Her Greatest Asset

sed to be here,"

and would never be. And therefore there would never be a lost prince charming to rescue her, nor a happy ever after, and that no, she'd just realized now years after, that after all, fairytales weren't right, because even

eath, but perhaps an angel, the god's remaining gift to the mortals' futile demands. Because his kerosene-blue eyes flickered like a rekindled candle upon caressing her own, honey brown eyes, warm and sheltering. And she had a marvelous epiphany right at that moment: which was that there was actually someone who could rival that bright

line, a bit distant and cold, with an authoritative voice primed to invar

t as she could. Shaking and stut

ng eyebrows, creasing forehead, and faintly clenchin

s, was enough proof to tell explici

ue." Simply, defeated, and nothing more, or else. Then an unnecessary sob escaped from her

cracked a little, failing him now to express his sincere apology, a hand on the back of his neck like he was tending an itch up there, unconsciously causing the muscles of his arm to flex in elegant curves. "I just thought how

while at her before she even noticed and re

ng herself, cowering in fear as she purred lowly for his comforting warmth. Eyes tightly closed, slightly damped and shaking, like she curre

ession of concern stated by this stranger she would just have treated as a joke after. Because her life was, is, will always be one. She even thought in what way should she tell him that sh

red manner, along with a closer measured step towards her, he asked with

skin. His apparently long legs behind the pants, sturdy and dignified. Broad shoulders blocking the passing of the winds, catching occasional raindrops. Dark hair darker than the starless sky. Playful lips, probing eyes, flushed cheeks. He was visibly marred by dirt at some place, like a knife wound in a renaissance painting or a crack in a Greek sculpture imitating the gods' physical form, nonet

ou what do you need, offering you what

her it was, "Ca

d behind his lips and with a wide op

ntouched by darkness. The willingness of him, to make himself vulnerable of touch for her, without restraint, leaning fervently on her just to listen to her prayer, without knowing anything about her, was too overwhelming, surreal even, for her to even feel fully. Even she was already embracing his soft neck with both arms, her right cheeks caressing his stubbled chin, her front body to his right side (the left was saved for the cat), his arm along the length of her back, vigilant

ispered near his ear,