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March 13th.
Preparing for White Day was impossible to miss.
All the shops and vendors through various parts of the body were busy putting goods on display that the blood vessels were lined with white-themed gifts, from fancy milky treats to glossy ivory wrappings. Interested cells were out looking for their perfect reciprocal presents.
However, with 1146, he knew nothing he saw would even remotely match what he'd received on Valentine's Day from AE3803. That day was truly special.
And yet, he knew he was to give her something even more than that.
It was quite the quandary for him. He found nothing good enough to buy and he lacked any sense of creativity. So making anything for her was out of the question.
For the past month, he had been trying to figure out something for the erythrocyte. And time was quickly running out. White Day was the next day—and he was still empty-handed.
"She only deserves the best," he thought to himself as he walked through the routes during his patrol, "I know she would like anything from me. But this time, I want to make this truly something for her. Something that would show her how much she means to me! The only this is figuring out what that could possibly be."
The neutrophil groaned in frustration as he tried to think of what he could do. The only thing he could do was continue on his patrol duties for the rest of the day, rejecting everything that wasn't meant for her.
Later at the apartment after both their jobs for the day, 1146 took a quiet moment for himself to stand over the balcony. He was deep in thought over White Day.
"I need something for tomorrow…" he thought to himself, looking out into the distance. His mind raced with ideas, but none seemed to fit being exactly right. Even the idea of ‘gifting himself’ by offering only what he already gave her every day felt hollow, especially if he did it again.
He turned his attention to look through the window. Inside, AE3803 was busy making some tea in the kitchen. He gave a soft smile as he watched her for a moment.
"I have to do something for her…" he continued, looking down below, "…I want to…"
He sighed.
The erythrocyte slid the door open and walked over to stand next to him. She was carrying a cup of tea with her.
"Are you okay, White Blood Cell?" she asked him in a caring tone, "You look… Distracted."
"Ye—yeah…" he lied, "I'm alright, Red Blood Cell." He leaned close to her. "I'm just… Trying to solve a minor problem is all," he told her in a soft tone, "Nothing for you to really worry about." He gave her a reassuring kiss.
She purred and affectionately nuzzled him.
"Well…" she began to say, her tone gentle and loving, "Whatever it is, I know you'll know what to do. You're really intelligent, White Blood Cell. And I believe in you." She looked genuinely into his eyes. "I always do," she added.
His heart beat faster as he smiled from her words. He was more determined than ever now to prove himself to her.
"Thanks, Red Blood Cell," he softly said, keeping himself close to her, "I love you."
"I love you too, White Blood Cell, so very much," she cooed with a coy blush on her face, "By the way, I made some tea for you. It'll help you relax a bit. Maybe it might even help you think of an answer more clearly." She offered the cup of tea she was holding to him.
"Thanks," he accepted, "I'm sure it will, Red Blood Cell."
The blush on her face deepened.
"And if you ever need a little break from thinking, White Blood Cell," she began to coyly suggest as a hint, "I'll be inside to wait for you. You know where to find me."
The neutrophil gave a light chuckle, picking up on the hint.
"I'll keep that in mind, Red Blood Cell," he said, "I'll be back inside in a little while."
She gave him a warm embrace.
"Take however long you need, White Blood Cell," she reassured him in a gentle voice, "Just please don't stress too much over your problem. I care about you."
His expression softened as he held her close.
"I do too, Red Blood Cell," he reciprocated, "More than you'll ever know."
They then shared a tender kiss together before she returned back inside the apartment. Each of them suggestively glanced at each other.
He stayed behind on the balcony for a while longer. He looked down at the cup of tea she so lovingly crafted for him.
"Holiday or not, she does so much everyday…" he figured, "If only there was something that I can do to reflect that for her."
He drank the tea, savoring its perfectly sweet taste. He then looked through the window for a brief moment and took a deep breath before heading back inside, simply wanting—needing—to be intimately close with his favorite erythrocyte for the rest of the night.
The morning soon arrived, gradually lighting up the apartment through its windows. It was still early.
AE3803 was the first of the two of them to stir. She was cradled in his arms from behind, their bodies closely pressed against each other.
She gently turned to face him, adoring how he looked asleep. She lightly brushed his fringe, causing him to purr contently in his sleep. She gave a quiet giggle from it.
"I love you, White Blood Cell…" she whispered, her forehead against his.
