Summer Solstice

Love And Limitations

I sat on the edge of a small log, surrounded by trees, just past the edge of the clearing. Konai was sitting next to me, his eyes an intense heat on my face. My eyes never left the ground though. Reaching up, I pulled a small stick out of my hair, something I'd most likely obtained when he'd tossed me to the ground, "You're doing it again."

"What?" He was smiling, I could hear it in his voice.

"Staring at me." Without looking, I poked him in the leg with the stick. He laughed and scooted closer, then leaned towards me.

"I can't help it, you're very easy to look at."

Just in front of us, Cailan lay on the ground, staring up at the slowly passing clouds. He stretched his arm up and pointed a finger towards the sky, "Seven hundred and eighty-eight." He turned towards me and smiled. Cailan and Miki were the only ones left sitting in the woods with us. Miki was busy writing in his book, not really paying attention. The rest of the boys had returned to the field to practice.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Konai shake his head, "That's getting really annoying Cailan."

"What?" He sounded innocent. "I'm just counting to a thousand." Cailan jerked up and rolled as a large clump of snow fell from the cover of trees. Frowning, he turned back to scowl at Konai, "That wasn't very nice."

Konai crossed his arms, "That wasn't me," he shrugged nonchalantly, "Blame gravity."

I laughed out loud at Cailan's disbelieving expression. Konai immediately turned back to me and smiled. "I love the way you laugh." He slid his hand over mine, "It's nice to know you don't resort to giggling only, like other girls."

"Seven hundred and eighty-nine..." Cailan grinned.

"Not. Funny." Konai's tone was only mildly serious.

"Hey, it's funny to me. Go down to Nivik's Market and buy yourself a sense of humor." Cailan grinned.

Konai rolled his eyes. I reached over and patted his leg, "Let it go, you know reacting like that is only going to make him tease you more."

Konai's lip turned up in a half smile, "You make him sound like a little kid."

"Well, maybe he is one."

"UH!" Cailan half snorted, half gasped. "I am NOT a kid. I'm almost eighteen."

'Yup, a kid." Konai smiled widely.

Cailan threw a mocking glare at Konai, then smiled at me. "I'll see you guys later." And he stood and made a quick exit towards the clearing.

"Finally." Konai's arm wrapped around me and he pulled me closer. I leaned my head on his shoulder, my fingers playing with the end of his braid.

"You make no sense to me, you know." I flicked the end of his braid up to his face and he flinched, then laughed.

"I know, I don't get me either."

I pinched his side and he laughed again. He'd spent most of the morning telling me everything he liked about me. Some things were silly, some romantic, some were very sweet. But what baffled me the most, was that some of the things that he liked about me, some of his favorite things, were all the things that I disliked about myself. All the flaws that I thought made me unlikable or different, were all the things he liked. Again, this made no sense to me at all. How could anyone love my flaws?

His fingers wove through mine again, and his thumb started rubbing the back of my hand, "You're braver than I thought you would be." He tilted slightly to look at me, "You adapt pretty quickly to new things and take new information very well." He slid his hands through my hair, flicking out a few leaves I had missed.