Her Eyes

Twenty Three

It was the day of the party hosted by Noah at the university Nikolaos attended and Esmae was going over mannerism videos and How to Talk to Strangers! on YouTube. She was panicking. A lot.

She worried more about the party than she did about the formal art gallery she attended before. She learned from the forums she visited in her free time that parties could either go very well or horribly. There was no in-between and Esmae was scared that the horrible would happen and she would become a spectacle amongst the young adults that drank alcohol and blasted music.

"It will be fine, Esmae," assured Nikolaos.

He sat on the bed in their room, watching as Esmae paced around, whispering small notes to herself and stopping by the mirror periodically to make sure her clothes were adequate. The more she looked at the loose blue jeans with butterflies embroidered and the long-sleeved, skintight white shirt she wore under one of Nikolaos' windbreakers, the more she thought it was too plain; too boring.

She whipped her body to Nikolaos, her bottom lip in between her teeth. "What if they don't like me?" she asked in a hushed whisper, stopping before Nikolaos.

The fear of being an outcast was stronger than Esmae initially thought and even Nikolaos' words of comfort did little to soothe the impending doom she felt.

The man sighed and motioned for Esmae to come closer to him with a wave of his hand. When she did, he pulled her into his lap, so she was straddling him and trapped her within his arms. "They will like you, Esmae, and even if they didn't, it wouldn't matter." His hands rubbed her waist. "Where do these negative ideas come from, hmm?"

Her tense shoulders fell, and she let out a deep breath. Nikolaos' eyes showed such assurance and confidence that Esmae couldn't help but believe his words.

"...The internet," she replied abash, knowing that it wasn't the most reliable source, but it was the only major source she could use to learn more about humans instead of bugging Nikolaos with her constant questioning.

His face turned blank at her answer, and he shook his head, pinching her skin lightly. "But, but sometimes what they say is true!" she exclaimed after seeing his expression change, earning her another pinch. "Do you really believe everything those strangers say on the internet, glykiá mou?" he asked, raising a brow.

"I saw it in the movies too!"

"Your brain is turning into mush," he said blankly, tickling her sides and eliciting a small rouse of laughter. "Movies aren't real unless it's stated that it's based on a true story," he explained, "and! The movies we have watched together are nothing like that," he added when Esmae opened her mouth to argue once more.

She shut it quickly and slumped in his arms, hiding her face in his neck. It was silent between the two for a moment. "We'll be there for an hour," Nikolaos whispered, rubbing Esmae's back. She hummed at the sound of his deep voice and rumbling chest but did nothing more.

"After that, we can cuddle together all night. I promise," he added, checking the time on the watch he wore.

They were going to be late, but Nikolaos didn't mind; if it meant Esmae would be comfortable for the night, he would take as long as he had to. Besides, he enjoyed having her on his lap and hugging her tightly. It brought him a sense of joy and serenity he never thought he'd experience in his lifetime.

Esmae wrapped her arms around Nikolaos' neck, brushing her fingers through his hair. "Promise." She leaned back, her hands moving to the sides of his neck and staring at him.

She leaned in and kissed him softly. It was full of unease and hesitation but turned into a bouquet of amaryllises. It flourished and grew, but stayed gentle and sweet, far different from the times when they'd turn hot and intimate.