Take Us Alive • •

[Deleted]

Naia knew that the dinner with Reese had been pretty screwed up. It had all been fine up until Reese had spotted her scar. She felt like it was ridiculous in retrospect, but at the time her mind had kept dragging her out of the present to dredge up those painful memories of her past. Naia had done well to move on from it all, had picked herself up as fast as possible, but when she hadn't thought about it in the longest of times it didn't seem like she could handle the sneak attack of it. After it had been brought up and dropped they tried to make the evening continue as normal, but Naia was painfully aware that she kept zoning out and in to the conversation, often apologising and asking Reese if he'd repeat what he'd just said. She missed a lot of chances for fun and laughter because her own thoughts were taking her down a dark route that she thought she had closed off long ago.

She knew that she probably didn't have to apologise for having an off night, but Naia wanted to make things right again. She liked Reese, enjoyed his company and felt bad for ruining one of his good days when he had shown up with news they ought to have been celebrating. It had been a week since that night, but Naia had been busy with work and had barely spoken to Reese in that time. Using her day off productively she had woken up that morning and heading straight for her kitchen and her mixing bowl, momentarily ignoring the scampering of her pets. Baking had always been therapeutic for Naia; her escape from a house of non-stop chaos. She didn't need a recipe book to know how to make the peanut butter cookies her brothers used to fight over, and she was practically in another place while she tossed the ingredients together. Only when they were in the oven did she give into the pleas for attention from her animals and cuddle them both before filling their bowls for the day. Her own breakfast came in the form of a fruit salad and then she grabbed a shower right before pulling the fresh cookies from the oven, leaving them to cool on the rack before she moved to get changed.

She didn't really have a plan as such, but she was going to head over to his apartment today, hand over the cookies and try to explain what had happened without going into enough detail that it freaked anyone out; herself included. First, she had to walk Marlowe, or more specifically let the dalmatian walk her. Only after that did she put the cookies in a box and then make her way back out to the lot where her car was parked. As much as Naia would love walking to Reese's apartment she knew her ankle would never forgive her for it in the days that followed and it was kind of the last thing that she wanted to happen. The journey didn't take that long, but Naia wished it might have taken just a few minutes longer so she could gather her thoughts and make it so that she wouldn't sound really silly when she did knock on the door. In the end she steeled herself and made her way up to the floor, pausing only for a second before knocking loudly enough that someone would hopefully hear. Naia then realised it might have been better to call ahead to make sure Reese was home, but it was too late for that now.

• • •

TAGGED! Reese! <3
WORDS! 649!
OUTFIT! Summer Sun!
LYRICS! Get Your Guns - - - Jamie Campbell Bower
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Deleted]

Reese hadn't failed to notice that there had been something bothering Naia when he had last been at her apartment. She had started out fine, but then suddenly she had retreated away from him and revealed a side of herself that Reese had never expected to find in the cheery, optimistic red head. It had him worried, he had to be honest. He didn't know exactly what had happened, but Reese hated the thought that he might have somehow upset her; especially since she was the person he was closest to outside of the Webb family. She knew his secret, supported him, and having someone who asked about his health and someone to talk to about it had really lifted a weight from his shoulders. If he lost that, Reese honestly suspected that he'd end up worse off. He might have lasted a long time without sharing his illness, but now it was out there and someone was on his side, he wanted to keep that. Truthfully, he wanted to keep Naia in his life.

She was his best friend and whenever he found the excuse to spend time with her then he took it. They were both usually busy with work and classes, but that just made the time together more enjoyable. He wasn't some oblivious teenage boy with his first crush. He knew he liked Naia as more than a friend, but Reese was unsure about telling her how he felt. She was the first person to know about his BMD, the first person he shared that information with and Reese didn't know if her supportive and sweet reaction was just how Naia usually was or if it was a sign of something more. Whatever it was, he just knew enough to know that the last thing he wanted was for Naia to exit his life.

