One Shot Stories

XXXVII ~ Aspen

• Prepare for a sad romance.

Rain pounds on the window as I clean the needles that were just used on the last client. I wipe down the metal tray that stays in the same place everyday; beside the reclining chair that is used all day. I set the ink guns back in the closet in the back. Locking up all of the ink in the cabinets, I walk up to the counter and receive payment from the last client.

"Here," I say handing the man a tube of cooling ointment. "Put this on when it starts to sting or burn."

The man nods, taking the tube from me an pocketing it. He sends me a smile and walks out and into the rainy night. I sigh and walk up to the front windows to click the 'Open' sign off when a shadow in the middle of the street catches my attention.

I gasp when I see who it is.

Laughing, I run down the deserted hallways. Heavy foot steps follow behind me. I stop and spin. He wraps his arms around me and swings me around.

"Shhh." He laughs quietly.

I giggle and twist out of his warm embrace.

"Janitors are still here." He warns.
"I know," I say excitedly. "All the more reasons to do stuff. They won't catch us!"

He gives me a look, a smile still on his face.

"Don't you think we've already messed with them enough?" He says, gesturing back to the trophy case.

I peer around his strong build at the smashed case. The trophy case was to never be touched but... with it being the last few days of high school, I decided to go out with a bang. So, tomorrow, the students will come in and see their beloved trophy case smashed and battered.

I look back at him and giggle again.

"I guess so. Think we should start heading back to your place?"

His face immediately darkens. He nods curtly.

"Sure."

He brushes past me and starts making his way to the exit doors. I frown but continue my path over to him. I find him outside leaning against the brick wall, smoking a cig. I grimace but walk up to him anyways and put my head under his chin.

I watch smoke curl into the night air. He wraps an arm around my small frame and holds me tight. I reach up and tangle my hands in his dark hair.

"You know," I murmur into his neck, nuzzling it with my nose. "You don't have to go back there. We could run away."

Only a sigh along with tendrils of smoke escape his lips.

"Not a bad idea, Iris. I'm not dragging you into my mess, though." He says lowly.

I close my eyes at the sound of his voice. A deep rumble that coaxes me to sleep on lonely nights. I know what he's planning and I've come to peace with it, more or less. There's no way I'll be able to stop him.

"Stay with me tonight?" I ask hopefully.

He runs a calloused hand down my back.

"Of course."

We go back to my place and immediately collapse into bed. I curl up to him, feeling his heart beat a tattoo against my hand.

"I love you." I whisper, closing my eyes to sleep.
"I love you more than you'll ever know." He replies, voice soft and loving.

I wake the next morning with a cold spot next to me. I sit up and look around frantically. Tears come to my eyes as I lower my head. The tears come quickly, burning trails down my cheeks. He's gone. I could've at least tried to stop him from leaving.

"Aspen." I wail into the now empty house.

I stare out into the rainy night. He stands there, head down, letting the rain course down his body.

"Aspen." His name sounds foreign on my lips.

I snap and yank the door open and dash out into the cold rain. I run towards the middle of the street. Towards him. I stop inches from him. We stand there, in the middle of the night, in the middle of the street, in the middle of a monsoon.

He looks up. His eyes of ice are bloodshot from crying. When his eyes wander over to mine, more tears well up into the eyes that I would always get lost in. A sob comes from him.

I break and let my tears come to. I've been holding them for to long. Three years to long. I wrap my arms around him and press my face into his soaked shirt. His arms lock around my body. I inhale his scent. Honey and spice. The same as always.

"Aspen." I sob.

That earns me another sob.

"Iris, I'm so sorry." He whispers into my dark hair.

I look up at him. His cheeks angled, making shadows to make it look like they're sunk in.

"Shhh," I say, holding his face in my hands. "It's not you're fault."

Aspen opens his mouth to say something but I silence him with a kiss.

"The only thing that matters is that you're back in my arms again. It was my fault for not trying to stop you."

I look up at Aspen. He gazes back down at me.

"I love you." He says, tone thick with emotion.

Aspen touches his forehead to mine. A small laugh escapes my lips.

"I love you more than you'll ever know." I murmur back.

We spend a long time standing there. In the middle of the night, in the middle of the street, in the middle of a monsoon.

•••

I love romances so much. Oops? It still ended up happy though. I was listening to, like, twenty Panic! At The Disco songs on repeat while writing this and I feel great.

Here's a picture of my cat for good luck👍