Under the Sky

“Meow.”

The sound made Sebastian stop, making him look around. He was walking past the university dorms; there was a little garden in between, and the sidewalk was lined with trees and flower bushes to the side. It was morning.

“Um… excuse me?”

It was said softly—if he didn’t have supernatural senses, he would have never heard it. He looked up, a little surprise flashing behind his dark gray eyes. A girl—she must be eighteen—wearing white jeans and a navy-blue long-sleeve T-shirt, was on the tree with a small bundle of something cuddled in her arms. It took a moment to realize it was a cat. When the black cat turned her head, golden eyes blinked down at him.

When the girl noticed she had his attention, she smiled sheepishly.

“Umm… can you help me come down?” She looked down nervously. “A ladder would… be nice…?” She cleared her throat, blinking her wide brown eyes at him.

Amusement passed through his eyes, thinking how the girl got up there if she couldn’t get down on her own—but the way she was looking at him. Hopeful. Nervous. Sebastian swallowed the urge.

“I’ll see what I can do.” Sebastian gave her a reassuring look and adjusted his thin-rimmed glasses.

Her soft lips stretched into a beaming smile that lit up her moon-shaped face, the sun behind her creating a halo over her head. With his sharp, enhanced eyesight, he could see light red shades in her otherwise chocolate-brown hair that framed her sweet face. Something shuttered inside him, but he only blinked—and a single orange leaf fell right between them, tearing his eyes from the radiance in front of him, pulling him out of his trance.

The orange and brown leaves had started to peek through the lush green of the trees, and an orange leaf fell around her as she crouched on the thick branch with the cat still protectively held in her arms. He blinked for a second, ignoring the way his breath hitched at the sight, and turned away.

“I’ll be right back,” he said.

He went one block away, entered the reception of the dorms, showed his professor card, and requested a ladder. He took it from the cleaning staff, refusing help carrying it. The girl was waiting patiently. Without delay, Sebastian set up the ladder right below the tree and stood just under it.

The girl gave a little nervous squeak as she looked down at the ladder. It took her a moment to decide how to balance herself and the cat. The cat had been silent the whole time, but the moment she put her foot on the last step, the cat’s yellow eyes met Sebastian’s. The little creature’s eyes widened, sensing the predator in him. The cat screamed and jumped out of the girl’s arms, scratching her.

“Ah!” the girl yelped, and the cat ran away with a little growling sound.

She lost her balance. Luckily, Sebastian was right there and grabbed her from behind. Her startled brown eyes met his dark, patient ones that reminded her of silent lake water back home. Sebastian’s senses were assaulted by the scent of water lilies, and his arms tightened around her waist. The girl’s sweet, flushed face was only inches away from him. He pulled her down, putting her safely on her feet, urging himself to stop thinking about the water-lily scent.

“Thank you,” the girl breathed in relief and pulled herself away, finding solid ground. Her knees went a little weak with relief, and she lay down on the green patch of grass. Once again blowing out a breath from small, soft red lips, her relief was evident as she spread her arms on the grass. It felt cool and nice after all the excitement.

Sebastian looked at her again, surprised and amused.

“Miss—”

“Eva. Eva Jade,” she breathed out her name as she introduced herself.

“Miss Jade, may I ask what you were trying to do?”

“Making myself believe that I’ve safely landed on the ground,” she answered, unbothered, closing her eyes.

“The grass is wet.”

“Ah,” she said. He was right—it was from last night’s rain. That’s why it felt pleasantly cool.

The water had started to soak her shirt but… “Well, um… I’m already here, so no can do. I might as well enjoy it. The sky is so beautiful today anyway,” she said, smiling at the sky.

Sebastian couldn’t help but follow her gaze, wondering what made her smile so brilliantly again.

He sighed.

It was a beautiful, clear day, reflected in the joy on the face of the girl now lying flat on the ground, water stains starting to appear on her T-shirt.

Sebastian breathed again, his dark gaze falling on the young woman on the wet grass, enjoying the morning sunshine on her pale, moon-shaped face. It felt like he was breathing again after fourteen years. He had been running for so long, surviving for so long, that he had forgotten—at this time in his life, it wasn’t so bad now, was it?

The sky is beautiful today.

—----------------------------------

Two years later

Eva couldn’t be sure when and where her heart was compromised.

She sat silently at the back of the classroom, her heart skipping a beat every time his eyes scanned the hall but stopped on her, lingering longer than they should. These small moments were the ones that made her feel, made her hope for things that she should not even be thinking of.

Eva’s teeth sank into the soft, flushed red flesh of her lower lip as she silently squirmed in her seat, a million thoughts passing behind her warm eyes. The dark gray eyes zeroed in on that action; his enhanced eyesight made it nearly impossible for him not to notice. Her cheeks bloomed red once again as she worried her lip, and he couldn’t help but imagine what those would taste like.

Eva’s frown deepened and her breath fluttered when he didn’t immediately look away. Her mouth went dry, her cheeks flushed darker, and she looked away at the vast glass window where sunlight filtered through, biting her lower lip to calm her heart. She looked down at the papers she needed to submit at the end of class. Even the thought of looking at him up close overwhelmed her. What if he read everything on her face? She was never good at hiding her true feelings.

At the end of class, everyone got up to hand in their assignments. Eva’s eyes once again found him, but thankfully he was no longer looking at her.

Professor Sebastian Vale, the plastic name tag read on the desk at the front of the lecture hall.

Eva breathed out as she picked up her assignment and hoisted the strap of her messenger bag onto her shoulder. One after the other, her classmates handed in their work and exited the lecture hall.

Eva’s eyes were still fixed on Professor Vale. The first time Eva’s eyes had laid upon that face was when she almost fell off her tree and right into the arms of the man in front of her. Eva was sure no one could be beautiful and handsome at the same time, but the contradiction to her thoughts was right in front of her, and it took her breath away.

