shallow tides → QUIL ATEARA ✓

𝐭𝐰𝐨

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐎
— 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒷𝑜𝓎 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓊𝓉 𝓌𝑜𝓇𝒹𝓈 —

     𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐀𝐌𝐄 night, after the thunderous storm ceases and allows the moon to shine alongside the stars, Quil Ateara sinks into the caramel sofa of his cabin, running his palms over his face in an attempt to remove the permanent smile that had haunted him since the moment he left the Torine property. This type of emotion was like none that he had felt before, and overwhelmed his heightened senses with a tender love that set his veins aflame. And despite the fact that Oakley had declined his sentiments and nearly broke his heart by shutting herself away, he would undoubtedly work towards achieving her affection. No power on the relentless earth could take this away from him now — he has an imprint, and though she chooses against openly proving this very fact, her heart is gilded with gold. Her emotions, as he stared so contently at her countenance as the rain desperately tried to avert his attention, weren't as easily hidden as she assumed; the pain she endured was evident in the crease of her brows, and the downward-curve on her full lips. Her beauty seemed so effortless, but within her eyes that offered him a piece of heaven, Oakley also reminded him of reality. Her cheeks were tear-stained, and the dark circles that tugged at her eyes proved how the world had drained all of the liveliness from her body — all that was left behind for him to discover was the shell of what once was.

The boy stares calmly at the untarnished ceiling with thoughts of his soulmate swirling within his conscience, almost as a fallen petal upon a light breeze with no certain destination. Quil can imagine their future now, much clearer than in the moment he realized what the tethers between them meant: one in which he finds a bouquet of her favorite flowers, and presents them to her only to see her smile. One that consisted of long days spent together, and nights of speaking on the phone that they would both wish were endless, but would come to a close only for another to begin. He will learn of her past, of her pain, sorrows, and highlights . . . he will learn her. He will memorize her silhouette, her breathtaking features, and details that no other would bother to notice. And one day — he can see it now, unfolding before his very eyes — her figure will be adorned in a dress of soft white, and his in a fitted suit, and the two will be united at the end of an alter, surrounded by blossoms and their loved ones. The Ateara boy closes his eyes, hums to himself, and relishes in this temporary piece of forever.

But Oakley Torine, less than a mile from the speechless boy that had faced her merely hours ago, was not as fortunate to fall into slumber with ease.

The fairy lights that are draped along the orchid walls of her bedroom are still preventing darkness as she lay underneath the silk canopy. Though her eyes are closed and her silhouette is doused by a lace nightgown that once belonged to her mother, sleep would not come — the soft, outside breeze that traces her curtains incessantly whispers in her ear. And at her feet, overlooking the music box that he purchased for his sister's birthday the year before, is Graham. His clothes are unchanging, but his eyes relay something different in each new moment; for now, they withhold the slightest of anticipation. While he was alive, Graham assumed he would assist his sibling in making decisions such as the one she chose when closing the door on the boy who found interest in her seclusion. But now, it is only a matter of time before his fate unwinds and he will be forced to leave her behind.