The Relic

I was seated on a bench in a park when I met them. It was nothing special, just an old woman and two young men that escorted her. But there was something special in the old woman’s eye that caught my attention. I was on a quest in search of an ancient Relic that would save the world from the impending doom it would soon face. Something about this woman and her two young friends told me that they were in search of the same thing as I.

I decided that the woman looked wise enough that if she thought they needed my assistance as much as I needed theirs, she would talk to me. Sure enough, as the old woman passed my bench, she stopped and sat down.

"Hello." She smiled warmly.

"Hello." I smiled in return.

"You are in search of the Relic I assume?" She knew that I was, she just wanted to make sure that I needed their help. I couldn’t help but notice the troubled look in one of her companion’s eyes.

"Yes, and it looks as though you can help me," I looked into her eyes, as was my habit when I spoke to people. They were kind and wise. She had obviously seen her fair share of trials and joys.

"You thought correctly. Come, my dear," she said, taking my hand, "we haven’t much time, and we have a lot of ground to cover."

I got onto my feet and we set off without a backward glance. We traveled in silence for a good long while, and so I took the liberty of studying her two comrades. The first was a very tall, burly man. Any normal human that saw him on the street would be stricken with fear. He had light brown hair, and a smile that hadn’t been on his face when we met. He also had a light in his eyes that glowed and gave the impression that he was extremely happy. In this frame, he looked more like a giant Teddy Bear than a thug. The second man was also tall, but he was much skinnier. He had a muscular build, and jet-black hair. He was, I recalled, the one who had looked troubled at my joining the group. He was extremely handsome, now that I really looked, but I didn’t want to seem presumptuous, so I forced myself to turn away.

After about two hours on foot, we reached a small clearing, in which we set up camp for the night. In a bag that the handsome man was carrying, there were four bedrolls and sleeping bags. The bag was enchanted so that it had more room in it that it appeared to have. It also contained a few pans, four canteens, and some other supplies. I doubt I’ll ever know why they had four of everything. Unless, of course, the woman had foreseen my coming. After we had finished setting up camp, we went fishing for dinner.

Whilst we were sitting on the bank of the creek, we made our introductions. The woman explained that her name was Sylvia, and the two men were her grandsons, Kevin and Derrik. I told them my name was Vadoma.

The next morning, while Sylvia and Derrik were gathering wood for tomorrow’s fire, Kevin and I took down camp. I was finishing rolling up my bedroll, when I looked across the clearing to find Kevin staring at me. I looked down with haste, he looked so angry. Almost as if something I had said or done warranted hatred from him. His dark eyes continued to smolder at me for a while. Then, in a flash, I felt his presence next to me. I looked up once more, almost expecting him to be standing over me with a knife in his hand. But instead I found him smiling warmly. Perhaps I had imagined his threatening glare. I had to admit that he looked much more handsome with a smile.

"I need your bedroll," he explained. I nodded and handed it up to him. His voice was sweet, like velvet against my ear. He took my bedroll and headed back in the direction he came from. He no longer looked at me so darkly, but instead with a certain amount of curiosity in his eye. Almost as if he was plotting something that I would become a part of. It seemed to me, that for the rest of the morning, he was plotting my downfall.

Around five o’ clock, judging on the position of the sun, we decided to stop for supper. I volunteered to go hunting, and Kevin volunteered right after I did. We headed off without a word. After about five minutes, the silence was killing me; I had to say something. Before I realized what was coming out of my mouth, I asked, "So what? Are you going to drown me in a creek or something?"

"What do you mean?" he almost laughed as he said it, he was mocking me.

"I don’t know what I’ve done, Kevin, but it’s pretty obvious that you don’t like me all that much." I sneered.

"I’m sorry you feel that way," the playful tone of his voice was suddenly replaced by blankness. His voice was entirely expressionless. His face unreadable. I regretted speaking in the first place.

"If you have a problem with me, just say so. Don’t play dumb," I stole a quick glance at him to see true anger played across his striking features. I almost flinched under the ferocity behind his eyes.

