Fireflies

At the time, I didn’t know how things could get worse.

We were both soaked from our hair to our toes from the rain, and the cool fall air made harsh by the night’s arrival ravaged both our bodies. Both my arms were crossed so tightly across my chest hoping to squeeze out any heat that was left within my body. I could hear her teeth chattering, or maybe they were mine, I couldn’t tell within this darkness.

I turned to face her to apologize for a night that I had planned so carefully, and instead of becoming a night that neither of us would forget, it became a night that we’d laugh about together with our friends, but not with each other.

No, after tonight, I doubt we’ll be talking at all.

I couldn’t find her face in the darkness; however, I could hear her ragged breath caused by the cold. My words felt like rocks in my throat that I was choking on and they refused to come out. When I did finally open my mouth to say something, it remained agape as a spark of light floated between us.

The light sparked the sapphire in her eyes. It was just enough to show me the surface, but not how deep the blue truly went as the darkness soon separated us again.

The light surfaced again, this time not showing me her eyes, but her lips – her cherry red lips. It was the first time I was thankful for the rain that night. The moisture from it was lightly spread across them and made it seem as if they were rose petals after the first morning’s light, revealing the fresh dew spritzed along them.

The light vanished, leaving us only with the hotness of our breath as we stared at each other, longing for more. More lights scattered across us, showing me things I hadn’t notice before tonight.

Her hair, a light brunette, that hid all the colors of autumn as the night’s lamps danced between us – a fiery orange, a brilliant yellow, and a comfortable whiskey brown. They were all there.

I felt a new heat sweep over me, as I edged over to her side. I saw all the lines of her face and the new ones that formed as a smile crept across it. It was a slightly devilish one, as I could see part of it as clear as day while the other still hid within the shadows.

I wonder.

What did she see as these lights danced between us?

Did she discover something about me that I’ve never noticed?

Or did she feel the same tiny kindling of flame sitting right underneath my heart as I drew nearer to her – as my arms wrapped around her?

The lights embraced us as we embraced each other.

Our faces inched closer.

I felt the heat from her breath.

Our lips quivered slightly as if they were afraid of each other.

And then darkness came again.