Moonlight Kisses

the love month

tw: issues w/ alcohol

One Month Later

no perspective.

Another month came and went. The only thing keeping them grounded was the fact that every morning the sun would rise and fall back into the sea at the end of the day. Leaving room for the moonlight to wash over them. Allowing the darkness to hide everything they wanted to keep a secret from the rest of the world. A day they had to convince everyone around them there was nothing between them for every night they'd fallen asleep connected somehow. Whether it was wrapped up in each other's arms or over an hour-long phone call.

It became harder to hide what they had from the world. They'd begun to ask themselves when the right time would be to start telling people. When they could start to fully embrace the things they'd only done behind closed doors. When the sneaking around and the lying could finally be drawn to its end and they could have each other in full. No secrets. No lies. No meeting up in secret. They wouldn't have to watch what they say in public. Be cautious of what they do so they wouldn't give off any hints. Bite their tongues so no suspicion would arise.

When they weren't thinking about letting their secret out, they were thinking about how the next day would go. Each day was a new surprise. An even brighter morning. Even the moon seemed to glow all the more intensely, getting rid of some of the darkness. Because no day was exactly the same as any other, it kept them on their toes. Anticipating what would come next. They were unpredictable, spontaneously carefree just as they always had been. Most days were good ones. Others not so much.

It all started that first morning. The first morning of the brand new chapter in their story. The new version of their story that started with a few kisses under the pale moonlight.

~

She wakes up out of a dream. Not a bad one, she assumes because she doesn't feel that usual panic that tightens up her chest every time a nightmare strikes. It couldn't have been any later than three a.m., for the moon was still peeking through her windows, not quite fading into the sunrise just yet.

Her eyes move down to the boy laying on her shoulder. Breathing softly through his naturally puckered lips, she takes a mental snapshot of the vision; this is the most innocent way she's ever seen him. The crease between his brows smooths itself over. His long lashes flutter over his cheek. It's hard to picture this face scowling. It's hard to comprehend how anyone would dare hurt someone that looks as soft as this. She'd come to wonder why his father of all people would lay a harmful hand on him as such a young age. If his smile looked so sweet. If in his sleep he looked so innocent. If his eyes were capable of sparkling so brightly. Who in their right mind would try to take that away?

In his foggy state of being half-awake, he got a strong sense that he was being stared at. A pair of eyes scanning over every small detail on his face. Analyzing every scar, every mark, every little thing down to the nearly invisible freckles dotting across his nose. He already knew who it was without having to bat an eye. Not just because she was right beside him but because he knew no one had ever looked at him the way she does.

She notices a tiny smile forming across his lips, letting her know she'd been caught. If she could, she'd pretend she was still asleep, but they both know each other better than to let her little staring game slide. "Morning, baby," he mumbles in a tired voice. She adores the way his post-sleep voice sounds. It was deeper than usual, a bit more raspy. His accent made it more appealing, like music to her ears. It was one of the many things she enjoys about waking up beside him.