"No, I don’t," he sounded really angry, but his voice was still irresistible.

"Whatever you say." As much as I tried to sound nonchalant, my voice betrayed the red-hot anger that was beginning to well up inside my chest. Why would he act like I was stupid? I knew hatred when I saw it. But if he was going to play this game, then so was I. Suddenly, Kevin began to laugh. "What is so funny?" I was no longer trying to hide my anger.

"You."

"What have I done? Never mind, I don’t want to know."

Any trace of humor was gone from his face in a heartbeat, and his eyes glossed over, the usual dark colour replaced by gray. "Shhhh……" He whispered. I was about to ask why, but then I noticed the large elk that was standing about ten feet to Kevin’s left. I took an appropriate stance, but Kevin just breathed out slowly, and the elk was enveloped in ice.

I relaxed my stance and looked at him questioningly. He didn’t smile, or even look at me, but his eyes had returned to their usual hard look, and he muttered, "I’ll explain later." We took the elk and dragged it back to camp.

I asked Sylvia about the whole ice-breath thing. She sighed and told me that they all had abilities like that. Derrik controlled and created fire, Kevin, ice, and she herself, earth. I felt so intimidated by that. If need arose, and we had to fight anyone, I would be pretty much useless. They would take care of it quickly, and I would be left in a corner as the poor, defenseless, frail creature. After eating, Kevin and I were left to set up camp again. I wasn’t excited. We had to pack up the rest of the elk meat. I had hoped that he would volunteer to wash the pans and such, but, just as he had before dinner, he merely waited for me to say what I would rather do, then said he would do the same thing. I tried to tell him that I was perfectly capable of setting up by myself. Kevin just shrugged and said that I didn’t know how he liked his bedroll set up. "There are only so many ways you can set it up, I’ll figure it out." He didn’t say anything after that. He just grabbed the bag from behind my back, staring down at me and took his bedroll out, and then walked over to the place he would set his up. I was mortified at myself, but I blushed as soon as he turned his back. He put it on the other side of the clearing, as far away from mine as he could possibly get. I wasn’t opposed to that.

I didn’t look at him or say anything to him for pretty much the rest of the evening. I just went about my business like he didn’t exist. Then right as we were about to go to sleep, I realized that I had left my wet socks on a branch outside the clearing. I got up and walked toward the opening in the trees to retrieve them. But as I approached the space, Kevin appeared in front of me. I stepped to the left to get around him, he moved with me. "Excuse me, Kevin. I need to get something." He smiled in the dark. I tried to get around him again, but he grabbed my wrists and pulled me against his chest. I ignored the way my heart suddenly began to pound at his touch.

"You’re not going out there alone. I don’t want you to get killed by something. I’m the one that has to kill you, remember?" I could hear the obvious sarcasm in his voice as he recalled our previous argument. I moved my wrists in his hands, but he held fast. "Let go, Kevin, I’m just getting my socks." He let go of my hands, but he followed me to the branch that I’d put them on. I let him, but what prompted him to take such a sudden interest in my safety was beyond my comprehension. I tried my best to stay away from him, but he was ever present.

A few nights later, Derrik volunteered to go hunting, and I said I’d go with him. That way, Kevin would get stuck with Sylvia. The more time I spent away from Kevin, the better. Besides, I needed to sort through my thoughts. We left, and traveled in silence for longer than normal. They had a very quiet family. I opened my mouth to ask Derrik a question, but he beat me to it.

"So, I noticed you getting off to a rocky start with my brother. You know, he’s usually not like that. He’s just sort of skeptical about having a new recruit."

"Oh, well that’s a relief, I just thought he hated me," Sarcasm marred my voice, and I knew that wouldn’t escape his notice. But I didn’t think it, I knew it.

"Trust me." Derrik smiled. He had such a heartwarming smile. It made me happy. He could definitely light up a room.

