"They are yellow, but just as bright as white stars. Isn't it unusual that out of every colour, they are yellow? Like the sun, but different."
Not understanding where Lincoln is going with this but Tulip listens anyway, his thoughts do intrigue her, she was thinking of the creations of this world anyway.
"Different how?"
Tulip asks. Lincoln went quiet for a moment before speaking again.
"I don't know, it's not like I've seen something else that's so bright so close to me."
Going quiet again, Tulip thought that was the end of his thoughts when Lincoln reached out his hands trapping a firefly. Opening it slightly, he looks down staring at the firefly that that's suddenly in a closed space fly erratically in his hands.
"That's right, capturing someone so bright so easily lime this, when will something like that be achievable again?"
His words are quiet, as if he didn't want Tulip to hear, but she does. Lincoln hushed voice has the words sounding more emotional that it probably is, making her link back to Noah.
Understanding his words, Tulip place her hands over Lincoln who looks entranced to the threatened bug. Then with strength, though unneeded when Tulip didn't feel Lincoln resisting, she had his hands open and the firefly free. Joining it's companions that continue fly around the two, as if one of them wasn't the person who trapped them.
When Tulip had him free the bug, she looks up and sees Lincoln looking at her. His expression was odd, and Tulip concluded he must be feeling emotional, lost in thought perhaps.
Deciding that there was no reason to hide that she had similar thoughts to him, Tulip twists her body back to where it was, looking forward to the lake as she speaks.
"I've had the same thought, that they look like stars."
Lincoln didn't look surprised, but it's likely he didn't expect it.
"Yellow stars beside white ones, where do you even start at how unbelievable it would be?"
"Like you said, they sort of imitate the sun, so something that belongs to the daytime in the night would be silly and unimaginable, let alone realistic."
The words flow out like water, Tulip doesn't even realise it, how natural and comfortable she speaks to Lincoln. In their previous hang out, she had acknowledged it, but unlike how it would be with Noah where she absorbs that though and it becomes a never ending thought that'll keep her awake at night, she had forgotten when it comes to anyone else.
Even though the significance it holds to Tulip who eagerly awaited the day she could speak like this to someone, the significance withers away as if it was a lie when not relating to Noah.
Lincoln looks at her with longing, the expression that Tulip had concluded aemotional and clouded with thoughts isn't neither, but longing to hold her close like he did with the firefly.
But he knows, just like the firefly, Tulip may accept it for a moment, a temporary mutual feeling, then let it go and have him take in the painful reality that it isn't mutual.
He doesn't know how Tulip mind works, doesn't understand, and Lincoln isn't sure if he wants to understand. A suspicion that the answer won't align with his understanding of things.
"It's unrealistic, I'm aware, but I know there's a world out there with a black sky that sparkles with both white and yellow stars. So many you'd laugh that you once thought that it was silly and unbelievable."
Tulip said this with an expression that speaks louder than her words that are getting louder, like Lincoln face of longing, it was an expression that looked at something far yet near, not the lake before them, something else that only Tulip is aware of. It was a passionate expression, yet confused, and her tone she adorned as if telling a story that held meaning, is strained and weak as she goes on, until her voice cracked at the end.
It was unlike Tulip to be so emotional. This week he has seen sides of Tulip that say otherwise and has Lincoln aware that isn't true, that she is as emotional as anyone else is, but like everyone who knows of Tulip would be, he is still not use to it.
However contradictory to his thoughts, Lincoln arm that supported his leaning body had positioned itself to wrapping around Tulip.
Tugging her to his side, Tulip staring to the distance doesn't stop her body that willingly falls against Lincoln's.
In a hushed voice that blanket Tulip ears with it's warmth, Lincoln leaned close to the side of her face.
"I believe it, that a world like that exists."
"You do?"
Although aware of the proximity between the faces of the two, Tulip turned her head to Lincoln, her action doesn't have him back away in embarrassment, instead blatantly leaning closer to the point their lips hover above each other.
"I do."
This time again, Tulip gives in to the heat gushing between them, closing the gap by leaning towards and tilting her head to Lincoln who stays still no matter the seconds that passed that gave him enough time to think thrice.
Enough time has passed, although only mere fleeting seconds to others, Tulip knew that Lincoln knows that time flowed slow as it could be, as if giving the two their own personalised time, the fact that time is something one can not control felt untrue at that moment.
A kiss similar to the one they shared nights ago, is enacted. Tulip boldly puts her arms around Lincoln, and his arm that were around her shoulder followed hers and embraced her waist, his other hand encouraging Tulip's leg that lifted to be in a more comfortable position.
The kiss that the both of them didn't envisage happening again so soon, orchestrated into a blend of all sorts of brewing desires in the short amount of time they hadn't seen and felt each other.
For Tulip who doesn't understand the idea, these feelings can be something more, indulges in the pleasure that Lincoln gives her. Whether it is his body or him himself that had her fluctuate like this, all that matters at this moment is that the sensation she felt that night is felt once more, seeping forth to Tulip through their skin that touch and saliva that exchange.
Their bodies that are on top on each other unconsciously stick to each other, below Tulip Lincoln takes notice of her desire. With a raspy groan that breathed the night air after mingling a satisfactory amount of time, he parted their overlapping tongues, kissing her chin coating it in their mixed slobber, down her slender spotless neck, the trail that followed would reveal a smeared mark, as if it was a map that is getting tabbed.
Tulip doesn't know why, but the gesture stimulated her further, incomparable to the heat but above or equal to the bodily fluid they share when they'd intertwist and knot.
The two that are engrossed in their activity don't notice the rustle of a bush and a person coming out of it, catching them in the act, although the two hadn't noticed to even care.
Wanting to entwine their lips, Tulip's hand slips from Lincoln's neck down to his chest, pushing through their clinging bodies and having him lean back and stop his act. Wavering eyes that are infused with heat look at hers that mirrors his, no words are exchanged only the leaning of their bodies speaks for them, that is until a figure too human to be a tree overshadows them.
"Lincoln?"