a sapphic short story

They had been friends for as long as they could remember. Running around at the age of 5 and playing in the rain at the age of 7. Braiding each other’s hair at the age of 9 and failing miserably at baking cookies at the age of 12. They were inseparable. It wasn’t unusual for people to mistake them for sisters. But after being isolated for a lot more than 40 days, they were more than happy to see each other again. It was supposed to be intimate, small, simple... The local park, why not?

The singing of birds as well as the fresh air wouldn’t be a bother at all, and those two had a lot of catching up to do. But it was a lot more than talking. It was looking into each other’s eyes. Feeling one’s hand against the other, or even better: each other’s heat against one another. The beating heart of a flame that had never faded.

So many thoughts. 

So many words

unsaid.

So many things

undone.

Still, they longed to see, to touch, to feel each other after so long. They shared a hug and didn’t know whether to let go and settle somewhere in the park or just stay there... feeling... each other. One of them whispered softly:

”I missed you.”

”Me too,” the other whispered back.

Their eyes locked in a soft, adoring gaze and refused to look away. Leave. Let go. They eventually laughed it off, something about the height difference, and went to laid out a picnic towel on the grass, putting what they had brought there. But the food almost went unnoticed: amber eyes were too busy searching for dark brown ones.

They lied on the grass, side by side. Talking a lot and eating a bit. Naming funny shaped clouds and tickling each other until both were breathless. They closed their eyes and breathed in. Fingers touched timidly. The smaller one, with amber eyes, suddenly asked, quietly, turning her head:

”Do you love me?”  

The other girl sighed.

”I know I’ve never said it,” she heard as she delved into sorry dark brown ones ”but it doesn’t mean I don’t care or that I don’t worry about you. Because I do.”

They knew. As sweet honey hazel fixated on dark brown, they knew. The eyes are the windows of the soul after all. The dark-eyed girl felt a warm hand on her cheek and she didn’t pull back. She had always wondered what it would be like. And then she felt soft lips against her own. The ones she had watched, imagined and dreamed about for years. She sighed into the kiss. And she stayed there, even though the other girl’s warmth faded away. She looked away towards the sky.

”I’m so sorry,” she said quickly, fear filled her voice, her breath exhilarated. Once she dared to look back at her friend (friend?), she was offered a small smile accompanied by furiously blushed cheeks. The contagious smile grew, slowly turning into laughter, and then both were laughing together, not quite meeting each other’s eyes.  

“Come here,” said the taller one eventually, gesturing so with her head. 

The other cuddled against her chest and they closed their eyes, holding onto each other, making sure they were both still there. And so they stayed, embracing each other, enjoying the warmth of their touching lengths and the steadiness of their breaths. Time stood still, and it couldn’t have choosen a better moment.

“I love you,” said the one with hazel-amber eyes without daring to meet dark chocolate ones.

“No one has never said that to me before,” said the other after a while.

The smaller one bit her lip, feeling stupid for even bringing it up. They stayed silent for a few moments, until she looked up. 

“I love how you make me feel loved... without ever saying it. Just by simple words and gestures... little things,” she clenched her jaw and looked away. ”Even though you don’t love me like that... and I’m probably not as smooth as you are,” she chuckled and looked at the girl once again ”I’d like to try to make you feel loved as much as you make me,” she said with a small smile. ”If you’ll let me, of course,” she added in a light-hearted tone.

The other one smiled back, looking thoughtful.

”And what if I love you too?”

Both their hearts stopped. Fear and, maybe, hope. Their heads were spinnning. What was happening?

A megawatt smile reached amber eyes.

”Well, I guess we’ll love each other together then.”