Hello, my readers! I am so sincerely sorry that I haven't updated in a month, but I've been doing SO much planning. I'd originally only planned how the events were going to unfold until what happened in Chapter 8. So I was kind of in a "now what?" phase. But now I know what. And I've planned the end of the story. And oh, man I can't wait until we get there! But for now we are only on Chapter 9.
This chapter is really important because it puts a lot of things in place. I had to do a lot of thinking and make sure I was absolutely certain about the plot before posting this because I was afraid of writing myself into a hole. I just want to make sure things are consistent and make sense. Remember: plot holes are worse than potholes.
Anyway, thank you to everyone who favorited and followed and reviewed! Every little bit means so much to me and is honestly my motivation for continuing this.
To the guest who just discovered my story last chapter: Thank you so much for reading it! I just reread your review and it made me smile. I'm so glad you can appreciate what I've put into this! Hopefully you continue to read.
To Forevershine: Hahahaha I'm so relieved that you survived the last chapter (even if your mind didn't). Maybe you can continue your survival streak and survive this one, too. Good luck! You might need it (and I'm sorry beforehand).
To the Guest who reviewed Chapter 1: Thanks for reading this! Hopefully you've gotten this far by now. I know I didn't update this as soon as you hoped, but I'm here now! Welcome aboard.
To the other Guest who reviewed Chapter 1: I'm actually really glad you reviewed because you reminded me of the humor I put into Chapter 1. I think I need to put more of it into the story because I might've forgotten a little!
Without further ado, and to make up for my absence, here is the longest chapter I've written of this story to date.
May and Leaf sat in complete silence, the low buzz of morning traffic echoing through the walls of the apartment. Steam emanated from their polka-dotted mugs, as they sat together on May's couch, cross-legged and facing each other.
May watched as her friend stared into her tea and gathered her thoughts.
"So, what happened after you bumped into the bookcase?" May asked her friend.
"All of the books fell out," Leaf said without looking up.
"Oh."
May looked at the mug situated in Leaf's lap, her gaze returning to her friend's face when she spoke.
"Well, I mean half of them did," Leaf amended, her eyes still fixated on her drink.
"Oh," May said with light surprise. "That's… I mean, that's good." Leaf said nothing, so May continued speaking. "That it was only half of all of the…" She trailed off and cleared her throat.
Leaf suddenly freed a hand from gripping the coffee cup and covered her face with it.
"Well it could have been worse!" May encouraged. "He could have had one of those really big wall bookcases."
Her friend didn't move, and May's heart sank.
"Oh my god," she said. "He did, didn't he?"
Leaf sighed in response.
"Okay," May cautioned, unsure of what to say to comfort her friend. "It could have been filled with all of his work and papers—"
"Oh my god," Leaf mumbled.
"Wait," the brunette said. "Really?"
"May."
"Okay, I'm sorry."
May chewed on her lip as she watched her friend reimagine the events of last night.
"This is horrible," Leaf groaned. "And everything was going so well."
"Well, what did he say?" May questioned, feeling entirely helpless.
Her friend sighed again before speaking. "He said that he would fix it in the morning."
"See, Leaf!" May exclaimed. "You have nothing to worry about!"
"Yeah," Leaf agreed with a sigh. She paused, a grin overcoming her features. She looked up at May with a playful glint in her eye. "I only liked him for his lab coat anyway."
The two girls filled the apartment with laughter. When their giggles had died, Leaf continued speaking.
"So," she said, "how's your cute neighbor friend?"
May immediately stopped laughing and turned red. "He's fine."
Leaf lifted her eyebrows, smirking deviously. "Just fine?"
"Yes."
"You got home really late last night."
The lighter brunette gripped her mug tightly. "You got home after me!"
"We talked about me already!" Leaf replied. "It's your turn! Did something happen?"
May said nothing in response, but her expression gave her answer away.
Leaf's face lit up in recognition. "Something did happen!"
"Leaf, please—"
"Oh my god," her friend said. "Did he kiss you?"
May bit her lip, instantly remembering everything in detail.
Leaf gasped incredibly loudly, and May braced herself for the impact.
"Please don't—"
"Okay, I won't," Leaf said, holding her breath.
