For Yuri Week 2018: Day 3: Nature
Erzsébet finds herself at the Ukrainian border more and more often. It's an escape from her controlling father, her fussy mother and her overall condescending family.
There she meets her sanctuary, her peace, her love, her Iryna.
Iryna is the eldest daughter of a farmer just a short walk away from the Hungarian border. She has a younger brother and sister of whom she speaks fondly. She knits, enjoys her life on the farm and loves receiving flowers.
Seated in the grass with nothing but a forest to her left, hills to her right reaching into the distance and a blue sky overhead, Erzsébet prunes the bouquet she has brought, the myriad of pansies a colourful display against the never-ending green and blue.
It's beautiful and Erzsébet takes a deep breath, revelling in the subtleness of the day. Falling back against the grass and closing her eyes, Erzsébet figures a little nap wouldn't hurt, especially because it would still be a while before Iryna would arrive.
When she opens her eyes again, blearily and a little disoriented, Iryna is smiling down at her, hands behind her back. Her bright blue eyes twinkle in the sunlight as she kneels in the grass next to Erzsébet, reaching out to brush a twig from her hair.
"Good afternoon," Iryna says. Her Hungarian is much better than Erzsébet's Ukrainian, but she helps her with her pronunciation, so slowly but surely Erzsébet is catching up.
"Good afternoon," Erzsébet replies, the Ukrainian becoming a habit. She sits up, rubs her eyes and reaches behind her to grab the bouquet, flaunting it in front of Iryna. "There is pansies. That's for thoughts." She grins, wondering what her father would say if he heard her quoting his teachings not to her betrothed, but her mistress.
Iryna laughs. It's one of Erzsébet's favourite sounds and she likes to do everything in her power to elicit it. She takes the flowers from her and when their fingers brush, they share a furtive look.
"And what thoughts does the lady have then?" Iryna asks, settling in the grass beside Erzsébet and touching her hand.
Humming, Erzsébet leans closer. She glances around quickly, tries not to laugh too much and whispers, "Many, but mostly of peaceful afternoons, clear skies, Ukrainian beauties."
Iryna giggles, another wonderful sound, brushing a hand over Erzsébet's cheek before leaning in for a kiss.
"What great thoughts to have," she murmurs as Erzsébet falls back in the grass and pulls her along. Hovering above her, observing the Hungarian lying in the grass, hair fanned out around her, Iryna takes the time to press kisses against Erzsébet's skin, against her cheeks, on her nose, her forehead, stealing one from her lips before she travels down her neck, to the neckline of her dress.
Erzsébet sighs, running her fingers through Iryna's hair. With a soft tug, Iryna comes back up, smiling before she leans down to kiss. Their lips fit together so perfectly and Erzsébet wraps her arms around Iryna's shoulders, fingers resting at the back of her neck as she deepens the kiss.
A burst of laughter slips past Iryna's lips when Erzsébet reaches down and pinches her butt and she rolls off Erzsébet. She lands heavily in the grass beside her, brushing her hair from her eyes as she continues to laugh. Erzsébet shifts to lie on her side, takes a moment to observe the woman next to her. The way her cheeks have coloured a sweet red, the dimples by the side of her mouth, the curve of her lips, the gentle slope of her nose, her eyes glinting as blue as the sky overhead.
"I think I love you," Erzsébet says slowly.
Iryna pauses, a hand hovering above her mouth as she just stares at the sky for a long second. Her other hand fumbles around for Erzsébet's and she intertwines their fingers, resting them on her stomach.
"I love you too," she says and closes her eyes. "Oh, I do, Erzsébet."
"I'd run away for you, Iryna." Erzsébet touches Iryna's cheek, makes her look at her as she speaks with sincerity. "God, Iryna, I'd leave my family, my inheritance, my life behind for you."
Iryna sighs. "I know you would."
"Run away into the forest, find a new home for us, begin a new life," Erzsébet continues, even if she knows none of what she's saying holds reality. "Just the two of us, Iryna. Imagine."
"Always." Iryna watches as Erzsébet sits up, smiles sadly as she leans over her and presses a kiss to her lips. "I always wonder."
Erzsébet brushes a thumb over her cheek, brushes away the tear that rolls down. Iryna tugs at her dress then, pulls Erzsébet down again and settles her against her side. She runs her fingers through her long hair as Erzsébet falls silent. They lie in silence for a while, nothing but their breathing and the occasional birdsong coming from the forest. Erzsébet even started to drowse, snuggled close with Iryna's arms around her.
"You should come to the farm someday," Iryna says softly, thoughtfully even.
"What?" Erzsébet blinks the sleep from her eyes, shifting so she can see Iryna's face better. She's wearing a gentle expression, staring up at the blue sky.
"Meet my family. If they—" Iryna swallows, squeezes Erzsébet's side nervously— "If they like you, you could… stay?"
Erzsébet breathes deeply, rolls onto Iryna and kisses her. "I'd be honoured," she mutters, planting more and more kisses against Iryna's cheeks and lips. "I'd have to really work on my Ukrainian, but—oh, God, Iryna, I'd love to."
Iryna wraps her into a hug, tucking Erzsébet's head underneath her chin with a happy sigh. "Then I'll discuss it with my family tonight."
There is a pause as Erzsébet thinks over how to ask the more dangerous side of the question. "What if… they don't like me?"
Fingers trail through her hair as Iryna presses another kiss to her head. Then, she tightens her hold on Erzsébet and says, "Then I'll run. I'll run with you until we find a place where we can live. We do what we imagine."
Erzsébet sighs, kisses Iryna's neck and closes her eyes.
It might not be much of a plan, much of a future, but she clings to it still. There is no future for them where they currently are, between their hills and forests, but perhaps someday they might find a home of their own.
"There is pansies. That's for thoughts" is said by Ophelia from Shakespeare's Hamlet. Pansies can also mean "love in idleness", which is meant to imply an image of a lover who can do nothing but think of their beloved.
Originally posted on the 3rd of September on AO3. Part of my catching up spree.