In The Unlikely Event [updates begin may 3]

06 | heart palpitation

a/n vote, comment, follow and all the fun, crazy mix. enjoy the picture above of gorgeous Toronto 

#

He was the boy from the whack-a-mole, I realized once his face broke out into a grin. Nobody else that I'd seen in the past week had a smile like that and dimples that indented. Because, damn, those dimples were memorable as fuck. His hazel eyes travelled down to meet my travelling brown ones. I stepped back once I realized that I was standing close enough to count the scattered freckles on his cheeks and nose and see the long lashes that fanned out above his eyes.

I cleared my throat and stepped back from him, jutting my hand out for a shake. Which I instantly regretted once I caught sight of my slightly ashy hands. "Addy."

Foot to the brain, why am I introducing myself? Also Fucking dollar store lotions need to be banned.

He looked down at my hand, and I raised my chin. Ridiculously warm and slightly calloused hand engulfed my hand in a handshake. "Roman," he said and shook my hand for a few seconds before dropping the handshake.

"Roman? Like the empire?" 

"Like the empire," he stated.

Ms. Finley stepped up to us and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Roman is my grandson." If possible, her smile grew even wider as he placed another kiss on her cheek.

I nodded. "I can see that. You guys have some similar features." They were just softer on her where they were strong and defined on him.

Ms. Finley turned back to Roman. "I thought you had a...urm... basketball--" she snapped her fingers. "--basketball tournament today?"

"I did. But we didn't win so, I thought I should come down and share a dance with my favourite girl. How're you doing, grandma?" His gaze zeroed back on Ms. Finley. My skin itched at just standing there, listening to their conversation.

"Well, I am doing much better now that you're here," she replied, sharing a toothy grin with Roman.

Off in the background, Ellie continued giving out instructions for the embrace, and it wasn't until my brain reeled out of staring too intently at Roman talking to his grandmother that I heard her say, "We're going to move on and work on some steps now guys."

"Urm...would you like to..." I motioned between Ms. Finley and I, and he waved me off.

"No, it's alright." He took off his baseball hat to run long, slender fingers through dark curls before sitting it back on his head. My eyes couldn't stop following the movement of his fingers in his hair, and when he slightly tipped the hat up to look down at me, my cheeks burned with the realization that he'd caught me staring. "Oh, I'm not here to dance. I just came for a visit, but I'll wait until you guys are all done here."

He looked to Ms. Finley again. "Wait for you in your room?"

"Mhm," she answered, already turning back to me. I watched, long legs clad in Adidas sweatpants, devour the space to the door before he disappeared behind the door. I turned back to meet a cocked eyebrow courtesy of Ms. Finley.

"My friend has the same sweatpants," I rushed to explain, but the smile that danced on the corner of her lips told me she didn't believe my lie.

But she doesn't press instead, raising her hand up for me to grab as Ellie recited a list of movements.

❐❐❐

45 minutes later, I grew an infinite well of appreciation for the AC that circulated the whole nursing home. I hiked my school bag higher as I downed my second cup of water. Sweat dripped down my arms and my face, and I tried fruitlessly, to wipe the precipitation as Ellie seemingly materialized beside me. Her wide smile was still placed perfectly on her face even as she ran a towel down her face.