No Love Allowed

Sixteen

Sehun sat on a stool Suzy had left him in the middle of what she called her happy place. He could see why. One wall was made up glass, bringing in the natural light he had read somewhere that artists loved. Hanging along the rest of the walls were pictures of Van Gogh's The Starry Night, The Kiss by Gustav Klimt, and one of Claude Monet's most famous paintings, San Giorgio Maggiore at Dusk - just to name a few. He silently thanked the art courses he had taken in junior year. So much useful than pottery making.

While Suzy set up a fresh canvas on the easel, he continued to study the room and notice the theme emerge in her tastes. She loved golden tones as seen in The Kiss, the bright orange in San Giorgio Maggiore, and the stark blues of The Starry Night. The paintings on the floor, resting on the walls, echoed many of the colors used by the artists she admired. True to her word during the unlucky encounter with his father, Suzy painted whatever she liked. From still lifes to portraits to something blue, something similar to Picasso, she certainly let inspiration urge her.

"Is that the pond from the garden party?" He pointed at a canvas in the corner. The mix of green and blue brought out the bright purple of the water lilies. There was something so serene about the scene, yet it had depth, drawing the eye into the farthest of the canvas.

Suzy looked over her shoulder at the painting. "Yes. I was trying to get the frog on the pad. He looked like the king  of the pond." Her lips turned into a quick smile.

He searched for the so-called monarch and came up with nothing close to amphibian. "Maybe I need glasses or something. I don't see him."

Trying not to eye roll, she walked to the painting in her flip-slops, and overalls and pointed at the tiniest speck of green. Unsure of what she had meant for him to see, she hopped off the stool and went closer for a better look. Squinting and staring at the pointed finger, he still couldn't make out the frog. Unwilling to give up, he dropped to one knee and leaned closer until his nose practically touched the canvas. That was when he heard the soft giggling.

"There isn't a frog, is there?" He looked up, catching her failing yo hid her giggles with her other hand. Mock growling, he pushed to his feet and pulled Suzy into his arms. She squealed and fell into his chest when he ran his fingers up her sides. The second he hit the underside of one rib her giggles burst into full-on laughter. "Caught ya!"

"Sehun, stop!" she pleaded, squirming to get away from his tickle attack. "Stop!"

"That's for tricking me into thinking there's a frog."

"But you were so serious," she said in between breaths. She tip-toed and wrapped her arms around his neck, taking him into a tight hug.

The second her fruity scent filled his lungs, he tightened his grip on her hips so she could stay where he wanted her. He loved the feel of her curves against him, like she was made for touching. And crazy as it seemed, he wanted to be the only one touching her that way. He couldn't bear the thought of someone else's hands on her.

Then his eyes landed on her lips when she pulled back to look at him. He caught himself thinking how they would feel against his. How she would taste. He leaned toward her.

This was getting dangerous.

"Sehun?"

Her voice wake him up from crossing the line, and he stepped back and letting go of her.

As if they hadn't just been about to kiss, Suzy took his hand and returned him to the stool. Her easy dismissal confused him. Had she felt nothing? It had been the same at the picnic. She'd pulled away when he began leaning in. If Chanyeol hadn't arrived with Kai and Baekhyun, he didn't know what he would've done. Would he have pressed the issue and attempted the kiss like he wanted to do now? But he shouldn't be feeling anything. That was the point of the ground rules.