Hello everyone,
First of all: NO MORE TO HOLD THE MOON! Lets get this straight: I know many of you were sad when I stopped updating and I even got a bunch of motivational fan/hatemail about it, however I think the story is too unnuanced to continue. If it is popularly demanded in the reviews (so post them if you want to see fun stuff happen) I will make a reboot of the Nami/OC genre, this time slightly improved (hopefully).
Furthermore: If you want to request other couplings, FEEL FREE TO POST THEM IN THE REVIEWS/SPAM THEM TO ME OVER PM! Do keep this in mind though: I am not a supporter of strange match-ups (no kha-zix/Cho'gath or something along those lines) nor of the M/M genre (I have nothing against gays, but I am affraid i'd be utterly incapable of writing a M/M fic) and if you want me to write a Yuri fic, it better be an interesting/realisable couple.
This story is devided in two parts: Read this chapter if you want to have a nice introductory piece/what I acutally and originally wrote and if you just came here for the M part for... Obvious reasons... then you may skip straight down and go to chapter 2. I made it so you are able to read it as a standalone One-shot lemon.
Enjoy!
The footprints in the snow suddenly ended. I sighed and tracked back to the institute of war. The mysterious figure had eluded me once again. I looked at my youthful hands, gloveless and pale. Next time I would have to wear gloves outside. A slightly paler line outlined the remains of the wound that had marred my skin earlier this day. Reminiscing about the events form earlier, I stuck the cold appendages in my pockets. The dark tune I was humming formed puffy white strays of fog in the night air in front of my face, barely visible were it not for the bright lights that spread out from the grand windows of the institute.
After several endless moments the ever growing contours of the entrance finally towered over me as I stepped inside. Basking in the sudden warmth, my moment was interrupted by the high pitched greeting of my good friend and favorite champion Kennen, almost unrecognizable in his elaborate suit, except for his face, which had yet to be masked. He handed me a bundle of cloth, which I presumed was my own costume, before he spoke up again.
"No luck again, I take?" His raspy voice sliced through the silence of the almost abandoned hall. I attempted to warm my hands a bit by rubbing them together and shook my head. "Why do you keep going out there anyways, one day it will grow so cold that if you don't come back not even we are going to come looking for you."
"I don't know. It's just that since I saw that figure walking by the first time I just had to know who it was. Why should I not be allowed to have my weird hobby of sorts? I know that you like to do mud fights."
"Shht! Someone might hear you! Mud fights at least don't make your fingers fall off after an hour or two." Kennnen scolded me. The ninja Yordle wished to upkeep his image as a badass and he thought that mud fights most likely did not classify as good badassery.
The few remaining souls in the immense hall were all heading to the far side, where a not quite as large gallery led to the mess hall, form which loud noises were emanating. The annual Yuva meal signified the final month of the year, a last moment of warmth and joy before the coldest days came to pass. It was the most commonly held festival in all of Runeterra, but originated from the far north. Each year the institute chose a new nation to organize that year's festivities, this year it was Freljord's turn. The Freljordians really outdid themselves this year, at least so I thought as I entered the dining hall, now barely recognizable due to the many crystalline decorations and refracting beams of light that changed the room from its usual, yet grand appearance, to the world's most exotic Yuva hall. Almost every member of the institute was present, yet unrecognizable in their elaborate gowns and masks. Kennen handed me the final piece of my own disguise.
I briefly eyed the streamlined ice blue wraith mask before placing it over my face. My attention got pulled elsewhere when suddenly Ashe's magically enhanced voice cut through the ear deafening noise. She welcomed the band on stage, then her masked figure quickly receded into the massive crowds again. What some would call a plaintive melody, others a beat drop filled even the furthest corners of the room.
I looked back to the spot previously occupied by Kennen, next to me atop the stairs leading down into the massive hall, to find it empty. "That's what friends are for I suppose…" I mused, before descending into the flowing mass of people moving to the music. I was not one for dancing though. I was almost certain that some of the female figures deliberately moved extra close to me as I passed them on my way to the back of the hall.
Little did they know that I had set myself a target for conquest already. Unfortunately for me though, She didn't even know she was yet. The noble stature and graceful movements of this woman had captivated me ever since She arrived at the league. Trying to find Her in the crowds would be like trying to find a needle in a haystack though. Even if I would be able to find Her, I doubted that I would be able to further my cause with Her.
