& just like that , any thoughts of any talk about impossibly unremarkable OTHERS fell from his mind as he caught quiet laughter against his lips . even if he didn’t REGRET anything last night there was no denying his emotions had gotten the better of him because this was more of what he’d been IMAGINING when he’d first kissed her last night . quiet , tender , but no less significant . one in which he could savour every moment & note the way her lips curved into the gentlest smiles against his own . something his own were not slow in mirroring . though that was until just like THAT she was pulling away , even if it was only to simply whisper sweet admittances before kissing him chastely again , his lips pulled down into a slight frown as his eyes slowly opened to allow their gaze to meet . she wasn’t the only one that could sit here & do this all day . he’d HAPPILY stay exactly where he was stealing kisses every chance he got in-between quiet , broken conversation about just exactly why he had the RIGHT to be smug . though i think the KISS was enough of an answer because just being able to KISS her again was all the excuse he needed . because even after EVERYTHING — him walking out without so much as an explanation , breaking her heart twice & finally allowing her to see the darkest parts of him — she still WANTED him . he’d never get tired of remembering THAT . but even if he could just so happily stay here with her FOREVER , he also knew she should probably go & tell her FAMILY about her success . even if it meant parting with her only a short while after FINALLY finding their way back together , something of which he wasn’t all THAT happy about . evident in the way he lent into one of her hands upon the side of face as a slight frown & quiet , excessive sigh slipped from between it , “ i guess they have the right to know about harvard . ” but even if the frown lingered for a moment it wasn’t long before it evened out to start to curve once more & allow the brightness of the smile to fill blue hues once more as they flickered over mal’s features , “ at least i’ll get a PROPER goodbye this time when you leave . ” it wasn’t everyday that he was given material to pull her up on lightheartedly & now that the initial HURT had passed , it would malia schafer was far from safe from hearing TEASING japes pertaining to the minute misstep of her part . but upon the thoughts of saying GOODBYE to her for the remainder of the night had just started to fill his head . there was a pause . a moment to process her words as there was a quirk of a single brow & a look of amusement falling across his features as a quiet smirk played at the corners of his lips as eyes flickered between her own , “ malia schafer , are you asking me out on a DATE ? ” for someone that had unsure about what came NEXT between them just before , she wasted no time in getting back into old ROUTINES . not that he would EVER be caught complaining about it . it wasn’t the first , & he doubted it’d be the last , time she would be the one to nudge their relationship forward — even if it was just by a simple date . though really , it wasn’t entirely just a SIMPLE date when he thought about it . it was their second FIRST date — calling her his girlfriend again had been EASY , it rolled of the tongue just as easily as her name did , but for some reason with a DATE to solidify it all made it all seem just that bit more real . they were THEM again , tommy & mal — mal & tommy , he doubted there was a single thing in the world that could be the HIGH he was one right now . “ because if you are — then i might just rearrange some things & let go of my HOPE of seeing you climb a trelli to say , no — i’m not busy tonight & that i’d love to go out with you on a date — again . ” the smirk upon his lips had faded into an affectionate smile as he continued , “ & even though i would be completely fine with holding up in my room & watching a movie with you , i cannot promise an uninterrupted night because who knows what’s going on with the idiots i live with . plus — i feel like a little something more than just our NORMAL night is warranted after , not only us getting back together but for the fact , you just got into HARVARD . so consider it dinner on the other side of town & after that , well — we’ll see what happens . the movie could still happen . ”
his hand lifted from where it rested behind her to let his fingers encircle around her wrist , the pad of his pointer finger coming to rest against her pulse point , as he took in a small breath . “ but if it doesn’t that’s okay . i get it if you want to sleep in your own bed tonight . save you from having to figure out a way back into your own place before you figure out how to make it — not so much of a challenge because you’re a right , oliver medina is a PUPPY compared to the girls that live with you . times like this , i’m glad i live with a bunch of IDIOTS that don’t really care what i do as long as i’m still alive & sober at the end of the day . ” his gaze softened under hers , a twinkle of mischief sparking in his eyes as he spoke again , “ i could always just scale the back of the house into your bedroom though