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A blast of chilly autumn air kicks up the skirt of my dress causing me to instinctually turn my back to the wind with a gasp. Once the pink frills of my dress stop flapping, I hastily smooth out the material before hugging my thin overcoat around myself a bit more.
Where the hell is he? I’m sure this is where he told me to meet him.
I glance around again as I search for the familiar figure that I’ve been expecting for the last several minutes. An expanse of fields surrounds me on most sides but to the south of me is the border of a small forest. A small rickety fence cordons off the field in front of me where the sun is slowly inching its way toward the horizon.
When I read the note that had been pushed under my front door that morning, telling me to get to this specific spot at this specific time, I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t confused. I knew roughly where it was and that it was good distance outside of Linkon. Luckily, a friend with a car was heading out this way and was able to give me a lift.
As soon as I got here, my mind started whirring as to what exactly that devious bunny could be planning. I mean… I’m in the middle of nowhere here!
I’m in the middle of nowhere. On my birthday no less!
I spin around again and peer into the distance but still see nothing. I sigh and look down and start to obsess over my dress again, adjusting the pleats and layers of fabric over and over.
I hope he likes my dress; it took me ages to pick out.
As I fiddle with the intricate stitching on the hem of the knee length dress, I hear a soft rhythmic pattering sound coming from somewhere in the distance. The sound starts to grow louder, like it’s heading in my direction and I finally look up to see where it’s coming from.
I squint into the distance, trying to find the source of the noise but don’t initially see anything. But then my eyes lock onto a small silhouette in the distance, coming from the direction of the setting sun. I shield my eyes from the glare as I try to make out the shape.
As the sound gets louder still, so does the figure as it heads directly for me. After a few seconds I finally recognise the sound.
It’s the rapid thudding of hooves hitting soft grass.
As the figure gets even closer, I can make out the image of a rider on top of a large horse and my heart practically does a pirouette in my chest.
That can only be one person.
I feel a smile stretch across my face and raw excitement bubbles in my veins. So, this is what he had planned.
The sun is still directly in my eyes as he gallops closer to me and I try my best to shield them from the blaring light so I can see him approach. But it’s not until he gets within a few meters of me and slows the horse to a walk that his figure finally blocks out the sun behind him and I can see him clearly.
My heart rams itself against my sternum and I swear I can hear it crack. My mouth pops open like a dumb fish.
The golden glow from the setting sun forms a radiant halo around him as he comes to a stop, bright blue eyes shining as they see me.
Xavier.
My Xavier.
He’s sitting astride the huge white stallion with the posture I can only dream to possess. He’s wearing comfortable but smart trousers and a formal jacket that looks almost white but is actually a pale shade of blue. The fabric looks almost incandescent, like thousands of tiny twinkling stars have been sew into it. The top few buttons of his white shirt are undone so that the notch at the top of his chest is visible.
He looks so breathtaking that I fear I might pass out.
The stallion itself is strong looking and handsome, its coat and mane so glossy that I‘m dying to touch it.
My prince and his noble steed. Am I in a fairytale?
I ogle him for what must be several seconds because he starts to chuckle softly, his eyes crinkling at the corners.
“Surprise,” he says.
I’m rendered speechless as my cheeks and neck become uncomfortably hot and my eyes start to sting.
I never thought he’d actually do it.
I remember telling him how much I’d love to see him on a horse one day. How much I’d adore to go riding with him. Statements to which he had smiled but not affirmed that he would make happen.
But he had remembered.
As Xavier dismounts the horse gracefully and begins guiding it toward me, I finally regain control of my voicebox.
“Oh, Xavi…” A happy tear starts to well in the corner of my eye. “I can’t believe you remembered.”
Xavier chuckles again as he reaches me, his hand coming up to touch my face. The skin of his palm is warm and I instinctually lean into it.
“Of course I remembered,” he replied softly. “I was just waiting for the right occasion to surprise you.” The smile that stretches across my face makes my cheeks hurt but Xavier’s eyes sparkle when he sees my reaction. We gaze at each other for a few seconds before he lowers his hand to thread his fingers into mine. “Shall we?”
