Keeper cannot see the darkness engulfing him from the inside out. She is ignorant of it or chooses to be ignorant of it; recognizing instead, how he makes her feel which is luminous and light like a combination of sunbeams and air dancing together in the dark spots of the forest that they find and try to brighten. That’s Keeper - trying to bring brightness back to him however she can.
He pulls her to him and it feels like coming home. Even the grumbly bear inside her murmurs in sleepy contentment at how he holds them, skin to skin and heat to heat. Like their bodies are two furnaces in the dark of that cave, futilely warming it up or at least, each other. In that moment, he can’t seem to get enough of her like gasping for air and she lets him have all that he wants - every snuffle and touch.
She likes to think she’d never believe him capable of the dark things he’s done. That he treads water in the grasp of demons that oversee all that happens around him and to him, like now - how they hold one another close with unspoken promises to never let go. Keeper would believe anything he told her because he’s never lied to her, no one has. She has no true familiarity with lies.
His kisses though, are the kind of distraction she wants to lay forever. The kind of kisses that linger and make one pine for one more taste of them because the memory is just that sweet. Tenderness be damned, she loved the fierce way he kissed her neck like every kiss was a mark or a warning to everyone else. It sent a little shiver all the way right through her because she liked that notion entirely too much.
His, all his.
All because she has finally said the words she’s been longing to say since that first night together. Or was it morning? Her memory makes the two nearly indistinguishable as there have been quite a few moments together in this cave or almost outside of it. Then, it doesn’t matter as he pulls her in close again, and she fits against him that embrace so very neatly like it’s what she was made for.
He says her name but not in a recognizable tone but the bear inside strengthens her, keeps her from flinching at the dark twist of his voice that slams against her ears and echoes in the cavern dark. He doesn’t say those three little words back. Or cannot, and it doesn’t matter because his love for her is there in the hot desperate kisses and the affectionate touch he gives her. All that says enough despite the words that tumbled from his mouth like ugly stones unwanted.
Keeper doesn’t care; she clings to him like moss on the stone all around them. It would take a lot to scrape her off due to her sudden and inexplicable tenacity but she knows she isn’t going anywhere. Not for tonight at least, and not for as long as she can help it. Unless he asked her to leave but since he hasn’t, she feels a small sense of triumph despite what he’d said - that it shouldn’t be him but it is, it has been, and how could it not be?
She gives him an unshakable smile and a laugh that is light and dismissive of his words; “But it is you and it will always be you!” Keeper is certain of that and her faith in her feeling is like a mountain, mostly immovable because even she knows that mountains can crumble - it just takes eons to wear them down to small simple rock. She’ll love him until the end of time, demons (unbeknownst to her!) be damned!
@[Balto] late but ya know! ❤️