Accordance

22

"They are nice so far."

"Mm."

"You?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary." She sighed and came to stand besides him.

"Do you want to talk?"

"Do we need to talk?"

"I don't know..."

"Is it bothering you..."

"Not in the least."

"Then why the awkwardness?"

"Rae..."

"Yeah?"

"I want..."

"Me?" She supplied. He sighed.

"Is it too hard to ask for you? If I asked you, would you give me you?" She felt her cheeks grow warm but cleared her throat.

"I... I don't... don't know."

"There is still hesitation." He noted, a smirk on his face.

"I just don't want to mess anything up because we're in our feelings."

"Mm."

"We won't ever stop being friends Roto. But... I think we should still take it one day at a time."

"Can I be a friend who occasionally kisses you?" She snort and punched him.

"What friend do that?"

"Why must we exist within the definition of the world? This is our future. We should be the ones writing it." She sucked her teeth.

"It don't seem fair to you to say, you can kiss me but you cannot be my boyfriend."

"Hm."

"I can't ask that of you Roto."

"So we will never talk about it again?"

"What is it you want to say?" He reached up to gently move a few curls that had gotten into her eyes away.

"I had very good reason not to kiss you. Now that I have, I don't want to live without it." She blushed.

"You won't have to forever..."

"This may be just as confusing to you as it is to me. I understand. We'll figure it out."

"Yeah. I know we will." She leaned against him and he sighed. She put her hands inside his cardigan pockets.

"Are you cold?"

"A little." He gently wrapped his arms around her and she sighed against his chest.

"Relationship is quite complicated." She softly smiled.

"It can be. The reason I want to wait is because... I really want to do it right. I don't want to mess anything up. Can't we just continue to live and grow together? Without complication?"

"We can."

"Okay. Let's just focus on each other."

"Mm." She pulled away from him.

"Why don't we get back to class before folks talk." She grabbed the edge of his cardigan as they walked.

***