I wanted to do something about this matter for some time, and here it is :D Hope you like it. Read and review!
- Why do they kiss?
Her feathered head snapped towards him, at the sound of his low voice.
- Ugh, what did you say? – she blinked her vague gaze away, focusing on the boy's face.
His eyes were distant too, watching the families in the park ahead of them. There were little children playing hopscotch, teens running around, young couples walking by and people in general, simply enjoying one rare sunny autumn afternoon.
- I was wondering, why do people kiss to show affection? – he asked once more, gesturing to the sward ahead of him with his staff, his eyes never leaving the crowd.
He watched as a young girl run to her grandpa, giving him a peck on the cheek and laughing brightly, as she showed him a bright red leaf she had caught.
The two Guardians were sitting on a tree branch from an old oak tree that grew in that ample park. And hidden behind the reminiscent leafs, they started having an open discussion.
- Oh, I don't know… - Tooth couldn't avoid but blush slightly at the sudden question, as silly as it may seem.
However, she quickly chided herself, for having such a teenage-like reaction, and concentrated on trying to find an answer to the current matter. She frowned a little. She hadn't quite been thinking about it… But then her face lit up.
- Maybe in the beginning it was like birds! – she exclaimed, smiling.
And finally, Jack's eyes leaved the huge garden, and he stared at her curiously.
Tooth's jeweled irises flew up, as a juvenile robin chirped happily, the traces of a promising crimson chest matching with the fiery palette of colors surrounding. She giggled, and she promptly answered, chirping as well, to what the young bird returned with a clear tweet, and with a last wagging tail, it flew away, fast as any little bird who as the bless of being able to fly would be.
- What did it say? – the boy asked, a stunning smile on his face and a curious glow in his eyes, still marveled by the amazing ability of the Fairy Queen.
- That he really was loving autumn. – she quietly stated, with a giggle. - That it was beautiful, with all this wonderful colors.
- And what did you answered back? – Jack leaned closer, eagerly. And her eyes widened for a second, and then she looked down bashfully, blushing just the slightest.
- I told him that, if he liked autumn, - she continued in a low voice - then he would absolutely love winter… - and she finally looked him in the eye, with a shy smile.
The Winter Spirit was a somewhat taken aback by her words.
His blue irises widened, truly caught out of guard, and before he could even noticed, he had already frozen the branch he was holding onto and his cheeks had reach an abnormally high temperature. If his mind wasn't so slow in the present moment, he would probably question himself about the strange reactions his body had, and only now he was becoming conscious about. Or maybe he never had them before. And that was probably the strangest thing of them all.
The fairy secretly smiled, loving how Jack would suddenly freeze things over, when too distracted to control himself. The boy coughed, trying to end the overwhelming silence.
- So, w-what were you saying, about, you know, *awkward cough*, in the beginning, it was like birds?
Tooth tried to contain a giggle, about the way he was stuttering and all nervous. But she didn't want him to subtly leave from embarrassment, so she went back to the main topic.
- Oh, yes! My theory is that maybe, ages ago, mothers feed their children by chewing the food when babies couldn't, and then they would probably pass it directly to their mouths… I guess with time it may have became a sign of love and care. – She finished, with shrug, happy about having found a plausible answer for such an ancient habit.
And when she smiled victoriously, for coming up with such a mature answer, Jack's comment was all we could have been waiting for, but it surprised Tooth either way.
- That's kind of disgusting, don't you think? – and she gave him an indignant, but obviously soft, punch in the arm.
- Auch, just kidding! – and he smiled, all the tension previous tension long gone.
But the Fairy continued, using all her stored knowledge.
- But that depends from the culture too. In some areas, kissing is something really private, while in other families, a little peck on the lips to their children is something completely harmless and has no romantic meaning. – she simply stated, with such a serious face, that anyone who heard them, wouldn't guess what the topic of the conversation would be.
Jack then tapped his cheek with his staff, absently, before he spoke.
- I don't remember much… But I think my main kissing experiences were my mother's, when she went to wish me goodnight and kissed my forehead. – he said, staring at the infinite, probably seeing the scene happening before his eyes, with a tender smile on his face.
But soon that vague look disappeared, and the smile was replaced by a much more familiar smirk.
- And maybe a girl or two, from the colony, hidden behind some hut. – and he stared Tooth directly in the eye, seeing them wide again, more than ever, and her face flush a deep shade of pink.
And it amused him immensely, just gazing that embarrassed face of hers.
But she looked away, and soon her irises started becoming foggy and distant too.
Jack's smirk soon disappeared, and his face was once more, filled with a singular peaceful kindness. And Tooth's sweet and calm voice, refilled the air between both of them.
- My parents and I used to rub noses! – she told him, with a soft giggle, but with a somewhat sad nostalgia under it. - Even when my wings sprouted, and my skin started being covered with feathers. Every time I started feeling down and alone, they would assure me that they still loved me, no matter how different I looked or what other might think.
- That single gesture was a proof that everything was alright, no matter what happened, because we loved each other. – finishing in a low voice, Tooth finally lifted her eyes, facing the boy, with a tender smile. But then she added. – And no. Where I grew up, the only way to kiss someone was marrying that person, and thanks to my particular puberty changes, and other things that happened in the way, I never had that 'pleasure'. – and she said the last word with a roll of her eyes.
We could say Jack was out of words again, touched by her family story and really not knowing what to answer her last comments.
So, they remained silent one more time, watching the sky's color change from pure blue to a vivid pink. And Jack broke it again, not taking his eyes out of the metamorphosing hues.
- So, what do we take from all of this? Why do people kiss each other?
And Tooth answered again, one more time revealing her older wisdom.
- Just because they like doing it, and because they like even more the people their doing it with…
And for Jack, it was enough...
The pink started turning violet, and distant dots of light sparkled the sky here and there.
Tooth sighed sadly. Her free-time was running out. And as if the boy read her thoughts, he suddenly exclaimed.
- Oh, and Tooth, before you go, I just want to thank you for the afternoon.
- Oh, you're welcom- but before she could end talking, she looked forward, and noticed how much close the boy's face was. And becoming even closer.
Suddenly, she felt his cold hands in her flushing cheeks, and all she could see was blue. Beautiful, and endless and perfect. And before she could react, she felt the puff of air that left his lungs caress her skin, as he just said:
- Thank you…
And the few inches between them became even less, and she didn't knew what if to wide her eyes or to close them, and her brain had so much activity it had definitely stop working, or this wouldn't be happening.
She didn't notice that her eyes had closed, and when her heart was about to stop…
She felt something cold rub her nose. And it was like her parents were there with her again, if it wasn't for the contrasting coolness.
And she couldn't help but smile and blush madly, when she sensed something smother than his nose kiss the tip of hers.
Then, a gust of wind.
When she finally opened her eyes, she was alone, and with a loving smile on her lips, and a warm feeling in her heart, she finally flew home, not yet realizing that everything was alright, no matter what happened, because they loved each other…