A Lovely Melody

There was nothing to do.

And it was marvelous.

There were no clothes that needed washing, no errands to be run, and the house was clean. There was still work to be done on building the cabin, but it wasn’t going anywhere and could wait a day. Any chores that needed to be done had already been taken care of that morning, leaving the rest of the day free.

The sky was clear, and the air was the ideal mixture of warmth and cool. Birds chirped to each other and the creek raced against itself from the mountains, past the clearing, and into the trees and beyond.

Sakura had finally convinced Ren to take her back into the snowy peaks, leaving Ivy and Zero to do as they pleased. And what they pleased was to laze together next to the rushing waters and bask under the sun’s bright rays. The fae sat in the grass, her wings free from their enchantment, their colors glistening in the brightness of the day. Zero read a book with his head resting on her lap while she practiced knitting, the girl’s delicate ring nestled high around his pinky for safekeeping.

Ivy had gone into the village weeks before with Sakura to take some of her new dresses into the seamstress to be taken in. There, she had seen the small display of yarn and needles and had wanted to try it out for herself. The seamstress had showed her the basics, and Ivy would practice in the evenings after supper when everything had settled down. She was hopeful to one day make a scarf or blanket, but for now her stitches were too tight or loose and sometimes she missed one. But little by little, she was improving and becoming more comfortable with the way her fingers and needles and yarn worked together.

Ivy sang as she wrapped and twisted and pulled, creating something out of so little. Zero’s eyes abandoned the words on the pages, instead focusing on the lovely girl and the way her face contorted with her song and concentration. It didn’t take long before violet greeted crimson and her lips met his. She pulled away and smiled, continuing with her project.

“How do you sing?” the boy asked. Ivy did it all the time, made it seem so effortless and natural, but he never had. He hadn’t even attempted to so much as hum or whistle despite Ren encouraging him to learn so in the past before giving up and allowing the boy to continue on in silence.

But today was different.

Today, he wanted to try.

She considered it carefully, trying to come up with a way to explain that would make sense. “I don’t really know how I do it. I just do. I always have. I could try to show you if you’d like.”

He closed his book and set it down beside him. “I would.”

Ivy placed her knitting on the ground and looked at the boy, deciding their position wasn’t the best for him to learn properly. She removed his head from her lap and repositioned her body so that she lay on top of him, their faces parallel, his hands finding her hips while hers rested across his chest.

“Watch and try to do what I do,” she instructed as she opened her mouth wide and made the first sound. “Ahhhhhh.”

Zero opened his mouth similarly and attempted the same.

Her eyes lit up, pleased with his response. “Good! Just like that. Now try this. Ohhhhhh.” Her lips more puckered.

His lips and voice followed.

The girl beamed. “That’s wonderful, Zero!” Ivy would alter the position of her mouth, changing the sound one note at a time as the boy copied her. Slowly, she increased her speed, the notes falling and rising from one to another as he did the same, his baritone joining her soprano. “That’s beautiful. You’re doing so well, and you have the loveliest voice. It’s hard to believe you’ve never sang before,” she complimented with a kiss, her fingers caressing his cheeks. “Let’s try a song. Sakura taught me this one, it’s not too difficult.”

The river winds through the town

It twists through the trees

The birds in the sky

Just let them be

The flowers will grow

And they will die

The sun will set

And it will rise

My darling, my love

I hope that you see

I’ll go anywhere

So long as you’re with me

She sang while Zero paid close attention to the movement of her lips, how they opened and closed, transitioning seamlessly. How her tongue would lie flat, touch the roof of her mouth, the back of her teeth. He listened to the highs and lows of her voice, the words that spilled over him, taking in each one and putting them together. She repeated the verses over and over, giving him the time needed to decipher it all, to make it his own, before her voice slowed to a stop.

“Do you think you can try?” Ivy smiled sweetly, her eyes encouraging him.

The boy thought on the words before bringing them to his mouth, pushing them into the air. He began slowly, one sound at a time, building them faster to match the rhythm in which Ivy had sung the song.

She listened, entranced by the alluring sound, enthralled by the ways in which his expressions changed from his normally solemn visage. Such a handsome face, masculine yet soft, made even more beautiful as he settled into an almost carefree demeanor, his voice growing more confident and stronger with every repetition. When it faded to silence, she reached out and cradled his cheeks in her palms, mourning the loss of the song. “That was beautiful, Zero.” It truly was. “You should sing more.”

He considered it. Ivy was always so open with her voice, not a day going by where he didn’t hear her sing and hum. He admired it and relished in basking in the sweetness that lulled around him. It was so easy for her, ingrained in every fiber of her being. A habit as integral as breathing.

However, it didn’t feel that way for him.

“I don’t know if I will,” the boy told her honestly. “I don’t think I want to sing like you do.”

Her fingers ran through his hair, and she looked at him curiously. “Why not? Did you not like it?”

“I did. But I prefer listening to you.”

The girl smiled sweetly. “That’s fine. Will you still sing for me sometimes?”

He nodded.

“Will you sing for me now?” She didn’t want him to stop. She loved his voice, so rich and smooth and light, and it felt like she was being given a gift every time she heard it. He was often so quiet that she cherished every word he gave her. And now to be given the opportunity to hear him sing, she could barely contain the joy that bubbled inside of her.

He sang for her, repeating the verses over and over as her body crept down his, her head settling on his chest. She listened to his song, his heart.

Finely in tune with hers.

His arm laid across her shoulders, the other drifting through her hair. The same as she would do for him.

Comforting her.

Keeping her safe.

She closed her eyes, being swept away as the boy’s words changed from those he had learned to something new.

A song Ivy had never heard before.

A song of Zero’s own design.

It was beautiful.

It was everything.

A tribute to the night.

A praise to the day.

A manifestation of all.

She listened, absorbed it all before her voice followed along with his.

She loved him.

More than anything.

He was everything.

And so was she.