Never Mind
A/N: One-shot to wage war against my writer's block. HAHA. Well, my life has been dominated by exams, as it's the last year of school. Been kinda down but all is good. This one-shot is a result of inspiration by Adele's song "Someone like you." May not be the greatest piece of working considering it's been almost a year since I've written something, properly that is. All critique welcome. Well, enjoy!
xo
Cinnamon.
It was strange having that familiar aroma dominate his sense of smell. Stepping further into the room, the spicy scent only became stronger. He saw the incense stick burning on the dressing room table, the spiral of smoke disappearing into the mists of the air. With a smile on his handsome face, he made his way to the table. Ashes surrounded the stick, and as he rubbed his fingers around the soot, a memory fogged his thoughts.
"What are you doing?"
She looked over her shoulder, baggy shirt sliding down. Giving him an innocent grin, she turned her attention back to the numerous incense sticks piled in front of her. Thumb flicking the lighter, she lit one and let the smoke fill the air. Her eyes closed as a dopey smile made way on her lips.
"Making the place cosier," she replied, as if it were the simplest thing in the world.
He sighed as he walked to the kitchen counter, placing his briefcase on the floor. Turning on the kettle, his attention never diverted away from her strange actions. She sat cross legged on a cushion, her chocolate hair let down and mussed. He simply wondered how she still managed to be so energetic after a day of working at that blasted café.
Mixing the milk in his brew, he walked towards her. He took a seat on the sofa and continued to scrutinize her actions. He resisted a chuckle as he saw the intense concentration on her face when she organised the different positions of each incense stick.
Suddenly, the edge of the cushion she sat on caught on fire.
"Shit!" she cried, as she grabbed her book and fanned the blaze. Only managing to worsen it, she looked at Kai and then at his cup. Snatching his brew from his hands, she threw it over the pillow. The liquid splattered over the carpet, leaving a brown stain on the white material and a singed cushion.
She sighed in relief, and turned around slowly, that signature dopey smile returning to her lips.
"Whoops?"
He shook his head, but let the chuckle out. And while he questioned what went through her head, he didn't seem to dwell too much into it. He walked over to her and stroked her cheek while she laughed that laugh he loved.
xo
He smiled as that scene unfurled in his mind. As his fingers rubbed together to rid of the ash, his attention was caught by the bouquet of white lilies that resided by the mirror. His fingers dared to stroke a soft petal. He leant in and inhaled the sweet smell of the flowers as another memory came to thought.
xo
"What're you thinking about?"
He stroked his finger on her bare shoulders, causing her to drift away from her far off thoughts. Hearing her softly sigh, she turned under the covers, resting on her elbow as she faced him. Her hand rested on her thigh, her fingers rhythmically tapping at it.
"What every girl thinks about,"
He raised an eyebrow at her blunt answer. She simply laughed at his expression, letting her finger stroke his muscular arm.
"Silly, I was thinking about my dreams."
A genuine smile pushed up with his hand now resting on the curve of her hip.
"Enlighten me," he asked, somewhat mischievously.
Her eyes looked away from him as she seemed to be far away from reality again. She smiled dreamily and let out another soft sigh.
"I always dreamed of my wedding, like every girl does. You know, the extravagant decorations, the delicious catering. I'll walk down the aisle in my glamorous dress... It'll be so long, my brides maids will have to hold the train so I don't slip and embarrass myself. And I'll be carrying a bouquet of white lilies. Yes, white lilies…that'll be perfect."
"Why white lilies?"
"Mama told me white lilies represent love and devotion. And those are the reasons I wanna get married."
She gazed into his eyes, with so much warmth that he felt his heart begin to melt. She leant in and pecked his lips. He smiled in the kiss. She broke away, the warmth in her eyes only intensifying.
"And those should be the reasons for marriage."
Bringing her hand to his lips, he kissed her fingers, enjoying the simple idea that she was there with him, sharing her thoughts and dreams.
xo
"Hello?"
His thoughts snapped back to reality. Turning around, he scrutinized the girl – no, young woman – standing in front of his very eyes. The white dress hugged her figure, emphasizing her flawless curves. Her chocolate brown hair was pulled back into a high bun, with a small pearl clip tucking the side bang out of her face. And oh her eyes…the soft crimson red looked deep into his amethyst mists, penetrating through his soul and melting his heart.
She gasped. Of course, he expected that. He also expected a scene. But that didn't happen. Instead, silence shrouded the room as the two occupants faced each other but uttered no word. Bringing her hand to her chest, she finally found her voice.
"Kai?" she dared to ask.
His tousled slate hair only emphasized the penetrating stare of his alluring amethyst eyes. A few moments of silence filled the air again, until he opened his mouth to reply.
"Hello, Hilary,"
All of a sudden, the room got hotter. A bead of sweat slowly trickled down her temple. She opened her mouth to say something but no words came out, she lost her voice again. Averting her gaze to the plush carpet, she felt herself tremble. He noticed immediately. Of course, his presence would make her nervous. He looked away and continued stroking the soft petals of the lilies.
"Why are you here Kai?"
Finally, she had the courage to ask. Surprisingly to him, she wasn't angry. She wasn't even upset. She just seemed curious.
Hesitantly, he turned away from the bouquet. His fingers stroked a soft petal one more time. Of course, the inevitable happened. He wasn't ignorant enough to not expect it. But a part of him just wanted to relish more in his memories. He didn't want this moment to end. He wasn't ready to face the reality yet.
"I came here to tell you something," he finally confessed.
She raised her eyebrows. Her eyes quickly glanced at the grandfather clock that seemed to be mocking her actions with every tick.
"Well?"
He walked towards her, only to stop dangerously close to her. His hand stroked a stray strand of hair that had broken away from the immaculate styling.
"I came to say, I wish you and your fiancé a happy marriage."
He leant into the side of her face. His lips teased her soft cheek. Pecking it softly, he moved back. His eyes looked into those soft crimson hues for a final time. This was it. This was the final step he had to make.
"Goodbye, Hilary,"
xo
He walked out of the room, refusing to look back.
Closing the door gently, he leaned his forehead against the cool wood. What was this feeling that was eating him up? That same feeling that made his stomach twist the moment he found out that Hilary was getting married. Was it…regret?
Sighing, Kai shook his head. He stepped away from the door. Blowing a kiss to the girl who would never know how he still felt, he turned away and began walking down the hallway. Hands buried in his pockets, he felt his past drifting slowly and painfully away from him.
"Never mind," he said quietly. "I'll find someone like you."
