How long can I go on like this
Wishing to kiss you
Before I rightly explode?
If It Kills Me ~ Jason Mraz
Troye
Why hadn't I kiss him?
Everything was perfect. Music was playing, we were close to one another, staring at each other's lips. I could've done it. I could've captured his lips in mine and finally let out all my pent up feelings.
But no, obviously not. I was too much of a chicken.
I was kicking myself for not taking the chance. I vowed that the next time it felt right, I'd kiss him. I only hoped that time was sooner rather than later. If it took too much longer I presumed I'd end up pouncing on him in public.
In the kitchens I worked relentlessly, trying to beat the resentment out of me. Tim gave me a worried look but didn't speak. I guess if he had, I might've got let my anger out on him.
I wasn't the only unhappy person. Pots and pans were knocked over as Miranda stormed in. She spoke heatedly to a group of people behind me.It was as if someone had murdered her cat, and she wanted revenge. I ignored her ranting, focused on plating up more food. I felt sorry for whoever her anger was directed at, and whoever was having to deal with her right then. As I went to place the tray on the serving counter, I caught onto the conversation.
"My dear, you've yet to say who did all this," one of the men said.
"It was the waiter, over there," she said it as though everyone knew who she was taking about.
The man was squinting. "Where?"
Miranda grabbed the man by the shirt and pulled him to the archway. "THERE! The one with the blue hair!"
Only one person had blue hair. Tyler.
I dropped my plate. It clattered loudly against the tiles. No one outwardly reacted to it, including myself.
The man studied Tyler with a straight face. "He seems like a harmless lad. Besides, it looks as though he’s leaving now anyway."
"What?" I said aloud without meaning to. Fortunately no one was paying attention to me. I rushed forward, through the archway. The man was right. He was leaving, and he wasn't going to say goodbye to me.
Miranda was still fuming. "I don't care. Go after him. He upset me."
"Miranda, you're whining again."
"Are you kidding-"
A blue light broke through the roof, shooting down to the floor. Everyone sprung back in alarm. It branched outwards, like lightning. I realised then that it was lightning. People on the dance floor ran to the walls, to get away from the danger. Only two figures were still standing in the middle. I figured they must've been the cause.
Miranda was unaffected by the events. "Anyway, as I was saying, I need you to-"
The man had had enough."No Miranda. You have to learn to deal with your own problems.”
She scowled at him. "Fine I will." She stretched her fingers out. I heard her whisper an enchantment under her breath. Red sparks appeared around her fingers.
Meanwhile, in the centre of the room, the lightning faded. I looked to see who was the cause of the lighting. Of course, it had to be Caspar, with his "bro" beside him. For once, the crazed look in his eyes had gone. It was the first time he looked afraid. “I-I-I didn't know that was going to happen. I couldn't control my emotions for a moment.”
When standing that close to Joe, it wasn't hard to guess how he’d managed to lose control.
Miranda charged forwards, to get a clear aim at Tyler. She pushed me forward in the process. I was in front of the mass of people lined against the walls. People’s attention were diverted to me. Miranda, who remained behind me, stopped whispering. I knew the spell had been cast - and that it had gone wrong. Her fire ball wasn't heading for Tyler. It was heading to the wooden beams.
How was that woman married?
"Oh for f-"
The beam caught aflame before I could finish. The fire caressed the wood as it plummeted to the ground. Table clothes caught alight and soon fires were sparking everywhere. Children screamed as their hair was set alight. The fire kissed their scalps before anyone could help. Waters failed to quell the flames no matter how hard they tried. More beams began to burn. Without a doubt, I was in a nightmare.
Amidst the terror I spotted Tyler. He met my eyes, and saw how petrified he was. Clearly he had no idea how to control the flames. I didn't hesitate to run to him, even though I didn't know why. He ran towards me at the same moment.
I jumped over fallen chairs, hasty to get to Tyler. I heard the noise of something snapping. It was from above me. I looked up. The beam was shaking like mad. I heard it break free. It fell. It was going to fall on me. I couldn't run out the way in time.
"Troye!"
I was struck. The weight of it crushed me to the floor.
Then there was nothing.
*
A chilled breeze awoke me from unconsciousness. It pierced my face with flecks of rain. I found comfort from the light droplets, as I always did. My right side was pushed against a solid warm surface. Although I craved more warmth, I didn't move any closer to it. A low, steady beat came from under me. The occasional squelch told me it was footsteps on grass. Another noise accompanied it. It took me a while to realise it was breathing.
I opened my eyes slowly. The sky was darker than I thought it'd be. The almost-full moon was peaking out from behind the clouds. I saw two strong arms, one under my legs the other under my back. Warily I looked up, to see who was carrying me. Part of me already knew it was Tyler. My breath caught in my throat regardless, because I guess that’s what happens when you crush on someone.
Seeming to sense my blatant starring, Tyler glanced down at me. His lip curled up in a smirk. I buried my head into his chest, hiding my reddening cheeks from his view. His scent reminded me of a summer breeze, sending me to serenity.
