Between Loss and Love
Her pink hair glistened in the late night moon, as she sat in the moon-stained grass.
She was in awe and in tears, and she hoped he could see neither.
She'd seen it all before, but this time it hit her differently. This was her first time realizing that this- this was the same sky that they had stared up at all those years ago.
And there she was. And there he was.
"What's the matter, Nassie?"
Oh shoot, he noticed. She swallowed her sobs, and looked at him to her surprise. It was brave of her, she realized. Maybe that was a good thing?
"Oh, it's nothing. Just…me."
She looked back up to the stars, hoping he would buy it. Of course he won't.
"Hey, now. What is it, lass? I know ya aren't alway this melancholy."
She sighed, knowing that he wasn't going to drop this. Maybe she was glad that he didn't?
"It's them." She hoped that he didn't see again the tears glistening on her cheeks as she mentioned it. She did a lot of hoping lately, and she wasn't even an optimist. Really, though, she didn't know what she was without him.
The thoughts welled into her eyes all the more.
"Aww, Nassie," O' Chunks sighed. "It'll get better, e'ntually. I can promise to ye that."
"I know, I guess," she muttered. She felt like she didn't know anything anymore. "It just…hits me that he was under these skies once. And now-now-"
"He's under other skies," O'Chunks finished.
"Right."
"But he's with 'er, Nassie. And their happy toge'r."
"Right." And I wanted to be her.
"It'll be 'kay. Besides, now 'eve got a new chapter to start."
"But where?"
"Who knows? I'm sure someone in Flipside will 'ire us som'ere."
"I hope."
"We can 'elp out with Chef Saffron, eh?"
"Yeah."
He looked over at her and gave her a lop-sided smile. "'Ey, Nassie. We still got each o'er to look out 'or."
She didn't acknowledge his statement, continuing to be lost in the stars above.
Where were they? Why did it have to be?
She didn't even notice that his arm had wrapped around her shoulders.
When she did notice she wasn't sure how to respond. When she did notice, she realized something she hadn't before. That perhaps they even felt the same way about each other that the Count and Timpani had felt.
"O- O'Chunks?" She looked over at him, her mouth widened in shock.
"What 'tis it?"
He realized what he had done, and drew his arm back to his side. "Oy…I'm sorry…"
"I-uh-" She wondered if they ever felt awkward when they first met, or when they…fell in love. Could she really be falling in love? But she needed time to tell.
O'Chunks continued to blush, and looked away desperately.
"It's…okay, O' Chunks. I, um, understand."
She tapped his shoulder, but she already had all his attention.
"O' Chunks…" She blushed, barely visible in the moonlight. "Do you, uh, actually-? Because, I just don't feel like it's time…it's too early to move on for me, y'know…"
"I-uh- I do love ya, Nassie," he struggled. "But I know ya need your time, and I understand. But I- I be wondering…Do you-"
She wasn't sure what to say. Or feel. Or do.
So she stared at him for five more seconds, trying to understand how she felt.
"I-"
Beneath these same stars, she confessed the same feelings. She felt the same thing as he did, all those years ago.
It was the most terrifying and wonderful thing in the world, because she knew that she had so much to lose; yet so much to gain.
They were in love, and she knew she felt the same everlasting love as the Count had. In a way, and in another universe, she had become her. She had become Timpani, to someone she never expected to.
"I love you."
It was the moment all things fell into the past, and a new chapter opened up for them both.
A/N: As I began to write this, I kinda didn't realize that O'Chunks X Natasia wasn't actually a thing in SPM. Oh well, I always thought it was. I'm a bit aware that this story seems to jump abruptly between sorrow and love, but in a way that's how I wanted it to be. I need to stop with the long author's note. Goodbye!