HE had watched more episodes of Brooklyn Nine-Nine in a few hours than he had in a month. But good lord, it was worth it. Even though he was laughing at the same joke he once had alone in the comfort of his Breezy, it was much more delightful to watch her laugh. The room brightened a little more when he'd see the sparkle in her eyes. He got used to her in between snorts that she tries to drown in. If he was being honest with himself, he liked it when she laughed along with the snorts. Everything about her is so magical. He found himself staring at her more than usual. He soaked in her features, her almost invisible freckles, her eyes, the curve of her smile. He soaked it all. He wants to remember every little detail of her because he knew—

She couldn't be his.

Their lives were too different. She had her education to complete, a passion to chase, and find someone who sticks with her through thick and thin. He could never be that person. He doesn't stay in one place for more than a week. How could he support her when he was miles away? How could he give her the galaxy she deserved when he was merely a cloud—floating, floating, floating. Never close to the ground, never far enough to taste the space. Hanging in the middle. He wanted her in the future but his future was so grey and unsteady, he couldn't invite her in with him. She deserved better. And the timing was so unbelievably wrong that he couldn't be better.

What a cruel summer it had been.

He sighed and brushed a hand through her soft brown hair. She was sleeping peacefully on his lap while he was massaging her head to help her sleep. Slowly, he placed her head back on her pillow and began to clean her bed up. His heart sank as he started to pack his bag.

It's their last day together.

Everett was staring at the window. The sky was the most beautiful shade of pink and purple. He was sitting on his bed. He was at peace after a long while. He was caught up in his thoughts but was interrupted when he heard Aahana shift to her other side. He peered at her.

"Hungry?" He asked.

Her nod was dissolved in a huge yawn. "Can you order something? A pizza, maybe?"

"You got it, ma'am." He winked. "How are you?"

"I've been through worse but I'll live," she joked but she sounded serious. He nodded once and dialled the room service's number. He was in the middle of his order when she chimed in, "And red wine, too." Without even thinking twice, he slipped those words. The man said he will check their ID's and send it right away.

He turned to her. "Red wine and pizza?"

"You'll see."

The waiter got them a pizza box (as requested by Aahana), a bottle of red wine and wine glasses, twenty minutes later. He was about to serve when Aahana asked him not to. 'We'll do it, thanks.' She had said. The waiter nodded and exited their room.

With a mischievous grin, she held the pizza box and the bottle of red wine in her hand.

"We are committing a minor offence," she said hesitantly and tossed him the bottle of air freshener.

He smirked. "What are we waiting for?"

Usually, he would have lectured her on not committing a crime but not today. She had a pretty rough two days and he was willing to let his 'buzzkill' attitude (as his high school friends stated) to himself. In his defence, they had already committed one. She was underage but he didn't want to see a frown on her face by denying her request. Moreover, she already had a fake ID of her own. There's nothing wrong in committing one more minor crime.

He followed her as they stepped out of their hotel room. They used the staircase to reach the tenth floor. She told him to follow her and copy exactly what she did. They stuck to the wall like spiders when they reached the top floor. They were in luck. The hotel's camera wasn't upgraded and they didn't catch them getting up or down the stairs. She slowly scooted to the side of the wall that had the CCTV camera.

She kept the pizza box and wine bottle on the floor and asked Everett to lift her. He obliged. He crouched down and wrapped his arms around her thighs. He lifted her with ease. She sprayed the air freshener on the CCTV camera.

"Down, down!" She yelped. He let her go. She bent down, took their stuff and they ran upstairs which was prohibited for all the residents. Darkness surrounded him. He switched the torch of his phone on and saw an old rusty door in front of them which was locked. He frowned.

Aahana bent down and in a matter of moments, she picked up the lock with her hair clip.

Do those tricks still work? He wanted to ask but remained silent. He didn't want to be heard. The door creaked open. They entered and he glanced around. They were on the terrace. The cool air swished by them and the view was marvellous. They could see the night city. It wasn't New York or Mumbai but it was heavenly. They walked further in and sat down.

The pink sky had turned into an even darker shade. The moon was lurking behind the stars and the stars smiled at them. He grinned.

"Woah."

She poured them a glass of wine. He gulped the crispy drink and smiled at her who was already smiling at him. He kept the glass aside.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" She eyed the sky and took a sip.

He nodded, out of words.

"Remember that day, I asked how this must be ordinary for you but you said it wasn't—as if Peakview had some kind of drug in its air," She said while placing the glass beside her.

"Mhmm."

"Well, I thought about it." She blew a breath out and glanced at him. "It's not the view that steals your breath. It's the people you watch it with. That sunset would mean nothing to me if I hadn't seen it with my grandparents and you. It's the people, Everett. It's always the people."

He fell silent. Maybe she was right. Maybe she was wrong. He had been to many beautiful sights before and they were beautiful. But would it be more worthwhile if he had seen them with her?

His heart skipped a beat.

"Maybe," he responded. From the corner of his eyes, he saw her bite her lips.

"So, um, last night together, huh? How do you feel?" She asked. He gulped.

"I don't know but I think I'll miss you." He offered her a half-smile. "Oh, and happy birthday in advance."

"Thanks." A strand of her hair appeared in front of her eyes. She huffed. Everett chuckled and tucked it for her, his fingers outlined his ears, like every other time but today his fingers stayed on her face. He brushed his thumb against her cheeks gently and began to trace her jaw.

She was staring at his eyes then his lips. Involuntarily, they slowly leaned in. She cupped his face with both of her small hands. His breath was caught up in his throat when hers started a fan on his lips. Their foreheads were touched. They were breathing the same air. Their lips were just a centimetre away from touching. He closed his eyes, waiting for her.

"We shouldn't do this..." she mumbled.

She is right, they shouldn't.

"I know..." he breathed. His pulse quickened. "But I want to. I wanted to. Just one kiss, please." He wanted her to touch him, to kiss him for once at least. He has never been this desperate, this needy. But oh, my God, with her it was different. When he was with her, the food tasted more delicious. With her, the view was more beautiful.

With her.

With her.

And she gave him what he wanted. Their lips collided. It was a soft, meaningful kiss. She tasted like red wine, only sweeter. Her one hand reached his hair and she played with it while his thumb ran in circles on her cheek. She smiled in between their kisses. His heart thudded in his chest. This feeling was unlike any other. He wanted more of it. He wanted it for life. She broke the kiss first but they were still close, still holding each other's faces.

"I like you," he muttered, "a lot."

"I like you, too. I like us." She breathed into his face. He smiled but he knew there was more to that sentence.

"But?"

She pulled away. He opened his eyes. "But we can't. You know we can't. I don't want to be the one that's holding you back from what you want. You have to travel the world, get a huge sponsorship, visit India, find your brother. I'm not a part of your dream. You can't like me."

His smile faded away. His heart dropped.

"But I do like you. I..." he fumbled, unsure what to say.

"No buts, Everett. Keep going, right?"

He sighed. "Right." The tattoo had already started to fade away. In two days, it will be gone. Just like this night.

"We should go. We should go our separate ways before things..." she sighed. "Before our feelings get stronger."

He swallowed. "It feels nicer when I'm with you. I feel....alive. Can...Can we stay like this—just for five more minutes?"

She nodded and scooted closer to him. She hooked her arm around his and laid her head on his shoulder. They stared up at the sky.

She raised her pinky finger at him. "Promise me we'll meet again. Maybe after two years. Maybe after twenty and you'll whisper in my ear, this date. Describe the night and my face. Promise me you'll remember the girl you once liked." He interlaced his finger in her.

"I promise."

He could never forget the girl he liked but couldn't have.