We entered camp; Derrik had a few large rabbits over his shoulders, tied to either end of a long stick. I glanced around for Kevin, meeting the angry stare that he always gave me. Why did he hate me so much? I doubted that I’d ever figure out why. Sylvia walked up to greet us, sending Derrik off to cook the rabbits. She pulled me to the side.

"Kevin is concerned." She said.

"What about?" I looked over Sylvia’s shoulder to see Kevin looking at the back of her head in disgust. I winced and turned my attention back to what she was saying.

"He is… doubtful. Of your usefulness," she smiled weakly. At least she could try be pleasant.

"Why ever would he do that?" I asked sarcastically, at which Sylvia looked at me anxiously. She was genuinely concerned that her grandson was acting in this way. "This doesn’t happen often does it?" I was dead serious now.

"No, we’ve never met anyone else that was searching for the relic. We didn’t know that anyone else knew what it was!"

"Perhaps he’ll warm up to me in time…"

"Perhaps." She didn’t sound convinced, and to tell the truth, I wasn't either.

We couldn’t find a clearing to camp in the next night, and so we used a small gap in the trees that was much smaller than anything we’d camped in so far. The space was so petite, in fact, and we’d have to squeeze in so closely together, that the farthest distance I could be from Kevin was about four feet. Our fire barely fit inside the little area. I was dreading it. But I knew that I had to talk to Kevin, to find out why he hated me. It would be difficult, but it must be done.

Kevin and I went gathering this time. For berries or any edible plant life. Believe it or not, I was kind of excited at the prospect of being alone with him. I tried to shake off the crazy notion, but it lingered in the back of my mind. I was seriously starting to question my sanity.

We walked about four feet away from one another for a good distance, but the pathway we were taking was narrowing, and fast. Soon, the farthest distance we could be from one another was about four inches. The part I still don’t understand, is why he didn’t just walk in front of me, or let me go in front of him. But nevertheless, it was as it was. We were silent for most of the walk, but then I knew we were running out of time, if I wanted to find out what I wanted to know, I would have to say something.

"Kevin, why do you hate me?" I hadn’t planned on such a practical approach, but it was the first thing that had popped into my mind. What was the point of beating around the bush?

"Is that what you think?" Answering with a question. Why did he have to make things harder for me than they already were?

"Well if that’s not the case, then why do you always seem so angry?" I sounded almost scared. I was.

"I’m not angry…"

"Oh, like I’m supposed to believe that!" I whispered hoarsely.

"Yes, you are, because it’s true. We’re supposed to be working together."

I cleared my throat before I continued, "You look at me like I’m some sort of monster that’s invading your space."

"You’re awfully pushy. If you must know, I don’t think we need you. We were doing just fine without you. Now you’re just a distraction." He glanced at me with his midnight eyes, more angry than usual.

"Oh, I distract you?" I was angry when I should have been shocked.

"Never mind," he closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. I realized suddenly, that he was serious.

"I distract you?" I was more curious now than angry, or shocked.

"I said never mind," he looked at me, but there was no more anger in his eyes. It was almost as if he were pleading with me instead. Begging me to forget.

"Alright," I whispered, almost to quietly to hear. We would have remained silent for the rest of our venture, but I had another question I needed answered. "How was it that you came to be searching for the Relic?"

"Family legend. Do you ever stop asking questions?"

"Yes, I usually never ask any, but for some reason, your family is harder to read than most people."

"You’re impossible," He sighed, and we didn’t speak any more for the rest of the evening. But when we got to camp, we realized that Sylvia and Derrik had put our bedrolls right next to each other. I tossed and turned all night. But I found, as I slept, that Kevin had a very sweet scent about him. Almost like he produced his own cologne, but it was even better.

