Down to Earth, keep 'em falling when I know it hurts. Going faster than a million miles an hour, trying to catch my breath some way, somehow.
The lights dimmed as soon as the slow tempo of the new song has blared from the speakers, making the night sky more prominent, making her beauty be at par with the moonlight, and making everything seem to just shine brighter, and move slower.
Down to Earth, it's like I'm frozen, but the world still turns. Stuck in motion, and the wheels keep spinning 'round, moving in reverse with no way out.
Everyone else is having the time of their lives being horny bastards on the dance floor, while here I am, trying to understand how the world seemed to have stopped, with her hands wrapped around my neck, and mine on her hips, foreheads against each other, breaths being intertwined together, hearts almost beating as one. Almost.
And now I'm one step closer to being two steps far from you, when everybody wants you. Everybody wants you.
The thing is, as much as manly I look and give off a bad boy vibe, I can't muster up the courage to tell her how I feel. Not even the fear of getting my first tattoo could compare to the way my knees feel jelly when she's near, and to the way all the words I wanted to say get jumbled and incoherent before I could even say it.
How many nights does it take to count the stars? That's the time it would take to fix my heart. Oh, baby, I was there for you. All I ever wanted was the truth, yeah, yeah.
"The stars do look good tonight, don't they?" I asked, breaking the silence engulfing us. I know she loves the stars and everything that concerns the outer space – the galaxies, the planets, the other heavenly bodies, just everything.
"You're slowly becoming me", she chuckled, looking up as well.
"Don't you like it?" I asked her, pretending to be hurt yet slowly pulling her closer, and letting the music guide us through the dance floor.
"What? You liking what have always fascinated me? I love it, of course."
I shook my head. It felt surreal. Hearing it come from her, how much she loved the fact that I started loving looking at the night sky due to her. All because she said that the world outside had always fascinated her. If you were to tell my old self that I would learn to finally be amazed by how stars do form constellations, I would have scoffed in your face and spat out profanities.
How many nights have you wished someone would stay; lie awake only hoping they're okay. I never counted all of mine, if I tried; I know it would feel like infinity.
"I don't want this to end", she said out of the blue, "I like creating memories under the night sky, where the stars are our witnesses. It makes everything prettier, brighter. I feel like we're in a bubble of infinity."
"Funny", I chuckled at her attempt of a pun, "but, same, I don't want this to end, too." I wanted to say the reason why. I wanted to say it was because I was creating good memories with her, with her within my reach, with her within my touch, with her in front of me, almost threading our heartbeats together. I wanted to say she was making everything glow.
But I didn't. I can't.
Infinity, infinity, yeah. Infinity.
"Have you heard?" she asked, breaking the ice that started forming again, in a quite chirpy tone. A feeling only the biggest innovations with regards to astronomy and the sciences could give her. She was giddy, jumpy, happy.
"That they had found liquid water in Mars", I smirked, to get back a wide-toothed grin in response, which didn't fail to happen.
"Damn."
"Yeah, are you happy?"
"So much. It was a big step."
"I see", I said, looking at the glow her eyes had. I remember the night of our camp, when she had the same glow in her eyes describing the stars, especially Alnilam. The night she fought with me for not having enough interest with stars, saying stars display the beauty humans could never have a good comparison with, stars enlighten the sky and that they symbolize that we're just little specks in the world and that there's also more to see. I didn't care, at first, but slowly, I found myself getting attached with her. I found myself letting her sleep in my room after her fight with her dad. I found myself smiling a genuine smile whenever she's babbling about astronomy.
I found myself back on track because of her. And I do not want it to change.
I closed my eyes, joining our foreheads back together again. I wanted to freeze the moment, honestly. I want us to just be like this. And the way she held on, I know she wants it too. I started forgetting everything that pulls me down, all my worries, all the things I feel anxious of. She keeps me grounded.
And I want her to do it for the rest of my life.
But I'm stopping myself. It feels wrong, yet it isn't even wrong in the slightest detail.
Eyes can't shine, unless there's something burning bright behind. Since you went away, there's nothing left in mine, I feel myself running out of time.
All of a sudden, I felt her tense up. The dance was still going on smoothly, yet she began to stiffen as if a predator was about to pounce on her and she heard the rustling from afar. I slowly started pulling away, but she pulled me closer in, making me take notice of how shaky her breath is.
"Are...are you okay?" I asked her, quite unsure what to say. It was stupid. It was a stupid question, yet I had to. The night was young and perfect yet right now I feel like everything seemed to move downhill.
She didn't answer. She didn't speak. I felt her breathing become ragged like she was afraid, she was nervous. Yet at the same time, I felt she was feeling down because I felt her tears wetting my suit.
"Rachelle", I called her name, trying to pull away, but her hug was tight like she doesn't want to let me go. I do not want to let her go, either.
"Get out of this place. Keep yourself safe."
Her voice quavered with fear but she said it with conviction, I knew something was wrong. Something was going to go wrong.
"Rachelle..." I called her once more, pulling away, to which she let me this time.
And now I'm one step closer to being two steps far from you, when everybody wants you. Everybody wants you.
