Silence

There was silence. She looked up at me, her eyes huge and trusting, her lips trembling slightly, bitten red with panic. I caught her hands in mine and pressed them to my lips. I was shaking, mouth dry and raw, chest rising and falling, my heart pulsing erratically.

She leaned forward, eyes feverish and intense, and laid one hand on each side of my face. Her fingers cupped my jaw lightly, as though she were afraid to touch me too hard. I turned my head slightly, so that my lips brushed her palm. I felt her sigh just slightly, the sound lost behind a rising sob.

Behind me, I heard voices. She heard it too, and I saw her eyes dart from side to side, frantically searching. Her grip on my face intensified, until I felt her nails begin to dig into my skin. I gasped slightly, and her face softened, until she loosened her grip. We waited, in silence, afraid to stir for fear of being heard. The moments stretched on, but still there was nothing.

I pulled her to me, and felt her burrow her face into my neck. Her cheeks were damp as they brushed against my skin, her shoulders heaving with each sob that wracked her. I held her, rocking her from side to side, my lips pressed to her temple. Her slim form in my arms felt fragile, delicate. I loosened my grip until my arms just brushed her skin, afraid she would collapse in my hold.

Footsteps sounded lightly on the concrete. I felt her stiffen in my arms, her body taut with nerves. There was silence as we waited, searching the darkened street for movement. Gently, silently, she rested her forehead against mine, until our noses were almost touching. I wanted to kiss her, feel her lips pushing urgently against mine, but I was afraid to move and break the spell. I held every muscle in my body tight, my frame rigid lest I move and break our perfect symmetry.

I cast my eyes about the shadows, but saw nothing but the outlines of the buildings towering above us, their empty windows gaping like sightless eyes. One was smashed, broken glass strewn across the concrete, glistening in the light from the streetlights.

I felt her eyes following my gaze, and I turned my head, until her eyes met mine. Her green irises burned with a fiery defiance. I let my own eyes close, so that I should not be cowed by her courage, shamed by my own fear. She pressed her cheek to mine, and pressed her lips to my hair. Her breath was loud and sharp in my ears.

Voices again, closer this time. I heard her sharp intake of breath, and covered her lips with mine to muffle the sound. Footsteps rang out on the pavement around us, echoing down the empty street. She wrapped her thin arms around my waist, gripping me to her tight. I burrowed my face in her hair, breathing in the smell of her perfume. Flashlights flickered across us, painting her delicate skin orange, then white, then orange again. There were shouts, muffled voices, and the sharp ring of footsteps around us. She laid one hand on my knee and gripped it hard. I covered her hand with mine, and felt her thread her fingers though mine. I did not open my eyes, only imagined them laced together, tangled, inseparable.

Silence fell around us. I looked up, and saw nothing but darkness.