A week had passed and he hadn't heard from Naia. Reese had been busy with settling back into college and putting in the hours on his chemistry work, reading ahead in the assigned texts to ensure he had a better chance to understand the information. It had kept his mind from worrying about the damage he might have caused during their dinner and movie night, but it hadn't been enough to stop him from thinking all together. He had been tempted to call or text her a couple of times, and at one point was even ready to swing by her apartment casually to return a DVD he hadn't even got around to watching yet. Reese had stopped himself though, telling himself to give her a few more days before checking in to see if everything was alright with her. He didn't want to seem pushy or bother her if she needed some space. Reese wasn't a genius when it came to girls, but he liked to think that living with his little sister had helped him understand when a girl needed some time with her own company and when she needed to be dragged out of her shell.

That morning he had slept in a little later than usual and only got out of bed when he heard the front door closing. His curiosity was what stirred him and Reese crept out of his bedroom with a sleepy hobble, moving until he found the note on the counter from Rhiannon. With Allela having kidnapped her for the day he pretty much had the apartment to himself and very little to do in it. He had exhausted himself the night before with an early semester assignment and the last thing he wanted to do today was hard work. Instead, he quickly showered and dug out a clean shirt before flopping in front of the TV and flicking through the seemingly endless channels where the only thing that caught his eye was a monotone documentary about the Bermuda Triangle. He was lazily watching that, thinking about what to do next, when the knock came at the door and Reese moved slowly to answer it. His eyes widened ever so slightly when he spied the figure behind the wood and a small smile tugged at his lips. “Nai, hi. Come on in. I was just thinking about calling you.” It may not have been an accurate truth, but Reese had momentarily thought about what Naia might have been up to and if she was even free that day.

Tagged- Naia!
Words- 735
Lyrics- Secrets by Onerepublic
Clothes- Over here
Notes- xD

[Deleted]

Naia wouldn't even begin to pretend that she was the most confident little bunny out there, because she wasn't. She could handle public speaking, she could stand in front of a crowd and she could hold a conversation with a total stranger. It was just very rare that she felt herself get embarrassed and flustered; which was exactly the way she was feeling standing outside Reese's apartment with a Tupperware container of baked goods. There was a lot she didn't share about her life, just because it never came up in conversation and it wasn't the kind of things that someone would bring up randomly. The most Naia would mention were phone calls from home and how her younger brothers were doing. They were understandable, especially since she had practically raised all of them and picked her own father up when he had hit rock bottom. It was the whys and the hows of that which Naia chose to leave out of casual chats with friends. Maybe they had missed out on a lot, but they made up for it in plenty of other ways too.

She didn't really know what she planned to do once Reese had opened the door. An apology was on the cards and then she had intended to explain her reasons for freaking out on him and acting weird during dinner, but Naia knew that was something she couldn't just blurt out while clutching cookies and standing in a hallway. All she wanted was to get this bit over and done with, but it was something she couldn't drop on him suddenly; it wouldn't be fair. Naia wasn't even expecting a reaction from him, she didn't care for one, she just wanted Reese to know that it wasn't his fault she had ruined what was supposed to be a relaxing dinner together. “Hey. Yeah, well, I figured I owe you an apology and I made some cookies to bring over too.” She rambled only slightly, but it was still enough to indicate that something was bothering her. “May I come in?” She asked, looking up at him hopefully. Naia really didn't want this conversation to happen out in the hallway where anyone could come along and here it.

Once inside, Naia moved to the kitchen to put the cookies out of the way. They had been something to keep her mind settled and her hands busy rather than something necessary to the apology. After that, she moved back to Reese, stopping just in front of him and making sure she made eye contact before she spoke. “I just wanted to say sorry for getting all weird during dinner last week. It had nothing to do with you and it wasn't fair on you. So, I'm sorry and I want to make it up to you. Another dinner, a movie...whatever you'd like to do.” She tucked her hair behind her ear nervously and then looked up at Reese again, taking a few moments to let her heart stop pounding against her ribcage.