I nod eagerly and he pulls me toward the white stallion what snorts as I approach. I reach up to stroke its nose, cooing it as I do so and it gives me a satisfied whitter in response. The beauty is ridiculously huge, the stirrup for the saddle in line with my chest, and I hesitate as I imagine how unladylike I’m about to look as I try to mount him.
But of course, my Xavier doesn’t even hesitate.
His hands grip my waist and he turns me to face him. “Ready?” he whispers. I nod and he lifts me like I weigh nothing so that I can perch on the saddle. I look down and wonder where I should turn to swing my leg over, not something I’m certain is flattering in my dress, but Xavier rests his hand on my knee. “Stay like that, I’ll make sure you don’t fall off.”
Oh, my sweet gorgeous prince.
With one effortless looking movement, Xavier locks his foot into the stirrup and mounts, sitting on the saddle behind me. As he settles, I nestle back against his chest and his hand comes on my hip to press me back against him. I reach down to feel the stallion’s mane, realising it is just as soft as it looks.
“Comfortable?” Xavier asks and I wiggle again to make sure I’m securely on the saddle.
“Yeah,” I breathe as the warmth of his body makes me flush. “Where are we going?”
He hums a laugh next to my ear. “You’ll see.”
With that, he takes a hold of the reigns and gently squeezes the horse’s side. We set off initially at a steady canter in the direction of the forest as Xavier lets me get used to the feel of the horse’s movements. I grip the saddle tightly but I soon feel my body relax as we reach the treeline. Xavier must sense my body relax because he nudges the horse again and before I know it, we are galloping through the trees.
We zip through the dense forest, weaving through the tree trunks at a speed that has my hair whipping behind me. It’s one of the most wonderful and exhilarating feelings I’ve ever felt. Having the cool evening air caress my skin and fill my lungs. But I’ve also never felt more safe and secure with the solid warmth of Xavier’s body behind me.
I could stay like this forever.
We gallop through the forest for what feels like ages, the sky starting to turn from orange to blue as the sun finally starts to make its nightly trip beneath the horizon. Eventually, I spot an opening in the dense foliage up ahead. As we get closer, I can see that it’s a clearing.
Xavier slows the stallion back to a canter as we emerge into the opening, and what I see takes my breath away.
The clearing is large enough that no canopies obscure the view of the sky but small enough to feel cosy. The grass is long but not much higher than knee height with a mixture of wild flowers growing amongst it – all blues, whites and soft yellows that catch the eye.
The babbling of a stream catches my attention and I spot the glittering water as it runs lazily along one edge of the clearing.
But what makes my heart skip in my chest is what’s in the middle of the space. A small blanket is laid out in the grass, an assortment of items around it. Several lanterns light up the intimate space. A picnic basket that looks like its almost overflowing with food is in the corner and an additional large and fluffy blanket is folded up next to it.
“W-what… is this?” I stammer, completely struck dumb by the peaceful beauty of the scene in front of me.
“The rest of your gift,” replies Xavier, the smile evident in his voice.
“It’s so beautiful.”
Xavier doesn’t reply and instead dismounts the horse before turning to me and holding out his hand for me to take.
I feel the blush light up my cheeks as I slip my fingers into his palm. He gently pulls me so that I start to slide off the saddle. But instead of lowering me to the ground, he scoops his other arm under my knees as I descend and I automatically wrap my arms around his neck.
“Xavi! What’re you doing?!” I giggle as he holds me princess style against his chest.
“What does it look like?” he teases as he turns and starts walking toward the picnic area. “I’m carrying my princess to her carpet. I wouldn’t want her shoes to get dirty.”
I was wearing nice shoes in fact. Shiny pink heels that still only brought me up to Xavier’s shoulder when we stand side by side.
I laugh again at his silliness as he reached the blanket and gently lowers me onto it.
“I’ll be back in a moment,” he says, brushing a stray strand of hair behind my ear. “Make yourself comfortable.”
I nod and smile as he turns to head back toward the stallion. I sit on the blanket and shuffle toward the basket to start emptying out the food as Xavier leads the horse to the stream and tie its reigns to a tree.
In the basket is an… interesting assortment of foods. Packets of our favourite snacks mixed with homemade treats. Misshapen cookies that looked as hard as hockey pucks and egg tarts that were more than a little singed on the top. Tubs of our favourite dishes from our favourite takeaways were mixed in as well and the sight made my chest tighten yet again.
