Chapter 22: No.21

I never should have walked into that park, I never should have looked into her stunning sandy eyes, is this the regret? No, it's just the pain I never thought I would feel, and maybe I should be glad, happy even to know that someone, as broken as me, could experience such a thing. But here I was watching her from afar not understanding why she hasn't left my mind.

My lips pursed and teeth began to chew against them, the sight of Jonah in her presence irritated me, why were they still friends? Why did she allow him into her life? She rejected him, was she still considering his offer?

"We could kill him," Keith whispered and smirked when my head snapped towards him.

Squinting my eyes this could have been a nice solution, but it wasn't right.

"Oh please!" he laughed hysterically making me frown.

"What?" I hissed. "You've been around too much. Don't you have things to do? Go find the princess or whatever."

Suddenly someone tapped my shoulder and I flinched, completely unaware of anyone else's presence.

"Elina..?" Washu's grey eyes filled with worry. "Did I scare you?" the question was more of a statement. She observed me thoroughly something I despised.

"Don't be stupid, I was just lost in thought," I muttered and straightened my back to appear more in control than I was.

"Were you talking to someone?"

Looking around I noticed Keith was gone, he always done this, disappeared without notice, however just how good could he be at this for her to not see him from the distance?

"Keith was here," I shrugged seeing no reason to lie.

She remained quiet for a little bit before humming lightly. "What did he want?" she asked trying her best to remain casual, but I knew her too well to not notice the discomfort.

Frowning not understanding the behavior, maybe he made her uncomfortable. He was a dick after all.

"He's just messing around at this point, I truly don't even think he's here on the admin's orders," I scoffed annoyed by his unnecessary presence. Washu raised her brows awaiting the answer. "He told me to kill Jonah because I hate him."

Her pupils dilated and a gasp sneaked through her lips. "What?"

Rolling my eyes with a pout my head pointed towards Nahla and Jonah sitting on the other side of the park chatting. "Why is she still talking to him? I don't get it..." I grumbled. "She doesn't love him so why is she still meeting up with him? Thought he would be gone."

"He's her friend, they've known each other for a while, he knows things about her you don't and understands her human struggles. Just because he confessed, and she has not replicated his feelings doesn't mean they won't be friends..."

Chewing against my bottom lip I huffed, "Well he sucks, she should have better friends."

"You are so jealous," she whispered. "Elina," her voice changed its tone when speaking my name. "Allow yourself to explore these feelings instead of"—she glanced at me with saddened eyes—"this."

Avoiding her grey irises burning into my soul I objected, "There's nothing to explore, don't be ridiculous."

Allowing her to pat my shoulder she answered. "I'm not saying go marry her damnit, just explore it, enjoy it while it lasts, you deserve as much."

"I don't," I disagreed with no hesitation.

Her lips parted but no words followed before she pursed them together and sighed. Not liking the change of mood, I gave her a small smile and squeeze her on the shoulder. "How about we take this moment and talk about what happened at the bar?"

Her eyes followed the butterflies dancing in front of our bench as they playfully almost mockingly flew away.

"I think.. you wouldn't believe it.." she began unsurely.

"Speak," I told her.

"He stopped the time," she uttered giving me a weak smile.

"He?"

"There's an entity on this Earth, this universe, I've seen him before, he spoke to me... This time he was a bit upset when he saw me, he approached me and called me his child, then simply said I should never play under someone else's rules, he shook his head, and touched my forehead, everyone was frozen in place except us, and when he did that the time moved again leaving me completely unaffected by Alifa's device," she explained, and I just stared at her.

"Oh..." was all I had to say, she sighed at the lack of words. "So, he's your dad?" I finally asked, unsure of what to think.

"I wish there was a way for us to learn more about our past, Earth has allowed us to notice things we might have not been able to see or explore."

Chewing against my bottom lip I took out the address given to me by one of the Alifa members. My fingers played with the pieces of paper as the unknown anxiety entered my mind. "I think we could, or at least I..."

Washu's warm smile blessed my heart pushing away all the worries that might have entered uninvited and completely unnecessary because whatever the truth was it has already happened, facing it would change nothing except giving me a chance to understand and choose my actions with greater care.

"Our next stop?" she questioned the paper.

Giving her a low hum, I looked up at the clear sky, I missed staring at our beautiful galaxy, but this blue view has given me reassurance of sorts, almost as if Earth shielded me from the past. It was about time to find out, but before we've done so I needed to spend some time with my human because intuition has told me after this there might not be another chance.

"Give me some time, then we go."

There was this thing about Washu, I knew my mind wasn't easily understood and at times I had troubles with it myself, however, she never expected explanations, any details or reasoning, when something important was about to take place my puppy of a friend smiled at me with that wide smile of hers and gave me what was just a short glance at her reddish irises—she was ready.

Confidently approaching Nahla having no regard for Jonah I stood in front of her wheelchair and asked plainly, "I would like to see you tonight."

She was shocked, not enough by my question but the sudden presence, having no time to reply Jonah interrupted before her plump lips could open with the answer.

"She's busy tonight," his sharp tone gave satisfaction I didn't know I needed.

"Yes, I know," I shrugged and smirked. "With me, are you not?" There was no hesitation or worry, she wouldn't refuse. Why? Nothing words could explain, it was the feeling we both had that pulled us towards one another, every chance we could have we would take. And this might have been the first and the last date her and I could spend on this Earth.

