ᴛʜɪʀᴅ ᴘᴏᴠ

𝘙𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘉𝘦 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘜

♛♛♛

"Tell me what you did while I was gone."

It was the next day and the pair sat outside in their large garden, precisely where Hazel had been laying woefully in the pits of lilacs growing.

"I didn't do anything exciting," She admits. She raises her eyes to the clear blue sky, which is dotted with light clouds.

She hears him chuckle softly in her ears, the sound distinct and pulsating. She missed him even more than she had anticipated.

"You've always got something to tell me, Hazel. Are you sure there's nothing?"

The amusement in his tone undoubtedly enlightened her, intriguing her enough to lift her head from the clouds and reply to her boyfriend.

As he inhaled the toxins from the cigarette between his lips, he sat opposite her, his back against the oak tree.

"Okay...I might have something," She smiled cheekily, picking up a regular lilac from the grass.

"Mhm," He hums, encouraging her to go on.

Twirling the flower between her fingers, Hazel thinks of the mini exams she's passed and the adventures she'd had with Trace and Gracie, all happening to rid of his thoughts of him during that time.

"I will tell you though, I wasn't myself." She still looks down at the lilac, watching the sun gleam over the purple petals.

"During that month I was miserable, unhappy and just..." She cuts herself off and looks away from the flower, somewhat adjusting her eyes on his chest.

"That's why I don't have many amazing stories to tell you this time; the 'amazing' part got knocked out."

The cigarette drops to the ground and it only leaves Hazel's curiosity to settle as to what his motives were.

Though, he is quick to raise an arm and motion her to come to him, to which she does.

She snuggled across his lap and buried her head under his arm, inhaling the tobacco, cologne, and the aroma of mango that remained on him like a home scent.

"Anything you tell me, Hazel, is everything but more than amazing. I'm glad I didn't see you like that for long; I couldn't stand seeing you like that for even a few minutes."

His words make her heart swell. The simplicity of them lifted a weight from her shoulder that was nothing short of gratifying.

"You're incredible, Juls. I don't deserve you."

He scoffed and recoiled in response to her words as if she'd spoken the most ridiculous thing imaginable.

"Darling, it's the exact opposite. I don't deserve you at all," He lowers his head to rest in the crook of her neck. "Not even those sweet laughs or kisses you give me day in and day out," he says softly, the love for him growing greater.

"I know we only said it last light but I love you, Julius." His stare is warm and light-filled as she glances between the corners of her lashes at him.

"I love you. Hazel. I want you to tell me every second of the day if you have to, I don't mind, I'd rather it."

She smiles brightly and reaches for his cheek with her hand, pulling him in for a gentle kiss.

"We do have to talk about other things," He mentions between kisses. Hazel pulls away though still hovers over the caress of his lips.

"I know,"

He brings her in, pulling her closer by the chin. "Why don't we start then?"

She breathes in slowly and nods.

"I don't want to know anything other than you're safe, Julius. Apart from that, I really don't want to know about your work."

Hazel gives him a solemn look. her words carrying nothing but ache.

Julius looks at her and nods his head.

"That's fine, Hazel. I can do that for you."

"Thank you, Julius." She smiles gently, glancing down at his throat as her smile slowly fades away.

"I know I just said I don't want to know anything but...how much danger are you in daily?" She frowns, beginning to nervously draw circles on his chest.

She hears him take a deep breath and watches his chest rise and fall. He lowers his head just enough to meet her gaze.

"You shouldn't be concerned about me, Angel." He observes her widening eyes, stiffly nodding and breathing a sigh of apprehension.

As they fall silent, Hazel's gaze wanders around his neck once more, resting for a brief moment at the scar just below his ear.

"Can you promise me something?" She says this as she grazes the scar with her finger. Julius nods, his gaze fixed on her motives.

Hazel looks into his eyes, silky hair falling over his eyes. "No more secrets, please."

Momentarily, the sunlight touches the detail of his eyes, the silver glowing like fresh pearls. He tilts his head, scanning her features.

"I promise, darling." He kisses her on the cheek, sending shockwaves through her body.

She shuts her eyes and absorbs the lips that have lingered on her skin. Hazel ran her thumb over the same scar as he slowly backed away.

"What's his story, Juls?" She looks at him as innocently as she is. The wind picked up and blew through her hair, causing it to drift behind her in the air. Julius appeared nearly hypnotised.

He rests his hands on her thighs, running them up and down her skin. Hazel ignores the way his hands feel on her, as well as the surge of moisture between her legs.

"It was a bullet graze,"

She quickly gasps and frowns, her fingers retreating from it as if she were harming him. Julius, on the other hand, puts her hand back on it and studies her.

"She missed the shot, only grazing my skin to leave a mark."

"Oh gosh, Juls," She shakes her head, bringing her arms around his neck to hug him.

"How many times has that happened to you?"

"Only a few." He gently brushes his hand through her hair in a comforting, repeating manner.

"And how many times has it not missed?" She keeps her head buried in his neck, not even wanting to know the answer.

"Just once." He whispers.

Her heart skips for seconds and then soothes as she remembers that she's in his arms now, he's with her now.

"One day we should get a pet," Hazel mentions, trying to distract her mind.

"What animal?" He asks, still petting her head calmly.

"Maybe a dog, but no fish remember."

