Don’t Leave Without Me

We hopped into the line, which thankfully wasn’t too long. Marco didn’t let go of my hand the entire time we waited. We debated who would pay for entry, but Marco eventually won out. As much as I hated relying on him for cash, I also couldn’t win out when he was so insistent.

We quickly made our way through the line and were greeted by a woman handing out wristbands. Marco purchased two passes, one for each of us, and handed me mine. I fumbled, trying to get them around my wrist; I hated them because I could never get them on. Marco seemed to have no issue with his, mean, while I was still trying to get one end to stay down so I could stick them together. Marco watched on, amused for a bit.

“Let me help you with that,” Marco offered, getting down on one knee.

I held out my hand as if it were a proposal. A few girls, who had been watching us from the line, let out some squeals, probably misinterpreting the situation. Once again, I could feel my cheeks turn peachy.

“Marco, don’t you think this is a little embarrassing?” I commented, self-conscious of what others were thinking.

He looked up at me just as he finished looping the band, his mouth twisting into a playful smile.

“Not if it is with you.”

This only made me blush further. Did Marco feel no shame? We were in public, and he was being so sappy. All I could do was try and distract myself. If I didn’t, I would be swept away by Marco’s devilish charm. Although I must admit, I also kind of wanted that. I enjoyed his openness in expressing romance. Perhaps it was a cultural thing.

Marco took my hand again, and we slowly walked through the gates. I was expecting a crowd of people and kids running amok, the sounds of rides, carnival games, and stalls selling fairy floss, but it was much more civilised and quieter. It was a themed exhibit centred around miniature versions of the world. Who knew a place like this existed?

The gardens were beautiful. Bushes with flowers of every colour imaginable lined grassy meadows, which only further made all the colours pop. It would be a lovely place to sit and picnic. In fact, many families were doing just that.

“Why did you think of coming here?” I asked.

“You said you never left Australia before, so I wanted to show you the world.”

Did he think that much about our date? How long had he been planning this? I smiled and shifted my gaze to a nearby miniature Big Ben. If I looked at him, I don’t think I could handle my level of embarrassment.

“Do you not like it?” Marco asked with concern in his voice.

“No, I love it thanks,” I smiled at him.

Ironically, the first place we walked over to was the miniature Australia. Even in miniature, I couldn’t escape it. However, the little Uluṟu and the Opera House were kind of cute.

“What do you think about seeing Australia again after all this time?”

“It’s a little odd.”

“You don’t like it?” I began to feel a bit anxious. I wanted to have a life with Marco. If he didn’t like Australia, how would it work for us? It was difficult enough trying to keep the relationship for the last seven years. How would we cope if he hated Australia as a whole?

“Well, it’s just my memories, not of these things, but of my time with you.”

I could feel the flush of my face dial up to a hundred.

“Do you think you will return one day?”

“I will go anywhere for you.”

I was way too embarrassed by his sappiness, so I quickly flustered my way over to the next part of the world. We checked out France, Germany, and Greece before winding up in mini-Italy. I wanted to see this one in particular. I wanted to see the sights that Marco would have in his life. Perhaps unsurprisingly, there was the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and the Roman Colosseum was also nearby.

“Have you seen the real ones?” I asked, signalling towards the models.

“Have you seen a kangaroo before?”

“Huh? Yeah, why?” I responded, unsure where he was going with this.

“It’s the same thing. I’ve seen it way too many times. It’s not a big deal,” he shrugged.

“I see,” I mumbled. My hair flopped over my face. I was a little disappointed by Marco’s response. “I guess you wouldn’t be interested in seeing it with me.”

Marco leaned in close and brushed the stray hair strands from my face and behind my ear.

“If it’s with you, I would see anything.”

He pulled me in. I could feel the warmth of his body, which was comforting. I had been insecure about us living so far apart. It had constantly been eating at me ever since we reunited. But in this moment, all the unease surrounding our long-distance relationship melted away. All I could focus on was the beat of his heart.

I gazed up at him, resting my hand on his chest. I could feel his muscles through his shirt.

“Do you think I can visit your place one day?” I asked, longing for his touch back.

He rested his hand on my chin, tilting my head slightly. Although they were masked slightly by his sunglasses, I could still make out his gorgeous brown eyes.

“Of course. I would love for you to come to my place sometime.”

I stretched on my tippy toes. I leaned in, closing the distance between us, and kissed Marco—his slight stubble brushed against my smooth face. He normally initiated all the intimacy, but my heart couldn’t stand any more. I wanted to express my gratitude.

I think this surprised him, as I noticed a slight redness to his ears once we separated. One day, I would get to see some of these real sights with him. One day, we would get to kiss there too.

─── ༻ ☼ ༺ ───

End of Chapter 19