Acacia
★☽★☾★☽★☾★☽★☾★☽★☾★
Like it had been previously, the car ride was silent as the sky began to darken and we neared our final destination. There was a strange, alien sense of euphoria racing through my veins and dictating my thoughts, driving me to actually feel... happy for once.
How strange it was, to feel such a genuine emotion after spending so much time faking it.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Dante’s cautious gaze, his demur still evident.
“Quoi?” I queried, turning my head to face him. Bashful, he directed his stare forward, keeping his eyes on the road like he should have been in the first place.
“Nothing. I’m just... surprised and glad to see you enjoying yourself,” he murmured, the corner of his lip twisting up into a smile. I returned it without hesitation.
“Moi aussi,” I whispered, resting a hand timidly on his arm. After meeting my eyes for a few brief seconds, he focused back on the road.
Not five minutes passed before huge spotlights were visible in the evening sky, thousands of balloons dancing in the air and rickety rides reaching for the clouds. Confused, I turned to Dante, his eyes crinkling as he grinned.
“Où sommes-nous? What is this place?” I asked, wide-eyed, as I observed the children dancing away from the bright lights, clouds of pink in their hands. Incredulous, he lifted a single brow once he parked the car, turning to me.
“You mean you’ve never been to a carnival before?”
“Not like this,” I admitted, biting my lip. He only grinned broader.
“Good. Then this will be fun.” Matching his expression, I nodded, exiting the car and tugging down my dress, beginning to grow accustomed to the loose garment. Mon Dieu. What is wrong with you?
Once he had paid the dull-looking attendant in the first tent, Dante towed me along, pointing out the individual attractions and vendors.
“Hey, big guy. One ball in and you can win your girl a nice prize!”
“Think you’re man enough to pop a few balloons?”
“It’s a child’s game! Win a prize every time!”
“Do these people ever shut up?” I whispered to Dante, earning a laugh as he led me to a building titled “Hall of Mirrors.”
“Nope. That’s what makes it so entertaining,” he grinned. “Now come on. This is fun.” After gesturing for me to lead, I entered the glass walls, hoping to be able to find a way out quickly.
Ten minutes later, I turned on him, closed in on three sides.
“If this is your idea of fun,” being trapped in a glass house where humans can gawk at us like animals, “you are insane.”
“The fun isn’t in being trapped but in who you’re trapped with,” he winked, reaching for my hand. Smirking, I allowed him to take it, following him as he took the lead, towing me along behind him and guiding us to the exit in under three minutes.
“Show off,” I muttered, laughing. He shrugged.
“When you’re around for a few hundred years, you have time to figure things out,” he commented, a shadow crossing over his features. Way to inadvertently bring up his past.
“Sorry, Dante,” I grimaced, leaning against him. “I didn’t mean to—”
“Shhh. Not your fault.” A smile replacing his solemn look, he patted my head soothingly. “Come on. Let me win you something.”
“You an expert at that, too?”
“Not even close.”
Even so, within the hour—and about thirty bucks—I was carrying around a giant plush swan. I guessed it was fitting that he had managed to bring up thoughts of my past, but he wouldn’t find out about that. It wasn’t important. It wasn’t tragic like his past. But it still hurt to remember.
★☽★☾★☽★☾★☽★☾★☽★☾★
The fall air was crisp in the beautiful city of love, the lights of all quaint shops glittering in the distance. On a hill about a mile away from the tower, two girls sat, admiring the evening view.
“Cecile?” the youngest, a mere seven years old, queried, brushing a white lock of hair away from her face. “Will you take me to see the city someday?” The older girl sighed, brushing through her sister’s hair motherly. It was fitting, seeing as the rest of their family had perished long ago. At the age of twenty one, the oldest acted as a parental figure to her only sister.
“I’m sorry, Acacia,” she sighed, her shoulders slumping. “It isn’t safe. Humans... they don’t understand.”
“We aren’t that different,” Acacia barked, pursing her lips.
