything going on. It also worried her, not being able to see what he felt, as he was able at keeping his composure, having the ability to show no emotion. Emmeline inhaled a deep breath, preparing herself for whatever was to come next after the words rolled off her tongue. There was the constant fear of rejection, or worse, itching at the back of her mind, preventing her from fully being able to pour herself to him.
''I think..'' Emmeline began to speak, only to trail off, shaking her head at her own words. ''No.'' She spoke in a stubborn tone, furrowing her eyebrows as she sucked in another breath. Confusion crossed Rodolphus' eyes, causing Emmeline to bite down on her bottom lip in frustration. She wanted to hex herself for being so stupid, for not being able to just spit it out and be done with it. Her mind was screaming at her, willing for her to walk away and pretend nothing was wrong, that there wasn't anything she wanted to tell him, that it was nothing. Her heart knew better, forcing her to stay, to follow with what she so badly wanted to say, that she knew he needed to hear. Despite knowing it wouldn't make a difference in the end, it would make a difference to now, it would make a difference to her. To know he knew how she felt, to know that through this war, through it all, she would always love him. Emmeline had no doubt she would, she knew at times she would hate him, wish that she had never set sights on him; yet through it all, she knew, deep in her heart, from this day on, Emmeline would always love Rodolphus.
''I love you. I do.. and I know you may think of me as a fool to do so, but then call me a fool. I am in love with you and I needed you to hear it because I couldn't live with a regret, I wouldn't be able to see you and know that you wasn't aware of how I felt, of how you make me feel and I just..'' Emmeline trailed off, tearing her gaze from his face and staring at the floor, blushing slightly at her rambling outburst. She looked up again, staring into his eyes. Rodolphus' eyes gleamed at the words, a look in his eye she couldn't quite place, but it hurt her all the same. In that moment, Emmeline swore that, for the first time, it seemed as if he saw true happiness, a happiness so powerful, so foreign, it confused him. Scared him even. And that hurt Emmeline, that hurt her more than any of his words to come could. To know that this may have been one of the first times someone had told him that they loved him pained Emmeline, it pained her so, knowing that someone as remarkable Rodolphus seemed to go so unnoticed.
''I love you, Rodolphus.''
I’m holding you closer than most ‘cause you are my heaven.