She & He

He came up behind her. His barely audible footsteps were put to the test with an old wooden floor. His cover was blown.

She could tell that he wasn't breathing. She wished they were outside. She wished that his footsteps had been muted by birds softly singing or simply a gust of wind that went towards him, and not her so that his unique sent wouldn't give him away either. Even though the surprise was gone, adrenaline still pumped through her veins.

He knew that his plan was foiled as soon as he started across the floor. If he could hear his footsteps, than she could tell that he wasn't breathing because she didn't miss much. He wished that he would have found her outside. The sounds of nature would cover up his entrance, whether it be the buzzing of the summer insects or the breeze rolling in and dragging her sweet scent with it. He wondered if she can hear his heart pounding as well.

She didn't turn around, she just kept pretending that these flowers needed to be arranged. She could tell he was still behind her, but that he was trying to take things very slow as to muffle his footsteps that were already heard clear as day. She hoped that he didn't know that she knew.

He watched her shoulders move as she diddled with the flowers, trying to make herself look busy. He still hasn't taken a breath because he knows that it will make her turn and pretend that she didn't hear the footsteps the whole time. He just wanted to surprise her.

He needed to rethink his surprise in the time it took him to put down his right foot as he had already lifted it to take the last step to her. The initial plan was foiled by betraying floorboards, but the surprise could still be there. He planted his right foot on the ground, without worrying about being quiet, nestled his hand in her shoulder and barely whispered, "Tag, you're it," before pivoting and bolting for the staircase. It felt good to breathe again; it felt better to laugh again.

She felt his presence right behind her and wondered how he was going to make himself officially known to her. She heard a loud, careless footstep right behind her. She felt a warm, familiar hand on her shoulder. And then, "Tag, you're it." She did not expect the voice she knew so well to say words that she had not heard for ages. She turned around just in time to see him running for the stairs and hear his infectious laugh echo down the staircase.

Once they were outside they were free. They ran barefoot because they could. They laughed together because they were kids again and nothing else mattered but the moment they stopped being Her and Him, and became Them.