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"11th of november is the day, that my light, that my light, 11th november is the day, that my little light may burn away!"
The synchronized singing filled his ears for what it seemed like the thousandth time that day. He'd originally planned to keep his door closed and lights off in order to avoid it all, however.. a certain pink haired friend prodded on him that he shouldn't be a party pooper for just a day and go along with the festivities.
"That was great," he applauded with the most realistic positive tone he could manage, "that was a honor to listen to."
The children on his doorstep looked up at him with wide eyes full of excitement. "So, of course.." he mustered, turning around to get his hands on the plastic bowl that was placed beside the clothing rack, "..You guys deserve that treat. Only take one, though, okay? Or else there won't be enough left for the others passing by here." The children ducked towards him to reach for the bowl, the sound of crackling plastic soon to follow.
"Thank you!" The children sung in harmony, before stuffing the candy into their bags and stepping off to leave to meet their parents who were standing back a foot or two. And the large group soon continued their way up to get to the next doorstep, the chatting of the youngsters slowly muting down as they faded into the distance.
"Saint-Martin, huh," the green haired boy sighed to himself, "I wonder why I never did this when I was—" he paused. When he was young.. who was he kidding, he already knew the answer; but that was years ago, there was no use to dwell on it now. "It's.. a lot," he sighed, looking down at the already half-empty candy bowl, "I bet little Drew would've enjoyed it; all the candy to himself."
He shook his head— no dwelling. Not right now, after all, he was supposed to enjoy this evening, like Solidad kept complaining to him about.
Though he knew nothing of the festivities. Just that children would pass his door, singing with self-crafted lanterns for candy. So that's what he went with, a bowl full of candy, to give out to everyone that were to pass by his door. Though, in all honesty, he was getting tired of hearing the same two songs over and over again. He swore he could hear the songs playing on loop in his mind like a carousel that just wouldn't stop.
Lazily shutting his door, and trudging back to his living room, he observed as he could see the lights of lanterns moving up and about in the pitch black darkness of the winter evening through the window from the kitchen, and hear the soft chattering of children which the walls didn't fully mute out. "At least they're having a good time," he sighed to himself before letting himself fall onto the sofa. "However, I'm totally not doing this ever again."
He sat there, crowded in the darkness of his living room, appreciating the silence until a loud ring pierced through his ears.
"I really don't get a break, do I?" Drew sighed to himself, propping himself up to get off of the couch. He sauntered over to the door again, grabbing the handle and lazily swooping the door open before putting up the most optimistic face he could show at that moment. He expected to be met with another group of little children, ready to sing, however who was on his doorstep almost made him choke.
It was the lovely brunette, who'd started singing as soon as the door creaked open, the footing beneath the door ruffling against the carpet that was laid on the ground.
Her singing was beautiful; angelic, almost. He wanted to kick himself in the shin for even thinking that, though the surprise of May standing there on his doorstep singing with a plastic lantern clasped in between her hands wouldn't let him — he was confused, startled, in awe — that moment he was so glad it was dark out, shielding his jaw that hung low in amazement.
"—11th november is the day, that my little light may burn away!" The excited brunette finished singing before shyly looking up at him, somehow seemingly not recognizing him yet.
"Wow, May, what a performance," he snorted, stepping out of the dark doorway to end up beneath the canopy, where the light above smoothly flickered on, revealing his figure. May looked as if she was about to fall down face flat, her body quickly shook as his husky voice spoke over the silence of the evening. "D-Drew?" May stammered, bewildered, as she looked up at the green haired boy, "I didn't... expect for you to..."
Drew immediately placed his hand on his waist, his smirk slowly deforming into a more casual smile, "I live here; though, of course, I should've known that you had no idea," he commented smugly, "..I didn't expect to see you here, either, though. Singing for Saint-Martin? Aren't you.. a little too grown up for that?" scratch that; yeah, by no means was she too grown up for that — she still had the mind and spirit of a little child sometimes.
"You can never be too grown up for a little bit of candy," May huffed pridefully, giving him a wink, "don't 'cha think?"
Drew snickered again before moving his hand up from his hip to his head, drilling his fingertips into his locks to flick them out of his face, "No, of course not, but you're sticking out like a sore thumb as a fourteen year old between a bunch of little children— you could have.. you know, just hit the store to buy some?" he suggested, watching as May flushed red in embarrassment before him.
