The Universe and Infinitely More

Chapter Five | Inscurities

One month ago
April 21 ~ Spring Equinox

I LAUGHED IN EARNEST, clutching at Caden's black shirt as I pressed my forehead against his muscled chest. I couldn't breathe, struggling to get air into my lungs as I snorted uncontrollably.

     "Stop, Cady." I giggled, biting my lower lip to suppress the chuckles from tumbling out of my mouth that would resort to another laughing fit.

     Caden was looking down at me, and there was a softness in his gaze that I hadn't noticed before. He shook his head, raising his hands up in surrender with the ice cream cone clutched in his right palm. "But it's true!" He argued. His lips were twitching upward, threatening to break out into a huge smile.

     I shook my head, clucking my tongue at him as I scanned the queue. My eyes landed on the man who was wearing his rumpled shirt the wrong side out and one could clearly see the tag at the back of the shirt along with the seam of stitches at the side of the cloth. For whatever reason, the man had probably grabbed the first thing on the laundry basket judging from the current condition of the shirt. "Somebody should tell him," I commented with a small shake of my head. I wanted to but I just can't approach him in nervousness of the oncoming interaction that I would have to delve myself in.

     I raised my eyebrows at Caden and gestured to the man in his mid-forties,"Go ahead, Cady. It would be really terrible if we wouldn't point it out to him. I don't think he knows..." I trailed off, biting my lower lip and fidgeted it with my upper teeth.

"Alright, alright." He conceded, raising his hands up in surrender. "Because you said so."

I dismally regarded the long queue and sighed, "Looks like we won't be able to use the photobooth with a line that long though."

I clutched the cone in my hand as an idea suddenly appeared in my mind.

I swivelled on my feet, about to turn around to face Caden as I chatted excitedly,"Do you think that maybe—" but then I let out an "Oomph," as I bumped unexpectedly into something that was situated behind me, instantly feeling the ice cream in my hand graze what I had bumped into.

I immediately turned around, an apology already tumbling out of my mouth as I felt my cheeks flame and my tongue stutter. But then a full-blown laugh came right out of me as I took in the face of a confused and shocked Caden with a blotch of chocolate chip mint ice cream resting atop the tip of his nose. His eyes were crossed as he looked down at the clump.

He looked so silly at that moment that I wanted to kiss him right then and there.

He lifted his gaze to me and a smile broke out of his face upon seeing my form shaking from laughter as I gave out loud giggles and chortles, tears almost forming in my eyes from laughing so hard. A mischievous glint appeared in his eyes and I was busy laughing to notice that he had moved closer. In one swooping motion, he had pulled me to him by my waist while dipping his finger into the gooey delight and had wiped it down the tip of my nose.

I drew back in surprise, nose scrunched up in confusion. He laughed heartily before leaning in and licking the mess clean.

"Gross," I laughed, cheeks lighting up aflame as I pushed his face away while wiping my nose with the sleeve of my shirt. I looked down at my shirt which was now stained with the green color of the mint flavor of the gelato. "Well... now I gotta go to the restroom to wash this off."