The Way We Learned to Love ✓

48 - lily

august 2020 : 2 weeks ago

The low rumble of an afternoon thunderstorm could be heard in the distance, a deep thrum that almost seemed to emanate from within the earth itself before it echoed throughout the skies. Rain pattered against the window, but a streak of golden sunlight still peered through the slit in the curtains. All of these celestial forces pushing back against and battling one another felt so distant, so far away from Lily. She was untouchable here, tucked against Liam's body and between warm folds of blankets. The duvet, fresh out of the dryer, wrapped her up like a hug. She contentedly sank into its embrace. Although her heart was incredibly full, she was physically worn out.

Since she had to go back to school the upcoming Monday, they were making the most of their weekend. They started the morning by taking Moosey on a hike before the storms had time to roll in, then went over to his parents' house to catch up with Jo while she was working and so that he could play Lily the songs he'd been learning on piano recently. Now that they were back at his place and had showered off, they were curled up in bed for a couple of hours before going back out later to have dinner with Henry. They weren't talking much, slipping in and out of consciousness as drowsiness took its hold on them, but she took pleasure in the nothingness. A small dose of nothing was just what she needed before homework inevitably overcame her like a tidal wave next week.

His lips pressing a kiss against the back of her shoulder told her that he had woken up. She rolled over to look at him, smiling when she saw how peaceful he was. He was propped up on his side, his hair messy from sleep but his eyes bright and alert like he'd gotten some good rest. His cheeks and nose were tinted pink, a side effect of getting a little too much sun on their hike earlier. She was surprised that he burned – he usually got a lovely sun-kissed tan that she envied – but all the time spent outdoors over the summer must have finally caught up with him now that August was already well underway. The sunburn was cute on him, giving him the appearance of perpetually blushing.

"Does it hurt?"

"Only if I smile too much."

Lily pressed her lips together. "We'll have to try to avoid that then."

Her eyes floated shut as she felt him slowly start to lean in closer to her. There was a flutter on her skin as his nose brushed against hers and she anticipated his kiss to follow, but he came to a halt when his lips were just a fraction of an inch from hers. A tiny breath left her as they started to trail along her jaw instead.

"I've already given up," he hummed as his lips flitted across her skin.

She could feel the warmth radiating from his cheeks as he left a string of kisses on hers. On her temple, her forehead, the tip of her nose. She smiled when he tauntingly kissed the corner of her mouth and then, finally, her lips.

He tasted like summer and sugar and surprises and kept promises. The rhythm of their bodies together was so natural, yet a little different each time. Her awareness of all else rapidly slipped into oblivion as they leaned further into the pillow behind her, her hair fanned out across it. In that moment, she existed in a song composed only of the cool, minty scent that lingered on his skin after his shower, of the heat of them tangled up in the blankets, and of the lips that whispered that he loved her as soon as they pulled away from hers.

"I love you, too," she sighed contentedly as he shifted to create a little bit of space between them once again. "I don't know what I'm gonna do without having you at school this semester."

The thought of going back without him joining her put a knot in her stomach every time she let herself dwell on it. She was sad that he wasn't going to be around on campus to walk her to class and that the days of them studying together were over. Evenings had been their window of opportunity to see each other all summer, but now hers would be filled with homework while his were still free.