Work Text:
Tick. Tock. Tick. You look at the clock by your bedside table, watching as the clock’s hand rotates around at a slow speed before staring around your room, your thoughts wandering. Tick. Tock. Tick. It’s quiet outside, you hear the whistling of the wind and the occasional sounds of passing cars in the distance, the brightness of the moon illuminating the dark sky and lighting your room with a soft glow through the open window. Tick. Tock. Tick… Tock… It is now midnight and you suddenly feel a wave of sleepiness overwhelm you, forcing your eyelids to shut…
You open your eyes to an unfamiliar blue sky, the thick clouds above drifting alongside with the breeze, and you can feel the soft sand cushioning your body. With a strong burst of energy, a contrast to what you felt before, you push yourself forward to a sitting position, looking at your surroundings: it seems like you ended up on an abandoned island, the ocean never-ending in front of you, stretching out to the far horizon.
“Ah, you’re here.” A voice calls out from behind you and as you turn around, the figure gets clearer: Artem Wing, one of the male leads you have fallen for ever since you started playing Tears of Themis. His soft, tousled hair sways in the wind and falls over his crystal-blue eyes as they look at you with their familiar warmth; you recognise the sweet and shy smile on his face, the same smile he greets you at work every morning. He paces towards you with a hand out, still wearing his work attire - minus the blazer - and as he pulls you up, he grabs your waist to stop you from stumbling with his firm arms.
“Follow me, there is a place I need to show you on this very special day.” He whispers in a low voice, tickling your ear as he moves his lips: you can feel heat rising to your cheeks and the urge to hide somewhere, but you can’t do anything if you are wrapped within his arms. He lets you go and grabs your hand instead, pulling you towards the centre of the island and away from the glittering ocean. He guides you through the maze, through the multiple archways made of vines and colourful flowers, presenting the magnificent jungle in all its glory: the trees stretching as high as the clouds with their flush leaves looming above the two of you, the flowers and fruits flourished with a sweet scent and the final thing that amazes you is the gorgeous, natural waterfall, the clear liquid splashing on the surface on the lake below and you can faintly see a rainbow present. You gasp in awe and pause in your tracks to admire the nature surrounding you, Artem also stops and lines up his gaze with yours, a smile growing on his face.
“It’s beautiful, but you are far more beautiful than the waterfall…” He mutters the last bit before coughing to hide his smile and embarrassment. He continues to lead you towards the location he wants you to be and as he holds his other hand out to lift the tree leaves and guide you underneath, excitement starts to bubble inside you.
“I hope you like it.” Artem states with a shy smile. What he wants to show you is a small cottage decorated beautifully with balloons and streamers of your favourite colour, the balloons with the words “happy birthday” printed on its surface. Despite the cottage being old and worn, you can still see how Artem has still managed this place: the windows are spotless and gleaming, the walls have kept their usual cinnamon colour and the front garden has been tended properly, the grass cleanly cut and the plants blooming. You both walk closer to the building, hand in hand, as you can already smell the scent of something fresh coming from the cottage’s kitchen, the smell of freshly baked bread and cakes. Your stomach growls from hunger and you let go of Artem’s hand to crouch down and bury your face: you can hear the faint chuckle coming from the man next to you.
“Haha, come on. I’ve already prepared the food beforehand. Let’s go before it gets cold.” You can feel his hand on your back and the other arm moving under your legs as he picks you up bridal-style; you can’t help but let out a little yelp and bury your face in his shoulder. He carries you inside the cottage and straight into the living room. It’s really cosy, with light furniture
“Stay here while I get the food out.” He carefully places you in a chair next to the window and leaves the room towards the kitchen, his white shirt stretching over his broad shoulders as he swings open the door. You sit while swinging your legs, humming a short tune and hearing scratching and soft banging in the room next door. Artem later returns with a plate of cleanly cut cakes and pastries, placing it on the table and sitting opposite you, holding out a fork for you to take.