• • •

TAGGED! Reese! <3
WORDS! 561!
OUTFIT! Summer Sun!
LYRICS! Get Your Guns - - - Jamie Campbell Bower
NOTES! Ick! It's short! >.< <3 <3 <3

[Deleted]

”You owe me nothing.” He said sincerely. Reese didn't know what had happened on the night of their dinner, but he wasn't placing blame on Naia for going silent and acting weird. God knows he had done it to her at the beginning of their friendship. He had tried to push her away in the beginning. He had snapped and been sarcastic and even tried to ignore her, but she had kept pushing back until eventually Reese had found no choice but to give in. He had told her the truth which made her the first person in his life to find out about the pain and his condition. Now he was glad that he had done that. Naia was a good friend and he could see why she had pushed back and prodded him when he didn't want her to. She had known that he needed someone to talk to, someone to help him whenever things were getting bad. Now Reese wanted to return the favour, but he wasn't so good at it compared to Naia. All Reese knew how to do was distract someone during a thunderstorm, and he only knew that because of his little sister. “Sure. Make yourself at home.” The place was a bit messy, but nothing that should horrify Naia.

He listened to her apology and then shook his head, stepping closer and pulling the criminology student into a tight hug. “You have absolutely nothing to be sorry for. Although I will take you up on the offer. I like your company.” Reese said with a boyish grin and a slightly flirtatious tone. He did enjoy spending time with Naia for a whole multitude of reasons. She was funny, sweet, good to him and there was a lot there that he wanted to know more about. Naia was something he hadn't expected, especially when he was too focused on making it through school and keeping his BMD a secret.

He was about to let it all go. Reese was already turning towards the kitchen to offer Naia a drink; tea or coffee. The words were just forming in his throat when he saw her move that strand of hair behind her ear, and in that moment he had a flashback. At dinner, the one that had ended up horribly uncomfortable, Naia's hair had been tied back and Reese's eyes had fallen on a small, but noticeable scar on her neck. It had been at that moment that everything changed with Naia and she had started to get really uncomfortable around him. Reese wasn't going to say anything now, but the words slipped from his mouth before he could stop them. “It's the scar, isn't it? Something happened.” The moment he said it, he regretted it. Words were not something he could take back though, so now it was his turn to offer an apology. “I'm sorry; I didn't mean to say anything.”

Tagged- Naia!
Words- 517
Lyrics- Secrets by Onerepublic
Clothes- Over here
Notes- xD

[Deleted]

Reese could say it a million times over, but Naia knew herself well enough to know that she wouldn't let it slide so easily. She was the kind of girl who did feel guilt even when it wasn't necessary. This time it would be harder to shift since she liked Reese so much and didn't want him to think of her as some kind of problematic woman who wasn't worth his time; even with all the help she so willingly offered. “Well, they're good cookies. Fresh out of the oven this morning.” She said, not really knowing what else to say when he was acting so calm about her appearance at his front door.

With him shrugging her apology off again, Naia managed a small smile. She was so used to cleaning up the lives of the people around her that she forgot that it was acceptable for her to have off days too. When she did feel like wallowing in self-pity she was usually alone at her apartment and had work scattered on a desk to keep her from dwelling on it too much. The dinner had been the first time in a very long time that anyone had seen Naia reach that low state of emotion. “I'm glad. Because I like your company too. It's why I feel so bad for flaking out like that in the first place.” She admitted, biting her lip. Shaking her head to rid her mind of the thoughts, Naia managed a smile up at Reese. She hadn't come here today to worry or brood; she had come here to make things right and maybe waste some time with Reese. She thought it would be easy, just like it usually was in his company, but then he went and said something that made her freeze in place and look back at him with wide green eyes.

