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It had been another restless night.
Aline dreamed of exploding towers and the screams of her city and that sinking feeling that she had let go of Helen’s hand. They had been attacked in the one place where Aline truly believed they were safe. Helen told her she was bound to carry the trauma of that day around for many years to come, but she’d hoped she was stronger. She wished she could build that city back up and leave the unbridled violence that Jonathan brought with him all for what he thought was love.
That was the furthest thing from love. It was Hell. Love was…
Love was Helen–holding her hand, stroking her hair, whispering that she was going to be okay. It was Helen bringing home flowers from the Seelie realm whenever she went to visit because they were supposedly prettier than any she could find in the mundane world. It was the look on Helen’s face when Aline was gone for days at a time but always came back.
Love was always something different with Helen. There wasn’t one sole moment that made Aline realize she was loved, it was all of them.
Today, it was the fact that Helen could sing.
When she had previously experienced terrible flashbacks, she would wake up gasping, clutching her chest or the covers on top of her so tight that her hands would hurt to pry open. Other times, Helen would shake her shoulders, calling out her name, practically crying for her to wake up, and that she was just having a nightmare.
Each time, Aline woke up panicked, and the rest of the day was spent exhausted from a rude awakening.
Right now, the nightmare felt so real. Her heart raced and her lungs felt like they were about to burst. She clutched at Helen’s hand but a ball of fire demolished the bridge they were running on together. Aline had no choice but to watch as the stone crumbled behind them. Helen pushed her forward so she was safe but the bridge took her with it. Aline wanted to scream, to cry, to jump into the rubble and find the woman she loved, but–
She could hear Helen. A soft, whispering voice like an angel directly beside her ear. She had never heard something so beautiful, so calming and delicate, like even the softest noise would break the tune. There wasn’t any commotion anymore. Helen’s voice was the only sound that mattered and the rest of the nightmare seemed to fall away with the broken bridge.
All that was left was Helen. She stood in front of Aline, holding her face in her hands as she sang. Aline didn’t recognize the lyrics but that didn’t matter. The words wrapped around her heart and slowed the beat. They stroked over her skin and calmed every inch of her shaking body. She wasn’t in a nightmare anymore, but the end of a dream. The perfect ending to a sorrowful story.
When she awoke, it was Helen laying beside her. She stroked her fingers through Aline’s hair and rested her forehead against her sweaty temple. She was singing still, gentle hums urging Aline to relax, to trust that she was safe.
“Thank you,” Aline whispered. She felt Helen nod her head in acceptance but her song apparently wasn’t over. She continued to serenade Aline until her eyes became heavy, until sleep won the battle once more.
Aline fell into a deep sleep filled with Helen, and only Helen.
She was positive that was what love was.