The Cypher’s Kiss: A Choice Based Short Story
By Cathleen Rootsaert
I LOVE YOU
"I love you, Ammien," you say. “I love you.”
"I love you, too," they whisper. "I’ve never been so excited and afraid.”
They smile and begin to shiver.
You put your arms around them and hold them tight. You're afraid, too, you say, but more afraid of a life apart.
Ammien looks into your eyes and smiles, brushing your cheek with the back of their hand. They nod and kiss you. A strong and sure kiss, a kiss of decision and desire. It fills you with a light, a hope, that drives away the dark of your loneliness.
A feeling rises in your chest, strong and sure -- you love someone who loves you back.
Ammien takes your hand and sweetly guides you to sit on the edge of the bed. They look at you, intently.
"What do we do now?"
"I want to be with you, Ammien. Tomorrow we could go and speak to Freelancer Yarrow. Together we’ll all come up with a plan to show him how careful we’ll be. Okay?"
Ammien smiles and kisses you again. “I should go, before it’s light and someone sees me." You nod, and you both move toward the door. Ammien stops. "Except... I don't want to."
"I want you to stay," you say. "But that might mean... we might have to lie to Yarrow. We need to show him that we respect the Freelancer Code and treat it seriously. I don’t want to give him any extra reasons to say no to our love.”
"But what if we can't convince him and he says no anyway? What if I'm banished from the Enclave and I have to go back to the Satomi?”
You gently draw back your hand and look away.
Ammien crouches beside the bed and searches for your eyes. “What if I never get the chance to kiss you again?"
You close your eyes and you whisper …