Beautiful Dichotomy

chapter 4

She laughed, "for the first one I'll do your hand. Easy."

Instead of asking him to hold it out, she gently grabbed it. The small gesture immediately making his face heat up, even more so as she turned it so his palm was facing up. Rae secretly admiring the veins that showed in his hands before turning it over, also enjoying how big they were. Focusing, she placed the toy car in his palm. Instinctively he went to close his hand to feel before she caught his fingers with hers, "hold on Sam," she laughed, "I have to move it, you can't grab it."

Samuel didn't know what to do, feeling all of her fingers gently hold his down to keep his hand open shouldn't have been as heart racing as it was.

"Oh sorry."

"Don't worry about it. It was my fault for not saying it," she smiled before she began slowly moving the car. After a couple of seconds, she asked for his first guess.

"I have no idea."

"Really?!"

"Yeah, it's probably something like a toy but not being able to see it is tripping me out I think."

She tried moving it more, secretly enjoying the warmth from his hand. Looking up innocently to see his breathing grew deeper and a slight flush to his cheeks.

Her staring interrupted by his voice, "is it like a small car toy?" His deep voice making her slightly jump like she had been caught doing something wrong.

"Yup," she snapped back to reality. Samuel was so happy this was over, he couldn't imagine another second being the one blindfolded who she was touching.

"Did you wanna try this one? I can maybe find something in here to do it?" His voice raised slightly as she fought a smile.

"Oh sure," Rae agreed enthusiastically before moving his hands to take off the blindfold for him. Making sure no hair was being pulled as they were closer than they've ever been. Both of their breathing patterns changed, not knowing exactly what to do.

The eye contact intense for a couple of seconds before she couldn't take it and refocused. Quickly, she held the blindfold to her eyes, tying it herself. She figured he may be too shy and she didn't want to risk her curls getting tied in the knot.

Samuel got up slowly to look around her dresser. Trying to think of anything he can use. His eyes immediately locked on the small gummy bear shaped eraser that sat towards her mirror. It was missing an ear and a leg, hoping that would help trick her too.

"Ready?" He asked her, now staring at her patiently sitting on the edge of her bed. Her blindfolded face somehow looking cuter than ever to him. Her round face making him blush even harder. His smile on full display without her knowing.

"Of course," she quipped holding her hand out flat.

Samuel sat and stared at her hand for so long, debating on what to do. His eyes couldn't stay away from her face as he let his intrusive thoughts win. She felt him boldly grab her hand and put it down to her leg. Her confused expressing making his smile grow somehow wider before he placed the gummy bear on her cheek.

He watched her smile grow too wide, her dimples almost making the eraser fall from his hand.

She backed away and held her cheek giggling, "that kinda tickles," her softness making him laugh with her, "I can do it though!" As she shot back forward too quickly she accidentally jammed into his hand. His free one instinctively grabbing the other side of her face to steady her. He watched her smile drop as she sharply inhaled.

Before he could apologize, he felt her relax into his touch. The mood slightly shifting, "uh- where is it?" Her voice lower, making his heart feel like it was beating out of his chest. Mindlessly he began moving the eraser on her cheek all the while watching her brows furrow as she tried to figure out what it was. Rae could admit to herself and to anyone who asked that she couldn't focus on a damn thing.

His hand now held the side of her neck and part of her jaw on one side while he put something against her cheek.

Why her cheek?!

After a couple of minutes, even after knowing what it was, she finally said what it was, "just from what it feels like, I'm getting eraser."

Instead of being able to speak, he just watched as she slowly removed her blindfold. His hands still on either side of her face. Once again, their eye contact feeling electric. It was palpable.

She then knew why her dad reminded her of the open door rule...

Rae desperately needed to break it before she combusted and saw him holding the small gummy bear eraser. "I was right," she smiled at the eraser, making him remove his hands to look down at it with her.

"Oh yeah," he huffed before going to put it back. Turning he saw her standing too. "For the next one, I think only you should do it so we can get um- get started with researching and divvying out how much to write and stuff." Rae can't imagine him touching her at all if he held an eraser to her cheek and she almost melted...

Samuel was only capable of nodding.

In this moment he would do almost whatever she asked.

Her frantic scrambling barely heard by him before she spoke up again, "so take this paper and pen, face the mirror and I'm gonna start drawing something on your back. Like a shape or a letter and you're gonna feel the lines I do to see if you can draw what I'm drawing." He just did whatever she said as he looked down at his hand holding the paper steady and his other touching the pen to it. The old stickers of random characters and animals all over the dresser.

Positioning herself behind him, she admired his height not appreciating enough that puberty was hitting him like a truck. How had she not noticed how much taller he had gotten or how broad his shoulders were?

Shaking her head lightly to focus, she used a light finger to begin drawing the first line in the shape of a house. Samuel trying his best to hold it together, barely able to focus with the warmth she radiated coming from behind him and her gentle touch on his back.

Unknowingly, she had placed her other hand on his waist to steady both of them.

Samuel knew where her hand was all too well. He could barely focus on the drawing as he looked up at her reflection, watching how her forehead crinkled slightly whenever she was completely engrossed in something.

His staring caught by her as she finished the last line to see him in the mirror watching her. Flinching he looked back down making her smile. Glad to know she wasn't the only one feeling whatever was happening.

Peeking around his back she looked down to see a bunch of random lines.

Her loud laugh like music to his ears, "Sam what even is that?" she continued to laugh now holding up his paper, "I was drawing a house," she confessed making him now join in.

"Damn," he added between their laughs, "I suck."

She just shook her head, "no you don't." Still laughing as she sat back on her bed. Now taking some notes, her smile still there. Samuel followed her and sat at the end of the bed again, reaching in his bag for his notebook.

They both wrote in silence about their experience and how they felt. Then discussed which parts to focus on and how to demonstrate. Seamlessly working together, enjoying their chemistry as partners as they respected one another's intellect.

The silence grew but was comfortable after an hour or so. They only talked to review whatever tips they found or articles that would help the paper.