May watched her carefully as she failed to contain her excitement. She could see the wheels in Leaf's mind turning.
"Is he a good kisser?" Leaf asked quietly, her eyes bright. She loved receiving new information, which unfortunately meant she loved hearing details about May's love life.
May rested her chin in her palm, her splayed fingers covering her mouth and the tip of her nose. She watched as her friend practically exploded with anticipation of her answer. The lighter brunette remembered the moment she shared with him yesterday and couldn't prevent a smile from reaching her eyes.
She nodded slowly and giggled at her friend's immediate squealing.
"I knew you didn't hate him," Leaf said. She pointed at May briefly. "I knew it."
May sighed and looked down at her lap. "I tried. I really did."
Leaf put a reassuring hand on her friend's knee, and May looked up to meet her eyes. "I know you tried your best. But he's just a cute—" she paused briefly, "very green guy. And there's not much you could've done about that."
May smiled. "Yeah, the green, cute ones. You've got to watch out for those."
Leaf's giggles seeped into her words. "The cute ones, you can handle."
May furrowed her eyebrows and nodded in agreement. "Oh, yeah, totally. But the green ones?"
Leaf shook her head with sympathy. "That's dangerous territory."
The two amused girls paused for a few moment, lost in thought.
"Why is he so green, though?" Leaf asked suddenly.
"I don't know!" May exclaimed. She readjusted her legs, sitting on one but letting the other hang over the edge of the couch.
"Did you ask him?" Leaf wondered.
"Of course I did," her friend replied.
"What did he say?"
"He said," May began, "it's genetic."
Leaf immediately frowned, blinking in confusion. "That isn't possible." She paused, her eyes calcuolatory. "Is it?"
"I didn't think so," May admitted. "But even his eyelashes are green, Leaf."
Leaf looked absolutely puzzled. "But scientifically—"
Two quick knocks on the door interrupted their conversation. May turned her head back to look at the door, before turning back around and facing Leaf. Their faces were marked with utter fear and surprise.
May carefully lifted herself off of the couch and placed her mug down on the coffee table before walking in the direction of the door. Two more knocks echoed through the apartment before May reached the lock and turned it.
She opened the door to reveal none other than her neighbor.
Gary was staring at the ground when the door opened, and lifted his head, eyebrows raised, to meet May's eyes.
"Hey," he said. "I'm, uh, looking for someone named Leaves?"
May suppressed laughter and side-stepped, allowing Gary to see into her apartment. A smirk instantly came over his face when his eyes locked onto Leaf, who had failed to respond.
Gary burst into boyish laughter in the doorway, almost doubling over.
"I told you not to call me that," came Leaf's approaching voice.
Even though she sounded annoyed, May could hear the hint of amusement in her friend's voice. She moved into the kitchen to avoid getting in the middle of their conversation.
Gary leaned on the doorframe, smirking down at the girl standing in front of him. "I know you like it."
"I don't like it."
Gary said nothing, but continued staring at her with his heart-melting smirk.
May could tell that her friend's armor was crumbling around her. Leaf didn't just like Gary for his lab coat, despite what she said. May took the opportunity to retreat back to her bedroom, letting Leaf handle the situation on her own.
"What are you even doing here?" Leaf murmured.
May entered her bedroom and shut the door behind her. Unfortunately, she could still hear every word of their conversation.
"I'm picking you up," Gary said, smoothly.
"For what?"
"A field trip." There was a slight pause before he continued speaking. "I mean, it mainly involves cleaning up my office, but… it's still a field trip."
"I thought you did that already," said Leaf.
Gary scoffed. "Without you? No, thanks."
Leaf took a few seconds to respond. "But May needs me to—"
"No I don't!" called May from her bed.
"Wow," Leaf said immediately. "Thanks, May."
There was a slight break in their conversation.
"So, are you coming?" Gary asked.
Leaf sighed. "Yeah. I'll go change."
May's heart halted in her chest. Leaf was coming her way. She was going to kill her.
Before May could think of a possible defense, Leaf entered the room, her eyes shooting daggers.
May immediately smiled to lighten Leaf's mood. It didn't work. Her friend unzipped her suitcase to search for clothes.
"We'll talk later, May," she said under her breath.
After changing quickly and ruffling her hair, Leaf exited the room and closed the door behind her.
