Seeing Stars

III || my favourite song

FROM THAT MOMENT she had a name, Calian Liqiniso's days were just a long waiting until he'd get to the rooftop with her. He spent them in class, watching his watch, counting down the seconds, tapping impatiently his fingers on the desk. Why did the time go so slow?

Whenever he was finally done, he'd practically run away, music always accompanying him as he made his way as fast as possible to the bakery, not taking the time to savour the flavours of warm bread and cinnamon when he entered the place.

"Calian, I swear you get here earlier and earlier," Claudia grinned at him. "The chocolate's coming right up, with apple flavour this time. Tell me which one was best, right?"

"Make it two," he asked her with his best smile. "And a cinnamon bun."

She blinked. "Two? And a bun?" After a second of bewilderment, her professionalism came right back. "Sure thing."

The second Gayna saw him, she noticed the two cups and his bag, and eyed them in excitement and hunger. "This better be for me," she told him, in the tone of a joke, watching as he sat down beside her, and looked up at the stars, the startle feeling old.

"Of course it is," he assured, handing her one of the cup, and the bag. "Just leave me a bite, yeah?"

She smiled cheekily, before wrapping it out of the paper, and her eyes humorously widened. "Oh, this smells good," she pressed her cheek against it, and when her head lifted up again, it was covered with sugar. "And it's still warm!"

Calian chuckled at her, watching like a creep as she took a bite, before looking up at him in perfect joy. "This is the best thing I have ever eaten in my life, promise!"

This time, he fully laughed. "Wait until it's rhubarb season. Nothing beats rhubarb crumble. Most people don't really like rhubarb, but I find it's the best fruit –well, vegetable, actually, in the world."

"I'm sure I'll love it, but I don't see how anything could possibly beat that."

She finished it in a matter of seconds, and when she realised, she glanced at him with guilt and desolation. He grinned at her, promising it didn't matter, and telling her he was glad she liked it that much ("Liked it? I adored it!").

Then, her curiosity went on the headphones hanging around his neck. She pointed at them. "What is that?"

His brows furrowed. "That? Headphones, of course. You know, to listen to music?"

She brightened immediately. "Music? I love music! What kind of music do you listen to?"

He was about to reply, when a better idea came to his mind. Gently, he brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear, so he could put one of the headphones there, before taking the second for himself, the string forcing him (more like presenting him the excuse) to sit closer to her, until their knees were touching.

He almost forgot about what was happening, when she frowned at him, wondering why no sound was coming. A blush creeping on his face, he quickened to play the song (Apocalyptica's cover of Nothing Else Matters).

Gayna's eyes softened, and her lips parted slightly, as the music started, her entire being shifting. "Oh," she let out a small breath, before turning completely silent, as captivated by the song as he was with her.

"I love this- I absolutely adore this- I really have no word to describe how marvellous it is," she said so quickly he almost troubled understanding, when it was over. "What else do they play?"

He put some other ones, seeing she preferred mostly the classical reprises, and sticking with those, enjoying her enticed state each time, not missing a bit of her endearing personality. Because that's what she was, in the lack of any better word: completely, and utterly endearing.

"Amazing," she grinned at him, her head resting softly on his shoulder, and he moved his arm around her back so it would slide, right between his neck and chest, hoping she wouldn't hear his wildly beating heart.

"What do you usually listen to?" He questioned, his fingers ready to look for anything she'd say.

"Oh anything really," she shrugged. "You know, any genre. I'm not exactly picky. I do love cello, though."

"Yeah," he nodded in agreement. To be honest, he would've agreed with anything she liked, be it sparkly poop, Pepa the Pig, or Barbies.

"In a way, this is my favourite song," she commented after they had been watching the stars for a few minutes, in complete silence.

"What?"

"Being here, with you," she grinned up at him, and he pushed her head down again, not wanting her to see any more of his flushing cheeks.

"Shut up," he muttered, squeezing her tighter to him.

This caused a giggle to escape her, and even if he didn't see her face, Calian knew she was smiling, and that her eyes were shining. "You're an adorable grumpy cat," she teased, relaxing into him more.

"I'm not."

"Are yo."

"Am not."

"Are so."

"Am not."

"Are so."

"...Maybe I am."

"Oh you definitely are."