notes. This is a little late, but I had this idea on December 31st, and now was the day I got to write it. UGH. sigh
summary. Who knew their first kiss, even after two months of dating would be at the stroke of New Year's? He did, apparently; he just forgot to tell her.
First New Year's Kiss
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December 31st, 11:35.
"Greg," she hissed into the phone. "Where are you?" As of right this second, Greg, her boyfriend of two months, was not-so-fashionably late. He was late—as in, later than the latest guest that had arrived nearly an hour before he had. And Annaleigh, as the ever so doting girlfriend, who'd noticed Greg's absence an hour after he was supposed to be there—10:30—had called him nearly two seconds after. But, then, she had to re-call him, only because he hadn't answered, and, maybe, just maybe, he was in a place where there was no signal.
"Um, well, I'm sorta—" there was a pause as, she presumed, he glanced around to get his bearings, "—somewhere… near your parent's house, I guess."
"Oh, that's so helpful," Annaleigh told him, a hint of a smile in her otherwise sarcastic voice.
"Thank you. I pride myself on being the epitome of helpful boyfriend."
"You're welcome," she laughed. "So, when do you think you'll be able to come here?"
"Um, a few minutes," he replied, "or maybe a few seconds?"
"…seconds?—Wh—?" Annaleigh broke off the 'what' as she squealed when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist, and she laughed into her phone. Then she realized that it didn't even need to be on, now that he was here, safe and with her. "Oh, now I see what you mean."
His breath was hot in her ear as he chuckled, his lips lightly touching her cheek as he whispered an answer. "Exactly."
"Hungry?" she asked him breathlessly, even though he hadn't kissed her 'properly' and had only kissed her cheek. She felt a pang of something—longing?—in her heart as she watched him take her hand and lead her outside, away from the raucous noise of guests.
"Nope." She hadn't even realized they were outside until the biting cold forced her to rub her hands over her arms, desperate for a twinge of warmth. A smile graced her lips as she felt his arms wrap around her again, his previously zipped jacket opened to accommodate her in its rather lovely warmth.
"So, where have you been for the past hour?" she asked him.
"At my parent's house," he replied readily, "for New Year's Eve Dinner. That's why I'm not hungry." He grinned as he lowered his head onto her shoulder, her own body stepping back one step to try to get closer to him, and, though it was in the back of Annaleigh's mind, to get warmer.
"Oh," she mumbled softly, making a small cat-like noise as she burrowed deeper into the warmth of his body and his jacket. He found it amusing, his back already pressed to the edge of the porch railing, about the fact that she couldn't seem to get close enough to him to be satisfied. It made him feel important. Made him feel loved, also, but he wouldn't say anything about that. He still had his insufferable man pride, no matter how much he already loved Annaleigh Richards even after two months of dating her exclusively.
"Cold?" he asked her softly, making her shiver, even though he was pretty sure she was warm and cozy in his embrace and in the jacket.
She made another soft sound, craning her neck to look up at him. "Are you uncomfortable? Do you need to breathe? Am I squishing you against the porch railing… thing?"
Greg smiled at her—a calming, soothing smile that had her rendered breathless. "I'm fine, Leigh. I like this—being with you. You're cozy."
She blushed prettily, another endearing quality of hers that had Greg tripping over himself to please her—to make her happy. "You're… cozy too," she told him shyly.
He chuckled again. "Thank you." His arms wrapped even more tightly around her, and she placed her hands in his, shivering when he enclosed her smaller hands in his larger ones, and it wasn't because she was cold either.
December 31st, 11:55.
Five minutes to midnight, and Annaleigh was getting nervous, fidgeting quietly and inconspicuously in the bed she was sharing, for the moment, with Greg. After a few more minutes of being out in the cold with him, she'd led him back inside, to meet her parents (who absolutely loved him and his sweet qualities; they already wanted her to marry him) and for the two to mingle, but, instead of mingling, more cuddling ensued as they watched the New Year's Countdown on the television in her room, escaping the chaotic tendencies of her family and the numerous amounts of people her mother had invited.
"Greg?" she asked him, heart racing. She wasn't the type of person to ask this question, and she was plunging into the unknown. Annaleigh felt exhilarated.
"Hm?"
"Wh—why do you never kiss me?" Annaleigh felt the ever-so-familiar heat of a blush spread over her cheeks, and she suddenly wanted to swallow her words up, to erase them from his memory.
"Because," he began, and she felt her heart accelerating in anticipation of his revealing his reason to her, "it's a secret."
Her heart plummeted, and she let an incredulous laugh escape. "What?"
"It's going to be a secret, until midnight tonight."