"Ready?" Gary's voice asked.
"Yes."
"Alright."
May heard the handle turn and the heaviness of the door as it swept across the floor.
"Have you ever seen the university?" Gary asked.
"Nope," Leaf said.
"Really?"
The door closed shut, but she could still hear their conversation echo through the halls.
"Yep."
"Not even on a tour?"
"No, Gary."
Their footsteps resounded through the hall as they descended down the staircase.
Gary hummed, their faint voices still carrying up the staircase, even though May could tell they were in the lobby.
"What does that mean?" Leaf's muted voice asked.
"It doesn't mean anything."
May could hear her friend's argumentative tone before their voices disappeared entirely.
May sighed to herself. I'm such a good friend.
Gary drove to the lab this time, switching gears as often as possible. The streets of the city looked infinitely different when they weren't lit up by streetlights. They seemed welcoming and honest, while the night held millions of guilty possibilities.
They parallel parked in almost the same spot and exited Gary's modern, black car. Leaf walked around to the driver's side and waited next to him as the car that was racing down the street passed by.
As they entered the lab itself, Leaf realized that the atmosphere inside was different as well. It wasn't as saturated with tension as it was the night before. She could see various pieces in wooden cases, and wooden cabinets situated beneath the counters.
Gary lightly held onto her fingertips as they made their way slowly through the space. Leaf distinctly remembered that his office was on the right of the room somewhere, yet they were walking to the back.
"Where are we going?" she wondered aloud.
"On a tour," he said.
"Don't we have to clean your office?" she asked.
"I did it already."
Gary led her out the back door of the lab and into a courtyard. The area was completely enclosed by multiple other buildings and was filled with trees. The trees themselves were landlocked by metal benches that curved around the base of the trees. The ground was paved with cobblestone and little rows of bushes sat at the foundation of the buildings. Her view of the courtyard quickly vanished as they entered another building.
Her footsteps immediately echoed in the hallway when she stepped onto the solid linoleum flooring. The building was entirely quiet. The halls were entirely empty.
He led her around a corner. Still no one in sight.
"Are we supposed to be in here?" Leaf asked quietly.
"Probably not," he answered, the bass in his voice bouncing off of the walls.
"Why do you always do this?"
He chuckled, looking back to face her briefly. "You met me yesterday."
"Well," Leaf said, agitated, "100% of the time that I've known you, we've done something like this."
He led her to a door and scanned his card in the key-reader, causing it to unlock.
"I can't argue with those facts," he said.
The door opened to an empty lecture hall. Leaf stopped in her tracks, allowing the door to click softly behind her. Endless rows led down to the end of the classroom where there was nothing but an empty podium. She'd never been in a classroom so big before. She could feel the emptiness of the space pressing on her chest.
"What?" Gary asked.
"This is huge," she whispered in awe. Leaf stared down at the base of the room, where the aisle sloped before her. She could imagine a renowned professor teaching confidently at the end of it, explaining everything she would ever need to know.
Gary watched her, a whisper of a smile pulling at his lips. He looked away quickly and began moving into the last row of seats in the room.
"Come on. Let's take a seat in the back."
"Why?" Leaf wondered.
Gary looked back at her with feigned seriousness. "So we don't disturb the class."
Leaf rolled her eyes. "What class is it?"
He continued down the aisle, taking a seat almost in the corner of the room. "Probably thermodynamics or some shit."
Leaf took the seat next to him, pulling her knees to her chest. The room was so quiet, she could hear his breathing. She could smell the natural scent that was embedded in his skin.
"Are you in school?" Gary asked Leaf, his voice hushed.
"Yeah," she said.
"What are you studying?"
"Biology," she answered, making eye contact with him.
His face was expressionless. His gaze lazily dragged to her lips before he turned away and ran his left hand through his hair.
"I see what you mean," he said.
"What?" Leaf asked. About biology? Did she look like she studied it?
He exhaled. "That was pretty hot."
Leaf felt heat mark her cheeks but attempted to ignore it.
"And you made fun of me yesterday," Leaf said smugly.
"Yeah," Gary retorted quickly, "because paleontology isn't a sexy science." He looked back at her. "It's the only thing about me that isn't attractive."