"..Well, there's no fun in that, now, is there?" she retorted hotly as soon as she'd recovered, "Besides, I don't care what others think; this makes me happy. I'd happily get weird looks from all around if it means I can feel like a little kid again for a night," she sung, quickly peering down in her bag full of candy, "and there's really no harm in going along with it for just a night, right?"
Drew was almost a little bit caught off guard by her words — yeah, he knew she was carefree, and that she enjoyed what she did — but looking at her staring down so lovingly at the bag of candy she'd collected over the hour, he couldn't help but be a little surprised about how much this little tradition seemed to mean to her. "..T-True," Drew agreed, a tad bit embarrassed, "But I'm just saying you could be a little more mature."
The brunette looked up from her bag back at him and puffed her cheeks. "Well. Whatever you say, mister-know-it-all," she growled before she made a step to turn around, "I suppose you're not in the mood to give me anything, so I better be on my way."
Drew almost instinctively reached out to pull her back, as if not wanting for her to leave just yet. "No, wait."
May paused in her tracks as she swiveled back around and peered up at Drew with a confused expression. "What?" she murmured, seemingly paying no mind that their fingers had intertwined. "You.. you deserve some candy," Drew exclaimed a little fast, showing his nervousness. "Yay! Thanks, Drew!" May chirped as the chartreuse haired teenager ducked beneath the clothing rack to pick up the bowl of candy and handed it over to May as she reached out to grab one. "Besides, with that of a pretty voice I really don't have a choice." the words practically shot themselves out before Drew could stop himself.
The bandana wearing brunette stopped with the candy clasped in her hand and looked up at him with surprise flashing through her eyes as she realized he'd complimented her. "...You think my singing is nice?" May inquired timidly, not entirely believing if she'd heard him right. Drew, who realized his mistake, froze on the spot. "I— I mean.. with all these little children singing loudly and unharmonized, just hearing your voice alone was.. nice."
And he'd messed that up again.
"So you like my voice?" May taunted, as her weak stance from before turned more confident as she bat her eyebrow at him. "Yeah.. I suppose, a little." he admitted, slowly letting go of her hand as he felt the heat rise to his face.
A giggle bubbled up in May, and despite her best effort to stifle it, it slipped out — a quick, bright sound that escaped before she could stop it. Her eyes sparkled and her cheeks flushed, as if caught in a moment she hadn't meant to share. "..Ehe," she chortled, "Well, thank you. I'd say I like your voice, too, but I've never heard you sing." She added, teasing slightly, as her hand still covered her warm breath that damped into the cold fall air. "..And, honestly, I think I'd rather not, ever." With a mischievious glint in her eyes reflected by the canopy's light, she leaned out with her fingers reaching in a teasing motion, giving his dry lip a light, playful poke.
Drew felt as if all walls crumbled around him; with a sweating and cramping hand his jaw fell slack. His breath hitched in his throat, and no words were able to get past his teeth.
May giggled again, seeing how surprised and awestruck he'd looked. "Aww, you're all red!" She cooed, lifting her hands up to her cheeks as soon as she'd retrieved her arm finger from his lip - Drew took this moment to recover however, and abruptly cleared his throat. "If you're done with the teasing now, I think you oughtta be on your way," he grumbled, the red from his cheeks still a little present.
"Aw.. you're right," May sighed, looking up ahead at the terraced houses that followed into the distance. "I've still got a ton of places left to pass.. well, then I'll be going. See ya!" The tapping of her shoes against the tiles were almost louder to the faint singing of children in the distance as the brunette had pivoted around on her heel, throwing an overt wave to him over her shoulder. "..Bye," Drew muttered lazily, watching May's cat shaped lantern dangling about fading into the darkness.
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9:30PM. The only thing keeping the streets somewhat visible were the street lanterns light scattering onto the street, revealing a much more calm and reserved street than Drew had experienced an hour ago. It was getting late—at least, it was that way to the children. But he was still wide awake. He couldn't help it; the same song, sung by every kid who had passed his door, was looping in his head for the thousandth time, and he was losing it.
