Finally

Realising

Chasing Cars - Snow Patrol

As Dimitry, Pontius, and Steve-O were passed out on the back seats, Johnny and Juliet had to make entertainment for themselves, whilst Juliet was keeping her eye carefully on the dark road before her. Juliet didn't mind that she had to drive through St Petersburg to Helsinki at 3:00am, as Johnny was great company.

"Alright, if you could bang one celebrity in this era, who would it be?" Juliet made herself smirk with the abrupt question, Johnny inhaling deeply and taking a couple of seconds to answer.

"No one." He answered honestly, shrugging his shoulders casually as he did so.

"What?! How?" Her mouth dropped open and her eyebrows furrowed, Johnny scratching the back of his neck awkwardly.

"It's really difficult to explain without it sounding too weird." He chuckled nervously, Juliet scoffing and rolling her eyes.

"I know dudes that have foot fetishes, bondage kinks and sex dungeons. Trust me, I won't find it weird." She smirked at him for a second, slightly nudging him with her elbow.

Johnny contemplated for a second before allowing the words to spill out of his mouth, knowing that he might regret it.

"I think women from old films are more attractive than the ones from more recent years. For example, I find that Judy Garland, Audrey Hepburn, and Grace Kelly draw me in more than any modern day singer or actress could do." He admitted, Juliet raising her brows and pressing her lips together, showing her curious and surprised emotion.

"How come?" She pushed further, lightheartedly.

"Take Marilyn Monroe, for instance. She had rosy cheeks, short hair, she was cheeky, and sweet. She was a very naturally beautiful woman. Compare her to a movie star of this day and age. I don't know about you but, stereotypically, I think of a heaps of make up, long damaged hair, with a stubborn, but occasionally nice personality. I've met a lot of women like that, and I find that it's such a waste when they could be as naturally beautiful as Monroe beneath all of the make up." He explained his reason in full detail, Juliet nodding in agreement.

"See, I get where you're coming from; Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, and Frank Sinatra were all such gentlemen. Wearing the smart suits and slicking their hair back. Now it's like, "I'll make a half-assed attempt and throw on some baggy jeans and sneakers and head out for the day," which just isn't attractive at all." She placed her opinion out there, Johnny nodded back.

"Exactly. I know I don't dress particularly smart, but at least-"

"-You dress differently. And I love that." Juliet interrupted him and smiled, Johnny glancing at her and raising one of his brows in question.

"Ya think?" He asked, looking down at his comical t-shirt, ill fitting jeans and dirty converse.

"Yeah. I love wondering what your shirt's going to have on it before I see you." She shrugged simply, Johnny looking back up to the side of her face and smiling even wider.

"Aw, thank you. But I'll have to make sure I get dolled up for you one day." He stared at the ground and continued to have a positive expression written on his face, Juliet staring out of the window.

"One day." She responded quietly, thinking deeply about when that day could be in the future.

Juliet watched the road carefully in silence for a few minutes, Johnny staring out of the window beside him and into the woodlands.

"Hey, do you think squirrels know they're squirrels?"

Juliet span her head towards Johnny, who looked back at her with a straight face.

"Come again?" A grin crept onto her face as she looked between Johnny and the road, Johnny smirking as she did.

"Well, do you think they wake up everyday knowing that they're a squirrel?"

The more Johnny talked, the more Juliet worried about his mental health, which amused her even more.

"Why specifically a squirrel?" She questioned with a chuckle, Johnny shrugging.

"I like 'em." He replied sounding like a 6 year old boy.

Neither of them knew why, but this debate seemed to make Juliet laugh quite a bit, Johnny staring at her as she did so.

"What?" He laughed with her, Juliet's shoulders vibrating rapidly as she stifled her laughter.

"I-I don't know!-" Her own infectious laugh cut her off, Johnny continuing to laugh with her.

It must've just been one of those things where you laugh about one thing that isn't really that amusing, but then remember every other funny thing that you've ever seen, heard, or done and it makes you laugh harder.

He watched and listened to her carefully, calming himself down even though Juliet hadn't. He admired her more than anything or anyone at this moment in time. He couldn't remove his eyes from her, latched onto her beauty like glue was holding them there.

He admired her like a piece of art. He witnessed her dimples deepen when her soft lips would stretch into a wider smile. He could see the moon reflecting off of the beautiful eyes she had, which were sheltered by the long dark eyelashes attached to her eyelids. He smiled as he watched her nose crinkle up and her hand clutch her stomach from laughing, the freckles sprinkled across her nose and cheeks also being pulled into the creases on her nose and beside her eyes. Her hair fell like a curtain around her, only for it to be pulled away with her delicate hands. It was like it was happening in slow motion.

It was that exact moment at which he realised.

"I'm in love with her."