careful (awsten knight)

anathema

"just a perfectionist I guess.."
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I pushed my long silver hair out of my face. I was sat on the roof of the two story art gallery. I came here to think sometimes. Both my parents had passed away in a car accident and I had been living on my own for about six years, but had only been without the both of them for only one year, and without any siblings, or anyone to relate to it was kinda hard- to say the least.

Sometimes I drew, wrote lyrics, or just people watched. I flipped the pages of my almost full sketchbook through my fingers. I wasn't supposed to be up here, but it's the only place I really felt calm. I took a deep breath, I could see it in the cool atmosphere. I pulled the sleeves of my sweater over my knuckles. It was definitely just past midnight and little to no people were out and about.

I heard a small shuffle, I froze and sat upright. "Oh hey, sorry. Didn't think there was anyone up here." A boys voice said from behind me. I put my hand behind me, and turned to see. A boy around my age with faded dyed hair was getting ready to leave. "Hey- no, it's fine. I won't be much longer." I smiled at him, he was actually really cute. He smiled a little. He climbed up on the roof. "I've never seen anyone else up here." I said. "Me neither." He laughed a little.

"Are uh- are you okay?" He broke the silence and looked at me. I spun and faced him now, my legs crossed. He sat down in front of me.
I nodded with a bit of a questioning look, and getting a better look at him he was actually really hot, perfect skin, green eyes like mine, pink lips a dark hoodie and hair almost white like mine, maybe a faded blue or purple. "I usually only come here when I need to yknow?" He said, his voice was calm. I nodded in agreement and understanding. "Yeah I do too, I'm okay though- just needed to breathe. Are you?" I asked him back, I looked up at him from under my eyebrows. "Yeah, just a little stressed." He said with a shrug, and if a shrug could be honest, it would look like that.

"I'm Awsten by the way." He stuck out his hand. I shook it with a small smile. "Alexandra." I replied and he flashed me his teeth. He was literally perfect, what the fuck.

And the conversation we were having was so honest and cute, I couldn't help but blush a little.
"Do you wanna talk about it?" I asked him, trying to be polite, and he moved to sit beside me and at the edge of the building. I turned to sit beside him and look over the edge. "It's only music writing, just a perfectionist I guess.." He said it like it sounded stupid and he tapped the black book that I only just now noticed was in his grip.

"Haha!" I called quietly and held my book up, almost exactly like his, we tapped the books together like a cheers and put them down, we both laughed. Even his laugh was cute. "You write music too?" He asked me. "Yeah I guess it's music. A few drawings. Nothin too exciting though." I ran a hand through my hair. "I doubt that." He said looking straight ahead.

I'd really isolated myself after my parents death, and even though he was a stranger, I felt comfortable, I felt better than I did when I was alone. I let it soak in. Suddenly we both snapped our heads to the door behind us. We could hear people coming up the stairs with walkie talkies.
"Security." We both said in unison. Our green eyes were wide in each other's. We bolted up and he grabbed the sketchbooks. He sprinted to the door and hid beside it, he tugged me beside him and we stood still, silent. When the door was opened I could feel his breathing stop beside me. I grabbed his sleeve out of fear. The guards walked out and the two talked to each other- really about nothing important.

I saw my opportunity and I took it. I grabbed Awsten and dragged him into the open door. I held his wrist as I sped down the stairs, he followed close behind me.
"Did you hear that?" One of the guards called and Awsten made the move to duck out of sight and to the right, he pushed me up against the wall and watched the stairs. He put a finger to his lips and even though this was dangerous, I was kinda having fun.

We could be charged with breaking and entering. And Awsten's sweet appearance showed that he didn't really want to spend a year in prison either. A contagious smile broke out onto our faces. Adrenaline filled.
The guards descended the stairs again but they were quiet now, maybe a bit suspicious. I pulled Awsten as close as I could so he wouldn't be seen trying to hide me. As cute as this was, we were both frozen, almost like it was rehearsed. It made me wonder if he'd ever done this before. I'd only had to hide from guards once, but It had never been this risky. And I was alone.

Their flashlights darted around the room and I gripped the fabric of Awsten's black hoodie. He smelled like peach shampoo and cologne. It was hot. Was anything about him not absolutely perfect? No Alex. Focus.
They were at a safe distance away and Awsten put the sketchbooks in his backpack. He put up his hood and then put mine up for me and motioned for me to follow him. I decided to, he hadn't steered me wrong so far.

He grabbed my hand and I couldn't help but blush a little, he ran past the stairs and into the gallery, he led me down the stairs and to the main floor. He weaved his way through the dark artifacts and pictures like he had it memorized. An odd route however, must be avoiding cameras.
He stopped suddenly and I ran into his back. "oof" I said quietly.

But then I understood.
Trip laser.

"Good eyes." I noted and I stepped over it carefully, opening the door as quietly as I could. I held it open for him. He stepped over it as swiftly as he could and flashlights were shone our way. "Hey!" The guard yelled and I grabbed him yet again.

I pulled him through the door as it slammed shut heavily.
We ran through the parking lot and into the field out back.
We ran through the tall grass and until we eventually both stumbled and fell down. I landed almost beside him with a muffled thud and our unified "ow" was barely heard.

We laid on our backs and caught our breath. I began to giggle and he followed suit, we broke out into laughs as we covered our mouths.
"That" breathe "was" breathe "amazing" breathe: he let his head fall back. "Agreed." I said

We got out of the field unseen and walked back to town.
"We must've just been too rowdy." I said sarcastically. He let out a loud laugh. It made my heart beat a little extra hard. "Yea two kids peacefully sitting on the roof talking about the worlds stress. Absolute anarchy!" He threw his arms up.
I laughed into my sleeve. I could feel him smiling at me.

"We should have coffee or something, unless-" I stopped him before he doubted himself. "I'd like that.." I smiled. I gave him my phone and he gave me my sketchbook. He sent himself a message and gave it back.
"I'll see you around Awsten." I smiled at him, nervously pushing my hair behind my ear. "I'd like that.." he copied my words and winked at me before walking in the opposite direction.

I felt my heart flutter out of my skeleton and sit on my head. It lifted me a little, I felt like I was walking on air.

I felt-

I felt happy.