Deep inside the forest behind the Salvatore School, there was a clearing where the wind traveled freely and foxes used to rest by. But tonight, that place was reserved by someone else.
Descending from the skies, Hope tilted her head to the side to see the source of the faint orange light coming from below.
Beyond the moonlight, a few candles scattered across the clearing illuminated the surroundings. Of them all, a couple stood over a wooden table positioned in the center of the open space, with the rest hovering in the air around.
When he landed, John put Hope down slowly. Observing the scenery, the young woman was momentarily quiet at arrangements made by her boyfriend.
The wooden surface of the table was covered by a white tablecloth, with two white porcelain plates and two sets of cutlery resting over it.
Beyond these, there wasn't a lack of metal cloches protecting the food inside from the wind, with Hope feeling a slight touch of magic coming from each of them. By what she could feel, there were spells in each cloche to maintain the food at pristine condition to be consumed.
Step by step, Hope approached the table and reached out her hand inside the metal bucket. She took out a medium-sized bottle of a drink, her eyebrows moving up slightly when seeing what it was.
"Wine?" She raised the bottle towards her boyfriend.
John smiled. "Let's not pretend we are teenagers who never had a taste of alcohol." He said, walking closer to her. "It's also not like we can be affected by the small percentage of alcohol in it anyway." Inserting his hand into the ice bucket, John brought something else out from it. "And if you don't like it, there are some cans of soda in here." He weakly shook the can.
"Very romantic." Hope commented humorously, putting the bottle back into the ice.
John simply shrugged. "It was these or chocolate drinks."
"Somehow, they do seem to fit the date more." Hope took the can from John's hand, reading the brand on it. "Gua… rana?" She tried to pronounce it, but she stalled on the first syllabus.
Stifling his own laugh, John covered his lips. "It's guaraná, a drink based on a fruit of the same name from Brasil." He explained. "I found some cans in the market in town and decided to buy some. Of course, if you end up not enjoying it, I have some other drinks as well. I took some time preparing it, after all."
Lifting up her eyes to him, Hope stood on the tip of her toes. She gave him a kiss, cupping his cheek with her hand.
The kiss was brief, with Hope soon backing away. "Thank you, for all of this. I could never ask for more." She said honestly, displaying her ever beautiful smile.
Her words couldn't make the young man happier, making John's expression beaming with satisfaction. "Thank you, even if it isn't as extravagant as the flowers."
"Please, don't undervalue your effort. Not today."
John nodded. "Well, shall we?" He asked, gesturing his hands towards the table.
"Wait a moment. I want to take a picture of it." Hope took her phone out. She pointed it towards the dinner setting and pressed the middle bottom of the screen.
Snap!
There was no flashlight, only the light from the candles was used to save the scenery in the picture.
Putting her phone away, Hope looked at her boyfriend. She observed as he pulled out a chair for her. "Would you wish to sit, my Lady?" He asked her gently, bowing at her in a theatrical manner.
Hope let out an amused, sweet laugh. "I would be happy to accept your invitation, my kind Sir." She followed his antics and bowed down her head as well before walking ahead.
After she sat down and John pushed the chair, he walked around the table and sat on the other chair.
Snap!
With a snap of his fingers, all the cloches disappeared and the rich smell of the carefully prepared dishes filled the surrounding area.
"It smells great." Hope commented.
"Thanks." John said. "All those culinary shows we watched together served something." He commented.
"And you kept saying that is old lady's stuff."
"I still think it is." John smirked. "Come on, what would you like to eat?" He asked, ready to serve her whatever she wished.
However, Hope didn't let him do so. "You don't need to serve me. You've already done enough, I can do that."
"If you say so." Then, John moved his hands to grab the dishes he wanted to eat and put on his plate.
They served themselves, started eating and talked with each other. The topics were trivial matters, about things they haven't had the opportunity to discuss.
They talked about classes they took separately to small projects each one was working with.
Seconds, minutes and almost an hour passed by. No matter how much time passed, they seemed to never run out of topics to talk about, principally because they still had much to share about themselves to the other.
As the stars on the sky dislocated and the night was reaching its darkest point, Hope parted her lips. The question she was about to ask had been on her mind for some time now.
"When did you have time to do all of this?" She looked around, at everything prepared; from the drinks to the now empty half a dozen dishes.
To reply, John first needed to clean the corner of his mouth. "Right after I left you in your room, I sprinted towards the kitchen. I already had a deal with the cooking staff, so I had a part of the kitchen reserved for me while they prepared everyone else's dinner."
Hope seemed slightly surprised to know it. "You did all of this in such a short time?"
"Nothing that a bit of magic and a meticulous control of my abilities don't resolve." He smirked, a little proud of himself.
Hope snorted. "I guess you are right." Having said that, she put her cutlery down and reached out her hand to grab the wine bottle.
While she poured a little bit of her cup with the drink, Hope paid some more attention to the brand and noticed it was familiar. "Isn't this wine kind of expensive?"
