by Con Template
From my peripheral vision, I could see his lips tilt into a smile.
“If the world is dark when it is four in the afternoon, when the sun is clearly shining through, does that not mean time has stopped? Yes, the seconds in your man-made clocks may move forward, but your world as a whole, at that moment, completely stops. It stops because the sun and the moon are the true indicators of time. It stops because it is unnatural for the sun and moon to rule the skies together in this manner. As we all know, for an eternity to be considered an eternity, it means that time must be constant—it must go on and on. Ergo, if you freeze it in its position, then the impossible has occurred: you have not only eclipsed eternity itself, but at that precise moment . . .”
“You have broken it,” I finished for him.
A laugh flowed from the depths of his chest. He was highly amused at my poetic label. “That’s one way to put it.”
I dragged in an astounded breath, peering up at the natural phenomenon that seemed to have overshadowed all other milestones in my young life. One of my biggest goals was to witness an eclipse. I couldn’t believe this goal had come to fruition. Years upon years of everything I had learned about this natural phenomenon assailed my mind. I couldn’t help but share it with Eclipse.
“Since ancient times, humans have viewed the solar eclipse as an omen—the prelude to a significant change, the precursor to a natural disaster, and the harbinger of all things catastrophic.”
“They are right to perceive it in this manner.” I could hear the pride in his voice. Such a celestial event that bears the same name as him could only be as powerful.
“Yet,” I resumed with wonder in my voice, “there are other cultures in the world that perceive the solar eclipse as the sun and the moon making love.”
Eclipse looked like he was about to fall off the mountain. He shot me a strange look of inquiry that I could only smile at.
“Some believe that the sun and the moon are our guardians,” I went on, “and that when an eclipse occurs, it is because our guardians are leaving their place in the Heavens to check up on us—to make sure we’re alright.”
Eclipse smiled slowly, amused by these conflicting views.
“What do you think the eclipse represents?” he asked with interest.
I glanced at him before returning my gaze back to the eclipse. I paused to consider my answer before saying, “Undying love.”
Eclipse looked utterly flummoxed, and he didn’t bother to hide it. “Undying love?”
I nodded, unfazed by the scrutiny on his face. I had already made myself out to be a hopeless romantic this weekend. It was only right that I continued.
I eagerly pointed at the eclipse.
“You see the corona of the eclipse? The thin circle of light still present from the sun?”
Eclipse smirked quietly. He was no doubt finding hilarity in me giving him directions on how to view his own phenomenon.
“Yes,” he answered, humoring me.
“Okay, now do you know what the bailey bead is? The beads of light shining brightly at the end, just after the sun and moon merges together . . . right before the sun disappears behind the moon?”
He nodded his confirmation.
“When this occurs and only one bead is left . . . doesn’t the whole silhouette look like a diamond ring to you?”
A blaze of recognition speared through his eyes. Now that I had mentioned it, it was clear he saw it too. Whenever a total solar eclipse occurs, and whenever the sun and the moon parts, the diamond ring always makes its appearance, if only fleetingly.
The diamond ring effect.
I laughed softly, practically gushing at him. “When I was younger, I used to think the eclipse symbolizes two souls joining together as one. The moon and the sun are worlds apart—they are not meant to be together. One is assigned to rule over the day and the other is assigned to rule over the night. They were never created to be together, but every once in a while, they disobey the laws of nature and come together—against all odds—to be in love.”
My eyes grew ardent at the silliness of my own words. Even when a smile was tugging at Eclipse’s lips, I couldn’t stop.
“You can even argue that one of them is a dark soul and the other is a good soul. Others would say that the eclipse is a bad omen because the sun is blinded by the moon. I, on the other hand, think it gives hope because it shows that no matter how dark someone could be, there’s always the silver lining for them. The corona and the diamond ring effect prove that even in absolute darkness, the light of grace always shines through.”
My smile grew wider.
“Is that not undying love? No matter what shape an eclipse takes, it will always be perpetual—it will always be unending. No matter how separated they are, they will always join together when the time comes.”
My eyes brightened with hope.
“Is that not the love that all of creation strives to have? The type of love that could cause the world to stop in its tracks? The type of love that could stop time and break eternity itself?”
Eclipse cocked a fascinated brow. “For such a sadistic soul, you are truly a romantic at heart.”
I shrugged, diverting my attention back to the eclipse. “When you have nothing but darkness shrouding over you, the only saving grace is to think of nice things like this.”
“There is a reason why the sun and the moon are separated,” he murmured close to my ear. “Because they were never created to be together. It is against the bylaws of nature.”
I turned to him. “Rules are meant to be broken, are they not?”
He smiled faintly. “Only by those of extraordinary exception.”
I inclined my head, silently saying, “There ya go,” and he laughed at my response.
“Your love will destroy the world, Teacup,” he said instead, referring to my fantastical views on the eclipse. He edged closer, the proximity of him becoming as spellbinding as the cosmic occurrence above me. “Because no amount of good you see in the eclipse will override the fact that it was created to bring doom upon your kind.”
Now it was my turn to arch a mocking brow. “Must be nice to be a realist as opposed to an idealist.”
