“That’s exactly what I feel when you tell me you don’t deserve me,” Gray’s hands cupped her cheeks again, “You are wondrous. Amazing, beautiful, alluring, dazzling, charming—God, there’s so many languages in this world and there still aren’t enough words to describe just how much you mean to me. And I don’t want you to think less of yourself. Stay with me, Vy. As long as you can, stay with me. And if you pull away from me… I’ll try my hardest to pull you back.”
Violeta shut her eyes before tears could form. His loving words caught her off guard every single time…. it felt so nice to be spoken to like this. "I really don't deserve you…. God, Gray, I could never begin to explain what you mean to me."
Gray hugged her tighter, kissing her on her jawline. “No, you deserve better. And I’m glad I mean this much to you. It makes me so happy.”
Violeta exhaled shakily. “I still can’t figure out how this miracle managed to happen..”
“Well, you made me fall in love with you,” Gray shrugged. “And agreed to be my girlfriend.”
Violeta buried her face in his chest, flushing lightly. “Gray…”
Gray chuckled, kissing the top of her head. “Yes?”
“I’m really, really glad there was a closet in that room at the party,” she laughed, referring to the Seven Minutes In Heaven game they had been forced to play together.
Gray smirked. “I am, too,” he chuckled. “I loved how you let me kiss you like that.”
"Are you kidding?" Violeta's cheeks were red right now, but she didn't care. "I practically melted. I think I almost fainted, actually."
Laughter erupted from Gray’s mouth. Still chuckling, he fell back on the bed, Violeta still in his hold.
“Well, that makes me extremely proud,” he kissed her nose. “Making my girlfriend nearly faint just by kissing her.”
"It was my first kiss!" Violeta protested indignantly. "And there was no 'just' about it! I was in extremely close quarters with an extremely hot guy—–and he was kissing me."
“So I’m extremely hot, am I?” Gray pinched her nose with a grin. “Good to know, Vy. Good to know.”
Violeta scrunched her nose up, swatting at his arm before he could shift away. "What do you think, Gray? You're the hottest."
Gray shifted, rolling on his back and pulling his girlfriend on top of him. “I’m fine with being the hottest for only you, Vy,” he winked. “Just as you’re the sexiest for me. “
Violeta buried her face in his chest with a loud groan. Her cheeks flamed, hot and red from the compliment, and they both knew there was no way for her to come out on top in this situation.
Gray decided it was enough teasing for today. He didn’t want his girlfriend melting completely, as much as it amused him. So he kissed the top of her head and tucked her close to himself.
“Sleep, love,” he murmured. “It’s late.”
Violeta released a soft 'mmph' against his chest, curling her body closer to his. Unconsciously, she entangled their limbs, soaking up his warmth like a cat in the sun.
Gray smiled, spooning around his girlfriend, his arms around her tight. “Sleep well, love.”
[TIME SKIP: TWO DAYS LATER]
Laura hadn’t seen Josh after that incident, and as much as she wanted to see him, she couldn’t. They had just bonded over his heartbreak. He was probably getting better. He didn’t need her anymore.
She shouldn’t be crushing on someone who couldn’t be hers.
Yet she couldn’t help but constantly look at the pictures he had sent her that night. Time flew by incredibly quickly, and the bell rang, and Laura picked her things up and walked out of her classroom.
Josh stood outside the classroom with a few minutes left to go until lunch, sweaty hands shoved into his pockets. Five days since his fight with Gray…. five days with only fleeting glimpses of Laura.
Five days of guilt for walking away on her like that.
Which was why he was waiting for her now, running a carefully planned apology over in his head. But the moment his eyes clashed with hers—–blue lenses today, what did that mean?—–every single thought he possessed crumbled to dust.
"Laura?"
Laura blinked in surprise when a familiar voice reached her ears. That soft voice that she’d grown to like. She looked to her side and met the eyes of—
“Josh,” she breathed, his name slipping off of her tongue smoothly. “What’s up? It’s been a while.”
Hot shame flooded Josh’s cheeks.
“I—Yeah.” He began to rock back and forth on the balls of his feet, clearly anxious about the situation. “Can I—Can we talk? Briefly?”
Laura mistook his nervousness as a feeling of wanting to get away quickly. She didn’t blame him. She was, after all, his crush’s boyfriend’s best friend. There was no reason for him to be there.
So she pulled on a smile.
“It’s fine,” she shrugged. “I understand why you walked away. I would, too, if I saw my crush with his girlfriend. Or her boyfriend, if I were a boy.”
Josh winced at how she was referring to Violeta as his crush, and at the fact that she was openly admitting to having one herself.
“But it isn’t fine,” he argued softly, leaning sideways against the wall. “It’s a stupid and inconsiderate thing to do. And I did it. Which is why I want to apologize. And…”