By Any Other Name (Flowerfell Sans x Frisk)

Chapter 25 - The Road To Recovery

"When I saw you, I fell in love, and you smiled because you knew."  

- William Shakespeare

The sun was shining bright through the window blinds, streaming beams of lig to leave glimmering strips all that crossed in front of it, and from what I could hear, there were birds singing outside to indicate the early morning. Despite the tranquility of the scenario, I couldn't help but think that kids like her should be out in that sunshine, basking in its brilliance and warmth and filled with the joy of its light and the opportunity of life. Kids like her should be wary of kids like me...but she loved me anyways.

I blinked my eyes open and turned towards where Frisk lay next to me to find that she was already awake, her hands gently holding the presents I had left upon her side table for her to find. I turned to match her form as I pressed my chest to her back and peered over her shoulder to see which one of her gifts she was looking at first, but she seemed to take each one in deeply. She observed every detail as she followed every trailing shadow and every glimmering light, appreciating every vibrant hue and every dulled tone. I smiled slightly to myself at the attention she poured into them even as she registered that I was now awake, turning just enough to glance at me before her focus was recaptured by what was in her hands as she hummed softly, her voice soaked in awe and surprise, "Was this what you were getting at those booths?"

"Ya remember?" I asked hopefully as my eyes moved to the items, memories filling my head at the sight of them...the photographs from the rides' photo kiosks. She seemed to think for a second, but she didn't seem unsure as she gave a small smile and replied, "These help...These help a lot..."

"I thought ya'd like them...and I, uh, I know ya wouldn't want to forget anythin'," I responded as I leaned my cheek against her shoulder with my head propped up in my hand and held up by my elbow. Her eyes were soft with affection and happiness as her fingertips brushed against the one of us on the ferris wheel as she murmured, "I remember this...and I'm still grateful for everything."

"We could do it again sometime, ya know...maybe..." I suggested to her softly, but even when she smiled at the thought of going back, my soul shuddered with worried disapproval. I wanted to see the joy on her face and excitement in her eyes again, but at what cost would it be the next time we went there...? I was reassured by her presence and the sound of her voice, relaxing from my worry just slightly at knowing that she was there and that she was okay for the time being. I still couldn't understand how I had managed to fall for her so fast and become so tightly wound around her finger to the point that I would do anything and everything for her, whether she asked or it was in order to protect her. It didn't make sense, and it most certainly wasn't the most logical thing in the world, but I was obsessed with her, a broken kid with a broken mind in love with a girl that shouldn't be involved with me...too sweet, too kind...a heart of true gold. This obsession of mine was an unhealthy fixation, a fact that I was very aware of, but as I saw the way her fingers lightly trimmed the photograph and I remembered the way she smiled, I knew that I would rather be an unhealthy bastard than be without her.

I kissed her shoulder lightly to draw her attention over to me, and when she turned her face to look at me with a soft blissful hum of acknowledgement and appreciation, I leaned down to kiss her. I felt her smile into the kiss as her hand came to rest on my cheek, and her eyes fluttered shut as mine did. The moment was sweet, a lot sweeter than I thought I ever deserved, but I wouldn't have traded her or that moment for anything. My fingers slid into her hair, finding it as soft as silk as I tangled the deep darkened strands of chestnut around my bony digits and tugged her closer. With her lips pressed to my teeth, I was overwhelmed with a rush of emotions as all of my fears and all of my worries finally came to fruition and crashed heavily into my brain. I became fully aware of how many things could've gone wrong but I also became fully aware that none of it happened and that she was there in my arms. With this rush of emotions, I almost felt like crying, but I didn't...rather I just pulled her closer, driven by this roller coaster in my soul as it overrode my reasoning, making me almost...desperate, desperate just to hold her as close as possible and kiss her with as much adoration as I could. She leisurely parted from the kiss to take a breath, but I wasn't done kissing her yet, wanting to kiss her over and over out of full realizing relief that she was okay, for the most part.