*A friends to lovers, teen romance
James King has decided to spend a year abroad, studying in London, and living with his grandparents. For old times sake, James and his best friend Harper make a bucket list of things to do before he leaves.
Two m...
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October 28th 📍Carnoween
- James -
I'd carve out my spleen with a fork to see Harper smile. Thankfully though, she's easily pleased, so I don't have to go to such extreme lengths.
She's twirling around to look up at all the brightly lit fairy lights, hung high on top of all the stalls. I'm glad she changed her skirt into black flares, because I can still admire the curves of her body without worrying that the wind could undress her. Her red jumper is definitely not doing much to keep her warm, which is partially why I put another layer on - to give to her later.
"James!" She stopped spinning, noticing I had dropped back.
"Yeah?" I shouted back, pulling myself from a trance.
"Photo booth!" She pointed behind herself, walking backwards now so she could still face me. "I need to update the one in my locker!"
"Fine." I fake groaned, speeding up my strides to catch up with her.
She jogged up to the booth, and pulled back the red curtain and we both slipped into the box. I pulled a handful of coins out of my pocket, and slipped them into the machine.
"Get ready to pose!" The robotic voice spoke to us. Our faces popped up on the screen and I noticed how short she was. It's only natural for me to pull her onto my lap, right? I'm just helping get a better picture.
My hands snaked around her waist, lifting her onto my thigh. She didn't protest, and just got comfortable, sitting back into me, so both of us could still be seen. I kept my hand on her hip, and moved the other to wrap around her stomach. Though she didn't react at all, which slightly disappointed me. I guess I did this to myself, by normalising us being affectionate, platonically.
She used the camera to fix her hair, before nicking the glasses off my head to wear. I rested my chin on her shoulder and gave a big cheesy grin, which she matched. "3...2...1..." a clicking of a camera and a flash to the screen face us the green light for our next pose.
Without warning, she quickly replaced my glasses to the top of my nose and reached back, grabbing my face in one hand, smushing it, forcing me to make a kissy-face. I watched her make one too, before squeezing her eyes closed. "3...2...1... click!"
She had this next move planned too. She pulled away from my lap, turning to face me instead of the camera. The hand that previously held my face was now placed on her lap, while the other reached across to my face.
For a spilt second I thought she might kiss me. Hoped, actually. Prayed. Prayed to any god listening that she would. Mentally offering my soul to the devil for it.
Pussy, I told myself. You're a pussy. You're facing her, right now. Inches apart. Why don't you kiss her?
Her hand moved my face frontwards, so I was forced to make visual contact with the camera, not her hazel-green eyes. I felt my stomach begin to sink at my missed opportunity, but it paused half way, when her soft lips pressed to my cheek. "3...2...1..."
Maybe I timed it - the way my hand was slipping across her thigh, closer to where her thighs collide. Maybe I didn't wait for the green light until I moved, potentially ruining the shot. Maybe all I could think about was her pressing her lips elsewhere. Which was why my face moved to meet hers too soon.
Her lips left my cheek, but she was still leaning forward, holding my face. Close the gap, my head sang. Do it.
"Last one, what should we do?" She practically whispered - so close I could feel her breath on my lips. Her fingers lifted my glasses away from my face, into my hair.
"My turn." I told her, reaching a hand to her cheek. Part of me was hoping she'd get the memo. Maybe the way I was looking at her, the way I was holding her thigh, and now her cheek, would make her realise. But no.
She turned back to the camera, giving a subtle smile while I pressed my lips to her cheek. And then her jaw. The machine began to countdown but I didn't even consider consequences as I kissed her neck, below her ear.
That's when I finally got a reaction. A barely noticeable, but still harsh inhale. That's something, right?
The camera had clicked, but I risked another kiss. Just swiftly, in a similar spot as the last. "What are you doing?" She whisper-giggled.
"Posing." I lied.
"Oh, yeah." For a second I thought there was disappointment behind her words. Embarrassment even? Were her cheeks turning red because of me?
She climbed off my knee, pulling the curtain as she climbed out of the booth. Another middle-aged couple were waiting to get it, so I quickly rushed out after Harps.
She picked up the square collage of our pictures that sat waiting for us in the side of the booth. "Aww! They're cute."
"I want to see!" I leant over her shoulders, peering down at the pictures. She was right, they are kind of nice. We almost look like a couple.
My eyes glued to the last picture, where her face was screwed into a half-smile, opened mouthed, giggle, all because my face was buried in her neck.
I noticed the way my cheek had a small red kiss-mark in the photos, and reached up to wipe it off. "Here." She turned around, rubbing the sleeve of her jumper on my cheek.
My arms reached around her shoulders, pulling the pictures from her. My fingers ripped the square of four straight down the middle.
"James!" She tried to snatch. There's no way she's keeping these all to herself. My hands stretched higher, where I know she couldn't possibly reach.
"Sorry." I shrugged, handing her the image of us smiling, and her kissing my cheek. "You're not hogging all of these to stick in a locker."
"Where are you going to put yours?"
"I'll put you in my dorm." I told her, as we walked away from the booth, down towards the Ferris wheel.
"Under you bed with all your pornographic magazines?" Her short legs jogged to catch up.
"Top of the pile." I winked. "Why, do you want me to jerk off to you?"
For some reason, this caught her off guard. Never has she ever paused or gotten flushed at one of my dirty jokes, yet tonight, she did. "You're disgusting, King." She eventually replied.
"Big Wheel?" I asked, changing topic. Although I want to start proposing the idea of us, I don't want to make her uncomfortable.
"Need me to hold your hand again?" She chuckled, as we got into the queue.
