1 First meeting

SIX YEARS AGO

Anastacia's sandaled feet made anxious quick steps as she tried to keep

up with her parents walking ahead of her across the hotel lobby,

while she towed her suitcase and tried to keep their backs, in view, while navigating around

other adults who crossed her path,

the two were occupied with the travel arrangements for their trip

The Royal Peach Pavilion Resort in japan one of the few truly upscale five-star luxury resorts in japan, her parents had informed her,

it was one of the most popular and she could see why

The entire lobby was decorated, with all kinds of amazing Asian artworks on the walls

there were expensive looking displays of beautifully painted porcelain vases,

as well as stylish, artistic looking furniture, the ceiling had various mythical creatures from

Asian folklore painted on it in a fantastical mural,

and the most amazing thing was, the open space in the middle of the lobby where a huge beautiful pink tree grew,

the entire lobby was built around it

As much as she wanted to pause and admire what her eyes were taking in,

she didn't have time, she would be separated from her parents if she didn't keep up,

and the lobby was bustling with all kinds of people, it wouldn't be hard for her to get lost in the crowd,

she felt nervous and stressed as there was too much of an assault going off on her senses, too many sights, sounds, and scents

everything was becoming a jumbled mess in her head, and jet lag was hitting

her twelve-year-old body hard, she was already too tired

As a particularly smelly human was nearby, the whiff she caught of his body odor he smelled of stale alcohol and sweat a nasty combination

made her feel an unexpected wave of nausea and dizziness struck her unable to gather her bearings in the momentary confusion

suddenly she violently crashed into someone she didn't see who it was but her grip

slipped from her suitcase as she fell her body went flying.

Justin was in cruise mode, his sneakers squeaking on the smooth floor of the

lobby he had arrived, fifteen years old it was the first time he had gotten to travel to a foreign country on his own,

he had been invited to Japan by his grandpa from his father's side he had never met him

but he had heard only good things about his grandpa from his dad

The lobby was crowded with so many people today, he wondered if it was always like this or was it some kind of occasion?

His eyes were swallowing every sight with wholehearted delight,

everything from the elaborate looking Asian style lantern light fixtures that decorated wide open area,

to the beautiful painting artworks on the walls, and smooth glossy floors,

where various artistic designs and prints on it, at spots meant to draw your attention,

the color scheme was amazing, various shades of blues, greens, purples, and black

accessorized in gold and silver that made the colors all pop, even more, there was an

escalator going up to the next floors, after the front desk area, it was designed to look like a dancing serpentine dragon

its handrails styled to look like sparkling dragon scales in the same vibrant blend of colors

there was a mural of the various mythical beast from Asian folklore on the ceiling

to the fine porcelain vase displays scattered here and there and finally the centerpiece in

the middle of the lobby that gave the hotel its name,

it had its own open courtyard space it was a beautiful specimen of a fully blooming

Japanese peachtree with beautiful pink leaves and pink and white blossoms

When the breeze blew down from above the blossoms blew off gently drifting like pink snowflakes littering the floor

it was so beautiful that often people were stopping to take photos,

his fingers itched to draw something he was going to have so much fun here

his grandpa owned the hotel he had heard ever since he was a kid,

it was the first time he was setting foot in the place and he was already impressed it was grander than he had imagined,

everywhere he looked the place with dripping with exquisite art and

beauty as well a darkly luxurious exotic charm so his dad hadn't been lying about the family prestige and all that

His senses pinged off a scent catching his attention Lotus Blossoms and ripe peaches, not just any preaches either,

they were the sweet, pure, rich scent of peach wine, spiced with jasmine lotus blossom

Who? He focused his senses,

A girl he noticed walking a few feet ahead of him,

yellow dress trimmed in white long white-blond hair falling down her back with a cute lace white

broad-brimmed hat with a yellow ribbon sat on top of her head at a jaunty angle, white sandals graced her small feet she wore a white lace shawl that matched her hat decorated with

yellow and white daisies embroidered on it around her shoulders

she was towing a white suitcase covered in various stickers of her favorite bands and their logos all over it and walking behind an older couple a few feet ahead

