20 ○ shawn

13

Layla's Apartment, 12:50 pm 

February 23, 2015

reason #9: baking 

"Welcome to...my house!" Layla announced excitedly, pushing open the penthouse doors with one hand, since she was still holding Charlie. Immediately, once Layla walked in, a medium-sized, white dog galloped towards her, tale wagging side-to-side happily. "Kacie!" Layla exclaimed and bent down, allowing Kacie to jump on her knee. 

Shawn stood behind Layla awkwardly, feeling the urge to kneel beside Layla and pet Kacie, but he held himself back and just watched. "Kacie, this is your new brother, Charlie." Layla explained and set Charlie down, causing Kacie to bark and run away, Charlie trotting behind Kacie hesitantly. 

Layla stood back up and looked at Shawn, who was glancing around the penthouse, jaw almost dropping open. "Woah." He whispered in awe, and then looked at Layla. 

"Real inviting, isn't it?" She teased and chuckled, taking Shawn's wrist in her small hand and leading him to the kitchen. "So, I guess this can count as a reason, huh? Reason number nine: baking!" Once they arrived at the kitchen, Layla let go of his wrist and began to gather everything they needed. 

"You know, I've noticed something," Shawn begun, washing his hands. "You give me reasons that are so basic and so straightforward...they're never deep." Layla stared at Shawn with a raised eyebrow, and offended look. "But I love them!" He quickly added. 

She rolled her eyes playfully, "Nice save." She commented with a giggle and continued gathering the baking ingredients. "But you have to remember, Shawn, that it's the simple things that keep us going. Now...chocolate muffins or blueberry?" 

- 

"Layla, can I ask you something?" Shawn asked after a few minutes of silence, the both of them just eating a chocolate muffin on the kitchen floor, Kacie and Charlie loitering around the two, occasionally jumping on either Shawn or Layla to take a bite out of the muffins, but it never worked.

"Go ahead." 

"You eat alone during lunch, your mom left you when you were six, and your dad is barely home...why are you still helping me see the beauty in life? How are you still lasting?" He questioned explicitly, truly intrigued with the girl sitting in front of him. 

Layla shrugged, chewing the last bit of her pastry. "Because despite everything negative going on around me, I just try to look at the positive side of it. I may not have a lot of friends, but at least I have one true friend - you. My mom may have left me when I was six, but at least my dad didn't give up on me. And he may not be home all the time, but I know he loves me, and he's working hard so he can provide me with what I need." 

Shawn chuckled, shaking his head slowly, looking straight into Layla's eyes through her glasses. "You're amazing." 

Layla smiled, "Thank you. You're doing a pretty good job yourself." 

--- 

i fricking hate this though, but whatever. i updated.