Chapter Twenty-Five

~ Maka ~

I sat in an overly large black t-shirt of his, as well as a pair of his red boxer shorts he had left me.

He left me in his room to get changed while he went downstairs to make food and get drinks, and with every second I was left sitting there, my heart raced nervously from the knowing that he'd return in any moment.

Posters dripped from the walls around me, the biggest being A Day To Remember, that sat on the wall behind me.

Staring at that particular poster, I was reminded of the hospital, and the visits where he brought that I-pod, and how it was topped up with new music for me to listen to, and how every song on there never failed to make my heart skip.

Books by James Herbert consumed the shelf that rested on the wall opposite. Spines cracked from where they had been read, and reread over and over, their spine's imperfections being what made them perfect to begin with.

And there sitting in front of them, sat three little paper cranes.

Two of them were torn bus tickets and the other was a beautifully pure, neat little bird, that towered over the others.

I could feel water dwelling in the corner of my eyes. My vision blurring as I rose from the bed, and began walking closer towards them.

Their paper wings created shadows against the spines of the books, like they were marking their existence above everything else in the room, and displaying themselves to the world in the most beautiful manor.

I reached up to touch one, startling it and causing it to move backwards on the shelf. Feeling its sharp crisp edge still linger in my fingertip, and causing every other one of my senses to become numb.

The door was pushed open, and Kid walked in.

"Hey," he said, placing two cups on his bedside table. "There is no food whatsoever in the house, so I'm just gonna order pizza, is that cool with you?"

I didn't say anything, I was just far too fascinated by the folded birds that sat lifelessly on the shelf above me. Their paper faces staring down at me as if they were bowing before their creator.

I felt his fingertips against my shoulder, "you okay?"

I nodded, blinking several times in order to clear my vision before turning round to face him.

And as I looked up to lock my gaze with his, I felt every possible existing sense of happiness boil within my veins.

His golden eyes portraying that of my world in which he revolved around, and guiding me towards him like the stars were trying to guide me home.

I couldn't help but smile up at him as he looked at me with those shimmering starlit eyes of his.

"You kept them," I giggled, pointing up at the paper cranes.

He looked to the birds and then back to me, "yeah..."

~o~0~o~

I sat on his bed eating pizza, crossing my stubbly legs while I leant against the wall. The black nail varnish on my bare toes glistening from the reflection of the light, and then shining back towards it.

We listed to A Day To Remember, He Is We, and The Maine. Laughing for hours on end at the ridiculous jokes he had heard in the past, laughing when he messed up telling them, and even when he didn't.

The night was soon to be consumed by the morning, and I had yet to feel tired. But in that moment, I felt far too alive to ever want to close my eyes again.

He brushed the hair away from his eyes. "So, there's this party tomorrow..."

I raised an eyebrow, "yeah?"

"And," he looked away from me. "I was wondering, if you wanted to come?"

I could feel my fingers trembling, my heart stumbling as I thought about it. The crowds of people around me. Everyone staring down on me and questioning my existence, and why I was there, brushing against the edge of their presence.

I opened my mouth to decline.

"No one will know you..."

My mouth shut. The idea of not knowing anyone there interested me, more than that - it appealed to me.

I giggled nervously, "okay."

He smiled, before leaning forward to kiss my forehead. The tingling sensation of his lips lingering longer than they possibly should have. But it was without a doubt the most amazing sensation I had ever experienced.

His breath was warm against my skin. "Good."