Crush's POV

I pushed down the brakes on the handles of my bike, and slowed to a stop in front of the school's bike rack. The wind was really strong today, and it was so cold I could see my breath. My cheeks were red and my hands were raw and dry, and starting to sting from the wind.

Once my feet touched the ground, I drew my leg over my bike and guided it to the rack. Again, my bike was the only one there on this fifth frigid morning of winter. Everyone else was smart enough to know not to bike. Of course, it wasn't like I had a choice.

I saw her a couple of feet away, leaning against the second set of bike racks. The fog of her breath danced in the air and her nose was an adorable cherry red. A stick was in her hand and she was using it to drag across the rack, making a clanging sound. She wore (outfit) like she always did, and she stood around, like she was waiting for something. My heart jumped a bit. Could she be waiting for me? I quickly pushed that thought out of my mind—she never does that.

I watched her for a short time more, then she looked up from her clanging and we accidentally made eye contact. I immediately looked away, down at my bike, and she did the same, looking down at her stick. The clanging noise of her stick continued, while I proceeded to lock up my bike on the rack. I took my time, and by the time I was almost done, I heard her light footsteps come toward me.

"Hey, Y/N," I said, looking up at her face.

"Hello," she responded, not meeting my gaze. But she was smiling, so that had to be a good sign.

I finished locking up my bike and gathered my things from the ground.

"It's a little cold to be biking," she said as I began walking towards school, with her by my side.

"Why are you biking, then?" I countered snarkily.

"I'm not, obviously. Do you even remember what my bike looks like?" she said in a tone that inclined, woah, no need to act defensive.

"Well..." I replied.

"I'll take that as a 'no,'" she sighed, smiling and looking down at the ground.

We were silent for a few more seconds.

"Wait—" she stopped walking, and so did I. "I, er, have a question for you," she said, still not meeting my eyes.

My mind raced. I imagined her asking, "C/N, would you be my (C/G)friend?" Or, "do you think we could be more than just friends?" My heart fluttered at the thought.

But I stayed silent, which she took as consent to go ahead and ask.

"Uh... C/N, do you like me?"

My heart thumped harder than it usually did when she was around. What did she mean? 'Like' as in... a crush? Or just friends? Or just in general?

"What... what do you mean?" I stuttered.

"I mean, 'like,' as in, do you even want me to be around? Whenever I'm with you, you tell me to go away... and you say I'm annoying. If you want me to leave, just say so, and actually mean it. I mean, I don't want to..." she looked a little pained and hurt, and I just wanted to hold her right there. She continued, "But if that's what you want, I'll do it." she sighed lightly and fiddled with her mittens.

Oh. My heart nearly stopped. Have her leave? No, I could never do that. I couldn't even stand that. I always look forward to the next time I get to see her; she's what keeps me sane, in this hell-hole of a school. If I had my way, she would never leave my side. Not only that, but I could tell leaving would hurt her too... perhaps she felt that same way as I did for her?

"No—" I said, "No, I don't like you."

She almost choked on the air in front of her. I could see her heart—along with mine—shatter into a million pieces, just by looking at her face. She always wore her heart on her sleeve, like that.

"Oh..." she stopped, "Well, in that case, then I'll—"

"Y/N, don't go." I pleaded. She finally looked up at me. "I meant, I don't like you, Y/N, I—" I stopped to breathe. Should I say it? "I love you," my voice went up in pitch when I said it, making it almost sound like a question.

A little bit of shock registered on her face. "I..." she said, stopping herself. "I...?" she stopped again, then looked down at the ground and back up at me. "I'm not sure what to say, besides the obvious. Lots of ideas are coming to mind, but they're all so sarcastic that I'm afraid I'll hurt you..."

Breath caught in my throat, I asked, "What... what's the obvious?"

She met my eyes and the corners of her lips twitched upwards. God, how adorable she was.

"C/N, I love you, too," she said. Then immediately looked down at the ground, acting shy again. "I mean, I know it's—"

"Oh, shut up."

She raised her eyebrows. "Harsh words for the (C/G) who's never sworn before."

I rolled my eyes. Taking a quick glance around the area, I asked, "Y/N, can I kiss you?"

Her got eyes wider and a smile found it's way into her expression. "Sure, I suppose..."

I moved forward and, almost cautiously, gently caught her chin in my hands. Her eyes were a unique and beautiful shade of E/C, and I found myself getting lost in them. But I could also see a hint of shock in her innocent, doe-like eyes as I leaned in and kissed her.

The moment seemed to last an eternity, although, in reality, it probably only lasted a few seconds. I could sense her hesitation to pull away, so I did it for her.

As soon as I did, however, her gaze flew directly to the concrete. Her cheeks were the reddest I'd ever seen them, and her hair hung in front of her face like a curtain, in an attempt to hide herself. Her right arm reached up and grasped her left one, rubbing it while pulling it closer to herself. Without thinking, I reached over and tucked a strand of her hair gorgeous, H/C behind her ear.

Honestly, I think she noticed that I did that even before I did, as she looked up at me with those eyes again—a mixture of shock, embarrassment, and innocence. My breath hitched in my throat. God, why did she look so stunning?

"Er, sorry..." I apologized for the tiny hair incident, and partly for the kiss.

She let out a light laugh. "No, it's alright, I suppose..." she turned a shade redder and reached up to rub the back for her neck.

"Uh... peppermint?" I tried, then immediately regretted it, as it was a very awkward thing to say. I had meant peppermint, as in what she had tasted like.

She caught on to what I meant and bashfully nodded, "Yeah... it is almost Christmas. It was a candy cane," her face formed a smile at the awkwardness of the situation. "Cinnamon?"

I found my face smiling too—her smile was contagious. "Ha, yeah, my dad is trying a new recipe for the holidays..."

Y/N gathered herself and adjusted her position. The bell must've rung a while ago, but I hadn't noticed. We were both quiet for a few more moments—moments that passed like hours. I'd never thought I'd actually kiss her. Sure, I'd fantasised about it, but I never thought I actually had the guts to do it.

"So... what do we do now?" her question broke the silence.

We made eye contact, and I said, "Well, usually people try out a relationship after this..."

"Is that what we're supposed to do, then?" she asks, pursing her lips. She knits her eyebrows in confusion. "Sorry, I'm not really sure how things like this work..."

I laughed, "No, it's alright, I'm the same way," I replied, forcing a smile that came easier than I expected. "I suppose we could do that... become (C/G)friend and girlfriend. If that's alright with you?"

She looked at me intently and gave a sweet smile. "You know what?" she said softly, "I'd love that."

With that, she reached out her hand and grasped mine, and we walked together into school.