Still asleep, 1146 gave an indistinct, rather broken, response, "—ove —ou too, Re— Lood Ce—…"
It was so very cute to her.
She smiled and slowly got out of bed to not disturb his rest. She put on a fresh pair of work clothes and quietly went to the kitchen to begin brewing the usual morning tea.
After a short while, the apartment soon filled with the sweet earthy aroma of the tea, luring the neutrophil. He walked into the kitchen, still in his night clothes.
"Morning, Red Blood Cell," he said, still half-asleep, "I missed you…" He hugged the erythrocyte from behind, affectionately nuzzling and trailing his lips along the side of her neck.
She leaned back against him in response.
"Good morning, White Blood Cell," she softly greeted, being more playful with the following, "Now you know how I feel whenever you wake up first." She gave a subtle giggle.
He lightly chuckled, holding her tighter as she poured the tea into their usual cups, handing him his.
"Thanks," he said, accepting the tea.
She beamed a smile in acknowledgement and sipped her tea.
They leaned against the edge of the counter, standing next to each other and drinking their breakfast.
"This tea is perfect, Red Blood Cell," he complimented.
"Really?" she asked with a slight blush.
He nodded in affirmation. He had always enjoyed it whenever she brewed tea. But that morning, it tasted just right.
"Thanks, White Blood Cell," she said, her tone shy yet accomplished, "I've been trying to get it just right for you."
"I really do appreciate that, Red Blood Cell," he told her, "But only change it if you're still able to get your energy boost. I want you to be able to benefit from it more than worrying about my tastes." He gave her a caring smile, pulling her close, "I love you, Red Blood Cell."
"I love you too, White Blood Cell," she replied softly, leaning herself affectionately against him, "I'll keep that in mind."
The two of them finished their tea over the next few minutes. He put on his work uniform as she cleaned up in the kitchen. Before heading out the door, they put on their jackets and shoes. Once they left, they walked as far as they could together before having to part for the day.
Before leaving, he held her close in his arms.
"Be safe out there, Red Blood Cell," he told her.
She had her arms around him over his shoulders.
"As long as you're protecting this body, I know I will be, White Blood Cell," she cooed lovingly.
He smiled from her words.
"I'll see you later," he whispered.
"See you later," she whispered back.
They both shared one more tender kiss between them to last the day, each stealing quick glances of the other as they went to start their respective duties.
Through that morning, 1146 was quiet. And his neutrophil squad had noticed the silence, almost forgetting that he was even there with them.
During a quick break, he was confronted about it.
"What's with you all morning?" 4989 asked curiously, "You feeling alright?"
It took a while for him to respond, but he simply nodded. He tried to mask the stress on his mind, but the others could plainly see it on him. He was fooling no one.
"I don't believe you, 1146," 4989 said firmly, his arms crossed with a stern expression, "Stress is terrible for your mental health, you know. How do you suppose on doing your job right if you can't even concentrate?"
"Take it easy on him, 4989," 2048 recommended, "He's probably thinking about today."
"Today?" he asked curiously.
"Yeah," the other began to explain, "Today is White Day."
4989 thought for a quick moment.
"Oh, yeah… I guess it is…" he realized. He lightly chuckled. "And here I thought everyone was just displaying stuff in white in honor of us white blood cells…" he assumed, forgetting about the holiday.
"Is that it, 1146?" 2048 asked.
1146 glanced away. He didn't have to say anything for them to connect the dots that he was concerned about today.
There was a rather long silence as he remained deep in thought. He knew he couldn't hide it, so he figured that he might as well ask for advice on recommendations.
"If you all had someone special that you cared about like you do for this body," he began to ask, "What would you want to do for them for today?"
The other neutrophils looked at him curiously before at one another for a moment. They didn't know what to tell him.
He still looked over at them, waiting and hoping for any bit of advice he can get from them.
And they knew they couldn't just remain silent to him about it. Just anything would be better than nothing.
"Well," 2626 began to suggest, "She made you those chocolates for Valentine's Day, right?"
"Yeah…" he responded, wondering what was his point.
"So…" he continued, "Can you make her some chocolates too?"
He just scoffed.
"I'm not as good as she is when it comes to making anything," he explained, "If I want her to leave me, then I might do that."
"This is a problem…" he muttered, still trying to think.
"Well, if she were with me instead of you," 4989 suggested as 1146 glared at such a statement, "I'd just be myself around her."
"Annoying?" 2626 asked.
"Childish?" 2048 joined in.
