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(17) City Of Candles

Dedicated to her (u know who u r). This is a bribe for her to come tomorrow. Justplease, please, please COME!

_*_*_
(17) City Of Candles

"Are you sure you're okay?" I asked worriedly as we walked back to the center of Popcorn Land, feeling guilt nip at my stomach like an army of ants.

"Nah, I'm okay," Liam assured, smiling at me. His eyes were a bit teary, thin, spidery cracks of red branching from around his brown irises. "Don't worry."

We had entered the Haunted House earlier, where we followed a narrow wooden trail that squeaked beneath our sneakers. The gleaming, electrical torches that trailed the grimy wall bathed everything, illuminating the place with red. It had been eerily silent, our breathing audible, and I think my rapid heartbeats were, too. Carved into the walls were holes—black with what I first thought was nothingness—but then a thing swung from it, and well, that's where my instincts kicked in.

I ran, with bodies randomly flying from the walls--they were grotesque and bloody (fake blood), and their limbs were deformed, as if they have been brutally twisted until their bones cracked. My chest heaved painfully, as though something was pressing against it, crushing my lungs. It had been hard to breathe. I felt something warm grab my wrist and then—

I may or may not have punched Liam right in the eye.

I didn't mean it, though, I swear!

"Niall, seriously, I'm okay," Liam said, turning to look at me as we stopped in our tracks. I had been continually giving him concerned glances.

"I'm sorry," I apologized quietly, bashfully looking at the ground as I traced imaginary lines with the tips of my sneakers.

Liam placed his fingers under my chin and held my head up. Leaning in slowly, he placed a chaste kiss on my lips, to which I blushed. He smiled, a smile that curved into a smirk. "Don't worry," he said, "You punch like a little kid, anyway."

"I do not," I said defensively, "Your face is just hard, is all."

Liam laughed; no, cackled evilly would be the exct term. "You keep telling yourself that, bro," he teased, reaching up to ruffle my already-shaken-hair. I swatted his hands away, glaring. "Aww, you mad, bro?" He smirked. He effing smirked. It fueled my annoyance.

I wondered briefly how you could love somebody and hate him at the same time.

No, wait, did I say love? Erase that. Erase, erase, erase.  I mean, sure I got tingles when we touched, sure my heart would flutter every time we kiss, but those didn't mean I automatically loved him, right? Love was too strong a word, holding too deep a meaning for a two-day romance.

Like. Yeah, that would fit better. I like him. I don't lo--

I felt a pleasant wet warmth on my lips, a feeling all too familiar as my insides instantly liquefied. My eyes fluttered close as his lips moved gently against mine. Softly. Lovingly. His thumb caressed the softness of my cheek, and I sighed into his mouth. Seconds later, we parted and my eyes opened, meeting adorable brown eyes.

"You zoned out," he said softly,  thumb still grazing over my cheek. "What were you thinking about?"

"Nothing," I answered bashfully. "Just hungry, is all."

"You know, you're the only person I know who actually zones out after not eating for four hours."

I pulled away slightly from him. "I have high metabolism, okay?" I defended.