"Please," she pleaded, more tears streaming down her face, smearing her make up. She was telling me to go. She knows something is up. She wants me safe, but it means she'll put herself in danger.
And to shut her up and avoid seeing her crying, I kissed her on her forehead, my thumb on her cheeks, wiping her tears. I am in love with her, I'm sure of it. I am whipped badly. I want her safe, yet she's pushing me to find my own safety.
"Stay safe."
Two words. The only words I could say. The only words I said before the blast had taken place, and everyone started running, the music suddenly cut short, chaos enveloping the place.
That's when I started to head to the school building. I had no idea where to go. I was running like them, just running to keep ourselves safe. It was one gun shot and everyone went ballistic.
I was about to run inside the building when, this time, I had the urge to finally fight for the feelings I kept bottled in. I was always one step closer, yet I kept moving two steps back.
That's when I went back. She wanted me safe.
She was my safe place. Rachelle was my safe place. And I'm going to my safe place.
Another gunshot was fired. And another. The whole place was deserted yet it screams fear and anxiety. The third gunshot for the night was fired when I was suddenly pulled into a dark alley.
"I told you to find a safe place, Michael, fuck", she hissed.
"But-"
"Michael, please. For me."
"Rachelle, please."
"This isn't easy, Mike. I'm sorry, you're being dragged into this. Michael, just please. If this is what it takes for me to keep the person I had kept saving and had started making way to my heart alive, then I will. If love's a fight, then let it."
Then she kissed me. A kiss that I always wanted to give her. A kiss that screams longing. A kiss of goodbye. Her farewell.
Then she ran. And it wasn't that long, when I heard the next gunshot. And out of impulse, I went out of the dark alley, and went to find her, only to find myself on gunpoint, the cold metal touching my temple.
"Gotcha", a deep voice whispered behind me.
"Let him out of this, it's our fight, don't involve him", Rachelle spat, pointing a gun she pulled out from the place she hid it like she knew this would happen all along, not minding the blood dripping from her left arm.
"He was involved all along. He was what we wanted, yet you kept coming in the way, Guardian", he replied in a deep, hypnotizing voice, adding emphasis on the word Guardian.
Every word they exchanged were carefully used, yet were obviously been tracked down. It was confusing. I had a lot of questions. Why was I involved? I was involved where? Why did they want me? Why is Rachelle involved in this?
That's when it hit me. All the times I was dragged into dark alleys, all the times I felt someone's eyes were boring into my soul, all the times I felt like someone was watching my every move. All of those were Rachelle. All those fucking times were Rachelle setting aside her own life and safety only to keep me away from the mess. That's why my heart felt safe when Rachelle was around. That's why it was all of a sudden that I found myself growing so many emotions all along. Because the heart always knew where home was.
That's when I broke down. Because all along I was afraid of rejection, when all this time, my home was two steps behind, keeping me on the safe zone.
"Michael." I looked at her. She was a bit closer, but still far enough from me and the mysterious man.
"One more step and I would not hesitate to blast his head off."
"What do you want?" I asked, eyes closed. If this was the only way to save her, I'll do it.
"Your father knows, shouldn't you?" he menacingly whispered in my ear, making me shiver.
Of course I know. I know what he wants. The vault code. The code that contains the paper for the land we had bought before. It has always been the interest of many. But Dad, never gave it. They don't deserve it. They were fucking greedy assholes, he told me.
"Michael," she looked at me, pleading eyes piercing through every muscle I had, "please, don't."
"Your dad was intelligent on giving you your name, huh. Michael. Hebrew, evil conqueror, soldier. Don't you think it is ironic how you're the one held at gun point and your girl is trying to save your ass?"
"Shut up", I told him through gritted teeth. He was degrading my father. That was one thing I hated, even if I never even loved my father that much. I hated them being disrespected.
"And you know, what's funny? Undercovers aren't supposed to fall in love with anybody, especially when they agree on their mission. You were given away easily. You two are fucking heart-eyes over each other it has been a miracle you two haven't fucked each other."
That's when I lost it. I didn't like it when people diss the ones important in my life, so I did the last thing I had in mind knowing I was a gun point. I fought back. I kicked him in his family jewels, making him crumple to the ground in pain, and kicked his gun to somewhere dark and far. I was about to give him another painful kick, when I felt Rachelle pull at me, instructing me to run.
"Why didn't you...?" I asked her, avoiding every post that might possibly fuck around with me and slow us down.
"Shoot him?"
I swallowed the lump that was forming in my throat, knowing I should just let her continue. Let myself understand.
"Didn't I run away from all these chaos? Didn't I prevent this from happening to me by not accepting the deal, the offer? I...I don't know," she said, stopping from all the running to turn around and face me.
"Rachelle..."
"I was rebelling. I wanted to do things on my own, I wanted to do something no one has dictated me to do."
I took in a breath, taking in as well all the information being thrown at me. The astronomy inclined girl at school always had these in her. She had that façade when nobody knew she was really beyond that. And the complete package of her personality is what I see. Fragile yet firm.
