we were drunk

three

intoxication | hunter

"I believe in mermaids."

Joey giggles. She's been giggling at everything I say, which only makes our game of twenty questions more fun.

"I'm serious," I tell her. She scoots closer to me, lying her head on the same pillow as me.

"Why?"

She stares at me with her big, blue eyes and I momentarily forget about what happened to her. Right here, right now, Joey Ellendale appears to be a content, teenage girl with no worries.

"Because we don't even really know a whole lot about the ocean," I explain to her. She nods, her steady gaze locking me in place. "Anything is possible."

At this, she shakes her head.

"I don't think that's true."

"What?"

"My turn to ask." Joey ignores my question. I crack a smile at her slurred statement.

"You just asked—"

"Do you really think I'm cute?" Joey whispers, cutting me off. She shuffles her position again, moving closer to me. A strand of golden hair falls in front of her face.

"The cutest," I whisper back. I reach up and move the hair out of her face, tucking it gently behind her ear. She closes her eyes tightly, frowning.

"Because of my dress?"

My heart sinks. She thinks the dress makes her pretty?

"The dress doesn't make you attractive," I tell her. She opens her eyes, looking straight at me. The way she stares reminds me of what she went through and how hurt she must be. "Joey, you're beautiful all the time." She grins at me suddenly. I chuckle. "You make the dress look good."

Joey continues to just look at me, almost as if she's lost, searching for something in my eyes. Comfort, most likely, but how can I offer that? We hardly know each other. She can't possibly be comfortable with me. She wouldn't be this close to my face if she wasn't intoxicated.

And there's my mistake. I let her drink. She isn't wasted, but her words have a slight slur and her emotions are all over the place. She's tipsy. She couldn't drive or anything, but she can still handle herself.

Maybe.

"Hunter," she mumbles, closing her eyes. She lifts a hand and brings it to my face. When she opens her eyes, I smile. She doesn't. Rather than showing any facial expression, she places her thumb on my bottom lip and slides it across slowly. I keep my eyes on hers, thoroughly enjoying the focus she has on my lips. She moves her hand so that her thumb is no longer on my lip and places her palm on my right cheek, her fingertips barely touching my hair.

Finally, Joey's eyes travel up my face and meet my gaze. She doesn't blush or giggle like she has been for the last twenty minutes. Instead she bites down on her lip and blinks her beautiful blue eyes at me. Somehow, she's moved even closer without me knowing it.

"You have a nice jaw," Joey says. I smile down at her and lift my hand, bringing it to her hip. At my touch, she slides her lower body closer until our legs are touching.

"You have nice eyes," I tell her in response. A grin takes over her lips and all I can do is smile back at her.

"So do you," she informs me. My smile widens and Joey picks up her head, placing it back down a second later, millimeters from my face. Her nose brushes mine. Her lips are as close to mine as they could be without actually making contact.

"Joey," I mumble, sliding my hand up her side. She smiles — not a real, teeth-displaying smile, but a small one where she quirks up the corners of her lips just slightly.

"Hunter," she whispers in response. I can smell the alcohol on her breath. She moves her hand from my cheek and instead places it on the crook of my neck. Under her touch, I move closer to her until the distance between our lips is nonexistent. Joey kisses me back, slow and soft. I wrap my arm around her waist, my hand resting on her back.

_____

a/n
to be continued ahahaha
tbh i believe in mermaids:)
sorry this chapter was shorter

thank you for reading! <3

song: at my weakest - james arthur
chapter published: aug 16, 2018

*unedited*