Ethereal ✾ ||C.S||

XXI. Cuddle buddies

✾Cole's pov

That night all she said was,

"I don't know."

What was she so afraid of? The last thing I wanted to do was hurt her. I had to do something. Something to show her how much she meant to me. I was thinking of making one of the rooms of the house into a little art gallery. A place where I could keep some of my best photography work. I was sitting at my desk in my room with my head in my hands. It was late and I was finishing up the last edits of Ruby's pictures. This one picture I was working on was of her sitting in a window. The light came in through the room, making dense shadows against the wall off of the furniture and messed up sheets. The pink light was lit up against half of her face as she held the sheet against her. It was beautiful. This picture was going to be my key photo, my main piece. It was going to be the largest print and sit front and center. That's when I had my Eureka moment. I could make the entire art gallery exhibit about her. Every picture could be of her's. I don't know if it'd make any difference but I really wanted to show her that I was all in. It had been over three months of hanging out, going places and weird lunch dates, late night study sessions for classes we had together, when we barely studied anyway and odd picture taking. This had to work. I wanted nothing more than for her to understand how important she was to me. That I wasn't a "one time" thing. And if CNR wanted to start a stupid little rumor, so fucking be it. I would fill that rumor so quick, they might shit their pants. I was going to do this. I pulled out every single picture I had of her and got to work.

-

It was now almost four in the morning and I decided to take a small break. I turned on my phone and texted the contractor to get the paint job in that room finished by tomorrow. I had decided on a dark red shade for the walls with a dry, matte touch to it. And her pictures would go in polished wooden frames painted black. The room would be lit up by vintage lamps. It had to be perfect.

-

I wanted to surprise Ruby so I went over to her house and entered through the back kitchen door. All I had to do was jiggle the handle enough, which was awful. I wish she lived somewhere safer. It made me very uncomfortable knowing that someone could just break in like that. Granted, I did it all the time but that wasn't the point. I shut the door behind me as I called out.

"Hey, Ruby? Let's go do something or get something to eat."

I made my way to her room, knocking on her door. I pushed it open to find her passed out with paperwork under her tummy and a book in her hand. Her cheek was pressed against the corner of a hardback book. She worked so hard. Maybe she really did need a nap everyday of her life. I quietly walked over to her bed, pulling the papers carefully from underneath her. I set them on her desk next to her drawing of me. I smiled looking at the perfectionist markings against my own drawn features. She had it framed now. It sat against her desk in a view from every angle in the room. My fingers gently grazed hers as I took the book from her hand, marking the page by turning the corner and closing it, sliding it on top of the papers. She looked so peaceful. Not a single part of me wanted to wake her up. I gently brushed the hair away from her face before my fingers traced the outline of her cheek. I smiled as her eyes opened slowly, her lips gently kissed my finger before she smiled at me sleepily. She lazily, scooted over on the bed making space for me, before pulling on my shirt. I chuckled as I crawled in bed with her. Her bed was slightly smaller than mine but I had no problem with it. I slid my arm around her head, letting her cheek rest against my chest.

Perfection. It was right in front of me. And I was going to do anything in my power to keep it by my side. I gently pressed my lips on her forehead, sliding my hand against her back. She let out a soft sigh. She felt it too. The same feeling I had. That warmth. She had to. That sigh was an all knowing sigh and I had to of being something right. Her hand slid over my chest and rested on my neck. She snuggled into me even more, her fingers playing with my hair. And that's when she whispered,

"Best friend goals."

She smiled softly with her eyes still closed, but there it was for me. The friend zone all over again. It had been months of this. Months of her being pressed up against me until I couldn't breathe of pure ecstasy only for her to emotionally push me away. She snapped me out from my thoughts by saying,

"We should go out tomorrow."

I hummed in agreement. It was the perfect time for me to show her the surprise. And then what she said next was not what I was expecting.

"Like that date you wanted."

My hearbeat was in the back of my throat as I slowly looked down at her. My hand moved from her waist to cup the side of her face as her lips met mine. This was our actual first kiss. There she was. Right in front of me. Everything I could've asked for, what I had been working so hard for. Her lips slowly moved against mine as I ran my fingers gently through her hair. After that we just lied there. It was like I was high on opium. It felt so good to just be with her there in that warm bed. With the curtains closed and pin drop silence. We were both asleep within in the next few minutes. I fell asleep holding her, feeling her heartbeat against my own. If a heaven existed, it would be this.

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aloha frm hell lol.