"Why didn't...", I mumbled, regretting the fact I asked so I let the question drag itself into silence.
"Why didn't he shoot me the moment he knew it was me, who was saving you from all those encounters? He was about to, Michael. But I was able to beat his reflexes. He had no mask. I removed it. And I regret I did."
I bit my lip, telling her to go on with what she wants to say. I want to hear it all. I want to understand why didn't she do things beforehand. I had a lot of questions in my mind and I want it answered.
"Why didn't I shoot him? Why didn't I try fucking pulling the trigger even if I always had the sharpest aim? It was because I removed his mask, Michael. Have you seen our age difference, Mike? When you fucking got the guts to finally fight back and set aside your fear of that cold metal touching your temple, did you see how fucking far apart we are on age? He's my dad, Michael. The one I cried about to you before. The reason why I threw rocks at your window at all that night. I couldn't shoot him, because even if I was mad at him for lying about my whole life, my character, he was my dad. He was still there for me."
I had nothing else to do but envelope her in the most loving hug that I can. That was why she was just pleading. She pointed her gun towards her dad, but never pulled the safety off.
"Rachelle."
"Michael."
I don't know. I just breathe out her name. I do not even know what to say. I just wanted her to feel that despite all the chaos that seemed to have created a mess out of her life, I was still there. That even in the messiest mess, I was there, reaching out.
That was all I could ever be. All I could. Nothing less. Nothing more. The both of us will be two broken persons caught in the chaos of too many greedy people. We will both be two teenagers in the midst of the world fighting its lust for money, fame, and power.
The world would see the both of us as kids trying to play hero, when in reality, nobody would care about the story in between. They would see us as two fragile-looking children getting caught in the mesh of greed and lust. No one would ever see how these kids are the ones trying to kill the fire of lust, and stop the flow of greed. No one will see us as saviors, nor heroes... no one.
And at the same time, I was thinking of how no one would care about my real story and the broken girl in my arms, the flash of something shiny from a corner got caught in my eye.
And I did the last thing I could. I turned around. And it happened. As soon as I did, everything seemed to turn blurry. I felt like losing my sanity, not even knowing if I was really hearing her shout my name.
"My angel, my angel", was all I could say.
"FUCKING HELL, MICHAEL FUCK."
Then I started fighting for my sanity. That's when it became coherent. She was screaming, firing her gun consecutively until it ran out of bullets, while she balanced and kept me from falling using her other hand.
"Hey, I'm okay. Don't worry. Make y-yourself okay", I half-whispered, trying to fight myself from losing grip of my own consciousness, while she let the both of us on the floor, hands intertwined.
"Michael, please, fuck", she cried. My angel in the moonlight was crying. My saving grace is in a tangle of tears, blood, and profanities.
"Thanks for saving me all this time."
"Michael, stop. You'll live. Fucking hell, Michael."
"Thanks for being my home. T-thanks for that little infinity, too", I coughed, staining her dress with more blood. I was fighting hard to stay longer. I wanted to still see her pretty features. but the pain was tearing my body and soul apart.
"Michael..."
"The song...earlier. T-the one during the d-dance. It asked how many nights does it take to count the stars, and how many nights have you wished someone would stay. Don't count the stars that you love, o-okay? Just find the brightest one. I'll be that one. And if you ever feel like I left you, remember...when you told me h-how our loved ones will be always in our hearts. I'll always be there. I'll s-stay there."
"Mikey..."
"They say before you start a war, you better know what you're fighting for. Y-you're the only thing I can think off that's worth that f-fight. I love you. I don't k-know. I just do. Thanks for being the best thing in my life."
I slowly closed my eyes, not able to fight enough the urge to do so, the tears I'm shedding making me weaker.
"I fucking love you too."
And for the second time that night, I felt her lips against mine. A kiss full of love. A kiss full of passion. A kiss that released all the feelings we had bottled up.
And the moment I felt her pulling away, was the moment I slowly let go of the way our hands were interlocked, everything fading to black, to nothingness.
-----
GUESS WHO THE FUCKING FUCK IS BACK. (It's me hey!)
First of all, my deepest apologies for being inactive as fuck. School was mean, I keep getting too many uni class works. I hope that clears my inactivity.
OKAY, y'all can come over my mentions on twitter and tell me how the fuck is this comeback supposed to be good when I killed off another character but hey THERE'S ONE SHOT TWELVE FOR YOU. This goes to my bestest bud over the internet. Hey, Rachelle (twitter username: hydromgc). I HOPE YOURE NOT THAT EMO OKAY GOODBYE UNSTAN ME NOW I LOVE YOU.
Fun fact: Rachelle is really really inclined with astronomy.
Fun fact 2: THE PLOT FOR THIS IS SOMEHOW SIMILAR TO THE PLOT FOR MY DISCONTINUED FIC, STARS.
Fun Fact 3: I had three different plots for one shot 12 til i got this.
Fun Fact 4: I JUST REALIZED I KILLED MICHAEL IN TWO CONSECUTIVE ONE SHOTS. You hate me for killing a character again. I should stop.