"Turning to his beloved, the young man smiled, taking her hand as they began their journey home." I closed the book, "The End." I turned to the bed-ridden girl beside me.
"Thank you for reading me that story, Zero..." She sniffled quietly, then coughed. I put my hand on hers, squeezing gently. "Is there anything else I can do to help you today?"
She blushed, opening and closing her mouth a few times, "Well, um... if... if you wouldn't mind... and, well... could you stay the night?"
I blinked, "That's it?" Fana stared up at me, caught between hope and discomfort. "Of course I'll stay the night Fana. I just need to go back to my place, grab my sleeping bag, pajamas and some more books." I let go of her hand and turned, already mentally running through my collection of books, wondering which Fana might want me to read for her.
Fana grabbed my hand, stopping me. I turned my head, confused, opening my mouth to ask what she was doing. "Don't worry about your sleeping bag, Zero..." Fana blushed.
I wasn't really sure what Fana meant by this, seeing as there were no couches in the house, but I trusted the bed-ridden girl.
"Um... OK..."
As I piled the last few books into my bag, I thought about the sickly girl in bed.
Fana and I had known each other since childhood. We had played together, gone to school together. But then the illness onset... Fana was unable to come to school, but I would still visit her every day. As her condition worsened, she became weaker and weaker, eventually becoming completely bedridden, I continued to visit her, even when others didn't.
I remembered the time, just a few days before she became ill, that we had snuck up to Sunset Hill and watched the stars together... I felt my face heat up at the memory of Fana sleepily telling me that one day, we would pledge our undying love for each other there. I chuckled at the memory, those years had been the best of my life...
I grabbed my bag, hoping that there would be more of the same to come...
I knocked on the door to Fana's house, smiling and bowing slightly in respect when her grandmother Helen opened it.
"How are you tonight Helen?" I asked. I had come to see Fana so many times Helen had come to consider me the grandson she never had. I was an orphan, so I was more than happy to humor the kind old lady.
"Oh, just fine dear. My hands have been a mite bit unsteady the past few days, but I am getting on..." She smiled, "I've already made dinner, so if your hungry..." Her eyes twinkled. "I've made a cheese cake for desert too. Fana can't have any of course." She winked at me, sliding a small plate with a fair portion of the aformentioned desert into my hands. I smiled and winked back. It was true that in Fana's condition, she shouldn't be having such a decadent treat, but Helen was a strong beliver in the virtue of living life to it's fullest, and if ignoring that meant Fana was denied something? Well, you'd best be moving out of the way.
"I'd love some Helen, just let me go and unpack my bag and things. You wouldn't mind if I ate up there would you?" I asked.
"Not at all dear. I'll call you when it's ready." She smiled as I climbed the stairs to Fana's room.
"Hey Zero..." Fana said softly as she noticed me coming up. "I've been waiting. What books did you bring?" She asked, curious.
"A little of this, a little of that... But I come bearing a gift." With a dramatic flourish, I placed the plate with the cheese cake and a fork on her lap, and she giggled.
"Zero! You know I can't have these kinds of things! The doctors would just throw a fit!" She proceeded to dig into the confection anyway.
"And why would the doctors need to find out about this?" I said, winking consperiatorilly, making Fana giggle again.
Helen's cooking was, once again, delectable, and I polished off a good three helpings before I felt my stomach might burst.
"I don't know where you put all that food Zero." Helen remarked, chuckling in that way that only grandmothers could.
"I can't help it if your food is so good my stomach has trouble catching up to my mouth." I replied, drawing laughter from both Fana and Helen.
After dinner, I changed into my pajamas. They were very comfortable, just how I liked them. Walking back into Fana's room, I thought I caught the ghost of a blush forming on her cheeks, but I dissmissed it.
"So, what book would you like me to read first?" I asked, sitting in the chair by the bed near my bag.
"Um, wait... could... could you sit beside me?" Fana asked. I blinked, there was no mistaking it now, Fana was indeed blushing.
"I don't see why not." I said, grinning. I grabbed a book at random from my bag and pulled myself up onto Fana's bed, relaxing against the plush downy pillows she had piled up so she could sit up.
"Alright, so, let's see which book I've got here." I pulled the book closer and checked the title, smiling. "Ah, your in luck, this happens to be a very, very good work of fiction." I informed her, holding up the first volume of 101 Nights.
