Part I
Her arms wrapped around him for one last time. He took in her sweet scent one last time, the feel of her head pressed against his chest and the melody to her voice as she whispered her goodbye. One of his hands ran through the chestnut waves of hair and lips would press against her forehead, only her forehead even though he longed to press them against hers, the lips with the perfect ruby color and natural pout. Spine tingled as she rubbed her careful circles into his back with her small perfect fingertips. As she pulled back, his hands would capture her face as he professed his love for her once more as he stared into the deep pools of blue that were her eyes. Eyes he could have lost himself in for hours. The love he professed though she thought meant like a brother, a close friend. He hid his hurt well as hands fell from her cheeks to her shoulders to the tiny hands that had broken through all of his steel walls many times over again. He entwined their fingers for a moment and brought them both to his lips for him to kiss gently. It seemed to take many lifetimes for their hands to slowly fall from each other. He died a little inside as she turned away from him for the last time. His head, his heart would never be the same. This love took his everything and just one shared breath, one caress of her hands to prove to him that his feelings were returned would undo him and he would be hers forever.
As she was walking away, hand in hand with the man that had been chosen for her, he couldn't help but wonder what would have been if the dice had been rolled a different way. If he had been the one she had been sent to first, if he had been the one to step towards her first and state her claim on his very soul. Would he still be standing here alone watching her choose the other man over him? Would she stay with him by his side for the rest of her lifetime? Would she be his? How could he feel like he had held her for all of time and it mean nothing? What would it have been like…
"If it had been us?" Thor whispered.
Colleen stopped and let go of Banner. She turned those blue eyes back to meet his. Had she heard him? Did she wonder the same? "What would it have been like, if this had been us?" He almost whimpered, voice catching and trembling in a very ungodly manner and a single tear fell down his cheek. His hands still held out from where they had been holding hers. "Every time I close my eyes, I see what could have been…don't you?"
As if to answer him…
Colleen closed her eyes.
