“Next time, you should-”
“And you wonder why I make short jokes. It's the only way to take away your ‘join me in the shower’ jokes,”I said without looking up from my book.
“Who said I was joking?”
“I’m not going to blush at every little thing, you know?”I said firmly, covering my face with the hardcover as subtly as possible as my cheeks warmed, red threatening to spread across me.
“Are you sure about that?”she teased, sitting in front of me. When I didn't respond, she placed her hands over mine, gently pulling my only defense down. Before she could laugh at me, I pulled my hood over my head as I buried myself in my jacket. “You really think that's any better?”she pointed out, raising an eyebrow.
“Oh my god, leave me alone,”I groaned, covering myself with my hands.
“Your reaction only fuels my need to tease you.”
“That's fine. But does it have to be about . . . that,”I whispered at the end.
“No. But I haven't really found anything else yet,”She shrugged, crossing her legs as she sat in front of me. She was dressed warmer tonight, an old long sleeved gray shirt with a mysteriously stretched out collar and purple sweats that went past her ankles. Not that I blame her. The random cold front at night was so very Texas.
“You're a creative soul. I’m sure you can find something about me being awkward.”
“But I like that you're kind of awkward. It's cute,”she insisted, ruffling my hair. I bit back my amused smile, chewing on the inside of my cheek. “Aww. Who could resist that face?”she teased, lightly running her hands through it, brushing a few strands out of my eyes. I could only stare at her, heart thumping out of my chest at the wondrous girl in front of me, someone so lovely she can't possibly be real.
She is though. She's real. And she's mine. After years of yearning and wishing, she's finally mine.
“What?”she asked, letting herself smile.
“Nothing,”I shrugged.
“Seeing as you're staring into my soul, it's something,”she pushed, trailing her fingers down my neck, threatening to run them down my spine.
“Nope,”I said softer than intended.
“Whatever. Keep your secrets,”she gave up, fingertips traveling under my shirt, hand lightly trailing along my skin.
“I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours.”
“I don't have any secrets.”
“Come on. Everyone has something in this cruel, unforsaken world.”
“The world is neutral. It's the people in it that make it what it is.”
“Wouldn't that mean it's still cruel anyway? Since there are so many cruel people here?”
“There’s so many good people though. They're just not interesting enough to be in the public eye.”
“That good thing could be followed by ten horrible things.”
“I think most people are like us. You know? Trying to be good but slipping up sometimes?”
“I thought you were perfect?”I reminded her.
“I’m being humble,”she insisted, nails grazing over my shirt. She didn't seem to notice the goosebumps she gave me, too focused on staring at me as though I was full of mysteries, searching my eyes for the morgue of years of unspoken words.
“It's understandable if you're not. You're everything someone could want.”
“I think I’m more for people with very . . . specific taste,”she trailed off.
YOU ARE READING
A Summer Fling (Aris x Reader AU)
FanfictionIn order to avoid another summer at home of being interegated about his future and non-existent love life, Aris agrees to spend the months away from his friends and back with his aunt in Texas. While he expects nothing extraordinary about his time t...
