stranger, soulmate, lover.✔️

growing of age stories

You came to my track meet. You had a huge poster too, you cheered and jumped and I couldn't help but laugh. Words written in big red glitter. 'Go Nova!' I made first place that day, you took me out afterward, not home, not on that lonely curve stomp that we love so much.

You took me to a burger joint, we talked, I learned that your favorite color is navy blue and your mother was a very open-minded critic. I learned that you like wearing black, that you have a little sister around my brother's age, and that you secretly read magazines on your free time.

Your favorite memories are from you mostly getting hurt at a young age, you don't necessarily regret much and you're very free-spirited. You don't believe in losing anything that couldn't come back to you. You've dreamed of going on a mystical trip with yourself to see how the world would make you.

You like the clouds, you like the dark, you like hockey. And you also like me.

You learned that I really like vanilla milkshakes, you told the waitress to make one to go and you tipped her afterward. You walked me home while singing this weird congratulations song you made from the top of your head. I laughed and you gripped my fingers tighter. We stayed like that until I got home.

And when I helped my little brother that night I smiled, and when I took a shower, I smiled. When I got ready to lie down, I smiled.

-
I told my brother about you.

We watched as our siblings bonded over homemade icing that they licked from their fingertips. "Are you dating my brother?" Your sister asked me as I focused on taking the cupcakes out of the oven.

I laughed and shook my head. "No," I mumbled smiling at her as you gave an embarrassing expression back. "But, my brother likes you though." I couldn't help but let out a small laugh at her cuteness, how her dark hair fluttered against her shoulders in a disaster. How she looked just like you.

"He talks about you all the time too." I listened to you shush her before picking her up to pull her away from me. "Stop talking he's trying to focus." I pretended not to hear the rambling or scoldings between the two of you as I pushed the cupcakes out to spread the icing.

"They're ready! You guys can decorate them however you want." I announced as we watched the two little bodies scramble towards the unhealthy carbs. "Sorry about that." You apologized and I smiled, pulling you into a small peak before smearing icing over your nose.

And we sat there play fighting with the icing, laughing and smiling. "Liam!" I yelled out as you ran the sweet substance over my lips. A big smile consoling over your own as you pulled me in for a longer kiss this time. That was until your little sister yelled out 'ew' in a teasing manner in which you pulled out the middle finger up in response. I slapped your hand as we both laughed into the kiss.

"You know better."

"Oh, do I?"