Shorter days, Longer nights

Chapter 35 || Anything you like

The bright colour cast a glow on my face, drawing my attention from the display box toward the mall's interior. We stepped out of the elevator onto the "thirteenth" floor and I instantly jolted back to give way to the family walking right past us. I stared in jealousy when they walked aside instead of instantly bumping into Jaycee on my right. How come they were ready to knock me over but wanted to give way to her? Though to be fair I would cross continents just to give her way too. 

Just then, I felt a grip on my hand and I couldn't help the grin that took over when I noticed it originated from Jaycee. She didn't gaze back at me but I noticed the crinkling of her eyes at the corners. 

 I finally got the chance to see around the area when we started walking. I walked shoulder to shoulder with Jaycee, the same smile appearing back every time I remembered the warm fingers tangled with my own. She walked at a comfortable pace, giving me time to look around as she led us to our destination.

Saying that the mall was packed at this time would be an understatement. Bustling chatters filled the area, the volume heightening every time we walked past someone. Odours of different foods filled the atmosphere, trailing all the way from the little food corner I could make out at the end. The fragrance was hard to put my finger on but I could mainly make out a mixture of waffles and coffee. 

The section we walked along was connected to various shops with large lit-up headboards above them while there was a steel railing at the other end with a view to the downward floors. On the opposite end of the big hole was a similar architecture to the one on my side. So, in summary, there were shops on both sides with a large gap in the centre. 

The floor seemed to be dedicated to furniture based on the number of related signs I'd read so far. Although some very... peculiar names sometimes interrupted the order. Who named their shop 'The Velvet Moonlight Bazaar'? What did they even sell? However the amount of people going in and out of there made me question my non-existent future business plans.

It wasn't long till I felt a little tug on my hand and Jaycee led us into a store. The emptiness of the 'SlumberStyle Furnishings' was somewhat surprising but that also calmed my nerves so who was I to complain? The guy behind the counter gave Jaycee a handwave the moment we walked in which she returned. I supposed that meant either that this was her friend's shop or she came here often.

She looked down at me once, a smile gracing her lips before leading me in toward the aisles. Jaycee seemed to know exactly where she was going, weaving through the aisles with purpose. I just followed dumbly behind her, letting her hand guide me while I took in everything the store had to offer.

They seemed to have everything from flowery paintings to cushiony bean bags. However, I noticed that there wasn't much heavy stuff like bedframes there. Instead, they kept bedsheets or lamps and stuff like that. I figured this was more of a decor shop than an actual 'construct your bedroom from scratch' shop.  

She lead me toward the end of the first aisle. A warm inviting corner came into view. It held small bean bags of various sizes covered with different patterns of sheets. The main print was either circles, strips, some sort of geometrical pattern or a completely plain cover. Some of the bean bags were rounded around a little rug while others stood on the side in a little line. While a shelf behind them kept the rugs. 

I had to admit the one with circles of different colours sort of in an overlapping pattern caught my attention instantly. I turned toward Jaycee in an attempt to figure out our next move but instead, my eyes fell on an assistant just a few steps behind us. He was probably one of those guys that tried to help you around the store and as much as I appreciated his presence, it usually only made things harder. 

Jaycee must've noticed where my sight was drawing because she instantly waved a dismissing hand toward him with her free hand and he... just walked away. Just like that- 

I gazed back up at her and I was sure my eyes were twinkling with admiration by now. She just chuckled again and turned her gaze.

"See anything you like?" she asked and I felt my hand lift as her finger pointed toward the beanbags. I hesitated for a moment, gazing toward all my options. "I like the one with the circles," she added, making my eyes go wide in response. Did she just read my mind or something? Those were my thoughts until she guided me to the one she liked. It was right next to the one I had in mind. The same pattern just a more... dim shade of colours. "It's calming," she shrugged at me, while our hands patted the edge. 

I smiled at the look in her eyes before pointing to the colourful one, "That one."

"Good choice," her voice held amusement while her lips tugged at the corners at the realization. "What about a rug?" she led us to the shelves next, "I don't suppose you would be a fan of fur?" she stared at the carpets neatly folded on the shelf. They took up a large space in the racks and I wondered how they even managed to fold them to that point. Those had to have curve marks indented in there.

"What you don't like fur?" I asked, letting my eyes trail over until I found one that I liked. 

"It's... okay," I assumed that meant a no. 

"Too bad," I pointed toward one in a dark grey shade in the middle of the rack, earning a chuckle from my side. 

"Okay then," I saw her other hand wave somewhere in the back as she continued, "but get two, just in case.' 

"Uhhh," the second choice was harder. I now had to think how well it would work with the one I already picked while also going for one I liked. I figured she'd said that more in case I changed my mind with the first one but with the idea that had started to form in my head, I wanted them both out at the same time. "This," this time it was a more rectangular rug with a smaller width. It had a pink shade with little strips of a lighter pink here and there, fading out on each end. 

I saw her nod before she told our choices to the same assistant that had appeared likely after the signal she made with her hand. That gave me time to stare at her with stars in my eyes and it was then I realized the bean bags came in a set of two. And that made me realize how much more comfortable I felt since we'd first arrived here. For some reason, my brain was becoming accustomed to the idea of living with them and it was happening incredibly quickly. Either way, I was grateful for her presence and what she was doing for me. 

We headed for the bed sheets next and that one was significantly easier since I liked my sheets in simple shade. 

"What's your favourite colour?" she asked while I was looking for a warm suitable colour. 

"Guess," I looked over the different shades in an attempt to not give it away though I was sure it wasn't all that difficult. It was fairly basic but still.

"Pink," she smirked at me, her answer almost instant.

"Oh my," I turned my torso toward her, pressing my palm to my chest, "however did you guess that?" I exclaimed in a low voice before breaking out in a giggle with her. 

All while her hand hung onto mine, becoming one of my own with how well it fit there.