Disclaimer: Only my thoughts belong to me. The characters belong to someone else.
A/N: This is a sequel of sorts to A Smile. If you did not care for that short piece then you definitely won’t like this one either.
A Touch
The only sound in the room came from the simmering cauldron in front of her. The quiet was comfortable she reflected, as if it belonged there between them. She looked over at the man beside her. His presence seemed to fill the room seeking her out like the flames of a blazing fire; the tendrils of warmth flickered at her, dispelling the cold along with her doubts and insecurities. She felt safe, content, and happy.
They stood next to each other working silently on the potion. It had not been that long ago that she had been his student. Then he had thought of her as a know-it-all. Now he treated her with respect. It was enough. Later perhaps, she could earn his trust.
A ringing sound broke into her thoughts as the timer went off.
The potion!
She quickly looked over at her mentor. He raised an eyebrow at her lack of attention as he deposited the next potion ingredient; one that she was in charge of. In the past she may have expected a silly-little-girl comment but now an eyebrow raise was enough.
She became flustered. She hated making mistakes. It had taken a long time to earn his respect and she didn’t want it to falter because of one distracted moment.
She hurried to reach for the spoon. The potion had to be stirred. He anticipated her intentions and moved closer to her. Without a word he reached out and lightly touched her arm, stopping her progress.
“Wait,” he said quietly but she hardly heard him.
Time seemed to slow down dramatically. At that moment she realized that in the ten or so years that she had known him, he had never before touched her.
As she felt his fingertips pressing lightly into her skin, an absurd thought passed through her mind; she had expected his skin to feel cool, a reflection of the man within. Instead, his hand was warm. Perhaps it was a façade, after all.
Her mind seemed to become clouded yet focused. She had no coherent thought except for the feel of his fingers on her skin. The moment was just that…and yet it seemed to go on forever. Was her heart beating? Was she breathing? She wasn’t sure of anything.
Just as quickly, he released her. It was as if it hadn’t happened. However, the imprint of his fingertips still imbedded in her arm, testified to the reality of the moment.
His touch had been casual, light …and yet it carried with it so much.
Respect, companionship, a familiarity she had not experienced before with him. And a slight hint of trust.
She could feel the shift in their relationship. It was subtle…below the surface and yet it seemed to scream out at her. In that one moment he conveyed all that led up to this point and the promise of times to come. It was amazing, miraculous, more than she could have ever hoped for. And yet there were no bells, no harps, no declarations of any kind to mark this momentous occasion. There was just…
a touch.
|