Romancing

“What do you think about the idea of running a small store?”

Mele blinked at him, caught off guard. The question had come out of nowhere - they’d just been talking about what to watch, sitting together on the couch. Outside, the sky was pitch black, the stars scattered like spilled salt over the quiet countryside.

“Running a small store?” she repeated, still unsure if she’d heard right.

Fali nodded as the television finally loaded the movie they’d chosen, the old DVD player wheezing like it was fighting for its life.

“Yeah. I don’t know what it’d sell, but I like the idea of just… settling down. Maybe even in the village.”

Mele took a moment to process that. She knew she was overthinking it - but in her mind, Fali hadn’t just mentioned an idea. He’d said he planned to buy a store and run it. And without meaning to, she’d started wondering what that meant for her.

Then the realization hit her like a spark: she was thinking about it as if she were married to him.

Her face warmed instantly, and she blurted out the first thing that came to mind.
“It sounds peaceful.”

He smiled softly.
“I agree.”

Then he sighed.
“But I’m sure once people realized who was running it, that peace would vanish…”

His shoulders slumped, his voice tinged with something tired and heavy.
“I don’t know. I just want…”

“…to live without being hounded all the time, right?” she finished gently.

He nodded.

She smiled and inched a little closer as the opening credits rolled on screen.
“As long as I can rely on you to treat me like a normal human being, I don’t care what happens.”

Fali’s chest numbed with warmth. He glanced at her small frame, her bright brown eyes looking up at him with utter sincerity. That soft smile on her lips could’ve melted the polar ice caps. He smiled back.
“Thank you.”

She shrugged lightly.
“It’s nothing, really.”

He leaned back, the movie already forgotten.
“So, back to the shop idea. What could it sell?”

She hummed thoughtfully, tapping her chin as she began counting off on her fingers.
“Hmm… well, if it’s in the village, there’s already a general store, a café, a couple of restaurants, two clothing stores, a housing agency, a pet shop, a botanist, and a bookstore. I think that’s everything.”

He raised an eyebrow.
“For someone who’s only been there once, I’m impressed you remembered all that.”

She grinned and tapped the side of her head.
“I have a photographic memory.”

He chuckled.
“That’s super useful.”

“It really is,” she said proudly.

He sighed, still smiling.
“For such a small village, we’re not left with many options.”

“Yeah,” she said, then paused as a mischievous grin spread across her face.
“Although… I don’t think we really need to worry about whether or not things will sell.”

He blinked.
“Why not?”

“I’ve got more than enough money to last a few lifetimes, lavishly.”

He looked at her in surprise. This girl - despite all her wealth - had chosen to live out in the wops with him. If what she said was true, she could’ve had anything she wanted.

“You do? Then… why do you live so humbly?”

She scowled.
“Just because I’m loaded doesn’t mean I want to live like the assholes who bunker down and let the world revolve around their useless state of life.”

Her expression softened.
“Besides, what would I even spend it all on? A big house would be lonely, and I’m always on the move anyway. I can’t drive, so a fancy car would be useless. I could eat out every night, but that gets old fast. And honestly, I prefer home-cooked meals.”

A small smile brightened her face.
“In the end, all I really do is buy my family nice gifts and keep my guitar pristine. The places I stay are handled by my manager.”

She shook her head, amused by her own simplicity.
“Anyway, what I’m saying is that you don’t need to worry about what we sell, ‘cause we won’t have any problems with money.”

It suddenly hit him: she was talking about it as if he’d asked her to run the store with him. His heart stumbled.

“S-so… you like the idea then?”

She nodded, smiling warmly.
“Of course. I love it.”

Hope flared in his chest. Possibilities flashed through his mind - futures, all of them featuring her. He smiled back.
“I’m glad.”

The movie had long since faded into the background. They were lost in each other’s eyes, neither noticing the tinny dialogue from the TV. When they finally realized what they were doing, they both jerked their gaze away, faces flushed.

Mele managed to speak first.
“S-so, we were talking about what we’d sell.”

“Yeah,” he said, still trying to steady himself. “Have you had an idea?”

She shook her head.
“I’ve been thinking, but nothing’s hit yet.”

“It’d be nice if it had a bit of personal flavour, wouldn’t it?”

She glanced at him curiously.
“What’re you thinking?”

He shrugged.
“I don’t really know. But I see you playing music and being creative, and I feel… jealous.”

He chuckled softly.
“I’d like to make things. Like you do.”

She smiled.
“I don’t really make things. I just play what other people have made.”

“Even so. You’re starting to make your own music now.”

“I suppose so…”

“Well,” he said, grinning, “I’d like to make something that could be sold, anyway. I think it’d be fun.”

He chuckled lightly.
“To be fair, anything would be more fun than what I do now.”

She gave a small smile.
“Maybe.”

“Well, if you don’t think it’s a good idea…”

She waved her hands quickly.
“No! That’s not what I meant. I’m just wondering what you’d make.”

He shrugged, smiling.
“Not a clue. How did you find your talent for music?”

She leaned back, eyes glazing softly with memory.
“I think… I was just trying to find something I was good at. People told me I had a nice singing voice, but it didn’t feel like enough. One day I picked up my mum’s guitar and tried to strum like she did, but my fingers couldn’t reach the chords. So I started plucking instead, and learned harder and harder songs that way.”

Her smile grew nostalgic.
“Then I joined a small band as the lead. My manager found me not long after that, and… here I am.”

He scratched his chin thoughtfully.
“So you just tried things until you found what clicked?”

“Pretty much.”

He nodded.
“Then that’s what I’ll do. Thank you.”

She smiled softly.
“You’re very welcome.”

Another quiet moment passed - the two of them caught studying each other’s faces again. Then Mele glanced at the television.
“Oh! We’ve missed like half of it!”

It was a huge exaggeration, but Fali chuckled anyway.
“Whoops. Shall we restart it?”

She nodded, and he rewound to just after the opening credits. The movie started again, washing the room in flickering light.

A minute passed before he heard a faint shuffle beside him - then a gentle weight settled on his shoulder. He didn’t need to look to know it was her, but he did anyway, heart thundering in his chest. None of his military breathing techniques could calm him.

And then Mele murmured, half-asleep,
“Don’t be shy.”

She took his arm, guided it around her shoulders, and relaxed against him. His mind spun, heart flying through turbulence - but all he could do was hold her close, trying to stay calm.

And as the quiet movie light danced across them, he realized something unexpected.

He didn’t want it to end.