┌─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───┐

chapter thirteen
sorry, i love you.

└─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───┘
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┌─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───┐

The incessant sound of the alarm she had absentmindedly set at five o'clock in the morning blared through the small studio-sized apartment as her eyes, only seconds later, shot open, stirring in her bed as she thoughtlessly sat up.

Kaycee, unfortunately for her, found out what an incredibly stupid decision it was to sit up all-too-late as all the blood in her body instantly came rushing up to her brain.

Like most things, she really should've thought that one through.

Her head pounded as she pressed her palm to her throbbing temple. A pained groan erupted from the back of her throat as she touched the side of her head, pressing her eyes closed, the events of the previous night flooding back into her head.

All she could really recall from the previous night was the sound of the small bell hung above the café doors every time someone walked in, the scent of finely-ground coffee beans she knew all-too-well, and the not-so-subtle sounds of crickets that crept in the night.

After lying to her heart-of-gold co-worker the other day and skipping her shift at the coffee shop, she couldn't sleep at all, tossing and turning in her bed, a sinking feeling in her stomach.

She couldn't get a single second of shut-eye.

Guilt kept her up at night.

It felt as if something was burning through the back of her throat, searing through her skin.

It felt as if something was weighing down on her, snaking its arms around her and swallowing her whole.

That, paired with the fact that she had shut out the person she had fallen in love with and the person she had called her best friend ever since they were in middle school for no reason other than her own stubbornness and stupidity, made her feel like she was suffocating.

So, out of pure and utter guilt, Kaycee called up her complete angel of a co-worker and told him that she'd, without a doubt, cover one of his late-night shifts at the café-if he'd let her, of course.

Tre de Rego, with no questions asked, let her. It wasn't exactly everyday that his co-worker out-of-the-blue offers to take over one of his late-night shifts, undoubtedly the shift he liked the least.

Although taking up one of his late-night shifts had taken away some of the guilt that took its time as it ate her up and tore her down from the inside, it had tired her out to the point that the second she walked into her apartment, she passed out on her bed, still in the same clothes she came to her shift in, socks still on her small feet.

Nothing short of drained and sleep-deprived, she sheepishly shut off her alarm, slowly opening one of her eyes as she swept her eyes over the screen.

5:02 AM, Thursday

Almost as if she was counting down the seconds 'til the clock struck midnight and the sun came out from its spot in the heavens, she closed her eyes as she collected her thoughts.

Today was the day.

It's been two days since she last heard from him-two days.

Sean hadn't reached out to her in two days.

Which meant that it's also been two days since she had found out that she had, in fact, royally fucked up.

The thought alone made her head hurt.

Everything made her head hurt.

Registering her surroundings, she remembered the reason she couldn't sleep in her own bed-because everywhere she looked, all she could see were remnants of what they had, what they were, and what she had wasted.

Kaycee's chest tightened as his intoxicating scent filled her nostrils.

Sean's scent lingered in her sheets, almost as if he was still there. Sound asleep, his cheek pressed up against a pillow as he slightly parted his lips, snoring softly. Snaking his arm around her small waist, his breath hot against her skin.

She missed him, and she was the one who had shut him out.

Kaycee made mistakes, and now she had to pay for them in heartache.

Emotionally unstable and sleep-deprived, she couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by waves of emotion, every single emotion she felt over the course of the last two weeks-regret, guilt, anger-all, without warning, coming down on her.

A pained cry tore out from her throat as she forcefully pressed her eyes closed, her brows crinkling together. Her eyes stung as salty tears threatened to spill from her eyes, the storm of thoughts thrashing inside her head striking everything in its wake.

Gripping onto the sides of her bed, she took a deep breath, clearing her head.

She half-assedly wiped the tears that lined her thick curtain of long, curled lashes, sniffling before she hastily scooted over to the other side of her bed, willing herself to get up.

Kaycee might've fucked up, but she was damn well gonna do everything she could to fix it.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆ 2:48 PM :☆ﾟ. ───

The cold air tentatively kissed up his skin as he sung into the wind, his eyes pressed shut as he thoughtfully strummed the strings of the guitar he had strapped around his torso, shivering slightly. The small hairs on his arms and legs stood up, a short, sharp breath slipping from his lips.

Sean ever-so-slowly lifted his lashes from his lightly pink-dusted cheeks, letting his eyes flutter open.

Foolish as he was, his heart wanted to find her, filtering through the faces that filled the crowd.

He couldn't help but look for that one smile.

That one smile that could clear the skies and create crystal-clear rainbows that would cut through clouds and capture the city in its colors. That one smile that shone brighter than the sun itself, the smile that the sunflowers would turn to. That one smile that had taken his heart the second he stepped into the coffee shop on that one fateful, rainy day.

Kaycee's smile.