"It was a recommendation from your aunt, so yeah…" John nodded. "But since most of the money from the casino is just piling up on the account and this is a special occasion, I couldn't think of a reason why not to buy this." He explained casually, taking a bite off the beef rib he prepared.
Pouring a bit for her, Hope twirled the cup in her hand while she breathed in the wine's scent. "It certainly smells nice."
"I hope it tastes good as well." John poured some wine for him.
Before drinking the reddish purple liquid, the two of them raised their glasses. But, they didn't toast yet.
"Normally, people say something when they toast. But I truly don't know what to say right now." John commented, scratching his cheek.
Hope laughed at him. "How about… for a brightful future for both of us?"
Slowly, a warm smile bloomed in John's lips. "Sounds good to me."
Clank!
After toasting, both of them took a sip. They savored the bittersweet taste of the wine and hummed in delight.
"It's better than I imagined." Hope commented.
"I agree." John said, drinking some more of the wine. "Honestly, I wasn't expecting much of it since I'm not a fan of most alcoholic drinks. But this is great."
Quietly, Hope put down her crystal glass. "If you don't like this kind of drink that much, why did you still choose it?"
"Hm… How should I say it? I'm in that kind of phase of my life that I'm trying things." John responded, putting down his crystal glass as well. "I remember saying to you the first time we met that I wasn't as extroverted as I am now. Due to the events in my life – learning what I am now and what I know – I changed a little. I guess one of these changes is that I'm up to experience new things." He said, slow-paced and calmly. "Before, I would never travel somewhere else without meticulously planning for a month before, even if the place was in the same state. Now? I wouldn't give it much importance. Sometimes, I think it would be cool to just go to another country with my phone only and let nature guide me."
As she listened to him, Hope savored her food. "Now that I think about it, you said that right after graduating, you planned to travel the world, right?"
"Yeah, that's the idea." John nodded.
"Then… What about college?" Hope asked. "You think of giving it a try or not?"
Thinking of it, John crunched his nose. "Not really. There isn't a college that has any appeal for me."
"Then, you don't have interest in any career as well?" Hope asked again, which was just followed by another question. "Actually, we've never had this conversation, right? Of what we plan for our futures."
"No. At most, we just dabbled on it." John looked at her. "Do you want to talk about it now? I wouldn't mind."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Just because it's Valentine's, it doesn't mean we need to avoid serious matters." John replied. "I would like very much to hear your opinion on this matter."
"Okay, then." Hope let out a long breath, straightening her back. "So… about my future. It's not perfectly planned, but I know the general course."
"I'm listening." John said, his eyes completely focusing on her.
"First, after graduating from school, I plan to join college. I have some options in mind, some in the US, and one or two in Europe. But to be honest, I don't know if going to another continent by myself is a good idea." Hope said, letting out her ideas.
While he listened to her, John put some food on his plate. "If you decide to leave the country, and by then we are still together, which is what I hope–" He quickly said to not raise problems. "You can feel safe that you won't be alone, Hope. I will be there for you, everytime and anywhere."
"But wouldn't that be contradictory to what you plan? How would you be there all the time?" Hope asked a little playfully, not expecting a real answer.
However, surprises weren't always bad or the result of something grand.
Reaching his hand, John took Hope's hand into his. "I would think of a way." He said resolutely. "If you wish so, every night I will be with you. I might be anywhere in the world, you just need to call and I will be wherever you are in a minute. May it be here at Mystic Falls, anywhere in the US, another country or even another world, I will be there for you, Hope."
While he spoke these words, John looked directly into Hope's eyes all the time, the golden hue of his eyes faintly reflecting in her crystal blue iris.
If Hope said she wasn't slightly startled by his statement, she knew she would be lying.
Due to their short time together, Hope still wasn't fully capable of knowing when he was lying or telling her the truth at all times. However, at this moment, she couldn't remember a time her boyfriend seemed to exude such honesty as now.
Maybe it was just her taking every word he said as literal, but Hope couldn't shake off the feeling John appeared to mean every word he said in a literal sense.
"… Even if I'm on the other side of the world?" Hope asked after some seconds of silence, her fingers warping around his hand.
"You could be on the Moon, and I would be there in a minute." John replied confidently.
To his response, Hope raised an eyebrow of small doubt. "And how would you do that?" She asked, curious for what he would say.
Slowly, a smile made its way to John's lips. "I… this secret of mine I will tell you some day."
"When?" Hope asked, her tone getting abruptly more serious.
"That day will be June 21st." John replied, as if he had long decided it.
Hope thought of that date before realizing what would happen on that day. "Our graduation?"
"Yes." John nodded. "If we are still together that day, which I honestly – from the bottom of my soul – wish so, I will tell you every little thing about me. Even this secret of mine. And then, you will know why wherever you are, I will be with you." He didn't notice it, but John squeezed Hope's hand a little more.