“It is very liberating,” he agreed without reluctance.
Judging by the tone in his voice, I deduced that he felt sorry for me. In his mind, he reasoned that it must suck to be a romantic stuck in such a cruel world.
We steadily grew quiet as we continued to linger at the edge of the mountain, reveling in the sight of the Heavens. I sighed deeply, unhappy with certain parts of our conversation. Staring at the eclipse only reminded me of his immortality. No matter how “human” Eclipse appeared this weekend, it could never be forgotten that he was like his namesake—powerful, fascinating, eternal, and forbidden for a human like me.
In the face of the extravagance above me, I felt his grandeur as well.
“What do you miss about your powers?” I asked out of the blue.
Eclipse took a long, ponderous moment to think about the answer. “Flying.”
Amazement wielded its powers over me. My eyes expanded as I stared up at him, enraptured. The Eclipse standing beside me suddenly appeared more epic than the eclipse hanging in the sky above me.
“You—” I felt my breath escape me. “You have wings?”
A proud smile illumed on his face. He slowly nodded.
My gaze traced his bare back before I unsteadily locked eyes with him. I was now having trouble stabilizing my breathing.
“What do they look like?”
“Black,” he shared, pride pulsating in his voice. “Black wings that are so big and so beautiful that even Angels envy them. Wings that are so powerful that when I fully extend them, they would eclipse the sky with their magnificence. A single flap could cause the world to shake and a single swipe could wipe out an entire city.” Humor submerged his eyes. “Of course, for the sake of mobility, I reduced them to being roughly twenty feet long.”
I t
hought I was going to pass out from being so awestruck. “Wh – why don’t you have wings now?”
A bitter smile flickered across his lips. “Only a powerful Demon can handle wings. Since I am a Fallen Demon, I cannot handle wings. But I miss them.” He moved behind me and wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me close to him. The heat of his bare chest pressed into the fabric of my black top as he brought his lips to my ear. “I miss gliding around the world without a care. You asked me what I did for fun. Humans hike . . .” He touched the side of my temple, and instantly, the eclipse was gone, leaving me with only the moon and the stars “. . . I fly.”
Before giving me the chance to marvel at the fact that nighttime had fallen over the world, he moved his free hand to my chin and angled me to look up at him. Still lingering behind me, his brilliant brown eyes rivaled the bejeweled sky. Thoughts about the sudden disappearance of the sun dissolved, and I instead drowned in the dark pools of his gaze.
I knew he could see it from the reflective stars in my eyes—I was immensely jealous of him.
“I will give you your own wings if you convert for me,” he proposed ardently. His coaxing hand trailed down my back, illustrating to me where my wings would be. My heart quickened at the possibility. “I will make them more beautiful than mine, and your wings will be the envy of the rest of creation.”
Standing atop the mountain, being so close to the glittering ocean above me, I was completely enthralled. I had dreamed of having wings all my life; I had dreamed of flying, of gliding freely among the stars all my life. Even though I shouldn’t, I couldn’t help but entertain the proposition that was being given so freely to me.
“Will mine be bigger than yours?”
“No,” he answered with a smile. “If I give you wings, yours are going to be smaller than mine.”
Even in my stupor, I was lucid enough to frown. “Why?”
The smile in his voice intensified as he pressed himself closer to me. “So when we stand at the edge of the world like this, my wings can curl around yours and keep them warm.”
The image that briefly surfaced in my mind was a glorious one. But then, I shook my head. Acknowledging that I was taking this too far, I blinked those fantastical thoughts away.
My voice grew timid as I tried to steer the temptation away with a brush of reality. “But I’m afraid of heights.”
“All the more reason why you need wings,” he crooned, now wrapping both of his strong arms around my waist, making me feel incredibly small and dainty compared to him.
“I want to see yours,” I said instead.
He grinned beside me, nodding expectantly. He didn’t look pleased that I had subtly rejected another one of his offers, but he didn’t let it affect the adoration he was spoiling me with.
“Maybe someday when I regain my full powers, I’ll show them to you.” He then exhaled languidly, looking around at the night, no doubt enjoying the view. “Thank you for a wonderful birthday, Teacup. When it’s your turn, I will give you the world.”
“No problem,” I beamed naïvely, thrilled that he was finally acknowledging my efforts with a “thank you.” “I’m glad you liked—Ahhh!”
Eclipse abruptly untangled himself from me. With his palms lying flat on my back, he pushed me over the edge of the cliff, only catching me right before I fell. While the heels of my feet were barely holding me up on the edge of the cliff, he turned me over in his arms so that I’d have a direct view of him holding me—literally between life and death.
He favored me with a wicked smile, yanked me back to him, and pulled me to the ground. While showcasing ease in his movements, his beautiful body came over me.
“Now if you don’t mind,” he incited huskily, staring down at me like I was the most stunning thing in creation. He looked unbelievably seductive. “I’d like to give myself the present I was supposed to get last night.”
“Wh – what?” I asked stupidly, trying to avoid staring at his lips.
“Give me my first kiss, Teacup.” He laughed, stroking my face with care. “Give me the first milestone of my life.”