if you’d rather not have to be the one that’s sneaking in & out like you’re doing something wrong . unlike you , it’ll probably take me a whole 2 seconds to get up there & i’ve done it before — it’s easy . so just say the word because like you said — we’re willing to do what we need to do to keep it & i do intend to KEEP it — keep YOU . so just say the word & i’ll be fucking spiderman twice a day . ” there was a quiet moment as a crooked grin pulled across his lips but slowly it turned softer once more , “ but it all seriousness — i mean it . if i can do anything to make it easier for you , i will . ” & he would because there was no denying that he got the EASIER side of everything . none of his friends saw mal any differently , they all still ADORED her , & they knew — even if there were some certain details left out that only one of the boys knew — why everything had happened . apart from some surprised shock & well meant teasing , mal would be able to seamlessly fall back into his life . but it was a bit of a different story on her end , she may have had a lucky streak but she sure did pull the short straw with this . but as his fingers shifted against her wrist a smile still hadn’t shifted from his lips , “ but for now — i THINK you should be able to manage a clean exit & a clean entrance into your place so you don’t have to worry about that NOW because there’s only THREE things you have to worry about right now — ” his hand fell back once more to settle behind her as he lent forward once more , the tip of his nose grazing against hers before he paused for a moment , “ & that though are a . how you’re going to go about telling your family about harvard , b . how you’re going to say goodbye to me PROPERLY & c . seeing me later tonight on our second FIRST date . ”
it had come slowly . . . the way she LOVED him . slowly , and then suddenly , in moments that scattered along a twisting timeline . me and tommy ? c’mon , that’s not a THING . . . we’re just hanging out . friends hang out . it was hard to believe that there was ever a time that she insisted that’s all they were , all they could be . especially NOW , when she found it hard to look at him without her eyes giving it away . like nothing else she’d ever felt , like nobody else she’d known . . . she looked at thomas connelley like his hands , rough as they may be , hung each silvery star on a black canvas every night . . . like his laugh was the sole reason her lungs could fill with air and his smile brought the sun around every morning . . . like all of the world was BUSY and chaotic and loud , like her thoughts were tangled and shouted , and the simple feeling of his fingers slipped in between hers was the only thing that created QUIET . CALM . and she loved him for it , silently , to herself . mal wouldn’t say it out loud , not until he was READY , not until he laid it down first , but it was there , twinkling amongst the colors of her eyes . . . LOVE . in the purest sense . and being with him . . . made her happy in the purest sense . “ oh , YOU GUESS , huh ? ” her gaze momentarily drops to the upwards curving of his lips , and her hands are slipping , moving along his body until her palms rested against his chest . quiet laughter escapes her lips as she looks down , cheeks red from the subtle tease . never going to live that one down , she told herself , wishing she hadn’t left behind a note . . . wishing she had just stayed in bed until the sun wouldn’t allow either of them to sleep any longer . there’s a gentle shake of her head , tongue pressed against the inside of her cheek , fair enough . but it was completely UNFAIR to look up and find him just as smug as before . smirking over at her . “ thomas connelley , ” her fingertips toyed with the fabric of his shirt before she leaned forward , hands moving over his shoulders to lazily intertwine her fingers behind his head , “ i am , in fact , asking you out on a date . ” there’s a pause as her smile widens , taking on a smugness of her own . “ come on , ” her gaze flickers across his features , lingering on his lips for just a moment before moving back up to the way freckles specked the bridge of his nose , and then blue , blue eyes , “ there’s no one i’d rather spend my friday night with , and –– i mean , you know how hard it is to say no to me . ” teeth dig into her bottom lip as she bites. down on a smile that can’t seem to stop growing . she hadn’t worried much about him saying YES ; she’d only worried , a bit , about imposing upon other plans . . . but anything he’d had happening that night , he seemed more than willing to move around . “ i hate to be the bearer of bad news , but , ” her leaned forward , resting her forehead against his as a PLAYFULNESS slipped into her tone and her hands once again found their place just under his jawline , “ you should really abandon all hope of seeing me climb up your trellis . it’s just not going to happen . . . though i’m really happy this date is . ” she pulled back , just barely , and tilted her chin up in order to brush a faint kiss on the tip of his nose . “ dinner on the other side of town to celebrate in secrecy , and then . . . a movie at yours . or mine . either way . . . ” she leaned back again , lips settling into a smirk that could RIVAL his own , “ i feel like , in the spirit of honesty and full disclosure , i should tell you that movie or not , i fully plan on breaking my own first date rule by not leaving you on a front door step . . . because i don’t intend to sleep alone tonight . and NEITHER should you . ”
