Bates & Landon [Wattys2015]

LANDON

Landon

I can't breathe.

My heart is beating too fast.

God, my face feels incredibly hot. I'm blushing. I'm blushing really bad.

I bit my lip, letting Bates lead the way through the thick crowd, our hands still connected together.

Please don't let my hands sweat.

Many people had gathered candles and flashlights and they were trying to get light in the pure dark room.

"Bates," I tried to get his attention, but he didn't hear me. I stopped walking -- almost getting elbowed by some random person in the process -- and Bates turned to look at me.

"What is it?" He asked. I could see his face a lot better since we had some light, so I could see that he has his eyebrows furrowed.

Don't let him be able to see my rosy cheeks, please.

"How are we supposed to find them?" I speak to him. There was a slight possibility that we would find the two of them. To be honest, I kind of didn't want to. My feet were starting to hurt in these flats and I already spent most of my time at this party looking for Alice. I didn't want to do it again. "I mean it's really dark, how could we tell where they are in this huge crowd of people?"

"You were the one who suggested to go look for them," he teases me, swinging our joined hands slightly -- making me aware that we are, indeed, still holding hands.

My cheeks are getting warmer.

"Yeah," I look down, "I know. But do you really want to go looking for them?"

He chuckled. "Not really. What are we supposed to do now?"

"I --"

I was interrupted by all the lights coming back on and people cheering in relief when the blaring music came on. Everyone started dancing again. Bates and I glanced at each other.

"We can go do something instead of just standing here," Bates said. Somehow we weren't holding hands anymore, I don't know who let go first.

"Yeah, what do you want to do?" I ask him. "We can go dance." I joke before he can answer.

By the look on his face, I become silent.

"Let's go then!" He grins, grabbing my wrist and dragging me where everyone has declared everyone will be dancing at.

Oh no.

We find a spot to squeeze in. I'm standing in front of him, us facing each other. We just stand there -- highly awkward -- and look at each other, but I glance away quickly.

"I have no idea what we are supposed to do," Bates is very close to me, whispering in my ear. I can feel his warm breath, making me shiver, and one of his hands is pulling back my hair so he can actually whisper in my ear.

He leans away and I start to reply but remember that he won't be able to hear me. Very slowly, I lean closer to him and whisper in his ear. "Me either," I'm smiling -- a huge grin on my face, "actually, I can't even dance that good."