Not a moment too soon I reached the bar where Gragas, despite his best attempts still recognizable due to his… iconic stature… was serving drinks and snacks to anyone with the gold to pay for it. Deciding once more that busy parties were most definitely not my thing I ordered a confederate special and settled in the shadows to enjoy my drink.
As if on cue Kennen popped out of the wall of people relentlessly moving to the rythm. "What have you been up to Kennen?" I asked my small friend. Kennen plopped down next to me. "Nothing in particular. Just trying to see if I recognized anyone else. It's a fun game me and Shen thought up a couple 'years back. You try to match as many people as possible with their costumes and later you ask them if you were right. The winner gets to skip morning matches."
I offered Kennen one of the many straws sticking out of the mug filled with orange liquor which he gracefully accepted. We sat in relative silence for several moments. Suddenly Kennen jumped and ran into the crowd of people shouting that he had recognized another one. I just shook my head and mulled.
The endless staring competitions between me Her had not gone unnoticed by most of my friends; though I just shook it off whenever they asked. Kennen had frequently suggested that I should simply ask Her out on a date or something. I had each time then friendly reminded him that She would never accept because it would be me asking it.
Whenever I had to summon, I would always go out of my way to avoid summoning Her, fearing what would happen if we established the deep mental interlink required in the fields of justice. This afternoon I was actually supposed to summon Shen. For some reason he was not able to make it and sent Her instead, not telling me beforehand. I had been so surprised that my mental outreach had recoiled with such force it caused the summoning orb to shatter in my hand, severely marring it and generously handing out scratches and bruises to the other summoners in the room.
I was sure that before the connection was severed She did pick up who I was though. Surely She would now look down upon me as an incapable individual, or at least as someone who hated Her. I looked at the half finished drink in my hand and suddenly felt the urge to smash it. When I gave in to my urge it earned me an angry glare from Gragas and several disapproving gazes. I was about to get up and leave when a hand on my shoulder held me back and a soft voice whispered into my ear.
"You are not going anywhere until you have shared a dance with me." Ok. The figure was clearly feminine. From the long white hairs rippling out behind the mask I narrowed the possible candidates down to exactly two. Ashe or Syndra and he knew for a fact that Syndra was gone with Xerath at this very moment to do 'research'. I would have loved to say no, but to turn down the host of the party would be very rude. Not to mention I just broke a very expensive mug too.
"Fine, just one, Ashe." I responded. She grabbed my arm and pulled me along into the mass of people. "Ssht! No one is supposed to know that I am in fact me!" Ashe scolded me. "Fine, but clearly you know who I am and you know that I don't dance. So why ask me to?" Ashe suddenly turned around, almost causing me to run into her, pulled my body closer to hers and forced me into the rhythm of the music. She leaned her head down close to his ear. "Despite what you keep telling everyone you really are quite the male specimen. Most of the League's female singles would die to get it on with you." She smiled devilishly.
I spun Ashe around before responding. "Ashe, this is really quite flattering and all, but you are already in a relationship with Tryndamere and I have set my eyes on another." Ashe did not seem the slightest bit discouraged. Suddenly she leaned in very close and whispered "I know." Before I could ask what she meant she suddenly gave me a not too gentle push, launching me into the arms of a waiting figure that spun me around and started to dance with me.
Before I knew, this had repeated itself several times, ultimately depositing me in a small clearing in the forest of people. A single figure was standing there. After a moment she took a hold of me just as the previous few had done and began to dance with me. I joined in, although I was feeling incredibly unhappy and irritated right now.
What frustrated me even more were that all attempts to determine who I was dancing with were met with failure. Eventually I gave up and before the first dance had even finished, I had not too kindly removed the woman from myself and rushed off towards the exit. Today just really wasn't my day. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the woman's step falter, then hesitate for a moment, then come after me.
Just as I turned the final corner the masked figure finally caught up to me. A strong grip prevented me from turning away from her. After several heaving breaths she finally spoke up. "Why did you run away from me?" The strength in her voice was wavering, making it unrecognizable. I didn't reply. "Am I not attractive enough?" I briefly looked over her elaborate gown and I had to admit that she had curves in all the right places… and the bloodmoon gown really was gorgeous.