"Yes," she gasped with a shaky lip making my heart ache from the amount of happiness this simple answer has given. "I would love to go out with you tonight," she added as if it was necessary to clarify the importance of what she has agreed to do.

Nodding with a smile of a child who received the biggest surprise in their entire short life I acknowledged Jonah one more time, "Enjoy your chat." And left feeling as if the entire world belonged to me—maybe for a second it actually has—Nahla being the world and the date proof of what could never be mine, except for this one night.

The rest of the day was almost like a blur passing painfully slowly allowing the excitement and slightly anxious heart to grow along with the setting sun. When the time has come, I walked up the hill only to experience déjà vu, her sitting figure watching the stars and a peaceful atmosphere embracing the warmth her person was giving me from the first day on this planet.

Her aura was almost visible, she was safe and comfortable to my heart, maybe everyone had that one other person who worked for them. She wasn't perfect to everyone on Earth, that would be ridiculous, but she was perfect to me. Because everyone's perfection was defined by different views, teachings, and prayers, that's what I learned about humans over my time on Earth.

They were all so different from one another, a single definition could never do justice to their chaotic minds, which made me wonder who was I? Here a soldier didn't define me, something else has, maybe for once my heart wished to be alive and act instead of the mind.

"You are thinking too much," her playful tone pulled me out of my thoughts. I was dazed by the view in front; her. "Lovely night, won't you say?"

"Mhm," I hummed and approached her closer, my hand carefully resting itself on her cheek as I rubbed it softly.

Our eyes met, like two different worlds clashing together but instead of war finding balance and peace. Her sandy eyes were like a dessert's sun burning into mine with passion and an overwhelming amount of warmth.

"Why won't you just tell me...?" she managed to whisper, I could tell it took a lot from her to say out loud.

Biting my bottom lip, I held back the desire to confess the truth. She placed her hand on mine as it still caressed her cheek. I felt an odd feeling in my stomach, whatever it was she made me feel it wasn't bad.

"There's... something is happening, I don't know what, frankly I don't know anything about you, but there's a feeling that I cannot shake off, that something is wrong. It's like I just know when you are sad or happy or troubled... It's weird I'm sorry I'm speaking nonsense," she rambled at the end, her overthinking getting better of her, when she wasn't wrong, not at all.

"I feel the same," I spoke shortly, there was a spark of hope in her eyes. "We might not know a lot about one another, yet I know, I feel your person, it's like we are pulled toward each other. Is it not?"

Her cheeks grew hotter as a blush painted them at this night, I smiled. "Beautiful," I spoke into the sudden wave of wind.

She shivered and didn't look up from her lap.

"Nahla," I called needing to make sure she knew. Once she realized I wasn't going to say anything until she looked up, she complied. "You are breathtaking, to me, you are perfect."

She gasped, and I panicked when tears began to gather in her gorgeous eyes. Have I spoken out of line? Have I upset my human?

"I.. I'm sorry I-"

"Shh..." she cooed with her melodic voice. "Elina, I don't know where you came from, suddenly walking into my life without any heads up giving me something I didn't know I could have." Her hand guided mine towards her heart. "It beats so much faster with you around. It swells and brightens up my mind when I see or hear you, and believe it or not my eyes always search for you..."

My throat was tightened for an unknown reason, I gulped attempting to swallow the lump at the back of it.

"It almost makes me want to ask... Who are you?"

Suddenly an odd calmness spread all over my body, muscles relaxed and mind clear, no more worry, hesitation, or uncertainty.

"I am yours to have and you are mine, the stars led us from completely two different lives to look into each other's eyes."

Her brown brows furrowed slightly. "But?"

Sighing I smiled and knelt in front of her. "Isn't it enough to know there is someone out there? Isn't this a miracle that we met? It must be enough because there's a beauty in the moment, let's allow it to last for lifetimes."

"Why does it feel like a bittersweet goodbye?" her voice thin and on the verge of tears. "I will wait for you," she pierced through my heart with those words.

"You would have to wait for a long time my beautiful human, I'm afraid it's not worth it..." I muttered upset; she would grow to hate me.

"Let's be happy, this must be enough," I told her with a reassuring smile, fighting the heaviness from my own mind. "Allow me," I asked for permission when my thumb gently grazed over her lip.

"Please do," her whiney tone evoking heat, like music to my ears I somehow wanted her to do it more.

Without a second thought, under a clouded by desire mind, I raised from the ground ever so slightly and connected our lips, that even though haven't kissed anyone in this life knew exactly how to mold with hers, as if it was done times and times before, in another lifetime perhaps.

She hummed into the kiss eagerly wanting more, getting up now bending down I pressed with more force allowing my tongue to lick her lips before entering inside, causing her to sweetly moan into my mouth.

Finishing with a pull against her bottom lip, I gave her a quick peck and moved away with hazy eyes.

"Wow..." was all she managed to say, gently touching her lips. "It was.. wow."

Nodding I caressed her cheek and smiled. "Thank you Nahla," I had to say before the time was out.

This was our goodbye. Finding the truth meant many things, but most importantly I had to return to the pentagon and face the admin in order to protect my friends. Unsure of my return I knew, we would most likely not meet again.

I wasn't sad however, there was gratefulness to the universe for allowing someone so unworthy to experience these feelings, even if for a short time, those would remain forever.

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