They're young. Nothing matters when you're young. Not the fact that the grass is wet, that there's a spider crawling up James's leg… not even the knowledge that they're cousins can put them off.
They lie on their backs and stare at the sky, content in the knowledge that they are themselves and each other and no one can see them here in this meadow. A butterfly flitters past and Dominique sighs contentedly.
"Isn't it beautiful?" she says, entwining her fingers with James's.
He snorts. "No."
"How can you say that?" Dominique asks. "It's so colourful… and free…."
"It's ugly," James says. "Like all butterflies. Just legs and wings that tear like paper. And it'll 'splat' like every other bug if you crush it."
"There's no such thing as an ugly butterfly," Dominique insists.
"They're all ugly," James argues, leaning down to kiss her lightly. "Ugly butterflies." Then his lips press against hers more insistently.
And Dominique surrenders, because neither of them really cares.
She laughs when the fire tickles her skin. James relaxes when he sees it doesn't hurt her, but his worried expression will not be dispelled. "It feels so lovely, Jamie," she laughs.
The harmless fire runs down her arm and she catches it in her other hand. Bending down, she licks it.
Nothing happens.
"You're insane," James says, shaking his head.
"I know," Dominique replies. "It's why you love me."
"I do, don't I?" James asks idly. He puts his hand next to hers and watches the flame leap across. He wriggles his shoulders, not sure that he likes the feeling.
It sits there, flickering away in the palms of their hands.
Just theirs.
Always.
"Do you think you'll always love me?" Dominique asks.
"Forever," James promises.
"You won't live forever, though."
"I'll love you no matter what. Even if we aren't alive anymore."
"I don't think you can love someone forever."
"I will. I'll love you longer than forever."
"How long is that?"
"As long as it takes to count all the stars in the sky."
So Dominique begins.
It takes her years. By the time she finishes, she has silver-grey hairs and James has a beard that drops to his knees. He refuses to cut it no matter how much she begs.
"You know what the best thing in the world is?" James asks when she tells him that he has to stop loving her. "There's always more sky. You just can't see it. But if you get on a broom and fly for hours, you'll find another star, and another. And another. And even when you've flown all the way around the world and seen all the stars you possibly can, you haven't seen them all. Because there's still more out there; we just can't see them."
And Dominique stops counting, because he's determined that he really will love her forever.
And she's almost starting to believe it.