No one ever mentioned her scar, even if they did see it. Naia had always put it down to common courtesy and people not wanting to upset her, just in case it did. There was only her family and then maybe one or two extremely close family friends who had ever known the full story and the truth about what had come to pass to leave Naia with such a scar and pins in her ankle. “I...I was attacked. A long time ago.” She answered vaguely, her hand coming up to cover the nasty scar. It was the main reason Naia favoured wearing her hair down instead of up and even with make up covering it the skin still looked bunched and rough. “No; it's alright. I practically forced you to open up to me, after all.” Naia took a deep breath and then moved to the window. For some reason she felt it might be easier to tell the tale if she wasn't looking at Reese and therefore remained unable to see his reaction. “I was seventeen. The woman who called herself our mother was long gone from our family unit. Her addictions to hard drugs were more of a priority to her than her own children.” The hate was evident in Naia's voice. This was the woman who had not only tore apart her family, but who was also responsible for Naia growing up so quickly. Someone had to take care of the family and piece together some kind of order. “Anyway, after she lost her custodial rights I went to collect my brothers belongings from her house. There was a dealer she owed some serious cash to who also came calling that day. With my mom not there he decided to take his anger out on me. He gave me that scar and shattered my ankle before the cops made it to the house.” She bit her lip to fend off the tears and then glanced across at Reese with a sad, nostalgic smile. “Y'know, I wanted to be a dancer when I was younger.” The ankle injury had put a nail in the coffin of that dream, but oddly it was the one thing Naia resented the most, even though her current career path was one she loved.

• • •

TAGGED! Reese! <3
WORDS! 753!
OUTFIT! Summer Sun!
LYRICS! Get Your Guns - - - Jamie Campbell Bower
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Deleted]

Reese had friends, friends who had been there for years, but Naia was the only one of them who really knew the truth about his situation. To everyone else he was accident prone, clumsy and the guy who always had an excuse against going out. Some of them thought he stayed at home to be the over-protective big brother to Rhiannon, but when his sister had friends like Allela it was rare he got to play over-protective. She was out and partying more than he had ever done, but for the sake of his own sanity he kept away from discovering the details. For as long as she came home in one piece and in good spirits, he would be happy. Right now he was thankful that his bright sister was out. He enjoyed being around Naia but this whole visit screamed that it was beyond personal and Reese did not want to ruin a moment with the criminology student by having Rhiannon bound on in and force a conversation change. He loved his little sister, but like most little sisters they could be the worst.

He didn't like seeing Naia this uncomfortable. He was used to her being a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day, or the kick in the ass when he was wallowing in self-pity and misery, acting as though he had been issued with a death sentence. It was her who always supported him, sometimes physically as well as mentally and emotionally. And yet, in this moment, it felt as if their roles were reversed. Reese had never felt so out of his depth before. This was more than just Rhi and thunderstorms. He listened, not knowing what else to do and could feel his heart pounding in his chest as Naia revealed the truth about her horrendous memory, the demons of her past. It was hard to hear and difficult to imagine how anyone could hurt Naia; a young woman who was incredible as far as Reese was concerned.

Smiling sadly, he stood up and moved a little bit closer to Naia. He didn't know if she wanted space, how much of it, or if she wanted comforting. She had always seemed so strong to Reese and even now when she looked like she was at her most vulnerable he could still see that strength inside of her. She was quite the fighter, he had always thought so, but now he could see it clear as day. She had seen dreams destroyed and had still managed to come back from that with her optimism and her hope still burning brightly. “Well, these legs have ten years at most left in them. I could use a dance teacher to make the most of them.” Reese wasn't usually one for making jokes about his health, but for Naia this seemed perfect. He just wanted to coax a smile from her now, more than anything else. “So what do you say? Waltz or Tango?”

Tagged- Naia!
Words- 500
Lyrics- Secrets by Onerepublic
Clothes- Over here
Notes- xD

[Deleted]

Growing up, Naia had been the girl who was liked by nearly everyone, but who had so few friends. There was really only her family back in Nova Scotia, and they were the only reasons she would ever return to the place where she had grown up. In her younger years, she had been too busy to go out with friends shopping, or have a movie night like so many of the kids did in her school. With no mother around and her father working long hours for his own sanity and the sake of his children, Naia had been the one to clean the house, prepare the meals and oversee homework hours. She made sure her brothers stayed on the right track and her father had no issue with the boys crediting Naia with their upbringing. He knew Naia had sacrificed a lot and done pretty much anything to make her brothers comfortable and happy. He earned the money to keep the roof over their heads and made sure his annual vacation days went to making those long hours up to his family. It was a unique situation, but it was one none of them ever complained about, funnily enough.