“Nous sommes verts!” Cecile cried, startling her sister. Closing her eyes, she calmed herself, biting her lip. “Desolee.”
“It’s okay, ma soeur. I just wish they would understand,” she whimpered, biting back tears. “I want to be normal.”
“Moi aussi, dearest. Moi aussi.” As Cecile stared up at the appearing stars, she seemed troubled, her brows furrowed and her eyes wet.
“Is something wrong?” Acacia questioned, worried. Cecile only sighed once more before lowering her gaze.
“I just... I won’t always be here with you, Acacia. I don’t know how I expect you to survive without me,” Cecile dismissed, resting her chin in her hands.
“Hey! I can handle myself,” Acacia snapped, arms crossed over her chest.
“Against what?” the elder demanded sardonically, casting a condescending gaze at her sister.
“Well... I got our bread back from that swan the other day,” she mumbled, bowing her head. For a moment, Cecile was silent before a hearty laugh burst forth from her lungs, a surprising display of amusement.
“Fair enough, my little swan fighter,” she giggled, patting the younger girl’s head. “You’ll grow up to be big and strong, even without me.”
“Don’t say that.”
“Mon Dieu. Acacia, shush. I’m just speaking hypothetically. Come on, little swan. It’s time to rest.” With that, she rose to her feet, taking the other Mandrake’s hand in hers as she led her back to the garden, just as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting everything in a dismal, dark color scale and surrendering to the night.
★☽★☾★☽★☾★☽★☾★☽★☾★
Swallowing, I forced myself to glance at Dante, his concerned stare boring into my head. Shaking off the memories, I offered a reassuring smile, hugging my swan tighter.
“You... alright?” he asked cautiously, probably fearing my response. Nodding, I squeezed his fingers, hoping it would serve as proof... or something.
“I’m great. I’m having a fantastique time,” I confirmed. With a sigh of relief, he grinned.
“Then I have one last challenge for you,” he began with a devious smirk.
“I am not eating cotton candy,” I interrupted.
“Not what I had in mind, but point taken.” Pointing into the sky, he indicated his next challenge. I felt my face pale a bit. “The Ferris Wheel.”
“Ahhh... Dante..”
“It’ll be fine. I promise.” Taking my chin in his hand, he forced me to look him in the eye. “You’ll be safe with me. You have nothing to worry about.” Nodding, I sighed, reluctantly agreeing to the ride, hoping what he said was true.
Once he’d given the carny the necessary amount of money, we boarded the gondola, me pressed against Dante’s side at a distance that was probably too close for comfort. Yet he didn’t complain. I guess he really does care.
When the ride began to move—really move, not just stop and start—I found myself clutching his arm, biting my tongue and forcing my eyes to remain open. Though he seemed vaguely amused by my discomfort, he only patted my hand and murmured encouraging nothings into my ear.
And I began to... enjoy it.
However, as we neared the top on our second time around, the brakes squealed, the ride screeching to a halt, our gondola conveniently stopped at the very top. A voice came through a megaphone, distorted yet clear.
“I’m sorry, folks. It seems as though we have some technical difficulties. We should be up and running shortly,” the man’s kind voice promised. Still, I refused to release the bar in the middle of the ride, my eyes clenched tightly and my breathing ragged. Sighing, Dante rested a hand on my shoulder, making me jump.
“I don’t want to have to peel you off of that, but I will if I have to,” he warned. Without opening my eyes, I shook my head.
“You try and you’ll get two handfuls of thorns,” I muttered, shivering. Without any hesitation, his hands wrapped around my waist, catching me off guard.
“I’m willing to take that chance.” Due to my shock, I had loosened my hold, and, by the time I opened my eyes, I was staring over the edge of the gondola, unable to gather enough air to shriek, my thorns at the ready. “Shhh. I’ve got you. Just admire the view.” Though I didn’t want to, I found myself relaxing in his hold, eying the lush forests in the distance and the glittering lights down below.
