Summary: A clandestine meeting between two lovers in the woods.
a/n: This piece was prompted by inuy21 on May 25th from the Fluff & Smut Drabbles/Starters visual prompt listing.
Afternoon Stroll
The summer was temperate and gentle. Birds twittered and the soft breezes made the leaves in the trees whisper. The sun peeked through the canopy here and there, reaching down for clearings full of flowers and lush grasses. But none of that made the day memorable.
"Cullen!"
Aderyn's sweet voice pulled the corners of his mouth upward, lifting his heart along with it. He turned to find her skipping toward him. Her hand fit tightly into his.
"It's a lovely day for a walk," she suggested.
"It is."
She beamed up at him. That smile would have convinced him to jump into a freezing stream in full armor, if she asked for it.
The stars in his eyes might have made the world around him sparkle, like her smile. His own widened as her hand in his swung their arms in a pendulum-like motion. Lifting her hand a little higher, he instigated a spin. As she twirled, her red waves swirled around her shoulders and the skirt of her dress filled then wrapped around her.
Her bright giggle echoed in Cullen's head. A little tug to his hand and the distance between them closed. Her delicate hand laid upon his chest. She stared up at him, grinning and breathless. The look she gave him made his own breath catch in his throat. He pulled a coiling, copper strand from her forehead and tucked it behind her ear.
"You're so beautiful."
Her cheeks went pink and she looked away. "Thank you." She gave his hand another tug. "Want to help me gather some reagents for my father's stores?"
Her bright eyes peeked at him from behind her fiery hair. "I'll do my best." He wasn't much of a flower cutter, but he cherished spending time with her and would do just about anything for an hour of her time. His muscles screamed from a long day of training, but the strain melted away with the squeeze of her hand.