nyctophilia | dreamwastaken

~𝙱𝙴𝙵𝙾𝚁𝙴~ bridge pt.1

A/N: t/n= town name

I watch as Niki sighs an exasperated sigh, glancing at Cinder who has now trampled all over her new carrots. "Cinder!" She exclaims and her cat meows in response. I stifle a laugh and I finished planting the last carrot. Niki thanks me and asks if I can take Cinder inside. I leave, Cinder in my hands as we head back to the cottage.

When we get in, I check the time. Almost 6:00 pm. I might as well do Niki a favor and start on dinner. I wash my hands, making sure Cinder doesn't walk all over the counters with her dirty paws. I should also give her a bath... I scrunch my nose slightly as I think of bathing Cinder. Although she is the cutest cat ever, she can be a pain in the ass when it comes to water.

I look at Niki's old cookbook and decide on a baked penne with chicken, cheese, and meatball. It sounds like a fantastic dish, and we have all the ingredients, so I think, 'why not?' I grab all the ingredients, humming to myself as I cook. 

It doesn't take too long for the cottage to get filled with the amazing smell. Cinder watches nearby, at my feet as I hand her a small piece of raw chicken. I hear the sound of the sliding door open and I glance, watching as Niki wipes her forehead, sighing. She washes her hand quicking in the sink and she glances at me, smiling widely. "y/n! You didn't have to do that!" She gushes and I laugh it off. "It's not a problem."

As we finish up dinner, I help Niki set away some gardening tools back to the porch. I'm putting on the lid to the storage bin when I see something in the corner of my eye. I turn to look and I watch as a tall man, who looks to be my age walking, eyes focused on his phone. I watch his golden hair as a small breeze passes through it easily. I watch, unsure what to do but I turn back to the bin, finally capping the lid and standing up to brush my black jeans. 

I'm wearing a white shirt with flannel and ripped jeans, a belt, and a beanie completing the look, and I watch as the guy glances up for a second, his green eyes bright in the dying sunset. I look away again and I head back inside, closing the door. I shake my head, trying to forget him. 

I need to. I told myself that the only person I would be friends with is Niki, because why wouldn't I? She's kind, sweet, and funny. I know for a fact she wouldn't betray me. However... he looked like he would. Actually, did he? Or am I just making up excuses to cover the fact that I found him slightly cute from where I was on the porch? Who knows.

I grab my dish and Niki and I eat, politely chatting every few moments. We spend the next 20 minutes eating, and when we finish, I wash the dishes as always. The sun is already about to die, the last glowing streaks hanging on. The moon is already rising, only the smallest stars appearing. 

Niki laughs and I turn around, slightly curious. She shows me her phone, which is a painting of a bridge. The vines and small pieces of moss are beautifully blended into the picture and I smile softly. "My sibling painted this for me a while back. I was scrolling through my photos and I found this." "Do you have it?" I ask her and she shakes her head. "I wish. They sent me this picture back in Germany."

Niki smiles softly and looks at the picture again. "There's this bridge near here... I used to go there every day but I've stopped. I sent a picture of the bridge to my sibling and they painted me that picture. They said that it was gorgeous." I nod, agreeing. "It is." Suddenly, an idea pops in my head and I look at Niki.

"Hey... um, is there any way you can show me that bridge? I would love to take a look at it." Niki's eyes light up with brightness and she nods, smiling. "I might not be able to go there since I have to do something really soon. I could give you the directions?"

I hesitate, thinking about how it's kinda dangerous for me to be out there at night, but I nod. Niki writes down the directions since I forget them even after repeating them to me about 4 times. I thank her profusely before heading up to my room. I haven't changed it drastically since the first time I've been here, except changing the bed covers, adding a few plants, and a desk.