“You... you’re right,” I admitted, turning to face him. “It’s beautiful.” Though my adapted heart was racing, I felt... safe in his arms. How peculiar.
“Not as beautiful as you,” he murmured, sending a chill down my spine. Taken by surprise, I turned to face him, his hands remaining on my waist but sliding over the fabric of my dress as I spun.
“What?” I breathed, unsure if I’d heard him correctly. He smiled.
“You know what I said.”
“Maybe I want you to say it again,” I bristled, attempting to plant my hands on my hips but only succeeding in resting my palms over his. Grinning, he leaned forward.
“You. Are. Beautiful,” he confessed into my ear, his breath warm as it tickled my skin. Lip quivering, I stared into his eyes, gaze unwavering, as I struggled to decide if he was being truthful or not.
“Really?” I managed to choke out, one of his hands moving toward my face to dispel the teardrops that formed along my eyelashes. His fingers caressed my cheeks, soft and gentle, as his kind eyes met mine.
“Yes, Acacia. I wouldn’t lie. I told you this before. I wish you believed me,” he muttered, his eyes downcast.
“It’s just... difficult... to believe,” I turned away, as well, biting my lip. “After living for so long, feeling like such a freak and outcast, feeling that I have to hide who I am...”
“You don’t have to hide, not anymore,” he mumbled, taking my chin in his hand once more and forcing me to look him dead in the eye. “Besides, I think you’re wonderful just the way you are.” Sniffling once, I shook my head.
“You’re just saying that, Plumes,” I grinned, the expression faltering.
“Am I?”
“Yes.”
“Wrong answer.”
And, with that, he did something totalement inattendu. As he moved a hand to brush back my hair, his head dipped down toward mine. My entire body locked up as he put his forefinger under my chin, tilting my head towards his. In all honesty, I almost wanted to jump out of the car, I was so terribly nervous, but I... I didn’t want to move from the spot I was in.
I closed my eyes, as I had only seen this in movies, and just lightly did his lips come so close to mine, that I actually felt them brush against my own before he kept them there. While many romance novels claimed there was a unique sensation with those passionate kiss, I didn’t detect anything other than the softness of his skin. His lips were warm, pleasantly so, and I could feel him trembling with what I assumed was nervousness. Or maybe it was just me.
Though it’d only lasted a few seconds at most, it’d seemed as though it’d lasted for minutes, even hours. It was the first time I’d felt as though I couldn’t keep track of time.
When he pulled away, I opened my eyes a crack, feeling abashed. It was a good thing I couldn’t blush. He, however, was not so lucky. His cheeks were a becoming pink, his breathing even with my own. While I tried valiantly to prevent it, a grin spread on my lips, making him flush even more.
D'après moi, it was a perfect moment, a fairy tale ending. Excluding the fact that we were over a hundred feet in the air, of course.
However, I could sense something was wrong. Even though I wanted to ignore the disturbance and focus on what I wanted to, I knew I had no choice; Dante sensed it, too.
From down below, a struggle sounded, heavy footsteps stomping across the metal path that led to the boarding area of the ride. Despite our distance, the man who had called to us via megaphone began to shout.
“Hey! You’re not allowed back... What are you doing?! Get away from m—” He was cut off, silence following his words. It seemed as though no one was around, as we peered around the ride; not a single patron was in the near vicinity.
No one but us.
A sudden feeling of dread seizing my heart, I turned to face Dante, an identical look of anxiety on his face.
Now that five minutes had passed in silence, a new voice called to us, gruff and hostile.
“Come on down, freaks!” a man shouted, making it obvious he was speaking to us. “Yeah, that’s right, Angel. You and your little Mandrake girlfriend better come with us or else the rest of your precious club will pay, too.” Wide-eyed, we met gazes, hands automatically intertwining. As we did so, I began to notice the change in my skin tone.
“Oh, putain. Pire moment possible,” I muttered, the green pigment filtering through the ivory coat. Biting my lip, I turned my attention back to Dante. “We won’t be able to escape. We can’t risk anyone seeing us.”
