Raspberry Ripple

Dax must have thought he had mastered the art of conceal. Sana would give him the credit to an extent but recently she had been noticing some slips in the cracks. The steel mirror that had once hidden his emotions was becoming translucent by day. In the past few days, Sana had seen the soft curve of Dax's smile, the tender look in his eyes when he watched her and the tension in his face disappearing as he took her in his arms.

While these glimpses became more frequent, today was the first time Sana watched fear cage Dax openly. When he recalled his story for her, she had seen his anxious eyes looking at everywhere but her, his hold on her getting tighter at difficult parts of the story, and the colour leaving his face when she'd admitted she was scared. He was terrified she was going to let go of him.

Underneath the toughness, he was a young man desperate for a new beginning. A chance to lead an ordinary life.

Sana had been at a similar mental space at one point of time. It wasn't sympathy or pity for him that prompted her to hold onto him tighter and dream a future with him.

It was because she understood.

And because she was hopelessly in love with him.

She wished she could tell him that but she was clouded with rubbish thoughts about appropriate timing and his reaction. Wait, was it necessary to even say it aloud? It was obvious enough, right?

"But we have a problem at hand," Dax interrupted her thoughts.

"What problem?"

"Raju anna. He knows about you."

She tilted her head to the side. "I'm not following."

Dax explained about that tyrannic man's principles about loyalty and how he aims to be the only one his men should be loyal to. The logic made sense but it was heartless to want to achieve it in reality.

"I spoke to the two men who harassed you today. Their plan was to make me choose between you and Raju anna."

Sana thought about it. "So, they'd harass me in front of you and when you defend me, they'd say it was Raju's orders. So, you'd have to choose between protecting me and complying with his orders. To test your loyalty."

Dax nodded.

"Why is he finding me to be such a threat?"

"Because he knows I'm in love with you. He knows how love can make any man bend."

Sana nodded. "Makes sense." Then her eyes widened and her hands gripped his shoulders. "Wait, what did you say?"

Dax was alarmed. "What did I say? Did I say something wrong?"

"You're in love with me?"

He looked at her as if she'd lost her memories. "Yeah," he said as a matter of fact, concerned. "Are you okay, red?"

"You can't just say that out of the blue and pretend I'm the one losing my mind!" she said, shaking his shoulders and tearing up. She didn't know why she was making the words a big deal when she also considered it to be obvious and implied. Maybe it was the shock that Dax was the first one to say the words out loud. Or because she didn't think he loved her as much as she did him. She didn't know.

"I'm just saying the truth."

Sana chuckled through her tears at how clueless this man was. And it somehow made the moment even more special. "I'm in love with you too," she whispered, suddenly feeling shy.

"Are you blushing?"

"Shut up."

"I didn't think it would be a big deal."