Earlier: wandering the stalls which were not actually stalls but in the language of this people had been reduced to stalls despite the meaning of the word; navigating the ins and outs of a crowd that was not quite a crowd but was called a crowd despite its numbers; ignoring and being ignored by but then no, paid attention to; smiling because it was hot then frowning because it was hot then flirting because it was hot, even though, in their estimation, it was not...
Pretending not to want anything and feigning not to need anything before deciding on not a thing, but still; offering a price and then counter-offering a price and then turning on that price, because no; then half-turning to go or perhaps quarter-turning to go and then turning not to go, because maybe; then called back, because please; then acquiescing, because yes.
Then, they’d thought it too much to accomplish a thing so easy.
Then again: Checking into a room that was actually quite more than a room, but still; knowing and not saying what everyone knows no one’s saying, because probably yes; smiling to ease the doorman and smiling to ease the concierge and a smile within a smile, secret unto its own, promising and then promising some more, but no; instead, palming a nervous hand and following a nervous body down the length of a hall with only one wall and so thus not a hall at all, but still; wishing the nervous body wasn’t wanting but not wanting for a hand to linger just a moment too long, wasn’t wanting but not wanting to stand just a trifle too close, wasn’t wanting but not wanting to be invited in, because no.
Then, they’d thought it’d be so much easier if everyone just relaxed.
Then again: Waiting outside the trove; breathing and then not breathing and waiting some more; watching the others emerge, smiles like heat lightening, a retinue of fire-breathers escorting the way out; beaming and luminous under the harsh yellow light of this people’s setting sun, reflecting back a quieter and more joyful light, a light like a promise, a promise like life, a life for the scared and dying earth.
Then, they’d thought never before had anything been so beautiful.
But tonight, in the soft light of a fully-charged lantern; here, in the safe and quiet space purchased and with days to prepare; now, with strong fingers raking again and again, gently and again even more so, through the thick black lengths of their hair…
Right now, they knew that never before had anything ever been so easy, so relaxed or so utterly, heart-flutteringly beautiful.
And so they sighed.