The next day felt like a dream, everything passed by so silently, until we made camp for the night. Kevin went hunting with Derrik, and Sylvia and I set up. After we finished, I realized that I hadn’t bathed at all since we’d been traveling. Sylvia had, and Derrik had, and I thought that perhaps Kevin had. I was almost positive he had. And so I walked to the little river nearby, removed my clothes, and dipped into the almost frigid water. Soon, I heard whistling, and I automatically knew that it wasn’t Sylvia or Derrik. I hid behind a rock. I peered around to see if he was about to do what I thought he would. He already had his shirt off. I quickly ducked my head back behind the rock, and, though I tried to stop myself, I blushed. I heard the water as he splashed in. I tried to remain calm. Wouldn’t he have noticed that I wasn’t at camp and figure that I was bathing? Or maybe he was just so happy that I was gone that he didn’t care? I didn’t really want to logic about how he had ended up there; I just wanted him to go away. He turned so that his back was facing me, and paused.

He visibly tensed and called over his shoulder, "Where are you Vadoma?"

I struggled to find words. "Behind the boulder." I finally called.

"How long have you been there?"

"Longer than you have."

"Okay, I’ll close my eyes, and you run for it, then tell me when it’s safe."

"Uh…fine, but how will I know that you won’t peek?" I groaned. I had such a big mouth.

He snickered, "Right."

"Okay…well…close your eyes."

"Already closed." I could hear the smile in his voice.

I slowly rushed out from behind the boulder, and stepped around him. He kept his word, and sure enough, his eyes were closed. I slowly sloshed through the water around him, and could see that he was fighting a laugh. It was entirely absurd, and it was much less serious to him than it was for me. I hid behind a tree while I dressed, and ran, calling over my shoulder that it was safe. My back was to him, so I wasn’t sure if he saw me running when he opened his eyes. I didn’t care though, and I didn’t slow until I got to camp, dripping wet and panting. I ignored the curious glances that Sylvia and Derrik gave me. I was ashamed that anything so ludicrous could happen.

I was seated on a log when Kevin returned, and I didn’t look at him, though I could tell that he was staring at the back of my head all evening. The next day, to my surprise and disgust, Kevin walked near me instead of next to Derrik like he always had. Something had changed, and I felt like I was the only person that didn’t have any idea what was going on.

That night, Kevin stayed conspicuously close, and he seemed concerned. I could not comprehend what was going through his mind, nor did I want to.

The next few days passed in a blur. Nothing of consequence took place, though Kevin’s inexplicable closeness began to drive me insane. I was more careful about when I did things, and who was around. No one said anything, and so I assumed that no one minded why I was acting strangely.

I went down to a creek bed to clean some clothes of mine one evening. As I began to scrub at a soiled sleeve, I heard someone step up behind me. I knew it was Kevin, and it aggravated me. He never left me alone anymore. I couldn’t be that interesting to him. Without saying a word, he sat down beside me. He stared off into space for awhile, and I could tell that he wasn’t just sitting there for the heck of it. He had something to tell me.

"Hello," he said, after a long moment of silence.

"Hi." I muttered, not looking at him. I wiped a wisp of hair back from my forehead.

"We’re approaching a village. And we’re close to finding the relic."

"How close?" I asked.

"Would I be telling you this if we weren’t really close?"

"I guess not."

Neither of us said anything for awhile. But the silence was becoming too much to bear, and I had to ask.

"That’s not it, is it? There’s something else. That’s why you’ve all been acting differently," he didn’t speak, "Why can’t you tell me what’s going on?"

"Would you believe me if I said that your life is at stake?"

"Yes, but I wouldn’t believe that you’d care."

"Well," he began angrily, then shook his head and knitted his brows together, "That’s not important right now. Sylvia received a prophecy, about who is to wield the Relic, and the Fabled One is in our midst."

"And what would that have to do with me? It’s either you or Derrik."

"What makes you say that?" he asked, turning away from me.

"You both have more magical experience than I do. All I know are a few herbal healing incantations."

"That’s not good. We’ll have to train you."

"This is bull. Don’t mess around like—"

"You are the Fabled One!"

"But—"

"But nothing. We don’t have much time, and we need to keep moving." He stood, not looking at me. He reached down and held out his hand to me. I turned away, collecting my things, and stood.

