vellichor (n) : the strange wistfulness of used bookstores.

prologue.

opia (n) : the ambiguous intensity from looking someone in the eye

THE DAY HE FIRST SAW HER, he noticed her smile.

Sure, people had come into the shop with grins and laughter — but not like her's. Hers was a smile of content — of comfort, as if she'd finally found the place where she belonged and was basking in the warmth of it all.

He could see it all in her eyes, which he'd also noticed, because they were smiling too — sparkling in their luminous color of ocean blue, and he felt like if he stared too long, he'd drown in the watery pools they so resembled.

THE DAY SHE FIRST SAW HIM, she met his eyes.

She met his eyes and suddenly she wanted to write — she wanted to write about how the intense stare he'd given her sent a shiver down her spine, how the amber flames singed her skin — how she'd felt like after one look into those eyes of his (especially the one that sat in the middle of a grotesque, rugged scar), she could feel pain and sorrow and anger, threatening to break out of the glassy, clouded mystery that contained them.

She met his eyes and suddenly wanted to turn away, as if they were the sun and were just so close to blinding her, and then she couldn't decide whether looking into his eyes was a good thing or a bad thing.

THE DAY THEY FIRST LOCKED EYES, everything became an unclear, abstract masterpiece, and none of them were sure of the outcome.

But both of them knew that this was the beginning of a story.

hello, and welcome to my second zutara fic! this one will have short chapters and frequent updates (hopefully. i can't promise you anything, sorry. cross my fingers and pray that i will have an abundance of time to write for this fic). i hope you enjoy!

- izzy