Her past was one Naia didn't like to think too much about. It was a history full of memories about a young girl who had to grow up too quickly, little boys who didn't have a mother, and then that horrific incident when she was seventeen was the stuff of nightmares. In the end she supposed that incident had shaped her future since it was mainly the reason why she studied criminology now. Her intentions were to help people, like her nature had always told her to do. Naia hated feeling so down in the dumps and usually she did everything she could to cheer herself up, be it watch a favourite movie, call home or head out with her New York friends for coffee or shopping when she could afford it. She loathed the fact that she was letting memories get the better of her again. She liked to think of herself as a strong person, but this one memory worked as her kryptonite. Naia was lucky that she didn't dwell in her past often; in fact, it was very rare for her.

Talking about the incident felt foreign to her. Even within the comforts of her family home, around the people she trusted the most, Naia didn't share the details of that day. It was never easy to discuss and before now she had never had to do it since her move to New York City. She supposed that it was inevitable eventually. She did carry the scar on her neck that she preferred to keep hidden, and she did have the weak ankle, supported by concealed pins. It really was only a matter of time before someone called her out on one or the other. Reese's words made her laugh warmly, helping her forget about the tears that had threatened to fall only moments ago. “I think with your two left feet we should keep it something simple.” She smiled, taking his hand and helping him up from the couch. It had been a very long time since Naia had danced with anyone and the butterflies were there again for Reese.

• • •

TAGGED! Reese! <3
WORDS! 557!
OUTFIT! Summer Sun!
LYRICS! Get Your Guns - - - Jamie Campbell Bower
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Deleted]

Reese had never seen New York as a city of dreams, but then it had been his home for his whole life. He wasn't one of those who had moved there to escape demons of the past or to chase the impossible dreams born from childhood fantasies. He stayed there for his sister, and because moving away had never really been an option for him. His medical care was best in New York and keeping that was a tough enough secret without having to try and cover it up with even more lies and false reasons. At least here he could claim a clumsy accident left him with a sore knee, pulled muscle or just feeling like crap. If he lived elsewhere and started again then he might very well have to be honest from the start. Reese didn't know how many years of independence he had left in him, although he often dwelt in pessimistic belief that there were fewer than most with BMD. Some could make it well into middle age before they found themselves struggling to walk a few steps, but Reese's own condition had gone undetected for a few years when he ought to have been receiving treatment, which meant he lost a few important early steps that could have helped him sooner. Plus, each case was different and unique. Naia was certainly encouraging him to do more, to help himself, but Reese couldn't rely on her when she might have her own life to return to. He never expected her to stick with him forever.

By then, he might have found some courage to tell his family about his condition. However, Reese didn't want Rhiannon or his parents to have to spend their days fussing over him either. Rhi had a life of her own to live and she barely got out enough as it was. If it wasn't for friends like Allela or Phoenix dragging her out then she'd be a hermit by literal definition. He also didn't want his parents to think it necessary to hire someone to help him out, which was something he suspected they might do if they ever saw him on one of his really bad days. He didn't need any more medical attention, and he definitely didn't need a carer to come to their apartment and look after him. Reese was proud and reluctant to even accept help from Naia. In the end it was only that she was so persistent that he had eventually given in and allowed her to be the one person who knew about his problem, who got to ferry him from appointments and lecture him when he was being an ass about his own health and independence. In time he had grown to like it and her company.

