Reinvent Love

1:00 am

i woke up in the middle of night to footsteps. I didn't think anything of it as someone just could of been using the bathroom, but I started to become concerned as I heard the distinct creaking of the front door opening. Addy was still right next to me.

" carter" I mumbled to myself. I sat up quickly, as soon as the door closed I almost leaped up, taking the blanket with me and practically flying down the ladder. I threw on some shoes in the dark that i'm pretty sure are Addy's because they're so small. I opened the door and closed it quickly. The less time you took to close the door, the less sound it made. I looked up and down the hallway, a dark figure I was sure was Carter was already by the elevator.

" looks like i'm taking the stairs" I said quietly under my breath. As silently as I could, I dashed to the stairs and sped down them. I couldn't even think properly, I was so tired and my only focus was Carter. I worry about him a lot, and him wandering out at one in the morning with no jacket in january was definitely not good. I was out of breath by he time I got down the four flights of stairs. He slipped out of the revolving door, and after he got out and was a second or two down the street I followed. He went to the right, heading towards florence boulevard. I was about fifteen feet behind him, and I debated calling out to him. I followed him a bit farther as he turned onto florence. My steps were as light as possible as I turned the corner.

" Carter?" as soon as the quiet words left my mouth I feared somehow the silhouette I was sure was him wasn't. He turned around quickly, stared me in the face and immediately his tan rosy skin turned bright pink, visible even in he dim lighting the street lamps provided.

" what are you doing here? it's like one in the morning?" I continued. I tightened my grip on the blanket that I still had wrapped around me.

" I couldn't sleep, too many things on my mind" He said quietly, still frozen in his tracks. I walked towards him slower than usual, wrapping the blanket around him. I could tell he was cold, even as he was still in the street light he shivered. Now it was my turn to pretend I wasn't freezing.

" wanna go home and talk about it?" I suggested. Anything to get back to warmth sounded great to me suddenly.

" not yet" He said quickly. He continued walking, causing me to quicken my steps and get by his side.

"can you at least tell me what you're trying to get out of your mind?"

" mh" he sighed reluctantly.

"Carter-" I continued.

" I'm in love with them, ok? I'm in love. I fell for Grey and now they're literally the only thing my mind wants to think about to the point where it hurts" He spat harshly. " I-i'm sorry" he said quietly.

I couldn't even think of how to respond. " j-just come with me" he motioned for me to follow him. I've picked up on the fact that whenever Carter is in an awkward or serious situation he stutters a lot more than usual. For some reason my feet decided to move themselves and follow close behind  him into an alleyway. He turned the corner quickly and sat down, patting the ground where he wanted me to sit. I did so, nearly sitting on a cigarette in the process. he took the blanket and included me in its warmth.

" how'd you ask her out?" he said quietly, not making eye contact with me.

I smiled to myself. " I never told you this story?"

" If you did I don't remember" He answered.

" well you see I didn't really ask her out. Just like you I had a really big crush on Addy and it was kinda frustrating. One day I came home with a big assignment and got right to work, but Addy was pestering me with random things. She really wanted to talk and I did too but I had that stupid essay. At some point I said shut up and she responded with make me, I don't know what I was thinking but I thought I could make her by just kissing her. After words she told me I had no idea how long she wanted to do that and that's basically when we became a thing" I said. I smiled as the memory entered my head.

" I don't think i'd be able to do that" Carter said. "but I still want to ask them in a way more special than just, asking, you know?"

"hm" I said in response.

We were silent for a while. " the photo booth, on the corner of 5th and fremont drive." I said.

" continue" he said, finally looking at me.

" You pass it on the way home from work right?" I said, just to check if my plan would work.

" yeah" he answered me.

" take them out to lunch after both your shifts are done at, i don't know maybe that chipotle?" A mental image of the roads played in my head as I tried to work this out. " you'll pass the photo booth when you're done and you'll ask if they want to go in, which they'll most likely say yes to because we're a bunch of art students and it's aesthetic or whatever, It takes four pictures, do 3 normal, and on the last one you can hold up a little piece of paper you made beforehand that says 'will you be my lover?' they won't see what it said until the photos print and then that's how they'll get the message" A smile was on my face as I thought out the whole plan, starting to wish I did something like that instead of just kissing Addy,but I would never change that moment, too special.

" I like it" He said, a smirk on his face.

" when do you think you'll do it?" I asked him. The streetlight flickered a few times and i'm pretty sure i watched a tin can move on its own, but I tried to not focus on that concerning sight.

" valentine's day? it's quite soon, and I want a few weeks to confirm they really do like me and this whole thing could actually work out on the end" He said. " because like, what if we do this whole thing and then i'm left with half a film strip with me looking like a fool asking them out, and I don't even want to think about what going back to work the next day would be like."

" Carter don't worry too much, you know what? maybe I can try to subtly drop hints slash find out if they like you" I said. I really wanted to go back home yet Carter seemed perfectly fine sitting in a dingy alleyway that smelled faintly of tobacco and garbage.

" ok, but like, suuuuuuper subtle" he said hesitantly.

" deal" I said. Now please, i'm cold and tired and it's probably almost two by now, oh god I really hope Addy didn't wake up" I stood up and forced Carter with me as we were still under the blanket.

" Ruby she literally sleeps like a rock the fire alarm could go off and she'd sleep through it" Carter reassured me. Each of us held one side of the blanket and I refrained from moving my free hand anywhere but my side because I was currently in a very awkward position with my cousin. Sometimes I forget we're related, let alone that he's only a year younger than me.

We started to walk back at a quick pace. " you know, I think you're voice sounds a little deeper" I told him. If you heard him talk long enough you could here the slightest difference.

" really?!" his eyes lit up and a smile appeared on his face like the corners of his mouth were tugged by a string.

" mhmm" I hummed. " You pass quite well"

" you know it's weird for some reason I only pass from the front because multiple times people have called me miss while trying to get my attention from behind me at hoopla" He said, still in a giddy haze.

I chuckled. " How does that even happen your like the mayor from the nightmare before christmas" I said. He started laughing as well and soon we made it back to the apartment. We went up the elevator and snuck into our room as quietly as possible.

" good morning I guess I should say" He said from the other side of the curtain.

" good night morning, norning? might? happy sleep." I said in a whisper.

" happy sleep to you as well" You could hear the smile in his voice as we both drifted off to sleep. This was going to be some interesting next few weeks.

I typed this up in only one day yeet.
i've learned many things about italy and that is that the cars are really tiny and remind me of the display mattresses in targets. the pigeons are literally out to kill you as I got hit by multiple of them. They just like, dive bomb into you and your like well ok I just got hit by a pigeon. ok hope you enjoy byeeee