[ s k i n n y l o v e ]

y o u

                                                                                     y o u

                   When their eyes locked the next day, Serenity couldn’t help but smile at him from across the cafe. A slow and unexpected smirk crept across Alex’s face, melting her heart as she approached their table. She sat down in her usual seat, sliding a turned-over paper over to him. He raised an eyebrow. “Me Time been switched again? And what’s this?” he asked.

                   “Your new job. And no, it hasn’t been switched, per say.” She looked at the paper pointedly, and Alex picked it up, his jaw dropping as he turned it over. Serenity fiddled with her fingers until Alex cleared his throat. Their eyes met.

                   "Dear Mr. Alex Waters,” he read out loud. “It is our greatest wish to have you as our honorary guest for the Etoile Fundraiser. Your talents have been noted and it would be our highest pleasure if you would choose to continue to contribute to our magazine.”

                   Before he could open his mouth to ask anything, Serenity hurriedly took out another paper and handed it to him. It was his drawing. Alex suddenly frowned, and her heart plummeted. “What’s wrong?”

                   “You sent them this?” His voice was impassive, or maybe she couldn’t hear it properly over the thudding of her blood. “Serenity, this - this is a bit personal. When I said I wanted to be an artist -”

                   “This is my You Time,” she blurted out suddenly, cutting him off. “I came here everyday because of me, but now I want to come here, to this cafe, because of you.”

                   His eyes softened slightly, and he leaned over the table between them, elbows propping up and face giving away no expression. The proximity made her light-headed, and naturally caused more word vomit.

                   “My winter wish is to make you happy. Because I can. Because I want to.” He came closer, and her legs lost all feeling.

                   “W-When snow f-falls, I want to go ice skating with you." His lips were a nail's breadth away from her own. She looked down at them. Big mistake. His tongue slipped out to wet his bottom lip and her breathing stopped.

                   Suddenly he brought his hand up to lick a finger and rubbed her cheek with it before sitting back down in his seat, those infuriating lips twitching as she blinked with surprise. “You had some crumbs.”

                   She stared at him for a long moment. He stared back. Then she smiled.

                   “Today’s poem is a story. A story of warm blankets, snowflakes, and coffee. Lots and lots of coffee.”

                   Alex smiled back, folding the letter from Etoile and putting it in his pocket. “Let me hear it.”

                   Somewhere outside, a snowflake drifted slowly onto the sidewalk. Maybe that day snow would cover the floor. And maybe, just maybe, this winter would bring a little something more.

                   [t h e  e n d]