@blue_topaz
“Thank you,” I managed to tell the lady without stammering, slipping beneath Colton’s arm. “Where to, love?”
“Thank you,” I managed to tell the lady without stammering, slipping beneath Colton’s arm. “Where to, love?”
I linked our fingers together, thinking deeply.
“What do you want to eat?” I questioned, pulling her close.
Your mouth. “Something simple,” I murmured as I led him out the door, “What’s something you’ve never eaten?”
“Common food,” I answered, rubbing the back of my neck. “I don’t know. Surprise me.”
“Alright…” I smiled, leaning my head against his shoulder. My fingers laced through his, guiding the hand on my shoulders to the curve of my hips. “Noah and Isabella. The quaintest village couple..”
“As well as mysterious,” I added. “After all, we aren’t who we say we are.”
I eyed her movements, stopping where she stopped, putting my hand on her hips. I let it stay there, only pulling her closer. God, why does she do this to me?
“Shh..” I teased, my eyes sparkling as I pressed a finger to his lips. “That’s our secret.”
I kissed her finger, my eyes closing as I did so.
“Of course,” I murmured against her skin. “Another secret to add to our chest.”
I bumped my hip lightly against his, smiling widely the whole time. “It’s an adventure, alright? Forget about the danger for today… ooh, this place looks nice. Lunch here?”
I let out a low growl at her action, squeezing her hip lightly.
“Elle, do that again, I dare you…” I murmured lowly before turning my attention towards the place she was talking about. “Yes, that looks pleasant. We can eat here.”
Red bloomed across my cheeks. He’d caught me off guard; I hadn’t meant for the gesture to be teasing. But I repeated it anyways, pushing the restaurant door open and slipping from his arms before I could suffer the consequences.
“You know when we get home, I’m going to get my revenge, don’t you?” I called after her, walking inside. “You can’t run away from the consequences forever, my love.”
I pressed one hand against my chest and the other against my burning cheeks, not daring to look him in the eye. “The—Um—Do you want a table by the windows?”
I chuckled at her behavior, following after her.
“Whichever’s fine with you, sweetheart,” I pressed a kiss to her shoulder. “Do you want a table by the windows?”
I tugged him towards a window seat, doing my very best not to dissolve into a complete mess in front of all these people. “No—No teasing me in public settings.”
“Hey, you started it,” I merely shrugged, taking my seat. “I’m just having my fun. Take a seat, my beloved.”
I plopped myself down in Colton’s lap and reached for a menu as if nothing had happened. “What’s your favourite food? I just realized that I don’t know that.”
I smirked. Really, I was planning on telling her to do that, but I then decided to go easy on her. The fact that she took the initiative…
I wrapped my arms around her stomach, peering at the menu over her shoulder. I purposefully blew against her neck before answering her question.
“I really like the chicken and pizza breads the chefs make,” I answered her. “Have you ever tried their cheese bombs?”
I shivered lightly.
“N-No, I haven’t, but if you like cheese, onion soup is good.” My hands found his, pressing them against my stomach. “It’s a soup covered in a layer of melted cheese and croutons. Traditional village food. There’s a whole history behind it—“
I rested my forehead against her back, breathing her sweet scent in.
“I love you,” I found myself whispering, cutting her off. “You know, I feel extremely blessed. From childhood, I could get anything I wanted just by the snap of my fingers. Maids scurrying to fulfill my needs, chefs working to create foods to my liking though I didn’t need all the extra attention. There were people around the kingdom who were suffering, I knew that, and none of them were as lucky as I am. But I always felt empty. Everything was bland, as if I was just a combination of black and gray, and then you came into my life. You changed everything for me. You showed me that things can be colorful, too, and I don’t feel like a ruler when I’m with you. I feel like I’m a normal teenager. I love you so much, Elle. More than you ever know.”
The sudden onslaught of affection caught me off-guard. I barely managed to lick my dry lips and collect myself before responding, warmth spreading through my chest.
“I knew colour before I met you,” I murmured, turning my head to bury my nose in his hair. “And it was bright. I had a happy childhood, I’m not going to deny that. My familiy’s wealth did not constrict my freedom. But…. I only knew a small segment of the spectrum. I thought it was everything, plentiful… and then you snared my heart. I glimpsed the infinite possibilities… possibilities that you gave me. Cole, the fact that you believe in me and what I’m trying to achieve, the fact that you assure me every single day that you’re with me….. it’s amazing. Beyond words.”
I held her tighter, kissing the crook of her neck affectionately. There was no hint of anything suggestive in my actions. It was just my intense, overflowing love for her.
“I love you,” I repeated. “Every little scar of yours, I love. You are the best gift anyone could ever give me, and nothing could compare to that. There’s nothing I want more than your happiness. I can’t do much for you, Elle, but I’m going to give it my all. I’m going to keep you happy and loved and I’m going to believe in you even when you lose faith in yourself. Not because it's my duty as your lover, but because I want to. I want to see you on your feet, I want to see you achieve your goals. And that, Elle… seeing you finally grab at what you and every other women want… that’s what keeps me on my toes. That’s what I look forward to every day in life.”
I nestled deeper into his embrace, smiling like an absolute idiot.
“I——Cole, I don’t know what to say. A simple ‘thank you’ would never be enough for all of this… and what do you mean, you ‘can’t do much for me’? Cole, you’ve done more for me than you could possibly imagine.”
“You don’t need to say anything, Elle. I know,” I murmured, nuzzling her neck. “I can’t do anything more than what I’ve done as I am right now. I want you to walk around like this freely, but that can’t be achieved until I’m at the top. So just wait for me, Elle.”
“Always,” I whispered, “Forever and always. I promise. Now, do you want an onion soup or will I have to steal bites from whatever else you order?”
“An onion soup is fine,” I chuckled. Of course, her mind was filled with food. Was this one of Andreas’s and Kaden’s influences? Those two sure eat a lot. “And perhaps we can add something else? What about barbecue ribs? I’ve had them, but only once and I’m suddenly craving them.”
I laughed softly, shifting subtly back on his lap when I realized how hard my knees were being pressed into the underside of our table. “Yes, love. We can get whatever you want, as long as we have something with vanilla ice cream for dessert.”
I let her get comfortable, though the position was… unnerving, I guess. I liked it when she was pressed up against me like this.
“Would it be called a meal if there was no dessert?” I chuckled. “Of course there’s going to be vanilla ice cream.”
“Good,” I laughed, “Or else I’d have to break up with you. Only horrible monsters don’t like vanilla ice cream, which is the best food ever to grace this godforsaken rock that’s hurtling through space.”
I laughed alongside her, shaking my head at her comments.
“Very funny, Elle,” I kissed the back of her head. “Which person does not like dessert?”
The following keyboard controls are supported across Notebook.ai. All keyboard controls are disabled when editing a document or notebook page.