"I know I shouldn't have let Ashe convince me to do this." The voice sounded dejected. I was feeling a little guilty now. I was a little hesitant, but she at least deserved an explanation. "Don't get me wrong, you look fantastic, but I like someone else. I couldn't give you that false hope in good conscience." I was a little surprised when she forcefully grabbed the collar of my guise and pushed me up against a wall. "Who, who is it?" She said in a menacing voice. "Why should I tell you?" I retorted. All was silent for a moment.
"Forget it. I am handing in my resignation to the institute. Tomorrow you will know who I am, when everyone discovers I'm gone." Her tone had turned icy cold. Before I had the chance to say anything her figure swiftly receded into the shadows. I could only hope that the mysterious woman would not follow through with her plan. I lay awake for hours, still feeling guilty. Not until the moon had almost settled on the horizon once more did I fall asleep.
My fragile state of sleep was none too gently disturbed by a loud noise. The first signs of dawn seeped over the horizons edge. Commanding my body to move, I sat on the side of my bed for a moment before making my way to the door. I was met with the sight of a frantic Kennen. One sentence was all I needed to piece everything together. "Do you know where Akali is?"
In one smooth motion I had banged the door shut again and sank to the floor, my back to the door. I sat there for a good minute. Not until just now I realized what the true feeling of dread was. I looked out the window. A tight ceiling of grey clouds had massed over the institute. Come on, suck it up… you have a visitor. On the other side of the door Kennen was still waiting, impatiently switching his balance from one leg to the other.
Rubbing the last bit of sleep form my eyes, I motioned for him to come in. "I don't get you two sometimes!" Kennen started out. His voice quickly faltered when he noticed the incredibly small amount of Akalis per square foot ratio in the room. He looked at me with big eyes. "Where is Akali? You two did get together last night didn't you?" I blinked several times, then shook my head. Upon his insistence I explained what happened last night.
"Are you telling me that Akali is out there right now?" Kennen pointed to the window, under continuous attack from the raging blizzard outside. I looked out the window. After a few eternal seconds of silence I forced my body into action. Swiftly I grabbed my thickest cloak, pulled on several layers of clothing and started rummaging through my cupboards for some basic supplies. "Don't tell me you are planning on going out there too!" Kennen whined, futilely attempting to hinder me. "Listen Kennen, It's my fault that she is out there right now, most likely without the necessary equipment. I can't live with myself if she dies because of me."
Kennen hurried after me as I made way for the main doors, his small legs barely keeping up with my brisk pace. "You are no doubt the most audacious, borderline stupid person I know" Kennen complained. Just before I reached the solid wooden doors leading to the freezing cool outside I stopped and turned to face him. "I love her Kennen, I can't just leave her out there to die." I pulled my cloak closer around me, pulled my hood down and fitted my gloves on. Something tugged on my sleeve. I looked back and Kennen handed me a compass. "You might need this to return here, if you insist on going out there."
The thick gray fabric of my cloak quickly started turning white in the harsh conditions. I could make out the faint outlines of what had once been a track in the snow, quickly fading under the thick layer of white, attempting to shroud it's imperfection as fast as possible. Looking over my shoulder one last time to see Kennen struggle to close the doors again, hindered in doing so by the strong head wind. I carried on forwards.
Soon the track deviated from the mountain path that connected the institute with the outside world, into the thick forests surrounding the it. My legs were quickly tiring in the endless heaps of snow, but I pushed myself forward and off the small ledge, leading me deeper into the thick, barren shrubbery. The path I followed was straight and no doubt manmade, by someone who knew what they were doing as well from the looks of it. At least the raging winds had to obey to some form of control between the trees of the forrest, contrary to the open fields.
After a solid two ours of freezing cold I the footprints in the snow suddenly ended. Perhaps I was hallucinating, that there was no path and that Akali had simply vanished amongst the shadows of the institute, or asked a summoner to teleport her to Ionia. That was until a very familiar cloak, one I had sought after for many months was visible, hung out over a dead tree like a morbid scarecrow. Not twelve meters further, hidden behind some dense shrubbery, was a lake, frozen over to form a perfect mirror. A slender female figure in a bloodmoon kimono lay next to it. She lay on her side, facing the smooth surface. Her skin was a ghastly pale. She slowly trailed her bare fingers across the frozen water.
