Reaching Out to You

Reaching Out To You
Copyrighted to Amber Readman Riley

    "So," Zenith let his body relax against the cool grass surrounding him and his companion, "mind telling me why I found you in a bush under the window instead of in the room above it?"
    The girl laughed- a laugh like a thousand choirs in perfect harmony, "Because I jumped."
    Zenith's attention immediately returned from where it had been diverted by the sounds of crashing waves beneath them, "What? Why?" He moved forwards, gently laying his hands upon the fair arms of his twin's love to inspect her for any injuries.
    "It wasn't intentional: I had no desire to kill myself or something." Shinone was laughing again but, this time, Zenith refused to be distracted by it: more preoccupied with his current task and the thoughts that had just flitted across his mind.
    "Was it…?"
    Shinone shuffled awkwardly, her long fingers brushing against his own tanned hand. Nothing more needed to be said on the topic- her hesitation was word enough and only reinforced his previous feelings towards her sister.
    Zenith sighed and for the first time realised that the Shinone was yet to move her hand off of his, her pink nails- with the smallest sprinkling of silver glitter- were tracing delicate patterns across his skin. Zenith had seen those fingers play the piano alongside his; their fingers would fly across the keys but his eyes would only fly to her. Her head would be back as she played, long copper bunches, secured by cerulean silk, tossed over her shoulder and bouncing around with every movement of her arms or body.
    And then there was her voice… Zenith had never thought Shinone would have had the confidence to sing at all: his own girlfriend taking the lead without ever being asked.
    Not that June's voice was bad in any way, but there was always a strange harshness about it that Shinone just didn't possess. Though her voice shared the same vibrato as her sister, June's voice was like a flickering flame- ready to pounce on a fallen tree and engulf an entire forest but Shinone's was like a star in the night sky- delicate and capable of disappearing behind a shy cloud every few seconds.
    The sky was where she was looking now, her ruby eyes flitting away from his after barely a heartbeat. Zenith averted his gaze with her, taking his arm back and using it to prop himself up on the cliff edge which was colder than before: now the sun was disappearing below the horizon out to sea and the first few lights of night were blinking into view.
    The two sat there as the evening faded away and the sound of the ocean and wildlife surrounded them. Their melodies collided in such a way that Zenith found himself subconsciously tapping a back beat onto the soil as the tinkling notes of some long-forgotten song filled his mind… or perhaps it was a story yet to be told.
    "Don't you just love the night?"
    Zenith jumped: he hadn't been expecting the girl next to him to break into his music, "Didn't expect that from you." He combated his shock with a laugh, raising one eyebrow in a mocking stare, but inside he was puzzled: Shinone had a habit of lighting up the room- illuminating every corner with her very aura- the night would be the last thing he would put her down as liking; but somehow it made sense…
    "It's beautiful," Shinone hadn't noticed his sarcasm and, secretly, Zenith was glad. Now he could enjoy the glow that was setting her red eyes alight as she stared at the heavens. "You know, in Echoe Hatsune's time they were thought of as the souls of loved ones- watching those they had to leave behind."
     Zenith snorted "You believe that?"
    "Completely!" Zenith almost laughed again, but the fiery look Shinone fixed him with stopped him dead. "There has to be more to life than it simply… stopping. You can't just leave everyone behind: Echoe died and she stuck around who's to say that…."
    Zenith gently laid his palms onto her shoulders and looked her in the eye, "I believe you, Shi. Sometimes, I like to think that as well."
    "I'd love to go up there one day, live among the stars and look down on the entire world- surrounded by members of my family. Wouldn't you?"
     He looked Shinone in the eyes, the moon reflecting in their scarlet hue, the silver light becoming entangled in her long lashes so that her irises danced each time she blinked and- for the first time- Zenith understood why he always looked to Shinone before June, why his heart started syncopating at the mere mention of her name…
    He brushed a stray amber strand away from her pearl cheek but left his hand there- cupping the smooth contour and bringing it close. Shinone didn't protest, her arms moving to his waist seconds after he swept her coral ribbon away from her neck. He stared into those eyes framed by rose eye shadow and she stared back. "Wouldn't you?" Shinone's glossy lips parted, inviting him in- he barely registered what she said, "Wouldn't you love to be so close that you could almost reach out and touch your own special star?"
    They moved closer until Zenith could almost make out his own profile within her pupil and then… he saw nothing: his lids fluttered down and the two of them pressed their lips onto each other for what could only have been a crotchet beat. Then they parted, but this time, they remained staring at each other's faces, the shifting tides-for once- passing over Zenith's musical mind.
    "You are my star."
    And he didn't care what June or his twin would think.

    "Wouldn't you love to be so close that you could almost reach out and touch your own special star?"
    Zenith stood with his back to the world- staring out across the ocean, just watching as the sun sank below the horizon and the stars pushed their way out of the darkness determinedly.
    He didn't care what June or his twin thought: he was taking that job; he was going to into space.   
    He clasped the cerulean silk in his hand, his clenched fist shaking with the sheer effort of keeping it safe.
    He was going… to Shinone.