A/n: rough edit
Elijah
I stood next to Carter in his adjacent bathroom, staring at myself in the big mirror.
Filled in eyebrows, contoured nose, high lighted cheek bones, mascara coated eye lashes.
It wasn't me, none of it. It wasn't authentic. I knew it and so did he.
"Elijah, you don't need makeup." His smooth voice filled the beautiful bathroom. He looked at me with a purity and rawness, a soft but serious gaze as if he was staring at my soul.
He grabbed a make up remover wipe and turned me to him, gently rubbing it across my cheek. My skin lite up at the contact, but I let him. My eyes fluttered shut, and his words caressed my heart as he wiped away my second face.
"You are too pretty to cover any of it up. By all mean wear makeup if you want but baby you have to know you don't need it."
I felt the tears coming, unable to help myself.
Carter was so precious. I barely understood why he's still here, helping me get over my insecurities when I can barely give him any security.
I open my eyes and laughed, I still had a bunch of makeup on. But at least he got the highlight and some foundation.
"What?" He quizzes with a beautiful smile, he was smiling because I was smiling.
I just shook my head and told him to hand me the soap. He held the hair of my wig back and I washed off the rest of my makeup. I used the towel he handed me to dry my face before looking at myself in the mirror again.
Carter started at me in content, a small smile decorated across his lips.
I stared to the chocolate girl front of me. I decided to take off my wig. I slowly pulled off the lace, revealing my wig cap and Carter's eyes went big.
Like he just seen a magic trick or something, his eyes flickered between the wig in my hand and my head.
I laughed. "It's a wig Carter."
"I know...I-I I just.." He rubbed the back of his neck and he slowly fell into a state of confusion.
I laughed at him again. He's so precious. I gently sat the long black wig on the counter and then removed the wig cap, exposing two corn rows that fell a little below my shoulders.
"Do you know how to take out braids?"
He shook his head, finally relaxing now that he's seen my actual hair.
I chuckled at him, unable to wipe the smile off my face. "It's easy really, just started at the bottom and use your fingers to unravel the hair." I handed him the end of the braid, and he relectently took it being very cautious. "It's okay, you can touch it."
His shoulders relaxed and he started trying to take out the braid. Key word being trying.
His tongue snaked out of his mouth in concentration as he focused on the task. I finished taking out my braid way before he did but he wouldn't let me help him.
He was determined.
"Carter the braid is so big, how is it taking you this long?"
"I'm almost done women chill." He fingers gently comb the braid, unraveling it.
"Just let me do it."
"No." He eyes flickered to me in the mirror.
Solid three minutes later he was finished. His fingers raked through my stretched hair, fluffing it out.