OMG! Its the finale! Il be sad to stop writing this fanfic... oh well, sorry. Oh yes, and sorry for taking so long too. There has been two deaths of my friends' family in the past 2 weeks... :( and thank you to TriGemini for always reviewing and being so kind :) thank you to everyone who added this to their favs/alert list, you made my day :) thanks to all the reviewers, you brought a smile to my mouth every time it came up in my inbox. Hugs and kisses to all.
Holly x x
I woke up to a cosy, orange glow rising from the window. My bed was extremely warm; warmer than normal. I found out why pretty quickly.
Arthur's arm was slung around my, thankfully, clothed waist. He wore an old t shirt, and I had shorts and a tank top on. I froze in place and stared at his dishevelled hair. He slept with a look of peace, and surprisingly, innocence. I brushed a lock of black hair from his brow. His intelligent brown eyes flickered open.
We stared at each other for a few seconds, not moving. "Morning." I smiled sheepishly, trying to break the silence. His eyes softened and melted.
"Good morning." He whispered.
"Just to make sure, we didn't…." I trailed off, blushing beetroot.
"No. We didn't." This time he smiled, and raised a questioning eyebrow.
"Not that I wouldn't want to, you know… er…" I stammered. I was such an awkward human being. He chuckled and kissed my lips hastily.
"I need a shower. Back in a tick." He winked and tottered off to the bathroom. I rubbed the back of my neck, my cheeks still burning. I changed into casual clothes and tied up my hair into a messy ponytail. When Arthur emerged from the bathroom, he was wearing only a towel around his waist, and I was drinking hot coffee.
I choked a little and put the cup down before I could stain something or give myself third degree burns.
"Aw crap. Eh… I'll go into another room." I bit my lip and left with my head down. He followed me in a pair of smart pants and a coloured shirt.
"What's wrong with you this morning?" He grabbed my waist, sending spasms into my spine. "You're very jumpy." He frowned.
"I'm fine," I lied. "What happened last night? And why can't I remember anything?" I swiftly changed the subject. Arthur's grip loosened and his eyes darkened.
"Everything is taken care of, if you're talking about the job."
A wave of recollection hit me in the face. I could remember the Memory, how scared I was when Arthur just collapsed, talking to Antonia and met the poor, disturbed man that seldom had ever seen. I remember a comfortable silence, and then, nothing.
"What happened when you left to extract the information?" I questioned, my brow furrowed. Something wasn't right. How could I just not remember?
"Look, Ariadne. Please just don't hate me," he said evenly, but his eyes pleaded. I nodded. "Stuff happened after that time, that I never wanted you to remember. Yusuf gave you a serum. It made you forget the majority of the dream, and reality too," Arthur grimaced."Bu I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose.
"Ok, so what happens now?"
Instead of a normal reply, a big goofy grin spread across his face. "What?" I asked.
"You didn't freak out like I thought you would." He beamed in delight. I rolled my eyes.
"Well, if it was as bad as you said it was, your intentions were good." I shrugged. His rare smile lit the room and made my stomach flip into thousands of somersaults. His fingers traced my face and down my arm, leaving goosebumps. He stared into my eyes for a minute, a second, a day, I couldn't tell. Then dropped his hand and smiled.
"Would you like to go for a walk? Maybe, explore Belagio?" He tilted his head cheekily. I smiled shyly and nodded.
On that walk, I experienced many a thing at once.
We strolled through warm parks and happy places. I wore cut off shorts and my sunglasses. We were enveloped in a bubble of sun; it warmed each vein and caught every strand of hair in its glow. The lake shimmered, its reflection of the sun in the shape of a W. Our arms were welded into pale river beats of shapes, our hair whipped into strands of coarse silk. My mind would wander, and the trees and pedestrians changed into flowers as I passed. When Arthur's hand finally slipped down my wrist and intertwined his fingers with mine, I felt the answer in front of my eyes; his fingers felt like thick rings of safety. I couldn't see it, but I could physically feel it. I was falling in love. And when I glanced at him, things didn't make real sense; and I couldn't give a rat's ass. To be honest, I'd rather live in the moment.
The End