Julius chuckles and wraps his hand around the back of her neck, nestling a kiss to the side of her head.

"Right, because Bucky died quickly?"

Hazel frowns and then nods. "Yeah, he did."

"That's okay, angel, I'll get you as many dogs as you want."

This caused her to raise her head in order to see the total sincerity of his words.

"Really?" She murmurs now, leaning her head back to face him.

Slowly, he hums and smirks. "What's on your mind?" he could tell when she wanted to ask him a question and when she used her random questions to simply distract him and herself.

She sighs and begins her trace of shapes again.

"When do you have to leave again?"

Yes, she dreaded the question with every fibre of her being. She knew Julius was here for only a moment of time before he would have to travel again. The fact that this town wasn't his home, even though it was hers, served as a reminder.

"I wasn't planning to come back this week, but I couldn't resist checking in on you."

When she hears the words 'this week,' her eyes sparkle with excitement but also with disappointment.

"I leave next week," He says but continues, "But I want you to come with me."

She temporarily stops her thoughts from thinking and her heartbeats from beating. Her breaths become weaker and shallower as he stares at her without seeming to be joking.

"Come with you?"

"Yes," He says rather slowly, deeply. Enhancing a spell upon her mind, Julius reconciles a look of curiosity as he begins to convince her—if she needed convincing.

"You can do college online if you wanted." He grasps both her hands, lacing his long fingers through her shorter ones. "It's only for a few weeks, Hazel."

"What about work?" She whispers, now thinking over everything in her life that she did daily. Which seemed only to be college and work. How boring.

"I'll speak to them about it, don't worry about that." He assures her, flashing her a small smile that she knows isn't the brightest but that he's trying.

Hazel pauses for a moment to consider her alternatives. But she didn't have to think long because she already knew the answer. Any chance to be closer to Julius would not be tossed down the drain, forgotten and underused.

Julius meant the world to her, she would go anywhere with him, do anything for him.

She nods naturally and allows her hands to sink in with his, "I'll come with you."

His eyes brighten impossibly, the pale grey shining with love.

"Sure?" He tilts his head and she nods rather enthusiastically.

"I'd rather be with you than anywhere else."

Julius' heart pounded, her words clearly impacting him, and she could feel it beneath her palm while she pressed her lips against his.

Hazel closes her eyes and accepts the sparks that ignite, as well as the delicate contact of his soft, plump lips against her own.

Her physical addiction grew as the taste of cinnamon and tobacco lingered on his tongue. Her heart was racing, and the birds chirping above them were soundly healing with the sweet sound of their kiss.

Breaking free, Hazel closes her eyes and smiles against his lips, allowing his long fingers to caress the side of her cheek.

"Do you want to know where we go first?" He smirks, twirling a strand of her red hair between his fingers.

"Yes," She replies, allowing her head to fall under his neck.

He leans in close, his lips brushing across her neck and ear, his icy breath lingering.

"Paris." He murmurs the most desired place her heart yearned to go, and she snaps her head up and faces him after finally registering the words.

"Really?" She frowns and lowers her head, apparently thinking he was joking again.

He complies, a faint smirk crossing his lips, gracing her with reality.

The largest smile crosses her features, she couldn't believe it. Yes, she and Julius had made plans to visit, but not this soon.

Now it seemed to be the only thing on her mind, and she wouldn't ask for any other person to go with her.

As she climbs onto Julius like a leech and holds him so fiercely, a little squeal escapes her lips.

"You're the best, Juls." She drops a tear, a happy tear.

He holds her too, smiling ever so softly. "Seventh time now, Angel."

She giggles and holds him tighter to her body, "I'm so excited,"

Julius laughs heartily and raises his eyes to the sky, where the sun is now obscured by ominous rain clouds. "I can see that." He murmurs quietly as he rises to his feet, her body clinging to him.

Hazel still beams with happiness as she looks up from his chest to watch them recede from the garden, that is until she notices the raindrops softly falling.

"Wait, Juls!" She wiggles away from his body and drops to the grass.

He frowns as he watches her small hand move his larger one in the opposite direction of shielding.

Hazel stands peacefully in the middle of the garden, surrounded by green grass, flowers, trees, and rain, without saying anything.

"Will you dance with me?" She smiles, letting go of his hand and then replacing it in front of him.

He looks between her hand and then her smile, holding the very same look in his eyes that he had when he first met the woman.

"Yes." He steps forward, taking her hand and positioning his other on her waist.

The rain becomes more intense, soaking their hair, clothes, and skin. But never depriving the curve of their smiles.

Hazel felt the happiest at this moment. Julius smiled at her wake, the way he spun her in the rain and chuckled when she laughed.

She loved him with everything.

And he loved her with his entire, beating heart.

His walls were shattered, shattered into crumbles with no way of mending them.

And Hazel's trauma, her pain, was simply distinguished by the mere thump of his heart.

The two were so immensely in love and happy, there was no going back.

♛♛♛

Hi everyone!

Sorry for the very short chapter today.

I wanted to quickly say that Julius will be ending soon, unfortunately :(

Chapter 45 will be the last of Julius and Hazel, bonus scenes will be added shortly after it is finished too.

I did plan on making this book not a long one, since the chapters were longer and held more scenes in them, etc.

If you have any questions comment them here and I'll answer as honestly as I can <3

I love you,

lei.