It’s Just the End of the World
It’s Just The End Of The World
She sat playing with the loose thread of cotton coming undone from her cardigan sleeve as she stared absentmindedly into the flame of the candle, as she stared at anything but him.
“Erika, baby, it’s not the end of the world,” he soothed, placing his hand over hers from across the small table. It was just the beginning of an entirely different one, he thought, one he knew for fact he wouldn’t like any more than she. He sighed before calling for the waitress, paying for them both and getting up to leave. Erika didn’t budge until he pulled at her arm, half dragging her from their place at the back of the restaurant. Her vacant eyes never left the footpath as they trudged down the street huddled together in his coat, trying desperately to keep the remainder of their warmth within themselves. It was a quiet walk back to his apartment, as neither of the two knew what to say. What was there to say but everything all at once? No one could talk that much. Their firm grip on each other’s hands said more than any mere words could.
His small apartment had never felt so warm, nor looked so homely. It would be the first time Erika would consider it cosy, not small; welcoming, not messy, and the last time she could consider it theirs, not his.
“I’m gonna miss this,” she sighed, as she walked around the room slowly, lightly brushing her fingertips across the many photographs of the couple that had emerged over the past 6 months. A small smile graced her lips as her eyes focused on one in particular; taken the night he’d decided to dress up as her for a laugh. The smile faded as she brought her gaze back to her lover, still standing sullen in the doorway. He was staring straight back, his jaw quivering ever so slightly. He hadn’t been this sober in months, but it was important he remembered each and every detail of their last night, no matter how small it may be. Having nothing coursing through his system was making it hard for him to cope, to even breathe.
“Promise me that we will make it through,” he whispered, a solitary tear making its way down his cheek. “If we don’t I…I don’t know what I’d do.”
“I wasn’t supposed to fall in love, Brian,” she said, tears now pricking her eyes, too. “This wasn’t supposed to happen.”
“Come on, come here,” Brian cooed, pacing forward with open arms. “We agreed there’d be no tears tonight. What will we have left to cry tomorrow?”
“I assure you there’ll still be plenty on my behalf,” she whispered, her voice muffled as she spoke into his shirt. She pulled away from him slightly to look him in the eyes. Her makeup was running horribly from the tears that continued to fall, but he still thought she was undeniably the prettiest young woman in the world.
“You’re so beautiful hun,” he said, stroking the side of her face. “I remember the first time I saw you…” A smirk lit up Brian’s features as he talked. “I told you I’d get you in the end. Your stubbornness was nothing to stand in the way of what I wanted, of what I needed.” He pulled away from the now smiling again girl in his arms. “Please miss, do you have the time?” he called, rein acting the scene before her. Erika crossed her arms over her chest as she laughed at Brian. “Could you spare me a pen? A pencil? A kiss from those sure to be sweet lips?” They giggled between themselves. “I can’t believe how red your cheeks went.”
“What now will you do? God forbid you organise yourself and turn up with something to write with, or even on, for once,” she said, her smile fading. “And what will I do with no one to keep me interested, with no one to skip to class for...” Brian pulled her into another embrace as she began to quiver, her face contorting in pain.
“Shh, it’ll be okay,” he whispered as he stroked her hair. “Everything will work out. I’m sure we’ll be together once more.”
“Promise?” she sobbed, looking back into the eyes she’d grown to know so well. She could read every emotion they’d ever shown her.
“Hun, I’m relying on it,” he replied. His eyes were full only of the love he had for her, and that was good enough of a promise for her to keep him to. Brian stepped back a little to sit down on the couch, dragging Erika down with him. He closed his eyes as he ran his nose along hers, the feeling of her breath on his lips pulling him that bit closer towards his lover. As their lips collided, Erika made sure to remember every detail of the moment they shared once again. Their own, private moment. The contours of his lips as they moved against hers, the smell of his skin, the taste of his tongue as it danced with hers; she’d never forget it, and was sure to miss every aspect of it for however long she was to be away. One day she’d return to London, she told herself, and she’d not have to leave to go back to college at home once more. Brian’s arms wrapped tighter around her, bringing her body closer to his. As his lips found her neck and he took in her sweet scent, he knew he’d remember it for a while yet. It wasn’t something you forgot just like that. He weaved his fingers between Erika’s, sure that they’d only ever fit the spaces between her own. He wiped a stray tear from her cheek and laid her head to rest on his chest, running his hands through her hair as he watched her slowly drift to sleep. Erika listened to his heart’s beating as she struggled to fall to sleep, knowing that she’d not hear those beats for so long. Things were always so precious when limited, but of course Brian would have been precious to her regardless of her departure. They had a bond of mutual love and care that no distance would break. It wouldn’t dare to.
“I love you Brian, forever,” she whispered as she felt her eyelids becoming heavy.