"Then let’s go!" I called over my shoulder once I was a few paces away. He seemed dejected and upset for some reason that I couldn’t comprehend. But that didn’t matter to me much. So he was just getting close because he didn’t want the precious ‘Fabled One’ to die! And for the life of me, I couldn’t figure out why that bothered me. It had frustrated me when he was that close. And for some odd reason, it drove me insane that I knew why now. Because I wanted it to be for another reason entirely. Now I knew that I was insane.

As soon as I entered the area in which we were encamped, I felt Sylvia and Derrik’s eyes on me. It was as if they expected some strange reaction from me. When Kevin approached, Sylvia crossed to him and whispered something in his ear. Derrik looked at me frustratedly, and did the same. I stepped over to my bedroll and rolled it up violently, stuffing it into the bag with uncharacteristic ferocity. I glanced over at my traveling companions, to see Sylvia patting Kevin’s back reassuringly as he wept in her lap. I was entirely dumbfounded that he would suddenly show such emotion, and I shifted my hair so that it fell across my shoulder, and I could watch without being so obvious. She whispered to him, and Derrik stood by watching, looking utterly helpless. Watching Kevin cry made me feel weak. He was always the hardest, he was always the one that didn’t seem to have any emotions. As I observed his sudden breakdown, it made me feel soft and frail. I couldn’t even imagine what would make him collapse that way. There was no possibility of it being my fault. I didn’t think that anything I said could have that great of an effect on him. We had argued many times, and it had never seemed to phase him. But for some reason, I couldn’t help but feel guilty. I suddenly wished that I were Sylvia. And that I was the one comforting him.

I don’t know how it happened, but I ended up rocking back and forth with my hands clasped around my knees. I was humming the lullaby that my mother used to sing me to sleep when I was a child. I wasn’t focusing on anyone, or anything, and I don’t know how long I remained in that state. I didn’t move or acknowledge anyone until I felt someone tap my shoulder. I turned, startled, to find Sylvia’s old wizened eyes gazing into mine.

"My dear, it’s late. The boys are asleep. I want to talk to you."

"What’s wrong?"

"I assume that you saw Kevin earlier, and from your behavior, I’m guessing that it upset you." I looked down, ashamed. She continued, "He never allows himself to get so upset."

"Then why…" I trailed off.

"There are many things happening to him right now. He has just come to a realization that disturbs him slightly, and even more so because of... He is upset because he feels rejected and alone," she smiled sadly.

"What does this have to do with me?"

"Nothing yet… but keep what I just said in mind," she patted my shoulder and sat up, leaving me in the dark.

He was hoping that he was the Fabled One. He was disturbed when he found out that he wasn’t, and upset further because the Fabled One was someone that he hated. There was no other explanation.

The next day, Kevin didn’t speak to me once. However, I felt him watching me several times. To my shock, I hated it more when he was ignoring me than when he was unbearably close. I longed for his nearness again. Around noon, when we stopped for lunch, I sat on a boulder to meditate. I closed off my mind, and no one disturbed me. I would feel people as they passed me. But instead of physically seeing them, I saw colours in my mind’s eye. The colours of their essence. It was not until I was almost through with my meditation that I realized what the major differences in their essences were. When Sylvia passed, I felt childish, when Derrik passed, I felt like a guardian, and when Kevin passed… When Kevin passed me, I grew warmer, and I felt an extreme sense of comfort and joy. My heart pounded, and despite my mental absence, I felt my face flush. But then, my euphoria turned to sorrow as I recalled that he hated me. I finally broke into tears, letting all of the emotions that I had felt in the past five years, when I had begun my search for the Relic, drain in a sudden burst. I hadn’t cried at all since I was young, and it sickened me that I allowed myself to break down. I opened my eyes to see a dark shirtless blur racing toward me. As the blur drew nearer, it hesitated, and finally stopped.

"Are you all right?" It was Kevin.

