Manhattan

17.

a/n: Listen to song above while reading for full experience. You're welcome ;)

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"LEAH," AIDAN SAID, his voice hushed. "What is this?"

"It's an art studio," she said with a dazzling smile. "Well, it will be. Eventually. It's for you."

He stared at her, unable to comprehend. "What?"

She laughed at his confusion. "An art studio. I thought it'd be a good idea to turn this warehouse into one for you and your mom. It belongs to my dad's company, but they aren't planning on using it. It'll take some touching up, but. . ." She trailed off at Aidan's gaze on her. "Don't worry. It's just a goodbye present. I swear it didn't cost anything."

He took in a breath. "I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to," she said. She dragged him across the room to the window, pressing her hands up to the glass, gazing out at the city. "This view sort of speaks for itself, don't you think?"

Aidan felt unbelievably touched. His heart was glowing with the same intensity as the shining city before them. "Leah," he said softly, touching her arm. She turned to him. "Why did you do all this? For me?"

She looked back at him, and her usually cheery expression was replaced with something more somber, serious. "I wanted to thank you. For making my time here so amazing. For making the city so magical."

He laughed. "What are you talking about? You did all that yourself," he said. "Before you came, I wanted nothing more than to get out of here. Put the city behind me. You helped me see everything I always loved about it."

"But that's exactly what you did for me, Aidan." She took a step closer to him. "Manhattan was always just the place where my family broke apart. But then you came along, with your camera and your friendship and your overwhelming love for art, and I saw someone who had managed to keep the beauty within himself even after something terrible had happened."

Her words poured into him, and he was engulfed by a feeling so warm that he felt as if he'd swallowed the entirety of the sun.

"You know, if this were a movie, all this would be considered a grand gesture of romance," Aidan said.

A slow smile spread across her face. "You really can't take a hint, can you?"

Aidan blinked. "What?"

"Aidan, this is a grand gesture of romance."

He was having a hard time keeping up. "What? Oh. Oh." He blushed. "You like me?"

Leah grinned. "I like you." He stared at her. She stared back at him. "This would probably be the part where you kiss me."

He blinked in surprise, then took a step closer. Her face was illuminated by the glow of the city lights, her blue eyes bright, electric. Their faces were close suddenly - so close Aidan could count the light spray of freckles across her nose. A stray curl of hair fell into her face, and Aidan reached up by instinct, tucking it behind her ear. His fingers brushed the tip of her chin, cupping her face, and her eyelashes fluttered lightly as he tilted her face up to his.

The world thrummed at his fingertips. He felt as though he was standing on the edge of something delicate, something beautiful, something hopeful. Then they were just mere millimeters away from each other, lips almost touching, and Aidan held on to the moment a beat longer before she placed her hands on his chest and closed the distance between them.

Kissing Leah was so many things at once. He didn't know how to explain it. All he knew was that somehow, someway, he'd lost track of time, and all he could do was marvel at the way this all seemed so natural, so normal, as if it was always meant to be. Her lips were soft, her nose grazed his lightly, and he tightened his arms around her when she slipped her hands from his chest, up past his neck to his hair, her fingers sifting through it gently. The kiss was slow, and he tried to make it last as long as he could until Leah pulled back for air. He rested his forehead on hers, their noses still touching.

Their eyes met. Leah smiled. Aidan's heart stuttered, and he tried to think of something meaningful to say, though his mind seemed unable to form any coherent thoughts. He cupped her face instead, tilting it up so that their eyes met again, and pressed his lips to hers in another kiss.

He felt the same way he had on the rooftop of Leah's apartment that day, looking down at the city, breathless and wild and free. Stay, he wanted to tell her, but words failed him, so he put all his feelings into the kiss.

She pulled back and looked up at him. "You know, if I'd known you were this good a kisser, I probably would have done it sooner," she said, eyes twinkling. Aidan flushed.

"You think I'm a good kisser?"

She rolled her eyes. "No, I think you're an awful kisser." She stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him again. "Mm. A solid four."

He laughed softly. His fingers itched for a paintbrush just then, wishing he could paint her like this, a lovely girl frozen in time, a shimmering city skyline behind her. Then the moment dissolved as her smile slipped.

"Aidan, do you think is a good idea?" Leah asked.

"To be honest, none of this was pre-planned. I'm just sort of going with it." Aidan tucked another curl behind her ear and grinned. "And I'm really enjoying it."

She smiled half-heartedly. "But I'm leaving. In three days."

He took her hand in his own, intertwined their fingers. "Then we'll make it the best three days of your life."