"Aurora!" I call her name the moment I spot her sitting at our usual table in the library on Tuesday. I'm running later than usual today, because I had to make a stop at class before I came here. I slap the piece of paper in my hands down on the table proudly. "Look at this."
She does, and the smile that lights up her face is immediate. She looks up at me, standing from her seat. "George! You got an A minus! That is so great. I'm—" She cuts herself off by stepping around the table and throwing her arms over my shoulders. "I'm so proud of you."
I'm frozen, blood rushing in my ears. She's hugging me. In an instant, I'm leaning down, hugging her back. My arms wind around her waist the way I've always wanted to. I breathe her in, drunk on the feeling of her. She's proud of me. "Thank you."
She hugs me tighter. "That's such an improvement, George. Seriously, you worked really hard to get that grade. You should be proud of yourself."
"I am. I couldn't have done it without you though." I keep holding her, refusing to be the one to pull away first.
She does though, carefully stepping back and unwrapping me from her arms. She grins, "I'm a great teacher, huh?"
"The best," I confirm, knowing I probably look like a lovesick fool right now, staring at her like this.
Blushing in that way I love so much, she takes another step back, looking slightly sheepish. "Well, we should get started. Got a test this week."
So she sits back in her usual seat and I take mine right beside her. Her notebook is on the table between us, my legs angled towards hers underneath. I clasp my hands together and she pulls them over to rest on her leg, a gentle hand keeping them there, keeping me grounded and focused on her. Like I could focus on anything else.
Her hair is up in a ponytail today. No beanie. I miss it. Seeing her wearing something of mine. Her lips are perfectly pink and glossy like she just recently applied lipgloss. They look so pretty. Look so soft.
I want to kiss Aurora. Really, really badly. More than I've ever wanted to kiss anyone in my life. I want to slide my hand along her jaw, hold her head in my hand. I want her to want to kiss me just as much.
"What are the different kinds of interspecific relationships?" She starts with her questions and I answer them diligently, chasing her approval, as always.
Once we've gone through enough content, Aurora shuts her notebook with a little sigh. There's still about ten minutes left of the period. I make no indication that I want to move away from her, that I want to stop touching her. Because I don't. I want to stay this close to her forever.
"You're doing really well," She tells me, focus all on me, "Do you find it easier like this? One on one?"
I nod, "Yeah. I do."
"You've improved a lot and we've only been doing this for three weeks."
"Well, it helps that I'm kind of obsessed with earning that smile from you."
Her cheeks turn the perfect shade of pink. "What— My smile?"
"Mmhm," I rest my elbows on my knees, head bowed slightly towards her, "Whenever I get a question right, you smile at me, but it's different. You look all proud of me. I like it."
"I am proud of you." She murmurs, that smile creeping up onto her lips.
"That one," I whisper, slightly in awe, "Makes me very happy."
She lifts her hand away from mine. Tucks both of her hands beneath her thighs. That only works to draw my gaze to her legs. My eyes trace the hem of her skirt, the way it brushes her thighs, riding higher now that she's sitting, in comparison to when she stands. I wonder what it would feel like to rest my hands on her bare skin instead of the thin fabric of her stockings. I wonder too, if she would mind me unclasping my hands, resting my palms flat on her thighs, holding them. Resting the back of my hand against them is hardly enough for me.
"George."
"Hm?" I glance up, meeting her gaze.
"You, um— is this like... I don't know... your thing? With your friends do you... sit close like this and— and—"
"No, it's not," I admit to her softly. I think my complete attention on her and only her might be too much, so I bring my hands back to me, but stay leaning in close. "Well, the only physical contact I really have with them, is tackling them in a rugby game. But I don't think that's what you mean." I glance up at her, frowning slightly, "Do I make you uncomfortable, Aurora? Sitting this close?"
Her eyes widen slightly, "No, no! I— It's nothing, really. I was just wondering. Trying to figure you out, I guess. This is fine."
"Fine?" I toss the word around my head, not liking the sound of it.
"Yes. Fine. Good. Great." Oh, how I love her red cheeks. "Forget I said anything, George."
"Alright." The bell rings, and we both get to our feet. I grab my bag and hers and we start walking out of the library. I hold the door open for her, she steps out first. When I fall into step beside her, she settles her hand around my bicep, staying close to me. A pleasant shiver rolls down my spine.
We reach her class and instead of just letting go, her hand trails down, down until she can hold my hand in hers. Our fingers link for the first time, palms pressed together. Then her hand drops and she smiles up at me. On autopilot, I hand her bag to her. I'm speechless, fingers tingling. She waves and then she's gone. My brain is a scrambled mess the rest of the day.
~ Pink Flamingo <3
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