Shelly

Watching as Tan napped, I played with his hair. It was getting longer as it almost reached his nose. He had yet to go to a barber but he said his father would be doing it soon.

Tracing the outline of his nose, I watched it twitch. I had to hold in laughter as he reminded me of a bunny. He could have literally been one as his hair is soft, when he washes it, and he loves carrots. Like a lot.

I'd always have to have some stored away so that I could enjoy them too. But I'm the same way with my watermelon. I'd keep it from him and then take his when he had it. It was a fair trade between us.

There was a slight indent on his eyebrow, something unnoticeable as his hair grew over it, most likely a scar from something. Knowing Tanner, it would have been one of the reckless days that gave him it. And then my mind traveled to that.

What was he like?  Did he have a bad rep at school? Dare I say that he was a skater? Because if so, he changed a lot. Those guys, at least at my school, were potheads and skated in unpermitted areas. A few times I found the confidence to talk back to them.

But I couldn't envision Tan as a skater. He was too angry to be one. He was too uptight to be one. Or aloof. He somehow managed to be both angry and aloof to be kept up with new skating techniques.

And he was rarely ever super serious. He didn't like having serious conversations; he always seemed uncomfortable. I thought he knew that but when I asked him about it once, he seemed confused and dodged the questions like I knew he would. But it made sense because there were things, serious topics, we had yet to talk about.

Like Leslie. We still had yet to talk about her. I didn't even know what she looked like. But some things were never meant to be known. I'd like to keep it that way too because I knew that I'd compare myself to her.

Whether he truly liked her or not, he still found time for her. She was a part of him like I was. Spending days and nights with her was bound to make feelings grow. We barely even knew each other before we became attached.

Smiling down at him, I ran my hand through his hair again. And then yanked it.

His eyes snapped wide open. Face blank, he gazed up at me with those cognac eyes I had become so accustomed to. I never wanted to leave. I never wanted anything to change.

Things were good for now. I was slowly, but surely, getting past my hurt feelings. My father left a hole in my heart and he brought back two to fill it. Sebastian had made my dreams come true about being an older sibling.

Even if I was mad at my father for leaving, and my mother for letting him back, I knew that Seb was the most innocent thing. He talked to my mom as if she was his. Our father was the same so it made us feel as if we were a real family. Blood ties hold no meaning to us.

"What was that for?" Tanner groaned as he rubbed his eyes.

"No reason. Just to see how in deep sleep you were."

"Uh-huh."

His eyes narrowed at me. I giggled before placing a soft kiss on his lips. I hoped he didn't mind my napping breath. It was a short kiss because of that.

But he pulled me back. It made my love for him grow. He was choosing to be with me. He chose me despite literally having any girl, although Tina was the only girl I knew who had an interest in my boyfriend.

If we went to school, I'm sure that he would have had a flock of girls chasing him. He was beautiful, didn't have the body build every guy wished to have, but his soft side made him irresistible. Especially when he reminds me that he's in my corner every day.

"I love you," he smiled.

"I love you."

And for the rest of the day, between kisses, we laid in bed going over our plans for after I graduated. 

*******

A/N:

I fucking love love. Love is so adorable. I love it. And here's the old A/N:

𝐀/𝐍:
Sᴏ ᴛʜɪs ɪs ᴛʜᴇ sᴛᴀʀᴛ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɴᴅ. I'ᴍ sᴏ sᴀᴅ ʙᴜᴛ sᴏ ʜᴀᴘᴘʏ. Tʜɪs ʙᴏᴏᴋ ʜᴀs ɢᴏᴛᴛᴇɴ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴀᴛᴛᴇɴᴛɪᴏɴ ɪɴ ʟᴇss ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴀ ᴄᴏᴍᴘʟᴇᴛᴇ ᴍᴏɴᴛʜ ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴏɴᴇ ᴏғ ᴍʏ ᴏʟᴅ ᴏɴᴇs. (I ᴛᴏᴏᴋ ᴛʜᴏsᴇ ᴅᴏᴡɴ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜ) Iᴛ ᴛᴏᴏᴋ ᴀʟᴍᴏsᴛ ᴛᴡᴏ ʏᴇᴀʀs ᴛᴏ ɢᴇᴛ 100 ᴠɪᴇᴡs ᴀɴᴅ ɪᴛ ᴛᴏᴏᴋ ᴛʜɪs ᴏɴᴇ ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴀ ᴍᴏɴᴛʜ ᴛᴏ ɢᴇᴛ 200!

I ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ʟᴇɴɢᴛʜ ᴍᴀᴛᴛᴇʀs ʙᴜᴛ ɪᴛ sᴛɪʟʟ ᴍᴀᴋᴇs ᴍᴇ ᴘʀᴏᴜᴅ. I'ʟʟ ᴀʟᴡᴀʏs ʙᴇ ᴘʀᴏᴜᴅ ᴏғ ᴍʏ ʙᴏᴏᴋs. I'ᴠᴇ ɢʀᴏᴡɴ ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ᴀɴᴅ I'ʟʟ ᴄᴏɴᴛɪɴᴜᴇ ᴛᴏ ɢʀᴏᴡ ᴀs ᴀɴ ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ ᴛᴏᴏ.

As ᴀʟᴡᴀʏs, I ʜᴏᴘᴇᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ʙᴇɢɪɴɴɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴀɴ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴇɴᴅ. Tᴡᴏ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ʟᴇғᴛ! Aɴʏ ᴘʀᴇᴅɪᴄᴛɪᴏɴs ᴏɴ ʜᴏᴡ I'ᴍ ᴇɴᴅɪɴɢ ᴛʜɪɴɢs?