06. Ghosts of the Past

❝ I have loved the stars too fondly, to be fearful of the night.❞

In silence we make our way to the temple. The stairs don't seem to have changed, yet I feel way better than I did before.

Soon enough we get to the top and I take in the scenery. Due to the cold and the winter coming, millions of cherry blossoms are floating in the air and falling to the ground. I take a seat at the endge of the mountain and dangle my feet from the ledge. Silently Victor takes a seat next to me.

"Can I ask you a question" He looks at me

"Well that is a question in itself" I say "but sure"

"Why do you have the nightmares, what are they?"

I stay quiet for a while, debating whether I should answer

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to"

"I do, I just need some time" I close my eyes and take a deep breath.

"It's not just a nightmare, it is also a memory" I begin, he stays quiet and I can feel him watching me.

"It happened about 2 years ago, my parents and I were driving home. We were laughing and I clearly remember my mum's smile and her eyes, sparkling with joy." I pause letting the memory resurface.

"We were joking and all of a sudden everything around me was moving in slow motion, I remember two yellow orbs shining down and my screams merching with my mum's."

He says nothing as he silently listens to my story, my memory.

"I must have lost conciousness, because when I came to everything had went silent. I screamed for my mum, my dad. My dad was flung out of the car and my mum was sprawled on the dashboard. I kept screaming for what seemed like forever. Eventually someone came and they got me out of the car and while my parents died on the site I was alive." A single tear rolls down my cheek.

Ever since the accident I never really talked about it to anyone but Sirra. She was my therapist for a reason.

I open my eyes and stare straight ahead. Victor remains quiet while he looks at me. I turn my face and am met by those ocean eyes. His eyes are full of sorrow.

"Em I don't know what to say" he brings his hand to my face and wipes away my tear.

"You don't have to say anything" I give him a small smile "since the accident I never really talk to anyone about it"

"I am the first one you told"

"Yes, you are the first one"

He stares at me not in a sexual kind of way, but it is something more a kind of understanding or gratitude, I can't figure it out. He opens his arms and I snuggle my head against his chest. Relief floods my body as I embrace his warmth. For a long while we stay this way, completely silent. Nothing needs to be said, the most important things have to be felt.

When I think back of the past it was always with a stabbing pain to the heart and for the first time in a long while I don't feel utterly alone. I feel safe in his embrace and know that everything he told me was nothing more than the truth. He would never let me fall.

After a long silence I back away from the embrace. When I glance at my watch I see that we have been here for more than 2 hours. It is starting to get dark and we decide that it is time to head back.

We stay close together, but don't speak. There is no awkwardness in the air it is a comfortable kind of silence as if everything has been said and you don't need words to understand.

When we walk into the resort we are greeted by Makkachin, he must have wondered when his human would come back.

"You two are just in time for dinner" Hiroko says and leads us into the dining area.

I take my seat and eat in silence, not wanting to disturb anything. I am consumed by my thoughts when I feel a tap on my shoulder.

"Ember, did you have enough to eat" I meet the loving eyes of Hiroko

"I have had enough, it was wonderful as always Hiroko" I smile and finish my glass of water before getting up. Before going up to my room I need some fresh air so I head outside.

When I stare up at the sky I can feel the energy rushing through my veins. I hear someone approaching, but keep looking up.

"Hey Ember, you okay" Yuri greets me nd takes a seat on a bench just beside where I am standing.

"Yeah, how about you? You confident about your toe loop?" I take a seat and continue staring up at the sky.

"Yes all thanks to you, I can't thank you enough" out of the corner of my eye I can see him smiling and following my example by looking at the stars.

"You know, ever since you came everything seems to be going more smoothly. I sometimes wonder if my mum loves you more than she loves me" He jokes and I let out a laugh.

"I am pretty sure that is not the case, I can see the pride in her eyes, she loves you Yuri, treasure that" I think back at my own parents who had the exact same look in their eyes when I saw them watching me as Hiroko has when she looks at Yuri.

"You know, I really want to thank you, not just for helping with my skating, but for your friendship." He looks at me now and smiles warmly, he has the exact same smile as his mother does.

"It is really nothing, I love being here it is so peaceful and everyone is so lovely" I shift my eyes from the stars and look at him.

"Okay enough for the sentiments, I am gonna go head to bed early, see you tomorrow"

"See you tomorrow, good night!" I reply. He gives me a small hug and makes his way inside. I watch him leave and glance back at the sky. For some time I sit there observing. If my parents had not died, if we weren't at the wrong place at the wrong time I would probably have never gotten to this place, and met all these amazing people.

I am so lost in my thoughts I don't even notice the bench screeching as someone else takes a seat right next to me.

"Penny for your thoughts" Victor says and I am brought back from my musings.

"Hey, nothing really, just staring at the stars and contemplating life." I smile "the usual really"

Without a second thought I rest my head on his shoulder. I can feel him tense up, but not soon after he wraps his arm around me. He smells like the ocean and the forest, like pine trees, yet he is warm and safe.

I glance up at him and see him watching me. When I look at him it is af if I am swimming in the deepest of oceans, but without the fear of drowning. He leans in and my eyes flutter close and he closes the bridge between us.

The moment his lips touch mine it is as if my entire body is set on fire. Every part of my being is warm and tingles. He deepens the kiss and way to soon pulls away. I open my eyes and blush.

"I ehm" Great Em, nice time to be awkward "I gotta go, got analyzing to do" I hurry inside and once I am in my room I slide to ground. I can still feel his lips on mine, his warmth still lingering on them.

I crawl into bed and don't even take the time to change. That night my dreams are filled with nothing but the ocean and I know that I am completely safe. It is the first night in a long time that my dreams don't consist nightmares.

So here it is, their very first kiss! What did you think?? I am working ahead as I said and I can't wait to see where this story takes me!