Easy To Love | LapiDot (Human AU)

IV

Peridot's POV

Lapis: i'm fine

I stared at that message for minutes on end, pondering what I could possibly say in response. I knew this would happen, but suppose I didn't account for how I would deal with it. And now here I am, sitting on my bed, phone in my hands and sweat building in my palms, not a clue of what to say. At this point I'm left with only two options, each as unappealing as the other - do I leave her be in fear of intruding, or do I press her further in hopes of being able to help? All my life thus far, I've been quite the pushover. Always going along with things out of compliance rather than agreement. And besides, for whatever reason, this girl made me want to try. Want to rush down the highway with my windows rolled down and the wind blowing roughly through my blonde hair. I feel a warmth creep across my pale face and opt for the second option.

Me: i know that's not true though

A simple response, yet one that took the full extent of my courage to send. Setting my phone down next to me and letting myself fall backwards onto the bed, I let out a long sigh and push my glasses up my nose, staring at my bedroom ceiling. Glow in the dark stars litter the surface messily. Childish, sure, but they bring me joy. Hearing a small ding brings my attention back to the device lying next to me, as I bring it up to my face and reveal the message in waiting.

Lapis: i don't really want to talk about it right now

Me: i understand

I had hoped for a bit more of a response than that, but it's an understandable one. Especially considering that we don't really know each other yet.
Yet... I ponder, considering something that may be a little strange. I text again.

Me: you need a ride to school again tomorrow?

...

Lapis: sure

And she then sends me an address that I'm assuming belongs to her. Though I can't confirm it from where I lay, I'm certain that my face is significantly red by now, and in my fluster I drop my phone right onto my face.
"Agh-" I grab the phone and scramble upwards into a sitting position.
I really need to get to bed.
And with that, I change into my pajamas, which consists of a black tank-top and some basketball shorts. Flopping back into bed and curling up under the comforter, I power off my TV and do my best to drift off to sleep.

~

I drive cautiously around the neighborhood in search of the correct address. As I look around, I notice the various pieces of graffiti work littering nearly every building, as well as the occasional homeless person catching their slumber in any corner they could find. I've never been around this part of town, and clearly for good reason. A few pedestrians seem to watch my car pass by seeming on guard, which makes me uneasy. Looking down again at Google Maps, I see my destination close by and pull up once I reach it - a worn apartment building which makes no exception to the buildings used as canvases that I passed by on the way there.
Classes begin at 8am, glancing at the time now reveals it to be 7:32. I turn the car off and sit back, awaiting my passenger more eagerly than I'd like to admit.

~

It's now about 7:40am, and still no sign of Lapis. As the school is about fifteen minutes away, I become a little concerned and send her a text.

Me: you coming?

About another three minutes pass, and Lapis finally shows from the front of the apartment building, looking disheveled. She's wearing the same hoodie as always, with the addition of some blue shorts. I unlock my car as she makes her way over, opening the passenger side door to set her bag down and sit beside me.
"Good morning," I smile as she shuts the door behind her.
"Morning" she groans roughly in return. I raise an eyebrow as I start the car and back out of my parking spot.
"You good?" I ask, referring to her groggy state and low introduction.
"Mhmm," she hums, "Just a little hungover."
Giving a small nod in response, I unplug my phone from the aux cord and hand it in her direction.
"I'm assuming you want this?"
The bluenette chuckles slightly, "Duh." She takes it and plugs in her own phone as I continue to drive.
Her laugh is nice...
The song to come on this time around is That Just Isn't Empirically Possible, by $uicideboy$.
We reach a stoplight and I turn my attention to the girl next to me once more, as she pulls a fresh cigarette of out a pack before bringing it up to her lips and lighting it with a black lighter. She glances over as she notices my staring, giving a questioning look before she speaks up.
"What, you want one?" she asks.
"Uh, no," I deadpan, as she shrugs and retreats the pack and lighter back to her hoodie pocket.  The majority of the car ride from that point on is silent, aside from the foreign music playing through my speakers. That is, until we find ourselves roughly five minutes away from our destination. The song playing at this point is walk away as the door slams  by Lil Peep. 

"I'm sorry you had to see that yesterday," Lapis says quietly, ashing her cigarette out the window, her gaze unmoving from the scene outside. 

"What?! Why are you apologizing?" I ask, clearly taken aback and upset to know that she thinks the situation in question was in any way her fault. 

"Because you don't deserve to be caught up in my bullshit," she claims sadly, looking towards me this time. 

"Well, maybe I want to be..." I mutter softly before elaborating, "I don't know the full story, but I couldn't just stand by and watch something like that happen to you..." I trail off, my voice continuously getting quieter as I explained myself. She still had her gaze fixed on me even as I finished, causing a heat to spread across my cheeks. 

"Hmm..." Lapis diverts her eyes back to the passenger window, discarding her finished cigarette onto the asphalt. Glancing over at her once more reveals to me the smallest of smiles on her face. I smile to myself as I turn my attention back to the road ahead. 

She really is beautiful...

~

We arrive at the school shortly after our brief conversation, and as I park my car I take a deep breath and turn to Lapis, deciding to speak up once again. She looks back at me intently.

"Lapis...I don't really know what it is that you're going through, and I won't ask you to tell me until you're comfortable. B-but I do want to make sure you know that I'm here for you, okay...?"

In that moment I swear the slightest blush appeared across her face, and she gave me a smile that made my heart skip like a damaged record. 

"Thank you, Peridot."

We walk together to class, narrowly making it in time for the late bell.

1197 words.