Always On My Mind

Chapter 40- All Your Little Things

Later, we went back inside for some freshly-squeezed lemonade my mom had made.

We stayed outside for a long time until it started getting dark.

"Good night," my dad called from the doorway of his bedroom.

"Good night," we all echoed, sitting down in the living room and turning on the TV. It was about 10:00 so my parents had both gone to bed, since they had to work the next day.

Alison and Isabelle came downstairs from Isabelle’s room with a One Direction poster in their hands.

“Can we get your autograph, please?” Alison mumbled.

“Sure thing, loves.” Louis smiled happily.

The guys all signed the posters and I giggled. When they got all of the boys’ autograph, they ran upstairs, squealing.

“They’re so cute.” Zayn said, once they left. “But Alison looks more like Jasmine’s sister and Isabelle looks more like Gaby’s.”

“So we’ve been told. Maybe they were switched at birth,” Gaby joked. "After all, they are about the same age."

"Maybe, there's always that slight chance." I joked, also, cuddling up to Niall.

We watched a little bit of TV and Niall's arm sat protectively around my waist.

“You want to go for a walk?” He whispered to me.

I nodded.

We stood up, but Niall's arm never left my waist.

"We'll be back, you guys." I said, informing everybody.

“Alright, see ya.” Louis said.

We walked outside into the dark night, only the moon shining down on us. A warm breeze hit my face and blew my long hair back off of my shoulders.

“Where should we walk?” Niall asked, not knowing the area.

I thought for a moment. Then, I knew. “I have something I want to show you.” I said excitedly. We walked a few blocks down the street to the abandoned dance studio by my house. I led him into the mirrored room, which I use as my hide-out. “Here we are,” I said, sitting down on one of the wooden benches.

“Whoa.” Niall gasped, looking around at our surroundings.

Vines grew over the windows, engulfing the entire building in a hug. The paint on the walls was chipped.  Some windows were broken by stupidly drunk teenagers, throwing rocks at the poor building in the past. Some of the wood on the floor and doors was rotting. Moss grew on the bricks outside the studio. The grass was knee-high, and a few weeds popped out of the dirt. It's a terrible kind of beauty; the kind that's hard to see if you don't really open your eyes to the world.

“This place is amazing.” Niall whispered in disbelief.

“Yeah, I come here and dance sometimes. I used to come here and take classes when I was a lot younger, but I just assumed it had been knocked down. I rediscovered it about two years ago.”

“It’s beautiful.”

“It really is.” I stated, taking a match stick off of the rotting piano and lighting some of the candles running along the side wall; I always keep candles and matches here in case I want to dance at night and there's no light. (The electricity doesn't work.)

“Just like you.”

I looked at Niall, who was looking at my eyes now. I slowly walked over to where he was standing and he kissed my nose.

He gently leaned me against the wall of mirrors, and he cupped my face in his hands. He kissed me ever so gently. He softly swiped his tongue along my lower lip, asking for entrance.

I slowly pulled away, immediately feeling guilty.

“Did I do something wrong?” he asked, wearing a worried expression on his face.

I shook my head and bit my lip. ”No, I'm sorry. It’s just that I don’t think I’m really ready for that. I’ve only ever kissed two people, you being one of them.” I looked down at the ground, feeling ashamed and embarrassed, to say the least.

If we did that, it would mean more than just a kiss to me. It's so intimate, and it would lead to other things.

“Jasmine,” he cupped my chin in his hand, and I looked up at him. “I don’t want to do anything to make you feel uncomfortable.” He said selflessly. He pressed his forehead against mine.

I nodded, still feeling ashamed. I gave him a huge hug and he wrapped his arms around my waist. He drew lazy patterns on my lower back.

We pulled away a while later and gazed at each other.

“I love you,” he said.

“I love you, too.”

He gently kissed my nose, then my cheek, my chin, the corners of my lips, and then finally he softly and slowly planted a kiss on my mouth. I loosely wrapped my arms around his neck, and he put his hands on my back. He pressed his chiseled chest against mine, and I couldn't help but feel that it was made especially for me, because we fit perfectly together, like a puzzle.

***

We started walking out of the studio and walked to the nearby park.

Niall sat on one of the swings, and I stood between his legs. He gripped onto my waist and held me close. He lifted me onto his lap so that I was straddling his waist on the swing.

I kissed and grazed along his jawline; his beautiful jawline. I pecked his gorgeous pink cheeks. I pressed my lips against his beauteous nose. I smooched his eyelids, which closed over those brilliant blue eyes. Finally, I enclosed my lips around his pink, plump lips; those perfect lips, and I could feel a blush rise on my cheeks.

"I love you, Niall James Horan." I whispered as I kissed his earlobe. "I love you so much. Don't ever leave me." I nearly begged.

"I would never leave your side." He wrapped his strong, muscular arms around my tiny frame, pressing me into his hewed chest, completing that puzzle again. "I love every part of you. Your shortness. Your stubbornness. Your insecurities, from your figure, which I find stunning, to your sweet lips, that I could kiss all day. The lips that hide that gorgeous smile." He pecked my lips softly. "I love your determination. Your laugh. Your humor. Your hugs. Your kiss. I love you, Jasmine Aleeah Garcia. I love you and all your little things."