university | lrh

39 - daydreaming

She raised a brow. "What happened, then?"

"Mm," I was too busy studying the subtle curve of her lips to think straight. "Something funny."

Elise gave me a skeptical look that I didn't take much notice of, choosing instead to focus on pushing her hair behind her shoulder and running my fingers down her neck.

"You think a dog dying is funny?"

"What?" I paused my fingers and glanced back up at her serious expression. "No—"

"I'm kidding," her grin spread before she even got the words out. "The dog is very much alive."

"Right," I was still a little out of it as I let my thumb trace her jaw. "I knew that."

"Luke."

"Elise." I murmured.

"There isn't a single dog or furry creature in this film."

I could see in the amusement in her eyes when I glanced back up, and I bit the corner of my lip, not the slightest bit worried that she caught me.

"You sure?" I tilted my head and she giggled.

"Positive."

"Not a single one?"

"Not even a stuffed animal."

I couldn't help but give her a small smile. "Shame."

She shook her head with a grin, grabbing my wrist to take my hand from her neck and fumbling to slot her fingers through mine. I always loved watching her do that, seeing as she struggled a bit to spread my fingers apart with her tiny little ones, pushing hers through mine to just barely graze over my knuckles. She would press them together in a way that looked like it shouldn't work, yet somehow worked perfectly all the same.

"What's a shame is that you haven't watched a single second of this movie," she squinted at me. "I'm offended."

I chuckled a little bit. "Why?"

"Because I picked it."

"Mm," I hummed. "Sorry, baby."

"Don't say sorry," she groaned, head falling back against my shoulder as she frowned at me. "Just watch this with me, please."

I couldn't stop biting down on my lip, because my heart was swelling for the small girl in a way that I nearly didn't know how to handle. So, I combed a hand through her dark hair and pressed my lips to her forehead once before tilting her chin to look at me.

Her eyes were so bright and I was so in love.

"Okay." I whispered, faint smile on my lips.

She didn't say anything else, only gave me a content smile as she turned her attention back to the screen. I didn't, of course, I still had my gaze set on her with a hand continuing to run through her hair. I didn't want to watch the movie, I was far too wrapped up in the girl with the soft laugh and the faintest blush on her cheeks that never quite seemed to leave.

It took her a moment to notice, but she glanced back up at me only a minute later to see my eyes still blissfully away from the screen. I let out a soft laugh as she groaned again, shaking her head at me.

"You're impossible."

"Sorry." I gave her a small smile.

"No you're not." She narrowed her eyes at me.

"No," I pulled her further into my chest. "I'm not."

She huffed, mumbling against my bare skin. "I thought you liked movies."