548 days. 13125 hours. A year and a half. That was the exact number since she came on Tsushima Island. It was a charming little island in Japan, where nobody would ever think to search for her, especially because she didn't know the language back then. Of Corse she knew it now. She was not stupid like he sometimes called her. No, when she liked something she learned really fast and after a year and a half she talked like native. Writing was a whole other matter but that didn't count.
She liked it hear. The nature was so different from her hometown in Texas. People were nicer. She didn't have to be scared every minute and didn't have to constantly look behind her solder. She was safe.
He wasn't here.
No, he didn't matter. She suspected he was dead. It was the only way, because if he was alive there was no way he wouldn't have found her by now.
She didn't really know how she felt about that.
Scratch that, she knew exactly what she felt; it was just that people at her old home wouldn't have approved her feelings. But she won't make a sign that he is gone. No flower in the water or some symbolic shit that people did when other died. Plus he was Irish. What the fuck did Iris even do after… well, her life. She sure wasn't going to go play Danny boy for him. Never liked the stupid song.
She took her camera and went on a walk by the beach, as was her habit since she came here. Every time she started to think about him she came here to calm herself down and to take a picture or two if there was something interesting enough.
Sufficient enough to say that she had enough pictures for at least three books full of them but hey, what was a girl to do when there was a need.
Right now the sun was setting and the sky was colored in red, orange and pink. It was one of her favorite times of day. It always made her hope that tomorrow will be as beautiful as today.
Tomorrow. She would go to the village. Sakura asked her to take pictures of her children. It was a gift for Sakura's mother that lived in Tokyo, I think for her 60th birthday or something. She liked taking photos of children. She liked children, period.
He to liked children.
She promised herself she wasn't going to think about him so much anymore. It hurt badly when she did, but she couldn't help herself. The hardest was to look at her scar on her leg. It was the only visible thing that was left of him in some way. It reminded her on the last time…
The sun was making her windows all shiny and colorful. She liked it. It looked like there was a fairytale happening in her house.
She needed fairytales after everything she went through in Texas.
She still couldn't believe she fell for a criminal, assassin no less.
She didn't know if she should be thankful or resentful that she took that job for Mr. Adams. She knew she didn't like the guy, but the money was good, too good to pass a photo-shoot because she didn't like the boss.
That night she got lost in work so it was really late when she left the walk-in safe and for Mr. Adams cabinet to give him the film. But instead of Mr. Adams there was a cute blondish guy with curls there.
She didn't get it at first. She thought it was someone who was supposed to be there, at least until she saw the body on the floor.
The man cursed and after that everything went black. He drugged her and took her in some safe house or something. It was just his luck that he couldn't kill the witness he complaint a lot.
It took him a week to start to really talk to her. And after that he almost never stopped. He said it was because he couldn't talk to anybody because he didn't trust them. And she was different. For some reason beyond them he trusted her and told her everything. They lived a fairytale. For about three months. Then all hell broke loose.
He got betrayed by someone in his organization and they came to kill him. He barely got them both out and was shot multiple times. She too was shot but she never really got the chance to tell him.
She treated his wounds and after that he sand her to the only other person he trusted to hide her somewhere safe. To his sister Rose.
Rose was ok. Came of like a bitch, but her husband Emmet was a sweet. He reminded her of a big brother she always wanted to have. It was nice to stay in there house for a few days. Meanwhile he texted Rose to make sure, she could use his money if there was need.
She knew then that he didn't think he would make it. That was one of their debates when they were alone. He told her that he never trusted anybody with his resources. It was a liability to him for others to know about his money.
After that she couldn't stay with Rose. She needed to get away. As far as possible. She was suffocating.
The smart thing she was, she got a fake name and passport and headed to Japan. And now she was here, a year and a half later still feeling it as if it was yesterday.
Is that what they call finding destiny just so you can lose it? She didn't know, but she was certain that there was something permanent between them even with just three months of knowing him.
She just wished…
A shadow on her patio made her hide behind a rock. She may have been safe till now but she wasn't going to risk it.
Silently she sneaked closer to the house. She brought the camera closer to her eyes to see the person on her patio and almost screamed.
She started to run, her heart beating franticly.
He caught her when she flew into his arms. "You are late mister! I almost believed you died on me!" After that she started to cry into his shirt and griping him as if fearing he would leave.
"I'm sorry baby. I needed to make sure you would be safe with me before I came for you. And I made sure you were safe all the time you were here."
Her most secret dreams came true and it was suddenly just too much, she just cried and cried. She cried for all the new scars she could see, she cried for all the months she was scared for herself, for him.
She knew they needed to talk. They barely knew each other. But that could wait for tomorrow. Today they would just feel.
"Welcome home."