Never thought I'd see you again

Axel had just gotten off work but needed to head to the grocery store before heading to pick up his daughters. He made sure to let his mother know as before he got off that way she wouldn't worry that he was late like last time. He walked down the street to the nearest grocery store to pick up things he needed for dinner that night. He had his satchel so he wouldn't need to carry many of the items but he knew that he would need to carry the milk and kitten food. He left the store with the milk and kitten food in hand, he wasn't paying much attention because he was tired and had been working since four this morning. It was five o' clock in the afternoon so the streets were crowding in some parts. He walked making sure to not bump into anyone as he did so and went on his same route home.

He turned the corner to go to his street when he saw a familiar face. He thought at first he was seeing things but after blinking a few times he realized he wasn't. He saw her walking towards him but she didn't notice him at first, it was the woman whom he had been with so many years ago. She was still as beautiful now as she was back then, only he could still feel the sting of betrayal from when she left. He had been planning to ask her to marry him but before he could she had left, no good bye and no explanation of why. He just woke up one morning and she was gone, packed all her things and left him. He was twenty-two at the time, he didn't have nearly as many tattoos as he did then so he doubted she'd recognize him. He was covered in them now, from the side of his head down to his legs seventy-five percent of his body was covered.

He felt the cat food bag slip and tried to catch it but failed. He slipped to the ground then slid towards her, he hated that he was always a klutz. So he walked towards it without looking towards her and picked up the bag making sure to carefully put it in a tight grip this time. He made sure everything else was fine before he was about to start walking towards home. Which incidentally was two houses behind her on the right, he had moved the last time they were together. He only hoped that she hadn't seen him because she still affected him in every way possible. It couldn't be helped, he was deeply in love with her and still is though he would never admit it to himself.

Imogen was exhausted from work, during all the way to home could not bear not to yawn.
On the job started at six o'clock in the morning in order arrived in the Muggles' world on time and prepared to start shooting.
Although the business od model drew a lot of her energy, she still loved everything about that job.
After several hours of filming, finally she took off much of the exaggerated make-up, changed into jeans and a plain T-shirt and was finally ready to go home.
It was not really looking forward to, like every night, she will come in her completely empty house, except for a dog that will welcome her there.
The main square was crammed with people, and for the first time started the longer way which meant she would have to walk through two streets that would otherwise bypass.

Walking, she thought she saw in the distance a fully tattooed guy who stares at her.
It made her feel some fear. Because she works in the Muggle world, to the job does not carry her wand, and if this is some bad gyu she will be totally unprotected. In addition, completely hated each physical activity and is too tired to escaped.
The guy at one point turned out bags he held in his hand and Imogen barely restrained herself not to laugh.
She took a deep breath and started forward, pretending to be relaxed, although she was anything but that.
However, after a few moments had the opportunity to closely examine the young man.

No.

No no no.

It can not be him.

"Axel?"

This question she wanted to say in her mind, but instead drifted in the air voice full of shock, disbelief but also happiness and excitement.

It's really him.

He's changed a lot, looked older and his body is full of tattoos.
She changed too, but not so much like him.
Her face looked a bit more mature, and because of problems with anorexia in the past, she was a lot thinner than when they last met.
"Is that really you?" approached him at an accelerated pace, almost as fast and the pounding of her heart now.
Before she realized what she is doing at all, she ran to him and hugged him, smiling all the time.

"I'm so glad to see you! Do you remember me? It's me, Imogen!" she stepped back a little so that she could carefully see him. The fact is that she is still in love with him as before, often wondered how her life would have been different if she stayed with him and married him.

He heard her say his name and it made him pause to look up at her. She was thinner than what she was when they were last together. He didn't know what to say to her though there were a million questions that went though his mind of what to ask her. He didn't want her to run again, he didn't know what to say so he stood still in hopes that she would think she was wrong and move along. All the memories of their life together passed through his mind as he watched her started running quickly towards him.

When he saw her smiling as she was running was a kick to his gut. He thought she always had the most beautiful smile in the world. He used to tell her that her smile could light up the darkness no matter how impossible it seemed. He felt her hug him as soon as she reached him, it was a kick to his heart having her hug him like this. Since one hand was full of groceries he hesitantly placed his other arm around her.

"Of course Imogen, I remember you." He said looking at her. He remembered everything and that included everything about her. He thought it was both a blessing and a curse that he had an editic memory. "I have editic memory remember?" He said softly not knowing what exactly to say to her. "It's good to see you. How have you been?" He asked trying to keep himself calm as he talked to her. The truth was that seeing her made all the memories of the past come back and it hurt just the same. "Your thinner than I remember you being." He commented as he started to really look at her.