He hadn't wanted Naia to be upset again. He didn't like seeing her down when she was usually the sunshine in his life. Reese felt honoured that she had opened up to him and shared something that was clearly painful for her to talk about, but at the same time he didn't want her to dwell on it. It was in her past and that was exactly where it ought to stay. When she laughed he instantly felt better and knew that the silly idea he had come up with was a good one indeed. Back on his feet, Reese awkwardly placed his hands on Naia's waist after he used the remote to turn the docking station on, skipping through the music until a slower song came on. “Perfect.” He declared with a grin. For a moment he danced Naia around the room slowly and in time with the music, though the whole time Reese knew he was stumbling slightly. He had never held any sense of rhythm and even now he was out of time just a little. It seemed to be inevitable that it would end badly, which it did. Reese clipped his heel and tripped forwards, sending the pair of them crashing to the floor. “Sorry! Are you alright?” He asked, brushing the hair out of Naia's face as he checked to make sure he hadn't caused her any injury. His clumsiness was natural and not just a side effect of the BMD. Being this close to Naia though left Reese with a nervous feeling in his chest, his heart racing slightly. He didn't know what he was thinking when the next thing happened though, but before he knew what he was doing, his lips grazed against Naia's.

Tagged- Naia!
Words- 758
Lyrics- Secrets by Onerepublic
Clothes- Over here
Notes- xD

[Deleted]

New York hadn't been an escape from her past, but rather an escape from her future. Naia hadn't originally had any grand plans to leave Nova Scotia or her family, but her brothers had ultimately encouraged it. They could see that for all the years she had been the one to take care of them all, she had done nothing for herself. Naia had always put the family first and it would slowly drag her down and eventually be her downfall, potentially even her biggest regret. None of them wanted it for her, so they sorted themselves out, offered her every shred of evidence they could find to show that they could survive without her maternal guidance and then they sent her on her way. She had given up so much for them that it was time they encouraged her to chase her own dreams for the first time in her life. That was how Naia had ended up in New York, but she still worried every single day about her father and brothers. She called them regularly to make sure nothing terrible had happened even though they were old enough now to take care of themselves without burning the house down if they chose to cook dinner. Still, she couldn't just switch off and forget about them completely; it wasn't her nature.

Naia cared about people, and she always had done. It wasn't just her family, but friends, too. Even on the days when she used public transport she was the first to offer up her seat to someone else. It didn't matter even if her ankle was particularly sore that day and having a rather unusual bout of pain. It was uncommon for the old injury to cause her bother anymore, but there were a couple of days in a year where it would cry out for Naia to rest it. It was particularly when the weather turned south and there was a nasty chill in the air, as well as when Naia overdid it and chose to walk across the city rather than relying on her car, the bright yellow cabs, or the subway.

Dancing around the apartment with Reese might have sounded silly at first, but Naia actually loved it when they found a rhythm. She didn't mind that Reese tripped up a few times, or missed a few beats. This wasn't some professional competition and it was doing the job to lift her spirits right when she needed it to. Out of all of her friends, Reese had been different right from the start. It wasn't just his condition that made him different either. It was something else and Naia had never quite realised it until now when she was twirling around the room with him, not caring when they were out of time with with music. A squeak left her throat when she tumbled backwards, Reese's weight crashing down on top of her. Laughter quickly followed and she couldn't get her words out. Words didn't matter though, not when Reese's lips were soon pressed against hers. Shock flooded through Naia, but that didn't stop her from kissing Reese back, her hands moving up to run through his hair.

• • •

TAGGED! Reese! <3
WORDS! 534!
OUTFIT! Summer Sun!
LYRICS! Get Your Guns - - - Jamie Campbell Bower

[Deleted]

Reese did spend a lot of time living in a sort of bubble. His life was school, a few hours of work, and then making sure Rhi didn’t pass out doing her work or get lost on an adventure with Allela. Before Naia, Reese barely made room for anyone or anything else. With Naia though there hadn’t been much of a choice. She had pushed her way into his life despite his complaints and before he could do anything about it he had found himself thinking about her when she wasn’t around. It hadn’t been how he had planned any of this. At a point, Reese had even convinced himself that relationships were pointless when no one was going to want to stick around if they discovered the truth about his declining health. Naia had discovered the truth and stuck around as a friend, but Reese never thought it would turn into anything more than that. She was a sweet girl, lovely in every way to him, but he knew it was just in her nature to help people out. Whenever he thought of Naia when he was apart from her, he reminded himself of that and told himself that he wasn’t anything special to her.