I froze. “Your first kiss?”
He sighed longingly, lazily tracing his thumb over my lips. The sheer sexuality of this simple movement made my toes curl.
“I have been very careful with you, Gracie. I’ve wanted to kiss those gorgeous lips of yours since I first met you. Because I feared for your life, I held back. Every time you speak, I want to throw myself at you and kiss you like you should be kissed.” He grinned mischievously, the finger tracing over my collarbone. “I’ve waited a very long time for you, and I even gave you my forbidden fruit.” He chuckled, his eyes twinkling before he added, “I even woke up early for you.”
“Early?” I echoed dumbly. “But you’ve been asleep for nearly a week.”
“And it would’ve taken another week for me to fully consolidate my powers.”
Curiosity swelled inside me. “Why are you up so soon then?”
“Why do you think?” He leaned down, giving me a closer view of that flawless face. “You really don’t know the possible reason as to why I woke up so early?”
My heart galloped frantically as I considered what he was insinuating. My eyes enlarged when the reason came to me. I looked at him, worry lacing my voice. “You – you didn’t hear anything when you were asleep, did you?”
My one-sided conversation with Eclipse—where I was berating him for lying to me—was by far the most vulnerable and human conversation I had ever had with anyone. It unnerved me that he could have been privy to it. I mean, he was asleep! He couldn’t have heard it . . . right?
“Everything,” he finally admitted, his soft lips leaning down to briefly trace my jawline with care. “Every. Single. Thing.” He levered himself up and continued to speak, his lyrical voice rolling over me like soothing waves. “I felt it when you hit me with that pillow. I heard your shaking voice when you screamed at me, and I sensed your disappointment when you sat down on that couch, staring at me like I was the most awful thing in the world.” There was a tinge of regret that lurked in his eyes. “I heard everything and I wanted desperately to come out of my hibernation. So I fought tooth and nail to wake up early, so I could come back to you.” His amused eyes noted the precarious position we were in, both figuratively and literally speaking. “And so here we are . . . on the brink of our relationship again.”
I stared up at him, unable to modulate all the thoughts and emotions that had run amuck within me.
“I – I – you . . .” I couldn’t even formulate a logical sentence. “That persimmon,” I prompted hazily. “You were supposed to eat that yourself, weren’t you? You were supposed to eat that in order to regain your power. You were supposed to eat that so you wouldn’t have to even bother going into recuperation mode . . .”
Eclipse didn’t say anything, but I knew his silence meant agreement.
“Why did you give it to me instead?”
He measured me for a thoughtful second. “I . . . am not as unfeeling as you may think I am,” was all he said.
I still couldn’t fathom his motives. “Why did you decide to give it to me in the first place?”
“To ensure that you have nothing to fear when it comes to me. You may not have been able to handle me before, but you can handle everything I want to offer you now.” A chuckle streamed from his lips. His mesmerizing eyes compelled me to hold his gaze. “You can look at it as an unspoken promise. You weren’t aware that you were actually biting into the forbidden fruit, but for your next forbidden fruit, you will know exactly what you’re getting yourself into.”
I swallowed convulsively because I knew that my next temptation—my next forbidden fruit—was him. The persimmon was merely a warm-up, an elixir used to ensure that I would be able to handle Eclipse without dying from being with him. The true forbidden fruit had always been Eclipse himself.
My face turned scarlet red because lying there like that, staring up at his face, I already felt the
temptation slither over me. It was begging me to take a plunge at death so I could have a taste of life. It was ironic that our position over the edge of the cliff mirrored my internal struggle. Should I take the leap of faith or hold on for dear life?
Having no answer to that, I numbly searched his face, inwardly considering his words before another pressing thought came into the forefront of my mind.
“You’ve really never kissed anyone before?”
Eclipse chuckled again, shaking his head. He lifted his fingers and gingerly stroked my hair. “I’ve been very careful with what I do. I pick and choose my milestones, and I only want to remember the best.” He gazed down at me intently, those gorgeous eyes seemingly piercing into mine. “You don’t want that honor, Teacup? To give the Demon of Lust his first kiss? You don’t want to be my first milestone? Out of all the blurs in my eternity, don’t you want to be the one who stands out?”
I did.
Oh God, I did.
I didn’t want to live forever, but I wanted to live forever through him. Forever didn’t wait for a lifetime, but if I made an impact on him, then eternity would always remember my lifetime. If I disappeared from this world, then I would not be a blur. I would be unforgettable.
I felt so greedy.
I fought to regulate my breathing as I ran my hand over his sculpted back and dug my nails into his skin, marking my existence physically and psychologically.
“Put me out of my misery,” he urged, desire aching in his hoarse voice. The expression on his face was rife with desperation. For such a dominant creature, I knew it was killing him to shift the power over to me. “Stop teasing me and give me our first kiss, Gracie.”
A flare of excitement flowed through me. Having Eclipse blatantly yearn for me made me feel as if I had the world kneeling at my feet. I no longer felt like an insignificant human. I felt powerful, beautiful, and epic—like an eternal milestone. How could I say no to him when my entire body was surging to life for him?