My Match (Watty Awards 2013)

Chapter 35

Whew. "You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"I'll just go put this back then..."

He hurried away with the...overly skimpy looking piece of cloth. I couldn't even describe it properly.

I was quite glad to get out of there. 

~~~~~~~~~~~

We had lunch at a little pizza shop nearby and memories of what happened the last time we ate pizza came flooding back. I chuckled to myself. That was the day that I found out Kassia was part faerie. The first few times she explained it to me, I didn't really get it at all, but then she lent me a book of her grandma's. It was like a field journal of some sort, and it listed out basically everything that had to do with faeries, like the fact that they were immortal and could regenerate, unless their wounds were inflicted by their own hand. 

I got kind of sad again when I realized that basically everyone around me right now could live literally forever, and then there was me. I hated to think that Max, who was sitting right across from me, promised that he'd give it up so that we could grow old and hopefully die together. It made me feel so incredibly guilty.

Technically, werewolves didn't live 'forever', though. They aged ridiculously slowly after they reached a certain age, I forgot when, so Max could outlive me by several decades, maybe even centuries. They could live for God knows how long, as long as they don't get fatally injured. I didn't want him to give that up just because I was granted a normal lifespan.

 "Hey, you okay?" Max's hand found its way across the table to cover mine.

I nibbled on my pizza. "Yeah. Just...thinking."

He frowned. "I can hear your thoughts. Hanna," he got up and scooted around the table to sit next to me, "I honestly don't mind giving that up."

I set the slice of pizza down. "But it just wouldn't be fair to you! You could live for God knows how long, but the only reason you won't be able to is me."

"You know why I'm going to give it up?"

I tilted my chin to look at him.

His eyes softened. "I'd rather live a shorter life with you by my side than an eternity without you."

Let's face it. I was an overly emotional sort of person, but I liked keeping that side of me hidden. But not today. Tears started leaking out of my eyes. Damn it.

"Hanna, don't cry," he pleaded.  

I let out a shaky laugh. "S-sorry, I'm just..."

Max pulled me into his lap and kissed a tear away. "I love you, you know that?"

"Yes," I whispered.

"Then you shouldn't be questioning my choice." He smiled. "I'll get to grow old with you, and that old-fashioned scene, with the elderly couple sitting on the porch watching their grandkids, I want that with you."

He was a gift from God. "I love you so freaking much." Then I crashed my mouth to his, completely forgetting that we were in public.

A throat cleared from somewhere and we broke apart, panting. A rather familiar looking lady was standing next to our table, and she looked as if she were holding in a laugh. 

"Sorry kids, I didn't exactly want to interrupt, but you're getting some dirty looks from mothers with children," she chuckled. 

I blushed. "Thanks." I met her eyes and gasped. "I know you!"

A cloud of confusion settled over her until she blinked and a wide smile stretched across her face. "Oh! You were the girl from the fire!"

Max raised a hand. "Anyone care to explain?"