You cannot be serious. This cannot be happening again.
She shrieked when she hit the water. It was freezing cold, and there was some sort of current system in place that kept the water flowing in a circular motion. She was dragged along, coming up once to sputter for air before she was pulled back under.
Fantastic, I'm going to drown in two feet of water in front of a mini-mall. Better than I deserve, really.
She didn't drown, though. She finally calmed down enough to plant her feet. The water harmlessly flowed around her and she was able to sit upright, hacking and gasping for air. She sat there, shivering and coughing while she struggled to push her messy hair out of her face.
“What in the hell are you doing!?”
She turned her head in time to see Wulf effortlessly pull himself up onto the ledge. She groaned and twisted around, trying to get up on her knees. She was shocked when he didn't hesitate at all and just waded right into the water, ruining his expensive suit. He grabbed her arms and hauled her to her feet, standing her in front of him.
“Hi,” she managed to say, her teeth starting to chatter. He glared at her, then shrugged out of his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders.
“Thought it was a good time for a swim, Tocci?” he asked, rubbing his hands up and down her arms.
“Well, you know me and fountains.”
“I do, unfortunately.”
There was a second of tense silence.
“I'm sorry I ruined your ceremony,” she started speaking fast. “I thought it had already happened, then I climbed up here and you hadn't cut it yet -”
“Tocci.”
“- and so I tried to climb back down, but then I stumbled, and I fell, and I -”
“Tocci.”
“- this suction or whatever is way too strong, it dragged me down here, and I'm really, really sorry I -”
“Katya!” he snapped, and she finally looked up at him again.
“Yes?” she asked meekly.
“What. THE HELL. Are you doing here?”
She took a deep breath.
“I came to see you,” she said in a small voice.
“You came to see me,” he repeated.
“... yes?”
“You know where I live, you have my phone number. It had to be right now?” he asked, looking at her like she was crazy.
“Yes, it did,” she nodded.
“What could possibly be so important that you felt the need to climb up here and almost break your neck and give me a goddamn heart attack!?” he demanded.
“I had to tell you something,” she continued.
“It had better be really fucking good.”
She took another deep breath and searched her brain for the perfect words.
“I'm scared,” she blurted out, surprising herself.
“You're … what?” he sounded confused. She decided to roll with it and let her brain go on on auto-pilot.
“I'm scared of you,” she said. “I'm terrified of us. I'm worried that you'll get mad every time you don't understand me, and I'm frightened that I'll get confused every time I don't understand you. I'm worried this will all be too much work. I'm afraid we'll make each other miserable and horrible and broken.”
They stared at each other for a long time, and if she had to guess, she'd say Wulf looked a little scared, too.
“That's what you came up here to tell me?” he checked. She chewed on her lips for a second and focused on his eyes. Those intense blue eyes that could infuriate her and terrify her and make her glad to be alive.
“But most of all,” she said, barely above a whisper. “I'm scared you'll never know how much I love you.”
“You … love … what?” he asked. She nodded.
“I think I've loved you for a really long time. And I'm scared because I've never been in love, and I'm afraid because I don't know if you'll ever love me back, but … but I don't care. I told you I'd fight for you, but that wasn't really right. I'll fight for us, no matter how hard it gets.”
There, it was out. And once again, she felt an immense sense of relief. Good or bad, ugly or not, she'd done it. She driven a lot of miles and come a long way and she had laid her heart on the table. No matter what happened now, she would always have this moment. She'd proven to herself that despite her inner voice and all her mistakes, she could make good on her promises and she could fight for him. She could rise above and be truly brave. She could be fearless.
… aaaaaand he's not responding. God, this was stupid. This was so stupid. I'm going to die if I have to stand here much longer. Literally, totally, die. Melt and swirl down the drain.
“You're scared ...” he finally breathed. She managed a nod.
“Terrified.”
“Oh, Tocci,” he sighed. “What am I going to do with you?”
“Um … you could start by drying me off with a warm towel?”
“You're horrible, you know that?” he asked, pulling her closer.
“Yes, I've become aware of it.”
“I told you,” he said, wrapping an arm around her waist. “Never be scared with me.”
“I know,” she said, staring up at him. He wiped her hair out of her face. “It's easier said than done.”
“Would it help if I told you a secret?”
“Like what?”
“I think I've been in love with you since that first time we slept together.”
“You have not.”
“I so have.”
“I don't believe you.”
“I kept the panties, Tocci.”
“You did no-… ew, really?” she asked. He burst out laughing.
“What can I say? I'm a romantic deep down. But don't tell anyone.”
“I won't. They wouldn't believe me, anyway.”
“Tocci.”
“Yes?”
“Shut up now, it's time to end this with a very dramatic kiss.”
They were standing in a freezing cold fountain and a huge crowd was staring at them and she was crying so much, but none of that mattered. He kissed her so hard she could feel it in her soul, and when everyone cheered, she thought it was her nerve endings thanking her for finally coming home.
You're very, very welcome.
*
“I was scared, too.”
Katya snorted. She couldn't imagine Wulf being scared of anything.
“Of what?” she whispered, rolling onto her back.
“Of you,” his voice was a hot breath against the side of her stomach and she resisted the urge to laugh. It was a ticklish spot.
“Of me?”
She looked down as his head moved across her body, pausing as he placed a kiss against her ribs. She could just barely make out his form against hers. They were completely under the top sheet on his bed, with only the light from a candle filtering through the Egyptian cotton.
“You laugh when you're with him. Smile. So much.”
“I smile with you.”
“Not enough.”
“Well, you should be nicer to me,” she teased, then yelped when he nipped at her collarbone.
“I knew he wasn't right for you,” Wulf continued, and she groaned when his tongue circled around her earlobe. “He has a lot of growing up to do.”
“He's three years older than you.”
“Yet still a child. You need a man. Someone who can take care of himself and you.”
“And his family, and my family ...”
“I can't help it that I'm such a generous, selfless person.”