Professor Vale had one of those faces—handsome, striking, beautiful enough that one would want to paint him or write poetry about him—but it was his presence in the room that made air exit your lungs and demand that you do not breathe until he commanded you to. Professor Vale’s dark hair was pulled back into a loose, effortless knot, a few strands brushing his sharp jawline; sleek wire-frame glasses sitting elegantly on his nose; smooth skin, high cheekbones, dark observant eyes that missed nothing; wearing an open-collared shirt that anyone could see the defined collarbone of his and loose dress pants that gave him an approachable countenance.

When his eyes looked up once again, they seemed to pin her in place. She startled, looked around, and realized there was no one else. She hurried to stand in front of his desk, stretching her hand to give him the assignment. He took it, and his fingers brushed hers.

Eva swallowed at the warm current that spread through her. It was a familiar thing, but whenever it happened, it never left her any less surprised. Shyly, she pulled away, looking down, her cheeks now turning absolute crimson. She didn’t see Professor Vale’s dark-gray eyes pause on her red blooming face or his own breath shatter in response, the way his eyes softened and then turned wistful.

Eva finally found the courage to look up—just as he looked away, his eyes falling to the pages in his hand. She tried not to sigh in disappointment, but she didn’t move.

Silence stretched. Neither spoke. Her heart pounded in her ears. It was embarrassing how that little touch had affected her. She rubbed her hand on her jeans, hoping the warmth would fade. She stepped back to leave, then heard his intake of breath and turned.

Professor Vale was already looking down solemnly, his attention on the papers. She imagined it. Maybe she had imagined what happened in the library two days ago too.

—--------------------------------------------------------

Two days ago…

Eva looked at the sixth shelf above her head. The library ladder was busy and wouldn’t be free anytime soon. She stretched on her toes, only the tip of her finger brushing the book she wanted. She struggled and managed to pull it free—then felt someone come close behind her. She tipped over. The book slipped from her hand.

“Ah!”

She squeezed her eyes shut, ready to fall and get hit by the book—but instead, a pair of arms surrounded her, catching her and pulling her close. The familiar scent of rain and woods hit her. Her heart began to race. Eva’s wide brown eyes opened, meeting familiar dark-gray ones. Heat rushed to her cheeks once again.

“P-Professor,” she whispered, her hands trapped between their chests.

“Miss Jade,” his voice deep and smooth. “You should be careful.”

His hand moved from her back to her arms, smoothing down to her elbows after he put down the book he had caught on the edge of the shelf, and then his attention focused on her. Eva’s body followed his lead as she eased onto her feet, eyes fixed on his. She had always thought his eye color was unique—dark gray with hints of gold if you were close enough, calm, collected, and ready to pull her in at any moment like the dark gray lake waters in her hometown.

He was so close that it reminded her of their first meeting. What was different was that he didn’t immediately pull away; instead, somehow he leaned closer, and she swallowed as feeling swooshed inside the lower part of her belly. She bit her lips once again, and his eyes fell on the movement without realizing his one arm came around her waist, pulling her closer.

Eva’s heart rang in her ears, the calm look in his eyes now deep and dark, something swirling around in the deep colors that pulled Eva in. She released her lips from her teeth and they flushed red. The look in his eyes darkened, the current flowing between them making her breath hitch.

She couldn’t blink or think when he stepped closer. Now he was flushed against her. She stumbled, and his arms tightened around her. She gasped.

He had a lean body, broad shoulders, loose, flowing clothes. He was muscular, but the way he dressed made those muscles hidden—and now she could feel the solid lines of him pressed to her softness. Something tugged low in her belly.

“You alright?” Concern was clear in his voice—but there was something else too. His eyes focused on her, heat radiating from him, sinking into her core. Under the collar of her simple T-shirt, Eva felt unbearably hot as her eyes fell from his eyes to his lips. All of his sculpted face. His lips looked soft, and right now a tingling sensation was on her lips with anticipation.

Eva’s eyes could only see him, and her ears were only aware of her pounding heart.

His lips were closer than ever. She just needed to stretch on her toes and their lips would be pressed together.

Eva’s eyes’ breath shuttered.

Her heart stopped.

Thump.

The sound startled them both. Eva pulled away, shocked. The world crashed down on her and it all came into focus. She heaved several long breaths. Her mouth opened and closed—what could she say? What had she been thinking?

She stepped back, and he looked shaken too. He looked at her once—concern and something like guilt in his eyes—then disappeared without a word.

Eva’s knees turned weak, and she stumbled a little and grabbed the edge of the shelf for support.

She tried to concentrate on her breathing, watching his retreating figure.

—-----------------------------------------------------

Since then, things had been more than a little awkward. Now, two days later in class, when she looked at him one last time, waiting for something—anything—there was nothing.

Eva knew he might have guessed her feelings and thought it best to avoid her. Logically, she knew it was for the better. But since she watched him storm out, and whenever they were passing by or in proximity, his gaze slid over her. It was today, after two days, he looked at her and she thought maybe… She shook her head from her foolish thought—her chest ached.

So she turned away. Better to leave this here.

She took a deep breath and walked out of the classroom.

Behind her, she didn’t see his soft but hurt dark-gray eyes lingering on the place she had stood moments ago, her paper still in his hand.

Before this, there used to be tender friendship between them. There were smiles when they passed through the corridor. When it rained, he would find her holding an umbrella over her head as she walked back to her dorms because she always used to forget hers—but now those soft moments that used to warm her heart were all gone.

Logically, Eva knew nothing could come out of it, but her heart couldn’t help but hope. There is something, but there should be nothing. She sighed and turned away, exiting the hall.

It’s better this way, Eva thought.