The warm glow of sunset began to seep into their apartment as Sammi leaned against the doorframe, watching Eriko hunched over her desk, her face illuminated by the blue light of her laptop screen. Another day had slipped by in silent study, and Sammi could see the faint lines of exhaustion etched into Eriko’s usually calm expression. It had been like this for weeks—Eriko lost in her world of literature and philosophy, her mind journeying to distant epochs, ancient worlds, and complex theories. But Sammi knew there was another world Eriko needed, the one they shared together, outside the confines of her books.
Without a word, Sammi strolled into the room, gently closing Eriko’s laptop. Eriko blinked in surprise, looking up as Sammi reached out her hand.
“Come on,” Sammi said, smiling softly. “I want to show you something.”
Eriko hesitated, her gaze drifting to the unfinished stack of papers on her desk. But something in Sammi’s eyes, a softness she couldn’t resist, made her reach for Sammi’s hand. Together, they slipped into their jackets and stepped outside, walking in comfortable silence as they made their way toward the canal park near their apartment.
The sun hung low in the sky, casting warm hues of pink, orange, and gold across the water. The canal reflected the sunset, turning it into a river of liquid light. Sammi led Eriko to a quiet bench along the path, guiding her to sit as the last golden rays of the day danced on the rippling surface.
Eriko sat quietly, her gaze fixed on the water, captivated by the serene beauty of the scene. Sammi watched her for a moment, a playful glint in her eye.
“Alright, Ms. Scholar,” Sammi said, her voice low and teasing. “I brought you here to see if I could break that iron focus of yours. Think you can resist me?”
Eriko’s lips curved into a rare, soft smile. “You’re free to try,” she replied, a hint of challenge in her voice.
Sammi shifted closer, letting her arm slide around Eriko’s shoulders. “This isn’t a test,” she whispered. “It’s just us. Here, with this sky, this water, and…” She leaned in, her breath warm against Eriko’s cheek. “This moment.”
Eriko’s heart beat faster, her mind slowing down, the whirl of ideas and theories fading into the background. Here, under the fading light, Sammi’s presence was all she could feel, grounding her in a way no book ever could.
After a few moments of comfortable silence, Eriko let out a breath and murmured, “You remind me of a poem.”
“Oh?” Sammi’s eyes lit up. “Which one?”
“It’s Baudelaire’s *The Fountain*,” Eriko said softly, her voice carrying the tender rhythm of the verse. “‘I am like the king of a rainy land, rich but weak, young with an ancient old age, who scorns his bow and arrow in the reeds and can neither hunt nor soar.’”
Sammi listened, a gentle smile playing on her lips as Eriko continued.
“‘For whom no flower blooms, no meadow greens; no joy in the forest, no laughter in the brook…’” Eriko’s voice softened as she looked into Sammi’s eyes. “But in the presence of the one he loves, all things take on new light, new color… because she is his fountain, his life.”
Sammi’s eyes softened, her playful expression melting into something more profound. She reached out, tracing her fingers along Eriko’s cheek. “So that’s what I am to you?”
Eriko nodded, her gaze steady. “In a world of words and ideas, you’re my reality, Sammi. You remind me of what’s here and now. What’s worth living for.”
Moved, Sammi leaned in, pressing her forehead to Eriko’s. “Then promise me,” she whispered, “that no matter where your mind goes, you’ll come back to me. We’ll create our own poetry. Every sunset, every canal, every walk.”
Eriko closed her eyes, breathing in Sammi’s warmth, her presence grounding her in ways she could barely comprehend. She lifted her hand, letting her fingers intertwine with Sammi’s. “I promise.”
The last rays of the sun dipped below the horizon, leaving them bathed in the gentle light of twilight. They stayed like that, hands entwined, hearts quiet, sharing a love that needed no words, a love that was poetry in itself.
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