IGNITE

forty.

੭୧ 𝐩𝐢𝐩𝐞𝐫 ੭୧

"What's your favourite colour?"

Grey shifted from his spot beneath me, angling his head to meet my gaze. "My favourite colour?" He echoed, chewing on the inside of his cheek. "Red, I think."

A small smile twisted onto my lips as I nodded. He looked so beautiful in this moment—the soft, afternoon sunlight shining through the windows and illuminating his features. His eyes looked like warm pools of honey, his hair a soft, chocolate brown.

I loved him.

"You're staring," he poked my side, and I rolled off of him, landing beside him on the couch, "what's wrong with me liking red?"

"I'm staring because you look handsome," I said, tucking my legs underneath myself as I rubbed my side. "And, nothing is wrong with you liking red." I shrugged, "I just assumed you'd say black."

His hand slipped under my knees as he lifted my legs, placing them over his thighs. His eyes flickered with something soft and gentle as he turned his head, meeting my stare. "Am I really that cliche?" He teased, but something was missing from his tone, like he really worried he was boring and uninteresting.

He wasn't.

He was anything but that.

"No," I laughed, a genuine laugh that filled the space around us and he visibly relaxed. "I guess you're not really the big bad meanie you pretend to be," I whispered as I leaned forward, my chest pressing against his shoulder as I placed a gentle, feather-light kiss on the skin where his shoulder and neck met. "Sunshine,"

Grey laughed quietly, and turned his head away from me. I could've sworn that he blushed—a little. "I'm glad," he murmured, meeting my gaze. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Like what?"

"Like you're about to tell me you've been thinking."

I gasped. "What are you talking about, Greyson? I'm not looking at you like anything."

"You absolutely are," he pinched my thigh enough to make me jump. "Out with it."

Shrugging, a laugh tumbled from my lips as I wrapped my fingers around his wrist and gently tugged his hand away from my thighs. "So...I've been thinking."

"Of course you have," his eyes fell to my anklet, toying with the charm as if it were second nature to him, like the movement was something that came to him so easily. It probably was, he did it every chance he had. He loved it—and I loved it too.

"And I was wondering..." his weary gaze met mine, "teach me to drive...please?"

His brow furrowed. "You already know how to drive, Firelight."

"A motorcycle."

"Fuck no."

Of course, he wasn't going to go down without a fight. "Come on! Why not? You have to let me try, just once?" He shook his head and I leaned into him. "Please, sunshine."

He groaned and leaned forward, his elbows coming to rest against his thighs as he covered his face with his hands, rubbing them across his face in annoyance. "Piper, no."

"Greyson, why not!" I whined, batting my eyelashes as I pressed a soft kiss against his temple and then against his ear, pulling back just slightly. "Please, pretty please. For me."

He let out a breath of annoyance as I leaned against him again, "I'm not putting you in danger like that. The answer is no."

"I won't be in danger," I promised. "Just around a parking lot, please?" I whispered.