Cinnamon, Blueberries, & Other Subjects to fill a Book of Poetry

Chapter 17: Fireworks

I take him back to my house, brushing away all of his questions, and desperately hope that I got the timing for everything right. I had perhaps let myself lose track of time while we were at the fair, I think I could probably watch Reese wander around for hours and be perfectly content.

      "Oh, thank God, we didn't miss it." I let out the breath I'd been holding as I dragged him to my bedroom, glancing at the clock.

     "Are you going to tell me what we're doing here now? If you wanted me to come back to your place with you you could've just asked." I feel my face heat up and I can practically hear the self satisfied smirk in his voice.

     "Duly noted. That's not why we're here though." I glance at the clock again, gesturing for him to go onto the balcony.

     "Y'know, the fact that you even have one of these is insane." He laughs. As he nudged the balcony doors open we were immediately assaulted by the distant sound of country music and the brisk night air. I'd gotten used to the music blaring, I'd lived here long enough and it was the 4th so I reminded myself to be lenient, but it felt particularly out of place here. Hearing country boy twang crooning about pretty girls and trucks and 'the good ol' us of a' while I stood up on my balcony with, truly, the prettiest boy I'd ever met felt like the strangest juxtaposition. The prettiest boy.. standing on my balcony and staring out across the glittering town as the fireworks started to go off, distant enough that they weren't deafening, but could still be heard. I had planned this all down to a t of course, but to experience it was an entirely different feeling. It all caught up to me so fast it made my breath hitch. Reese in my bedroom. Reese on my balcony. Reese in his horribly wonderful crop top and his jeans that hung too low for me to ever be able to look at them and not feel an ache in the pit of my stomach. Reese, with his hair being swept back by the wind, bathed in the warm glow of the city and the fireworks he was so against seeing today. Reese. He made me think. Quite a lot. Right now, I was thinking of how beautiful he looked and how much I wanted to tell him and how he'd tease me if I did, but I'd like that too and the blush he'd get, the one that spread to his ears that he gets when he's particularly flustered that only I get to see, and I'd like that even more. I thought about how lucky I was to be here right now with him and to be able to say that at least for now, at least here on my balcony away from everything, I was his and that's how he wanted it. That's how I wanted it too. How I think I'd wanted to for a very long time now, it just took me longer to figure it out. But it was true, I wanted him. Silver tongued, troublemaking, curly haired Reese.

Then he turned and looked at me and it felt like the fireworks weren't even going off outside anymore, they were all just exploding inside my chest. Rattling my ribcage.

      "Don't look at me like that." He said after a few moments of what I was reasonably certain was just me staring at him. I find myself doing that a lot lately, he doesn't seem to mind. Mostly. But I still try not to do it so much when he's looking, he says he can sometimes 'feel the shitty love poems' I'm writing in my head when I stare at him.

      "Like what?" He sighed, looking me over with that calculating little smile that meant he wanted something and was going to make it my problem. I'll gladly give it to him, of course. Anything he wants. I'd hang the moon and the stars and every single planet and comet in the solar system if he told me he wanted something pretty to look at at night.

     "Like that." He said quickly, jabbing a finger at my chest, "Like I'm the answer to everything you could ever ask. Like I'm the 8th wonder of the goddamn world. Like I just gave you the secret to turning iron to gold. Like you're so terribly horribly in love with me."

     "Well, that's because I am." I said honestly, earning myself a smile that quirked up the corners of his eyes and made me want to kiss him. "Aren't you?"

     "Maybe." He leaned back, bracing his hands on the bannister and tossing his hair as he did, "but It's written clear as day on your face. Anyone could see it. I keep my feelings locked away deep down where no one can see them." He grinned, the cocky shit eating kind of grin that would look atrocious on anyone else, but made my heart skip a beat coming from him. Maybe I'm biassed. I was very much a fan of that grin and everything that came along with it. But, the words behind it made my heart ache in a different way, maybe because I knew there was some truth to them, and it made me want to smother him on kisses and keep him all to myself as I tried to untangle the web of what the truth was behind this wonderful man with his half truths and jokes that revealed tiny parts of his heart to me bit by bit. I settled for closing the distance between us and placing my hands over his on the bannister.

      "Excuse you." He teased, looking up at me with that glint in his pretty green eyes that told me I was definitely doing something right.

      "Am I? Excused, I mean. I'll move otherwise." I offered. It was an empty offer, since I knew he wouldn't turn me away, but I still felt a twinge of worry at the idea.

     "I'd much rather you didn't." He hummed, sliding one hand out from under mine and cupping my cheek. I felt myself smile and he paused for a beat before laughing at me. "Don't look at me like that either. Like I've just given you the go ahead to become fucking Queen of England. When have I ever told you to get lost?"

     "Quite a lot. Just this morning, in fact. And, earlier over cof-" He laughed at me again and kissed me. That shut me up quickly, which did seem his goal. He likes to use his mouth to solve problems. He likes to use it to start them too, now that I think about it. But I really would rather just not think about much of anything right now because god, kissing Reese felt like the most amazing thing in the world every single time. Including now. He pulled away, bumping our foreheads together gently,

      "I meant, when have I ever told you to get lost and meant it. Smartass."

     "Oh, well in that case, never. I don't think." It was my turn to grin now

      "Do you ever think?" He snorted, harsh words immediately undercut by him affectionately stroking the side of my jaw

     "I think about a great many things, Angel." I offered quietly, leaning into his touch, "but I think about you most often. Always." He turned pink at that, spreading all the way up to his ears as he muttered expletives.

      "That's the gayest thing you've ever said." He quipped, once he'd regained his wit, as he slid his hand behind my neck and tugged me closer, "even for a poet."

      "Are you saying I'm the gayest poet?" I laughed, lacing our other hands together atop the bannister, "That's a feat." I continued, lowering my voice as I leaned in, "I'll have to let the papers know."

      "You are the papers."

      "Lucky me then."

      "Bastard." He managed as his witty retort before pulling me the rest of the way