The Red Means I Love You

his words make her heart quicken, largely in part because this is Red and he always sounds so earnest, so bluntly direct. she doesn’t think he’s the type to offer shallow sentiments simply because it’s what she wants to hear - and that makes it all the more special, this shared moment.

then he embraces her, and something sparks beneath her skin and writhes in the pit of her stomach, lighting her up from the inside out. for a moment it’s so intense she has to avert her eyes, gaze trained on her feet as she grapples with her composure. when did looking Red square in the face become so hard? when did the rough timbre of his voice become enough to send shivers down her spine? “yes,” she murmurs, her own voice scarcely more than a rasp, “i…want that too. to stay close.” it feels more significant than it ought to, like she’s revealing something she’s not quite cognisant of. but she shares Red’s sentiments; it is always more fun with Red. or at least…more.

she always wants more.

“what have you been up to?” she asks, nudging his shoulder. his eyes seem to reflect the pinprick of stars above, yellow pools flecked with white. she knows she isn’t as up to date on his life as she’d like, knows he’s traversed all matters of land and met all manner of people. it twists her stomach a little with something she can’t quite decipher it, but it’s a feeling that clings to her like a burr and proves difficult to dislodge. well, she’s old enough now, so they can go on all those promised adventures.

when he touches her shoulder, El gathers her courage and leans into it, moving to press herself up against him, practically aligning their bodies. well, he said he wanted her close, didn’t he? and he always makes her feel so safe, this boy - except now her blood thrums wildly in her veins alongside it, light-heated and fluttery, both wonderful and nauseating. “tell me everything,” El says, both a request and a demand. let me in. let me know you. her lips hike up on one side, half teasing and half hopeful. “tell me how much you missed me.”