"Shut up!" 4989 yelled at them, turning his attention back to 1146, "What I mean is do something for her that shows yourself off at your best. Like, if she were with me, I'd tell her my best jokes while still being romantic towards her."
Such a thought of them together was enough to bring an intense jealousy in 1146's glare.
"She'll never be yours, 4989," he uttered in a low protective voice, establishing his dominance.
"I know, 1146," he said, ignoring the directed jealousy, "I'm just saying that in your case… She feels safe around you, so go for a romantic walk around somewhere pretty. She adores your intellect, so give her a tour of somewhere she's never been before. Do stuff like that for her!"
1146 thought about it for a moment.
"I don't know…" he uttered, "What if she thinks I'm cheapening out of today?"
"Did you think she did on Valentine's Day?" he asked.
"No," he answered.
"Then, if she truly loves you, she won't think you're doing less!" he reassured, "Just trust me on this, 1146!"
He just stared at him for a moment in deep thought as the other neutrophils wondered in curiosity on what he plans to do.
And then, for the first time during that conversation, he perked his head back up to face them.
"I'm going to have to ask you all a favor for me," he began to request.
They all nodded in agreement to whatever he had in mind.
"If you all can," he continued, "I… I need you all to see if you can cover for me today."
They all gave agreeable grins, knowing the reasoning behind the request.
"Yeah, no problem, 1146!" 2048 told him, speaking for the others who nodded and smiled.
1146 gave a relieved grin.
"Thanks," he said, "I just need the time to actually do everything for her."
He began to walk off from the rest of the squad.
However, 4989 had one more bit of advice for him.
"Hey, 1146," he called out, going up to him.
He paused to see what he wanted.
"Just one more idea for you," 4989 suggested, "But only if you're serious about her."
"What?" 1146 asked curiously, highly considering it from how he worded it.
"You two already act like family, right?" he hinted, giving him a pleasing smile, "So treat her like it."
1146 gave a subtle glare. He had expected some grand idea that would guarantee today would be the best day of AE3803's life.
"This is no time for your jokes, 4989…" he uttered, continuing to walk off.
"But I wasn't joking though," he said, watching him leave.
1146 had an idea. Especially since he felt he was on a time limit.
He could have spend the afternoon trying to find where AE3803 could be. But instead, he went straight to the lungs to where he could find the list of her daily tasks and figure out the route she'd be going through.
He normally wouldn't be doing such a thing as he viewed it as him violating trust. But he wanted to purposely run into her rather than the random meet ups that were far more common. So he made this the one and only exception for such an act.
The neutrophil skimmed through the AE list, found her number, and noticed which way she would likely be going through.
"Looks like she's delivering to the hippocampus right now," he noted to himself. He began to walk in the upward direction of the body, hoping to meet her sooner than later.
"It's a good thing I checked," he thought to himself, "Usually, she's assigned to the lower part of the body. I would've missed her otherwise."
Meanwhile, AE3803 had just finished her delivery. She placed the carbon dioxide box onto her cart.
"Now to get this back to the lungs!" she told herself, keeping herself motivated.
She walked down towards the basal vein.
All seemed to be going well by what she thought.
However, she was being followed. Stalked.
She was completely oblivious until another red blood cell nearby had yelled out.
"It's a germ!" he exclaimed in fright, pointing to a pneumococcus from behind her. All of the red blood cells around her ran off to save themselves.
She turned to see just how close the creature was to her. She was frozen, too scared to move.
It gave a cruel chuckle as it swung its clawed hand at AE3803 in an attempt to hemolyze her. However, she fortunately dodged the attack in time, simply knocking her hat off her head as she screamed.
She started to run, but tripped over her own cart.
"You're dumber than I thought!" the pathogen laughed. It stepped forward as it readied its claw yet again. "No matter," it simply said, "A dead red blood cell is still a dead red blood cell…"
It began to strike its claw down upon the erythrocyte…
SLASH!
With impeccable timing, the pneumococcus was suddenly killed in front of her as she watched it fall to the ground onto a pool of its own blood. She looked up to see her savior.
"White Blood Cell!" she exclaimed, "You saved me!"
He knelt down to her and gave her a tight embrace, realizing just how close he was to losing her just now. Imagining what would've happened if he hadn't been there just now caused his arms to constrict her just a little more.
"Red Blood Cell!" he whispered in concern, "Are you alright?" He looked at her, wiping a bit of the bacterium's blood off her face.
