perf*ct (b×b) ✔

thirty: you're going to regret that

solar clarke's pov:

It was a sunny day and I sat on the back of Choni's pickup truck. Truth to be told, I had my concerns about using the old junk of a car to drive so far. Choni's car was rusted all over and its engine didn't exactly purr. I'm also pretty sure Choni used duct tape to keep it together instead of actually getting anything fixed.

When the front door of Nathan's house opened, I forgot all my worries about the car. I watched Nathan walking across the yard, a sunny smile on his lips. He was wearing a grey t-shirt with a picture of an alien and the alien was saying: Sorry, I don't speak human. His hair was as messy as ever and, boy, was he cute. 

"You can either squeeze in with us or take the back like Sol." Kieran informed him as soon as he had rolled the window down. I could hear Choni saying something as well, to which Nathan answered by nodding and climbing up to the back of the car.

"Hi." He smiled at me, looking a little lost while trying to find a comfortable spot to sit at, so I patted the floor next to me.

"Nice shirt." I told him once he had taken his place next to me and we were both leaning our backs against the side panel of the car.

"It kind of fits me, right?" Nathan smiled.

"It does." I chuckled, wrapping an arm around his shoulder and pulling him closer. I ignored the looks Kieran was giving me by the rear-view mirror. 

Friends hugged each other all the time, and it was a totally friendly thing to do. Or well, I mean, it could have been, if it hadn't made my heart flutter or my skin tingle when our arms brushed together.

I'm almost hundred percent sure Nathan was feeling the same way, when he closed his eyes and nestled closer to me. I knew it was going to be a long ride to our destination, but I found myself hoping we would never get there. I wanted to prolong that moment for as long as I could, to keep hugging Nathan like that. 

Gosh, I really needed to ask him out. For a proper date, that had nothing to do with studying or helping friends pick up furniture. It didn't have to be dinner in a fancy restaurant, but I could take him to movies or invite him to watch movies at my place. I could.. What do people even do on a date except watch movies and have dinner?

"S-Solar?" Nathan lifted an eyebrow, his head tilted up so that he could look at me.

"Sorry, what?"

"I just asked if you know where we're going." Nathan repeated. 

"Ever been to Iorie*?" And as Nathan shook his head, I continued: "Me neither. I doubt anyone has, it's just a small town in the middle of nowhere for all I know. Kieran's great-aunt lives there and she's giving away some old cabinet, which Kieran wants because it's antique."

"I didn't know he's into that kind of stuff." Nathan mumbled, his gaze landing in the direction where Kieran sat.

"Me neither." I chuckled.

Then a thought crossed my mind. It was obviously coming from the hopelessly romantic side of me, but just as I had told Nathan a while back: classics were classics for a good reason. If something worked, it lasted and that's how classics were made. 

"Want to listen to some music?" Before Nathan could say yes or no, I had already picked up my earbuds and phone.

"Old people's music?" 

It amazed me how much more relaxed Nathan had started to seem around me. He grinned, instead of the tight-lipped smiles he used to give me, and held eye contact while talking. I liked his way of teasing me. Usually he did so by remembering something I had told him, which made me realize how much he paid attention to my words.