Inception {Dreamnotfound}

24 | Make You Mine | 24

"I-I don't think that the system picks our soulmates for us, I think it's something that we decide on our own," Karl stutters, looking away in embarrassment. Cautiously, I cup his cheek, guiding his eyes back to match mine. And he doesn't hesitate, nor does he try to move away.

His thoughts do make sense, I realise, remembering what George did. He kissed Clay for the first time without knowing he was his soulmate, fell in love with him on his own, even though he believed it to be wrong, a mistake. One that ended up actually being right.

It would make sense, that the world works like that. That we aren't confined to loving someone because we're paired with them, but because we chose to be paired with them anyway.

There's got to be a reason we can remove our bands.

"So you're telling me I fell for you completely because of my own stupidity?" I joke, and Karl nods before realising what he just agreed to. "Hey!" he yells suddenly, giggling to himself as he pushes my hand away. "That was mean. But yes, you decided it for yourself," he admits reluctantly. His eyes dart back to my hands, both now resting in my lap.

"Can-can you-" Karl stutters, taking one of my hands in his and lacing his fingers around mine. He holds it limply between us, pleading eyes asking me to save him the embarrassment.

Smugly, I rest my hand back on his cheek. He smiles gratefully, looking away out of embarrassment again.

I trace his jawline with my thumb, starting below his ear and finishing at the base of his chin. Taking in the smooth curves of his features, how even the slightest graze of my skin against his ignites a flame in my chest. Swarmed with butterflies, giving me a dizzy feeling of confidence as I let my fingers slip.

My thumb ghosts over his lips, and he giggles, suddenly fascinated with my bandana as he averts his eyes. He twirls the fabric around his fingers, parting his lips ever so slightly. There's a split in the corner of the bottom one, surrounded by faint outlines where teeth were sunk in. Karl shivers as I graze the mark, leaning forward a fraction before pulling further back.

"So," he breathes nervously, knotting his fingers so tightly into my bandana that the fabric starts to tug. "You meant it when you said you fell for me... didn't you?" The question almost seems ridiculous after all of this, but the uncertainty in his expression says otherwise.

"I did from the start," I tell him truthfully, threading my other hand back into his hair. He leans into the touch, sighing out uneven, shaky breaths.

"I told you I'd wait for you," I remind him, thinking back to what I said weeks ago. The promise that I made, that I'd wait until he was ready to make a decision with all of his memories back. I know we've gone past that point now, but I was too scared to bring up the subject again, not wanting to make him feel pressured by it.

"And I told you I'd decide once I had my memories back," he nods, eyes dropping to the floor before returning to me. "Well, that time came and went. I've gotten used to this, or as used to it as I'll ever get. Things make a lot more sense now than they did back then, and I feel like that says enough."

A pause of hesitance.

"As does... this." He gestures to us, to where he still sits in my lap, to where our hands are. We both laugh, and it's awkward, but not uncomfortable.

It's beginning to feel more normal, though. More used to him, how good his slender fingers feel tangled in my hair, and how perfect they fit interlocked with my own. How this feels like it's second nature, so right to have him here with me, like this.

"Yeah, you make a good point," I shrug, undoing the knot in my bandana suddenly and letting it fall. Karl's hands slide with it, resting on either side of my face. He leans closer again, adamant to rest our foreheads together.

We share breaths until it becomes unbearable, the mere inch between us seeming so much bigger.

"And what if I want this?" I ask breathlessly, enjoying the sense of warmth that hugs my skin. His eyes drift down my face, dainty lips curling into a smile as his breath hitches. It's enough to drive me crazy, desperate to have more than this.

"I think I'd like that too..." he mumbles, nothing more than a hushed whisper. "Tell me you'd like that," I insist, adamant not to mess this up.

"Tell me you want it and I will."

"I do," he breathes out shakily, and I scan those hazel eyes for anything that says otherwise. But there's no sign of hesitance, nothing but a glowing certainly that lights a spark in us both.

"Sapnap, I do want this."

So I give it to him, tilting his chin up slightly to connect our lips. His eyes go wide, stunned by the sudden movement before fluttering shut. My own do the same, relaxing into the moment. The hand in my hair tightens its grip as he becomes more certain, kissing me with a newfound passion instilled deep within him.

The action is messy, a far from perfect kiss but the first nonetheless. It's the rush of having this at last that makes the feeling so special, letting the butterflies swarm my stomach and twist my heat into knots. Disoriented by the boy before me, who tastes so sweet it makes my head spin.

Like sugar, something so addictive I refuse to let go of him. My fingers slip into his hair absentmindedly, curling around chocolate strands effortlessly.

We break apart, and I feel the rush of air enter my lungs. Breathing never felt so awful, I wish I didn't have to.

Karl seems stunned into silence, thumb against his lips as if in confusion. There's a warmth in his eyes that I can't quite read, but the light still makes them glow. My own lips feel numb, suddenly cold when they're not pressed to his.

I let the silence drag out for a few more seconds, unable to find the right words to fill it. But thankfully, I don't have to, Karl erupting into a nervous fit of giggles. "I guess that does it," he smiles, blushing a bright shade of pink.

I can still feel the heat in my own face, but choose to ignore it out of embarrassment.

"Definitely does," I confirm, still too dazed to think straight. "Guess that makes you my boyfriend."

"And that makes you mine."