He found me
I looked into the trees with a smirk behind my riddled lips. I felt the excitement running through my veins like the cool tea that I had drank earlier today. He was coming. I could feel his thoughts brushing everyone else's. They wouldn’t realize it. He had become all to good at concealing what he needed to from people that were used to sharing everything. I squatted down and started to warm up my calves - low key - while everyone conversed amongst themselves. The wind tussled with my hair and some of the strands were tucked behind my ears. I laughed out loud and our little conversation. I pulled the same trick and directed a little bit of warmth in the air to cross his left cheek. The trees started to rustle audibly and I could tell he was really close. People started to notice the unusual disturbance. And the tall girl squatted down in three inch stilettos unstrapping the little monsters from her feet. “What is going-“ and before Dyson finished his sentence a roar burst out from the trees. I stood up abruptly and took a high box jump up onto one of the signs around us and squatted down once more. Adrian could be clearly seen from my spot on the sign and if I couldn’t have seen him I would have heard him all the same. His roar was something like the sound of a wild tiger. Even though it was nothing like the beast within the both of us. I felt his eyes on the seen like hot iron. Searching for what he felt close. Searching for me. Many of the men in the group had tensed way before that point. Strategically placing them in front in defense of the warrior women if not offensively then defensively. Their excuse later would likely be something offhand like “I only stood before you because your more important than a randomized battle like this. But there would be no battle here. Only a welcome home. And when his eyes met mine and he looked through the deep traces of painted eyelids and perfectly pink cheeks and dense cover- I felt the cover of his protection deep in my soul. Even so. I was still playing with him. He wouldn’t like to see me in the middle of all these men and women. Least of all in this tight hugging leggings and the shimmery red thing that I had thrown on teasingly this morning. I was going to get hell later. I stood up so I was easily the main attraction for everyone to see. Regardless of the seething male walking up with a glare on his gaze just for me. With one hand down on the sign I swung my feet of the sign and sat on it. Man-splaying and grinning from ear to ear. “Are you laughing at me Daiseti?” Adrian called out as he approached. I shrugged. I feel a whip of wind curling my hair and teasing my lips. He ran up quick and just before hitting the line of men he jumped up to the sign with both of his hands landing so that my hips were right between them, just like I thought he would..I lightly pushed off so that I slid off the sign at just the right time to graze his body and land back in the crowd. And so the chase began. I slipped off the shimmery red mess and threw it up at his face as I ran in to the forest with out anyone but him saying a word. I couldn’t but help laughing as I heard the growl of interest from him as he untangled himself from the pretty red thing. And jumped off the sign and back into the crowd. His body turning towards me as I ran. No one daring to get in his way. I was surprising myself just by defying him like this. Needless to say, as I ran and looked back to watch his approach I was happy to see him keep the red dress clenched in hand. I knew he wouldn’t discard the beauty. “Are you fucking giggling!” He roared. I laughed whole heartedly at his play. We were running. I was playing the adult version of hide and seek in a forest that we both knew a little too well. I played different tricks on him with little caresses of warmth and sweet scents that I let in our path that took away From my own. Indeed he was a skilled tracker that was sure. But my own skillset was just the opposite as the best evader that had ever existed. And it would almost kill me to give in to him when the time was right. I started to slow down my speed and dance from tree to tree and searching the forest with those seeking eyes that he commented so frequently on. I missed him. And something unfamiliar in my body was fighting back against my trigger senses to get away. And I started to panic that I had lost him. I came out from my place and braced my ears. Listening to ever sound. Listening for the sound of breath. Listening and letting my skin feel out the wind. And when I felt none I was disturbed that my vision started breaking up and shaking on its own. I realized that it wasn’t my my eyes but my own body and I knelt down on the ground and held myself still with each hand on the opposite shoulder. My mouth opened in a silent scream. I closed my eyes and I was in a unique sensation of being utterly exposed and utterly livid at the quiet. So softly that I almost missed it the wind touched my face and My eyes shot open and knelt down in front of me Adrian was right there a few inches away. My hands burst away from me and gripped his arms hard with all the strength they could muster. As they connected I shuddered and sighed as my body calmed down. The heat it had built up within itself dissipated with the loving stroked of wind now swirling around me like my own little tornado of cool. His black hair danced with it and I kept my eyes on his face until my breathing was back to pace. “I’m here love.” He said. His hands were now encircled around my waist and I rested my forehead on his. Where I normally would rest my cheek on his chest I was too reluctant to close my eyes and let him disappear again. “I missed you,” I whispered quiet enough for it to barely muster in sound. Regardless of that he heard me and pulled me a little closer. Holding a little tighter and the wind churning a little faster. “You know this could have all been avoided if not for your god forsaken teasing.” He joked lightly. I laughed at that and sat back. Finally willing myself to blink now that he had convinced my body that he was there, real. He still wasn’t having it so he turned me so that my back was to his chest and he locked his arms around my waist like a vice. “I’m not letting you go any time soon.” It was magic. The way that we could have a conversation without me saying much at all. And me being the person that would normally talk. That was usually so open with my words it was comforting that somethings didn’t need to be explained with Adrian at all. “You found me.” I smiled. “If it kills me, I will always find you. You couldn’t hide from me if you were a universe away. You are like my north star. My should will always find you and bring me home.” mmmmmmm. So there we sat. He played with my hair and I rested quietly and the remaining panic attack dissolved and it was just him and me. “but if you do that shit again with running away from me when I’ve just found you I swear I will go to pets mart and buy you a collar and leash.” “I’d like to see you fucking try.” I mumbled. Before I could push myself to stand I smelled that familiar watermelon sparkle spray from back when I was a kid and wasn’t surprised that he was letting me sleep. “I’ll take us home.” He said.
