A/N: A very short piece (barely two pages of text) I wrote to relieve the stress of summer activities and high school just around the corner. I have to admit, Luna makes me want to burn all the College-Application booklets I own.
“...I would be lying if I said I wasn’t counting down the days until that new book came out.” The portly man Rolf was talking to laughed. Rolf smiled warmly, his angular jaw lifting, said thank you, shook his hand and walked away, offering the crook of his arm to his personal assistant, Luna.
Luna?
Rolf swiveled around once, twice, three times before admitting that Luna had disappeared off on her own somewhere. He groaned and slithered through the vast amount of people, trying to find her.
“Luna, this Naturalist Convention is really important to me.” he remembered telling her at the office, “I want you by my side at all times, d’you hear? And don’t talk; just smile and wave, okay? Luna, I can’t stress how important this event is. This is my first book; I want people to buy it. Luna, are you even listening to me?”
“Yes, Rolf.” Luna smiled, leaning back in her chair and crossing her legs at the knee. Rolf continued, hands running through his black curly hair, “I had Friday lay out your dress for you; it’s waiting at your desk. Please brush your hair, Luna, and wear a little makeup. This is the most formal occasion we’re going to--black robes, brooches, everything. There will be people there who can change your life with a snap of their fingers--Luna, dammit, are you really listening? This is just as important for you too, if you want to be a Naturalist--”
“I got it, Rolf!” Luna laughed casually, “Honestly, don’t be so uptight about the event. I’m your personal assistant, I’ll take care of everything.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. Again, don’t worry.”
Rolf, being Rolf, worried.
Instead of arriving barefoot or wearing slippers, she wore sophisticated and professional shoes. Hair pinned back, face painted, she didn’t tug on her dress or scrunch the corners of the expensive silk. Apart for the occasional remark she made in the middle of a conversation, Luna kept her promise to Rolf. And, really, the interruptions didn’t bother him too much, considering the fact that everyone they met had found her delightful.
And just when he thought she wouldn’t fail him...
Wandering through the forest of black suits and clouds of perfume, he weaved his way through the ballroom. Rolf stepped outside, where he found Luna sitting in the grass, gazing into the distance.
High heels discarded to the side, she massaged her bare feet, blond hair let out and fanning around her shoulders, sometimes moving with the occasional breeze. Rolf saw her peaceful face, watching the distance, smiling softly. Her face was free of any makeup.
“Luna.” he sighed, standing next to her. Luna looked up, the corners of her mouth no longer turned up, but the tranquility in her eyes didn’t fade, “Yes?”
“Luna, this convention is just as much for me as it is for you.” he said, squatting down, but not sitting, “There are people you can meet here, get the career you want on track.”
Luna wasn’t listening. Her eyes were glazing over; she was in her own world, not even looking at him.
“Luna--”
“Rolf, look at it.” Luna whispered.
Rolf frowned, “What? See here, Luna, there are so many people who wanted to be here today, but I chose you because you had the most potential--”
“It’s so beautiful.”
“Luna!”
Luna looked into his dark green eyes, lifted a pale, feminine hand to his cheek, and guided it to the direction of her eyes.
The sunset was slowly setting, the sky in a swirl of pink, orange, purple, dipping inch by inch in the lake before it. Rolf was in awe.
“Slowly,” Luna said softly, heavily, her voice far away, “because people normally wait till the very last minute to finish what they started. Slowly, because sometimes it takes an entire day. It sets slowly, because today is today, and tomorrow, you can’t go back.”
Rolf turned to Luna, unknowingly sinking in the cool, prickly grass. She didn’t look at him once; just patiently waited for the sun to disappear behind the water.
Rolf touched Luna’s cheek, then closed his mouth over hers.
The sun vanished.
A/N: It's not the best one-shot in the world, but I did rip a Yale pamphlet in half.
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