Icy Inferno (Troyler AU)

⋙ Chapter Twenty-Seven

As the signpost to leave town came into view, I heard it. A voice. A whispered melodious voice that was carried by the howling wind. Although it was difficult to understand the words, the meaning itself was clear enough. It was calling me to go back to the town - almost like a siren. And like a possessed sailor I complied. Rationality was out the window in an instant. My car swerved dangerously as I changed the course I was on. I just wished the new path was better.

As I drove back the words became clearer, yet the voice itself was growing quieter. Over and over again I was told to go to the place where it ended. I wasn't sure what it was at first, until I passed Ironbay. The place where my relationship ended.

I parked the car a fair distance away, then made my way to the shoreline. I shook with fear, terrified it was a set-up. I was expecting to be ambushed at any moment. But somehow I kept going. I couldn't explain why I didn't turn around and run back to safety. It wasn't that the harmonious voice had possessed me - in fact, the voice was fainter than ever as I walked across the sand. But I was overcome by a new feeling, that convinced me to continue on. I couldn't distinguish what the feeling was, but it was stronger than my entire being, filling me with a warmth no coffee could compare with. 

I stood in an alcove on the beach, hidden from sight. In front of me I watched a never-ending sheet of water hit the sand with an almost silent clash. The salt-laden breeze ruffled my hair and tugged at my coat but I didn't move from my spot. I waited as the sky grew darker, as the last few crazed beach-goers packed up and left, as the raucous cries of sea birds died down. Even when it started to rain I waited. It never struck me that I shouldn't stay. I wasn't sure what I was waiting for, but I knew that it was important.

With my acute senses I could pick up the smallest of changes in the world around me. When the sun was setting, I felt the wind change. I was no longer alone.

I scanned the shore, spotting a silhouette printed against the dusky sky. A fragile male curled against the harsh gusts that battered him down. His long coat flapped around him as he prioritised protecting his hair. He was standing so far away some people wouldn't be sure as to who it was. But I always sure, when it came to him. A glimpse of his face reassured me he was not just a mirage.

As I walked across the sand he turned. I caught sight of his face, his fear-stricken eyes glowing in the rose light. When he saw me, it all faded. He let out a breath of uneasiness. We stood staring at each other from across the beach. No words were exchanged. We were surrounded the sound of lapping waves and pounding hearts, embraced by the sunlight as it fell through candy floss clouds and into sleep.

But soon enough the waiting had grown too much. I couldn't keep myself from him for much longer. I ran forward. He ran too. In sync we charged, getting faster and faster as he became more real.

With a short distance between us he opened his arms for me. He caught me in his loving arms, my own wrapping around his neck. My fingers brushed against the straps of a rucksack, but I didn't question it's purpose at that time. Instead I buried my face into the crook of his neck, breathing him in after an infinity apart. When I let out a breath of relief, goosebumps rose up on his neck. His slight scent of seaweed and chocolate enveloped me. I could feel his heartbeat despite the many layers of clothing between us. He was my sanctuary - the only protection I’d ever needed. Even when other’s turned against me he still let me in, still seeing me as innocent.

I moved back, smiling up at him. “Did you miss me?”

“You have no idea.”

But I did, because I was certain I'd felt the same. I didn't need to say it in words - they wouldn't do us justice. But actions... that was another story. With a rush of movement our mouths clashed against one another. The blissful paradise that overcame me lifted me onto my tiptoes, head high in the clouds. I'd missed the elevated feeling that came over me whenever we were in contact. I'd even missed the lilac mist that surrounded us, shielding us from everything else in the world.