saturday mornings are for pancakes // a dream x reader fanfiction

CHAPTER 48: FIREFLIES

I think for a second before the idea pops into my head. Well, an idea popped up on a road sign that I read along the road.

"You're taking me to the beach?"

He smiles again. "Bingo."

Clay pulls up a few minutes later to the beach's parking lot. He reaches behind his seat to grab a single towel. I furrow my brows at the sight of it.

"Where's yours?" I ask, "And I'm not going swimming. There's sharks."

"There are no sharks." He rolls his eyes. "And it's for us to sit on without getting sandy."

I huff. "I read an article the other night about there being sharks."

"Here?"

I jut my chin away from him. "I do not recall."

He snorts. "You're an idiot."

We walk alongside each other to a place on the empty beach. "You sure we're allowed to be here?" I ask.

He nudges my side. "You are full of doubting questions today, aren't you?"

I nudge him back. "And you're not answering my question."

"Nothing written against it," he says with a shrug.

Clay spreads the towel out for us to sit on. I sit cross-legged next to him; our shoulders touch with the small towel-area.

I look up at the sky; it's a full moon tonight. I turn to the boy next to me, wondering what's gotten into him. He's looking at the sky too, but he's squinting.

He turns his head to me, and I childishly turn my head away. When my peripheral vision says he turned his head, I turn mine back to him.

He smiles without looking at me. "What are you doing?"

I turn my head back to the dark water. "Nothing."

He turns to me now. "You sound guilty."

I shake my head, refusing to look at him again.

"y/n," he says quietly.

"Hm?" I tilt an ear towards him while keeping my eyes forward.

"y/n, look at me." His voice is soft.

I turn my head slowly, meeting his eyes. I can just make out their muddy green color in this moonlight. Somehow they're showing the same expression as if he was smiling, except he's not. He's focused. He's focused on me.

I feel as if someone lit a thousand fireflies around us instead of the stars. The light somehow electrifies my every bone in this moment.

"Hi," I say, so quiet he might not hear me.

"Hi." He looks amused at my single word.

"What are you looking at?" I whisper now.

"You," he replies, "I'm looking at you."

I nod. "Good talk."

"You think so?" He raises his brows. "I don't think we've gotten to have one of those in a long time."

I don't mention who's fault that is.

"Well, what do you want to know?" I ask, "You know most things about me."

"What are you thinking right now?" he asks the dangerous question.

I almost admit it. The words almost slip off my tongue in one second.

What am I thinking right now? I'm thinking about how I've waited so long for him; I'm thinking about how much this one person means to me. I'm thinking about how close we are right now; I'm thinking about how it's close enough that he could kiss me.