"Ye—yeah…" she said, calming down from the ordeal, "Thanks to you."
"That was too close…" he whispered, holding her close as if she were life itself.
AE3803 then became curious.
"I thought you had patrol duty over by the heart today, White Blood Cell," she commented, "What are you doing all the way up here?" She made a quick thought. "Unless…" she guessed, "I… I'm that lost…"
1146 merely chuckled at her adorable assumption.
"No, you're not lost, Red Blood Cell," he reassured her in a gentle tone, "And I am out here protecting the heart." He caressed her cheek as they made eye contact. "My heart…" he added.
She hitched her breath in surprise. She'd never been referred to something so sentimental.
"White Blood Cell…" she whispered, her expression softened.
He leaned his forehead against hers.
"Between you and me," he whispered with a light chuckle, "I asked my squad to cover my patrols so I could actually take the rest of the day off…" He leaned in closer. "Just so I can spend today with you," he softly added.
"Re—really?" she asked, her face in a heavy blush, "You took time off… Just… Just for me?"
"Just for you," he confirmed, giving her a tender kiss.
The two of them enjoyed a moment together, just simply in each other's presence, a little longer than necessary.
1146 reached over to pick up her hat from the ground and brushed it off.
"Are you free for the rest of the day, Red Blood Cell?" he asked, returning the hat back on top of her head, gently straightening it.
"Um… I guess I can after I bring this carbon dioxide back to the lungs," she answered, not wanting to simply leave the box there.
And he knew this all too well.
"Fair enough," he smiled, admiring her work ethic.
AE3803 may be prone to danger and getting lost, but he loved how dedicated she was, pushing herself past her personal flaws and always seeing her task through to the end.
He stood and helped her up to her feet. He helped fix her cart back to carrying the box of carbon dioxide.
"Thanks, White Blood Cell," she said gratefully, "I can always count on you for anything, can I?" She glanced over at him fondly.
Hearing such words made his heart beat harder. To be personally considered dependable for someone he truly loved—for her—it felt better than saving the body a hundred times.
"Always, Red Blood Cell," he promised, causing her to beam a smile at him.
He placed an arm around her waist and the two of them began their way back over to the lungs.
Along the way, the two blood cells stayed side by side, stealing glances at one another every so often.
They soon passed by the nasal cavity and saw all the white-themed items on display inside the various shops along the route. They would look in through the windows, seeing cells getting this and that inside.
The erythrocyte turned her eyes towards him and gave a soft giggle.
He noticed and wanted to know what was so funny.
"What?" he asked curiously.
She had a coy expression with a deep blush.
"You, White Blood Cell," she cooed.
"Me?" he asked, more curious now.
"Yeah," she told the neutrophil, walking closer to his side, "All these other cells are getting all these white things inside the shops here, yet nothing they get can ever top what I have…"
He chuckled at her intention.
"Is it because I'm a white blood cell?" he asked.
"Pretty convenient, isn't it?" she pointed out.
He paused to affectionately grab her close.
"I'd rather us be more intentional," he whispered, brushing her hair with his hand, trailing down along her cheek, "It makes it sound like we chose each other that way."
"As long as I get to love you, White Blood Cell," she told him.
He purred contently. "Then love me all you want, Red Blood Cell…" he whispered before sharing a sweet kiss.
The moment was quiet, affectionate between them.
Afterwards, they resumed their way back towards the lungs.
They soon passed by the usual frozen glucose machines where a few red blood cells congregated to replenish their energy for their routes.
1146 noticed. And it reminded him to want to make sure that she was alright since he knew that she would sometimes skip a well-needed break in order to catch up on her work.
"How's your energy, Red Blood Cell?" he asked, "Did you take any breaks today?"
AE3803 grew a blush on her face.
"Well…" she began to admit in a sheepish tone, "I was meaning to earlier… But, um… I… I guess I just was too busy…" She gave a chuckle to match.
He then guided her over to the machines.
"I know you like to be on time with your deliveries, Red Blood Cell," he advised in a gentle tone as he worked one of the machines, "But try to take your breaks when you need to so you'll be able to stay punctual."
Once the frozen treat was vended, he handed it over to her.
"Might even help you focus too," he added, hinting it might help her lessen her chances of getting lost and frustrated.
"I'll try to keep that in mind, White Blood Cell," she softly promised, accepting the snack.
She noticed the flavor.
