Nova Academy

Understanding

Connie and Steven were enjoying a quiet evening of snuggling. Hazel, Adam and Anna had gone out so he had the dorm to himself and the lazy evening was pleasant.

"Where's the rest of your music?"

He'd been about to doze off, but her words made his blood freeze over. "I don't have any."

"Don't lie to me!" She exclaimed. "Your body language says it all."

He felt guilty but he was terrified what she would think if she heard some of it. "I-I'm sorry. It's just... I recorded at least half of it with Allison. It's got... a lot of me's in it."

"So? I want to know all of the Stevens. Even the ones you aren't proud of."

He sighed. "I've hidden them."

"Where?" She lifted his arms to turn and face him. "Where did you hide them?"

"Under my bed. I had meant to put them in Lions mane, but I couldn't bear to possibly lose them." The idea made him feel panicky, it felt like losing a journal or photo album.

"If I only pick two, would you let me listen?" Her hand stroked his cheek and she pressed her forehead to his. "I want to know all of the Stevens."

He swallowed and nodded. "Okay. But you have to show me something in return. Something precious and sentimental that you're holding onto, even if it's not a good thing."

"Deal. Believe it or not, I have a lot of those kinds of things." She puckered and he kissed her, knowing that's what she wanted when she giggled.

"So needy." He tilted her chin up and kissed her again, running his tongue over her bottom lip. She tasted like strawberries.

"You taste like chocolate," She giggled.

"You taste like strawberries." He tried again but she tapped his chest. "No Sir, you're not going to distract me."

"But it's so dark and quiet with the sun setting and I'm so comfy." He bumped his nose against hers and she laughed.

"Are they labeled?"

"No, but the cases are colored by era." At first he'd thought it would confuse him, but they didn't need to necessarily be in order by song. He loved all of his music like children.

His heart ached as he watched her formulate another question. He'd love for their children to be as inquisitive and intelligent as she was. He flushed, thankful for the darkness to conceal it.

"With what colors? And which mean which?"

"Well," He turned onto his back and she rested her head on his chest. "There's red, black, pink and grey. Red is the stuff from when things started to change with Allison, a little over half of the songs in there are from that time. The rest of them are from after our breakup. Pink is present time. Grey is after we broke up and my music with Allison from the beginning."

"What about the black case?" She ran her finger over his chin. "I'm starting to fall in love with your scruff." She liked the way it felt against her fingers. He chuckled and lifted her so he could rub his cheek against hers. It was rough and coarse but somehow soft. "I'm in love with you."

She felt his face get hot. "I'm in love with you too, Connie.... The black case is the worst, darkest stuff I have." He took a very deep breath. "Let's do it now."

"Really?" She lifted her head and a chunk of her hair caught on the bridge of her nose.

"Yeah. Let's get it over with." He didn't bother to move it, it was absolutely adorable. "But promise me one thing."