After thirty minutes in the car with Orion (ten were spent with me demanding to know where we were going, fifteen spent arguing over the radio station, and I endured his rendition of I Want It That Way for the remaining five) I was ready to see where we had ended up.
"The mall?" I questioned Orion once he opened my door.
"Obviously," he stated rolling his eyes a bit, "Almost every first date happens behind those doors. And today we're going to be apart of that." He laced his fingers through mine and pulled my hand impatiently towards the entrance.
"So are going to "watch" a movie in the theater. Get our hands tangled in a tub of buttery, overpriced popcorn and make out in the last row the whole time?"
"Don't forget the old 'yawn, stretch, and arm over the shoulder' move I'll pull on you." He said jokingly mimicking the action.
We stepped on the escalators, surrounded by screaming children and overly perfumed teens.
Orion hung his head in mock sadness, "Unfortunately there will be no making out in dark rooms on this trip Nyx. Sorry I know how much you were anticipating it. I mean who wouldn't," he continued gesturing towards his body and face.
"Oh trust me your charming personality isn't keeping me around. In fact I wouldn't have even spoken to you if it wasn't for your stellar body." I looked him up and down suggestively.
"Already undressing me with your eyes Nyx? Save that for the bedroom and I'll show you just how stellar my body is." He leaned in closer and whispered the last sentence in my ear. In an effort to cool off I shoved his chest and prompted him to continue on with the day's activities.
"Are you serious?" I asked Orion once we had reached our destination.
"Why? If you don't like it we can go somewhere else..." he trailed off nervously rubbing the back of his neck and shuffling his feet.
The silence stretched on for a while as I made him wait in suspense.
"Like it? Orion this was one of my hopelessly romantic 14 year old fantasies! This is way better than making out in scratchy seats at the theater." I felt Orion physically relax next to me before I zoomed in to the store.
Little kids ran around picking out stuffed animal skins and choosing outfits for their recently made toys. Off to one side bears, bunnies, and koalas came to life under the hands of a teenager working the stuffing machine.
While Orion busied himself by studying each and every unstuffed animal I stationed myself by the bunnies looking for the perfect one to share with the grey eyed boy who brought me here.
Eventually I ended up grabbing the softest white bunny with a pink nose. Orion had insisted we get the bright pink bear decorated with red hearts to signify our "undying love". But after a little persuading and a promise to return we ended up getting the bunny.
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Once we got our turn at the stuffing station Orion grabbed two hearts, produced a sharpie, and wrote our names on them. After the bunny was all stitched up the employee made us recite the heart ceremony. We moved on towards the rows of clothes. Orion picked a small flower crown and I chose a cop uniform.
"That doesn't match his flowers," he pointed out.
Shrugging I began to dress the bunny but Orion refused to have the animal wear a mismatched outfit.
"Happy?" I grumbled returning with a white daisy printed dress.
"Much better," and with Orion's stamp of approval we moved on to purchase and name our creation.
"Turn around," he demanded when we reached the keyboards, "I want the name to be a surprise."
"More like you don't want me to argue about it," I grumbled under my breath and begrudgingly spun around.
Laughing he produced the printed birth certificate a moment later and smiled proudly as I read it out loud.
"Bernard?"
"Do you like it?" he asked with big eyes clutching the stuffed animal in his hands.
A rush of butterflies entered my stomach and for once they weren't caused by my anxiousness. In that moment I wondered how I had lived so many years without him. This black haired lanky boy looked equally parts ridiculous and adorable holding onto our bunny. It was a wonder I hadn't melted into a puddle yet. Before answering I committed the moment to memory.
"Bernard the Bunny," I mused, "It's perfect."
His smile grew and he handed me one of Bernard's paws so the stuffed animal was gently resting between the two of us.
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A/N rosegoldchildmade me another grand cover! it's so beautiful *wipes tear* thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed. feel free to comment and have a relaxing day. d.c. 6/14/16