Strawberry.
"You know my favorite, White Blood Cell," she said softly.
"I do," he confirmed with a soft smile, "I know a lot about you, Red Blood Cell."
He watched as she opened it, noticing how it was pinkish white with little bits of red in it, matching their colors.
"Do you like strawberry because it symbolizes us?" he asked rather playfully.
She giggled.
"I've always liked this flavor, White Blood Cell," she told him, becoming more affectionate in her tone, "I'd like to count something like this more like a destined symbolism than something I changed about myself when it comes to us with this."
She glanced over at him.
"As if some things were always meant to find their way together, even without trying," she continued, showing him the frozen glucose, "Just like how this can be great with each thing on their own, but when they're blended, it's made into something truly wonderful together."
She held it up to him more for him to try. He eat a bit of it and clearly saw the point she made.
"Something truly wonderful together…" he mentally reflected.
He glanced back over at her as she enjoyed the rest of her frozen glucose, giving a soft smile as he watched her, feeling a sense of profound love for her from her insight.
By the time she was finished, they were almost to the lungs. And she was feeling much better energized.
"That feels so much better!" AE3803 exclaimed happily.
She looked up at him.
"Thanks for looking out for me when I needed it, White Blood Cell," she said softly, "You're always looking out for me. And I appreciate that."
1146 just looked back at her contently.
"I just want you to thrive, Red Blood Cell," he told her in a soft tone.
She gave a sweet smile.
"I want you to thrive too, White Blood Cell," she said just as softly.
The two of them walked even closer together for the rest of the way to the alveoli.
Over in an alveolus, AE3803 placed the carbon dioxide tanks into the machinery and began to operate it to have them emptied and out of the lungs.
1146 watched in profound admiration at how well she handled herself at her job.
"She doesn't give herself enough credit on how amazing she truly is," he thought to himself, "Especially at her job."
She gave a soft giggle as she watched the gas be emptied and taken away. No matter how many times she witnessed it happen, it was always a sight to see how it was done. And how she would light up only caused the neutrophil to appreciate even more on how she viewed her job.
Other erythrocytes viewed their delivery runs as something they simply had to do all day, everyday, for their entire lives. But with her, she always put in that extra effort—that extra bit of cheer—as if delivering to the other cells within the body actually brought her sheer joy. She took deep pride in her work that seemed to only match such a level with how much he valued his when it came to protecting the body. There was nothing shallow about it.
Once the carbon dioxide was released and everything was all set, she happily went over to the neutrophil.
"Okay! All finished for the day, White Blood Cell!" she cheerfully said, excited to spend the rest of the day with him.
She then noticed the rather rare sappy expression on his face.
"Why are you smiling like that, White Blood Cell?" she asked curiously, wiping her cheek, "Is there something funny on my face?"
He gave a light chuckle, placing his hand over hers.
"No, there isn't, Red Blood Cell," he said warmly, "I was just enjoying how you looked just now. I can tell how much you enjoy your job. And I love you for it."
She sighed lovingly as she leaned against his hand and smiled.
"I do enjoy it, White Blood Cell," she confirmed, "If I didn't, then what else am I meant to do?"
He smiled back.
"You make a good point, Red Blood Cell," he quietly said.
For a moment, the two of them simply cherished being in each other's arms.
"So what do you want to do first, White Blood Cell?" AE3803 asked, curious on where the rest of the day would take her with him.
1146 didn't really have anything specific in mind. He just wanted to try to spend the day with her. To show himself off as his best.
It was then when an idea came to his mind. He was hoping that she would enjoy it and find it exciting as he was certain that she's likely never been to that part of the body before.
"Well, there's one place I'd like to show you," he began to suggest, "It's really quite the sight. And I don't think you've ever been over there yet on a delivery, especially since you rarely go in the upper part of the body to begin with." He gave a small playful chuckle. "And even if you did," he continued, "You would've mentioned it."
She grew incredibly curious as to what this place could be.
"Where is it, White Blood Cell?" she asked, trying not to sound too hyper about it.
"It's deep in the brain," he began to explain, "It's called the ventral tegmental area. Does it seem familiar to you?" He was hoping it wouldn't.
"No," she replied, "I didn't even know that kind of place even existed!"
Perfect.
"Come on," he gently instructed with a smile, "I want to show you what it looks like and tell you about what it does for the body."
The erythrocyte smiled with a blush on her face.