"What—" Leaf began to argue.
"But somehow," Gary continued. "it just instantly turns you on."
Leaf made heated eye contact with him, and a smirk covered his lips.
"What's the sexiest science, then?" she asked. She hated how sultry her voice sounded, but she couldn't help it.
"Definitely chemistry," he replied, not breaking eye contact.
Leaf didn't reply.
"But biology is a close second," he mumbled.
Leaf instinctively closed her eyes and exhaled when his lips touched hers. He angled his head to deepen their slow kiss.
She pulled away. "Gary," she said.
"What?" he asked, his voice more attractive to her than any science could ever be.
"I don't live here," she said breathily.
His lips hovered near hers. "In the city?" He kissed her again.
"Yes," she answered. He was clouding her ability to think logically. All she could think about were the files on his desk and his stupid lab coat.
"When are you leaving?" Gary asked.
Leaf was practically reading his lips with her own. When was she leaving? She had entirely forgotten.
"Um," she said, struggling to remember.
He kissed her again deeply, and she almost gave up all hope for recovering the lost information. She was lucky that the armrests between the seats acted as a barrier between them.
Gary's lips formed a smirk beneath hers. "Don't remember?"
"No," she whispered immediately.
Leaf forced herself to think. Chemistry. Biology. Pheromones. Tomorrow.
"Chemistry," she said.
Shit.
"Wait, no," she amended. "Tomorrow." She pulled away completely and looked him in the eyes. "I'm leaving tomorrow."
Gary returned her stare and frowned. "Chemistry?"
"You were distracting me," Leaf argued.
"Are you coming back?" Gary asked.
"Yeah," Leaf said, still breathless. "Probably."
"Then, I'll just see you when you get back." Gary's eyes searched hers briefly before he leaned back in to reach her lips. "And I'll take you on a full tour next time."
Leaf returned hours later and recapped her day before packing her belongings. After a few hours of avoiding the topic, May had begun to do the same. She folded her clothes and tossed them into a suitcase as she listened to May speak.
"I don't know what to do, Leaf," she said. "I've been thinking about it all day."
"I think you should tell him what you told me," her friend replied.
"What if that ruins… everything?" May asked. She looked down at her hands. "I can't do that."
Leaf tossed one final article of clothing into her suitcase and put her hands on her hips. "May, you just told me—"
"I know—" May replied. "I know. I'm just really—"
The sound of a door opening on the other side of the wall stopped the brunette from speaking. She froze as she listened to her neighbor enter his room.
"Maple, are you home?" came Drew's muffled voice through the wall.
May immediately made panicked eye contact with Leaf, who had frozen while zipping her suitcase.
"Um," May said loudly, mulling over her answer.
Leaf brought her hand to her forehead and stood up, causing the brunette to realize her mistake.
"I mean," May continued, "yes. I am."
"Meet me downstairs in five?" he asked.
May shrugged at Leaf in absolute desperation.
"Yes!" Leaf mouthed.
"Okay," May agreed.
"See you then."
May's mind immediately started reeling. She'd had no time to prepare. She quickly got off of her bed and dragged her friend into the living room.
"Leaf," she whispered, "what do I do?"
"Just tell him the truth," Leaf replied. "Tell him how you feel."
May could feel worry etch itself into her features. "But, Leaf, I—" May paused, afraid that she was about to make a horrible mistake.
"You have to tell him," Leaf said. "For both of you."
She nodded, swallowing her apprehension. She hoped her friend was right.
May walked down the front steps of the apartment building and into the promised darkness of the evening. The sounds of bustling cars and honking horns embraced her as the wind swept at her hair. Her eyes were locked on Drew as she descended the stairs, and she watched as he turned to face her.
Her hand lightly grazed the railing as she made her way to where he stood on the plateau of the staircase, before the steps continued to the sidewalk.
He gazed down at her through long eyelashes, and although it was dark, she could still see the beauty behind his eyes.
Suddenly, she felt absolutely breathless.
"Hi," she almost whispered.
He grinned softly, anticipating her greeting. "Hi."
A car sped by the sidewalk. Then another.
Drew leaned against the side of the concrete steps, and May stood before him.
"What brings you here?" she asked.
