Growing up, Richelle was always told you know you've found the right person when they give you butterflies. When she asked questions, she was told it was the same feeling you get when you're next in line for a rollercoaster, or when you're going full out on a new trick for the first time, or even waiting in the doctor's office to find out if you can ever dance again.
Now, legs sprawled across Noah's bed, the early morning sun bearly shining through his blinds, she's realised that maybe that weird feeling to her happens around Noah. He's not in the bed, he's sleeping on the floor like a normal best friend would.. but she doesn't want him there.
She wants him with her. She wants to be cuddled up to him, feathering kisses all over his face until he wakes up. She wants to wake up next to him on the best and worst of days. She wants him.. she's got butterflies just thinking about it.
After a couple hours, the morning sun finally forced Noah's eyes open. Still half asleep, he looks around, trying to remember why he's on the floor. Then, his eyes land on Richelle. His amazing, talented, beautiful best friend who he wishes more than anything he could climb into bed with, for two reasons. One, his back is killing him, and two, he wants her to be close to him.
He's protective of her, he always has been. He cares about her more than a best friend should, like a partner should, and not a duet partner or partner in crime, like a partner in life.
He can't deny his feelings for her, he's never been able to. He's never felt the same way about any of his past girlfriends, but with Richelle things are.. scary.
He's scared of the feeling he gets when she giggles, when she falls asleep in his arms, when he sees her overjoyed or upset, when he sees her smile for the first time in a while, when he sees her being natural and not trying to impress anyone, when she's in the adorable mood she gets in when she's sleepy or just content with life.. when she's being herself.
It's complicated, it's way too complicated for Noah to handle. He doesn't know how to handle any of it, he just tries to put on a smile through the weird sensation in his stomach.. butterflies.
"You alright down there?" Richelle interrupts him with a giggle. He nods a little, trying his best to keep his eyes open.
Richelle puts her hand out to him, she doesn't know why, she just kinda felt like it. Noah lazily returns the gesture and puts his hand in hers, making Richelle get butterflies for the second time this morning.
"You gonna stay on the floor?" She asks quietly. He nods again, making her frown, "Please get into bed, you look tired." She begs in the cutest voice she can. Using all the energy he has, he stands up and gets into bed next to her. He can't refuse that stupid but very cute voice she has mastered.
He collapses into the duvet, barely being able to move into a comfortable position. Turns out, that comfortable position it took him 5 minutes to get into is being as close to Richelle as possible, his head nuzzled into her shoulder and arm loosley draped over her. She smiles to herself, trying to keep in the nervous giggle that's desperate to escape.
Her fingers tangled in his hair, he manages to get back to sleep, in a much more comfortable manner. Richelle doesn't want to move, it's the one thing she would hate most right now, but she drank way too much water last night.
With a small groan, she wriggles out of Noah's grip and goes to the bathroom, being as quick as she can be. When she gets back, she's glad to see him still sound asleep. The peaceful look on his face is so calming, and the way his hair is messed up instead of perfect.. there's that pesky feeling again.
~~~
A few days later at dance, Richelle walks into Studio A after hours, expecting to be the only one there. But no, Noah's there.
She walks in on him doing a solo. It's incredible; it's full of emotion, genuine emotion. Butterflies swarm her stomach when he sees her and sends her a small, warm smile. She smiles back shyly, trying to hide the immense blush spreading across her cheeks.
When he's done, she slowly walks over to him. She knows what's coming. The emotion was a sway from sad to happy, nervous to excited, guilty to greatful.
"You're leaving, aren't you?" She asks quietly, stopping right infront him. Tears fill her eyes as she sees the slow nod he gives in response.
She knew it was coming, she just didn't want it to be true.
"After regionals." He replies with some hesitation, not wanting to make the small blonde infront of him cry.
"I don't want you to go." She whispers, looking down to now hide the tears instead of the blush, not even looking up when she feels him take both her hands.
"I'm not going completely, I'll still be the same, stupid guy who lives in an apartment 5 minutes away from you. I'm not leaving you Richie.. I don't think I could ever do that." He takes one of his hands away from hers, using it instead to lift her head gently via lifting her chin, "I love you too damn much."
Butterflies. For both of them.
He stares into her eyes with his piercing gaze that gives her butterflies every time, and she stares right back with her soft, gentle one.
"I love you too."
They both lean in, and before they know it their lips are together. The kiss is fragile, short and tender, but full of love. Those 5 seconds of being so close to each other spoke thousands of words to them both. All about their undying love for each other.
~~~
Now, every tender touch, every small kiss, every kiss on the cheek, every cuddle in the morning, gives Richelle butterflies. For the more intense makeouts, she only ever got the feeling of a swarm of butterflies in her stomach once, but she can never get enough of the small moments.
~~~
Short but cute ig