“And I love you too hun,” he replied, kissing the back of her head. His grip tightened around her waist just a little, just enough to let her know he’d never let her go.
“Erika, baby, it’s not the end of the world,” he soothed, placing his hand over hers from across the small table. It was just the beginning of an entirely different one, he thought, one he knew for fact he wouldn’t like any more than she. He sighed before calling for the waitress, paying for them both and getting up to leave. Erika didn’t budge until he pulled at her arm, half dragging her from their place at the back of the restaurant. Her vacant eyes never left the footpath as they trudged down the street huddled together in his coat, trying desperately to keep the remainder of their warmth within themselves. It was a quiet walk back to his apartment, as neither of the two knew what to say. What was there to say but everything all at once? No one could talk that much. Their firm grip on each other’s hands said more than any mere words could.
His small apartment had never felt so warm, nor looked so homely. It would be the first time Erika would consider it cosy, not small; welcoming, not messy, and the last time she could consider it theirs, not his.
“I’m gonna miss this,” she sighed, as she walked around the room slowly, lightly brushing her fingertips across the many photographs of the couple that had emerged over the past 6 months. A small smile graced her lips as her eyes focused on one in particular; taken the night he’d decided to dress up as her for a laugh. The smile faded as she brought her gaze back to her lover, still standing sullen in the doorway. He was staring straight back, his jaw quivering ever so slightly. He hadn’t been this sober in months, but it was important he remembered each and every detail of their last night, no matter how small it may be. Having nothing coursing through his system was making it hard for him to cope, to even breathe.
“Promise me that we will make it through,” he whispered, a solitary tear making its way down his cheek. “If we don’t I…I don’t know what I’d do.”
“I wasn’t supposed to fall in love, Brian,” she said, tears now pricking her eyes, too. “This wasn’t supposed to happen.”
“Come on, come here,” Brian cooed, pacing forward with open arms. “We agreed there’d be no tears tonight. What will we have left to cry tomorrow?”
“I assure you there’ll still be plenty on my behalf,” she whispered, her voice muffled as she spoke into his shirt. She pulled away from him slightly to look him in the eyes. Her makeup was running horribly from the tears that continued to fall, but he still thought she was undeniably the prettiest young woman in the world.
“You’re so beautiful hun,” he said, stroking the side of her face. “I remember the first time I saw you…” A smirk lit up Brian’s features as he talked. “I told you I’d get you in the end. Your stubbornness was nothing to stand in the way of what I wanted, of what I needed.” He pulled away from the now smiling again girl in his arms. “Please miss, do you have the time?” he called, rein acting the scene before her. Erika crossed her arms over her chest as she laughed at Brian. “Could you spare me a pen? A pencil? A kiss from those sure to be sweet lips?” They giggled between themselves. “I can’t believe how red your cheeks went.”
“What now will you do? God forbid you organise yourself and turn up with something to write with, or even on, for once,” she said, her smile fading. “And what will I do with no one to keep me interested, with no one to skip to class for...” Brian pulled her into another embrace as she began to quiver, her face contorting in pain.
“Shh, it’ll be okay,” he whispered as he stroked her hair. “Everything will work out. I’m sure we’ll be together once more.”
“Promise?” she sobbed, looking back into the eyes she’d grown to know so well. She could read every emotion they’d ever shown her.
“Hun, I’m relying on it,” he replied. His eyes were full only of the love he had for her, and that was good enough of a promise for her to keep him to. Brian stepped back a little to sit down on the couch, dragging Erika down with him. He closed his eyes as he ran his nose along hers, the feeling of her breath on his lips pulling him that bit closer towards his lover. As their lips collided, Erika made sure to remember every detail of the moment they shared once again. Their own, private moment. The contours of his lips as they moved against hers, the smell of his skin, the taste of his tongue as it danced with hers; she’d never forget it, and was sure to miss every aspect of it for however long she was to be away. One day she’d return to London, she told herself, and she’d not have to leave to go back to college at home once more. Brian’s arms wrapped tighter around her, bringing her body closer to his. As his lips found her neck and he took in her sweet scent, he knew he’d remember it for a while yet. It wasn’t something you forgot just like that. He weaved his fingers between Erika’s, sure that they’d only ever fit the spaces between her own. He wiped a stray tear from her cheek and laid her head to rest on his chest, running his hands through her hair as he watched her slowly drift to sleep. Erika listened to his heart’s beating as she struggled to fall to sleep, knowing that she’d not hear those beats for so long. Things were always so precious when limited, but of course Brian would have been precious to her regardless of her departure. They had a bond of mutual love and care that no distance would break. It wouldn’t dare to.
“I love you Brian, forever,” she whispered as she felt her eyelids becoming heavy.
“And I love you too hun,” he replied, kissing the back of her head. His grip tightened around her waist just a little, just enough to let her know he’d never let her go.