dulcet
Chigiri Hyoma
The soft wisps of his hair are all that remain in my fleeting vision as he rushes past, the sweetness of his laughter bouncing on the walls of the hallway. His friend followed close behind, yelling something; if I hadn't been so captivated, maybe I'd have heard.
Pink, glazed in the incandescent glow of the afternoon sun.
It was only when he stopped midway in his quick steps and turned to meet my gaze that I caught myself staring. How many months had it been since we'd last met each others eyes? Since I'd last heard such captivating laughter ring within my ears?
His friend muttered something to him before proceeding to take off. This was the first time in so long that we’d shared the same space together, alone.
And yet, all that I could think of was the gleam of his eyes - the color that hadn't faded since we'd met all those years ago. His lips parted, smoothly speaking my name as though he'd constantly spoken it in my absence. His footsteps, carrying an air of desperation, surprise knitting itself in between his brows as he stopped midway in his tracks, standing tall over me.
My heart paced rapidly, pulsating so loudly that I worried he'd hear it. Emotions left unspoken, woven into one another in such a manner that neither of our words could unravel. Though I hadn't planned on spilling my guts, explaining everything I'd felt over the years, and how those emotions came to light in his absence. I wouldn't imagine him to do the same either. He'd never done so in the past, and things have always remained the same.
His lips curved upwards, hand cupping my face, thumb rubbing my cheek. I caught a glimpse of his face in the moments before our eyes flitted shut. Rosy cheeks, bangs slipping ever so slightly over the edge of his forehead as his face moved closer. My hands find their way to his head, entangling my fingers in his soft locks as the other snakes around his neck. Warmth courses throughout my body, and the heat in my hand tells me he feels the same.
He speaks my name through shaky breaths, making sure I’m still here, making sure I wasn’t going anywhere.
After having him in my arms after he was nothing but a fleeting thought for so long - I wasn’t planning on it. And I doubt he was either.