𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲❥•𝑀𝐽 𝑆ℎ𝑜𝑟𝑡 𝑆𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦•/𝒞ℴ𝓂𝓅𝓁ℯ𝓉ℯ𝒹/

🎀𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗦𝗶𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗻🎀

"You already know what I did to get here," Michael kept his eyes on Shoula, who had her own eyes fixated up on him. "I did make a wish, and....when I woke up in-"

"Don't," she stopped him, placing her hand on his chest, causing him to melt. "I....heard everyting, that you said in there," she sighed, now averting her gaze. "And....now that you've....shown me the mark....your mark - it...makes sense," her voice dropped to a whisper. "It all makes sense. The way I found you, the way you....stood out, the way Fred immediately warmed up to you.....and....most of all....the way I fell for you," she shook her head. "I should have seen the signs - it was....my mother and father all over again,"

"No, no, see....that's what I need you to know - it doesn't have to be your mother and father all over again," he placed his hands over her arms, holding her in the most caring way possible. "The only reason I did what I did in there was...for you. It....was a far fetch, but I thought...if I could pay my price, and meet my agreement with fate - maybe I could....somehow free you from this place as well,"

Her eyes lit up at the thought of finally leaving Thornflower Valley, but the moment was short lived.

"This....is the only place I know," she hung her head. "Where do I go? Even if I could leave this place - there is nowhere to seek refuge. This valley is the only place I've ever known,"

"Come with me," he took her hand, intertwining his fingers with hers, his other hand moving up to her chin - tilting it up slightly so that she could look at him. "If I've met my agreement, and set the both of us free...stay with me - come back with me, back to the world that partially rests inside of you," he spoke quietly. "That's where you belong. You don't belong here, where there's too much pain, and too much turmoil to truly live your life," he squeezed her hand gently. "I want to save you from this place, I want you to come back with me. Shoula, I've grown to care for you much too deeply in such a short period of time....but....but maybe, just...maybe....you are my wish,"

"What?" she breathed out.

"Maybe you are the happiness I wished for...." he trailed off before breaking into a smile. "It would explain why I feel so....elated whenever I'm around you. When you're beside me....all is right with my world - no matter how crazy of a situation we may be in," he laughed a little, making her do the same as tears continued to stream down her face. "Your mother wished to keep you safe, truly safe.....and I want to do that. I want to keep you safe, I want to protect you...I don't want to leave if I have to do so without you. There has to be a reason that this is all connected,"

When she was evidently becoming too carried away by him, she tried to step back, but he pulled her closer - not letting her out of his grasp so easily.

"I wanted to escape from the fame and notoriety I was once plagued by....and not once did I think I would ever be willing to accept it wholeheartedly for anything. I always believed I would never completely come to terms with it......but that changed when I wound up here...it changed when I met you," his thumb grazed her cheek as he lost himself in those emerald eyes. "I'd be more than happy to reconcile with everything in my life if it's for you,"

She couldn't help but smile as she stared up at him still, feeling her heart flutter more with each second that passed.

In her mind, she wondered if such a feeling was the same thing her mother and father had felt for each other when they had first met - because the sensation was both odd and undeniably familiar at the same time.

"But Shoula...." he whispered again, tenderly guiding her back to the moment. "You have to want to be with me for it to be true. Do you...want to be with me? Do you want to come back with me? Do you want to trust me?"

At that point, Shoula turned back to look at the house - the building representing all the pain and fear that had consumed the lives of her parents, and representing the same pain and fear that had consumed her life. Even if Thornflower Valley was all she knew, it wasn't where she wanted to spend the rest of her days. For the first time in forever, she finally felt her mother's wish come alive as a desire in her own heart - to get away from that place.

She slowly turned back to Michael, relieved to find that he was still gazing at her patiently, awaiting her answer.

"Yes,"

･･ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・🎀・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ･･

Quicker than they'd known it, Michael and Shoula had left the mayoral property, their paces faster than ever as they ran - wanting to get as far from the residence as possible, as fast as possible. Their adrenaline levels had been running high, but it didn't change the fact that things were a little different now, and Shoula wanted to stay with Michael. She wanted to be wherever he was - just as he wanted to be wherever she was.

As they stumbled back into the cottage, Shoula turned to look at Michael with wide eyes, still trying to catch her breath as she spoke. "So what happens now?" she asked.

"Well.....from my experience, I can only suggest that we turn in for the night, and see what we awaken to tomorrow," he glanced at the palm of his hand. "The mark is still there....so...."

"We still have to wait and see," she sighed, her expression falling a little.

"Hey," he walked up to her, cupping her delicate face with his large hands. "Don't lose hope...not just yet," he rested his forehead against hers as she held onto him. "We still have the night to get through....and tomorrow, we'll see," he took in a deep breath.

She nodded, forcing a hopeful smile. Some part of her believed that they would simply wake up to another hopeless morning in the valley, and that they would find themselves back at square one.

But it would have been useless to have spent the night worrying about something they essentially had no control over.

All they could really do was spend the night in each other's embrace until morning arrived, and only then would they have their answer.

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