12:51 Blaze It ( Julian Casablancas Fic )

Chapter 12

Julian takes me home a few days later, and finally we start to let the whole ordeal pass.

"What would you like to do when we get back?" he asks in the car.

I sigh wistfully and look out the window, resting my head on my hand and my arm on my leg. "I dunno," I reply.

He just smiles gently and reaches over to hold my hand. "Whatever it is, I'll be glad to do it."

I close my eyes. "Let's stay in tonight," I suggest.

"Done."

"And watch a movie."

"Also done."

"With Chinese takeout?"

"I love you."

I look over at him with a stupid grin on my face. "I love you too," I reply quietly, giving his hand a squeeze. 

~

After arriving back to my apartment, Julian calls the nearest Chinese place and orders our food. 

"You want sugar doughnuts or cream cheese wontons?" he asks me, covering the receiver with his hand.

I'm running a brush through my hair when I reply, "Wontons." Then I stare at myself in the mirror for a bit, noticing the dark circles under my eyes, the way my bones protrude, the paleness of my skin.

Then Julian appears behind me, slides his arms around me front and presses his face into my neck. "I'm glad you're home," he whispers.

I smile and turn my head so I can give him a kiss. "I'm glad I'm home too." Then I turn around and wrap my arms around his back, pulling him into a desperate hug. I rest my head against his chest, closing my eyes and letting the rest of my senses take him in; the warmth of his body, the smell of yesterday's cologne, the sound of his heartbeat. It makes me forget anything had ever been wrong between us.

"What movie do you want to watch?" Julian asks, giving my back a rub.

"I dunno," I reply. "What are you in the mood for?"

Julian lets go of me only to grab my hand and lead me over to the bed, where we lay down together. "I dunno."

I smile as I snuggle up against him, his fingers tracing my palm. 

Just as I'm drifting to sleep, lost in Julian's entrancing touch, when there's a knock on the door, jolting me awake.

"I got it." Julian gets up, to which I make a noise of protest. But soon he returns with enough Chinese food for days, so I sit up and start dishing some for myself.

We end up settling on Pulp Fiction, and ate our fill of food before it was even a quarter over. So we just cuddled for the rest of the movie, which I didn't object to. 

Then as the credits roll up the screen, Julian asks, "Was this evening everything you hoped and dreamed it would be?"

I close my eyes and smile, resting my head on his chest. "Everything and more."

Julian reaches down and tilts my chin upwards, to which I open my eyes and gaze at him. I see his eyes glint with true happiness as he leans down and kisses my lips, softly at first, then passionately. I reach up and tangle my fingers in his hair, leaning up and into the kiss as I savor his touch. I let my hand slide from his messy hair to his face, where I gently hold his jaw, keeping my lips on his. My fingers brush against his cheek, then wrap around the back of his neck in order to pull him closer.

When I open my eyes, he's already looking back at me, his eyes half open with content. 

"I love you," he whispers, hardly audible. "I love you so much."

I smile and kiss him again. It's not necessarily unlike him to be so mushy, it just surprises me a bit and makes me feel extra good and validated inside.

"I love you too," I whisper back, kissing every bit of his face before giving him one more quick peck on the lips and returning to our snuggling position, my head on his chest and his arms tight around me.

And falling asleep is even more pleasant, where the air around us is cool but the warmth of our blankets and each other's bodies keep us cozy and appreciative. If I were to experience an everlasting heaven, it would be something like this.