𝐒𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐓ᵃʳⁱᵃⁿᵃ ᵍʳᵃⁿᵈᵉ

fourteen

   i gave her a look as i slapped her hands away, causing her to roll her eyes. she grabbed her glass of water as she sat back in her seat, leaning against it as she laid her feet on my lap.

   she closed her eyes and relaxed, leaning her head back as i gently massaged her legs and her feet.

   "oh, baby, are you free next week? specifically friday and then that weekend?" i asked, looking up at her relaxed face. she licked her lips as she brows stitched together, most likely trying to remember her schedule.

   "i'm pretty sure i am. i think i took the whole week and the next week off for my birthday." she hummed.

   "well, would you be interested in going to louisiana with me again? my old school's putting on a show and my old director wants me to come see it opening night. well, more like the students want me to, but that's besides the point."

   "and since i didn't get to show you around last time, i'd want to do that too. i can show you where i grew up and stuff, since you don't really know much?" i finished, chewing on the inside of my cheek. i knew she would say yes, but it was still really fucking nerve wracking.

   ariana's eyes opened and a wide smile spread on her lips. "of course i want to, baby! that sounds like so much fun! what show are they putting on?" she asked me cheerfully.

   i smiled back at her excitement. "that's the thing. it's beauty and the beast, which is why my director wants me to come see it so bad."

   ariana squealed like a mad woman. "oh my god! i'm so going with you! you said friday?" i chuckled at her cheerfulness, nodding my head. "i'm about to get so much embarrassing information about you, omg."

   i chuckled, dropping her legs off my lap. "you need to stop saying abbreviations out loud, you sound ridiculous."

——

   i took a deep breath as we stepped out of the plane, ending it with a dramatic sigh. "ah, you smell that? smells like sweat, seafood, and a splash of orange spray tanned white girls. i'm home!"

   ariana giggled as she slapped my shoulder. "jesus y/n, shut up!"

   i scrunched up my nose, looking over at her as we walked through the long hall out into the gate. "what? all these people know it's the truth!"

i held her hand tightly as we made our way to baggage claim. luckily, we only had to wait a few minutes before ariana's obnoxiously large suitcase and my relatively small one strolled by. i hoisted them off the belt and decided i would take ariana's stuff and she would take mine, since her shit was so much heavier. ariana wasn't complaining.

we were making good progress as we walked to the exit of the airport before ariana stopped in her tracks. i looked back at her with a look as she stared off into the distance.

"babe. what the hell are you looking at?" i asked, trying to follow her line of sight. she raised her arm, pointing a couple yards to our left. i looked over and sighed, seeing the huge starbucks sign.

"no ariana. no. let's go." i walked back to her with her bags, trying to push her forward. ariana whined, looking back at me with puppy dog eyes through the tops of her sunglasses. "no, baby!" i laughed, pushing her back.

"please y/n! please!" she begged, pouting in my face. "ariana no. i will stop by another starbucks and get you as much coffee as you want. but trust me, the coffee there sucks and it takes forever. we have better luck in a drive-thru."

ariana whined once more before she nodded, picking up my luggage again. i subtly patted her backside as she started to walk away. "good girl." i teased, grabbing ari's luggage again as i walked up behind her.