We were watching some stupid indie movie, and he fell asleep on me. Not dozing on my shoulder, but full-on asleep across my lap, one arm still around my back, like it belonged there. It did not.
I smiled, ran my fingers through his hair. He looked so peaceful and content laying there, so childish and trusting. He trusted me. No one had done that before, ever. It was something spiritual, really, having someone love you enough to be comfortable being so open in front of you. Especially someone who's completely standoffish and doesn't even do one-armed hugs on the last day of school.
"I love you, you know. Sometimes when you do this, fall asleep like this, I wish we could stay like this forever. I would be perfectly comfortable here forever," I whispered to his sleeping form. "I know you don't love me back the same way, but--"
"Yes I do," he murmured through his sleep, thick and low.
"Do you really?" I asked profoundly, feeling stupid and awkward but elated.
"Yeah, stupid. Haven't you known that all along? I thought it was a given. Mm, put your hands back in my hair please--ahh. You know you're the only person I let touch me?" His eyes were still closed, and his voice was still low and crackly, but that made me want him more.
So I did what I'd been wanting for years. I leaned down and brushed my lips against his, expecting to place a featherlight kiss and then sit back up. That's not what happened. Instead, we ended up kissing for the next half hour, exploring the crevices of our mouths we previously didn't know existed, whispering secrets in the space between. It was like heaven and earth and hell had decided to align in one plane of perfect cosmic existance, letting us have this moment, this kiss, this love we'd never known was requited.
"Oh God," I whispered. "How the hell did this happen?"
"Falling in love with you? That was a long, long time ago. Remember when we were like eleven, and you told me the only thing that mattered about a person was their ability to stick with a TV series even after it starts sucking? Yeah, I've pretty much loved you since then."
"...Were you ever planning to tell me that?"
"Not until you were ready to admit that you loved me, too."
"Ready to admit...wait, you knew?"
"Nah. It's the way you look at me. Like I'm the only thing in the world. Which is appropriate. Because you're the only thing in mine."
Best day of my life, okay?
♡
I wanted to look pretty for him, so I wore a pair of heels that night.
After dinner as we were walking back, my feet were in so much pain. I pretended to be fine because I did not want to ruin the evening.
He stopped and said: "Your feet are in pain aren't they?"
I blushed and tried to deny it.
"We've been dating for almost 2 years, I know when you're in denial"
Then, without waiting for me to respond, he took off his shoes and placed them in front of my feet.
"Wear mine, love. I don't want you in pain."
I just stood there, speechless and thought: definitely a keeper.
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from a distance, one witnesses a couple walking hand in hand. the girl walking like a duck due to a pair of oversized shoes she was wearing. the guy walking in a pair of white socks, as if they were his shoes.
