They hung on one wall of the house, all evenly spaced and neatly laid out. The gilded frames set off the pale green wallpaper perfectly, and were free of dust, both of these things speaking of the care of a houseproud person. The glass was smear-free, showing off the subjects clearly. The place in which they hung was well-lit, and passed by several times a day, so attention could always be focused on them. These objects...were photographs.

There weren't many of them yet, but the ones that were there were always of the same two people. And all of these pictures, large and small, were grouped around one central portrait.

It was larger than the average photograph, the image having been resized. Because this particular photograph portrayed a very special moment in the lives of two people...a moment of pure happiness.

Two people stood together in this photograph, a man and a woman. The woman stood slightly in front of her companion, thick dark hair curling over slender shoulders. Her face was smooth and pale, features delicate, wide eyes a rich shade of deep amber - a classic beauty. But if you were to focus on this woman, you would begin to notice certain things. Happiness, certainly, shown in her smile, and the way she leaned close to her companion. But there was something else. A determined lift to the chin, a spark in the eyes..something about her spoke of an indomitable spirit, a person not to be trifled with. Other things to be noticed were the neatness of the blue and white uniform she wore, not a crease to be seen. All of these things combined...it was clear that this person was used to being in charge, was dignified and strong. But the way she leaned back against the one behind her, the smile, and the rosy bloom to porcelain cheeks..they showed something else beneath the strength and the spirit. Delight, happiness...a woman in love. Her thin hands were placed protectively over the arms of the man behind her, who held her tightly by the waist.

The man was several inches taller than the woman, but was leaning in close to her. His hair also reached his shoulders, but his was a shade of dirty blonde, the uneven ends showing a slight wave. His face was tanned, roughly handsome features only marred by a large forked scar winding across his nose and a little way up his forehead. He stood with one cheek pressed closely to the woman's hair, clearly wanting to be as close to her as he could. In contrast to the neatness and perfection of the woman he held, this man appeared messy and disorganised. His hair was ruffled, uniform impossibly crumpled. His sleeves were rolled up, displaying strong muscled arms which at this moment were wrapped protectively around the woman.

The scars he bore..it would be clear to anyone viewing this picture that this man had gone through intense trauma at some point in the past. And traces of that could be seen in his expression. He was smiling, true enough, large mouth stretched in a broad, happy grin. But in his crystal-blue eyes...there was pain. Pain, and loneliness, perhaps, something that had hurt him more than physical injuries. The way he clung to the woman...it seemed as though he was seeking support from her, rather than the other way around. As though he was afraid to let her go.

However, if the pain was obvious to see, then so was the joy, and disbelief. It was clear that being with this woman brought him great happiness, even if he seemed unable to believe that it was true...that he was with her. It was in his whole attitude, the way he leaned in close to her, the evident strength of his embrace, his wide smile. She was everything to him.

The one who snapped the photograph often visited the house where it was displayed, the image always bringing a smile to his boyish face. He had taken this with his friend's camera, wanting to capture the happiness of the two people at finally being reunited after so long. He knew that the man had gone through some terrible times in the past, but with the help and unconditional love of the woman, would soon be healed. And they were happy together, just as he knew they would be.

This photograph..had been the first step on the road the couple would walk together. And in time, it had been joined by many others. They lined the walls, sometimes of her, sometimes of him. Candid shots, snapped in random moments, of her in their garden, or in the house they had come to live in together. Some of her standing laughing at his seriousness, straw sunhat clutched to her head. Of her cooking dinner, or gardening, or something else completely ordinary. But her spirit was still there, shining through those amber eyes which brimmed with love.

The pictures of him were less numerous, speaking of one who was more comfortable behind the lens of a camera than before them. But he was always smiling, blonde curls ruffled by an unseen breeze. The scars on his arms and legs were clearly visible due to the thin T-shirts and shorts he wore, but he didn't seem concerned by this fact. The photographs of him showed a person who was happy and self-confident, who had learned to enjoy life again.

These pictures had all stemmed from that one in the centre. They were possible, their content and domestic nature able to be shown, because the two portrayed in them had been able to be together again. And that was why the portrait had pride of place, why it was cared for and cherished so much.

Because it had been the beginning of their future. A picture that truly did paint a thousand words.

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( I could just imagine them having a picture taken together after they were reunited. I could just see the incredible happiness and disbelief that the two of them must have felt at that moment. I had to write about it...

Please read and review! )