° I just want to know.
"Do you dream of me too?" °

Chapter 31

This is the warmest outside can be and yet, it's so cold. I rub my fingers together, pulling off my knitted gloves and blowing my breath out into it.

I hate winter!

A stick on the ground snaps and my eyes snap up to where the sound came from and before long, I see Sky walking closer wearing a beanie and hugging his school bag close. I smile, he looks cute. "I can tell the difference between you and a wolf when you walk so quietly."

"Whoa," he drops his bag down beside me on the tree bench. "I'm hairy but I don't think I am that hairy."

I chuckle, "not with looks."

Sky smiles, sitting and crossing his legs under him. "Well, I and a possible wolf may just have something in common."

"Which is?"

"We would like to eat you up," He winks and I struggle to resist the smile, smacking him with my gloves.

"Shut up, Sky."

He laughs, then breaths out cold air looking around the lonely quiet forest. "Hanging out here in this cold might just end up being one of our worst ideas."

"Tell me about it," I rub my fingers together. "And if it rains, we're doomed."

"It won't rain," he states, then looks at me with pursed lips. "I would love to take you to a proper date, though."

My heart ignites, "where?"

He ticks his tongue, "I know a couple places but there's this place in Birmingham..."

"Slow down," I laugh, "I can't go to Birmingham, it's hours away from here."

He pouts, "we can't even go anywhere."

I am about to ask why not but I silently answer that myself. I'm not out and I'm not ready to be out. "I'm sorry."

His pout disappears, quickly replaced with a smile like it was never there. "It's okay, really. I just want to give and show you a lot of things."

I nod, "doesn't it suck? Being a secret?" Over the days we have chatted and talked like never before but we barely meet in school or any other place except his house or his truck in the evening.

He pinches his fingers together for emphasis, "a teeny weeny bit but-" he smiles, flickering my nose. "It's worth. I won't make you do anything you don't want to. Having you is enough."

I giggle, "you're so sweet with all the right words. How come?"

He unzips his school bag, "I've practiced in front of a television, trust me."

"I feel like I can never be as free as I want to here in this town, even in my family," I draw an invisible line on the tree. "It's a bit overwhelming to think of."

"Then don't think," he pulls out something from his bag and I catch unto the scent of baked bread. "Just be you with me."

"And enjoy all the peaks that come with Sky Hunt?"

"Yup," he unwraps the foil covering. "Including kisses and food."

I laugh, "oh, you still owe me a ride to the subway though."

"Really?" He sets what I recognize and perceive as banana bread down. It's already in a plate. "Oh yeah, for a sub sandwich."

"Mm-hm," I lick my lip, already salivating for the bread. "Did you bake this?"

He grins down at the bread, "not alone but yes, that's my baby."

I touch the bread, my finger almost sinking in. "With who?"

"A baker never tells his secret," he says reaching into his bag and bringing out a thermos.

"This is not the kind of secret a baker never tells, Sky Hunt," I shake my head amused. "That's more in the recipe aspect."

"Well, this is my Baker secret, Issy."

"Of course," I hold my hand out when he extends the thermos cover to me as a kind of cup. "Aw, you brought tea?"

"Hot water," he shrugs, carefully bringing out an actual cup out his bag. "But yeah, I did."

"What are you trying to do Sky Hunt?" I ask, my heart swelling nicely. "Make me fall?"

He looks at me incredulously, "you're yet to?"

I laugh, "shut up."

"Honestly, that's the plan Issy," he brings out tea supplies. "What do you think I've been doing all this while?"

I decide to play along, taking the tea supplies and making up perfect creamy tea. "Oh really, that's what you've been trying to do."

"Exactly."

"You're doing a whack job then," I say unable to meet his eyes.

"Really?"

"Yeah, like you're not even trying," I say and laugh when he gasps.

"Israel, you're butchering my heart," he groans.

I give him his cup, "I'll need you to step up your hunt, Hunt."

"Ooh," he drawls and I giggle. "Say it and it's yours."

"Um," I tap a finger on my lips, "a kiss every five minutes should do."

Sky grins and careful drops his cup down, jumping off our tree bench and coming to squat in front of me. I drop my 'cup' down and face him, looking down at his cat eyes. "That can be arranged your majesty."

"I di-" I don't complete the words before his hand wounds around my neck, maintaining eye contact and freezing the words inside of me. I keep my eyes on him as we slowly gravitate towards each other. I smile a little and he does too before our lips meet in a warm kiss, despite the weather around us. I'd like to believe the birds chirping around us we're doing so in praise and approval.

My fingers move to Sky's hair- something I'm growing fond of - and I hold him as we kiss. He bites my lip, pulling on my jacket and a little sound escapes my throat but I don't get a chance to blush because Sky's tongue seeks mine and when they meet, he makes a louder sounds that makes me forget all about the cold and where we are. I'm about falling off the log bench when we break off laughing.