And the fact that May was one of the people singing in front of his door didn't help a thing. Especially when she reached in and poked his lips and--
He basically slammed his head into his desk as he remembered how close she'd gotten and how embarassingly nervous he got; that wasn't the cool-collected-not-crazy Drew he'd make her believe he was. God, even he didn't recognise that part of himself! It felt like his lip burned, and it seemed as if the feeling of her fingertips against his lips would last for a whole while longer. "and she saw me, too," he growled, "It's humiliating. Just why did I react like that?"
Drew would've kept on beating himself up over it if it wasn't the doorbell's screech piercing through his ears.
His gaze quickly flickered over to the digital clock above his bed, showing 8:34PM in bold letters. Not much time had passed since he last checked. It was rather late for any more Sint-Martin, so who could that even be? He slumped off of his chair and dragged himself along to trudge off of the staircase, his heart missing a beat as he nearly missed a step in the pitch black hallway. As the light flickered on he reached for the doorknob and lazily pulled the door towards him, revealing the same brunette on his porch.
Remembering their close contact, he almost choked again.
"May?" Drew exclaimed in astonishment, his voice tinged with confusion. "What are you doing here... again?" The brunette smiled sheepishly, her gaze flicking away, "I might've... walked a little too far from home, and..."
Drew was about to face-palm harder than he'd ever done. "...And.. I wanted to ask if you'd mind me staying for the night?" May queried softly, reaching for her hands to nervously fiddle with her fingers. As Drew subtly took in her appearance, he noticed the dark circles under her eyes, a clear sign of her exhaustion. Yet, despite that, she seemed happy—content, even—as if she'd had a pleasant night. He couldn't bring himself to spoil that feeling now. "I suppose it's fine," he concurred, cowering back so May could step inside, "I think it was going to rain later tonight, anyway. Can't be the reason you get sick." he excused lamely, hoping she wouldn't notice his abashment.
As May stifled a giggle he thought he'd been done for and that she'd seen his red face and sweaty palms. "Ehe. Thank you, Drew, that's really nice of you!" To his surprise, she replied with a bright, grateful smile, her eyes lighting up as she flashed it at him. With a small, joyful jump, she stepped inside, the soft tap of her shoes against the doormat echoing in the quiet hallway. Drew shook his head, as though attempting to rid himself of the lingering embarrassment. "It's... not a problem," he managed to say, his voice a little shaky.
"I had no idea you lived around here," May mused, her eyes scanning all over Drew's interior. He felt a little unpleasant about May out of all people in his private space, though; he'd always told himself this was a place for him and himself alone. "Of course you had no idea; it's not like you to know where I'd live. If you did, I'd be much more concerned." he lead May over to his living room, the dim light of a candle who was placed on his table, flickering.
"Not as if you'd have the skills to stalk someone, anyway." he smoothly settled back down on the couch, one leg positioned his other, before lifting his head to smugly look back up at her. May let out a growl, clearly not entertained. "Ha-ha, very funny. Well, you're certainly in luck because I don't plan on stalking anyone; and especially not you, Hayden."
His heart started pounding just a bit faster as she'd called him by his second name — sure, it was said pretty often, but out of May out of all people calling him that was a bit more unexpected. "Yeah? Well, I guess you'd be missing out," he replied hotly, his hands getting a little sweaty again, "which, again, might just be a good thing. In your case, of course. You've made a mess of yourself enough already, don't you think?" he commented, as May visibly cringed outwardly. "Let's.. not bring that up."
A laugh escaped Drew's lips— a breathy one — probably one of the most genuine laughs he'd shared in a hot minute, catching May off guard ever so slightly. "I was just teasing you," he purred, "you seem worn out enough from the walking; I'll spare you from humiliating you just this time. I don't take it you've got any pajamas with you?" he queried, pushing himself off of the sofa again, making a leap towards the hallway without looking back. "...No," May replied sheepishly, "why'd I bring pajamas with me on saint martin out of all things?"
Drew shrugged, stopping to look behind his shoulder — back at may — to get one last look at her attire. It seemed worn out, a little dirty even — so he pivoted his head back towards the staircase. "I don't know. You have a habit of doing the most unusual things; so I just thought I'd ask." he concluded, smugly. He got a fit of angry noises in response. As he was about to make his first step on the staircase to make his way up Mays voice interrupted. "..Where are you going?"
