Signed with a Kiss
Summary: It started with a kiss. And it ended with one. A pink impression of her lips on crisp paper.
For the Secret Battle Competition. Prompts used: Lily/Sirius, SleepingBeauty!AU, "I often wonder why I love you.", "Don't hate me.", Romance, Letter, Wonderful, Sirius Black.
It started with a kiss. A wonderful kiss.
So wonderful she opened her eyes that felt they had been closed for a century, and she saw him. A young man, not much older than her, maybe a year. His hair was dark, black and framing his face in wild curls that fell just to his shoulders. Eyes a dark brown, swirling within the sclera. Skin on the verge of being tan, but still clinging to that pale complexion.
She processed what she was seeing in a matter of seconds. That his lips had just left hers and she was still staring up at him. Clad in armor that reflected the flame of a torch on the wall. A sword in it's sheath by his side, spots of fresh blood still on the hilt.
"You..." Lily formed the word slowly, testing it out on her tongue. The word sounded strange to her ears but she knew it was the right one. "You broke the curse."
"Yeah." He stared back at her for a time, eyes wider than before. That brown reminded her of sweets, of the taste of his lips. "At least I didn't drool." She blinked, watching as his expression changed, as if he hadn't meant to say those words out loud. "Because you're beautiful and..." He trailed off, glancing to the far wall to think out loud again. "Why did I kill the dragon before it could eat me?"
She laughed. The sound was sudden and soon filled the room as she couldn't find it in her to stop. She didn't want to stop. It was something she had missed after all her years lying on this very bed.
A bed she wanted to be out of right now and never see again. Lily started to push herself up when the boy walked forward and was quick to steady her as her head spun. "Whoa. Not so fast. You don't want to make yourself sick just after waking up."
Her hands clung fast to his shoulders. "Thank you." When she said those two words she wasn't just talking about right then. It was for everything since her eyes had opened again. Being able to see, talk, just... everything.
He gave her a smile. "You're welcome." There was a beat of silence as they just looked into eachother's eyes. "Come on. Let's get you out of here."
She nodded, keeping a grip on him as he picked her up and made his descent down the tower.
/ / /
She rested her head in her hands as she looked out over the balcony. The trees swayed below in the breeze, flowers releasing their pollen to the wind to carry to distant lands. One of them might even be where she originally came from. It was times like these Lily wished she could remember her life before the witch cursed her.
That part of her life was fuzzy. Probably because of how long she remained asleep, untouched by the passing time. Except her memories. They were the exception.
Boots hit the stone behind her but she didn't look back. This was her room, well, their room. She had agreed to the marriage those first few days after coming out of the keep. Sometimes she wondered if that had been the right choice or not, throwing herself at the first man she saw. Even if he had been the one to break the curse, did it really mean anything? Any kiss would have done. She knew that.
Sirius' steps stopped beside her. "I often wonder why I love you," she murmured, glancing at him from the corner of her eyes.
"As long as you don't hate me," he replied, giving her a small smile. He knew. It's not like she had made her thoughts secret, her changing mind on the matter of them.
Lily turned her head to stare into his eyes, still so beautiful even after all these years, but that couldn't be her reason for staying. Could it? "I could never hate you."
/ / /
Dear, Sirius
It's not that I couldn't face you. Not that I didn't want to say goodbye. I did. I owe you everything. These past few years have been the best of my life, and it's not because they're the only thing I can remember. But you know that. I know you do. It's not a secret.
There are no secrets between us. Which is why I'm sending you this letter. Despite everything I can't stay in that castle for the rest of my life. Not like how I stayed in that room for over a century. I know you said we could travel together, but the truth is... The truth is I need some time. To get used to the world again, not just castle life and all the riches that come with it. It's not something I care about. I want to see everything. All the changes, and you need to stay. Don't look at the paper that way. You know it. I know it.
The castle and the village need you to keep everything in check. Sure, you could be away for a few weeks, a month at most until they call you back for one reason or another, but that's enough for me. I need years.
I'm sorry. Hopefully you can forgive me for rushing off like this, but I had to leave today.
Best Wishes, Lily
She pressed her lips to the edge of the letter, just next to her name so the pink impression of her lips was sealed on the crisp white paper.