- True Love (?) -

Most people believed magic, along with other special abilities, to be nonexistent.

That it never existed and certainly not now.

If it would, people would definitely know, with the whole modern technology and social media; a monitored socialisation where nothing is really hidden from anyone anymore.

With a single press of a button or on a screen, everyone could know your deepest, darkest secrets.

So, as you would imagine, it was quite funny for someone with such an ability, people would believe as magical, to stay hidden without anyone the wiser.

Philomena sighed, waved goodbye to her coworker and left the small coffee shop she worked at.

Today had simply been an exhausting day.

It began with her discovering that her phone didn't charge over the night (she discovered that she didn't put the charger in correctly and hadn't bothered the night before to watch for three seconds if the typical loading symbol popped up, to indicate that the phone was, in fact, charging, because she had been so tired, that she simply turned around and immediately fell asleep) and while she got ready, with her phone actually charging this time, her breakfast fell down on the ground after she bumped against the cutting board. Sighing in annoyance, she had knelt down and immediately cut herself on a shard.

After that, she left the house. With the phone at 48%, no breakfast and a slightly, what was once a relatively wide and loose, tight black t-shirt (because apparently it had shrunk in the washing machine and she didn't have any time to look for other clothes, so she simply went with that) and was already finished with her day, wishing it was over before she even left the house.

Of course, the bad things didn't stop there.

At work she slipped and nearly spilled a steaming pot of hot coffee all over some customers, nearly burned herself (not once, but twice, no, nearly five times) and had to break up a fight of two customers that was on the way of becoming very physical. Seriously, were these people really in their forties or did they all get stuck at age fifteen, with an ego so big it would never be able to fit inside their head?

At least today was no Karen incident - that would have been her breaking point.

She sat down on the bench, in the blessedly quiet park, closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her lungs inhaling the fresh air that was whirling all around her and playing with her clothes.

Today may have been a bad day, but it wasn't a complete disaster. Things could have been a hundred times worse. And that's saying something, considering today went not quite well.

"Rough day?"

Her heartbeat stopped, only to come back three times as fast.

She opened her eyes again and looked up.

A dimple peeking out of only one cheek.

Green eyes, nearly hidden by a short curtain of black locks.

A crooked nose.

A silver earring in the form of a star dangling from one ear lobe.

"Maybe a little."

"Tell me."

He sat down beside her and presented her with the box he held in his hands.

The delicious smell of pizza crawled into her nose and she was reminded that all she had was a small sandwich a few hours ago.

She groaned and her stomach grumbled as if agreeing with her.

"You are literal angel. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

He chuckled and opened the box, offering her to take the first piece.

Her stomach felt warm and she gratefully took the first bite. The cheese was still warm.

"So, what went wrong?", he asked after a few silent bites, glancing at her.

She huffed. "What didn't go wrong?"

"Och, so bad?"

"Mh-mh."

A few beets of silence.

And then everything floated out of her.

Her frustration, her anger, her stress, her anxiety, her exhaustion, everything.

She told him about her bad start of the day, continuing with what happened at her home and at work after that.

She talked about how frustrating it can be, trying your hardest to be nice to people, even though they deserved to have a direct and serious answer for once, not one sugar-coated simply because "the customer is always right".

How annoying it can be, to be treated like something not worth their time, even though the customers were the ones in the wrong. As if the waiters are the ones bringing them their food and drinks. Without them nothing would work.

How exhausting it can be, to hide your true feelings behind a fake smile.

And oh, didn't the last thought hurt her heart.

She thought about her best friend, her saving rock in the middle of a hungry river, the only person she felt like she could trust with everything.

Well, maybe not everything.

She looked towards him, sitting next to her, comfortable and feeling safe.

Philomena realised quite early in her life, that she was a little different than the people she knew. Than everyone really.

It stared as a child with her parents.

They were never what one would call a perfect couple, not even a good one. Once they were in love, maybe, but that was long ago, quite a while before Philomena was even born, surely, and now, they only still lived together because it was easier than leaving and finding a new place and a new person to get to know and love. Also, because they had a little daughter together and they didn't want to put her in a difficult position with a divorce. But love? That was long over. They could tolerate each other, but more often than not their talks ended in screaming matches only ended by the crying of a small child, desperate to stop their parents from being so loud.

However, they have always loved her. Of that she was always aware and knew it to be true. Through little gestures and cuddles or outright saying that they loved her, she always knew that she could count on them.

As a six year old she didn't think much of the fact that her parents began showering her in love, the day after she wished to herself that her parents would love her.

Over the years there have been other smaller incidents, which were a little weird (like her bully suddenly liking her, friends being too protective of her, strangers talking to her like they have known each other for years, one night stands going a little to far way to fast and such things), but there was never a big turning point, where she realized that something was wrong.

And then she got her first boyfriend.

He was obsessed.

Always calling and texting her. Constantly in her space, even though she told him to give her a little distance, being jealous over nothing, being too protective over her spending time with her friends instead of him.

It was downright toxic.

And one day to another, he ended the relationship and left her without sudden notice.

And something inside her head clicked.

Before the relationship, she remembered wishing that someone would love her, not like her parents or her friends did; no, as something more. Something sweet and just for her.

And the next day, this boy (who she went to class with, but never really knew closer than that) confessed his love and they got together.

She also remembered wishing he would just stop loving her, so they both could find someone else and be happier with them. The very next day, he left, without seeming sad in any way.

And suddenly it clicked.

When people think about magic or special abilities, they thought about super strength or telekinesis, maybe shapeshifting or invisibility, most definitely flying without wings, but definitely not the ability to make people fall in love with you.

How stupid was that?

How toxic was that?

She didn't want people to love her, hell to like her, because of her apparent abilities.

Did she even have friends? Did her parents even love her? Or were they all just forced to, because someone in the universe decided it was funny to mess with her like that?

And with that, her trust issues started and she became insecure.

Without having a way of knowing if people really liked her, because they liked her, not just because of her abilities, then she decided that no, they probably don't.

Friendships broke, family members left and her paranoia became worse than ever.

And then she met a young man named Sebastian over the phone.

Texting each other in the morning. During the day. At night. During the holidays and on every other day in the year.

Wishing each other a Happy Birthday, a Happy New Year, comforting each other.

Little things, that became important to her.

One day, more than a year after they began texting, they met in person and she swore something to herself.

That she would never lose him, because of her stupid abilities.

Because he meant something.

Even through the test massages she noticed a weird feeling in her belly. The happiness at every text message. Warm cheeks and a rushing heart just from hearing his voice.

Meeting him only revealed what she already knew for months.

She was in love with him.

She loved her best friend.

And she would never force herself onto him. Intentionally or not. She would never force him to love her. She didn't want to lose him.

And now sitting here, another year later, on a bench together, watching a beautiful sunset and with filled stomachs, her heart desired to be with him.

To love him, like she already does, and be loved in return. Truly loved.

And as a hand covered hers, sure of its action and that it won't get rejected, and both smiled happily into the night - maybe they had a chance at true love, after all.

Without being forced to.

- The End -

Meaning of the names:
Philomena: powerful love
Sebastian: venerable or revered

I hope you enjoyed this little (about 1550 words) one shot.
At first I was really into it, however towards the end writing got harder, but I guess it's alright.

I am always open for feedback though!

Thanks for reading :)