When they landed at the shores of the lake, Evie asked him to head for that flat and smooth rock in the shallow waters of the tranquil and magical lake.
Gavrael did as she asked and set her down on top of that said rock.
Evie sat on the rock and then grabbed at his sleeves as she looked up. "Sit with me here for a while, Gav." She beckoned to him and Gavrael lowered himself to be seated next to her. They both remained silent for a while, looking out at the crystalline waters, and appreciating the breath-taking view afforded to them.
She then leaned her head on his shoulder as she looked ahead, continuing to stare out at this magical place that Gavriel had introduced her to.
The world suddenly seemed to have come to a standstill. It was as if everything else had fallen into a deep slumber, fading away into the background, and the only ones awake in this entire world was just the two of them. There was a sort of peace that reigned for the moment, and that gave both Evie and Gavrael a measure of relaxation in their hearts and minds.
All they could hear was the quiet sounds of the soft breeze caressing the shores, the relaxing sound of the many birds singing in the distance, and their heartbeats and breathing that seemed to be synchronising to each other's. Oh, how good this feels…
Evie could not help but close her eyes for a moment, savouring the sweetness that was surrounding them. She remembered that Gavriel had promised her the next time that he would bring her here during daylight. And now they are finally here. And she understood now why he had wanted to show her this place in the daylight. She had seen this very same scenery before and in daylight too. But back then, he was not there with her. Now that he is seated right beside her, the feeling was completely different. Even the view seemed to have taken on a different hue in her eyes.
Her heart swelled with intense emotions as she took his hand and entwined her fingers with his. At that moment, her heart was overflowing within her.
They just sat there, without saying a word for what seemed like a long time until Evie rose and approached the edge of the stone. She then reached out her hand and dipped it into the water then looked back at him with a big smile, while swirling her hand in the crystal-clear waters.
Then she scooped a small amount of water and playfully splashed at him as she chuckled.
Her happy laughter tinkling like bells before him, made Gavrael's cold heart shake with happiness within him and… also fear. Seeing her behaving this way was such a bittersweet feeling to have, causing his heart to warm but at the same time, his guts to shrink slightly in trepidation.
A while ago, he had thought about when did he start being so overwhelmed with her advances and Gavrael quickly thought that it must be because of the very long time that he had lived a life filled with nothing but suffering. Therefore, he must have gotten so used to pain and darkness – to the point of expecting nothing else that was good to come his way – that the calmness, joy, and light that she was offering him now out of her own free will, overwhelmed him to his core.
Even now, seeing her smiling at him so unreservedly and happily, and being able to be touching her so easily again, still felt too good to be true. To him, he somehow felt a nagging fear within him that this happiness… this simple joy was all just another illusion that his mind had managed to trap him in.
"Gav? Are you doing alright there?" Evie called out softly as she looked at him. He seemed to be lost in his own thoughts again and she saw that same look that she kept seeing in him for many times now. It was the kind of look that seem to be questioning her if she was real and not just his fantasy.
It always made her feel like a needle was stabbing deeply into her heart every time he looks at her like that. And this time, she could not turn a blind eye to it any longer. She needed to ask him and clarify on the matter.
She caught his face between her palms and made him look at her. "What are you thinking?" she asked, her gaze at him so incredibly gentle. Her amber eyes looked so soothing warm. "You looked like you're doubting if I am real or not." She added and Gavrael's eyes widened.
His expression immediately confirmed it and Evie could not stop herself from pinching his cheek, hard.
He blinked in surprise before frowning at what she was doing.
"What are you doing?" he asked. Evie's gaze was locked onto his face as a humorous smile hovered over her lips.
"Pinching you… that's what I am doing." she retorted, and she squeezed his cheeks again, to give him an extra measure of reality. "I don't know if you already know about this, but humans do this to check if they are dreaming or not. If one pinches herself and she feels the pain, it means she is not dreaming. You feel pain on your cheeks now too, right?" Evie grinned impishly at him, as her eyes twinkled merrily.
When he did not say a word, Evie huffed and pinched him harder until he finally gave in. "There is a very little pain." He gave in and Evie smiled brightly as she rained down light kissed on his cheeks that had reddened slightly from all her hard pinching, surprising him again.
Then she bumped her forehead against his gently as she chuckled at him. He could clearly hear the fondness in her laugh. "I'm real Gav… I'm here with you now and you're now here with me. We're finally together again. So, please don't doubt it. I am not a figment of your imagination." She breathed out almost in a whisper and Gavrael stilled for a while.
And before he knew it, he seized her mouth desperately.