Hers | ✔ | (Editing)

14| Frisson

"Because it'll be weird," Rose reasoned, biting her bottom lips as though to trap the giggles that wanted to skid out. H̶e̶ ̶w̶i̶s̶h̶e̶d̶ ̶s̶h̶e̶ ̶d̶i̶d̶n̶'̶t̶.̶ ̶ "But I mean if you really want to, I won't stop you."

And as much as Aaron tried to think of depressed things, or how hard he tried to picture something saddening, he couldn't hold his laughter in any longer. 

Perhaps it was because of how hesitant she sounded, or how that smile that illuminated her face made his heart go absolutely insane, but he couldn't stop it. 

So he did it.

He laughed.

He couldn't remember the last time he laughed like this, as though he didn't have a care in the world. Like there wasn't anything wrong with his life, that he had no bills to pay, or pain to feel, or even people to avoid-

he just laughed as though no one on Earth was watching.

It felt weird at first, but eventually he melted into the emotion. 

A̶n̶d̶ ̶i̶t̶ ̶f̶e̶l̶t̶ ̶s̶o̶ ̶n̶i̶c̶e̶,̶ ̶n̶i̶c̶e̶,̶ ̶n̶i̶c̶e̶.̶ ̶

"What even drove us to talk about lip gloss?" He said, laughing lightly now as he shook his head. 

But from the look on Rose's face, he could tell he probably went a bit too far. 

Aaron immediately cleared his throat then he looked away. H̶i̶s̶ ̶h̶e̶a̶r̶t̶ ̶w̶a̶s̶ ̶s̶c̶r̶e̶a̶m̶i̶n̶g̶. His face felt hot as he inhaled a small breath, clenching his jaw over how stupid he was. He knew it was wrong to laugh like that, and he was wrong that he could ever laugh like that again, and he hated hated hated himself so much-

"You look nice when you laugh like that," Rose suddenly said, offering him a reassuring smile. "You should do it more often." H̶e̶ ̶w̶i̶s̶h̶e̶d̶.̶ ̶

He tried to smile. "It felt weird." 

She grinned. "It won't if you do it more often."

He nodded his head. "Perhaps in the near future," H̶e̶ ̶h̶a̶t̶e̶d̶ ̶l̶y̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶h̶e̶r̶.̶ ̶

And it was as though she could see right through him. "I'll make sure of it."

H̶e̶ ̶w̶a̶n̶t̶e̶d̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶k̶i̶s̶s̶ ̶h̶e̶r̶.̶ "Good luck with that."

She grinned, as though she was quite confident in herself. "Challenge accepted."

"And the rain stopped," Aaron said, his eyes flickering to the hiding sun. "Or maybe it's just a little drizzle."

Rose followed his gaze too. "I think it's only drizzling." She was smiling too, and he wondered if there was a time where she wasn't. "It looks pretty..." She mumbled to herself, her warm caramel gaze locked onto the light drizzle right outside the telephone box. 

And that was when it really occurred to Aaron how close they really were to each other. Their chests were inches away, and their fingers were almost brushing. He could feel the warmth of her fingers from the very beginning, but now, all he could feel was the urge - the absolute need to wrap them around his own. 

And he knew that the subtle sprinkle was something utterly beguiling to observe, and that the slight sunshine blooming its way through the neighbourhood was absolutely remarkable, but Rose, she - she looked even more endearing. 

And somehow Aaron was convinced that even if sunshine, rainbows and unicorns popped right in front of him, he still wouldn't think they were any prettier than Rose was.