"I'm going to grab you something to wear; you don't want to sleep in that, do you?" He answered, not even bothering to look behind his shoulder at that point, "come on."
He slowly ascended the stairs, his warm palms brushing against the cool, metal banister he'd wrapped his hands around. May was in his house — his private space — and soon she'd surely see his room, too; May was a curious person in nature, so she'd scavenge every little corner of his room, definitely— with a motive to end up finding anything to embarrass him, too, perhaps. That he wasn't all too worried about, though; he'd kept his room neat and without anything humiliating to be found, however, May, a girl who, he might've had developed a crush for, in his room? His own safe space? He hasn't considered the moment would ever come.
"Calm it down, Hayden," he hissed to himself, giving himself a quick bite in the inside of his cheek to give him something else to think about, "It's just May. Least she cares about is your room— all she's concerned about is a place to stay for the night, so don't dress it up as more than it is." He'd convinced himself, though he didn't feel any more relieved as soon as he got to his room.
He heard squeaking from downstairs before a energetic May rushed up the stairs, her bucket with candy in her hands. "So what do I wear, then? You don't have girl clothes, do you?" She furrowed her eyebrow at him accusingly, a grin tugging at the corners of her lips; taunting him. "No, I don't," he answered, giving her a smug smile, showing he wasn't intimidated, "But I've got I've got plenty of sweaters; and you're as petite as can be, so you'll fit." he opened the door with a bit more hesitation than he'd hoped to show before trudging in and heading for his closet.
Curse this saint martin.
Curse this adorable girl in his house— in his room— and soon to be in his own clothes...
"W-What? Are you sure that's okay with you?" May squeaked from behind him. Though he wasn't looking at her, he could almost feel her trembling with nervousness and embarrassment — At least Drew wasn't the only one who felt uneasy about the prospect of May soon wearing his clothes; not that he'd admit that to anyone, though. "Yeah, not a problem," he affirmed lazily, ignoring his slightly shaky hands reaching for a sweater and a pair of jogging pants.
"O-Okay.."
Drew sighed to himself before turning back towards May, who seemed to be fidgeting, "Here you go. It might not be what you'd usually wear, but.. I hope it'll do." He outstretched his hand, a black sweater and dark gray sweat pants folded neatly in his palm. "No, it.. it's nice of you to let me borrow your stuff at all," she admitted timidly, her eyes cast downwards as she carefully picked up the staple of fabric. "Sleeping in this'll be definitely way more comfortable than... this." Drew intently looked at her features, hoping she was as truthful as she sounded; her pink cheeks confirming she was.
Drew chuckled. "It's not a problem. And it'll surely be more comfortable that way. It's still pretty early, though," He mustered, his gaze flickering over to the digital clock on his bed stand, "do you plan on going to sleep, yet, or...?"
May shook her head.
"No way, Drew! It's bad luck not eating your candy on Saint Martin! Besides, all that walking got me hungry. I'm craving for some good sweets!" she aggressively dug into her back of candy, before pulling out a roll of black licorice. "It'd be a crime if I didn't enjoy some of these before I go to bed, duh! And where will I sleep, anyway?" Drew let out a frustrated sigh, running his hands through his chartreuse locks. "Gee, sorry for asking," he shot back, irritation laced in his voice as he flicked his hair out of his face. "You can sleep here. I've probably got a spare mattress in the attic. Is that good enough for you, princess?"
Redness rose to Mays cheeks as she started fumbling around, "Don't call me princess, I am not a little child! And yes, a spare mattress will work just fine, thank you!" she rambled — a bit too fast than intended, it seemed — as she looked flustered for a split moment before she folded her arms indignantly. "I'll go have to get that, then," he grumbled, trudging out of his room to take the stairs to the attic.
The suggestion of May sleeping in his room slipped out a bit too fast, and, he wasn't going to embarrass himself correcting it; so, May sleeping in his room, it was. The idea nerved him — but at the same time, he felt most at ease knowing she wouldn't snoop around and do stuff while he wasn't there; Drew happened to be a very light sleeper, and would wake up if she made the poor decision to look into his stuff — which he found rude to assume, but did so, anyway.
