Our Symphonies | satosere

22 ;

「 twenty-two 」

"On your cheek."

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I padded barefoot past the television, and turned the knob two times before peeking through the crack of the door.

There, he stood.

Large eyes were dipped in innocent moonlight, a palette of harmonious greys and browns, he made the dull shades seem like constellations and honey. Ash was a work of sweet fairy magic.

Though, his abnormal behaviour from the afternoon was still lingering on my tounge like a black currant ice cream (I have never tried the flavour before), so it felt strange in a strange way.

Ash's lowered gaze lifted once I widely opened the door after seconds of thorough brain-racking. He halted the wave of his hand and scanned me from head to toe, then spilled into whispery chuckles: one fist on his mouth.

I scowled and smiled at the same time. "What is it?"

He motioned a palm dismissively. "You look adorable with that hairstyle! And that - sauce? On your cheek."

I blinked three times and ran a hasty hand on the top of my head as well as my face. A blush wormed its way to my ears and nose and damn, a nuclear wildfire circulated all over my skin.

My hair were in two space-buns with bangs swept to one side, and I had to childishly lick away the splotch of mayonnaise that was just vibing beside my lip. And then I wonder why people don't wanna talk to me.

"Lillie-did that. Yeah, she did." I said in a robotic voice, wishing for the ground to suck me as whole. "Anways, um, what're you doing here this late at night?"

He trailed the nail of his thumb across his hair-hidden forehead, a gesture of nervousness. "I had texted you in the evening and you didn't reply, so I just thought showing up at your doorstep won't hurt? I'm sorry if you were getting ready for bed, this timing isn't appropriate, I know-"

"No, it's fine. Really," I reassured asudden, to make him hang on a little longer. If this wasn't the golden opportunity in a silver platter, then I'm not sure what could be. "Sleep isn't gonna catch me for like, the next two hours or so. I took a power nap in the afternoon and then Lillie went on with her endless questions about the vacation, that's why I wasn't able to check my phone. Sorry."

The lilac haze of confusion over his face faded away when I said that, and a rare, confident smile replaced it. "It's alright. Also, are you coming for a ride?"

I was wanting to ask that what did 'a ride' imply, but my tounge twisted midway, and I found myself blurting out, "Are you not sleepy?"

"No. No, not at all," He repeated the refusal as though highlighting a significant date in history. "I couldn't sleep, and I'm accustomed to this routine. It's okay, don't worry."

"If you say so," I gave him a look of unspoken worry.

Glancing back to the orange warmth of my house, I told him, "I'm gonna go and inform Lillie or else she'd fret all over again. Wait for me outside, okay?"

He nodded understandingly, the stars in his eyes exploding. It was an early afterglow to this long night: electric, wild, and alive.

God, you are whipped as cream, Serena. Just admit it.