May could tell he was trying not to laugh. He shrugged nonchalantly and gave his reply.
"Things. People."
"Oh, yeah, me too," May said, nodding. "That's why I'm here. You know, people—"
Drew smirked. "Things."
"Things," May agreed. "Those, too."
Drew nodded slowly, his soft green eyes watching as she tottered briefly from toe to heel.
"You okay?" he asked.
"Yes," she said with emphasis and making eye contact.
"Are you sure?" he reiterated, lifting an eyebrow.
"Yes," she replied, much more softly.
He watched her intently with his beautiful green eyes and she stood before him in silence. May could tell he wasn't necessarily a quiet person, but there was an always an air of silence when she was with him. She wondered why that was.
"What did you want to talk about?" she breathed.
His heavily lidded eyes searched her face. He shrugged slightly and shook his head, his gaze intense yet soft.
Her heart felt so absolutely full that tears pricked at her eyes. She felt a feeling that she could only describe as completion, but didn't articulate it. She didn't think she needed to.
Her mind told her that she was looking at a person she'd known for her entire life. That was the only way someone could feel so much like coming home.
She took a step towards him and his hand slowly circled around her waist, his fingers gripping at the material about her hip. May automatically reached up to touch the back of his neck, and he leaned down slightly to run the tip of his nose along her jawline. Along her neck. Along her collarbone.
Her fingers grasped at strands of hair at the back of his neck. In response, he pressed his forearm against the small of her back in an effort to bring her closer.
His lips touched her skin, and she closed her eyes immediately to revel in the feeling of his touch. His lips tugged at her neck, no doubt leaving marks. She breathily released the emotion she felt in the pit of her stomach. Drew exhaled hotly against her skin, his open mouth coming to a close at the base of her jaw.
May tried her best to prevent him from clouding her mind.
"Drew," she breathed.
"Hmm?" he hummed against her skin.
She imagined mornings of soft kisses and tangled sheets. She envisioned nights filled with gentle touches. She imagined herself telling him the words that always threatened to slip from her lips. She envisioned bundling the passions and affections she felt and expressing them in a way he could understand.
"I'm scared," she said slightly above a whisper.
Drew's lips immediately disconnected from her neck and he looked her in the face. "Of what?"
She ended their eye contact almost as immediately as it started. "I'm afraid of…" she paused slightly to gather her thoughts and shook her head. "I don't want to get hurt."
His hands held her gently, and his voice softened with concern. "I wouldn't… Why would I hurt you?" He lifted her chin with his thumb and forefinger. "I won't hurt you."
She breathed deeply to keep her emotions at bay. "But you're leaving."
He was silent.
"You're leaving soon," she said. Her eyes searched his.
"I'm not leaving tomorrow," he said, a hand still gripping her waist.
"You almost left this week," she reminded him.
He clenched his jaw, but said nothing.
"I'm scared," May said again. She looked away from his pleading green eyes. "I think it would hurt less if… we didn't."
When he didn't reply immediately, the brunette continued speaking. "You know what they say: the bigger they are, the harder they fall—" She felt her cheeks grow hot from her absent rambling. She couldn't bare to look at his face to see his expression, so she pressed her cheek against his chest instead. "And if things get bigger, then… I don't want to fall much harder than this."
The sounds of the city nightlife filled their silence. The wind whipped at her skin where she wasn't blocked by Drew's presence.
"Alright," Drew agreed.
She looked up at him once again and his eyes bore into hers.
"Alright?" she asked quietly.
"Yeah," he said. He paused. "This is just bad timing."
May's heart ached in her chest. "Right."
Drew refused to release his grip on her, gazing at her softly.
"Can I have one for the road?" he asked her.
May blinked in confusion. "One what?"
A slow smile graced his lips and touched the corners of his eyes. "A kiss, Maple."
"Oh," she said, her cheeks heating. "I don't know." She glanced at his lips. "I think that would defeat the purpose of… everything."
"Just one," he said smoothly, refusing to take his eyes off of her. "Just to get it out of our systems." He touched his forehead against hers. "Just a one time thing."
Her resolve crumbled around her and she closed her eyes, embracing the feeling of his breath against her lips.
"Okay," May whispered.
Drew said nothing in response, letting her simmer in the tender silence between them.
