YOU CAN'T HIDE.

[potter_fan122]

She turned to face him, taking his other hand.  She wanted to say something meaningful then, something... special.  Nothing came to mind, at least not anything that wasn't cliche.  She watched his face, searching for words, and ended up reciting poetry.

"I am too alone in the world, and yet not alone enough
to make every hour holy.
I am too small in the world, and yet not tiny enough
just to stand before you like a thing,
dark and shrewd.
I want my will, and I want to be with my will
as it moves towards deed;
and in those quiet, somehow hesitating times,
when something is approaching,
I want to be with those who are wise
or else alone.
I want always to be a mirror that reflects your whole being,
and never to be too blind or too old
to hold your heavy, swaying image.
I want to unfold.
Nowhere do I want to remain folded,
because where I am bent and folded, there I am lie.
And I want my meaning
true for you. I want to describe myself
like a painting that I studied
closely for a long, long time,
like a word I finally understood,
like the pitcher of water I use every day ,
like the face of my mother,
like a ship
that carried me
through the deadliest storm of all,"

Her voice was soft, but she knew he could hear her.  She spoke slowly, making sure to pronounce each word carefully.  It was a poem by Rilke that she had memorized long ago.  It seemed like the right things to say.

[Sky]

Axel listened intently to every syllable she pronounced, so clearly and soft. He watched her lips as they uttered the poetic words, her lips as soft as the words she spoke.

"That was really beautiful." He said when she finished. He wished he had known what to say back, but he didn't. He didn't have anything. He pushed her hair back with a stroke of his hand.

[potter_fan122]

Alice nodded slowly, surprised to find that there were tears in her eyes.  She sniffled and smiled up at him sadly.

"I know it probably sounded outrageous, but I felt like I needed to say it," she explained, lowering her eyes to the ground.

((Meeh. =) ))

[Sky]

Axel smiled and lifted her chin with his index finger.

"It wasn't outrageous at all. Don't ever think anything you say is outrageous, alright?" His tone was soft, gentle. Like his touch. It was puzzling how a man so full of negative emotions could be such a gentle creature.

[potter_fan122]

She smiled back at him, her eyes lighting up.  She was fully aware that this was a side not many people got to see, and she was one of the few who did.  Not for the first time, either.

"Are you sure?  I can say some pretty crazy stuff sometimes," she teased, linking her fingers through his.

[Sky]

Axel smirked and made a little red orange fireball with his free hand. He let it drift in front of Alice, to cast a little warmth on her.

"Then we have something in common."

[potter_fan122]

"Only one?" Alice asked with her little smile.  Her eyes went to the ball of fire, which was reflected in her huge eyes.

[Sky]

"Well, I hope we have a lot more in common than just that." Axel said, laughing a little. He made the fire spin around Alice and move about.