“We can’t just give up!” he hissed, brows furrowed.
“What choice do we have?”
“Time is ticking away, you monsters,” the man taunted, his accent distinctly of New York origin.
Taking a deep breath, I dared to peek over the side of the gondola, an echoing BANG pierced my ears, and, by some miracle, I fell backwards into Dante’s arms just as a bullet ricocheted off the metal car that surrounded us.
“Oh, didn’t I mention? We’re going to kill you, too.”
“Dante,” I murmured, desperation making me dizzy.
“Shhh. I’ll come up with a plan.” As he closed his eyes to think, I did the only thing I could think of to calm myself: thought up some poetry.
In the midst of a warzone
Icy fingers of fear
Clutch the spirits of soldiers
And those they hold dear.
By the time I was finished composing, the ride had begun to move us toward the ground, the man apparently having giving up on us, and Dante had stepped closer, wrapping his arms around me.
“On my signal, close your eyes,” he murmured, his voice softer than the beat of a butterfly’s wings. I nodded, unsure of what he was planning.
“Time’s up.” The man’s voice was harsh and heartless, and, as we neared the ground, Dante leaned closer to me, spinning me so I faced him and could wrap my arms around his neck. It’s like the airplane scene only... a little better this time.
“For you,” Dante remarked the instant the man came into sight, the barrel of his gun pointed directly at us. To me, he whispered, “Close your eyes.” Obediently, I did as he commanded.
A bullet was fired.
I was whisked into the air.
Two grunts sounded from somewhere beneath me.
Then, silence.
“You can open your eyes now,” Dante chucked, his hands tight around me. Once I did so, I noticed his wings, beating the air, and the night sky above.
“How did you...?”
“For scientists, they aren’t very smart. Never bring a gun to a fight with an Angel,” he smirked, and, though I didn’t really get the joke (if it was one), I laughed.
When we made it to the car and we both hopped inside, Dante started the engine as quickly as he could, his face coated with a sheen of sweat. After ten minutes of awkward silence, I leaned toward him, kissing him on the cheek (so as not to distract his driving) and murmuring a simple “Merci” in his ear.
“But of course, m’lady. Anything for you.”
“You saved my life, Dante,” I chided, informing him of the seriousness of our avoided conflict. Sobering, her glanced at me out of the corner of his eye.
“I guess I did.”
“Don’t be modest. Dante, I...”
“Acacia, don’t feel obligate—” Furious, I jerked the wheel to the side of the road, earning an angry honk from the lone car behind us and a hasty exclamation of “Ma che diavolo?!”
Gripping his face with both of my hands, I yanked him toward me, forcefully pressing my lips against him and taking him by utter surprise. When I drew back, panting, he only stared at me with wide eyes.
“I wasn’t paying you gratitude, you sot,” I murmured, tucking a stray hair behind my ear. “I just...” I found I was unable to finish. With luck, I didn’t need to, Dante nodded in understand.
“I know,” he chuckled, running a thumb over my cheek. “Me.... me, too.” With a grateful grin, I leaned my head on my shoulder utterly exhausted, as he pulled the car off the side of the road and back onto the freeway.
“Sorry about almost wrecking the car,” I muttered, feeling sheepish. He just laughed again, the movement shaking my entire body.
“Yeah, you almost gave me a heart attack,” he breathed, wrapping his arm around me, “but it’s alright. It was for a good cause.” We shared a laugh, forgetting about our near-death experiences. Two in one night? Had to be a record.
And with that pleasant end to our date, we continued home, our relationship strengthened and made anew.
Such wonders discovered
Bonds tightened and made new
Who could have guessed this’d be our fate?
A love we’ve now accrued.
★☽★☾★☽★☾★☽★☾★☽★☾★
Ta da! The epic conclusion to Dantacia's date. See what I did there? Clever, right? xD Hope you enjoyed it!! <3