I hurried over to her and confirmed my suspicion that it was in fact Akali. I gently turned her over, noticing the delicate crystalized tears that had formed on her cheek, glistening in the frail light that passed through the blizzard. Quickly I pulled my gloves off and searched her face for any signs of live. I might as well have touched the snow instead. Slowly she circled her arms around me and buried her face in my cloak, desperately trying to hold on to the wavering source of heat.
Quickly glancing around I noticed a shallow cave. I quickly grabbed her cloak and hoisted her over to the poor excuse of shelter. Building a fire was out of the question in this weather and I didn't have the necessary teleportation scrolls to get us back to the league. Taking a moment to mentally prepare myself I opened as many of the layers of clothing as I could, before folding Akali up as tight as I could and engulfing her in the heat of my body. I spread her own cloak over the both of us and curled myself around her protectively, preparing to wait out the blizzard.
After a solid hour Akali started crying out in pain, attempting to squirm out of my grasp. "It hurts! Everything hurts… Please… make it stop!" I gently moved my hand through her long hair. "It's the thawing of your limbs you are feeling. You should be happy you didn't get frostbite." Akali suddenly seemed to become aware of the fact that she had company. She looked up to see who her savior was. Her eyes went wide as she saw me. "You…" she started. "Im sorry. I'm so sorry, Akali." I cradled her in my arms again and all remained silent.
Another two hours later her cheeks had finally regained their healthy color. Hearing her voice again after the eternity of silence was an alleviating experience. "Why did you come after me?" I looked down at her. "Because I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I knew you'd have died because of me." "That almost sounded selfish." She scolded me. "Is that the only reason?" she continued, looking away from me.
"And because…" My voice faltered. "Because I might like you… a lot… as more than just friends?" "Now once more but with some more conviction." She told me. "You know that you are not making this any easier right? I mean, I did come after you after you after you blew up on me last night and I have been sitting here keeping you warm for the most part of the day right?" She sighed and snuggled a bit closer to me. "I'm sorry as well." She started. "I guess that you would like an explanation?" I nodded.
"Well… Ashe came up with this plan. She kept nagging about me never going on a date with anybody. She said that she would arrange something for me if I hadn't made a move on someone by the Yuva festivities. She actually didn't tell me what was happening or who she was planning to get me together with until right beforehand." Definite silence loomed over the two of us once more. Not wanting the conversation to end just yet in continued. "Just out of curiosity, do you know who Ashe made me dance with?" Akali seemed to search my eyes for something as she answered. "Im not sure in which order," she said "but if my memory serves me right you danced with Irelia, Miss Fortune, Leona, Janna, Sivir, Nidalee and Katarina." There was uncertainty in her eyes. "Well, none of them danced as well as you did." I told her reassuringly. "Why did you blow up on me afterwards?"
Her eyes were downcast in embarrassment. "Well, I never really did make a move on anyone in the league because I have liked someone for a very long time, not knowing if he felt the same way." She sounded very eager to change the subject. I felt a pang of hurt, but forced myself to ask the next question. "Who is the lucky guy?" I asked her. She looked at me incredulously. "Isn't that obvious by now? It's you!" As soon as my mind processed what she said I pulled her into a soft, gentle kiss. Her lips still felt cold. Soon the kiss progressed however, proving that behind those perfect soft lips still lay the fire of life in her breath.
"I'm glad I won't have to murder someone now." I whispered to her. She simply smiled and lay her head down on my chest as I tightened my grip on the many layers of cloth cocooning us. "I'm tired." She whispered. "Then sleep, I will be here to protect you and wake you if a threat looms near." I whispered back. Soon her breathing leveled. As I leaned back on the rock I couldn't help but feel grateful. Grateful for Kennen's watchfulness, grateful that I had found her in time, grateful that she liked me too. There really was a god up there watching over puny little me after all, so it seemed.
The storm lasted through the best part of the day. When the last of the snow had finally settled I gently removed Akali from my chest, making sure she was well wrapped in plenty of cloth, as if she were a delicate jewel. I pulled my own cloak tightly over my now slightly less insulated body before digging up Kennen's compass. I knew that the institute was roughly south-west of where we were now. Noting that there was no evidence where we had come from, presumably covered with snow, I was grateful for the Yordle's thoughtfulness.