"Oh, I think I've heard of this one! It's the one where the wife of the arabian king keeps herself alive by leaving her story at a cliffhanger each night, right?" Fana asked, eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"That's correct Fana. I'm happy to hear that you know of this book. It's quite famous, and the copy I own happens to be a proffesionally translated copy of the original story. I've had it since I was a child." I smiled, remembering when I had first stumbled into the bustling town of Rhoan. I was no more than five years of age, and my parents were nowhere to be seen. I had no family, but I was lucky enough to find that the villagers took pitty on me and cared for me. I helped where I could, eventually paying back the debt that they would never acknowledge I owed them.
I opened the book to it's first chapter and began to read...
The hours flew by, and as I turned the page to the next chapter, I felt Fana leaning against my shoulder. I looked over to find her fast asleep, a smile on her face as she rested against me.
I laughed quietly, placing the ribbon that served as a bookmark into place between the pages, before setting the book down on the nightstand. I moved, carefully lowering Fana down, making sure not to wake her.
She moaned in her sleep and grabbed at my hand, pulling me back, closer to her. She nestled into the crook between my neck and collarbone, humming happily.
"F-fana?" I asked, bewildered by the sudden turn of events.
"No... don't go away Zero... I want you to stay with me..." I heard her mumble in her sleep. I bit my lip, considering my options. I could easily remove her grip and move away, but I realized with a start that I didn't want to. The only other option was to...
"Sleep in her bed..." I sighed, rubbing the heel of my palm against my head. I carefully pulled the cover up, sliding beneath. Fana shivered, the smile still planted firmly on her face as my leg rubbed against hers. She wrapped her arms around me, pulling me close.
I could smell her hair. The faint scent of strawberries filled my nostrils as I inhaled deeply. My eyelids became heavy, and I close them.
As I fell asleep, I felt my arms unconciously wrap around Fana.
I woke to the sound of, clich as it was, birds singing as sunshine warmed my face. I blinked, turning my head side to side, unable to remember the events of last night for a moment.
Where was I? Easily answered, Fana's room. Why? Fana asked me to stay the night. My thoughts came to the big question. Where was I in Fana's room that I was so comfortable?
I struggled with the question a moment, as my sight fell on Fana, sleeping soundly, and I realized her arms were around me.
I froze as my last question was answered. I was sleeping...
In Fana's bed.
I was fairly certain that the term, eyes as wide as saucers, did not fully describe my reaction to this turn of events.
Fana yawned and blinked sleepily at me. "Morning Zero..." She smiled.
"Um... Hi..." I said, blushing nervously. "How did you sleep?"
"Better than usual," She replied, "You're a really good pillow." She rested her head on my chest again.
My face was so red at this point that I was certain I could be mistaken for a over-sized tomato. "Uh... Thanks?" I replied, not sure what to say or do in this situation.
"Zero?" Fana murmured, looking at me.
"Yes Fana?" I replied.
"Do you remember when I said... about pledging our undying love for each other?" She asked, watching my face closely.
"Yeah, I remember." I said, only somewhat unsure of where she was going with this. "Your not...?"
She sighed, looking at me, "Yes Zero. I am. I asked you to stay over last night because I wanted to tell you I... I..." She blushed deeply, stumbling as she tried to force the words out.
"I love you." She finally managed, her face crimson.
My mind froze as it tried to process this, turning the three little words over and over in my head. No way, no way could she like me... And then, in a flash of understanding, I realized.
I loved her too. It had always been there, hiding out of my notice. Whenever she smiled at me and my stomach would flutter, my insistance to be there with her when her illness grew worse. It was so clear now. I suppose that old playboy Vis still knew what he was talking about.
"I... I love you too, Fana." I replied, sitting there for the longest time, before she closed her eyes and leaned in towards me. I drew in a breath, suprised, before I closed mine, meeting in the metephorical middle.
As our lips met, I felt a wave of both calm and happiness wash over me. I wanted to laugh and hold Fana close to me, I wanted to read with her, I wanted to be with her, through the good times and bad.
Fana pulled away first, breathing heavily, but smiling. "Wow..." She said, smiling and blushing.
"Not much more I can say there..." I replied, smiling back at her. "I love you too Fana."
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END -
Author's note; And there you have it! Hope you enjoyed, please review if you have the time, and I'll see you all in the future. - Zero