Love Letters

"How am I gonna eat all these chocolates?!" Selene exclaimed, tossing yet another heart shaped box into a pile on the table. Adding yet another few inches to the slowly growing mountain. "I don't even eat chocolate."

"You've gotten quite the amount of…. Letters," Zane remarked, tossing yet another sealed envelope over his shoulder. "You're quite popular."

"Uh-huh. Wait until we sort your mail, mister."

Selene took another long sip of the fragrant crimson liquid in her glass. Slouching further down onto the comfortable suede couch, she began to feel a bit warm. Scanning the rather small living room, the floor had envelopes scattered about, Zane could only look at her in disbelief before tossing a rather hefty envelope over his shoulder.

"It baffles me about how someone can claim to love you when they don't even know you."

"They see is a pretty face printed on a magazine. A couple of interviews here and there, and they think they know everything," she said, holding up a rectangular box wrapped in rose-colored foil. Tied tightly together with an iridescent gold ribbon, it was rather cute she would admit. But she felt nauseous at the thought of eating the contents.

Zane half turned in the chair to face the woman, who continued to turn the pink package in her right hand. Slowly sipping wine from the glass in the other.

"Are you going to help me sort through your letters?" he asked, crossing his arms.

"Ugh… I don't feel like working right now," she exclaimed, moving herself towards the end of the couch. She patted the empty space next to her, pouting. "Come on, take a break with me!"

"You've taken an hour to go through three packages. You don't need a break."

"I promise I'll work if you just rest for a few minutes."

He looked at her. Her widened eyes and childish pout could only be reminiscent of a sad puppy dog. He sighed. Though he knew in his mind that he would be enabling such childish behavior, he always had trouble saying no to her.

"Alright. But we'll never be done at this rate."

He got up from the wooden chair, walking across the room towards her. Almost collapsing on the comfortable couch, he leaned back. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath. He hadn't realized how much his eyes had begun to hurt.

"I don't really care. I'm just going to throw them out anyhow," Selene muttered, leaning forward to pour Zane a glass of the magic potion she was consuming at a rather alarming rate.

"You're not going to read them?"

"Maybe ones I think will be interesting."

Zane scanned the floor. Envelopes of various sizes and colors scattered about. Bending down, he quickly snatched up a particularly unremarkable envelope. A plain white one with only the P.O. address and return address listed on it in barely legible writing.

"How about this one?" he asked, holding it towards her.

"Why don't you read it?" she suggested, holding the second glass out towards him.

"Why?"

Zane took the glass, immediately setting it on the glass table beside them. She had seemed to have forgotten he didn't drink.

"I don't feel like reading it right now."

"You're unbelievable."

"You know it," she giggled, tossing up a peace sign high into the air.

"Dear Miss Selene Amada-"

"Oh this one will be a fun one. I can tell."

"'As I gaze upon you, I cannot help but feel overwhelmed with emotion. What is this emotion, you may ask?'"

"I'm not asking."

"'It's love.'"

"Bleck."

"'I believe I am in love with you. Your kind soul and radiant beauty. If only you would take a simple man such as me-'"

"If only, huh."

"'-then I hope the two of us could be in love for the rest of our lives. Your kind eyes like amber-..."

"Hey- why'd you stop?" she huffed, lounging against the seat. "I was enjoying the show."

Zane's eyes skimmed through the rest of the long, long letter. Lines among lines of nonsensical words of grandeur. Mostly praising how beautiful Selene was, and how happy they'd be together. It was a little bit odd, if you asked him. But she seemed to find great entertainment in it.

"How many of these letters can compare your eyes to gemstones?" he muttered, placing the letter down by his untouched glass of wine. He rested his arm atop the cushioned back of the seat, leaning on it.

"And…?"

Selene placed the glass to her lips, though he could tell she wasn't drinking anything. Her mascara smudged eyes peeked up at him curiously, her eyes narrowed and her brow furrowed.

"You would think if they're trying to win your affections they'd be at least a bit more creative."

"Then how would you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Try and woo me," she muttered, leaning close towards him. "As if you're one of these boys hopelessly in love with me."

"You're drunk," he merely said, not moving further nor closer towards her. Though he could feel her warm breaths up against him, he remained rather externally unfazed. Though inside, he felt his heart begin to race in the slightest.

"Zane- I've known you for… six going on seven years now? I can tell when you're avoiding the subject."

"I know."

"So-" she leaned back against the armrest, so casually lounging- "pretend I'm a little lady that you even find remotely attractive. How would you try and woo me into your arms?"

Crossing his arms, he sighed. Shaking his head, he looked over to her. Who only stared at him with captivated eyes as the corners of her lips turned into a wide smile.

"Well firstly, I'd cut out all the unnecessary fluff words."

Zane tapped his foot rhythmically against the hardwood floor. He didn't have to think too much about that. Why would one pad out something so unnecessarily? If only everyone could get straight to the point, then life would be so much easier.

"And…?"

"I would cut straight to the chase. I would simply tell my feelings for you."

Selene seemed to sink into the couch, her facial expression softening

"That's all?" she said, her voice uncharacteristically demure.
"Are you disappointed with my answer?"

"Not really…"

Zane suddenly turned towards her, half risen from his seat. One leg resting on its knee on the couch, the other resting on the floor. Leaning towards her, he loomed over the small being before him

"Would you rather me proclaim my love for you?"

He leaned yet closer to her, placing his face inches away from hers.

"That I am so hopelessly in love with you that I find it hard to even function around you. That I imagine a future where we are happily in love with one another…"

He shifted back to his original space on the seat, leaving a chill where she had felt the heat of his body.

"Is that what you wanted, Selene?"

She felt the pressure in her chest release as she exhaled. Since when had she held her breath for so long? Slowly blinking, she heard her heart beating rapidly in her eyes. Rather than respond, she turned away from him. Taking a long sip of the drink in her hand.

"I think you've had too much to drink.," he said, cocking his head. "You're red in the face."

"No-! It's just… ugh, nevermind."

Zane leaned forward, carefully taking the almost-empty glass from her hands and setting it on the low set coffee table.

"That's enough wine for tonight."

"To think you're normally so perceptive…"

"What?"

Selene could only sigh. Leaning down, she picked up a package wrapped in brown paper.

"Nothing- let's get back to work."

woot woot super belated Bittersweet Valentine's day oneshot! It takes place 3-4 years after Citrus and has Selene being a little drunk and Zane being as dense as ever. I had a lot of fun writing this, and I hope you all enjoy it too!