"Who are you even supposed to be?" Louis asked in a snarky tone. "Kenaki, from Tokyo Ghoul right?" Aline asked with a mouth full of food.
"Exactly. Just- without the mask, I don't like the feeling. So I used a contact and out fake blood on my face. It still works."
"It looks cool." Zayn kisses my cheek, walking around the bar to make himself a drink. "Okay we're going to be leaving once my shift is done."
"Harry!" Lina shouts. Running at me with her arms out. "Oh my goodness. Hi pretty girl. I missed you so much."
"I brought you a hat." She smack it onto my head, her little country accent was stronger than usual. It always was when she came back from her uncles and it's so funny. "Thank you- what happened to your cheek?"
"I fell off a horse. It went- bam! And I went flying over the fence into the pigs mud and the stick, it scratched me. It hurt so bad I thought I was gonna die."
"Always something with you isn't it." She rests her head on my shoulder. "Kaitlin you look- less dead."
"Thank you Harry. Really that's lovely. She just ran from- from Bobby's. All the way down here. It was awful. Holy shit I'm gonna die."
"I'm gon die." Zayn mimics in his weird old lady country accent. "Shut up. You speak and I curse your family. So serious. I just- I'm so out of breath..." I gave up listening.
"Did you have fun?" Lina nodded slowly. "I got to sit on a pig. I also ate strawberries from the ground- straight from the ground. I washed them but they were so yummy. Like heaven."
"That sounds good. Did you get your ice cream on the way back?" She was falling asleep. "I did. It was cold. And otherworldly. I think I could die happily now."
"Ice cream does that to you, it's a temporary bliss. Soon you'll be paying for your own socks and you'll wonder why you ever grew up."
"I'm gonna stay young forever." I let out a sigh, kissing the top of her head. "I wish you would. You just stay this little until the world ends. Or at least until I'm too old to see."
"What animal will you come back as? Maybe we'll find each other." I brush the hair from her face. Watching her eyes slowly close. "I'm gonna be a jellyfish, so we'll cross paths a lot."
"We can meet in California." She says through a yawn. "We'll both live forever."
The music was quiet today, and it was sort of slow dance music. Which made it easier for her to sleep. "How do you do that? She hasn't slept before 3am all week and you've just got her to pass out in minutes."
"I don't know- are you leaving?" She steps back. "I thought you would've wanted me to take her from you." I let out a sigh. "I have to. I have work."
"Sorry kid. Thanks for helping me get her to sleep. You're my angel. I'll see you when you get back okay." She kisses my cheek. "Bye."
Moving her little curls from her face, I waited to see if she was still at little awake. "I'll see you later okay. Be good for your mum or you lose your shark privileges."
"Okay. Have fun in Vegas. Bring me back a pair of sunglasses that say Vegas- and a shirt." I kissed her forehead. "I will absolutely make it happen. Goodnight. Sleep tight. Like a bug."
"Night Leah." They all mumbled out as she waves goodbye. "Why don't call her Lina?" My mum asked. "Yeah I always go to ask but I never do."
"Lina means ray of sunlight in French." Aline says. "And Greek." She adds in. "Is that why you call her Lina?"
"Yes. I'm not really seeing the big deal. What's with your face?" Louis snickered. "I have to go and pack my clothes. I'll see you all later."
"Oi-" I clicked again, Louis turning around. "You are not going on your own. Vada go with him."
•••••••••••
"You ready to go?" Aline nodded, Vada tilting his head at her. I couldn't really hear them but I've never seen him this way before.
He just seemed so relaxed and happy. I don't think I've ever seen him try and fight a smile before. He's always willing to smile, this must've been a pretty big deal. "H-"
"Sh. Sh. Let them have their time." I could feel Zayns smile on the back of my hand. "He's smiling at a girl. Like that?"
"I wonder what they're talking about." I whispered. "I don't know. It feels personal. Move slowly. Very slowly."
We both took slow steps back, watching them both slowly get closer. My heart was racing for him. "Are they gonna kiss?"
"I'm not sure." We made it out quietly, they were inches away and I could see him fidgeting. "Zayn I think they're gonna kiss."
"She's so pretty. This is so cute." If we'd seen him coming we would've tackled him. But John just doesn't make noise. "No-" they both jump back. John making his way in. "Are you guys going now or are you waiting?"
"We were uhm- we're waiting. For the others. For- Harry and Zayn and- and Louis." Now she's the one stuttering instead of him.
"He hasn't looked away from her since they ended up in here you know. He's just- staring." John pushes the door open, I felt it hit my head, knocking me to the floor.
Louis told there with his eyebrows raised. "Hello to you too." He said through a laugh. "Shit."
"Why's he on the floor?" Zayn was cackling so much you'd think I'd slipped like a cartoon character or something. "The fucking noise he just made. Holy fuck- holy shit I can't breathe. Aline save me- holy shit."
He carried on laughing even after she let him rest on her. "You're bleeding now."
"Louis you fix him while we get the stuff in the car. Come on. Fucking maniac." Aline links her arm with Zayn. Carrying him out of the room.
I made it to the wall without hurting myself, Louis kneeling between my legs. "It's bad. I know it is."
"It's not awful. It's a cut instead of a bump so I'd say that's a win. Yeah?" I could feel my body starting to clench up. "I know, I'm sorry baby I wish I could do something to help. I just have to be gentle. I'm sorry."
"I don't like it. Please. Please I don't want it." The tears started to build up. "Hey, come on. Remember what we did last time? You breathe in, okay. Then when I start to wipe, you let it out. Real quick I swear. You got it."
"I'm sorry." He kisses my temple. "Don't be sorry. Okay, breathe in." It took ten minutes for him to clean it up. I felt a little stupid but he didn't even seem to mind. "All done. I can put a little pressure on each side so that it feels right if you want."
"Okay." I'm not really sure how he'd known exactly what I was thinking but I sort of felt like I could've actually given him my life. I would've.
Not to sound dramatic because it really is ridiculous to me that I would. But I mean it. "You're so pretty." I said, my voice breaking as I tired to whisper. "Making me blush."
