Hunter's Prompt Responses - 1. Prompt 500 - First Line: What took you so long?

“What took you so long?”

I’m looking up at the night sky, not really expecting an answer. Its dark out, and the stars are shining brightly up above us. Not so bright as to illuminate us; we’re laying on a blanket, staring up at the night sky. My right arm inching its way towards your left.

I’m hoping for an answer, but I’m terrified at what you’re going to say. How do you answer a question like that without saying something that totally changes a relationship?

Turning over, I’m not even remotely surprised to see you looking at me instead of the stars. You aren’t much of a stargazer, as I feel my emerald eyes being captured and transfixed by your slate grey eyes.

The stars don’t matter, I can look at them any night I want. Tonight, I’m glad that I can look at you, even if it’s for the first or last time.

“Don’t speak, not yet.” I say, pressing a finger to his lips and savouring the moment. Everything about you is perfect. In the near perfect blackness of the night, you look like a shadow, but my mind fills you in perfectly; your chiseled jaw, your buzzed brown hair, even the stubble you swear doesn’t come off, even though I know it’s your favourite part of your look.

When you reach out to push a lock of jet black hair out of my eyes, I can’t help but swoon. It’s why I love you. Why I loved you for years, without you knowing. Spending all of high school watching you, hoping you would notice me. Hoping you’d love me.

You’re shifting closer, I can hear you rattling around and you’re making the blanket sway around. I reach towards you, and your hands are already there, grabbing on and pulling me onto you. It’s like flying! I’ve never seen, but I bet you lift way more weight than I am when you’re in the gym. Holding me above you must feel easy by comparison, and I feel like I’m floating on air.

Looking down, your smile is carefree, like this is exactly how you want the world to be. Everything is right, and the moment is frozen in my mind forever.

I’m brought down to rest on top of you. I nestle in, my head on your chest and my face facing yours. Your hands tickle when you brush along and behind my ear, and I think I’m blushing from the attention.

Your head moves lower and I gasp at the sharp pinch on my neck. I twist my head towards you, trying to see what you’re doing but I can’t, your head is in the way and I can only moan at the pressure.

We roll around and now you’re on top of me, covered by the blanket that’s somehow escaped from under us. You’re full of passion, just like I thought you’d be. I can barely keep up with you, your mouth is everywhere and I’m gasping for breath from the way you’re making me feel.

I’m reaching for you, ready to grab the nearest part of you and urge us onward toward what we both want. When I grasp your hand, my hand goes through yours and there’s nothing in my hand.

You’re starting to float away, I can’t figure out what’s going on. You’re rising into the air, smiling down at me and beckoning me forward. I don’t want this to end, I don’t want to ask why you’re floating or what’s going on. I just want you to come back down and stay with me.

I’m running now, chasing you. You’re floating, higher, faster. I can’t keep up, and I feel my heart sink into my stomach as I realize that you’re soon going to be going too fast for me to keep up.

The sun is rising, faster than a sunrise typically occurs. Within the blink of an eye, we’ve gone from the pure darkness of night to total daylight.

I reach out to you, trying to hold you, keep you close to me. You’re still floating away, up towards the sun. It hurts to look at you, but I can’t stop because this is the last time I’ll ever see you. You’re radiant, glowing with the morning sun as your backdrop.

You’re finally out of reach and I’m chasing you, trying to grab on and stop your ascent.

For the first time since we got here, you’re speaking to me. Answering the question I first asked but refused to let you answer.

“Because I knew you’d wait for me. You always will.”

I can’t see you anymore through the tears in my eyes and the harsh glare of the sun. With a final sparkle, you disappear from my view. The brightness of the sun intensifies, and now everything is white light.

I sit up bolt upright, sweating and panting. I’m covered in sweat and my sheets are a mess. I’m home. I look at the alarm clock; seven in the morning. Another day of watching you, hoping you’ll notice the tiny nerd you used to be friends with.

One day they wouldn’t just be dreams.