Spring heart
Her feet touch the slightly wet grass due to the morning dew, making her giggle at the feeling, before the soft spring breeze blows, swaying her long hair with it and bringing a smile to her lips all while she hears the murmur of the trees and the wind carrying her name with it, Sakura petals joining them to greet her and flutter around her in an impromptu dance.
With a fond smile on her face and between the fluttering of the Sakura petals around her in this pleasant and sunny day, Nozomi keeps walking to their special spot.
She surrounds the small lake she comes across, crouching to let her hand play with its crystalline water and the curious baby ducks that come to greet her before she continues with her walk.
Her smile only widens at the precious memories created in this place, in the times they spent together in it, before she keeps advancing towards an enormous and centenarian Sakura tree.
Nozomi looks up at it with wonder, taking in the majesty of its coloring branches in this time of the year comparing it at how different it looks the rest of the seasons.
She takes a look at her surroundings seeing the beauty of the field of flowers blooming, and a bit worried, tries to step onto them as lightly as possible as she pushes apart the rosy bushes in front of her to sneak in between the gap she made to enter her secret spot, their secret spot.
As soon as she's inside it and hidden from the rest of the world in this particular and beautiful paradise, she lets out a contented sigh, her feet beginning to walk to the center of it.
She giggles as the flowers on the grass and the petals fluttering around tickles her skin lightly before she pauses to look at the Sakura tree lying in the middle of this particular and secret paradise. A medium sized tree compared to the enormous old one guarding and protecting the entrance to this particular paradise, but almost as robust as it.
Nozomi smiles and carefully places her sandals on the grass, smoothing down her skirt to then sit under its shadow, resting her back against its trunk to enjoy the sun shining brightly and bathing everything with its rays, the gentle breeze of the last days of spring blowing and making the Sakura petals flutter around in a beautiful and mesmerizing dance.
With a fond smile still on her face, Nozomi closes her eyes to keep enjoying the pleasant feeling as her mind drifts to the past times in which she was sat in this same spot and the precious memories created in it.
She remembers the passing of the seasons changing the landscape, the laughs shared inside this small piece of paradise but also the tears shed in it.
She remembers the countless days enjoying its beauty while sharing a cup of tea with a certain stubborn Russian blonde, or the tireless afternoons hiding into its peace as they went over stacks of paperwork for the student council until the tiredness of it and the nice weather made one of them fall asleep much to the other's amusement, or in other words, much to Nozomi's amusement, always being the one catching Eli dozing off.
She remembers fondly all the times she teased her about it, only to get a denial in return before Eli's eyes fluttered close once again and she ended up sleeping with her head on Nozomi's lap.
Nozomi giggles at the memory, before she remembers how this same spot was first-hand witness of their blossoming and difficult friendship, of how the stubborn and cold blonde slowly ended up melting and opening up to her.
Of how this breathtaking spot was witness of their first and clumsy kiss, the awkwardness that came with it and the consequent deep blush adorning their cheeks, before they shyly shared another kiss.
How it was witness of their bashful declaration of love and the happiness it brought with it to them before more kisses were shared, this time less awkward and more heartfelt, love and care flowing through them.
This spot was also witness of their last kiss after have graduated from high school and before they had to set out on their own journeys with the promise of meeting up again in this same spot, under their Sakura tree once they had finished they careers. This spot was witness of how that same day they said goodbye at one another in between tears.
The same day in which a broken promise was born…
Nozomi can't help the timid tears that escape her eyes as she remembers all those precious memories with her blonde lover and how now they feel somehow bitter.
The physical distance between them being something already hard to endure over the years, but it is even hardest to endure the lack of communication between her and her Elichi in the past weeks.
Nozomi wipes her tears and gazes up at the clear blue sky and the bright sun shining, reminding her of Eli.
She sighs, closing her eyes for a brief moment wondering what her beloved Russian will be doing at this very moment.
Will she be smiling? Will she still be scared of the dark? Or maybe she will have found somebody to cry with as she confesses her darkest and childish fears?
Nozomi shakes her head to dispel those questions and doubts from her mind, and opens her eyes once again to see the shinning sun blinding her momentarily, before her eyes get used to it and she feels another gust of wind blowing, carrying the fluttering Sakura petals with it.
- Elichi…
Nozomi whispers, the wind carrying her lover's name with it until it gets lost.
She lets out a long and heavy sigh and stands up, shaking her skirt and grazing the trunk of the tree before she takes her sandals in her hand to begin walking away, when a pair of strong but gentle arms wrap her from behind and a soft kiss is left on the side of her neck, making her shiver and gasp at the same time she drops her sandals abruptly onto the grass.
- Happy birthday, my love.
A soft wish is whispered in her ear and Nozomi can't help but start crying, bringing her hands to her mouth as she quickly turns around to find her beloved blonde right in front of her, taller, more mature and even more breathtaking with her hair down than she remembers.
Eli giggles and takes a step forward to cup her beloved purple haired girl's cheeks and wipe away the tears wetting them before her lips leave soft kisses on her forehead, nose and lastly, on her cheeks.
She hears Nozomi giggling happily once again, bringing a tender smile to her face before she leans in and kisses her sweetly, the Sakura tree ruffling as the spring breeze blows and petals surround and flutter around them.
Nozomi can only pull her closer and deepen the kiss, having missed her kisses, her lips and the taste of them after four years separated.
They pull away to catch their breaths, resting their foreheads together, sporting warm smiles on their faces and a happy glint in their eyes.
- Sorry, I'm a bit late – Eli apologizes as she hugs Nozomi tightly against her, leaving a kiss on her braided hair.
- You aren't, don't worry silly – Nozomi whispers, before she cups Eli's face to pull her into another deep and sweet kiss, their Sakura tree and secret paradise being witnesses of their reunion after four years, of their love and kisses, being witnesses of their promise of coming back to one another after finishing their careers being fulfill.
- Should we go home? – Eli asks shyly as they pull away and Nozomi can't help but blush at the implication of her apartment being their home, nodding shyly as they intertwine their hands and begin to walk off from their secret paradise.
- Let's go back home – Nozomi says softly, squeezing Eli's hand with a happy and wide smile on her face upon having her beloved blonde back to where it always has been their home.