It happened once in a dream

The long nights had only just begun. What had happened till this moment was no clear. There was no sign of an actual crime. There was no sign of life. It was on the streets that night, below the gloomy yellow lights that you could find her. She just laid there, almost peacefully. Her skin pale and eyes closed. There was no sound of heartbeat or a way to trace if she was breathing. Dead. That was what she looked like. A doll laying on the old dirty ground. Blood covering her neck, where a knife had made its mark across her throat. Had that been course of death? Her hands were bruised in a clear sign of fighting whoever she had been up against, or was it from a previous fight? Had she even had a chance in this matter? Around her lips was a dark purple color, was it poison? It was unclear what it was. Her phone was ringing in desperat hope of someone finding her. The sound of the phone echoed in the empty streets. Would anyone hear?

Malachite hadn't spoken with Valeria in a while. Since everything that happened with Anastasia and the gang of vampires, it just seemed like it was better to keep some time apart. But god, was it boring. He didn't have many people to talk to, and he was getting really annoyed by the boredom. He was walking down the street and calling her. She usually picked up quickly unless something was wrong, so of course he got worried when she didn't. He hung up and tried once more. And then he heard her phone's ringtone echo through the empty street. He followed the sound until he saw a lifeless figure laying beneath the street lamp. He dropped his phone and hurried over there. His heart dropped when he saw her lay there. He picked her up into his arm. "You're okay. You're okay." He was trying to convince himself. She had to be okay. But he couldn't hear her heart beat. And she was so cold. "Don't you dare." He said and looked at her lifeless body. He had already lost his sister. He couldn't loose Valeria too.

There was no sign of life. She looked dead. No heartbeat.
But her soul had visited a place while under her curse, that were much more terrifying than reality. The room was small, no windows, no doors. Valeria was sitting in one of the corners and tried to figure out what was going on. There were picture frames on the walls, which made her get up and walk over to one of them. The first one was a picture frame of her and her parents. She reached out to touch it, but it lighted up in flames, making her step away. Valeria looked over at the other frames that one by one lighted up in flames. "It's an illusion.. it has to be," she mumbled to herself and reached out for one of the frames. But the burn was real and she moved her hands back. Valeria looked around her the flames came from the floor. Lighted the place up with fierce flames. She heard a small whisper from somewhere and looked around. "Mala?" she said in a low whisper before looking around.

Malachite felt empty. He couldn't truly believe she actually was dead. If he was, then everything would change. She had been part of his life for so long. He was not sure what to do if she wasn't around, if he didn't have her to call when everything went wrong or if he couldn't pick her up when she had been deadly hurt. It was him and Valeria. Even if he had nobody else, he had her and likewise. He looked at her. Even now she looked beautiful. "Val..." He whispered. He should have stayed with her. Maybe things wouldn't have gone so wrong if he had been there. He took in a sharp breath and leaned forward. "I l..." He couldn't say it, so instead he just gently put his lips to hers in a tender moment.

She searched and searched. It felt like miles in her mind of just walking. Through flames, trying not to let them touch her skin. Valeria looked around, she was so sure that she heard her name being whispered. But from where? Valeria turned around when she heard a sound of glass shattering underneath her, and before she knew it. She had fallen. Valeria got up and looked around. Mirrors. This room was filled with mirrors and all she could see was herself. Valeria watched the tears running down her cheeks, watched how beaten and bruised she truly looked. However, she kept on walking around. There had to be a way. And there was one. A light not so far from her, Valeria rushed over to it and reached out as if it was her only hope.
The warmth of his lips was what gave her air. Like a burst of energi leaving them as she spell broke. It was first after her lips were free, that she took a deeper breath in and opened her hazel colored eyes. Valeria looked up at him, before she realized what had happened.
"Hey stranger," she whispered softly before wrapping her arms tightly around him.

Malachite didn't know she was waking up before he pulled away and she took in a deep breath and opened her eyes. He didn't even seem that confused. He was the great-grandson of the first witch. He knew magic could be very powerful. "Hey,." He was just so relived she was okay. But it barely showed, unless you knew to look deep enough into his eyes. He put his arms around her and just listened to her heart a moment. She really was alive again. "I'm taking you home," he said against her hair. He didn't really care if people were going to know anymore. He was done fighting this. He wanted Valeria, for good. He didn't want to go back and forth between having her and not. It was exhausting, and had gone on for far too long. He would not be one of those super romantic guys who would think to show up with flowers or bring her out on dates in the moonlight. But she also knew that, and he was sure she didn't expect that of him. Without asking, he lifted her up into his arms and started to walk with her.

She could see it in his eyes. But Valeria didn’t need to look to know that, she could feel it. Her entire soul knew it and craved to never let go again. The short moment of silence was the loudest moment in their hearts. Her heartbeat was going back to its normal rhythm fast, as if it never had stopped beating. Valeria didn’t know how long she had been out for. All she knew was who and why the person who had cast the curse, had done what she did.  He lifted her up. Valeria had never been the girl who wanted the whole fairytale life, she had never been the Disney princess girl as a child. All she wanted was someone who loved her, and despite their differences - she loved Malachite.
“I have to say something,” she whispered and looked up at him. “I need to say something, and I need you to hear it. Because I can’t bare the thought of anything happening without me saying this,” she took a deep breath in. Saying those words, wasn’t their thing. It was always unspoken what they truly felt or how deeply their emotions reached.  “I love you.”

Malachite had never tried to be anything with Valeria and what they had, had never been forced into a box. They weren't really a couple, they just cared for each other and had a chemistry that was off the charts. And then sometimes it had been in the exact other direction. They hadn't hated each other, at least he hadn't, but they just have different priorities, different loyalties. But now he didn't really have that. He just had her, and that was more than enough for him. He nodded when she said she had something to say. He kept walking, but just stopped by her words. He looked at her and wondered how he should react for a moment.
He ended up putting her down, but still holding onto her. "Me too," he said and leaned in to kiss her. He knew now, he would never be able to let go of her. Not that he wanted to. He had loved her for a long time, but it was difficult to express. He held her close and just expressed his love for her through his lips.

Valeria stood on own legs, still a bit unstable and she would most likely have lost her balance if he let go. However, he kept holding on to her. Just few months ago, she wouldn't just have let herself look like one who needed support. Valeria had always been the one trying to support others and forgetting herself in the process. He leaned in to kiss her, and she returned the kiss. Valeria had never been much for words, actions proved everything - this was how she knew he loved her. Why they had been doing this tango for way to long, because they hadn't been ready to commit. It had been difficult, fighting different sides of the same war. Knowing they had to see each other as the enemy. But not anymore. The tango was finally ending and they were one unit. Valeria knew there would be someone against it, but she didn't care about that anymore.

Malachite had no intention of letting her go, not physically or metaphorically. Seeing her dead like that, it just knocked some sense into him. They had been on and off since forever, always fighting the same fight but on different sides. There was no fight for him to fight anymore. He was done with it. Done pretending she didn't mean anything to him. The kiss had much more meaning now. It was a start of something between them, something real instead of all that back and forward. He continued the kiss for much longer than normally, before just leaning his head against her forhead. "Come on, let's get you inside," he lifted her once again and walked with her until they were back at the mansion. It was one of the few places he knew to bring her, so he just thought this was the best action. "I'm not leaving this time," he promised her. He had made a habit of leaving her with someone else to take care of her when she was hurt, not because he didn't care, but because he didn't thought he was allowed to. But no more of that, he was done running away from her.

//Out