Where Colour Doesn't Bloom

~Chapter 3~

Aveline's hands trailed down Elani's bare shoulders and arms, to her smooth, clean hands. She gazed into Elani's eyes, finally able to take in the entirety of her face. She had full, pale rose coloured lips, with glittering glacial lake eyes, and sunkissed, golden red hair that curled gently.

Elani looked into Aveline's, deep charcoal eyes, and broke the silence with her saccharine voice, one of her hands slipping out of Aveline's under the intensity of the atmosphere, "let's bandage those cuts, shall we?"

Aveline nodded.

"You can sit down on my bed while I grab a couple supplies," Elani's other hand broke away from her grip, and Aveline's world plunged back into greyscale.

Elani came back carrying some bandages, and swabs to clean off the blood. She sat down, the bed caving a bit as she did so, her head falling onto Aveline's shoulder.

Aveline watched as Elani unrolled the bandage, seeing the crimson blood on her wrists. Guilt flooded over her in a sickly hot wave, "I'm sorry," her eyes became wet.

"What for?" Elani began to swab Aveline's wrist.

Aveline's face twisted in a wince at the unexpected sting, "for causing all those cuts on your wrists," Aveline's voice nearly broke.

"Hey," Elani looked into Aveline's eyes sincerely, placing a hand on her shoulder, "I forgave you ages ago. If this is how I can help you, I can live though it. I-" Elani stopped in her tracks, "sorry," She blushed over her freckles, glancing down,and occupying herself with cleaning Aveline's cuts. She gingerly swabbed all four of them, so as to ensure they wouldn't become infected. Elani gently grasped her wrist, and began to wrap it with the bandage. Elani glanced up, and her heart lurched as she made eye contact, "Is this too tight?"

Aveline could barely speak, her voice almost a whisper. She hadn't felt this kind of tension, even with Alaric. "N-no. It's just fine," she broke into an ever so slight smile.

Elani could've sworn the upturning of Aveline's lips brightened the entire room. She grinned back, as she carefully pinned the bandage on, "there you go. Does that feel better?" Her eyebrows scrunched in a look of concern.

"Mhm," Aveline nodded, her heart rate much higher than usual, "let me do your's now," Aveline held out her hand in invitation.

"Okay..." Elani gave Aveline her her wrist biting her lip nervously. She could've sworn she was sweating like a polar bear in Australia.

Aveline's fingers brushed softly against Elani's arm, evoking a series of chills up her spine. She took a sharp intake of breath, as the cotton swab, dampened with antiseptic touched the deep cuts on her forearm.

"Sorry," Aveline spoke in a rough whisper, dabbing even gentler.

"It's okay," Elani barely trusted herself to speak, the words coming only with great effort, in a quiet, shivering susurration. She bit her lip harder, attempting to divert her mind from the pain.

"All done," Aveline smiled. This time it was a real smile, a more genuine, comforting smile, that made her black eyes glow with amber tones, and her cheeks flush ever so lightly.

"Thank you," Elani spoke, her confidence still wavering.

"You're welcome," Aveline helped bandage the wounds, and then assisted Elani in getting up from the bed.

They now stood facing each other, their hands still clasped, sunlight filtering from behind Elani, the backlight making her look ethereal, like an angel from another world. She looked down, her face a deep tone of red, "Aveline, will you.....will you go to the café with me Saturday morning?" Elani began to ramble nervously, hoping her invitation wasn't out of place or misinterpreted, "I want to talk with you, get to know you more-"

"Of course," Aveline spoke surely, pressing a soft kiss to Elani's lightly freckled forehead, "anytime you need, anytime."

A/N hopefully you liked this chapter!! Starting to get some more fluff into the story! Yaay! If you would like something to fit into the story, or have a part that has given you some serious feels, or something you think could be better, I would love if you commented on it!

~Bri