I'll Be The Last Train Home

Another full week of panto had been fairly daunting for both performers, but the knowledge that it would be the last until a year on, settled them both. They had been cast earlier in the month to star alongside one another in a Welsh production of Snow White and found themselves ecstatic to be working together after so many years of friendship. The thought alone of being able to catch up properly between shows, as they had been living in different cities for a time, was welcomed with open arms and the more time they spent with one another, the bond they had shared in pre-school right through to their college education strengthened. But that evening had been the last and though it was common knowledge that they may have to part ways again and never see one another for a while, smiles remained on their faces. Until one suggested that the other travel back to his hometown with him and aid in accommodating his apartment that seemed to be a little too expensive solely for one person— as nice as it was and as many compliments as it received.

 “Emlyn, are you sure you want me living around you?” the girl asked, following a puzzled grin.
 
 “’Am as sure as ‘ave ever been. Yer carn be all tha’ bad, can yer? I know I ‘aven’t seen yer for yurs, but come on,” he chuckled at the expression on her face, nudging her gently with his arm.

A grin settled on the girls face in response to his own amusement and though she still had her doubts about staying with her guy-friend, for any number of weeks or months, his offer was purely out of a want to have her around for as long as he hadn’t— to catch up on all the time they had missed out on over the years and maybe even wind up living together permanently. The way he spoke of how pricey his apartment was, his suggestion might have also come about as a result of needing a little hand with paying out for basics and whatnot, which she would be more than happy to help with. Their pay combined would easily pay for the apartment, basics and anything else they might want along the way.

 “If you say so. I’d just hate to be in the way or to alter your life in some weird way, you know?” her concerns were still intact and though he had made it pretty obvious that all was well, naturally, she wanted everything to be all right. “I could even clean your house for you, y’know, be your little maid.”

It dawned on her too little too late that her phrasing may not have been the best and as soon as a daft grin broke out on his face, she knew she would never be living that one down. She always had a knack for speaking before thinking and that was, quite possibly, the most awkward thing she had ever said in her life— and to say it to him was even worse. A boy, who was now a handsome young man with his own hoard of squealing fan girls, she had known since they were kids, who was bound to joke about that sort of thing. A part of her felt almost comfortable, though, because he wasn’t generally the type to make anyone feel small or ridiculous over such a remark, as hilarious as it was. Any doubts she had about accepting his offer and staying in his apartment with him filtered away into nothing and with a vibrant smile, she nudged him as he had her only minutes ago. Turning his way soon after, she deftly pressed a light kiss to his cheek in thanks.

 “I just don’t want to be any sort of burden, Em. I remember your home life before we went our separate ways and though I’m one hundred percent sure that has changed now, my staying with you could have its own problems,” the girl was wary of broaching that particular subject with him after so long and it presented itself on her face as she watched his own falter, before a pout formed on his lips and they became to tremble just a little.

 “A lot ‘as changed since we last saw one another, Vi. My bamps died just last yur an’ I still ‘aven’t gotten my ‘ead ‘round tha’ I suppose, but I would still love it if yer would come live with me— it gets a little lonely when yer all alone,” his voice wavered some as he spoke, but his intentions were crystal clear and he hoped she would accept.

 “Em— I had no idea,” she responded to his confession by shuffling a little closer and wrapping one arm around his shoulders and allowing her head to drop against his. There was not so much a need for words, as much as there was a need to bask in the comfortable silence and find comfort in that alone. “If I had known, I would have called you or tried to meet you halfway between where you’re at and we’re I’m at. I hope you know that.”

 “I just ‘ave no idea what to do with my life anymore, Vi. Losin’ him has been the worst thing tha’ has ever ‘appened to me an’ since then, me an’ my Da ‘ave only grown further apart, if tha’ was at all possible, like,” he shifted a little as he spoke and soon found himself absently toying with a strand of his friends brunette locks.

It was known already that he and his father had not been terribly close for a pretty long time, though back in their nursery days, he had shone brightly as the ideal father figure. No one really understood what changed or why and none ever questioned it, so it was just a case of accepting the inevitable and coming to terms with the fact that the two would probably never reconcile, no matter how hard they tried. Emlyn did put in a majority of the effort when it came to trying to communicate with his old man, but the older male was seldom interested in mending their broken relationship. Violet had known all of this before they lost touch with one another shortly after college and now, five or six years on, her heart broke for him as she listened to him vent about it all and how it hadn’t changed much.

 “I’ll stay with you, Emlyn. You’ll always have me— and this time, if anything happens, we stay in touch, okay? I would hate to lose you like I did last time. You were, for a lot of years, my only friend and if I’m being honest, still are,” her own confession took him by surprise and as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, he turned her gently by the chin.

Tears had welled up to the brim and as he stared intently, his eyes softened and a brief smile crossed his lips; all signs of his own conflict dissipating. That had not been her intention, but the love she felt coming off of him in waves was comforting in ways her own family members could never amount to, as much as they loved her. As he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead, she giggled at the odd sensation and was about to return the gesture with overwhelming adoration for someone she had considered her best friend for a long time, when he pressed another kiss to her face. It took her a moment to register what he was doing and as her face flushed, alarm bells went off in her head. Having started at her forehead, he went on the kiss her eyes, the bridge of her nose, both cheeks and as he focused his eyes on hers so that they were aligned perfectly, her breath hitched and she longed to turn her face away.

Unfortunately, her haste was not as fast as she would have liked for it to be, because he swooped straight in and caught her lips with his own, moulding both sets together in what was her very first kiss, but he did not know that and she would perhaps not find bravery enough within herself to tell him. His experience was evident for the duration of it, as he appeared to know exactly what he was doing and how to go about it, at which point she melted and coiled around him; arms burrowing into his jacket until her hands met behind his back. The grin that followed on his part did not go unnoticed by her, as his lips turned upward whilst still pressed tightly against her own.

 "'ave I ever told yer how much I love yer, Vi? I always 'ave, even after all this time," the blonde pulled away from the kiss for just a moment, solely to gauge the expression upon her face and was delighted to find what could only be described as pure sunshine. "Yer've always been my girl."

 "I love you, Em—" she finally opened her eyes, staring intently into his own as he looked right back at her with all the love in the world.