None of this was how Reese imagined his day going. His plans had been to lay about in front of the television, watching whatever happened to capture his attention first. He might have tried calling Naia later since he had been worried about her, but never in a million years did he think she’d be in his apartment dancing with him. Even less plausible to him was the fact that she was kissing him back. At first he thought he had just imagined it, but then her fingers were running through his hair and he knew it hadn’t been a wishful figment of his imagination. Reese slid his arms beneath her, holding her closer for a second before pulling away slowly. “We should probably get up off the floor.” He said quietly, a goofy smile spreading across his lips that he just couldn’t contain. How was he supposed to when he had only ever imagined kissing Naia before now? Reese moved off Naia and then used the back of the couch to help himself back to his feet. He might not have needed it today, but after that moment he didn’t want to fall on his ass again and have her fussing over him. “I probably shouldn’t have done it like that, but I like you, Nai, and kissing you has kind of been something I’ve had to stop myself doing before now. I’m sorry.” He admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. Reese wasn’t all that great when it came to romance, and before now his only relationship had lasted two months before he’d been dumped for being insensitive. Apparently he hadn’t clocked on when she was upset about missing a camping trip with her friends and that had been the end of the line for that junior year coupling.

Tagged- @naia!
Words- 509
Lyrics- Secrets by Onerepublic
Clothes- Over here
Notes- xD

[Deleted]

Naia had come to New York for school. It was the first stepping stone on her way to making a difference. For that reason she didn’t live much of a wild college life like some people joked about when she did make the long trip back home. She didn’t go out clubbing every weekend, didn’t dress in skimpy outfits and flirt with guys who looked at her. Most of the time Naia was happy if she made lunch with her friends and found a few hours to browse the shops with the likes of Lottie. The rest of it was about school, paying the bills and making the grades she needed to get on the graduate programme she had her blue eyes on. Naia wanted to make a difference. She hadn’t hated her growing up experience at all, but she didn’t want other little boys or girls to have to go through the same thing. If she could help them then she would, but first she needed to prove herself. For that reason she had never thought about dating while she was still studying, but then she had never thought that she would meet someone who would sneak into her heart the way Reese had.

He was just the guy she felt compelled to help. Then slowly but surely she saw beyond that to see what a great guy he could be when he stopped being so proud and defensive. She liked what she saw there, but Naia still tried to act like it was nothing. She wasn’t the type who fawned over a guy, or who doodled hearts in her margins. She was much more level-headed than that. She knew she was his confidant, and she didn’t push it any further than that for several reasons that mostly included college. She had never counted on Reese blowing each one of those reasons out of the water with just one kiss, catching her off guard when they were acting like idiots in his apartment one afternoon. She couldn’t say she was entirely comfortable on the floor, but Naia wasn’t about to move either when the moment was theirs and everything about it seemed so right. It might have come from nowhere, but she wasn’t going to complain. “You might be right.” She replied quietly, returning his goofy grin with a smile of her own. Naia smoothed out her skirt and pushed herself to her feet, adjusting her hair and anything else that her hands could fiddle with. Nervous wasn’t the right word for how she felt, but there was a giddy anxiety bubbling up inside of her and she didn’t know what to say or do about it. Thankfully, Reese spoke first so all she had to do was listen. Smiling again, she shook her head and stepped closer to him, taking his hand in hers. “Don’t be sorry. I kissed you back, didn’t I?” She asked, chuckling lightly before pressing her lips softly against his again.

• • •

TAGGED! Reese! <3
WORDS! 501!
OUTFIT! Summer Sun!
LYRICS! Get Your Guns - - - Jamie Campbell Bower
NOTES! <3 <3 <3