Xavier, you ridiculous and adorable bunny of a man.
A flask of warm tea tops off the feast and I start to pour cups for the both of us as Xavier returns and sits down next to me. I smile widely as I hand him the tea.
“Thank you, Xavi,” I breath as I take in the scene around me again. “This is perfect.”
That soft smile that I adore so much tugs the corners of his lips up, his eyes swimming with delight.
“I’m glad you like it,” he replied before a sneakier expression snuck onto his face. “But we haven’t got to the best part yet.” His eyes flick up toward the sky and I furrow my brow in confusion and follow his gaze.
The sun has almost set now, just the last rays of light sending streaks of pink across the otherwise inky blue sky. The clearing itself is almost completely dark now, the lanterns being the main source of light.
“Why?” I ask, intrigued. “What are we waiting for?”
Xavier turns his attention back to me before smiling slyly. “You’ll see.”
He begins to open up the food and prepare a small plate as I huff at him, dying to know what’s still to come but realise that he almost certainly won’t tell me. So, I join him in indulging the small feast as we wait for the sun to finally fully set.
I realise just how hungry I am as I start to dig in to my favourite noodles and me and Xavier are soon enraptured by our meal. The same way we are when we are at home on the sofa.
When we have had our fill, Xavier clears everything away and pulls me toward him. The air is now uncomfortably chilly and he grabs the giant blanket to wrap it around us both like a big cocoon. His body heat soon warms me up and we settle into a comfy position with our arms around each other.
The last of the sunlight is now seconds away from disappearing, a few stars now able to become visible.
“Not long now,” whispered Xavier. “Keep your eyes on the stars.”
A few more seconds pass and finally the last shred of pink vanishes.
In its place appeared a whole galaxy of stars, thousands of pinpricks of light twinkling across the black backdrop. It was as if they were waiting for that last ray of sun was holding them at bay but now that had sprung free and declared their beauty.
I gasp and cover my mouth at the sight. I had never seen so many stars in my life and it was mesmerising to behold.
I feel Xavier move his hand inside the blanket and the multiple little electric lanterns dimmed to the smallest glow and the sky seemed to become even brighter.
“This is why I wanted to bring you out here,” hums Xavier softly from behind me. “With all the light pollution in Linkon, it’s impossible to see every star. But out here…”
My eyes begin to well up yet again, and this time I can’t stop the tear from falling down my cheek.
“It’s breathtaking,” I breathe before turning to look at Xavier. “Thank you. This is the best birthday ever.”
I lean forward and plant a gentle kiss to the corner of his lips. He cradles my cheek in his palm as I pull back. His blue eyes are molten as he looks at my lips and I know he’s dying to kiss me properly. Just as I go to lean back in to do just that, a flash of movement above us catches my attention.
I look up at the sky again, thinking I imagined it, but after as second a stream of light shoots across the sky.
A shooting star. Or is it a meteor?
Another ball of light appears and confirms my latter thought.
Xavier makes a little huffing sound as my attention is diverted from him, but he too turns his eyes back to the sky.
“It’s a meteor shower,” he says as even more of them appear amongst the stars. “One that happens only once in a century.”
I’m transfixed at the sight above me, my heart pattering in my chest as I watch the distant balls of fire and rock hurtle through the sky. Who knew that something so powerful, so unstoppable, could also so be so beautiful.
We watch the meteors for a minute before I feel Xavier’s hand on my cheek and he pulls my attention back to him again.
“Are you gonna make a wish?” he asks as he caresses my cheek with his thumb. I chuckle at him before I close my eyes to think before I shake my head.
“My wish has already come true,” I say. “When you rode up to me on that horse and swept me up like you were my prince.” Xavier’s biggest smile yet lights up his face as he leans in a little closer. “What did you wish for?” I ask.
A breathy chuckle as his forehead meets mine. “If I tell you then it won’t come true.”
I reach up to thread my fingers through his soft hair, bringing his lips just that little bit closer. It doesn’t matter that he didn’t tell me his wish. All that matters is that we are here. Together. Now.
“Happy Birthday, my love,” he whispers before he connects his soft lips to mine.
We sink onto the blanket in each other’s embrace, now oblivious to the meteors burning across the galaxy above us.