[ dedicated to violadavis because her book, avery, has been in my library for the longest freaking time ever and i need to get my shit together and start reading it + i adore her for supporting this story. thanks love <3 ]
PAPER HEARTS | 04
There was something about sugar cookies and peppermint mochas that made it seem like love was floating in the air. It was weaved into the snowflakes, transcendent and all, that dusted people's shoulders the same way it settled as constellations on their lashes. Something about shimmering ornaments and a series of twinkling, white lights brought out olive complexions, full lips, glittering smiles. Something about clusters of people huddling together to jingle bells and sing their hearts out led to fingertips brushing, connections sparking. It was then that the girl he had his arm wrapped around - the girl with blonde curls, turquoise eyes, and rose-gold lips - was no longer the only beautiful girl in the room.
There was something about the woman the crowd seemed to open up for. Her hair was silken under the golden hues of light, the sections of amber iridescent under the glare. There was something about the way she had to think through the introduction, assess its validity, before she unfurrowed her brows and allowed the corner of her lips to crinkle. Perhaps it was foreshadowing of sorts - she would be easy to love, but she wouldn't give her love away for free. Neither her smiles.
He wasn't sure how to approach her. He was just sure that when their eyes collided from across the room, he had to. If it wasn't her beauty captivating him, then it was the milk mustache embroidering her upper lip. He wanted to offer to wipe it off, or lick it away - whichever she preferred.
Her name was Isla. While he thought she was calculations, evaluations and everything in between, she was the fine line between carefree and careless - an unnatural concoction of hopeless romanticism and selflessness. She cared for everyone but herself and that's what Micah hated the most. He didn't want someone who submitted to his word complacently.
He didn't want the ashes; he wanted the flame.
When Isla offered him a sip of her hot chocolate, his gaze slipped to the girl with the turquoise eyes. He saw in her a fight that would never stop - a heart full of love but a mind wary from caution. He saw in her the fire that he dreamed of - the very fire he wished to see directed towards him. He didn't want love to come for free - he didn't want someone to expect him to be perfect; he wanted someone to make him prove he was perfect.
Her gaze met his, and the flecks of gray in her irises caught the light when the smile reached her eyes.
Her name was Ellie.
• • •
Fuzzy Friday's were a routine of relaxation for both Ellie and Micah. It was when he wore his baggiest, softest sweatpants, and she wore the fluffiest sweater. She wore the poofy hat, he wore the woolen mittens, and when they turned the temperature all the way down, together, they were a bundle of fuzz. Her chest kept him warm while his legs kept her warm. A shared coffee between their hands, and a shared bowl of popcorn between their legs, Fuzzy Friday's were ready to be kicked off with an equally fuzzy movie. While Micah always advocated an action movie with a hint of romance, a romantic movie with a hint of action always won out in the end - after all, Ellie had a fire that even Micah couldn't beat.
It was usually a half hour into the movie that Ellie would get too into it, and Micah would lose the ability to care about it. Usually, he didn't mind - he'd take the opportunity to pluck the hat off her head and run his fingers through her blonde locks, or massage her scalp. She didn't flick him away when his lips would met with the crux of her neck and collarbone - sometimes, she even leaned into his touch, flipping her hair to the side to give him more access. She tried to not mind when he'd lean over her shoulder and take a loud sip of coffee but, on an unlucky day, that would be enough to snap her out of her trance.
But tonight, for some reason, he couldn't let Ellie's mind wander.
"Ellie? I need to ask you something."
"Micah," she moaned. "Ryan Gosling is gonna be on screen in a minute!"
He snuck the remote out of his pocket and paused the movie. Ellie shifted enough to be able to turn around and shoot daggers at him, but the playfulness in her smile drifted away. She ran an icy finger over the stubble growing on his chin, up to the lip he teased between his teeth. Her worry was unspoken between them, written in the way she searched his eyes, heard the sudden hitch in his heartbeat. With the way the fun had disintegrated, a new mood settled in - one that suffocated the both of them.
He couldn't breathe.
"Is everything alright?" She pressed her forehead to his, massaged his cheeks, warmed his bare arms in the hopes of easing some of the tension out of his muscles.
He paused. "What do you think of Isla?"
"Is that what you wanted to ask me?" she asked with a giggle. "God, you had me worried for a second! But back to your question - I think Isla is wonderful. She's sweet, funny, and makes really good spaghetti. Personally, I think you should bring her over more often; I think I like her company more than yours."
"And what would you say if I told you I wanted to propose to her?"
Ellie stilled - it was hardly noticeable but she forgot to roll her thumb over the pulse in his neck. "I would say buy her the biggest, prettiest diamond ring you can find because she's worth it."
"What if I said I didn't believe you?"
She shifted again, turning her attention back to the screen. She waited to play the movie.
"Then I'd tell you to learn to."
• • •
a/n: i apologize for any typo's/grammatical errors that could be in this chapter. i was just inspired and i wanted to write as much as i could as soon as i could. so, some good news: i've finished planning paper hearts and i know exactly what's going to happen and when. i'm still working the kinks out of the ending but i think i know what i'm gonna do. the bad news: i really wanted to finish writing the story this week, but i wasn't as inspired as i thought so i couldn't finish as much as i wanted. i'm hoping to do weekly updates, probably every other week, so hopefully that'll give me a little more time to get, perhaps, a chapter done every week/every other week. thank you all for the support on this story! it really does mean the world to me! AND! if you haven't checked out ephemeral, please go do so! i'd love to know what you guys think. thank you all! i hope everyone is doing well <3
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Paper Hearts
Short Story[A Wattpad Featured Story - April/May 2018] ❝ Paper heart, steel heart - it doesn't matter. They're both still hearts at the end of the day, and they're both still capable of love. ❞ [The Fragility of the Heart: Book 1] [extended summary inside] Cop...
