Wednesday
***

"Carson, can we talk?" Ivy asked, she was already pulling Carson away from the group as they went towards another art piece.

"What is it?" Carson asked, not wanting to get lost and pulled away from the group again.

"I'm sorry."

"You've said that already," Carson said, he nervously folded his arms in front of him and leaned against an empty wall. They were at an art museum about an hour away from their hotel and Carson was terrified of accidentally touching the paintings.

"I know I have. I probably don't deserve you forgiving me but I let you kiss me and then I completely ignored you after and I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to," Ivy said, Carson could see that her eyes were sad.

"If you didn't mean it you would have stayed with me," Carson said.

"I was-am scared Carson," Ivy admitted.

"Why? I made it quite obvious that I liked you," Carson said, he sat down on one of the benches and Ivy followed.

"I'm scared Carson. We're best friends. I don't want something to go wrong if we were to date and we are no longer friends. You're the only person I trust with my life and I don't want to lose you," Ivy said, she reached her hand forward and placed it onto Carson's. Carson sighed, interlacing their fingers.

"I'd never purposefully hurt you Ives. I care about you so much and I'm terrified of the future too but it doesn't mean we can't try it. We can always be friends if this whole dating thing doesn't work out. It's not going to change anything. I just get to make out with you and maybe finger you sometimes," Carson said, shrugging his shoulders.

Ivy shoved Carson over once she heard the final sentence but she couldn't help but laugh. She should've known Carson would say something like that. He always did in the past and he wasn't going to change now.

"Okay. We can try this out."

"Does this mean we can kiss?" Carson asked. He waited for Ivy to shyly nod her head before he leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers softly.

Ivy moved her hands so that the they were in Carson's hair and Carson's hands went to Ivy's waist. It was relaxing. Maybe because they were surrounded by the art about romance and love but they stood out the most.

Carson heard the sound of a camera go off, making him pull away from Ivy. He smiled widely when he saw his family and friends huddling around them, all smiling widely too.

"You know they say not to take a picture of the art," Carson said, pointing to Sophie who was the one that had her phone in her hands.

"You're in front of a white wall on a bench," Carson's mom answered, confused at what her son was getting at.

"I know. I was talking about Ivy."

***
Carson sighed, he was getting tired of all these family pictures. They were on their way to the dinner but Sophie had made them stop to take multiple pictures together first. They were now really late and rushing in the car.

Carson didn't get to see Ivy before she was taken to the car with her parents. Each family was going in separate cars and it seemed as if everyone had left an hour before the Clifford's.

"Ew Dad. Did you really use that caption?" Stevie asked, looking up from her phone and sticking her tongue out at her dad.

"What does it say?" Emma asked, looking over at her sister's phone.

"@michaelgclifford: twenty five years married and she's still banging"

Attached was a picture that his parents had taken in front of the giant stairs, Sophie was leaning up (even in heels) and had her lips pressed to Michael's cheek. Michael had his hand resting on her waist and was smiling widely. Carson thought his parents were the cutest pair ever. The caption did make him want to gag though.

"Oh shut up. It's cute. And so is your Mom," Michael said, leaning over and pressing his lips to Sophie's happily.

"I think I'm going to puke," Emma said at the exact same time that Bella said, "I love love."

"Talking about love, what happened with you and Ivy?" Stevie asked, making the family turn to Carson who was in the middle of sending an "SOS" message to Ivy.

"Well, she doesn't hate me anymore. We've kissed twice. That's about it," Carson responded.

"That sounds familiar," Sophie grumbled and Michael nudged her with his elbow, "I mean, yay. I'm happy for you."

"Thanks Mum," Carson said awkwardly.

"It'll all work out in the end. I promise," Michael reassured his son.

The car came to a slow stop and the backseat door was soon opened. Carson was the first one out and helped his wearing-high-heel-and-struggling sisters out of their car.

The family made their way into the really formal restaurant and were greeted by all their friends.

"What a surprise that Michael and Sophie would be late," Calum said, making Michael shove his friend to the side.

Carson looked over to where Ivy was sitting and his jaw dropped, she looked really good. Carson didn't know what to do. He walked over to her and sat in the free chair, the only free chair left, next to her.