After a minute or five Drew came stomping down the staircase with his arms secured tightly around the mattress, ensuring it wouldn't fall; though he did struggle keeping it up, as the mattress was too big to fit in his arms to begin with. But, suddenly, the weight of the mattress seemed halved, and he'd realized May had grabbed into the mattress to help. "Hey, you need any help? This things pretty heavy and big to carry off of a spiral staircase.." Drew bit his lip; he wasn't one to accept help, but if May offered, then... "That'd be nice, yeah," he answered softly, as the two continued to drag the mattress over to his room, placing it beside his own bed.
"So.. your rooms really nice! You've even got your own TV! Can we watch some? It'd be nice to watch something while I snack on my candy here!" May grinned widely, letting the bag of candy fall on the mattress, luckily landing softly enough for nothing to fall out. "I guess we could do that, yes," he sighed, "but I choose what we're watching. I get you're getting comfortable, but this is my house, after all."
May let out a quiet, disgruntled murmur in response as she crossed the room and seated herself on the mattress, immediately reaching for the bag of candy she had set down there. "You're such a buzzkill," she grumbled, tightly eyeing Drew as he moved back to his closet to grab a spare pillow and blanket.
"I would've been more of a buzzkill if I'd left you out there that late," the chartreuse haired boy retorted matter-of-factly, digging through his organized closet, "You really should learn to be a bit more grateful, Maple. Who knows what might have happened if you'd tried to make your way home alone at this hour," he finished, his voice firm but edged with concern. Reaching out from the closet, he turned toward May—whose expression wavered between irritation and uncertainty—and extended a hand to her, a pillow and blanket gathered in his grasp. May shifted slightly, as if hesitant, before gently reaching for the pillow and blanket, her eyebrows furrowed up tightly. "Such as what, mister know-it-all?"
Drew could only snort at her question, stepping closer with a lopsided grin. "Such as what?" he echoed—and before May could brace for whatever lecture he was about to give, his hand darted out like a practiced thief. With ease he plucked a candy from her bag, and climbed onto the higher bed beside her and settled back with a smug, unrepentant satisfaction. "You getting lost, you get distracted on the way there, or you flat out faint with those thin clothes of yours..? I don't know, I could keep going," he murmured proudly, balancing the piece of candy between his fingers, before unwrapping the paper around it—his smug gaze not breaking away from May's.
Unexpectedly though, May firedly shot up from the mattress and flopped onto his bed, barking angrily as she made a desperate attempt to reach for his outstretched hand. "No, you give that back to me, Drew! It's mine!" she bit, barely noticing how she'd practically thrown himself on Drew.
Drew, meanwhile, had only a heartbeat to react. His grin widened into something downright smug as he leaned back, lifting the candy just out of her reach. "Oh, yeah?" he taunted, then, with theatrical slowness, he opened his mouth and let the piece of candy drop in, snapping his teeth shut the moment it landed. "...Too bad. Not anymore. I'd say this is my fair share for letting you stay here for the night," he finished slyly, before it dawned on him May had climbed onto his chest, one arm angrily pressed against the bed while the other fell slack beside him. "...Drew, did you really have to do that?"
"...You do remember where you are, right?" Drew asked.
A moment of silence followed as their eyecontact remained, May's face slowly succumbing to the sheer realistion and embarrassment of the situation they were in, her cheeks reddening at an alarming pace. "O-Oh—Uh—but I didn't mean to do that! Aah!" the brunette panicked at last, falling off of the bed like she'd seen a ghost, landing flace-flat on the mattress, her legs partly on the floor.
"G-Geez..." Drew breathed out, running a hand through his hair as he stared down at her. His own cheeks were warm, his pulse thundering far faster than he wanted to admit. "Remind me never to steal your candy again...If I'd known pouncing on me was part of the deal, I might've thought twice," he grumbled, spulling himself upright, desperately trying to fight the heat in his cheeks.
May remained where she'd fallen, frozen with embarrassment. When she finally tried to speak, her voice came out as nothing more than a soft, breathless squeak. Her face was so red it nearly glowed like her cat lantern. Eventually she managed only the tiniest, trembling whisper, hardly a word at all, before burying her burning face in her hands, too flustered to even form a full sentence. "I'm sorry," she squeaked finally, as Drew peered down at her, his eyelids rising in surprise as May shakily folded up under her covers. "I didn't mean to get so fired up—ugh, that was stupid. Stupid me and my stupid..."
