“Do you think I’d give up?”

I paused at his voice. It had been decades since I heard him. Since we would spend evenings, sharing stories and idle gossip of the village.

Evenings-before I fled. Afraid to tell him about my true nature.

After all- how could a lady of the fae fall for a man? An eternal aspect of nature- tied to someone so fragile.

“Chess.”

“You can’t be-“

Looking back, I couldn’t help the cry of agony that escaped my lips. His ivory hair, those bright blue-grey eyes…all as I remembered.

“It cat be! It’s been decades! By all accounts you should be-“

“Dead?”

“Yes.” My voice trembled. “Even if you were meant to haunt me, it’s best you leave. It would be a mistake to stay.”

He frowned, tilting his head curiously before laughing and crossing his arms.

“How could you think darlin’, I’d scare so easily?”

Those words, “Darlin’”, “Chess” echoed back memories of laughter, memories of protection, facing monsters of all kinds.

I rapidly began to walk away. There was no way he could be here. Even as my tears blinded my vision, I knew to get away from the silhouette.

“Francesca!” A hand claimed mine, pulling me back to him and into warm arms.

Allowing me to hear the rush of his heartbeat. The warm hold only a living human could provide.

“H-how?”

A gentle kiss pressed on my forehead.

“Remember what I told you the first time I kissed you?”

“‘My life was a storm since I was born.’” I echoed softly.

“And if someone asked me at the end-“

“I’d tell them put me back in it.” I smiled, before claiming his lips with mine.

“Exactly Darlin’.” He murmured between kisses.

“And the gods don’t mind you defying fate?” I asked, breaking to meet his gaze.

“With this lovely thing, they’ll never know.” He smirked, reveling the pendant he wore.

I couldn’t help it, I trembled in shock. For he had the pendant of immortality.

“H-how?! That was meant to be unattainable!”

“I’m a stubborn man, chasing the fairy tale he fell for.” He laughed. “Besides, once I realized what you were, I knew one thing.”

“And what is that?”

“Heaven is not fit to house a love like you and I.”

“You’re impossible.” I said, wiping away tears.

“Impossible just like you.” He smirked before he led me into another kiss.