When Drew and I first started dating we already knew each other very well. We had more than a decade of friendship as a foundation. Despite this fact, however, there was still a lot we needed to learn about one another. Being friends and being in a relationship are two very different things, it turns out.
We tackled the process of becoming a couple in our own way. A lot of it had to do with exploring the aspects of our personalities that we hadn’t shared with one another yet. Most of it came across as silly, but lead us to the deeper relationship that we have and cherish today.
Today’s story is inspired by two questions that I asked Drew the first week we started dating. The rest is entirely fiction.
Would You Still Love Me?
By Jill N Davies
“Would it be weird if I covered every square inch of our apartment in succulents?”
“Maybe a little bit, but I’d be good with it,” He said.
“That’s why I love you,” She replied, beaming.
He could lose himself in that grin. It made him woozy with glee. He wanted to reach out to pull her into his arms and hold her there forever. Instead he asked, “Because I’ll let you put cactuses in our apartment?”
“When we have an apartment. Why else did you think I loved you?” She asked, her hair flipping forward over her face so that she had to push it back in a way that was just too distracting.
“I thought that maybe it had something to do with all of the other things that brought us together…”
She leaned forward and gave him a sweet kiss on the lips. It was quick but satisfying. “I guess that too.”
He found her hand, giving it a gentle tug so she knew he wanted her nearer. She complied eagerly, tucking her body into his.
“I love you,” He said, so satisfied he could burst.
“I love you too,” She said, but she sounded wistful. It sent an electric bolt through his middle.
“What’s wrong?”
She bit her lower lip. Her eyes danced with mischief. Raising her head off his chest, she looked him in the eye and asked, “Would you still love me if I turned into a flounder every time the moon was full?”
He laughed, full and throaty. His whole body shook with it, making her shake with him. His laugh settled into an amused chuckle.
“But would you still love me?” she asked.
He stopped laughing and focused his gaze on her. Time to be serious.
“Nothing could stop me from loving you,” He said, kissing her.
Conversation lapsed into comfortable silence as the evening wore on. Outside the sun burnt hot and orange as day faded into night. When he paused the movie she pealed herself away, stretching as she stood. “I’m going to the restroom.”
“I was going to grab us some ice cream,” He said.
“That sounds great,” She said as she exited the room.
He walked into the kitchen and pulled bowls from the cabinet. As he reached for the freezer door, he heard a strange, wet splat. It was a quiet sound, but so curious he couldn’t ignore it. Household things don’t usually slosh, and whatever had made the sound was giving a few follow up split splats down the hallway.
“Hey, you didn’t turn into a flounder, did you?” He called.
She didn’t answer, which made him worry that maybe she did turn into a flounder and was now flopping around the house. But that was ridiculous. Even thinking it made him feel silly.
He turned into the hallway, about to call out again. But he didn’t have to, because there she was, flopping around. She was a flounder.
“What the—” He stopped himself, replacing the end of the statement with “this is a joke, right?”
He needed to hear her giggles wafting from the bathroom.
But there were no giggles. It was completely silent save for the flap flop of the struggling fish. She wasn’t in the bathroom. She was in the hallway.
He threw himself forward and scooped her up, lifting gently as she thrashed.
“It’s okay, I’m going to help you!” She quieted at the sound of his voice, glassy fish-eyes focusing on his face. He swallowed back panic.
“It really is you isn’t it?” He whispered as her mouth opened and closed silently.
Was this why she’d suggested the ocean for their first trip?
He scrambled to think back. Had he ever seen her during a full moon? Maybe this always happened…
“What am I doing?” He shrieked as realization struck.
She was a fish out of water, and he was the only thing standing between her and certain death. He sprang into action. Cradling her fragile fish body in one hand he ran out the door. Steps led from the house down to the sand, where rocky outcroppings created a series of tidal pools they’d explored only hours ago.
His feet kicked up clouds of sand as he ran. All he could think was that she was suffocating in the air he was breathing.
At the water’s edge his foot caught against the jagged basalt, and he tumbled forward. He curled to protect her fragile, squishy body and impacted hard against the rocks. His top half soaked through with water. He’d made it.
Gently, he released her into the shallow pool. She squirmed, coming back to life as the world went dark.
The moon passed its apex. The sun rose on a new day. He woke to her gently stroking the side of his face. It was so pleasant…
He bolted upright, the night returning.
“Hey,” she said, “you sleep like a log!”
“You’re back!” he gasped.
“I never went anywhere,” she said.
“Last night…” he trailed off.
She smiled, tucking wind-tousled hair behind her ear. “Last night was great.”
He stared blankly, thinking she must be insane. “Don’t you remember?”
She smiled shyly.
“Instead of finishing the movie we went for a walk on the beach. You took my hand in yours and we walked under the moonlit sky, stopping so the ocean could lap at our toes…”
She stopped when she saw his expression. “Is everything okay?”
He thought for a moment, noticing the way she stopped herself from reaching out. That wouldn’t do. He put his arms around her bare shoulders and pulled her into him, lavishing in the feel of her skin against his. He kissed her gently on the top of her head before saying, “Everything is perfect. I love you. Nothing is going to change that.”
“I love you too,” she whispered into him.
The End
If you’ve got an idea for a flash fiction story send it to me at author@jillndavies.com.
Tune in next week for more flash fiction.
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