never be alone ✧ .・゜゜・

He smiled when she agreed, thanking God he’d had the sense to tidy up recently. “Great,” he said when she took his hand. He lead them back towards the University. “We must look like a couple of hot messes,” he laughed, thinking about the way they must appear to others.

Jay got out of the water and held his hand out to Evie so that he could help her out of the water. “You can come back to mine, if you want. We’ll get you in something warm. You don’t have to.” He wasn’t saying it, but he didn’t want to stop spending time with her just yet.

He felt better than he had in a while, just standing there with Evie in the lake. He didn’t know yet what this was, or what it could be. But he was trying not to be nervous about it. “We should get back,” he said softly with a smile. “I can hear Fairy Godmother in the back of my head telling us we’re gonna catch our deaths like this.”

When Evie smiled, something in Jay melted. It wasn’t often that he wasn’t shut down after opening up. And it felt…good. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close. When she praised him…it meant more than he could say. “Thank you for listening,” he said softly, leaning down to kiss her once more.

Having someone ask for his thoughts was an unusual feeling. People were usually willing to brush him off as a jock with not much in his brain. He moved his way over to Evie. “Wondering what someone as…really great as you would want with…me. You know me. You know that this is all…new. And I got–” He hesitated, pursing his lips. This was a lot of opening up for him, and he’d never gotten very far for it before. But he opened his mouth again, hardly speaking above a whisper. “I got scared I wouldn’t be good enough for you.”

Now he’d messed up. Why did he always have to open his stupid mouth? “No, god, of course you wouldn’t. And you didn’t give that impression. I was just–” wondering what the hell a girl like you was doing with a guy like me. “It was stupid. I know you’d never be that kind of person. I don’t even know why I asked.” He shook his head. “I’m sorry. I keep being dumb. I just…hope you’ll keep letting me make it up to you when I am.”

“Yeah, well, you know me,” he teased before kissing her again. It was…warm, nice in a way he couldn’t put into words. When the kiss broke, he took a deep breath. “Evie…I…I just want to make sure that this…this isn’t just because I’m…easy.” It took a lot for him to admit to the worry. It made him vulnerable, and he hated that feeling. 

“I don’t…think it’s wrong,” he replied. “It only ruins things if we let it. And…I’m not gonna let it. I don’t regret kissing you, Evie,” he said though he was nervous. Evie was fresh out of a relationship, and he didn’t want to be a convenient rebound for her.

He smiled and brushed some of the hair out of her face as he held her close. “Yeah,” he said. “I did too.” Even though he was scared about what this could mean…he couldn’t deny that the kiss had been nice in a way that was…different from other people he’d kissed.

Before his brain could tell him not to, his hand cupped her cheek when she closed the gap. And he kissed her back. His head was telling him to stop and run…but something in his chest made him stay. When the kiss broke and he could register what happened, he found himself smiling. “I probably should have done that a little while ago,” he admitted.

He felt something hitch in his chest when Evie moved closer again. And again, the impulse to close the distance came back. He found himself moving a little closer before he stopped himself. “You’re not so bad yourself,” he replied. “I’m glad you’re here too.”

“Yeah, we do” he nodded. “I’m glad. It’s good to see you happy and stuff. The sad, stressed out thing doesn’t suit you,” he teased. But he also meant it, in a way. He wanted her to be happy, and he liked that he could make her happy.

“Some would say everything happens for a reason.” He wasn’t sure he believed that. But maybe he could. “Yeah. Me too. It’s no stress, which I haven’t felt since school got back in session,” he nodded. The gesture of the fingers in his hair felt…nice in a way he couldn’t put into words. “Hey, it’s the least I can do. I was a jerk, and I meant it when I wanted to make it up to you. I’m glad I could.”

He turned his head to look at her, and their faces were mere inches apart. He found himself with a strange impulse to close the gap, but he swallowed it down and smiled instead. He couldn’t. Even if he thought it was a good idea. “Yeah, yeah it is nice. I think we both needed this.” 

Jay chuckled as she wrapped her arms around him. He couldn’t help but note how…awfully close they were. But he smiled. “As you wish,” he teased, moving the two of them around the lake.

“Equal treatment, Evie,” he teased and splashed her back. This was just what he needed, something lighthearted and just…fun. He was having a good time out here with her.