His fatherly notion cradled me softy in the budding breeze, and I held tight to his hand entwined in mine. The waves caressed the shoreline, the sand becoming frigid, and the sun sashayed translucently along its palette at a growing rate. I bent down and reached for yet another white stone to add to my mounting compilation.
"I noticed you have bowls of those around your house, Elizabeth. Why's that?"
"Because I believe they're beautiful, Jack." I retorted. We'd sauntered along the line for almost an hour now; no words spoken but complete understanding amongst us.
"I think I've seen more beauty than that." He stroked my jaw line with his thumb and pulled me closer, kissing my forehead.
"And what's that supposed to mean?"
"Whatever you want it to, love. Whatever you want." He flashed a smirk of gold in my direction and I couldn't help but mingle out a small chortle. I glanced down, away from his glare, and regained myself.
"So remind me again, Jack, why exactly you have to go on yet another adventure of yours?"
"A threatening on my behalf, you see. The...awareness of the dangers of my crew, and of course the small amount of pleasure that comes along with it all- you know, the pleasure of my always winning."
"But why must you always prepare yourself for a risk of death or an even greater pain?" He abruptly stopped our range of footprints forming in the sand, and lifted my delicate chin to see into his eyes.
"Because what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. That's why." I nodded, I finally understood. I enveloped my arms around his figure, and he held me securely. "Remember that, Liz. Please," he whispered into the deepness of my ear, and I did remember- the sincerity in his tone was more than I'd ever come to know. And it came to be the best advice ever known by my ears. And heart. "I'm surprised you aren't upset by me, Liz. You always seemed to advance that way about now."
"Because every minute you spend angered at someone, is a minute of happiness you can never get back." He instantaneously pulled away- pulled his head away from mine, not his body.
"You know, I'm going to hold on to that." He once again pulled closer.
"Jack?" I whispered.
"Hmm, love?"
"You're the best listener I've ever known." I couldn't see his expression, but I felt his smile. Not his grin often fathomed by others. A smile. A smile embedded with sincerity and love, a smile only granted through a true meaning.
"And you're my best friend, Elizabeth." He was mine as well. He'd always offered me a softer place to land after I'd fallen. And I love him for it.
We continued at our primary pace, and eventually reached our destination.
"Well, love it's been fun," he concluded. I held his two hands in my own; they fit so perfectly. Tears rimmed my eyes, but they couldn't fall. Not yet. His hand parted from mine, and it reached deep into the pocket of his cloak. He chose my empty hand and held it. Cold weight settled among my palm, but he held it shut.
"Something to remember me by, eh?" And he held my hand tight until it was forced. His silhouette vanished into the mist of the untamed land, and I opened my palm. A black, smooth stone- a complexity of his mind, a clash of our senses, and a new captor of my pool of light. Opposites. Opposites drawn together by any other means than force. Perhaps, opposites drawn together by a friendship, a friendship as powerful as love.
The tears still hadn't drained, but I will cry. Cry because our time together passed much too quickly.
"I noticed you have bowls of those around your house, Elizabeth. Why's that?"
"Because I believe they're beautiful, Jack." I retorted. We'd sauntered along the line for almost an hour now; no words spoken but complete understanding amongst us.
"I think I've seen more beauty than that." He stroked my jaw line with his thumb and pulled me closer, kissing my forehead.
"And what's that supposed to mean?"
"Whatever you want it to, love. Whatever you want." He flashed a smirk of gold in my direction and I couldn't help but mingle out a small chortle. I glanced down, away from his glare, and regained myself.
"So remind me again, Jack, why exactly you have to go on yet another adventure of yours?"
"A threatening on my behalf, you see. The...awareness of the dangers of my crew, and of course the small amount of pleasure that comes along with it all- you know, the pleasure of my always winning."
"But why must you always prepare yourself for a risk of death or an even greater pain?" He abruptly stopped our range of footprints forming in the sand, and lifted my delicate chin to see into his eyes.
"Because what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. That's why." I nodded, I finally understood. I enveloped my arms around his figure, and he held me securely. "Remember that, Liz. Please," he whispered into the deepness of my ear, and I did remember- the sincerity in his tone was more than I'd ever come to know. And it came to be the best advice ever known by my ears. And heart. "I'm surprised you aren't upset by me, Liz. You always seemed to advance that way about now."
"Because every minute you spend angered at someone, is a minute of happiness you can never get back." He instantaneously pulled away- pulled his head away from mine, not his body.
"You know, I'm going to hold on to that." He once again pulled closer.
"Jack?" I whispered.
"Hmm, love?"
"You're the best listener I've ever known." I couldn't see his expression, but I felt his smile. Not his grin often fathomed by others. A smile. A smile embedded with sincerity and love, a smile only granted through a true meaning.
"And you're my best friend, Elizabeth." He was mine as well. He'd always offered me a softer place to land after I'd fallen. And I love him for it.
We continued at our primary pace, and eventually reached our destination.
"Well, love it's been fun," he concluded. I held his two hands in my own; they fit so perfectly. Tears rimmed my eyes, but they couldn't fall. Not yet. His hand parted from mine, and it reached deep into the pocket of his cloak. He chose my empty hand and held it. Cold weight settled among my palm, but he held it shut.
"Something to remember me by, eh?" And he held my hand tight until it was forced. His silhouette vanished into the mist of the untamed land, and I opened my palm. A black, smooth stone- a complexity of his mind, a clash of our senses, and a new captor of my pool of light. Opposites. Opposites drawn together by any other means than force. Perhaps, opposites drawn together by a friendship, a friendship as powerful as love.
The tears still hadn't drained, but I will cry. Cry because our time together passed much too quickly.