Cupid's Bow

Chapter 21

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My mouth drops as soon as I step through the green.

Everything I've seen thus far, whilst being foreign, has been expected. I'd seen the brochures and what they advertised, which was everything opposite of Earth. But I'd never seen or heard anyone mention something like this.

In piles as high as some of our buildings, and spanning the width of about twenty, stands an enormous mass of… things.

Unconsciously, I take a step back, suddenly worried that they're going to topple over.

But Edward's body is firm behind me. "Okay," he murmurs, hand on my waist. "Safe."

I swallow, my eyes impossibly wide. "It doesn't… it doesn't look very stable." Yanking my gaze away, I drop my eyes to the barest bit of soft I can see beneath me – the rest having been cluttered by things. "Maybe we should… turn back."

Silence for a beat, and then –

"Bel-la… Bel-la not find Thing?"

I bite down on the inside of my cheek so hard I draw blood. The copper taste flooding my mouth only serves to heighten the jitters trembling in my chest, drawing me both forward and backward. Because suddenly, the span stretched out in front of me is too great. I thought that I would know the Thing on sight, but seeing all of this now, I realise that I don't stand a chance. And I… I don't know how to feel about that. I don't know.

Lifting a hand, I press it against my chest, trying to shove down the panic – the push and pull that's yanking my heart to and fro.

I breathe and breathe and breathe, matching each inhale and exhale in time to Edward's.

And then I say, "Okay." I say, "Thing."

And I walk in.

OoOoOo

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After a while, I manage to stop constantly looking at the piles of things in paranoia. Though I still check every ten minutes or so to make sure nothing is swaying in the almost non-existent wind.

Edward picks his way through the mess like he's done it a hundred times before, which I guess might not be that far off. He never wanders too far out of sight though, for which I'm grateful. If one of these things were to collapse on top of me and he wasn't in seeing-distance, then I don't think I'd ever be found again.

For me, I cautiously sift my way through, picking up things that I've never seen before and not having a clue what they're supposed to be for. My insides are still resisting one another, unsure, and as the day grows hotter and hotter, I pick and drop things with an increasing sense of futility. Everything looms high and long and stretched out in front of me, and I can't and I don't want to and I just don't understand.

I let out a frustrated groan, burying my head in my hands and hiding from the sun; the bright light that shows everything too clearly.

Quiet footsteps pick their way over to me, and I can only tell because of all the stuff he must have to tread in between and knock – only slightly – to reach me.

I feel the heat of his body when he crouches down next to me. His hand encircles my knee, softly stroking.

"This is hopeless," I whisper into my palms. "It'll take months to look through all this – years, maybe. And I have no idea what I'm supposed to be looking for in the first place!"

My frustration paints the silence for a minute, leaking into pores and turning my skin a blotchy red. Heightened emotion makes my eyes sting, so I close them.

"Edward help," he whispers back, and my heart gives a little painful tug.

Pulling my hands away from my face, I glance up at him. Guilt rears and snaps at me as I take note of the naked sadness on his face. "Sorry," I say quietly, dropping my eyes and lifting a hand to wipe away the remnants of my pity party, but he stops me before I can. His fingertips feather across my skin, soaking up tears, and I sigh.

In silence, he drops his hand from my face and starts looking.

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The sun is close to setting before I find something that makes me pause.

Whatever it is is small – fitting between my two hands comfortably – and rectangular in shape. The corners are softly sloped instead of squared, and there are intricate drawings of flowers on top of its smooth, brown surface. I think that's what makes me stop – the fact that I recognise the shape and shade of some of the petals, thanks to Edward.

Chrysanthemum, I think, tracing a fingertip over the layered flower head before moving to the next. Elderflower.

"Music box."

Startled – it's the first time he's spoken in a few hours – the box tumbles from my fingers and lands upside down on the soft. I lift my eyes to his to find him looking at me sheepishly. "Sorry."

I smile back weakly before darting my gaze away again.

Reaching across me, he picks it up and . . . opens it.

"Music box," he repeats softly as a tiny figurine pops out. His fingers retreat to behind it where he fiddles with something for a second before the delicate little person starts moving, and sound – unlike any I've ever heard before – fills the air.

Frozen, my body grows at once still and trembling as the sweet sound twirls across the breeze and up to me. I watch the little figurine spin before my eyes close on their own accord, just wanting to soak up as much of it as I can. It's the most fragile, hypnotising thing I've ever heard.

When it's over, the silence it's left behind seems both purposeful and mournful; a lamentation.

Edward is gazing at me when I finally open my eyes, head tilted to the side.

"What . . . " I breathe-say, still hearing the delicate melody echoing in my ears. "What was that?"

"Music box," he says slowly, for the third time, his gaze clouding just slightly. "Music . . . " he trails off, his eyes suddenly widening before he shakes his head, as if in disbelief. "Bel-la . . . not used to?"

I shake my head dazedly, looking back down at the little wonder in his hands. Music. "Never."

He just stares at me in reply, a look of utter bewilderment on his face. I have to press my lips together to hold back my smile.

Carefully, he sets the music box down back on the soft and, before I can so much as blink, he's grasping my hands and pulling me to my feet.

"Music," he says, eyes alight with excitement as he starts stepping backwards, tugging me gently forward so that I match him step for step. "Edward music… home. Bel-la come."

I follow him for a few paces in surprise, and frankly, a little bit of wonderment at the fresh coat of colour in his eyes. But then I stumble, because I'm not watching my feet, and I stop.

"Wait," I breathe, glancing down at the thing I tripped over. It too, is unrecognisable to me. My eyes shift to the left, the right, and then up. All that stuff. All those things. A glance behind me at the progress we made this afternoon seems suddenly pitiful; a tiny trickle sorted from a vast ocean. As soon as we leave, I know that it'll just get swallowed back up by the sea again.

My heart picks up pace in my chest again, still so quick, still unsure.

"Bel-la," Edward says quietly, interrupting my turmoil. I turn my eyes back to him and notice the glimmer in his eyes has dimmed again – like when this day first begun, like the night before it. "Come… come back." He watches me carefully, his hands gently squeezing mine. "Tomorrow."

We'll find the thing tomorrow?

Was tomorrow really tomorrow this time?

Did I want it to be?

I can only think in moments, and right in this one, I know what my answer is.

Taking a deep breath, I let my eyes close only for a second. When I reopen them, I let Edward's hands go.

I step back once, twice, three times.

Edward's hands linger in the air a minute before dropping, following the path of his gaze. His down turned head makes light-soaked tips of colour fall over his forehead, and I focus on the fallen pieces of his hair as I lean down, pick up the music box, and walk back over to him.

He jolts slightly when I slip my hand into his, his gaze snapping to mine, lighting back up.

I clasp music and flowers to my chest with one hand and press my palm to his with the other.

And I whisper, "Tomorrow."

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A/N: Ways in which this fic is similar to Game of Thrones: winter has been coming for five seasons, tomorrow has been coming for twenty one chapters.

RL world prioritised itself for a bit, but it's all (mostly) good now. Thanks for sticking with me! Only a couple more chapters to go now...