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October 15th, 1709
You ever love somebody so much you can barely breathe
When you're with 'em
You meet and neither one of you even know what hit 'em
Got that warm fuzzy feeling
Yeah, them chills you used to get 'em
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A long breath escaped full lips as every step brought her closer and closer to her childhood home. It had been almost a year since she had last been here and as much as she loved the sea it always felt nice to return home. Aurora-Rose would never admit it, but sometimes she liked the safety of the familiar of the path that she has walked time and time again. A smile crept on her lips as the warm smells of the bakery mixed with the musky tang of the tavern. Eyes closed for but a moment, taking in everything; the sounds, the smells, the very feel of the town. A year traveling the Irish Sea with her father, spending time exploring the coast of Ireland had been an adventure in its own right, but it wasn't the same. She knew deep down in her heart that the sea would call her out again, A-Rose was the only one who knew what she would eventually become, but for now she wasn't ready to leave everyone. Taking one last deep breath she began to open her eyes, only to find herself looking into the depths of the eyes of the one person who truly kept her grounded, who was the true reason she always returned home.
"Welcome home." Gabriel said simply, a warm smile on his lips. A-Rose felt her breath catch as she took in the look of the man before her, it was the first time that she had ever seen him dressed in the colors of the Royal Navy. He was eighteen now and at the age where he was finally eligible to follow the path of his father. His errant blond curls tied back at the base of his neck with a leather thong causing the strong planes of his face to be exposed to the English sun. His body was encased in various shades of red and gold, the fabric resting without dismay on his form. It was strange to see him so cleaned up, normally Gabriel was in simple trousers and a loose shirt as they gallivanted around town. It wasn't the first time Aurora-Rose had seen this attire, but it was the first time she was seeing it on the man she had fallen for.
She didn't know when, or how, but she had and it killed her inside. It could never happen, he was practically a man of royalty. His father a commodore and his mother a Lady of the court. She, being who she was, having grown up with a blacksmith father and a housewife mother simply could not be a part of Gabriel's future. At least not in the way she wanted to be.
Not allowing these thoughts to overwhelm her, Aurora-Rose pushed the thoughts to the back of her mind to dwell over another day at another time. Instead she focused in the here and now and that consisted of lunging towards Gabriel and embracing him tightly as friends reunited.
Ironically, Gabriel was having the same inner turmoil inside. He had been on his way to visit his friend when he caught sight of a familiar lithe form dressed in colors of the ships she so dearly loved and that crazed brown hair seemingly tamed by a slightly oversized tri-corner hat. He watched her from a distant, having seen that look many times before moving closer to stand in front of her and waiting until she opened those dark pools of brown that he found himself staring into more intently over the past years.
These emotions were strange to him, but he had gotten used to strange things after meeting Aurora-Rose so many years ago. He wasn't frightened by them, just confused about how he should react upon them. Gabriel could already hear his father's words running through his head,
"No son of mine is going to marry a lowly child. A blacksmith's daughter, I swear...". He mentally cursed the ignorance of the man before he was enveloped by slender arms causing all thoughts to melt away leaving him feeling warm and safe. It was moments like this that he wanted to follow their childish stories and run away to a deserted island and just be free of all conventions of society. Too bad he had grown up and learned that that simply could never be...
They parted from each other, both reluctant to do so. Aurora-Rose was the first to break the silence by reaching into a pouch attached to her leather belt. Pulling out a small silver chain she held it out to Gabriel, a sly smile on her lips.
"I told you I didn't want anything but your safe return." An elegant brow rose, hazel eyes staring at the pendant in A-Rose's outstretched hand.
"When have I every listened to what you've told me Gabe? You should learn by now that I am not swayed so easily..." She mocked, shifting her hand a bit to show the delicate charm at the end of the chain. From afar it looked like intricate lines and curves intertwined around each other but upon closer inspection one could make out two hearts wrapping around each other without a beginning or an end. "It's a Celtic knot, I thought you would like a little keepsake from Ireland since you've always wanted to go." Aurora-Rose had asked if Gabriel had wanted to go with her even though she knew his duty at home, but it was worth a try. Unfortunately her attempt had failed and she had traveled alone with only her father to keep her company.
"It's beautiful..." He breathed, hand reaching out and letting his fingers curl around the thin chain a warmth spreading from where their skin briefly touched, although if anyone was watching it would be hard to tell if he was talking about the necklace or the woman before him.
Charm
