Wanna get away

“whoa, hey,” matteo started, the act of being offended quick to follow his words, “are you saying i’d look bad in orange?” his questioned rang out with a false attitude, eyes rolling away from the blonde and drifting to something that caught his attention through the large window next to them. “i think i’d look pretty damn good in orange. now, i’m gonna wear nothing but orange around you until i convince you otherwise.” hazel hues shifted back to the girl, a small, teasing smirk shifting over his features before he shook his head in disapproval. “you can’t. you said i was stuck with you and it’s the same vice versa - even if i do stick you with such a ringtone. but i swear, i won’t.” the boy reassured before leaning back in his seat, “ready to go? we have to go to a clothing store, i need to pick up as many orange shirts as i possibly can.” 

“well,” matteo thought it over for a few seconds, eventually changing his mind when it came to the words he previously spoke. “maybe don’t have fears. at least around me, i’m the safety zone, you know?” his hands motioned around him before reaching for the glass of water beside him. “just don’t get me involved in anything illegal because i don’t know how i’d handle that. jail doesn’t seem suitable for either of us.” he mused before sipping on the water in his glass. of course matteo would be up for being the girl’s distraction when she needed him to be because he, now, looked forward to her being his. he may not be the first one to reach out or initiate the conversation that lead to him admitting, in any way, he’d need her to distract him - but he’d happily allow it. “as for that ringtone, what should it be? i’m thinking something along the lines of ‘don’t pick up the hone, it’s anna’ maybe?” the teasing words left his lips as they turned upward into a smile, his arms crossing over the flat surface of the table.

“i suppose a stay-cation could also suffice?” the brunette suggested as she lent back into her chair, a gentle smile placed between her cheeks as she gazed over at her friend. “or really, just some time to yourself. try and find something calming, a relaxing way to wind down. i like to curl up somewhere with a nice book.” she admitted, very briefly looking back on the numerous times she’d hold herself up in bed, or against a pew in the post-rush of church services. “a coffee and walk in the park, even. i’m sure you’ll find something. definitely an activity you deserve for working so hard.” 

“probably,” he retorted with, head hanging because he knew she was right. for some reason, matteo found it hard to do such a thing - walk away from his work to try and find inspiration or just to catch a breath. the hard headed boy was way too dedicated and feared stepping away, even briefly, would come with some sort of distraction that didn’t allow him to pick up where he left off. “i will make sure to set a special ringtone just for you so when you call, i know to drop what i’m doing. just, please… not between the hours of two and six in the morning.” he teased, eyes finally peeling from the table below them before landing back onto the blonde. “fears? c’mon, anna, look who you’re talking to. you should be the one with the fears.”

“nooo,” belle muttered, biting down on her bottom lip to suppress a smile. “i mean.. maybe just a little bit.” she took a couple bites of her salad while she waited for deanna to gather her thoughts, offering a gentle smile in support. “there’s nothing wrong with being homesick or having a few healthy concerns,” she pointed out. “but.. i’ve been thinking about getting a puppy.”

“School, right”, the redhead said with a smile that looked more like a grimace. Little did her friend know, she’d failed most her classes from the last semester. “You’re not relieved at all that it’s over?”

“that kinda sounds like what i do on a day to day basis, dee,” he commented with a laugh, his brown eyes crescenting over dimpled cheeks, and stole a fry off of her plate, “anyway, i’m never one to turn down some lunch.” chewing on his food, dae’s gaze moved away from deanna— slowly panning over the heads of the restaurants patrons, dragging across the slick marble walls, before finally returning back to his friend’s soft features. noticing a shift in her expression, something he couldn’t quite explain, dae leaned back into his seat and gave her a quizzical look, “hey, are you alright?”