A Roundabout Way of Saying the Word


They were running out of time.

Zel looked at Lina, his eyes tracing over her, trying to substitute his hands and their wants. He had to at least tell her. He was still - STILL too afraid to even dare to touch her. Lina saw his eyes were intent on her, but quavering at the same time. His body was the same, like he fought an internal war over restraint and... reaching out to her, perhaps? Lina hoped so. She tried to show him the want in her eyes, and hoped he understood when her intense stare was coupled with her increasingly quickening breaths. If only they weren't such masters of control, then perhaps they would have kissed, or at least held each other.

A voice in Lina's head couldn't take the frustration anymore. This is ridiculous! it said. Yet still, all she could manage to appease it was to hold out her hand for Zel's. He took it gratefully. Their eyes locked onto one anothers' as their palms gently closed around each other. Gently, then slowly, their grasp tightened, never wavering, never letting go. They began to smile at each other, not noticing the crushing pressure they exerted on each other's hands. There was not even pain; only bliss. Lina's breaths became deeper as her smile widened into a beautiful, radiant grin of pure happiness. She felt her heart connect with Zel's. The former ache in her chest was now light, because it had grabbed onto the same feeling Zel felt in his.

Throat closing up, Zel struggled to speak it, the effort taking its toll in his expression.

"L....L-Lina. . . I - "

"Shhhh..." She smiled, placing her fingers on his lips and shaking her head slightly. With a deep breath, she whispered, "I know."


Author's Notes

I have a proposition for you people. This very short scene is just a character study, to help me practice implications through detail, instead of direct explaination. You'll notice I never used the word "love", even though that's what this scene is all about. I hope it left you with a sense of yearning. - Anyway. I leave this scene out for anyone to work around and see what they do with it. Should be quite interesting. ^_~ Who knows? Maybe I'll eventually work around it too (although whatever I write will probably look weak right next to it). And if you do take me up on this offer, please tell me where to find it or send me your stuff. I want to read it!


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