She felt his lips brush lightly against her cheek before they dragged painfully slowly to her collarbone. She ignored the sounds of passing cars and instead concentrated on the location where his lips had stopped. He sighed against her before removing his lips from her skin entirely.
May stood still, her nerve endings igniting under the traces of his touch. She had little time to prepare herself before his nose brushed against hers and his lips made contact with her own. A hand gently grazed her cheek, and she let one of her hands climb up to his shoulder. Each kiss was slow and drawn out, but each reconnection he had with her lips was hastened.
Her emotions bubbled in her throat before spilling from her open mouth with a fleeting sigh. Drew's response was immediate, his hold around her tightening and a hand pressing deeply into her shoulder blades.
His kisses grew ferocious, and he leaned into her. She quickly reciprocated, leaning back and gripping the sides of his face with both hands.
She couldn't tell what she was feeling; it was off her radar. Never before had she been subjected to such absolute passion. She spent every waking second in his arms committing each fleeting moment to memory. She tried to burn the shape of his lips into her mind so she would never struggle to remember how they felt.
May could feel their kiss slowing slightly, and she let her hand crawl up to feel his tresses in her fingers for what could possibly be the last time. Drew's fingertips traced the line down her back through the cloth of her shirt before stopping to wrap around her waist.
Their lips shared slow, meaningful touches, each one slightly shorter than the last. Too soon, May knew they had come to their final kiss, and she invested herself fully in that moment as long as she could before their lips parted with a chirp.
Suddenly, there was cold empty space between them. Drew's forehead never left hers. May
cleared her throat lightly and pursed her lips to cherish the feeling. She could feel his breaths against her skin, and a slight hesitation on his part to kiss her one last time, but he decided against it.
Drew took multiple breaths before speaking.
"So that's it," he murmured, his forehead still against hers. "We're officially neighbors."
May's heart was full almost to the point of bursting. She kept asking herself how he was able to capture her heart in virtually no time at all. She remembered how his green eyes had paralyzed her the very first time she'd seen them. And how they haven't stopped paralyzing her since.
But they had to stop.
"Yeah," she said, laboring to keep her emotions from spilling in front of him.
Silence lingered between the two of them, and May felt as though Drew's hands were burning her skin. He must have felt the same sensation because his arms slowly withdrew to his sides. His forehead slipped from hers as well.
"Do you…" Drew started, "want me to walk you home?"
May shook her head softly, eyes still averted. "I don't really want to go home right now."
She looked up into face but avoided his eyes, afraid that they would convince her that she was wrong. Afraid they'd convince her that her logic was flawed and any ounce of time they had left together before the inevitable would be entirely worth it. But she knew doing this now would save her from greater heartache and complications when the time came.
"Alright," he said. He locked eyes with her briefly before turning away from her. "I'll see you later." He abruptly stopped his journey to the door of the building when he heard her speak.
"I hope you can figure things out," she said quietly, timidly meeting his eyes.
Drew stared at her, entirely stoic, before nodding slightly. He said his next words so softly she had to read his lips.
"Me too."
He averted his gaze mid-sentence and climbed the last few steps to the glass door. He opened it nonchalantly, allowing just enough space for himself to slip through. May watched as the first set of doors closed slowly behind him, while the second set welcomed him inside. She saw him lift his hand to run it through his hair as he approached the steps, and she turned around to face the street before she could memorize more of him.
Her eyes stared emptily at the pavement, her mind a whir of emotions and memories. She'd never connected with anyone as quickly as she did with Drew, and the thought of that terrified her. She was terrified to build something so strong on such an unsteady foundation. She feared investing herself in something that potentially had no future.
She cleared her throat in an attempt to alleviate the cluster of feeling in the pit of her stomach, which only caused tears to cling to her eyes. They rolled down her cheeks and off of her face, darkening the pavement at her feet.
Right. Sorry about that.
But I had to.
In regards to the writing, I feel like parts of this read too quickly? Please let me know if you felt the same way so I can go back and make changes. Also, just please don't hate me in general lol.
Let me know what's on your mind! How did this make you feel? Let me know what you'd like to see more of and I'll keep it in mind for the future.
Stay along for the ride, you guys. I promise it's worthwhile.
Remember to review!
