" 'Ugh, I wish friends could go on Valentine's Day dates. They always have the best prosecco and cake deals - look at that, it's so cute! And they give you candles.'
'...do you want to go on a Valentine's Day date with me?' "
~inspired by a prompt on tumblr~
(Cyrus's POV)
Valentine's Day, the day that all the lovebirds in the world go on fancy dates, the kind filled with flowers and candles, where you stare lovingly into each other's eyes and just enjoy each other's presence. I've always wanted to go on a date for the holiday, I want to be surrounded by the reds and pinks of decorations. Staying at home and watching Netflix is a great activity that I do often, but when your friends are all out on dates, it's hard to not to feel a little left out. I let out a sigh, knowing the chances of getting a date so last minute being close to zero.
"Hey Underdog!" TJ's voice cut's through my thoughts. He plops down in the seat next to mine on the picnic table outside of school, shoving his hands in his pockets to hide them from the cold winter air. His eyes are focused in on mine, something I've noticed he does a lot when speaking to me. Andi and Buffy give him a glance at his arrival, but continue on with their conversation that I stopped listening to a few minutes go. A soft smile sits on his face, accompanied by the light indention's of his dimples and wind swept hair. I reply with a simple 'hey,' letting my expression mirror his.
"What's up?" He asks with a curious raise of the eyebrow. He angles himself so that he's facing me more and his knee brushes against mine, sending a sworm of butterflies in my stomach. I pray that I can blame the pink on my cheeks on the weather.
We make casual conversation for a few more minutes until the bell rings, dismissing us to first period. As we're walking to my locker, TJ slings an arm around my shoulders. At the end of the hallway, there's a crowd gathered around a boy and a girl. Standing on my tiptoes to take a closer look, I see that the boy has poster-board in his hands, and the words 'WILL YOU BE MY VALENTINE?' are written in big bold words across it. The girl has a giant smile on her face as she pulls him into a hug, nodding her head and pulling away to kiss his cheek. I smile sadly at the couple, and my shoulders slump in disappointment. I want that. TJ must have noticed my change in demeanor because he turns to me, his eyebrows furrowed.
"You okay?" He questions with a tilt of the head; his hair flops on his forehead with the motion. He stands close to me, just enough so that our shoulders brush against each other lightly. I flash him a smile and shrug my shoulders, my eyes going back to the couple who are now walking away hand in hand. Tj's gaze follows mine, and he turns back to me, a curious smile on his face. "Do you not like Valentine's Day or something?" He asks.
I have to restrain from laughing as I playfully roll my eyes. "No no, I do. I just-" I hesitate before continuing. Though it's not surprising for me, it's still kind of lame to not have plans for Valentine's Day. TJ won't make fun of you, I remind myself, he never has and he never will. "I don't, really have a date," I finish, shoving a book in my bag to avoid eye contact. It's ironic, really, for me to be relaying this information to TJ. Out of everyone, that I would want to go with, he would be the one I would choose. I'm not necessarily sure when the feelings showed up, but when I think deeper into it, I think they've always been there one way or another.
"Why are you upset about that?" An amused grin displays across his lips as he leans up against the locker next to mine. There's a glimmer in his eyes that lights up every feature of his face.
"I don't know," I reply with a sigh, closing my locker and facing him again. "I guess I just wish I had someone to go on a date with, ya know. The Jonah to my Andi, the Marty to my Buffy!" It's his turn to roll his eyes, and his laugh is soft as we go back to making our way to my classroom. His elbow brushes against mine from how close we walk, and it sends shivers down my spine. I can't help but wonder if he acts like this with everyone he's with, or if it's something he only does with me. I internally scold myself for having the thought.
As we round the corner, TJ continues, "Well, then why don't you?" This time, I can't help but laugh. A look of confusion appears on his face at my unusual response. You would only notice if you were watching closely, but the expression falters for just a second, momentarily replaced by nervousness.
"Dude, look at me!" I say, shaking my head, brushing off the change in demeanor from the boy in front of me. "Ugh! I just wish friends could go on Valentine's Day dates! It would be so much easier than worrying about working up the nerve to ask someone out!" I exclaim. As I finish, we reach the class, and stop just outside the door. He bites his lip anxiously, and curiosity sparks up inside of me. "What?"
He blinks, then swallows before taking a small step towards me. He wears a nervous smile, one that I've never seen before. "Do you," he hesitates, his eyes darting to his feet and back up to mine before continuing. "Maybe, want to go on a Valentine's Day date? With me?" I feel a smile appearing on my face before I can stop myself, disbelief coursing through my veins.
"Are, are you serious?" Even I can hear the giddiness in my voice. He only responds with a nod, looking more uncertain than I've ever seen him. I crush him in a bear hug, my arms wrapping around his neck tightly as I nod vigorously, mumbling 'yes' under my breath repeatedly. I feel a set of arms wrap around my waist in return, and I smile into his shoulder. We laughs breathlessly as we separate, both of our faces tainted in light pink shades. We exchange a few more words before going our ways. My heart flutters in my chest as I sit through first period, my only thoughts going to TJ Kippen and our date planned this for this Saturday.
