Hate Me Love Me

32| Cold Embraces ❄

AN: Ok so first of all... 425 READS!!!! LIKE WHATTTTTT. AHHHHH! Thank you so much to everyone. Really. I appreciate it from the depth of my heart. I really really do. You guys motivate me to keep writing. 

I have my mid-year exams coming up but here I am, writing away. I mean, I should focus on my studies and future and stuff... but... procrastination is my middle name.

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"Sometimes... a silent hug is the only thing to say." --- Teju Dev.

֍҉֍҉♥҉֍҉֍

'We're watching Love, Simon,' I tell him, watching his face carefully to see if he's upset or not, but all I see is a happy boy, smiling back at me. It's such a large contrast to his normally snarling face.

'I know,' he says.

'You don't mind?' I ask cautiously.

'Not at all.'

'You like Love, Simon?'

'Never seen it before.'

'Wow. Ok. It's a Romcom,' I tell him, trying to get out a sensible reaction, but once again, he just shoots me a smile and continues watching the intro.

'Who are you?' I ask him, absolutely bewildered.

He turns to me and laughs. 'I'm me,' he says and then, unexpectedly, kisses the clean spot between my eyebrows.

He seems to realise what he's done after a few seconds, and his cheeks flame up beautifully. He looks back at the screen.

And then I  remind myself that I want to make him happy, and feel loved, so I gently grab his chin, not knowing where all this confidence is coming from, and smile at his wide eyes and confused expression.

I lean forward and press my lips onto his cheek for 3 seconds, and when I move back, he has the widest grin on his face. His teeth are lit up by the light of the screen and his eyes are dancing in joy as he stares at me.

'What was that for?' he tries to neutralize his face.

'Why do you think?' I ask.

'There's quite a lot going on in my head right now, actually.'

'Really? All good things, I hope?'

He cups my cheek with his free hand. His other hand's thumb rubs against my skin as he looks at me from eye to eye. Nothing can take away from this moment. 

'The best things. Things I never thought I'd think,' he whispers onto my lips.

We turn back to the screen with the most exhilarated smiles, and I tell him 'Get comfortable. This is a good movie. I've only seen it once, but it's good.'

He leans against the inflated wall of our own pool as we float on the water, still holding my left hand in his right one. I take that hand, move it around to behind my shoulder, shuffle a little bit and by then, my head is resting on the side of his chest, under his shoulder area. 

He smells like paint, and I'm loving it.

His chest rises and falls steadily as he pulls me closer, and together, we lie side by side in a pool, on an artificial pond, watching Love, Simon. I can see a group of girls trying to be distinct about taking a photo of Alaric, so I snuggle even closer.

Throughout the movie, I eat snacks. I offer him some, but all he does is stare back down at me like he's frozen, and says nothing. He's been acting weird the entire time. But maybe that's just because he's intrigued in the movie. I know I am.