As she ran toward him, it was like everything else become completly irrelevant.
In the world is at the moment there was only him and her desire to be near him.
When she hugged him, she almost jumped on him. However, when she felt his hand around her waist, gently trembled and chills have passed through her body at the place where he touched her.
In the next moment, she began to cry because of happines.
When she left him five years ago, she really thought that she would never see him again, and now, here he is, standing in front of her beautiful as ever, capable of one-touch make her feel trembles as before.

"Yes, I know that you remember everything, but I can not believe it. It's really you!" she jumped a few times like a child and then hugged him again.
Although she would not be able to admit to herself, or anyone else, she still loves him as the first day.
"Oh God, I've missed you so much! I did not think I'd ever see you again. You're the same as before, well, not exactly the same, I see you have a lot more tattoos now, but in fact you are the same!" She paused for a moment when she heard his question, and then she changed the subject and continue to talk nervously. Well, it really is her major disadvantage,she is talking very much when she gets nervous.

"Oh, I'm good. Finally I make my dream came true, I started to work as a model, how are you? Oh God, we need to get out, so long time no see! Did happen anything new in your life? How are your parents? Do you live here, I have not seen you before? " she continued to repeat questions one after another after having slowly left without air. So she talked to did not notice that she still hugs him strongly as if her life depended from this embrace.

Axel nearly fell over when she hugged because he was nearly jumped on. To him it felt right to have her right back in his arms. He still felt the same rightness of her being where he thought she always thought she should be. He hugged her a little more tightly to him wanting nothing more than to hold for a few hours but he knew that it wasn't something that was possible.

He gave a soft laugh at her saying that she couldn't believe it was him and her jumping. When she hugged him again it was like she never left but he knew that wasn't true. He had missed her for the five years she had been gone and it killed him when she had been gone.
"I've missed you too. Yeah I didn't think I'd see you either. These aren't even all of them, my long sleeve and pants cover the rest of them. I get weird looks at work from patients." He said with a small smile. He cocked his head to the side when she became very chatty. "What wrong? Don't tell it's nothing because you start talking a lot when your nervous." He said giving her a look that said he wasn't going to drop the question even if she begged him to.

"I'm glad that you could make your dream come true. I'm fine, just working a lot." He said then listened to her ask question after question. "I have a several new things but they are kind of private. Meaning not something to be talked about in the open. My parents are fine they are slowly starting to travel around the world. Yes I live here, two doors behind you in fact." He said trying to figure out why she was talking so quickly and asking so many questions. He felt her hugging him like she never wanted to let go and how it seemed like her life depended on that hug. He knew something was wrong but he hugged her back, his hand slid up into her hair like he used to do with his cheek against her hair. He took in everything about her, she was skinnier but she still smelled as amazing as she did back then. His only concern was that fact that she was smaller than she had been, he wondered if she had fallen ill and was still recovering from it.

While he was hugging her, she felt as if she was at home. Simply, this hug is so correct, she fits perfectly into his hands. She could not help herself but wonder if he has someone. Perhaps he is in a happy relationship or worse, married. It could be possibly, they were together five years ago, he had a lots of time to move on.
That would likely break her heart.

"Really? When we met for the first time, you had maybe only two or three tattoos" she looked at him and laughed, shaking her head.
"Too bad you can not show me all the tattoos, your body looks like a masterpiece, at least thist parts which I can see," she said frankly.
"Actually, I thought about idea to do one small tattoo, but you know that I am terribly afraid of needles and blood," she shrugged. She really wanted a tattoo but would probably fainted after the first stitch.
She looked at him and shook her head, "Oh no, everything is okay. I am just nervous because I see you after so long time. This is not something for what a person can be prepared" she smiled and shrugged.

When she felt his hand in her hair, suddenly froze.
If you would but watched from the side, they would look like just two young people in love.
But things are much more complicated now.
She felt the warmth of his body next to her, and his smell, he always smelled perfectly. However, she knew that if she stays like that will soon start to cry. She could not say what she feels, all that is past, he is certainly moving on with his life.
She moved away slowly from him, as it was the hardest thing she must do.
"I live in the street across the this street. Would you like to come on a drink later?" she cocked her head and looked at him. Well, maybe they can be just friends after all.

"Yeah. Yeah those were just starter tattoos. Once you get a tattoo you want more." He said smiling to himself. "Maybe sometime later I'll show you all of them." He said smiling at her liking the fact that she said that his body looked like a masterpiece. "Well it's not that bad as long as you don't look at it maybe you might be able to get one." He wondered what she would look like with a small tattoo somewhere on her. "What's the idea of the tattoo?" He asked curiously. "Yeah it is rather odd seeing you after so long. I suppose it's not something can be prepared for when you haven't seen someone after a long time." He said honestly. He understood why she would be nervous about seeing him after such a long time.

