A Summer Fling (Aris x Reader AU)

39) Don't Trust the Chickens

I groaned the second the sun hit my face, covering it with my arm. The world was frantically urging me out of bed, pulling at me while I was barely aware of reality.

“Ugh, damnit,”a groggy voice mumbled, sitting up beside me. Opening my eyes, I watched her rub her face before covering her mouth as she yawned.

“Long night?”I teased, pushing my hair out of my face as I reluctantly sat beside her, leaning against the headboard.

“Yeah. Yeah, that's one way to put,”she nodded.

I’m not used to seeing her actually tired in the morning. Usually, she's too busy putting me to shame, already up and ready for the day.

Seeing her actually awake in the mornings might just be worth losing sleep. Her braid was messy, a few pieces hanging in front of her eyes. My hoodie still hung around her figure, the sleeves slipping past her fingertips. A hint of mascara was smudged under her eyes, the first time her makeup had a single thing out of place.

“No,”she said suddenly, gently shoving my face away.

“What?”

“You're looking at me like you want to kiss me, and I do not accept kisses with morning breath.”

“For your information, I was just admiring you,”I corrected.

“Well, I do like being admired,”she teased, finding the rubber band that has tangled itself in her hair.

“Lucky for you, I like admiring. What a match, huh?”

“Yeah. One made in heaven,”she nodded, undoing her hair.

“Or hell, depending on who you're talking to.”

She shrugged as I reminisced about the days when everything was a bit more simple. Long nights staring at the stars and searching for the best places in hide and seek had a permanent place in my heart. I would never dare take what was my only lifeline for granted, even when things were different now. Just because we kiss, just because I whisper that she's my forever when she's asleep, just because I’m taller now, doesn't mean she wouldn't be looking for a spot to win in a heartbeat.

Just like then, I’m incapable of keeping from secrets from her for too long.

“My aunt knows about us. She has since the first week it happened.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I talked to her last night. She said it was clear there weren't any fears of ruining the friendship.”

“I mean I thought she suspected something, but with the door being closed, I didn't think she had come to the actual conclusion.”

“In her words, the walls are thin. That means at least one of your seduction attempts was probably overheard too.”

“Hm. It’ll be worth it.”

“When exactly?”

“When I finally get what I want. I mean I’m getting closer by the day.”

“What makes you so sure of that?”

“You wore me out last night. You took it kind of literal, but it's another step.”

I rolled my eyes as she unzipped my hoodie. Letting out a sigh, she slipped her arms out of it and placed it on her dresser drawer like she had claimed it.

“I learned something else too. A few things actually,”I said slowly, looking at those pastel yellow walls. They really did blend in with the sunshine, seeming meant for that purpose and that alone.