One thing she truly adored about him was his intelligence when it came to how the body works. Ever since that very first tour within the stomach, she's always had deep admiration of how much he knew. There was always so much to learn from him.
"I wonder what this place will look like," she wondered, "How he puts it seems like something that must be really cool!"
She wrapped her arms around his and the two of them began walking their way up the body towards the brain.
Once they reached the brain, the two blood cells paused for a moment.
He watched as a couple endothelial cells walked by, heavily patrolling the area. As soon as they cleared, he turned to face her.
"Come on, before they come back," he whispered.
She sensed the urgency and didn't question him on why. She simply followed him as they both rushed past the guarding cells, just barely being missed by their watchful eyes.
"That was close," he said, trying to catch his breath.
"What were they?" she asked.
"They're endothelial cells that are part of the blood brain barrier," he explained, "Red blood cells aren't really allowed to be up here because of how sensitive this part of the brain is."
"Do you think everything will be okay if we're up here?" she asked.
"Yeah, we should," he reassured her, "As long as we don't mess with anything too much, everything will still run just as smoothly."
She sighed in relief.
"We're almost there," he told her once they reached the area.
Both of them were excited to reach their destination.
"What are we looking for, White Blood Cell?" AE3803 asked, hoping he'd spill out a hint of what it's like.
However, 1146 could see right through her words. He simply chuckled.
"You'll see," he told her, "You'll know it when you see it. It's like nowhere else in the body."
"How so?" she asked, continuing to try and know more.
He noticed how unrelenting she was and answered her vaguely.
"It's almost as lovely as you are, Red Blood Cell," he described, "Aside from you, I think it's one of the best places in the body."
The erythrocyte grew a blush on her face from his words.
"I can't wait to see it, White Blood Cell," she said excitedly.
"I know," he replied, "But we're very close. It's just around the corner."
The neutrophil knew that the timing of that evening was going to be perfect as he glanced at their surroundings.
"Hold on," he told her, having them stop for a moment.
"What is it?" she asked curiously.
"Before I show you," he began to say, "I want you to close your eyes."
She gave him a skeptical, yet silly, expression.
"It'll give a better effect if you see it all at once than a gradual reveal," he explained.
She paused for a brief moment.
"Alright, White Blood Cell," she giggled, gently closing her eyes.
He tested her by waving his hand to make sure her eyes were fully shut. He gave a smile once he realized she complied. And while holding both her hands, he guided her over around the corner over to the ventral tegmental area. He led her over to where he knew she'd love the view and had her stop.
"Can I open my eyes now, White Blood Cell?" she asked, trying her best to hold her excitement.
He gave a chuckle as he quickly looked around to see if everything was just right.
"Yeah," he confirmed, "Go ahead and open them, Red Blood Cell."
She slowly opened her eyes and gasped in sheer amazement from the sight.
From where they were standing, she could see the distance to where the glow from the sunset outside managed to reach. In front of them, a river of softly glowing currents flowing outward to other parts of the brain. It was so calming, so serene. Peaceful.
The erythrocyte was so full of wonder and was surprised that such a place had always existed inside the body.
"This place is even better than I imagined, White Blood Cell!" she exclaimed, "How did you even know this place was even here?"
"Well, I sometimes go on patrol out here," the neutrophil explained, "And since red blood cells aren't really allowed in here, I know you haven't gone up here on any deliveries."
She had a subtle blush.
"I kinda feel special," she coyly said, "I'm likely the only red blood cell that's ever been here."
He gave a loving smile as he looked at her.
"Even if you never got to be here," he told her in a soft tone, "You'll always be special to me, Red Blood Cell."
The blush and smile on her face grew.
"You are to me too, White Blood Cell," she mirrored the sentiment, "You always know about everything. It's super amazing! Like, I bet you even know what that stuff is." She glanced over at the river.
He looked over at it and chuckled lightly.
"Yeah," he said, walking up to it, "It's a mixture of chemicals that the brain needs in order to feel certain emotions."
"Really?" she asked with high curiosity, "Like what, White Blood Cell?"
"Mostly dopamine, but also oxytocin that comes in from the hypothalamus," he explained, glancing over at her, "They're special hormones. And, aside from this unique view, they're the reason why I wanted to bring you here."
The erythrocyte looked directly at him. Her curiosity only peaked from his words.
"And why's that, White Blood Cell?" she asked, her voice curious yet quiet.
