A/N thank you so much for 161k reads! also i'm so sorry for the long wait, i've started university, so updates may be slower than usual! just a warning this chapter is super short but will update tomorrow with a longer chapter :)
The rhythmic tap of knuckles banging against the glass window woke me from a deep slumber. I groggily opened my eyes before rubbing the sleep from them as they strained to see the person standing out in the dark.
"Dakota? What are you doing here?" I asked in a hoarse whisper after sliding the window open.
"Come outside." He whispered as he smirked, motioning with his index finger.
I rubbed my eyes once again in hopes of rubbing away the remaining sleep from them as I nodded at Dakota, just barely awake. I yawned as I bent down to grab whatever piece of clothing that was in reach before throwing it on and sliding on my shoes. I stretched as I ruffled my hair before I walked over to my window, quietly climbing out, sticking out one leg and then the other, not bothering to check the time as I completely dismissed the fact that he had showed up in the dead hours of the night.
"Gemma? Jane?" I asked in confusion after my feet landed softly on the dewy grass below.
"Hey, sleepy head." Gemma said with a wink and a devious grin as she swung an arm around Jane.
"I heard about the idiot that cost you guys the game." Jane said sarcastically with a smirk before she pushed up her glasses, her long dark hair draped down the sides of her face.
"Right, some idiot." I said with a smirk that matched hers.
"Let's go." Dakota said before grabbing my hand and dragging me across the street.
"Where are we going?" I asked with an arched brow, already starting to worry about what was going on inside his head.
"You'll see." Gemma said from behind me as her and Jane trailed along with their arms locked.
I followed blindly, side by side Dakota as a light breeze swept through the dark and cold chilly streets that were filled with nothing but the sounds of the crickets hiding in the grass. Not a person in sight as we walked in a comfortable silence. Dakota grasped my hand in his with a coy smile, giving me comfort from the days earlier failure. I was still filled with guilt of losing the football game and couldn't shake the feeling off.
"Is anyone going to tell me where we're going?" I asked, unable to keep quiet any longer.
"We're here." Jane said from behind me.
"The football field?" I asked, looking around at the dark empty field.
"Here." Gemma said as she pulled out stick sparklers, lighting one up before handing it over to me. I grabbed the bright colored stick of sparks, holding it in front of me and waving it in a never ending circle as my eyes focused on it's brightness, almost as if in a trance.
We stood in a circle, waving around the brightly lit sticks, bringing light to the field.
I glanced at Dakota, who was already looking at me with a smile I'd never seen before. It was different from the others, a smile I couldn't read. But it made me feel warmth amidst the cool breeze in the air. I could feel my cheeks flush, simply from seeing him look at me that way.
"Tag." Gemma said, tapping me on the shoulder before taking off across the field. I smirked before sprinting after her, still holding onto my sparkler for dear life as Jane and Dakota ran off in the opposite direction.
It didn't take me long to catch Gemma. I tagged her back as she giggled with giddiness, and it was like we were kids again. Kids who were playing in the back yard of someone's house, filled with that adrenaline you get before you were "it". And pretty soon, I'd almost completely forgotten about the game, about earlier that day.
I bent over, gasping for breath, trying to catch it. Dakota ran towards me with a smile on his face before laying down at my feet, panting for air. I chuckled before laying down beside him with red rosy cheeks from running. Jane and Gemma continued to play as they ran across the field with sparklers in their hands.
I looked up at the sky as I sighed, it was filled with bright stars perfectly spaced out that I had never seemed to notice before. Lately, there was a lot of things around me that I had never noticed before. I turned my head towards Dakota, and there it was again, that smile that I just couldn't figure out. He grasped my hand in his, and I felt the warmth of his body from that simple touch against the tall strands of soft green grass.
"I love you, Luka." He said in a hushed voice, so quiet I could barely hear him but I did. A smile immediately lit up my face and for a moment I was still, unable to speak as my stomach knotted with nothing but happiness. I wanted to grab him by the face and tell him that he was mine, mine and no one else's.
"I love you too, Kota." I said before turning on my side and leaning over, pressing my lips against his soft red rosy cheeks that I couldn't ever get enough of.
A/N it's super short I know but I wanted to end the chapter here :)