Akali looked so peaceful when she was sleeping. Not wanting to disturb her tranquility, I roughly marked the direction we had to go in my mind. I gently lifted her up bridal style, mentally preparing for a few solid hours of hiking with… extra cargo. By the time I made it back to the institute my arms and legs were on fire. It had grown cold, the sun having set nearly an hour ago. Akali was shivering in my arms.
Someone else beat me to opening the door though. Kennen stood on the other side. I saw him open his mouth to say something and quickly silenced him with a glare. "She's sleeping." I mouthed. Kennen nodded in recognition and whispered: "Is she alright?" I nodded. "She's fine, just cold. Could you get me a cup of soup and bring it to my room?" I whispered. He nodded and sped off in the direction of the kitchens.
I closed the door behind me with my foot and put Akali down on my bed, gently stroking a stray lock of hair out of her face. She still felt very cold. I headed over to my bathroom and opened the taps on my bathtub, making sure that it was of a comfortable temperature before allowing it to fill.
Standing over Akali's sleeping form I pondered what the best and most respectful way was to get her into the warm water. I was so deep in thought I hadn't noticed that the shivering Akali had woken. She must have heard the bathtub filling and understood my dilemma, because she said: "It's okay. I have nothing to hide from you anymore." I looked in her beautiful sparkling eyes. "Are you sure? Do you really trust me that much?" She nodded. Tenderly I removed her bloodmoon gown, not once breaking eye contact. Suddenly I was very happy one was not to wear any garments underneath bloodmoon clothing, which saved me from having to roam to places on her body I would rather not go without her full waking consent. I gently carried her nude form over to the bath and lowered her into the warm water.
As if on cue someone knocked on the door. My suspicion was confirmed when I opened the door and I saw soup and a yordle in that order. Kennen handed me the large bowl wishing me luck and giving me a conspiring wink. Barely hearing my thank you he wished me luck, turned and walked down the long corridor, whistling as he went.
I carried the large bowl over to the bathroom and sat down on the side of my bathtub. Akali made a weak movement towards the bowl. Gently I pushed her back into the tub and held out a spoonful for her. She looked at me with grateful eyes as I slowly fed her the contents of the bowl. After our tender moment had passed she asked me to retrieve her nightgown from her room, giving me brief instructions where to find it and how to get in.
Akali's room was surprisingly un-girl-like. Sober colors made up for most of the interior and a wide array of weaponry, mostly kamas, was spread out along the far wall. I started rummaging through her closet, looking for the white silk nightgown she had requested. I was somewhat rudely interrupted. "What are you doing if I may ask?" I banged my head when I swiftly tried to turn around. Staggering back from the closet I looked towards the open door to see Shen standing in the doorway.
"I, eh… I was looking for a nightgown for Akali actually." I responded. At that moment Kennen, clad in animal pajamas, came by. He looked at me with wide eyes before tugging on Shen's sleeve and whispering something in his ear. Shen courtly nodded and motioned for Kennen to move along, which he did. Shen moved into the room and stood next to me. I was uncertain what to do until he spoke up. "I think that you were looking for this one." He said as he pulled out a gown that perfectly matched Akali's description.
"How did you know?" I asked him. He handed me the folded cloth. "Before I became the Eye of Twilight Akali and I used to be very close." He responded. "Did you two ever… ehmm…?" Though I did not finish the question Shen seemed to grasp where I was headed. "No. We never came that far." I stood there, uncertain what to do next. Shen broke the silence. I could swear I saw a small grin as he said: "You do know that if you hurt Akali in any way me and Kennen will come and do the same thing to you right?" I gulped and nodded. "Off you go then, and don't let me catch you sneaking around in the Kinkou quarters again without explicit permission from one of us three."
Back in my room I put down the gown on the nightstand before proceeding into the bathroom again. Akali stood in the draining tub, leaning on one of the wall, panting from the effort of getting up. I averted my eyes in decency and held out a towel to her. After a few moments I glanced her way to see if she had covered herself up yet. I watched as she cautiously attempted to step out of the bathtub.
She lost her balance though. I quickly stepped forward and caught her. She growled something inaudible before grabbing my shoulder and attempting to hoist herself up again. Somewhere in her mumbling I was able to make out the words "… not… a weak… female." I turned her to face me. "Akali, being vulnerable does not make you weak. It's okay to lean on others sometimes."