Being a girl, she pouted—something he found so cute, he nearly blurted out his 'secret'. "Midnight tonight?"
He only nodded, smiling against her hair as she, nevertheless, leaned back against him, reveling in him just being with her—even two hours late.
It didn't matter; she'd forgive him, no matter what. She loved him.
December 31st, 11:59:25 and counting…
"Greg," she giggled, squirming against him as he mercilessly tickled her. "We have to go downstairs. Mom's going to start the countdown in a few seconds, and I don't want to miss it…!"
He frowned playfully. "You don't want to stay up here? With me?"
"I—" she blushed again. "Of course I want to, but what will my mother say? She'll go ballistic on the two of us for forgetting to…" Her voice trailed off as she heard the distinct chanting of the partygoers downstairs.
Greg knew he'd won, seeing the decision in her eyes. "Mom won't even notice," Annaleigh told herself. "Fine," she glanced at Greg, unknowingly catching his gaze with her own until his face was right by hers. "Oh," she breathed softly. "Hi."
3…
"Hi," he smiled sweetly, placing his forehead onto hers, also hearing their—his and hers—breathing quicken at the contact.
2…
"Greg—" she whispered quietly, afraid he hadn't heard her, even with his face so close… so tantalizingly close…
1…!
He kissed her then, breaking off her words, and she suddenly wanted him to move closer to her, as close as he'd been on the porch, so warm, so real, so alive. That's what he made her feel—alive, and she loved it. Loved him.
Their first kiss, and she wanted more. That was good—wonderful, she corrected herself. "Mmmm… Greg. Greg, I love you."
He broke the kiss, his eyes wide, dazed, and adorable. "What?"
"I love you."
He tilted his head to the side, hair falling into his eyes, and she felt her heart racing again—from anticipation and from the kiss he'd just given her—their first kiss.
Then he smiled, and she knew everything was all right in the world. All she wanted was for him to smile like that in her presence. "I love you, too, Leigh."
Annaleigh beamed and broke the last remaining distance to give him a kiss of her own. He laughed into her mouth as she pressed into him, her heart thudding almost painfully against her ribcage, feeling his through the clothes he was wearing and realizing that was all she wanted to hear ever again—Greg's heartbeat, Greg's voice, Greg, Greg, Greg.
She really did love him, she realized, giddy from the thought.
Finally, she leant backward, enough to give him room to get up from where he'd been laying on her old, childhood bed, his head on her pillows, and she smiled, glad to see him comfortable, in her bed, no less. A blush spread over her face again, and she squealed when he playfully tugged her back onto his chest.
"So, what was the secret?" she asked him.
"Secret?…" She waited a few seconds, smiling when he understood—she could practically read him now, from one look at his eyes. He let her see everything he was feeling, and she knew he didn't give that privilege to just anyone.
"That was the secret," he said. "Me kissing you at the stroke of midnight."
"Really? And you didn't tell me why?"
"Because it was a secret." It almost sounded like he wanted to add a 'duh' at the end of his sentence, but he didn't, and she laughed, her laugh cutting short when he kissed her again—soft and sweet.
Bliss appeared in his eyes as he pulled away after a considerable amount of time. "I think I can do that everyday."
Her tone turned teasing, Annaleigh suddenly feeling at ease with this wonderful man; this wonderful man who nearly just told her he wanted her to marry him, albeit indirectly.
"What's stopping you, then?" she asked.
"Your parents are downstairs, Leigh." He grinned cheekily.
"I have a lock, and, anyway, I'm seventeen, I can kiss whomever I want and I want to kiss you."
Greg laughed, his hands, as warm as always, cupping her cheek. "And I want to kiss you too. What do you think we should do?"
"I think you should kiss me now, before I do that myself."
"Good." And he kissed her—long, sweet, and deliciously almost-satisfying.
If anything, she didn't want to be satisfied; she never wanted to be satisfied with him, because she, Annaleigh Richards, wanted to spend the rest of her life with him, Gregory McCarthy, and the only way to not be satisfied was to be left wanting a piece—no matter how big or little, as long as it was a piece of him for the rest of her existence. She wanted him to give her kisses on New Year's, everyday, anytime he wanted to, and that was what he was going to do.
"Happy New Year, Greg," she whispered, cuddling into him, clothes still intact, once she was tired from all the kissing they'd just done, and because it was nearly twelve-thirty.
"Happy New Year, Leigh. Love you."
She smiled against his shoulder, turning on her side to go to sleep, as his arm draped itself over her waist. "Love you too."
fin.
notes. One of the cutest things I've written in a while. Hope you enjoyed! Drop me a review if you wish! :) Please tell me if you spot any mistakes! Thank you!
Love,
-toffeecakesxox.