"Yes…I think…I need air," I whispered. I got to my feet, and stumbled. Kevin caught me almost tenderly, but I pushed away, racing into the trees toward the sound of a waterfall. I heard a twig snap behind me, and I silently prayed to the goddesess that Kevin had not followed me.

"Vadoma, darling…"

Thank heavens it was only Sylvia. "Yes?" I rasped. My throat hurt.

"What happened?" And then I completely collapsed, weeping into her shoulder. I bawled helplessly, like a lonely child. She patted my shoulder reassuringly, whispering, "hush, hush."

"Now, what’s this all about?" she asked when I had calmed down some.

"I…I…" and then it hit me, strong. This penned up emotion that had taken refuge in my heart escaped and slapped me across the face. "Sylvia, I love him!"

"Who?"

"Kevin…" I whispered.

The next day, after an extremely difficult and emotional night, we came upon the town that Sylvia had foreseen. We only had about $800 together. That would be barely enough to buy more clothes and get a bus to the city in which we would find the Relic. We needed money to get us a room in the city. After we had made some purchases, Derrik found a five-dollar bill, and used it to buy a deck of cards along with a notebook and a pen, which he gave to me.

He stopped in the Town Square, and began doing simple magic. It astounded the people, and they threw money into a hat as he preformed the things that even I knew. Business was slow, however. Then I raced over to the other side of the square and began singing and dancing. About an hour later, we came back, smiling from ear to ear.

"How much?" Kevin asked.

"At least a thousand," he smiled impossibly wider. He sat on the picnic table across from Kevin, and I flopped down on Kevin’s left. Sylvia began meditating, forcing us to remain silent. I then began doodling idly in the notebook. Derrik started a small fire with some paper, and held the card over it, creating a strange design. Suddenly, the flame shot upward, setting the card ablaze. Derrik gasped, receiving a loud, "Shh," from Sylvia. I reached forward. But what possessed me to do so, I have no idea.

Suddenly, the flame spat an ember forth. It then expanded and flattened, taking on the shape of the card that had caught fire. Derrik grabbed it suddenly, and examined it. He held it out to me. I looked and saw the exact printing that had once been on the card, replaced. It was whole. Unscathed. Kevin looked at me, alarmed. My eyed widened as I came to the realization that it was I who had regenerated the card. Kevin jerked the notebook out from underneath my hand, and took the pen from me so swiftly that I could hardly catch the movement. He scribbled something quickly onto the paper.

What’s the matter?

Why do you care so much about me all of a sudden?

I always have cared.

You had a very funny way of showing it!

You don’t believe me, do you?

Give me one reason that I should.

I hesitated only a moment.

He wrote nothing for a long while. I was beginning to wonder if he would respond at all.

I could not deny the joy that surged through me when I read those words. Everything I thought about him seemed irrelevant now. All that mattered was the fact that he was sitting a few inches away, and he said he loved me. I was shocked beyond words. I slammed the notebook shut and folded my arms beneath my chest as I contemplated what he had just written. I must have come across as angry, because an expression of intense pain crossed his features, and he began to try to scoot away. Oh no, I thought, He must think that I hate him! Before he could get too far away, I turned. I nearly leaped off the bench as I threw my arms around him, and nearly wept from joy.

I must have startled him, because he gasped, which was answered by yet another, "Shh!" from Sylvia. But when I turned to look at her, I saw her fighting back a smile, and I knew that she understood what was going on. Kevin returned my embrace warmly, holding me tightly and firmly against his chest, and we sat there together, too happy for words.

Part Two

We stood at the bus station, dressed in our new fares. Nothing had changed, except maybe that Kevin and I were holding hands. As the bus screeched to a halt before us, I tensed. It was now that I realized how close the Encounter was. I would have to activate the Relic, and wield it to defeat the Dark. Kevin, sensing my stress, began rubbing reassuring circles in the back of my hand with his thumb. I closed my eyes, my hand tingling where it touched his skin. He lifted it to his lips, and gazed into my eyes, his newfound joy shining through. The unmasked adoration that I found there made my heart swell and my euphoria replaced itself. I looked forward, determined, and stepped onto the bus.

