"I'd like to hear you play".
He pulled me along, sitting me on a bench beside him.
He gave me a long exasperated look before he turned to the keys.
And then his fingers flowed swiftly across the ivory, and the room was filled with a compostion so complex, so luxuriant, it was impossible to believe only one set of hands played.
I felt my chin drop, my mouth open in astonishment.
He looked at me casually, the music still surging around us without a break and winked,
"Do you like it?"
"You wrote this?" I gasped, understanding. He nodded. "It's my favourite".
I close my eyes, shaking my head.
"What's wrong?"
"I'm feeling extremely insignificant"
The music slowed, transforming into something softer, and to my surprise I detected the melody of his lullaby weaving through the profusion of notes.
"You inspired this one", he said softly.
The music became unbearably sweet. I couldn't speak.
"I love you, I whispered. "You are my life now", he answered simply.
"I'm here and I love you. I have always loved you and I will always love you".
"Before you, my life was an endless night, very dark, but there were stars - points of light and reason... And then you shot across my life like a meteor. Suddenly everything was on fire: there was brilliancy, there was beauty".
"Look after my heart, I've left it with you. I'd rather die than be with anyone but you".
Softly he brushed my cheek, then held my face in his marble hands.
"Be very still", he whispered. "I don't know how to be close to you. I don't know if I can".
I leaned forward very slowly and placed my cheek on his stone chest.
"This is enough", I said.
"If I could dream at all, it would be about you and I'm not ashamed of it.I f I could, I'm certainly not going to let you out of my sight", he said.
"You are the very best part of me".
"And so the lion fell in love with the lamb...", he murmured.
I looked away, hiding my eyes as I thrilled to the word.
"What a stupid lamb", I sighed.
"What a sick, masochistic lion", he said. "I'm tired of trying to stay away from you. I promise to love you forever, every single day of forever. The forbidden fruit, taste the sweetest".
"I never thought I'd see the day where I'd be willing to take a chance with you, but it has arrived". You caught me off guard and now I am truly falling in love with you. I am unconditionally, irrevocably in love with you".
"Knew it deep in my empty chest - wash how love gave someone the power to break you..I've been broken beyond repair".
I looked at him questioningly, and he gazed back for a long moment before he finally smiled.
"Do you truly believe that you care more for me than I do for you?", he murmured, leaning closer to me as he spoke, his dark golden eyes piercing.
"Yes, I really think that". I kept my eyes down on the table, my eyes tracing the patterns of the faux wood grains printed on the laminate.
Finally he spoke, voice velvet soft. "You're wrong".
I hid my face against his shoulders.
"I love you", I whispered.
"Will you be?", I asked, suddenly anxious. "Will you really be here?"
"As long as you want me", he assured me.
"I will always want you", I warned him. "Forever".
"I love you", I said in a low, intense voice. "I will always love you, no matter what happens now".
"Nothing is going to happen to you", he said just as fiercely.
"Please! Listen to me, please please please", he begged.
Yes, I wanted to say. Anything, but I couldn't find my lips.
"I". I wanted to tell him, but my voice was so heavy and slow. I couldn't understand myself.
"You're going to be fine. Can you hear me? I love you", said he.
"I know", I breathed".
"How did you do it?" I asked quietly.
He knew what I meant at once.
"I'm not sure", he replied.
He sighed without returning my gaze. It's impossible... to stop", he whispered. Impossible but I did".
He looked up finally with half a smile. "I must love you".
.