Not long after, Tyler began to lower me. I was alarmed at first, murmuring a protest. He hushed me with his soothing voice. “It’s okay, I'm just putting you under the tree. I need to seal your wound.”
“Wait what wound?”
"On your forehead." I brought my hand against my forehead. I brushed against a lump, which was oddly warmer than the rest of me, and stung like hell. When I pulled my hand away there was a thin red stain on my fingertips.
Tyler pressed a cold material against my forehead. He looked into my eyes, and smiled sympathetically. "I'm going to close it, with a little fire. This may hurt for a moment, so you can hold onto my arm if you want. I promise I won't hurt you. Okay?"
"Okay." Any excuse to touch him was good enough for me.
I was not prepared for the searing pain. I shot up, letting out a scream of agony. I gripped onto his arms, trying to pass my pain through to him. He wasn't effected, keeping a steady countdown. "Five... four... three... two... one... done." He let go of the material, which was now flimsy and blackened. He pulled me into his arms, rocking me as I rode out the pain. He uttered words of comfort until the pain was no more.
"How did I get that injury?"
"A burning plank of wood fell on your head. Luckily the Joey dude pushed it off of you before any real damage was done. Perks of being an Air."
"He wouldn't have had to do that if it wasn't for his wife. She started the first in the first place. How'd you manage to make her so mad?"
Tyler stood up before answering. "I have a tendency of making people angry."
"True true," I said, becoming serious as I rose up. “You were going to leave without saying goodbye to me.”
His eyes grew sad. “I know. I didn't want to, but her husband advised me to go before-”
A dart shot out from the bushes. As it travelled it gained speed. It was heading for Tyler. Instinctively I put my arms around him. A water shield formed around Tyler. The dart hit the shield. It was deflected in an instant.
I let go of him. Tyler spun round, seeing the dart lying on the floor. It was black, with neon yellow liquid leaking out the front.
"What the hell is that stuff?"
"I don’t know. Let's find the shooter."
I knew it wouldn't end well. Even so I ran in the direction of where the dart had been shot. Tyler was slightly ahead of me, which made me more nervous. We entered a shaded area, filled with daunting trees and thick unknown shrubbery.
Bloodshot eyes emerged from the bushes. Something in the person's hand glinted.
"Tylah!" I shouted. He spun round in terror, not seeing the dark silhouette coming up behind. The attacker had a sharp knife in their hand.
I ran towards it. They chucked the knife. I ran out. My feet pounded against the floor in time with my heart beat. I stretched out. My fingers wrapped round the hilt. It stopped moving. It was centimetres away from Tyler. Thank god I'd stopped it before it'd scored his skin. The blade was sharp - easily sharp enough to cut into his bones.
Every hex I could recall spilled out of my mouth. The blade turned blue, enriched with power. I caught eyes with the attacker, who was slinking back into the dark. I aimed it at them. It spun like a circus performer. It illuminated the area with moonlight. It slowed down as it reached its destination. The hilt hit them, just as I'd wanted. They fell down.
I ran towards the person, wanting to get a better look. It was a man, in a uniform. As I'd thought, he was unconscious. His breath was too even not to be, and the whites of his eyes were on display. He was government worker, seeing as it was customary for workers to wear an item of gold clothing. This one had gone for gold boots. The rest of his outfit was black. On his neck was a branding. I leaned down, to get a closer look. Tyler walked tentatively towards me.
"What's AEP?" I asked, not turning round.
"That's the Anti-Elemental Party. Why?"
I pointed at the letters written on the man's neck. All he said in return was "Shit."
"Why was he out here?"
Tyler looked unsure how to answer. "He might've got wind of the Elemental wedding. Miranda wasn't quiet when she broadcasted the news of her marriage. He must've been waiting for wedding goers to come out to the quiet spots, to attack them when no one was around."
"Why was he so determined to attack you? Why not me?"
"Maybe I was easier to spot. You're wearing black, which kinda blends in. I've got my blue hair, and I'm wearing a white shirt. Makes me all the more obvious."
I nodded. It was a reasonable response, but it didn't sit well.
"We've got to burn his memories of us."
"Huh?"
"When he wakes up, someone will ask what happened. I'm not keen on him telling the AEP about us. If he does, he'll say we're dangerous. And the dangerous elementals get locked up."
I hadn't thought about any of that. "Right, how are we going to make him forget?"
"As I said, I'm going to burn the memory."
"Burn it? Won't that hurt?"
"Probably," his hands hovered over the attackers head. His fingertips turned red. Grey wisps somehow escaped the man's forehead, going straight for his fingertips.
"You've done that before, haven't you?"
He nodded sullenly. "I don't like it but... it only hurts them for a moment. I'd rather that than have me hurt for the rest of my life."
The man moaned, and his eyes started to flutter. He was waking up.
"Shitshitshitshit," Tyler cursed, pulling backwards.
Something within me told me what to do. Just as Tyler had done moments ago, my hands hovered above his head. My fingers turned blue. I pictured waves lapping gently across the shoreline. A fine blue dust trailed down towards him. It covered his eyelids. The man stopped squirming. A grin formed in his lips. It was terrifying, but I guess his mind was filled with happy memories, and that was good enough for me.
