today
There isn't anything special about today. Not really.
Your hands are lost in the boundless confines of your pockets, and they only dig deeper in their quest for warmth. Your head is in the clouds, lost in thoughts of volleyball and boys and saving the world; just teenager stuff, really. The cold bites at you like a thousand little, scurrying mice with fiery teeth, and that reminds you of something… something important, you think, but you can't really tell. It's just a day, as mundane as any other, and a cold day, no colder than yesterday was.
There are footsteps just ahead. They're short and choppy, but rhythmic, like a fast-paced song. They're soft and they're swift, and they're quickly joined by the dull ring of music, doing its utmost to burst out of a pair of tiny speakers and out into the night. Of their own accord, your feet are still, and you look up.
You find a familiar face. Rei's wearing an inadequate looking hoodie with the sleeves pulled up to her elbows, and her hair is trying to stay in a ponytail, but the wind won't stop making it billow. She's got a pair of shorts on too – madness, in this weather – and right now, she's leaning over, panting, with her hands on her thighs. She moves to take her headphones out, her fingers a little clumsy with fatigue, and then she smiles at you.
What comes next used to make you panic, once, but you're so accustomed to it now you've come to let it be. It's kind of hard to explain, really – the way your knees go weak and there's this aching somewhere above your ribs and you suddenly feel really warm – so you don't. You don't usually, anyway.
You smile back at her, and she straightens up, her chest still heaving. Her hand gropes around for a resting place and finds it on her hip, and she nods at you.
"How's it going?"
You ponder that for a moment. And then your thoughts find another direction – because, while not unintelligent, you're easily distracted, you know – and, well…
"I love you."
It kind of just… happens.
Rei looks like someone just hit her. The thought is cringe-worthy, but she really does. She looks like someone just backhanded her right across the jaw and she doesn't understand why. At least, that's what you think, initially. After a few seconds, you begin to release that she understands perfectly well why; what she doesn't understand is why it took so long.
There are arms ghosting over your waist, hands over your shoulder blades. You take her face in your hands and you smile, because honestly, she has a really pretty face. Then her lips touch yours, and she kisses you slowly and you kiss her fiercely, and you both just stand there for a while, holding each other.
There isn't anything special about today. Not really. But there will be something special about all the days to come.