"Easy Issy," he says, hands on me thigh.

"Shut up," I touch my lips with a sigh, "get up before the tea turns cold."

"Mm," he stands up and returns back to his former position. Then he shares the banana bread into two halves.

I don't even feel the cold anymore and when I bite into the bread, it's one of the best I've had. "This is so yummy," I moan, then look up at the tree branches slowly moving with the wind. "Do you think it'll snow this Christmas?"

He looks up too, "maybe, it's really cold now and we're not yet in December."

I nod, "I hate winter but I wish it does snow."

"Why do you hate winter?"

"Because it's so cold," I shiver dramatically. "I can't have ice cream and yoghurt and more indoors. Plus, I'm really weak when it comes to the flu and stuff."

"Sowie," he sings, pronouncing sorry like a child struggling with words. "But-" he raises a finger. "Nothing, not even the flu can keep me away from yoghurt and ice cream when I really want them."

I shake my head, "of course. My mum would whoop my arse before she buys drugs for me."

He laughs, "what's your favourite whether then?"

"Summer," I say without missing a beat. "It's peaceful and bright without the rain and you can wear anything and eat anything without the fear of cold and no school."

Sky laughs. I point what's left of my bread to him and ask what's his. "All of them, honestly. Summers great because there's no school, of course and it's all cheery. Fall is awesome too because sleeping while it's raining is just fucking perfect. Autumn is great because of how beautiful and colourful it is and winter, without it there won't be need for beanies and scarfs and damn, I happen to love wearing these."

I drink off the rest of my tea, "you're not real Sky Hunt."

He smiles and drops everything between us on the log bench to the ground, making room for himself as he lays down and rests his head on my legs. My fingers immediately seek his soft hair, "and I can't believe you're real."

"Why not?"

"Because you're Israel Taylor," he sighs, "I never thought you'd feel the same way and it was killing me."

I gulp, "me neither."

"I've liked you for so long," he closes his eyes and smiles. "This little bits with you is a dream come true honestly."

I'm looking down at him and his perfect face when I ask, "what do you like about me?"

"Before I met you?" He opens his eyes to look at me, momentarily taking my breath away. "I don't even know much. I just knew I couldn't look away from you, you're so fine," he drawls making me blush. "And you have the kindest eyes and you're cute."

I roll my eyes hoping that distracts from my heating face. I don't know what to say to that.

"And now," he shifts his head a bit. "I like everything. You're still damn fine and cute with the kindest eyes. But then you also have a killer voice-"

"-I do not."

"-you're smart, a great cook, wonderful company and you usually go for what you want."

"You really think so?" I ask, my voice small and unsure.

He nods, "I do. I think if you're well inspired, you can do any bloody thing. And I'd rather spend all day sleeping beside you than any other thing. You're really amazing Issy, really."

I feel all warm inside and I don't know any other way to channel the feeling blooming inside of me but to kiss Sky on his temple. Hoping that transfers all the words I can't find to say.

"You're really amazing too Sky," I start, moving his hair in and out from between my fingers. "I find it so admirable that you've been through a lot, yet you manage to always wear a smile. And you always find the good in things, you're so insightful and smart and talented with passions that you pursue and never give up on. You're like a super hero."

He slaps his palms over his face, "aw Israel, you're going to make me cry."

I chuckle and drag his hands off his face. "I'm happy and I feel blessed to have you here and for you to be the person I get to experience all this with, really really."

"Me too," he places a hand on my cheek. "Like, no matter what I had this with you and I'd forever cherish it. Forever."

I grin and lean down closer to place a kiss on his cheek, then the other one and his forehead again and I make a move like I'm going to kiss his lips but instead I kiss his nose. Making his groan and pop his eyes open, complaining even with a smile.

"Issy, stop playing with me."

I giggle, kissing his cheek again as my fingers play with his ear. "But it's fun."

He laughs, "I swear, I'd eat you up."

"Mm," I kiss his jaw. "So I've heard."

He moans a bit and I giggle, pulling away from his ear. "You don't think I'd do it?"

"I'd love to see you try..."

"Oh yeah?" Sky leaps up the log so fast that I jump up with a gasp. He narrows his eyes are at me and I do so too and next his howling and making me run. "Argh!"

"Sky, stop, I was joking!" I yell, running away from him while laughing until I start tearing up.

It's no surprise that he catches me in no time, pushing me against a tree as he literally bites my cheek. I shout, laughing the hardest I have ever and squirming against him. "You win!"

One moment we're both laughing and the next we're kissing like old lovers who haven't met in a long while.

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