Him. {Scomiche}

1

He's so beautiful.

He's one of those people that no matter what they're doing... laughing, crying... sleeping... you can't help but stare.

He's captivating, I was enraptured from the moment I first set eyes on him. Never did I dream that he'd even spare me a glance, let alone a second or third. I've always blended with the shadows, faded into the background, unseen, invisible.... but he... he saw me.

I remember every single detail of our first meeting. The streets were crowded that night, full of people buzzing around searching for last minute Christmas gifts. Their scattered thoughts and a street filled with distractions made it all too easy to slide between bodies, lifting away wallets and trinkets and shopping bags without notice. I was leaning against the cold brick of a building, eyes peeled for opportunity, when I saw him through the falling snow. He was balancing a cup of coffee, a cellphone and half a dozen bags as he walked out of the coffee shop and headed down the sidewalk past me. I couldn't take my eyes away and continued to watch as he ended his call and then his eyes met mine. I'd been ignored for so long that I'd forgotten what it was like to really be seen.

We were so busy staring at one another that he walked into a trash bin. He dropped pretty much everything including his coffee and cursed as it splashed onto his expensive gray coat.

I surged forward in an uncharacteristic moment of compassion and helped him gather everything from the ground. The urge to pick his pocket or bags was there but I pushed it back down. He was so polite, apologetic as if he'd soiled my coat and not his own. We laughed about the holidays and the constant hustle and bustle... but then there was silence. It was as if the world stopped turning, the ambient noise suddenly muted. It should have been awkward as we stared into each other's eyes but it wasn't. I felt as if I were hypnotized, but a snowflake landing on the tip of his nose broke me from my trance.

He went momentarily cross-eyed as he tried to see it and we both laughed as he wiped it away. I found myself staring again as he shifted to resituate the bags and items in his hands. I didn't know what to do next so I just backed away awkwardly with one last smile before turning and heading back down the street towards my hideout.

"Hey... wait."

His voice cut through the din and I slowly turned to see him moving towards me.

"I um... since my coffee decided to take a dive... I was going to get another one. Would you ... like to join me? My treat... to say thank you."

I didn't understand why he felt the need to thank me. I didn't even do anything besides stare at him and pick up his items from the ground and hand them back to him instead of swiping them. I stood silent, watching him for a moment. He looked nervous, at least as nervous as I felt, but he was handling the speaking part with much more grace than I. I knew saying yes would be a mistake, but for some reason I hesitated. It was his eyes. There was a blatant spark of hope there in those beautiful eyes and in that moment I couldn't bring myself to crush it and I agreed.

The fluttering in my chest when his face lifted into a bright smile should have been the first alarm, a flashing neon sign with the word 'ABORT', but I couldn't help myself and followed him into the warmth of the building, My fingertips started to tingle as they began to thaw and the snow that had collected in the folds and planes of my coat began to melt.

I wanted to stare up at him as we stood together in the line but instead I busied myself grabbing a few napkins from a counter nearby to aid with any remaining cleanup from his incident. Again he thanked me, his gaze trapping my own and sending shivers down my spine that had nothing to do with the melting snow on my neck.

When we made it to the counter he made conversation with the cashier, laughing about his misfortune with his previous order. I just stood awkward and silent to the side, my brain screaming at me to get the hell out of there, but my feet stubbornly refused..

When he asked me what I wanted he seemed surprised when I just said 'dark ... black."

"No sugar? Creamer? Nothing?" He inquired. Of course he was the type to have more sugar and flavoring than coffee, but it seemed to fit his personality... bright and smiley and optimistic.

"Just plain."

Nothing special

The girl asked for our names and the blush that spread across his cheeks was so beautiful that I couldn't look away.

"I am such a horrible person. I forgot to ask for your name."

I debated with myself. Do I tell him my name? No.

"Sullivan."

His smile grew and the cashier raised an eyebrow as she confirmed spelling.

"I'm Scott."

Scott. The name that would turn my world upside down.