But if he didn't notice it, Hope did. Still, she didn't look away from his expression and kept staring back into his eyes. "Is that a promise?"
"If you want, we can even hook our pinky fingers." John laughed, stretching out his pinky finger to offer the traditional pinky promise.
Hope wasn't capable of not letting out a very amused laugh at her boyfriend's attitude. "Okay, pinky promise." She said, hooking their fingers together.
"Then, it's decided." John said.
After unhooking their fingers, a few couple seconds passed before one of them broke the silence.
"If I were you, I would spill it out already, for I don't plan to let you go so soon." Hope said, picking up her cutlery.
John couldn'thelp but let out a short snort of humor. "I will think about it." He said, joking as well.
Smiles of enjoyment and happiness took over the expressions of the two teenagers, with them resuming their dinner.
For as long as there was still food and drinks to be consumed, the couple continued talking and laughing. Together, they spent a joyful night, expecting this to just be one of many to come.
…
"Where are you taking me now?" Hope asked, the cold breeze of the night swaying through her hair and caressing her skin.
"You will see in a couple minutes." John replied, flying a bit faster.
Just as he said, all they needed were a couple minutes to reach their destination.
In a location even further away from the school, there was a waterfall amidst the dense forest. It was the nascent of the river running nearby the school. From there, the river cut through the forest and moved towards many directions.
The place was breathtaking, with the moonlight reflecting on the cascading water, making it look like a pearly waterfall.
From their high point of view, Hope could glimpse a perfect reflection of the moon on the surface where the river took form and moved to other corners of the forest.
Slowly, the two of them descended on the top of the waterfall. They landed right on a flat rock surrounded by water that could barely fit them standing over it. Yet, Hope didn't care if some drops of the water reached her feet and made them wet. Now, they were a couple dozen meters above the lower part of the woods, with the beautiful scenery gracing her eyes.
The canopy of the trees covered as far as she could see. The moon was mostly illuminated, missing just a beat before it would reach its most dangerous phase.
Everything was perfectly aligned. The river, the forest and the moon were where they should be to create the most perfect scenery this location could provide during the night, with even the stars in the dark sky twinkling to show their appreciation for the beauty of nature.
"It is beautiful, isn't it?" John whispered. At moments like this, a soft tone was better than anything.
Mesmerized by the sight, Hope needed a moment to give an answer. "It's… magnificent."
John smiled. "Glad you liked it." He said, turning his eyes to the river below. "I discovered it while preparing your gift."
"My gift?" Hope blurted out, focusing on him.
John stretched his arm, pointing it towards the surface of the river below.
To Hope's surprise, right at the center of where the river formed, the water opened up. Then, from there, a small wooden box floated out and moved in their direction.
Hope kept her eyes locked on the box until it landed on her boyfriend's hands.
When seeing Hope's fixed stare on the box, John smiled in amusement. "In a bit of expectation?"
"Yeah." Hope breathed out. "I mean, not saying I'm expecting something specific. I just…" A joyful chuckle escaped her lips. "Whatever it is, I will be happy with it." She said, giving him a pearly white smile. "Now, open it already." Hope urged him, trying to get even closer to him despite the small available place.
Laughing at her, John put one hand over the box's lid. He slid his fingers under the lid and lifted it up, revealing the content inside.
What rested inside was a thin, fine and beautiful silver bracelet. The faintest moonlight invading the box made the bracelet seem to have a light of itself.
Carefully, Hope picked it out of the box and inspected every little detail of the bracelet.
There were two gemstones adorning the bracelet. The first was a diamond sculpted in the shape of the Moon, with the second being an amber drawn as the Sun. Along the extension of the bracelet, some small words were carved into the metal.
'To You, I shall give the Sun and the Moon, for only you are worthy of their guidance and companionship…'
A little out of character, John observed Hope timidly. He was anxious to learn of her thoughts. "So, what did you–"
Before the question could be properly formed, the extremely small distance between the couple was closed with Hope lacing her arms around her boyfriend's neck and taking his lips.
Her movement – despite being unexpected – was fully welcomed by the young man, with him holding her as well.
However, Hope's movements pushed John a little bit off the rock and now there was only air beneath his feet.
Before gravity could do its job, the idea of flying did cross John's mind. However, not only was he distracted by the warmth and softness over his lips, but he also unconsciously knew they would be fine.
Whoosh… Splash!
The river broke apart as the two passed through its surface.
Amidst the water, Hope and John opened their eyes. The blazing gold and crystal blue eyes worked as lighthouses surrounded by darkness.
The resistance of the water seemed useless as John leaned forward and touched Hope's forehead with his own.
I love you. These words weren't spoken, they were thought. Still, John could transmit them to her girlfriend.
Even though the surprise to hear her boyfriend's voice in her mind was great, Hope could only smile and hug her boyfriend even tighter as they slowly ascended back into the surface, not wishing to let him go any time soon.
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