i like (the idea of) you • grayson dolan

twelve

OPAL'S POV

My eyes flutter shut at the feeling of Grayson's lips on mine, my gasp of shock being muffled by his mouth.

I'm kissing Grayson Dolan. I am kissing Grayson Dolan. And it feels... really good. His lips are soft, and warm, and he tastes like mint. It's enough to make my thoughts swirl and my knees buckle.

He was very sure of himself, of the moment, which was good because I needed that reassurance. All of his gentle movements were precise-the way he tucked stray wisps of my hair back, the way he held me steady, the way his pillowy lips moved on mine.

It was slow, and I felt the rest of the world fall away as his cool hands rested on either side of my face. I take the moment to wrap my arms around his neck, our bodies flush together.

I feel his tongue gently swipe across my bottom lip, parting them for him without a second though. It had been a while since I'd kissed anyone like this, but I wasn't that nervous anymore. Grayson's touch is comforting, in a way that words could never be.

My heart was pounding in my chest, and all I could focus on was the taste of mint and his lips. I didn't realize I'd been waiting for this.

The sound of a car horn makes us both jump apart, and it's then we realize we're blocking someone's driveway. The old man inside his car looks displeased at the sight of us kissing very much in his way.

Grayson, grinning with red cheeks and even redder, swollen lips, pulls me to the side. I imagine the shade of my face matches his. Though I can't see it, I can definitely feel it.

Mint lingers in my mouth and butterflies in my stomach, both of our heavy and irregular breaths creating clouds in the cold air. I just kissed Grayson.

"It's pretty cold out here, let's go inside?" He hums, still holding my hand. Nodding breathlessly, I follow him into his house. I'm not quite sure what to say now. My thoughts are still swirling-everything about my feelings for Grayson are complicated. "Hey, get out of your head. You can't be all shy after I've had my tongue in your mouth."

"Grayson!" I gasp, his loud laugh echoing off the walls.

"You make it too easy, Opal." Our hands are still interlocked as we climb the stairs. "Oh, hey, E."

"...what's going on?" He raises his eyebrows, noticing me in Grayson's hoodie. I almost forgot I was wearing it. "Ugh. Gross. Be quiet."

"We're not-"

"Dude, she was just crying. And it's Opal. We're not gonna do anything," Grayson snorts. "She was freezing, so I gave her my hoodie."

"Oh thank god," he sighs. "Wait, why were you crying?" I shrug, not really wanting to blurt it all out to Ethan. "I get it, I'm not the favorite twin. It hurts, y'know, Opal? But I'll live through it."

"You're so fucking extra, bro. This is why she likes me more."

"Hey! I was joking, she obviously prefers me," he scoffs, placing a hand on his chest. "You've been way worse to her over the years. I'm the fun one. Right?"

Shaking my head, I take a step back. "I'm not getting involved in this." It was crazy, to think about how much Grayson annoyed me at the beginning of the year. How much he annoyed me even just a couple of weeks ago, actually. And now I was in his house, after kissing him, wearing his hoodie. It almost felt like a joke.

I wasn't sure if we should talk about it. It was just a kiss, right? But it was a kiss with Grayson. We definitely needed to talk about it.

Now now though. For now I'd focus on just being present, and then I'd process everything later. After that I could talk.