She pushed me away and moved through my room with unstable steps. She quickly spotted her nightgown. I averted my eyes once more as she dropped her towel and moved to pull on her nightgown. Not long after the soft rustling of cloth had subsided I heard the 'thud' produced by something heavy hitting a carpet floor. I looked up to see Akali, spread out on the floor. Soon she curled herself up in the same position I had found her in in the forest and remained still, staring at the wall in front of her.
Cautiously I approached and sat down next to her. I put her head in my lap and moved that stray lock of hair out of her face again, tugging it behind her ear. I leaned down and whispered words of solace to her. "Akali, you don't have to face everything alone. You don't have to be strong forever. So much happened these last two days and you have yet to face any of it, with or without me. I love you Akali, my heart breaks when I see you like this."
Despite the heat radiating from her body she started to shiver. I gently pulled her up and allowed her to rest against my torso. She buried her head in my shoulder and tightly embraced me. What started as wordless tears soon became a never ending cascade of emotion. I held her tightly, trying to alleviate her pain as she wailed in my arms, her body convulsing uncontrollably. "We all need help at times like this, I'm here for you." I gently rocked her. I felt so useless not being able to comfort her. "I wish I had the right words, just know I care more than anyone."
After an eternity the endless flow of tears finally seemed to lessen. "It's not fair." Akali sniffled. "Akali please," I responded "Open up to me." Hesitant at first, Akali started to tell me about her life. After she told me about her difficult youth she suddenly stopped. Sensing that there was something she wasn't telling me I pressured her for an answer. "There is something else that you want to say, isn't there?" A war seemed to be waged behind her eyes, then she nodded. "Ever since…" She paused for a moment. "Shen and I used to be very close. When he became the Eye, he suddenly turned so cold to me. It was l had never meant anything to him and…" Her red puffy eyes watered a little bit. "and I felt so sure that no one could ever like me since then."
"Akali, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my life, not to mention you are smart, witty, strong and independent. How can you think that you cannot be loved?" Not until now did she move her head to look me in the eyes. "Because I am broken inside, that's why." She said. I pulled her back towards me, tightly embracing her. "Then allow me to mend you." We remained like that for several moments. "Hey," she said. "I think that I just might be falling in love with you too."
I felt so happy when she said that. "Can I stay with you tonight?" She asked shyly. "Of course" I responded, "I wouldn't have it any other way." At that moment I was struck by indecision; Akali clearly was incapable of moving to the bed on her own, yet I didn't want to disrespect her by simply carrying her there. "I'm sorry, this might sound a little… male… but I really am getting tired and I'd love it if we could move you to a bed." Akali laughed wholeheartedly and snuggled closer to me. "Well, go on and move me then." She said.
I gently carried her over to the bed. After I put her down she moved herself under the covers and motioned for me to come join her. "Eh, Akali, I don't know if you noticed, but my bead is a single." I said sheepishly. "But you said I could stay with you tonight." She whined. "Fine, I'll take the floor." "You are so dense." She mumbled so softly I could barely hear it. "Unless… you want me to sleep next to you?" I haltingly finished my sentence. "Well, I'm still a little cold…" She said, trailing her fingers over the covers. "And you did save me from the blizzard…" She looked at me with those big, pretty eyes. "And you were there for me when I needed you to be…" By now I knew she was toying with me. "And I'm so murdering Ashe tomorrow…"
"What?"
"So yes, I would most likely enjoy that." She finished in a matter-of-factly tone, as if she were speaking to a five year old. I shot an undignified glance her way before tentatively crawling next to her. She swiftly turned around and cuddled into me, drawing my arm over her ample bosom and ever so slightly entwining her legs with mine. "Akali, why were you out in the snow every night? I have been trying to find a certain caped figure who passed by my window every night and I found that cape in your possession today." I softly whispered into her ear. "That was you? Wow, I would never have guessed that." She was silent for a moment.
"There is a small clearing where I usually go to meditate. When I noticed someone following me there every night I made sure that my peace wasn't disturbed by swiftly climbing into the treetops, moving through the forests from above." The enticing smell of her hair messed with my more base instincts. I suppressed them though, letting the tiredness take over and drifted into a peaceful dreamless sleep. Before darkness took over I heard her whisper. "Remind me to take you there some day…"