First Kiss

A Doruk and Asiye Vignette

Doruk waited nervously outside the gates and half a block down from the orphanage. It was dark, finally, and later than Asiye was comfortable being out, but it was the only way he could manage to see her. The sparse streetlights shone dimly as an abandoned cat wandered near his car, curiously. Doruk continued to lean against his car not moving. Though it was early in the morning, the summer heat in Istanbul penetrated his thin t-shirt. He was nervous. He wondered if he'd always feel this chest tightening anticipation whenever he was going to see Asiye. He thought it would go away by now, but it hadn't. Doruk still felt dazed that he'd managed to find out where she was staying after months of silence. It had been the longest period of his life, waking up each morning with a sick feeling worrying where she was, if she was okay, if she was sad, if she still thought about him. Most nights he couldn't properly sleep at all, Asiye was always on his mind. Two weeks earlier he'd convinced Ogulcan to finally give him the address where she and Emel were staying and he'd been prowling for weeks trying to get the opportunity to see her. When he finally did...

Doruk shook his head. He couldn't really think about that now. About the secrets he now kept from her. About her uncertainty. Asiye was like that. For whatever reason she always wanted to be cautious. She worried about the future. She couldn't see a way out of her troubles. Doruk had learned the hard way that he couldn't solve her problems. She wouldn't allow it. He'd learned to step back and support her in quiet ways when what he really wanted to do was rush in, take her in his arms, and protect her from everyone that would harm her... even if that person turned out to be his own father. Doruk's jaw clenched and he shoved his hands deep into his pockets so they didn't clench into fists. He still wasn't sure if he believed what Tolga said was true. Sure, his dad didn't like Kadir. He didn't want Kadir dating his daughter, but there was no way he could have framed him for shooting Ehrtan... could he? Ehrtan was his dad's friend, almost an unofficial member of the family? Why would he want to hurt him? But if what Tolga said turned out to be true and he'd let Kadir sit in jail... Doruk shook his head. Aside would never forgive him. He would never forgive himself! And he would never forgive his father.

The sound of shuffling feet interrupted his thoughts and he could see Asiye and Emel walking quietly toward him while keeping close to the wall near the sidewalk. Doruk stood immediately and would have rushed forward but Asiye put a hand out motioning him to stay put, her other hand held Emel's firmly. Doruk's heart beat in his chest the way it did whenever he saw her. He could remember the very first time, seeing her outside his house with her aunt, he felt something was different even then. Maybe it was fate. Something unseen telling him that their lives were linked. Not for the first time he wished he could have met her when her parents were still alive. There must have been opportunity. Hatice Teyse cleaned their house for years and Melisa had known her well, and known all of her children a little bit, but Doruk had never cared. He'd never been interested. He'd been very different then, he thought with a slight shiver. Hatice Teyse had been part of the background of his life, like any other servant. Unimportant. Uninteresting. Knowing Asiye had helped him open his eyes to the world around him, and seeing her pure heart made him wish he'd known Hatice Teyse because everyone said Asiye was a lot like her mother.

"Hello, Doruk Abi!" Emel called.

Asiye's eyes grew wide with fear and she motioned her little sister to be silent.

"Hello Emel!" He whispered loud enough for Emel to hear. He received a quick disapproving scowl from Asiye which was part of the reason he'd done it. He loved it when she scowled at him. It also reminded him of simpler times, if they'd ever had simpler times. As soon as they got to the car Doruk opened his arms wide and picked up Asiye spinning her around.

"Doruk!" She hissed when he finally put her down, but her eyes were laughing and she didn't pull away when he hugged her tightly. Instead she leaned into him breathing in his scent.