a/n:
100 votes?!?!?!?! i cannot stress this enough but tytytyty !!!! reading yalls comments makes my day :,) anyway here's another update since i have a four day weekend and lots of time
"wait, are you disappointed?" ciarán asked, a sudden look of sadness in his eyes.
"no, cici. i'm fucking stunned!" she pounced onto him, wrapping her arms around his body.
salem was so excited, she was practically jumping up and down with joy.
"i'm in awe, i love this so much. i can't thank you enough, ciarán." she grinned, looking up at him.
ciarán let out a sigh of relief, and then reciprocated the facial expression. "thank god you like it. i was stressing out about where i wanted to go for our first date; and you really don't need to thank me."
her heart warmed at the thought ciarán put into their date, "you were stressing out about it? goddamn it cici, you're gonna make me cry and we haven't even entered the garden yet."
"don't cry! it's not that big of a deal, really." ciarán said, causing salem to chuckle.
"i think we should both shut the fuck up and get to walking around already." she entwined their fingers, and they both began walking into the entrance of the garden.
"salem?" ciarán asked.
"hm?" she looked at ciarán curiously.
"can i get uhh kiss?"
salem bit her lip, debating whether or not she should tell him.
"um, so about kissing..." salem trailed off, curling a strand of her hair around her finger.
"what's wrong? you don't like us kissing? if that's the case, that's fine with me."
"no, that's not it, i actually like kissing you. your lips are hella soft, man." salem chuckled.
"thanks, but what is it?"
"so i promised tavia that i would take our 'relationship' a bit slower." she put emphasis on 'relationship' by using air quotes. "she doesn't want me to rush into another relationship, and i agree with her. i think we've taken things a little too fast."
ciarán thought about it, nodding at her statement.
"so, i think there should be a pause on the kissing for a while. i know the both of us won't like it, but i made a promise with tavia and i think it's for the best. i mean, i just got out of a damn relationship."
"i understand where you're coming from, and i'm completely okay with that." wrong. he wasn't completely okay with it, and he loved the feeling of her lips on his; but if that's what salem needed, then he would give her just that.
"thanks for understanding." she smiled, giving his hand a little squeeze.
"just out of curiosity, when do you think this kissing block will end?" ciarán asked, which only made salem laugh.
"kissing block? really? that's what you decide to call it?" she asked in disbelief, followed by a fit of laughter.
"yeah! what else should i call it?"
"ah shit, i don't know, but that was funny. to answer your question, maybe it'll end when we're dating, but remember: don't. rush. things." she emphasized.
"gotcha, girl."
the sun was beginning to set as they walked through the botanical garden. the vivid colors of the many varieties of flowers had salem in awe, and she took as many photos of them as she could. ciarán couldn't help but to take photos of her.
god, she's so stunning.
salem didn't catch on until she turned to look at ciarán, wanting to point out a pretty flower.
"you're taking photos of me?"
"what? no." ciarán instantly brushed off the idea.
"you sure about that?" she asked, crossing her arms.
"yeah—"
salem swiftly snatched ciarán's phone from his hand, running off with it.
"salem!" ciarán gasped, chasing after her.
she giggled as she put in his password, looking through his camera roll.
"you liar!" she yelled, scrolling through all the photos he took of her.
ciarán finally caught up with her, capturing her by wrapping his arms around her body. he took his phone out of her hands, "why are you so fucking fast?"
salem shrugged, "you know, if you wanted to take photos of me, you could've asked. candid photos are cute and all, but i could've easily posed for you." she chuckled.
"really? you should've said so sooner."
salem sat on a cement ledge, crossing her legs so she wouldn't show off too much. she put her hands on the top of the ledge, leaning back on her arms with her weight.
ciarán got on his knee, taking multiple photos of her from different angles.
"do y'all want to get y'all's photo taken?" a sudden voice asked.
it was the voice of a photographer, holding a camera in his hand.
"sure!" salem jumped up, grabbing ciarán's hand and pulling him off the ground. they stood in front of some bright flowers, ciarán snaking his arm around salem's waist and pulling her close.
"smile!" said the photographer, which salem did as directed, but smiling wasn't really ciarán's thing—unless he was looking at salem, of course—so he stuck his tongue out at the camera.
"you can get your photos at guest services." the photographer smiled.
"thank you!" salem said cheerfully.
"you always have your tongue out, how about you keep it your mouth for once?" salem teased.
"how about i show you what it does instead?" ciarán smirked.
salem wrinkled her nose in disgust, pushing ciarán away. "gross!"
"you were the one who asked what it does." ciarán shrugged.
"i was joking."
"yeah right." ciarán scoffed, which caused salem to gasp.
"you dirty, little motherfu—"
"hey, wanna go inside that glass building?" ciarán interrupted her, pointing at building composed of glass.
"don't try and change the topic, cici." salem folded her arms.
"i'm not trying to! i wanna know if you wanna go inside the building."
salem let out a sigh, "sure, why not."
ciarán took her hand and led her into the building, and for some reason, it got colder.
"why the fuck did it get so cold?" salem said, wrapping her arms around herself.
"here." ciarán took off his flannel, wrapping it around salem.
not only did her body warm up at the action, but her heart did too.
"how sweet of you, cici. i thought you were boutta pull a michael kelso."
"a what?"
"ya know, like in that one that 70's show episode where he says, 'well, damn, jackie! i can't control the weather.'" salem explained, which only caused ciarán to furrow his eyebrows.
"i've never watched that 70's show."
"i'm ending our relationship before it even starts."