Tyler linked his fingers in mine, and gently pulled me away. He let go when we reached a clearing, alone once more. We looked at one another. For some reason we started to laugh. It wasn't our normal, cheerful laughter. It was the laugh you do when you've been afraid, and it's all over.
When the laughter died we just stared at one another. Despite the distance between us, I could hear him breathing softly. The moon lit up his skin in such a way that he looked celestial. The glint in his eyes were like starlight, putting me in a trance for a moment just to admire him.
"So, you saved me. Again." Tyler said. I was going to ask when was the first time. Then the image of his sinking body flicked in my mind.
I shrugged like it was no big deal. "It's because you're worth it," I tried to say in a jovial manner. I didn't want him to hear the truth behind the words.
"You better not make a habit of it. I don't want you to get hurt because of me."
I didn't know how to answer, but he didn't expect one. He was making his way towards me. When he reached me, he held onto my upper arms. "Thank you for saving me." He rose up on his tiptoes. I felt his soft lips brush against my cheek.
He tried to step back but I wouldn't let him. Fate had given me a second chance, and I knew I had to do it now, or forevoer hold my peace. I held onto his hips. His eyes were wide. I was worried it was with fear at first. But I saw how blown up his pupils were, and realised he was just caught off guard.
I leant down, feeling his breath on my lips. "You're welcome."
Our lips finally touched. His lips were soft like the misted stars above. When I felt him kiss back, I was euphoric. There was a spark inside of me, releasing thousands of butterflies in my stomach. It was the most intense five seconds in my life. I knew instantly that something inside me had changed - something that could never to be reversed.
Overall I'd say that was a pretty good first kiss.
He pulled away. My eyes shot open, worried I’d done something wrong. I didn't know a simple closed-lip kiss could go wrong.
It wasn't me though. Something behind me caught his eye. "Troye, someone’s coming.” His voice was breathy as he spoke, full of annoyance. I presumed it must've been someone we knew.
“I don’t care.”
“You will.”
"Troye!" A familiar South African shouted behind me. I groaned as I buried my face in Tyler's hair. Why was it that every moment we shared end too soon?
Tyler tried to step back, but I wouldn't let him. Caspar or no Caspar, I wanted to be near him. I pulled his hips closer to me. He made a surprised noise, then let out a small laugh, wrapping his arms around me. I wished we were alone, so that I could kiss him again. I almost did, but then I heard Caspar panting behind me.
"Dude, why'd you go so far away? Oh, hey Tyler, I didn't see you there."
"Hey."
I turned to see him then. He was red in the face, with his hair still blackened. "Well, you know, I wanted to be with Ty, alone, so..."
Caspar nodded understandingly. “Fair enough. I mean, that Jenna, she really killed the dance for you guys huh?”
“Yeah, it’s as if she couldn't tell how intimate we were,” Tyler said pointedly.
Caspar laughed. “But It was so obvious! She must be blind.”
“Clearly.”
"What a way to end the wedding, though. Can you believe-"
"Yes," Tyler and I said bitterly, at the same time.
He frowned and looked between us. "Did I interrupt something?"
"No, whatever gave you that I idea?" I said sarcastically.
"Oh okay.” We both rolled our eyes at his denseness. “I came looking for you because I was about to leave and wondered if you wanted a lift."
"Uh..." I looked down at Tyler.
"It's fine. I've got to head home anyway."
I looked back at Caspar. "Okay, sure. Can I just say goodbye to Tyler first?"
"Sure." He took a step backwards. He watched us eagerly, waiting for something to happen.
"In private?"
"Oh... riiight," he said with a wink. "Don't take too long, my mum might get mad if I’m back too late.”
When he was a safe distance away, I turned back to Tyler. He was smiling shyly at me. “What a cock-block.” he said.
“Everyone seems to be, when it comes to us.”
He gave a short laugh. “Too true.”
“Look I-”
“Troye!” Caspar called.
“I just wanted to say-”
“TROYE!”
I was about to flip him off, but Tyler stopped me, laughter in his eyes. “You don’t need to say anything. I’ll see you Monday, yeah?”
“Yeah, Monday.” I still didn't want to let go of him yet. He smiled at me, a patience in his eyes for me to do something. I began to lean down to kiss him again.
“TROYE SIVAN MELLET IF YOU DON’T COME NOW YOU CAN WALK HOME!”
I pulled back reluctantly. “Okay, I've gotta run. See you Tilly.”
He let go of me, still smiling brightly. “See you Troyeboy.”
For the whole journey home, Caspar told me anecdotes from the wedding. I'm sure they were hilarious, as I laughed hard with every tale, but I can't remember a single one. It all washed over me. I wasn't really paying attention. I was preoccupied with thoughts of Tyler, and the way Tyler’s lips felt against mine.
I was thankful I finally kissed him.
A/N
AFTER 12 CHAPTERS THE KISS FINALLY HAPPENED IT'S A 2015 MIRACLE
Bonne année mon petit pois
Emma x
~~~~