Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
I watched his hands jump over each other on the steering wheel, driving us around another winding curve. It was almost a spectacle, watching the light expose his bare arms, travel up his black t-shirt and crawl up his neck, then disappear before it could illuminate his mouth. Then he'd be covered in darkness again, until we reached the next street lamp.
"You can drop me home, if you'd like," I offered, turning down the radio so he could hear me.
"Come on, stop it," he frowned, glancing over to me, "We can stay out as long as you want."
"I think my parents-"
"They're fine," he interrupted, reaching a hand to squeeze my knee, "They like me, don't they?"
"Maybe not after tonight," I quipped, rolling the window down. The air here always felt like a childhood memory, like after-school walks and first kisses. I liked the way it blew against his curls, frizzing the ends. He pushed a few strands behind his ear.
"I'll get you home soon," he sighed, hand firmly planted against my thigh, "Just wanted to show you one thing."
"Oh, are you surprising me?" my voice wavered with excitement. He nodded, bottom lip wet as he smiled.
"I was out driving with the guys-"
"I don't want to know," I said quickly, earning a boyish giggle.
"No, it was very innocent, babe. I'm behaving, I promise," he stated, but his grin said otherwise. He looked at me from the corner of his eye, finding me unconvinced, "Whatever, I'll just show you."
"You boys need to focus on the band," I scolded, fingers tracing his cuticles.
He scoffed, "You know how committed I am."
"Mhm," I hummed, "You're very good, you know."
"I know," he half-joked. His palm opened around the steering wheel as he turned a corner. Trees were thick on either side of the road, the pavement transitioning to gravel.
"Where the fuck are we going," I whined, "Is this where you finally murder me in the woods?"
"Yeah, I've got the axe in the back," he nodded, slapping my thigh playfully. The radio was cutting out, fizzling with static as we drove further into the wooded area. I changed the station, trying to find one that was intelligible. We approached a clearing, and I switched the station once more, hand frozen when I heard a familiar punctuated bass drum. He slammed on the brakes. I lurched forward, hand against the dash.
"Is this..." I paused, staring at him with parted lips. He threw the car in park, tangling his hands in his hair.
"Holy shit," he whispered, stars in his eyes, "Holy shit!"
"What the fuck!" I yelled, grabbing him by the shoulders.
"What the fuck!" he returned, jaw hanging open. I could see the tears rimming his waterline, and he quickly covered his face with his hands. "I sent this song to every fucking station I know, but nobody got back to me, I-" He interrupted himself with a guttural scream. I screamed back at him, the car reverberating with his voice on the radio.
He dropped his hands to my neck, searching my face wildly. My face was aching from my splitting grin, my pulse crawling up my ears.
"This is it," I mumbled, tears stinging behind my eyes, "This is really it."
"I can't fucking believe it," he cried, grabbing my jaw and pulling my mouth to his. He laughed against my lips, emotions swirling between us. He kissed every unspoken word into my mouth, and I could taste the excitement like pennies on my tongue. He pulled back to scream the chorus, and I joined him, chanting the words wholeheartedly. I dropped my head on his shoulder, finding a sky of milky stars mirroring the faint lights of the city below.
"Don't forget me when you're all rich and famous," I whispered, wrapping my fingers around his.
"Couldn't if I tried, love," he smiled, "How could I ever forget this?"