"You look really good right now," Ivy said, ruffling Carson's hair with her fingers. Carson smiled and sheepishly leaned forward, pressing his lips to hers softly. He was kind of scared that she'd freak out but that changed when she pulled on the collar of his shirt and brought him closer.

"Carson, don't make me punch you because of what you're doing to my daughter at the dinner table," Ashton said, bringing the two out of the small moment they had.

"I-I-I," Carson stuttered, not know what to say to the man that could literally kill him with his pinkie.

"He looks like he's about to shit himself. Don't be so mean, Ash," Lina said, hitting her husband on the arm. She understood why Ashton was freaking out though. Their daughter hadn't ever dated anyone but they were happy that she now with someone they actually knew. And quite well, at that.

"Why do they remind me of Michael and Sophie so much?" Luke asked, watching how the pair were awkward with each other and only sharing subtle touches.

"Because one of them is actually the offspring of Sophie and Michael," Valeria answered, making Luke scoff, "What? It's true."

"That was the most stressful month of my life," Calum said.

"Mine too," Michael said.

All of the kids looked at their parents in confusion, not sure what to say. They didn't understand what had happened between Michael and Sophie but maybe it was better that way. They didn't need history repeating itself.

"Like when I kissed Sop-" Calum started but was cut off by Michael hitting him on the back of his head.

"We don't talk about that dark period in time."

"But-"

"We don't talk about that dark period in time."

Calum shut his mouth after but couldn't help but grin at his best friend. He definitely saw factors from his best friend in his best friend's son.

"Do you feel uncomfortable that they're talking about us?" Ivy asked, leaning her head in Carson's shoulder and whispering in his ear.

"I mean it's not like they're talking about anything horrendous like the possibilities of us sleeping together but it's pretty weird," Carson admitted, "But it's also cute. They're so excited over us kissing. We're basically acting the same way as before except our lips are touching and they're acting as if they won a Grammy."

"Maybe because we're more treasurable as a Granmy," Ivy whispered back, making Carson chuckle.

"Nah, because people like Beyoncé get nominated for Grammy's. We just kiss."

"If we just kiss, why don't we kiss now?"

"How much wine have you had, Ives?"

"About a glass and a half."

"I figured."

"So, how about that kiss?"

Carson smiled, loving how Ivy managed to bring the conversation back to the original topic. He brought his lips to hers slowly and she smiled into the kiss. They were both so happy together even though they weren't official or anything. Carson didn't think that they'd have to make it official though. They were always CarsonandIvy. It was going to continue being CarsonandIvy. Nothing had changed.

"You look really good tonight, by the way. I love the tie. Makes it easier for me to pull you towards me," Ivy said smiling cheekily. Carson scoffed but still had a grin on his face.

"Are you sure? Because I'm sure that you look better. A lot better actually," Carson said.

"I'm sure you're lying. You're the hot one in this relationship."

"Although that may be true, you're the perfect one in this relationship."

"We're not even in a relationship and we're referring to this as one."

"We must be really annoying."

"You are," Jett butted in. He had been the poor, unfortunate soul stuck next to the pair. Of course, Stevie was the other person next to him but she was flirting with Charlie.

"I'll make sure to disrupt you next time you try and make a move on someone from school just for that comment," Carson said.

"And I'll make sure to tell Ivy about that one thing that happened last May."

"She already knows."

"Does she?"

"No."

"So Ivy, do you want to know something about Cars-" Jett was cutoff by Carson putting his hands over his mouth.

"What was he going to say?" Ivy asked.

"Oh. Nothing. Nothing at all. I like you a lot. Let's kiss again."

Carson pressed his lips eagerly to Ivy's but glared at Jett out of the corner of his eyes.

***

They're such an obnoxious couple that I'd literally want to avoid at all costs at school but they're so cute I. (Reminder they're 17 and it's their first relationship and of course it's gonna be cringey) I'm so sleepy and this was like 800 words more than what I expected. I'm hopefully finishing this story by Monday and then I'll be starting a new Calum story that IM SO EXCITED TO START. I hope you guys will be willing to read it. Xx

-malumdictionary