Addiction (Jim x Tilly - The Basketball Diaries fic)

Chapter 18. The past

Flashback

Tilly awoke to the fresh sun beaming in through the window. To the side of her, she watched as Jim, her Jim, gracefully slept. He was like her own personal ray of sun. She thought back to the many years she had hoped for a moment like this, lying next to Jim, his golden retriever hair ruffled up from the pillow, his arm wrapped around her so protectively. Her eyes observed him and she smiled to herself as Jim slowly came to. Bleary eyed, he turned his head towards Tilly and returned her twinkling smile before closing his eyes again, gentle rubbing the top of her arm.

"How's my best girl doing today then?" Jim asked quietly, opening his eyes, locking them with hers. They gazed at each other, longingly for a few seconds. Everything became quiet in the moments both their minds where interlocked. It was like a hushed snowfall had created it's little bubble all around them.

Shaking her head slightly, Tilly gave her response.

"I'm good, how are you my love?". My love. Those two single words made Jim's heart melt in his chest whenever she said them. She said them with such tenderness. It made him feel so warm inside. Jim had wished upon a star for years, just like Tilly, and struck it right in the centre.

"I'm alright" he moved his hand up to her hair and brushed it around slowly. Tilly adored how soft his hands were. He always held her with such care. Just like her mother said, 'Jim was always such a gentleman'. She was so right.

"What do you want to do today?" he followed up, one arm still tucked around Tilly and the other playing with her hair. He watched her as her eyes drifted around, thinking of her response.

"Would it be really lazy to say that I want to stay here the whole day in bed with you?" poking him in the side teasingly. Jim pretended to be deep in thought, bringing a single finger up to his mouth mockingly.

"Hmmm, and what if I said yes?"

"Then we would clearly have to break up, duh!" she rolled her eyes in his direction as he stifled a giggle. Tilly poked at the creases in Jim's mouth just before he broke out into a full on laugh, causing her to start too.

"You're clearly just boring" she carried on through smirks.

Open mouth, faking shock, Jim pulled back the covers and stood right in front of Tilly with his hands on his hips.

"Oh really?" he retaliated dramatically.

"Yup, now get back into this bed with me" Tilly grabbed his arm with all her might as she yanked him, making him fall flat on top of her. Jim yelped as she laughed.

"Oh you're really in for it this time!" he lightly shouted, grabbing her sides and tickling, making her roll about, kicking her legs in defeat.

Laughter rang out from the both of them. It was such a beautiful sound to hear. Two teenagers, so fondly in love, laughing so hard their sides ached and tears rolled out of their softened eyes.

Eventually their laughter subsided and they laid side by side, palm in palm, faces so close together they could feel each other's warm breath. How enchanting is first love.

It's like a fairytale magic spell had been cast upon the two of them that could never break.