"You know," Kevin said once we found our seats, "I thought you hated me for the longest time," he smiled, putting his arm around my waist on the seat.

"My behavior probably didn’t help that any," I looked down sheepishly, "I thought you hated me too."

He laughed, "Yeah, I didn’t help that either," he looked down at me. My head was still hanging as I watched my fingers twist and untwist themselves. He lifted my chin, gazing at me wordlessly. He drew forward, closing his eyes as he did so. Just before our lips met, we heard Derrik call over the seat.

"Hey, Kevin, what’s this city called again?"

He turned, dropping my chin and placing his hand on mine. I could tell that he was glaring at Derrik for interrupting our moment. Once he was finished talking to Derrik, he urged my head onto his shoulder. I focused on the sound of Kevin’s breathing, and the soft rustle of the bus moving across the pavement. I drifted to sleep quickly…

I felt Kevin urge me awake. He smiled down at me as I glanced at him groggily.

"I didn’t want to wake you up, you looked so peaceful. You’re beautiful asleep or awake," he was silent for a moment as he brushed a stray lock of dark hair back from my face, "Anyway, this is our stop."

We stepped off the bus, and I felt like I would collapse any minute from the exhaustion. I leaned heavily upon Kevin as we walked through the city streets, the rush hour traffic bustling around us.

"Where shall we stay?" Sylvia asked.

"Which hotel is closest? I don’t think that Vadoma can take much walking," Kevin muttered, rubbing my arm when I shivered.

"That would be…" the voices faded out as the weariness took over, and my knees gave way, causing me to fall. I nearly hit the ground, but Kevin caught me just in time. I remembered being lifted, then nothing.

I felt a gentle hand stroking my hair and my face. My eyelids fluttered and opened. I smiled at Kevin, who looked at me adoringly while he held me. He sat beside me, cross-legged. My head rested on his chest, which, I realized, was bare. I blushed, but couldn’t bring myself to push away. Sylvia slept soundly next to me, and I heard water running. I was tempted to speak, but changed my mind, allowing myself to be held. Kevin began rocking back and forth, humming an unfamiliar lullaby. Without thinking about it, I stroked his face. He caught my hand and held it there, kissing it and continuing to hum. I sighed happily. A week ago, I would have thought that this could never happen, and now it seemed so natural. It was only yesterday that we admitted our true feelings.

As he had on the bus, Kevin suddenly caught my chin and lifted it, trapping me with his eyes. I couldn’t look away even if I wanted to. He approached again, his eyelids lowered seductively. I closed my eyes, preparing myself; my heart pounded so loudly that I was sure he could hear it. But right as we were about to kiss, we heard the bathroom door shut, and Derrik demanded Kevin’s attention. He sighed exasperatedly and turned away from me. He moved his arm down my neck and shoulder, causing me to shiver delightedly. He clasped his hands around me, squeezing me tightly. I took it as an ‘I owe you’ for later. I really hoped so.

Sylvia stirred beside us, and Kevin stood abruptly, leaving me alone on the bed. It suddenly seemed colder. I could imagine Sylvia’s disapproval if she had seen us in our previous position. Him seated next to me, wearing nothing but his pajama pants, and now I realized that I had been tracing the muscles in his chest unconsciously. I shuddered to think what Sylvia would have said.

"Hello," she smiled.

"You seem very jovial this morning." Muttered Kevin, who still looked at me.

"You’re one to talk," Derrik whispered. He received an elbow in the side. Sylvia noticed and lifted a finger in warning. She grinned.

"Yes, if you must know, I am very happy. I know where the Relic is, and I know how to get it. Come, gather round the table, I’ll tell you my plan."

At noon, Kevin and I approached the small jewelry shop hand in hand. We were doing our best to behave like an engaged couple. The fact that we were already in love helped. As we entered the small air-conditioned show room, we spotted an older couple looking at a display of necklaces. A clerk paused to ask them if they needed assistance.