"May.." Drew exhaled at last, sliding his feet off the bed. He turned toward her mattress, guilt tugging at him as he took in the sight of the brunette curled beneath the blankets—hair hanging limp and low, like a drenched cat that had wandered through a storm, "It's not that big of a deal. You just freaked out and acted on it—which is only natural—if we ignore the fact it was a little stupid and overexaggerated. I won't steal any more next time; I was just teasing you," he assured, deliberately reaching out to ruffle her head, his eyes closed tightly shut in fluster.
The girl remained still under the covers before slowly turning towards him, her cheeks puffed up as though she was trying to keep herself from exploding in shyness, her eyes pleading. "Really? You don't think it was really weird from me to do? I feel humiliated."
Drew shrugged. "It was out of nowhere for sure, but I'm used to you acting unprompted—if anything I should've seen that one coming," he chuckled slowly after he noticed May slowly unraveled the blankets from around her, the guilt draining from her face. "Come on, we'll watch something you like on the TV. As an apology for teasing you and taking a piece of candy you rightfully got yourself."
May smiled subtly but sweetly, her cheeks red.
"Mhhhmm..that's nice of you, Drew.
.....Thank you."
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An hour or two slipped by, and Drew's digital clock perched on the desk now glowed with a bold 14:45AM, blinking impatiently as it counted down the seconds.
The TV in front of him raged on loudly, the screen flashing with bright colors that made him almost sure he wouldn't be sleeping a blink that night.May had chosen some wildly dramatic, adrenaline-draining reality show—claiming it was "fun to see someone's perspective of life full of drama", however it cringed him to the core seeing how two hopeless romantics tried to keep an awfully awkward conversation going by a bar. If it weren't for the painful second hand embarrassment he felt while watching the screen, he would've fallen asleep on the spot—loud noises and all.
May patiently sat beside him on the lower mattress, legs crossed and blanket curled tightly around her body like a lifeline. Her eyes were wide and curious—he couldn't help but notice—as she intently gazed at the screen, occassionally unwrapping a piece of candy and plopping it into her mouth. "They're soooo cute together, don't you think?" she sighed, wearing the kind of dopey smile, as if that sort of awkward "romance" was the most romantic thing on the world.
"I don't know," Drew hummed in response, sitting up as he watched with tight eyebrows while the girl on screen fiddled with a strand of her hair, "they can barely hold a conversation—I've seen less chemistry in a science class," he protested, to which May turned her head almost instantly as if she was offended, her eyes widened like someone brutally insulted her. "That's because they're nervous, Drew! Nervous!" she protested, aggressively jabbing at the TV screen as though that could change his mind, "When people are in love they become nervous! And that's so adorable..." her righteous fury melted mid-sentence into a dreamy sigh, her expression softening into pure lovesick goo upon looking back at the TV screen.
"It's more awkward than nervous," Drew responded flatly.
May immediately spun around and gave him a look so serious and judgmental it felt like he'd just failed a test he didn't know he was taking. "And what would you know about being in love, huh?"
Well, that certainly made him shut up. With his body gone cold he turned his face away from May, hoping she wouldn't notice the way his entire face paled. Oh, he knew what it felt like to be in love, all right—he'd felt like a nervous wreck the moment she'd shown up on his doorstep singing, with her stupidly attractive voice he never had gotten to hear like that. But he couldn't just tell her that, could he? He'd never live that down—and it wasn't like he was in the mood for rejection either, let alone while she was sleeping on a mattress beside him. "I can just see when it's rather awkwardness than being nervous, May. Of course I wouldn't expect for you to notice something incredibly obvious like that."
May "tssked", puffing up her cheeks afterward like she didn't believe a word. "You mean that it's incredibly obvious they're totally in love," she protested, curling the blanket around her even tighter to protect herself as though Drew could pounce at her any second.
"Sure," Drew replied with a tired sigh, easing himself back down and interlacing his arms behind his head as he settled into place. "They're totally in love."
Despite the television blaring loudly in the background, a quiet stillness settled over the room. May remained curled up beneath her blanket, tucked in comfortably like a small dog nestled in its favorite spot, while Drew's gaze drifted upward to the ceiling. The faint specks of shadow scattered across it suddenly seemed far more compelling than the chaotic reality show playing in front of him; Yet his thoughts continued to circle back to May. Had she ever been in love? Over the past hour, as they endured the show's painfully awkward attempts at romance, he had noticed the way she lit up at even the most cringeworthy moments—how she gushed with an earnest enthusiasm that suggested she adored the idea of love, no matter how clumsy or poorly executed the example on-screen happened to be.