"Because they symbolize what I feel for you, Red Blood Cell," the neutrophil explained, "They make the body feel good and experience love. Just like I have for you. What I've always had for you."
AE3803 had never heard such loving undertones from him before—bringing her all the way here and telling her about such symbolism… It was enough to bring tears to her eyes.
"If only you knew how happy I feel right now, White Blood Cell," she said, her voice cracking and her eyes glistening.
1146 held her close, gently caressing the tears away from her eyes.
As marvelous as the ventral tegmental area was, to him, nothing was more beautiful than seeing her right there, right now.
Her amber eyes reflected the same glow of the sunset, but only in them was it better. Her red hair fluttered in the gentle breeze, making the hormone river seem far less appealing. Just being there with her, alone with her, was like experiencing genuine peace. It was like knowing what real love was supposed to feel like.
He felt an urge that he felt that he wanted—needed—to tell her.
"Is this the happiest you've ever felt, Red Blood Cell?" he asked in a gentle tone, softly looking into her eyes, "Because I bet I can make you even happier than that."
"How so, White Blood Cell?" she asked, her tone matching his.
His heart was beating hard, but he still felt like he had to tell her.
"By letting you know that I want to love you and be with you… Forever," he whispered, "And I know for certain that it's impossible to imagine my life without you."
He leaned in closer to her.
"Will you marry me, Red Blood Cell?" he asked in a warm and hopeful tone.
She hitched her breath in surprise from the question, but quickly wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Tears returned to her eyes.
"White Blood Cell…" she cooed happily, pressing her forehead against his, "Of course, I will!"
The two of them shared a tender yet passionate kiss to seal it between them.
For a moment, they lingered together, their foreheads still pressed as he picked her up and held her close. 1146 was too overjoyed from the situation that his legs were temporarily weak, causing them to fall to the ground. They simply laughed from the experience.
He rolled over to AE3803.
"Sorry about that," he chuckled, leaning his forehead against hers.
"Don't be, White Blood Cell," she reassured him in a gentle tone with a soft giggle, "That was kinda fun."
He purred.
"I know what else can be fun," he hinted, trailing his hand along her side.
She merely giggled.
"At home, White Blood Cell," she recommended, playfully brushing his fringe before leaning up to give him a tender kiss.
"We should be heading back anyway," he suggested, "I wouldn't want you caught here. Not after the impression you got from today." He gave her a gentle kiss.
She gave a slight nod in agreement.
He stood back up and helped her up. Just as carefully as they entered in to the ventral tegmental area, they watched and waited for their most opportune chance to dart right out. Both of them hiding within a narrow alleyway meant for transmigration.
Once cleared, she began to laugh from the rushed experience, just loud enough for only them to hear. He joined in as well.
"I love you, Red Blood Cell," he told her in a soft tone as he glanced over at her.
She glanced back at him.
"I love you too, White Blood Cell," she reciprocated.
For a moment, the two of them spent a close intimate moment together before continuing on their way back.
Along the way, the neutrophil couldn't help but chuckle at a random thought.
She noticed and grew a bit curious.
"What's so funny?" she asked, nearly chuckling as well.
"I was just wondering how 4989 is going to feel about us getting married," he explained.
"Huh?" she responded in a bit of confusion, "Why would he be feeling any different about it?"
"Because he kinda likes you," he admitted.
"What?" she laughed at the idea, "Don't be silly, White Blood Cell. You know that he and I are just friends."
The erythrocyte walked even closer to him, sighing contently.
"You're the only one I love, White Blood Cell," she affectionately reassured him, "The only one I'd ever want to love. Forever."
He smiled and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her even closer against his side.
"I'm the same way, Red Blood Cell," he told her in a loving tone, "You're the only one I could ever love. Forever."
Together, they continued on through the vessels on their way back to their apartment, blending back into the steady flow of the body as if they had always belonged there side by side. The body carried on—cells moved and signals fired.
Life continued as it always had.
And yet, something had undeniably changed.
Not in any way that could be measured or seen, but in the way they walked closer, in the way their hands remained intertwined, in the certainty that neither of them was ever to be alone again.
AE3803 leaned into him as they walked, their steps naturally falling in sync. 1146 adjusted his grip around her waist without thinking, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. There was no need to say anything more.
White Day would pass like any other holiday.
Duties would resume. Routes would be walked. Battles would be fought. And deliveries would be made. Just as it's always have everyday.
Their path curved gently forward, and together, they followed it.
--