Dreamers // Enoch O'Connor

Chapter 30: Feliz Aniversário

Feliz Aniversário - Portuguese for Happy Birthday
_____________________________

It would be obvious to say that Enoch O' Connor received the best birthday present in the world.

A kiss from the girl he loved.

He was stunned.

Lips burning with want.

"Promise me you won't ever be that careless again," he practically growled under his breath.

She just nodded, almost mechanically.

She was starstruck.

Her cheeks flushed.

"Now, let's take a look at that ankle."

She attempted to speak, her mouth opening like a fish out of water, but nothing came out.

Completely and utterly starstruck.

He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, slightly awkwardly, aiding her in her short yet painful journey to the bed, "I'll be right back."

The deadriser rushed out of the room, running down the obnoxiously loud hallway towards the bathroom, grabbing the first aid kit.

The girl just brought her fingertips to her lips, feeling the warmth, smiling.

As soon as Enoch entered the room, he kneeled down, pulling off her shoe, slightly rough but it was Enoch.

It was the boy she had grown to care for.

Sure he wasn't Prince Charming, he wasn't one to walk with his arm around her, someone that would kiss her all the time.

But it was Enoch.

He applied pressure to several areas around her foot.

"Does it hurt?"

Ashlyn was about to shake her head, but as soon as he pressed slightly above the ankle she yelped.

"Sorry," he mumbled, grabbing the bandage and wrapping it around the swollen ankle, securing it with some tape. He pushed her leg on the bed, placing some ice on it, and sitting down next to her.

It only then occurred to Ash that she hadn't spoken. At all.

"Thank you," she practically whispered, coughing to release more vocal strength.

"Of cou-"

But before the Enoch could finish his sentence, she grabbed his face, placing her lips on his.

And time stopped again.

Completely and utterly frozen.

Until they pulled away, that is.

She caressed his cheekbones.

"I love you too."

-----

The two had decided to keep it a secret.

Not surprising, really.

He was the grumpy deadriser.

She was the shy dreamer.

I would be a bit... sudden, awkward, to just announce that they had kissed.

And sure, maybe Enoch never asked her to be his girlfriend, and maybe Ashlyn never asked Enoch to be her boyfriend, but it was a mutual understanding that they were now together.

The 'I love you's' must have been the hint.

And as the girl sat at breakfast, hands clasped in her lap, everybody knew something was up.

Maybe because her cheeks were constantly pink, or because her feet tapped against the floor anxiously, or because she was smiling the whole time.

As soon as Enoch entered, their gazes met, her hazel eyes and his chocolate brown.

Red glitter sprayed on their cheeks as the deadriser looked at his feet, and the girl at her plate.

They felt vulnerable to each other.

They felt entranced by each other.

They were in love.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" All the kids screamed in unison.

A smile began creeping on Enoch's lips, but then he remembered his reputation.

And all that left his lips was a small grumble that said 'thank you'.

He sat down next to Ashlyn.

He brushed his knuckles against her own.

And their hands were laced in a matter of seconds.

Tightly, like a bow.

-----

Following a very, VERY, harsh lecture from Miss. Peregrine, Ashlyn resided to the oak tree, where a certain deadriser sat by himself.

She wasn't grounded or anything like that.

She hadn't gotten in trouble before, so all that she received was a strict warning.

As the boy saw her approaching, limping lightly, he nodded his upwards, a small greeting.

She smiled, dropping down next to him, "how does it feel to be 100 and something years old?"

He rolled his eyes, "I was 100 and something yesterday, there's really no difference."

"Close your eyes," she giggled.

"Why?" one of his eyebrows raised slightly, skeptically.

Ashlyn sighed, "I have a present for you, so close your eyes."

He did as told.

"Give me your hands."

The deadriser extended them, feeling a small, cold object being placed in his palms.

"Open."

And in his hands stood the rose from yesterday.

The one that had got completely shattered.

The girl managed to pick up the larger pieces and glue it together at around 3 in the morning.

Sure, it was missing chunks.

Like an uncompleted puzzle.

But it was the rose.

Ashlyn stuttered, "I-I know it's broken and it's missing bits and it's kinda pointless and cheesy and-"

"And it's perfect," Enoch finished, dragging his thumb across the fractured glass.

Her whole face flushed.

"Happy birthday," she said, hugging the deadriser from her kneeled position.

And the boy broke into the widest smile (as soon as nobody was looking, that is), wrapping his muscular arms around the girl's torso.

_____________________________
A/N:
Thank you so much for reading this chapter!
I wish you all a very merry Christmas, or if you don't celebrate Christmas, happy holidays! I hope you all have a lovely lovely day, filled with joy and good food ;)
We have 16k readers, I really can't believe it, thank you all so so much <3
Any feedback is appreciated xxx