Lily hummed a song as she walked with Axel, the streets were empty, and just a few people passed by.
As Lily hummed the song, she kept looking around, the city was beautiful at night. The lights made it more beautiful.
Axel kept listening to the song Lily was humming as they walked, it was soothing to him.
He also noticed that it was the only song he always heard her humming, it seemed to be her favourite.
“Is that the only song you know?” Axel asked and she turned to him, she shook her head in response.
“Use your words, Lily.” He said.
“No.” She replied.
“I just like the song so much.” She added.
She turned away from him and they both continued walking in silence again.
Suddenly, Lily stopped and Axel turned to her.
“What’s wrong?” He asked.
“My feet hurt.” She replied with a little frown. Axel could see the discomfort on her face. He looked down at her feet and noticed they were a little red.
He let go of her hand and bent in front of her, he slowly took off her heels and Lily sighed in relief as he did. He stood up and held them in his hand.
“Better?” He asked and she nodded with a smile.
“Are you cold?” Axel asked and she was about to shake her head in response but she paused. She wasn’t cold but she knew if she said she was, Axel would give her his jacket and she would get to inhale his fragrance. She would feel so close to him.
“Yes, I am.” She replied and he took off his jacket, he carefully put it on her and made sure it covered her exposed body properly.
Lily’s heart fluttered as she watched him, he was so careful and caring.
“Thank you.” Lily muttered when he was done. He nodded and held her hand again and they continued to walk.
Lily smiled as she sniffed his jacket, her husband smells heavenly.
Since she was more comfortable with the walk, her feet weren’t hurting anymore and she was warm. She decided to bring up a conversation, she knew her husband wasn’t the chatty type, and he wouldn’t say anything unless it was necessary.
“Axel.” She called and he glanced at her.
“Yes?”
“Why are you always so quiet?” She asked. She wanted to start a conversation.
“I am not.” Axel replied.
“Yes, you are. You barely talk to people, including me.” She replied and he looked at her then looked away in seconds.
“I talk to you. I talk more to you.”
“What about others? You barely say anything, you are always so cold.”
“I believe a person should talk just when needed, not every time. I would rather paint than talk.” He answered and Lily recalled something that happened months ago. When she went into a room and saw a lot of drawing boards and canvas. She was surprised he could paint or draw, he didn’t look like it.
“Have you always been like this?”
“No, not really.”
“What made you change?” She asked and he sighed. He knows his wife so well, that her curiosity grows wider each time her question is answered. She never gets tired.
“Nothing.” He muttered in response.
Lily was thinking of not questioning him again but she was too curious to stop. She wanted to know what happened.
“You don’t want to talk about it?” She asked.
“My childhood was fucked up. I killed someone when I was ten.” He replied and Lily’s eyes widened.
“Wh… ”
“I don’t want to talk about it anymore.” He cut her off. Lily sighed and nodded.
“So, tell me about you. Why are you happy after everything you have been through?” Axel asked as he looked at her, she shrugged and smiled.
“I let go of things no matter how hard they are. Letting go will make you feel free and look forward to other positive things coming your way.” She replied and Axel chuckled.
“What? What’s funny?”
“Nothing.” He replied and she giggled.
“You found my response funny.”
“Maybe.” He replied.
“Okay. Let’s talk about us, can we talk about us?” Lily replied and Axel nodded.
“Yeah, sure.”
“Well, since our contract isn’t coming to an end anytime soon, does this mean things will be great like this between us?” Lily asked and Axel nodded.
“Yes, Lily. Everything will be great as long as you want.” He replied and she smiled happily.
They were a few minutes away from the hotel and Axel suddenly stopped. He looked around and noticed the street was empty then he looked up at the sky.
“Is something wrong?” Lily asked.
“It is about to rain.” He replied and it started getting cold, it got windy and Lily flinched.
“We should hurry.” Axel said and tried to pull Lily but she stopped him.
“No, we don’t have to. I like the rain.” She said with a smile and Axel rolled his eyes.
It started to drizzle and Axel hurriedly pulled Lily under a shed, she frowned at him and he raised his brows.
“I don’t want to stay under a shed, I want to play in the rain.” She whined like a child.
“But you will catch a cold.”
“And we will deal with that later.” She replied with a smile. Before Axel could give a response or do anything else, she took off his jacket, dropped her purse carefully on the floor, and rushed out of the shed.
“Fuck, Lily.” Axel called and she ignored him, she ran happily to the middle of the road and the rain got heavy.
She giggled happily and spun around.
Axel rubbed his forehead and sighed, he didn’t like something like that, he found playing in the rain so childish and wrong.
The rain got heavier and he groaned, he watched his wife as she played happily in the rain. He was worried, worried she would catch a cold and get sick.
“Come join me, Axel.” She yelled.
“Come on Lily, get out of the rain.” He yelled but she didn’t listen. He sighed when he knew he had no choice but to go into the rain to get her out.
He dropped her heels and everything with him then took in a deep breath before walking out of the shed.
He walked to the middle of the street and she giggled happily and rushed to him.
“Yay, you came to join me.” She said,
“No, I came to get you out. Let’s go.” He said sternly and tried to drag her but she took a few steps away from him.
“What’s the point? We are drenched already.” She replied and laughed. Axel sighed and decided to let her have her time, she was happy.
She screamed as the rain got heavier and spun around, Axel stared at her, and unconsciously, he let out a smile.
Lily’s smile was contagious.
“See, you are smiling already.” She giggled and moved closer to him, she pulled him to the middle of the road and danced around him.
Axel’s smile slowly turned into a chuckle and slowly into laughter.
He laughed as she did funny dances, it was interesting to watch.
“How do you feel, Axel?” She yelled and he shrugged with a smile.
“Good, maybe.” He muttered and she moved closer to him, so close that they were just inches apart.
“I couldn’t hear you, what did you say?” She asked and Axel stared at her with so much care. His heart started to race and he became confused. What he was feeling was strange to him.
“Is this wrong?” He thought out loud.
“What?” Lily asked but he didn’t give her a response. He slowly lifted his hand to her face and creased her cheek.
“What? Answer me, Axel. What is wrong?” She asked. He could see how worried and curious she was.
“The way I feel, is it wrong? Is it wrong that even if you carried Medusa’s curse, I would still want to stare into your eyes so my stone body could gaze into perfection for eternity?” He said and Lily’s lips parted slightly.
His words, he just said something she could never imagine him to say.
“I can’t help but keep asking myself if I am losing my mind. Sometimes I am afraid that you are not real because of how unique you are. You are the embodiment of perfection while I am a man full of imperfections.”
“I used to have nightmares, terrible nightmares. The first night I spent with you was the first time in over a decade I went to sleep at peace.”
Lily’s eyes started to get watery as she listened to his words, they were words filled with emotions, emotions he found hard to express.
Axel paused for a few seconds before he spoke up again, he kept trying to think of words to express how he was feeling, he wanted to not be confused anymore.
“Sometimes I get lost staring at you. I stare at you so much because there is a calm surrender in your eyes that can bring one to his knees. I see galaxies in your eyes Lilyana.”
“Axel… ” Lily whispered as a tear rolled out of her eyes.
“There are times I feel like I am losing my mind. No matter how I try to ignore these feelings, they keep coming back stronger. If I had a flower for every time I thought about you, I could walk through my garden forever.”
“I can’t not want you, Lilyana.”