“Have a taste.” You take the fork and use it to cut a piece of the cake, the metal slicing the cake smoothly, exposing more of the vanilla layer and the red cake. You can’t help but hum in delight as the cake melts in your mouth, releasing a taste of cocoa and sweet vanilla. You take another small bite, making sure not to make a mess in front of the man staring affectionately at you with shining eyes. You decide to start a conversation between the two of you: your daily life and your struggles and Artem’s work as an attorney. During the whole time, Artem listens to your story and answers every question you throw at him, occasionally leaving to bring in more of the cakes. You begin to wonder about a different matter and ask him how you end up in this place. Artem only smiles and cleans up your plate and fork before taking your hand again, intertwining his hand with yours. He leads you outside, pushing the door open but the scenery seems to have changed, the former jungle is now the beach you were at, the sun high up in the sky and swimming in the clouds. You also recognise your new outfit: it is the same outfit Rosa wore in the “Dreamful Melodies” card, with a plain white shirt, denim shorts and a brown belt. You look over to Artem and see he is also wearing the outfit corresponding to the card with another plain white shirt and black trousers. Before you can say a word, Artem pulls you straight into the sea, laughing as he sprays you with seawater, drenching your shirt. You spray him back, laughing with happiness and enjoying this very moment. It is a time for you to be in high spirits, a time for you to escape from reality and it is a time for you to be with Artem Wing, who you know is fictional. You can feel the coldness seeping into your skin but you don’t mind it, the coldness cooling you down in the heat. You see the shadows of the seagulls flying above you but what mesmerises you even more is the man standing in front of you: you can see through his shirt, staring at his chest and muscles, you take a gulp from the way he brushes his wet hair back, the liquid glistening from the light. You really can’t help but stare intensely at Artem.
“Hmm, is everything okay?” You jolt from his question, your heart beating faster and faster - you nod quickly and face where the sea meets the sky, a blush rapidly rising to your cheeks. You don’t know if he caught you staring but you reassure yourself, repeating the same thought over and over: ‘he doesn’t know’. You felt a tap on your shoulder, Artem signalling to you to turn around.
“Close your eyes. You can open them when I tell you.” His voice is like honey and you always loved hearing his voice, especially from the phone calls and video calls the game provides. You follow his instruction and fall into darkness, feeling anxious since you don’;t know what Artem planned. You can feel the water around you disappearing and your outfit changing, the new dress light and easy to move in. The environment isn’t too cold nor too hot around you and you can hear the songs from the trees, playing alongside with the wind. You come to a stop, still gripping Artem’s hand tightly.
“You can open your eyes now.” You slowly open your eyes and yet again, it is something you haven’t experienced nor seen before: you are on a wooden stage in the middle of an endless lake, which is reflecting the stars and moon above, and the infinite number of fireflies lighting the surface of the lake, creating a new kind of galaxy. And Artem… Artem is beautiful and handsome with his white suit, matching your brilliant white dress; his hair carefully styled and the blue gem cufflinks glittering. You’re in awe of this moment, unsure of how to respond nor what to do. He approaches you with his left hand out, his other hand behind his back. He bows slightly and whispers,
“May I have this dance, my partner?” You accept his hand and take a step forward, your other hand automatically moving to his shoulder. You shudder a little from his touch, his warmth spreading from your waist. You both sway in the breeze, dancing to nothing but silence but it doesn’t matter, this is your stage with Artem and there isn’t anyone to stop you both. Artem holds your hand and gently spins you round, your dress floating from the spin, and catches your hand afterwards. You truly don’t want this day to end but something prods you in the back of your mind. Artem steadies you and takes a step back, a hand reaching into his pocket to pull a red, luxurious box out before opening the lid to reveal an exquisite brooch in the shape of the Themis scale, a small ruby adorning the centre. He carefully takes it out and places it on your palm, closing your fingers around it.
“Happy birthday, my dear partner.” He kisses the back of your hand, which is holding the brooch, and pulls away with a distressed smile.
“Are you getting tired…?” Artem is right, you are indeed feeling tired despite being energetic the whole day. You blink a couple of times and squeeze your eyes, trying to get rid of this tiredness. When you reopen them, you are back on the beach again, the same place you appeared this very morning. You look around for Artem and see him in the distance, his eyes dull and crestfallen and he doesn’t have his warm smile on his face.
“I’m sorry our time together is so short, there are still so many things I want to do together with you. I apologise.” He chuckles and looks at you straight in the eye.
“Our time may be short, but I hope you still had a good time here. I wish you a happy birthday and best wishes for the future. May we meet next year, on your next birthday.” He smiles at you with love and affection and waves his hand goodbye. You can’t reply back to him, sleepiness already taking over. Your vision fades to black and silence consumes you…
Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Vrr… Vrr… You’re back in your bedroom with the familiar ceiling above you.; you look around and try to find Artem who you just saw a few seconds ago but he is nowhere to be seen at all. You hurriedly reach for your phone and look at the date: it is the day of your birthday - it seems like the day with Artem is just a dream and didn’t really happen. You feel your heart drop and clench your hands until you feel something sharp and cold digging into your palm. You open your hand and see the brooch, the same brooch given to you by Artem, the ruby still gleaming in the centre of the Themis scale. You remember the words he told you before you collapsed, a smile blooming on your face. You stay in your bed and go on your phone, swiping through apps and pressing a specific one, launching the game.
“Tears / of Themis.” It’s time to meet the in-game Artem on your birthday and to wait another year to meet the dream Artem again.