He felt her froze and realized that he may have done something wrong. He moved his hand out of her hair slowly feeling the sharp stag of pain in his heart. He knew that to everyone that passed they would look like lovers embracing one another. He wondered why she had left but he felt like that if he went back into old habits it wouldn't be something good. He was still in love with her and he knew he always would be in love with her. He thought maybe she froze because she had someone in her life that was better for her than he was. He felt her start to move away from him slowly and he let her go, his heart hurting each inch she pulled away. "Yeah just give me your address and I'll come. What time?" He asked her knowing that he couldn't be her friend simply because he loved her too much. However if that was all she would give him he would try to be a good one to her.

"Hmm I'd love to see them all," she laughed and then she thought about his words.
"Oh, I do not think I would be able to handle it. Maybe I would succeeded if you go with me and held my hand and don't let me to pass out," she said innocently as a child. Well, if it meant that he will spend more time with her .. hell, she would even be ready to make tattoo.
She frowned for a moment, thinking about his question.
"Something small. Maybe Stay close to me in small letters here," she pointed to the left side of the chest just above the heart.
"But it's just an idea, you know I'm still too rapid a coward," she laughed and shook her head.

Slowly, she walked away from him, but she was a little disappointed that he let her go so quickly.
It is true that Imogen after him entered into two or three relationships, but nothing was ever seriously. After him, all of it was just a pastime.
"Wait a minute," she opened up her bag and searched for a while until she finally found a piece of paper and a pencil. She wrote her address and gave him paper and then looked at her watch.
"Well, it's half past three now. For half an hour Beth will bring her children to me to keep them until she finish some her jobs. At six o'clock she will come after them. Then I'm free," she laughed and then returned the pen back in the bag. As she watched Beth's children, she is often thought how would be to have her own kids.
Imogen has always loved children, but has never got a chance to be a mother. As a result, these children are even more important to her. For them, she's crazy aunt Imogen who always plays with them as if she is a child too and buys them a lot of candys. Many told that she would be an excellent mother.

"It might take you a while to look at them all." He said laughing softly. "Well if you want me to I'll go with you and help you get though it. That's if you really want to get it." He said with a smile thinking about if she did get one. He watched her think about what it was she would get tattooed on her but mostly he watched her face. "Yeah?" He looked where she pointed above her heart and wondered why she would choose those words then place them there. "Maybe you'll be brave enough one day to get it." He said with a smile.

He wanted to hold onto her and never let go but, he knew that somethings you can't just simply hold on too tightly otherwise you'd lose them. He never had another relationship after Imogen, she was his first and only girlfriend. He feared that if he got into another relationship that it would be doomed to fail because he was still so in love with her. He took the piece of paper she handed him and then waited for her to speak again. When she said it was three he looked down at his own watch and realized it was stuck on five o' clock which had lead him to assume he had gotten off at that time. "Ok I'll be there about ten after six is that ok?" He asked her with a small smile. He thought about everything he would have to do before going to her house. Get the twins fed and baths before he left then he would call his babysitter to see if she could watch the girls tonight. He never liked leaving the girls but he needed to ask Imogen questions about what happened back then and he needed them soon. He only hoped that she would give him straight answers and not avoid them, he knew he would have to tell her about the girls. Everyone around here always said things they 'thought' they knew about him and his twin daughters. He just hoped she wouldn't hear them before he had the chance to explain himself.

She looked at him and laughed at his words.
"Oh, I think we have all the time in the world so I can carefully look at all your tattoos," she winked at him.
She shook her head, "Not for now, but someday surely will. You should see my sister, she has at least twenty tattoos" Imogen shook her head in disbelief. Eviolette really has a lot of tattoos on her body, each with a special meaning for her.
Imogen wanted a small, almost unnoticeable tattoo as a message to her family, but to him too, just above the heart where it belongs.

"It sounds perfect! I'll see you then," she laughed and kissed him quickly on the cheek and then waved and started quickening pace to get home before Beth. Elizabeth likes to keep everything under control, so that if she waited Imogen five minutes it would probably upset her entire schedule and possibly cause a breakdown.
Before he was completely out her look she turned to him, "Oh, do not eat. I'll make us dinner," she smiled one more time and then left.
Imogen's actually a very good cook, he always said that he likes to eat everything she make for him, maybe it hasn't changed.

- at about half past six -

Once the kids are finally gone, Imogen was completely exhausted. They are really beautiful and nice kids, but they can wear down a man.
She looked at the clock and realized that Axel will soon arrive.
She quickly went to the bathroom and took a shower having put on a track suit and a shirt with long sleeves.
She went down to the kitchen and began preparing dinner singing all the time.