"So... you in love with anyone?" he asked at last.
May jumped like a startled cat, her body trembling slightly as a sudden flush spread across her cheeks. Her eyes went wide, as if he had just asked the most outrageous and shocking question ever. Her mouth opened, but no words came out, except for a few pathetic squeaks. "U-Uh... well, the thing is.. you see.." she spluttered, fidgeting with the blanket anxiously.
Drew could only turn to her with surprise. "Really? You're in love with someone?" he inquired, almsot bewildered. He forced himself to ignore the sudden tug at his chest—the thought of May loving someone else threatening to make his world dissolve into nothing—before setting a tight, teasing smirk, his brows lowering in mock accusation. "Not with someone as utterly awkward as that reality show guy, I hope?" he tittered smoothly.
May's eyes widened, her cheeks flushing an even darker red despite he was thinking it couldn't get any worse. "W-What? No! I... I just..." she stammered, lifting her hands in a futile attempt at protest. Her gaze flickered away, her lips quivering like she was trying to stiffle more squeaking, "I just...wish he'd react all nervous and shy to me if I teased him like he does with me.." she whispered, poking her fingers together in front of her nose, trying to hide her crimson cheeks.
So there was another guy riling her up just like him? The thought hit Drew with a strange mix of irritation, and something else—something he couldn't bare to admit. It almost made him feel cheap, like he wasn't special or original. Even less so knowing that the guy in question had done it better than him; too well that she ended up attracted to him.
He clenched his jaw, forcing himself to hide the small, uncomfortable twist of jealousy that threatened to show. Not in front of May—not when she was already glowing under the warmth of the moment. His ego may have been shaking slightly behind the scenes, but his face would stay smooth, teasing, confident; like he'd trained himself to be. "Damn," he said finally, letting a mock sigh escape. "So you're that easy to rile up...and I'm not even the only one?: His eyes flicked toward her, catching the faintest twitch of her lips. "Geez, May. I'm offended you didn't tell me about that sooner. If I'd known, I might have gone a little easier on you."
Despite his bold words, Drew felt anything but confident. Rejected, like a lost cause, he couldn't shake how much his feelings for May had grown over time. He had long hidden them behind teasing, delighting in her flustered reactions as a private reflection of his own emotions. It had become a rhythm, almost clockwork routine—but realizing he wasn't the one she liked made that routine feel hollow. For the first time, he felt the urge to break free from it, to risk showing more than playful jabs, even though the thought terrified him. Every glance at her now carried a weight he could no longer mask. "Falling hopessly in love with someone who teases you and riles you up...interesting taste you have, Maple."
May stiffened again, clutching her blanket tightly, her fingers gripping the fabric as if it could anchor her to some sense of composure. Her cheeks burned a deep, unrelenting red, and she hunched forward slightly, trying to shrink herself as her embarrassment seemed to seep from every tense line of her body. "....And that kind of teasing that you always do...It makes my stomach go crazy...curse you, Hayden..." she muttered into the blanket, not realizing she'd spoken louder than intended. The instant it registered, her face flamed even brighter, and she buried herself deeper in the folds of the fabric, mortified by her own words.
"What?" was the only thing Drew could muster, eyes wide as he observed May shielding herself from pure embarrassment. "I'm the one you like?"
The brunette angrily pushed the covers off of her, her cheeks redder than he'd ever seen. "...And so what if I do, huh?" she grumbled, confidence through the roof, turning towards Drew as if nothing mattered anymore, "I do like you. I like you way too much, Hayden! And it sucks because everytime you rile me up, I get all nervous and fluttery! It's so frustrating because every single time I try to do that back to you I barely get a reaction out of you! You're so...you're so..utterly frustrati—hmph—?!"
May's rambling succumbed into the nothingness of the dark room as Drew pressed his lips against hers, the TV reality show long ended, credits rolling in silence.