it came EASILY , being like this with tommy . like this was the way it was meant to be , and being apart had been HARD because it was wrong . but if it doesn’t that’s okay . . . mal couldn’t fight the way her eyebrows quipped upwards in amusement . nor could she help the laughter that shook her shoulders . “ first of all , that bunch of idiots would probably DIE without you . they love you , whether any of you want to admit it or not . SECONDLY –– oliver medina only looks like a puppy compared to them because they’re protective . we all are , of each other . if it helps at all , i think you’ll have justine in your corner very , very soon . . . and she matters most , ” she gives an affirmative nod before recognizing the way blue LIGHTS UP with the twinkle of mischief . and it’s just another thing she loves about him . her head tilts back , slightly , and it’s solely because of the LAUGHTER . something about the image of tommy slipping out of her bedroom window in the early morning , climbing down just to run back to his own bedroom before anyone could catch them , elicited a happy kind of laughter . like a couple of LOVESTRUCK kids . “ alright , peter parker , as much as i appreciate you being so willing to scale the wall of my flat , i’d prefer our SECOND date not to be to an emergency room , so let’s try to keep the climbing to a minimum ? ” she bit down on her bottom lip , still grinning at the thought of it all . . . MOSTLY at the way he was so eager to make it work . they both wanted to make it work . “ however , if you don’t know what the boys are up to tonight , i happen to know that the girls of flat 12 will be out and about until at least two in the morning , so –– we could bank on the latter half of this date being at mine instead of yours . ” jade sparkled with the gleam of a tease as she sat up a little straighter , taking a feigned surprised tone , “ and , my gosh , wouldn’t you know it –– staying at MINE means there’s no chance of you waking up to a note without a PROPER goodbye . ” and if he was caught sneaking out , it just meant she’d have to tell her friends SOONER than she’d intended . . . but at least the window was a last ditch option at her place . there would be no third story escape from his . just a sneak down the stairs and out the side door . the more she thought about it , the more she had an INKLING that this would just overcomplicate things . but his touch shifted against her wrist , and his voice brought her back before she began to overthink . he was leaning closer , nose brushing against hers , and there was a fluttering in her stomach . every damn time . she hummed through a small smile , letting her arms slip behind him once more , fingers interlacing behind his head . “ hmm , tell me , tommy , what DO i have to worry about ? ” there’s a strained amount of self control that goes into preventing herself from cutting him off , leaning in just because she COULD . . . because no one was around . " oh , well those are all simple . nothing to worry about there . i just –– call the schafer men , and seeing you is pretty hard to mess up , but . . . that second one . . . i could be a little rusty on . ” the last few words were mumbled against his lips as she leaned in to kiss him again , a little less chaste this time , but tantalizingly slow as one hand splayed across the nape of his neck and the other slid to press against his chest . you couldn’t linger in a kiss like THAT for too long , for fear of it consuming you . . . but in its absence , it left you wanting MORE . which was exactly the purpose of a PROPER goodbye . she leaned back , just enough to allow a breath . “ i’ll see you at seven , ” she mumbled against his lips before smiling , and leaning in again . though her fingers grabbed at the fabric of his shirt , and there was no breaking a proper goodbye kiss , she was unraveling herself from him in other ways . hand sliding from the back of his neck , over his shoulder , and down his arm as her body stopped curving inwards and began to pull BACK . “ tonight , ” it was breathless , and quick kisses stood between every segment , “ seven . second first date . ” until finally , she broke away from him , standing and stepping down a few steps . . . but never letting the one hand slip from his . not yet . “ that should do it for a PROPER see you later , ” she squeezed his hand . not yet . “ hey , ” her eyebrows raised as she swung their hands slightly , “ your girlfriend got into harvard . . . ” there’s a particular giddiness in the way she says it . and she still isn’t quite ready to leave him . not yet . “ tell your sister , ” she took a step towards him again , leaning down as if to kiss him again , but instead leaving a quick kiss on his cheek , “ she was right , and i’ll see you later . ”