But she was so small though maybe ten years old? a little girl short and petite most people didn't notice

her and kept walking into her path cutting in between her and her parents

since they were preoccupied a few feet ahead of her

He wondered at what the scent he had caught from her had meant

why did she smell so good? it has been celestial scent too it was a type he hadn't met before which made him more curious

Suddenly he picked up another scent a rather unpleasant one,

a human had one too many drinks it seemed, the scent reeked of alcohol,

right when Justin was trying to look out for him, he cut across in an obvious hurry pulling a large suitcase,

however, his drunken state made his walking erratic and unpredictable and he swerved into the girl's path unexpectedly

He didn't see the girl colliding right into her, hard

Justin dropped his suitcases and dashed the few feet towards her she had been sent flying with a scream

the suitcases tumbled and sliding across the floor the other man fell and went sliding on his back across the floor

Acting quickly to close distance Justin dived and caught her,

their bodies collided but he enfolded her in his arms tightly barely having just enough time to cloak them both

in protective energy as they hit the floor,

landing on his side, she was curled into his body, shielding her from the impact of the floor, with his body they slid for a few feet and then came to a stop

The accident causing the whole lobby to erupt into shock and alarmed cries of the people in the crowed space

Anna was gasping for breath as her senses returned realizing she was ok she was lying in a pair of

strong male arms wrapped protectively around her,

she could feel his heartbeat thumping as heavily as her own against her back she could hear him breathing behind her

He was well built and his muscular body was curled protectively around her he was bigger than her so an older man? She wondered

"Are you all right?" He asked

he had a husky young voice, she turned her head to look at him, seeing his face for the first time he was an Asian boy just a bit older than her,

messy silky wavy black hair framed his face as hazel brown amber-colored eyes gazed down worriedly

at her under finely arched black eyebrows and long sooty black eyelashes,

high cheeks bones made him look cute and baby faced, but it was offset by his nose was high and haughty

backed up by a sleek jawline,

he looked both delicate and strong with his darker tanned skin tone that only seemed to make him more handsome,

as his hair seemed blacker and shinier than midnight against his bronzed skin tone

"Do you feel any pain anywhere?" He asked her

"what about you?" She replied "are you hurt? you caught me I landed on you"

he rubbed her back comfortingly "I'm ok! I didn't get hurt! I'm an athlete" he explained

"Are you really?" She asked not quite believing him with wide eyes

"yes," he assured her "I didn't get hurt at all"

as the pair lay still for a moment longer catching their breaths and regain their senses and

Justin had the opportunity to see her face properly,

small and round-faced with monolid eyes with sparkling ice blue color like icebergs their shape

slanted and cat-like but wide and rounded like a cute big-eyed cat,

on her forehead between her delicate eyebrows was a pretty pink star-shaped birthmark on her pale white skin

a delicate elegant looking nose and rosebud shaped pink lips and a dimple in one of her chubby cheeks

she had a very sweet and adorable appearance like a doll, but in the finer details of her features she had a

sharp mischievous look too that made him even more curious,

he was expecting she would be maybe an American girl perhaps a European celestial with the blond

hair but she was Asian celestial like him,

and her eyes were blue instead of brown and Asian celestials were rare his family was some of the last in

existence on earth was she mixed Asian? so who was this girl?

"What's your name?" he asked

"I'm Anastacia" she replied

"I'm Justin" he informed her "it's nice to meet you despite the accident"

"thank you for catching me, I thought was gonna die or something it was really scary" she admitted

he stroked her hair giving her a smile she couldn't help smiling back Justin saw her dimple

deepen and eyes sparkle and it shot straight to his heart causing the most unexpected reaction he felt butterflies inside