Shorts

2. Breathtaking

By Fedski

She's dead. She's dead and I feel numb. How can this have happened? Why has it happened to her of all people? She promised me that we would all come back safe and sound, so why is she lying here on this dead piece of rock lifeless and limp.

Strangely enough I become philosophical in these moments. Finally I fully understand what it meant to live. In this moment there is only one thing that I am sure of. I would always love only her. Whatever identity she were to take on, I know that I would find her and love her, I already have. She is my everything. My soul would always call for her, my soul needs her.

And that's why I am hurt by my own lack on response. Inside I already feel dead. So I wait for it to come down upon me. And yet nothing happens. How can it be that she is dead and I am not! We were meant to be together always! Even through death! Our soul bond would not heed otherwise, it is a demand and I know it. I know that I must follow her into death and more over I want to, so why hasn't my own tortured body followed hers yet? Why am I stuck here, prolonged with the knowledge that my other half is gone, moved on, away from me?

I take a shaky breath. It feels like my first since I saw her body struck down. My fingers run through her golden locks and caress her shapely face. I bend down my head and steal a kiss from her already chilling lips. I hurt when I feel nothing. I can't take it anymore. This pain growing within me is cutting off my every sense, the only connections I have now with her.

I am dying.

Whether physically or not, I feel myself decaying from the inside. There is just no way I can move on from here, I don't even want to think about it. Fate has stolen away my world and severed all ties I had with her. I am cast adrift, totally without any anchorage, like a ship lost at sea, like a fly away balloon. There is nothing to tie me down now.

I grunt as a particularly bad wave of pain engulfs me, I feel like I am on fire. My insides are alight with flame, my throat parched, my stomach exploding, my mouth completely dry as I sit and stare at her beautiful, beautiful face.

Even in death she looks breathtaking.

Breathtaking.

I wish someone would take my breath away. A god or a higher up being. Anyone would do. To take my breath away would mean to be with her again and I leap at the opportunity; I refuse to take in any air. Unfortunately it seems that someone wants me to live and I cannot ignore that primal need to fill my lungs with oxygen. I almost cry out in anger that I couldn't accomplish such a simple task. I know with all my heart that I want to be where she is, so why can't I just get it over with?

Why can't I die?

I hear someone calling my name. I ignore it. I don't want to see anyone else at the moment; my eyes are solely dedicated to the fallen angel in front of me. Nothing is more important that she. Again the voice calls, this time amplified by five more voices. A small part of my brain says to stop and listen to what they want to so urgently say but I still cannot tear my eyes away from the precious girl splayed in my arms. The voices call again, and I feel a hand on my shoulder, gently nudging me for attention. Something inside me tells me to turn to them, something that sounds like HER. I do as it says and see five teary eyed scouts and Fiore.

The most beautiful blossom is held out in front of my nose, its delicate scent wafting in the air. I inwardly grimace at the fact that I can smell this bloom but not my beloved but resolve to listen to whatever they have to say then continue in my mourning for my angel.

Few words are spoken. The scouts remain silent. Only Fiore speaks. He asks for forgiveness and offers the perfect bloom to me. Somehow I realise that this offering goes far deeper than a simple act of sharing a flower. This flower has meaning behind it. Graciously I accept the gift and instantly understand the depth of what he has done for me. I look up at his face in alarm and see him smile happily back at me saying to live my life happily before he fades into nothing.

A mix of sadness and elation swim through me. My first friend has gone, forever I suppose, and yet he has given me the greatest gift imaginable.

Holding firmly onto the precious bloom I bend my head down and kiss the lips of my lifeless princess spilling all of my love from my heart into hers not wasting one iota of my feelings. I nearly die of happiness when I feel her soft, soft lips returning the gesture and the sweet taste of her mouth under mine. Tears of joy spring into my eyes and although I hear the joyful shout of the scouts behind me I couldn't care less about it. The only thing that is worth my attention in this moment is the gorgeous golden haired goddess whose perfect, bright, crystal blue eyes are staring at mine. Whose long, thin, delicate arms are draped around my neck. Whose soft, pink lips are meshed with mine.

In this moment I can truly say I was ecstatic. Soon we break for air and the scouts see it as their moment to barge in. I don't like having to share her, not after a moment like this, however I catch her eyes as she is with the scouts and I understand the message she relays to me.

The scouts realise they have jumped in too early and move off to give us space. I stand where I am frozen, just taking in the fact that she is alive and standing not six feet away from me. She opens up her arms and I walk over to her slowly. Just as I reach her I grab her and spin her around, her golden streamers flying in the wind. I place her down right against me. I need this. I need to feel her, all of her. She senses my need and replies with her own.

I feel her hands clasp around my neck and I am powerless when she raises herself up to kiss me. It starts of slow and gentle but soon turns into a desperate need of each other. We need this now. After death has almost claimed us, we need to feel each other.

Soon the kiss slows and I realise it is a time for words. She seems to as well. She raises her head and looks me directly in the eye. I feel I could forever gaze into her luminous sapphire depths.

"Darien." She whispers. "I love you."

Although I've heard it many times before each time sounds like the first, it always sounds like a revelation and I love her for it. I give her a quick but passionate kiss and cradle her to my chest. I don't want this to ever end.

"And I love you, Serena."

We stay that way a while. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Author's note:

Well that's the way I see their relationship. There is no Darien without Serena, no Serena without Darien. I think it's what sets them apart as a couple. I mean the fact that they are so intertwined that death of one means death of both is a beautiful thing. Sorry if that's too weird for you or something, but it's the way I see it.

I hope you liked it and ask that you review to let me know what could be done better or what I could fix etc. Thank you for anyone who reads and leaves a message, it means a lot.

I would also like to take this time to apologise for anyone who has been waiting for my older story 'A First Meeting' I've drawn a blank with it and it might take a while before I get around to finishing that story as I have several others that are in progress and moving. So once again sorry about that. However I hope to still have your support and thank you all so much!