Learning to read hadn’t been an easy feat, but Hasil was getting there and having you be his teacher was a blessing— even if he got distracted from time to time by your smile, or other features of yours.

The two of you lived in very different worlds, that was something you knew from the beginning, something that complicated this little relationship you had with him, even if it was all worth it.

Differences just became more and more apparent to Hasil as he found himself gravitating to you more and more, taking himself off the mountain to observe, to learn.

It wasn’t as bad as what he had been told, he knew that. He trusted that. How could it be a place of loss and destruction when you were in it?

You were a wonder that surpassed the beauty of any starry night sky from the mountain. He didn’t need to touch the sky if he could touch you.

“You know,” he spoke softly from beside you where he sat, you had your eyes low on the pages in front of you while he had been captivated by your side profile. He waited for you to turn your attention to him before he spoke up again.

“I still ain’t learned a word that could come close to telling how pretty you are.” He said with a genuine smile, his eyes tracing your features.