Can be so powerful
I never thought I'd see it this clearly.
It's me and him. Mason is sitting on the warm, fluffy carpet with me and we are in the library of his aunts mansion. I met him sometime last summer at my university and we quickly became friends.
His aunt is very wealthy and over the years she collected a very substantial private library. Taking over his grandmother's role as owner of the property she now lives here with the sweet old lady and takes care of her and the house.
When it became clear to me that the information I needed for my final paper wasn't to be found in the public library, it was Masons idea to come with him and look into the stacks of books lying around here.
A few hours ago we met up at a small restaurant, enjoyed some hot chocolate and then went over to his grandmother's place to start the search.
Welcoming me and her grandson in the study room, Miranda was great company and a big help in finding what we were looking for.
After we settled in and worked for some time, falling into a quiet phase, she took one of her many novels and sat in front of the fireplace.
The wine red sofa, which Mason and I are now leaning against, is very soft and comfortable and after napping away on it a few times, Miranda excused herself and went to bed, wishing us a good evening.
Now we both sit on the cream colored carpet, our backs on the fabric of the sofa and our faces halfway facing the fire, which is crackling softly.
We both hold books, but our focus has slowly faded away and made room to a relaxed conversation.
I close the book that I was reading and place it gently behind me, away from Mason and the fire. When he sees me do this he also closes his book and puts it on top of the sofas armrest.
Now we only talk, like so many times before. Our voices are lower than usual, fitting the dark, warm atmosphere the library and fireplace create against the cold winters night outside of these walls.
At some point we finish talking about a topic and a comfortable silence falls upon us.
We both stare into the flames, just enjoying the moment.
Averting my gaze from the fire I now look at Mason. His brown curls fall to about the side of his jaw and I can take in his profile for the first time. Like me, he sits cross legged to create a platform for reading. Suddenly he turns his head to me and smiles faintly.
I don't know much about feelings, even less about such complex ones as love, but this very second I swear I am falling in love with him.
I want to tell him, but I'm too shy and unsure of this newly discovered truth, so I just smile back. I look into his stunning hazel eyes and I feel the sudden urge to touch him to realize that this is real and not just a dream.
Under his interested gaze I scoot over closer to him until I am close enough that our shoulders are almost touching and tug my legs under me in the direction of the fireplace.
Very slowly I reach my left hand over in his lap and grab his. It's warm and big in mine and I never want to let go. Holding our intertwined hands between us we both take the opportunity and reach with the other ones. His other hand covers ours together and then gently runs along the outline of my fingers in his. I stop my movement for a moment and watch as he traces over our hands, caught in the tingling feeling it gives me. But then my eyes get caught by his again and my other hand travels up to his face.
With my expression I ask if it's ok and his anticipating smile is my answer. Still lost in his eyes I feel his skin under my fingers, run them along the outlines of his beautiful face.
I get to his lips and still uncertain of both of our intentions I graze them very lightly with my index finger.
After the touch my hand just hovers in the air, unsure of what to do next, when Mason decides it for me. He takes my arm down, runs his hand up to my neck, let's his thumb travel over my soft skin and leans in.
He stops an inch away from my mouth as if asking permission again, just to be sure, before his lips meet mine. The kiss is incredibly light and still it ignites a firework of emotions inside of me.
When our lips part we both smile at each other.