"Yes, please." I heard the old man say. His voice quavered with age, "My wife needs her wedding ring polished. Take care please, ma’am, it’s half a century old today." He smiled with pride down at his aging wife, all the love of a newly wed couple still present in his eyes.

It was then that I really thought about marriage. Of course I wanted to get married someday. I would be happy if the man I married was Kevin. In fact, I would prefer it no other way. Without thinking about it, I whispered, "I hope that my husband and I are like that someday. When we’re older."

Kevin looked down at me, puzzled. I didn’t know if he’d ever thought about marriage, but I had. I was careful not to say ‘you and I,’ in case he didn’t feel that strongly. The thought of separating with him hurt more than anything I had ever felt before. He moved his arm around my waist and squeezed. He leaned down and whispered, "We will be." He kissed me softly on the cheek. I looked up at him curiously. I was the puzzled one now. "Will you?" He whispered against my skin, sending warm chills down my spine.

"Will I what?" He laughed. I could feel his breath shuddering against my cheek as he did so.

"Marry me?"

I bit my lip as I nodded. He held me tighter. "Don’t tell Sylvia yet. We’ll save it for later." He leaned in for a kiss, determined not to let anything ruin this one.

"Pardon me, sir, but is there anything I can help you with?"

Kevin sighed and opened his eyes. Is the whole world bent on ruining our first kiss? I thought.

"Yes," Kevin began, "We’re ring shopping. I don’t think we’ll buy today, but we’d like to see what you have."

"How long have you been engaged?" asked the clerk excitedly. She was a young woman, not much older than I was. Her short, white blond hair was crimped to an almost unruly state, and her otherwise invisible eyelashes were darkened with cheap, clumpy mascara.

"About five minutes," I said, looking at Kevin with a playfully angry look in my eyes. She smiled wide, revealing uneven, slightly yellowed teeth.

"I think I have just what you’re looking for!"

We followed her to a place near the back of the store. Kevin’s eyes clouded over and he breathed out slowly, deliberately. Frost caked the air, and the clerk shivered with cold.

"Oh, my! Is it chilly in here, or is it just me?" she asked, laughing.

"Now that you mention it, it is kind of cool in here," I muttered. She walked to the opposite wall and tinkered with a thermostat perched there. Kevin froze the bell above the door and the cameras, and Derrik rushed in, running to the back room while the clerk’s back was turned. She came back to us, smiling.

"Now, where were we?" she asked, and reached underneath the display counter, pulling out a velvet ring box. It was open, revealing an exquisite chrome-coloured band with a small diamond and two even smaller rubies on either side. I smiled.

"That’s nice, don’t you think honey?" asked Kevin.

"Hmmm…" I sighed. He gestured toward the box, and the clerk handed it to him, smiling from ear to ear. He lifted my left hand and slipped the ring onto my finger. I examined it and smiled at him again. "It’s lovely," I said faintly, reaching up and stroking his cheek. He grinned, and stared into my eyes adoringly. He reached up and held my hand at his face, and I automatically wished that we were alone, instead of in a small, cramped jewelry store. I looked over Kevin’s shoulder to see Derrik motioning that he had the Relic, and it was time to go. I silently thanked the goddess that the store was so old. That there was no security system in the back room. Because the clerk was facing us, he had no problem getting out. I tapped Kevin softly and subtly, and he understood. He glanced at his wristwatch, and gasped.

"I didn’t realize how late it was! We have to meet my mom for dinner, honey," he said, "Thank you for the help, we will most definitely keep your store in mind. Come on, Vadoma," he tugged on my arm. I slipped the ring off and replaced it in its box. We waved sweetly as we exited, and as I lifted my hand, the ice covering the bell disappeared. My hand was wet. Kevin looked startled.

"I didn’t mean to do that either. But you have to admit, it was helpful," I shrugged. He chuckled and slipped his arm around my waist as we walked. I longed to be closer to him, and I longed for a kiss that was uninterrupted.