They didn't move—not for a moment. May leaned instinctively into his lips, barely processing the suddenness of Drew's bold move; her entire body seemed to ignite from the unexpected contact. She had only meant to brace herself for more teasing, to steel against whatever playful humiliation he had planned—but instead, he had silenced her with a kiss, full and deliberate, pressing straight to her lips. And she would be lying if she said she hadn't wanted it. Every nerve in her body seemed to hum with a urgent desire to stay exactly where she was, pressed against him, feeling the warmth and the steady pull of him beneath her. She wanted to linger there, in the stillness of the evening, the credits on the TV still rolling like it was their own happy end.
The moment the TV suddenly blasted to life, an obnoxiously loud clothing commercial shattering the quiet, Drew sprang away from May like a deer caught in headlights, His eyes were wide, his cheeks flaming red, as if he'd just realized the sheer audacity of what he'd just done.
Despite May's utter embarrassment she couldn't help but burst into laughter as Drew's hand moved up to his lips, as if he had to stifle a gasp, his cheeks still steaming. "Bwaahaaa! So that's what you look like when you're all flustered! I never thought I'd see the day! That's just... that's just adorable!" she choked through her giggles, a tear springing from her eye as if she'd just witnessed the funniest comedic show—while Drew sat on the edge of the bed, rooted to the spot.
"Well," he grumbled, finally pulling himself out of his pit of sheer humiliation, "now that you've seen it, you can stop laughing."
May giggled once more, brushing the stray tear from the corner of her eye. "Sure, sure, I'll stop," she laughed, voice bright and happy, "I'll let it go for now. I'll spare you since you let me stay tonight."
Drew's lips at last curved into a soft, almost shy smile at May's words, a warmth spreading through his chest that had nothing to do with embarrassment anymore and everything to do with her. He reached for the TV remote to turn off the blasting noise before turning back to May, his eyes softer than May had ever seen them. "You're just as utterly frustrating, Maple," he murmured before gently brushing a loose strand of hair from her face, his fingers lingering by her ear just a moment longer than necessary, "Whenever you get so nervous it's hard not to feel anything; not when you look so adorable like that. You don't know how much conflict you've caused me."
May giggled lightly, leaning further into his touch. "Well, I suppose I'm glad my nervousness was at least worth something," she whispered, "Or else you wouldn't have kissed me there—that was very bold of you, Drew."
"Well...." Drew smirked, running his fingers through his hair before flicking a stray strand away from his face, eyes glinting with mischief. "I didn't hear you complaining," he said, his voice low and teasing, cutting through the silence. "You kissed me back, didn't you? And between you and me...I have a feeling you would've kept going if it weren't for that ridiculously loud advertisement ruining the moment."
The brunette froze again. "U-Uh—Well, you didn't break the kiss, either! So you liked that kiss and wanted to keep going as much as I did!" she protested, pushing Drew in the chest with her finger accusingly, to which Drew laughed. "I mean, can you blame me? Your lips are all sweet; you taste like candy."
"W-What—?" May spluttered. "I thought you didn't care that much for sweets; I thought you stealing that piece before was to rile me up.."
Drew crossed his leg over his other, leaning back from her embrace. "It was. And I don't really care for candy all that much—" he shrugged nonchalantly, before his grin reappeared stronger than before. "—but that doesn't mean your lips aren't more enjoyable when they taste like candy."
May began fumbling nervously again, her entire body betraying her panic at the teasing tone in his voice. "Drew! D-Don't say that! You... you didn't really enjoy that, did you?" she stammered, her words spilling out in a rush of flustered embarrassment. She scrambled backward instinctively, pressing her hands over her lips as if to hide the heat rising in her cheeks. Her movements were clumsy and hurried, and she nearly toppled over when her foot caught the corner of the mattress, leaving her frozen for a brief, mortified moment as she tried to regain her balance. Drew, unable to hold back, let out a genuine laugh.. "Maybe a little?"
As if the brunette suddenly gained confidence, she aggressively picked another piece of candy from her bag, before unraveling the cover and plopping it into her mouth. "Well, in that case!" she said pridefully, grabbing the sides of his face, "Let's share a piece!" before she pressed her lips to his once again, not giving him a moment to protest, leaving Drew muffled in shock.
Curse this saint Martin, he thought—curse this saint Martin for making this adorable girl regain her confidence.
But despite all of that, he felt himself smiling onto her lips.