Sweeping his eyes over the sea of people, he searched for the same set of eyes he saw before he slipped into slumber-a shade of brown that melted into the slightest shade of green, the smallest specks of gold scattered across the swirling colors.

He searched for the same lightly-freckled cheeks he'd teasingly pepper in soft, loving kisses-all before he'd press one to the crown of her head.

He searched for the same curly chocolate hair that he'd find sprawled across his chest as he awoke, cascading down her shoulders.

But to no avail.

She wasn't there.

Sean's smile faltered for a second, his heart falling to the bottom of his chest, before faking a smile-he wasn't about to let himself fall apart in front of people who didn't even know him.

Even if he was singing a song he wrote for her-and only for her.

A song she'd never even hear.

No one seemed to notice how his voice had cracked in the slightest.

On one side of the bustling sidewalk stood his best friends, Josh and Julian, who were filming his performance (along with a few audience reactions they could later edit into the final product) with the tripod and camera they had set up.

On the other side, however, stood the brunette's best friends.

"Kaycee's supposed to be here by now," Bailey told the rest of her friends, tapping the glass of the watch she had wrapped around her wrist, bracelets, hoops, and charms dangling along with it.

The short-haired girl sunk into her boyfriend's side, her boyfriend's arm strung across her shoulders.

"I know," Ken sighed disappointedly, softly squeezing his girlfriend's shoulder through the thin fabric of the scarf she had thrown around her neck and over her shoulder. "I texted her already. No reply."

Their curly-haired best friend shouldered her way through the sea of strangers that swarmed the streets, standing beside the two.

"I can't believe he's professing his never-ending love for our best friend in the most romantic way possible and she isn't even here to see it," Tahani huffed, tugging at the sleeves of her sweater, impatiently tapping her foot against the pavement.

The short, spunky girl nudged the brunette standing beside her, only for her to stay completely still as she stood there, staring at her ex-boyfriend as he swivelled around a tripod, silently singing along with his best friend with the stupidest smile on his face.

A sharp jab to her side pulled Chloe out of her thoughts, making Charlize stifle a snort.

"Oh," Chloe laughed nervously, nonchalantly toying with a loose thread in her long-sleeved shirt, "I don't think she's gonna make it, if you're asking me."

The brown-haired girl pointed upwards at the sky, tilting her head.

The cotton candy-like clouds of velvet white poured out their pristine shade onto the people below as they turned into a soulless grey.

Threaded brows stitched together as she tensely sucked on her lower lip, Tahani sighed defeatedly, "I know."

The group of friends lost themselves in the seemingly endless sea of people that littered around the sweet little coffee shop, silently talking among themselves.

Hands stuffed into the pockets of her trench coat as soft waves fell down her shoulders, Tate sighed, turning to the boy that stood in front of the coffee shop.

From beneath the tousled curls on top of his head, the light brown-haired girl could see how he had pressed his eyes shut, brows slightly pinched together as he plucked at the strings of his acoustic guitar, passionately pouring his heart and soul into every single word that fell from his lips.

Even if the person he was singing for wasn't there.

From the weeks she had worked with Sean, Tate learned quite a few things about him (of course, other than the fact that he had an angel-like voice that left her in awe every single time he opened his mouth), and one of those things was that he was passionate about what he was doing and who he was doing it for.

Throughout their short meet-ups in his apartment, she witnessed first-hand all the time and thought he'd put into every last word he had thoughtfully written onto slightly crumpled, coffee-stained sheets of paper.

Knowing that, she couldn't help but feel bad for him.

The girl of his dreams-the girl he had spent countless hours composing songs for-had pretty much left him, practically disregarding her rational thinking and responsibilities so she could outright ignore him.

All because of a stupid misunderstanding.

"I just hope she comes," Tate quietly whispered against her lips.

Sean opened his eyes, and for a split second, her eyes met his. She saw the raw, unifltered sadness his eyes held before he tore them away from hers.

It was like he was trying to keep himself together. Like he wasn't breaking inside.

But anyone who knew him like they did could see straight through his facade.

He might've been plucking at the strings of his guitar, but she knew better-she knew the only thing he could hear was the drum inside his chest.

Sean sung the last few notes of his song (which he had so shamelessly titled Hazel), before the crowd erupted in cheers, the sound of claps filling his ears.

His friends could've sworn that he had smiled-a real smile, this time-as his eyes swept over the crowd.

When those honey-brown eyes he had written about were nowhere to be found, however, he couldn't help but swallow loudly. He stitched a smile to his lips, tugging his lips into a thin line, his smile not quite stretching past his eyes.

"Thank you, everyone," Sean said into the microphone, "I'll be back after a few minutes." He stepped off to the side, shuffling over to his friends.

Julian turned off the camera, saving whatever footage they'd already recorded, the clip going back and forth between the black-haired boy singing in front of the café and random people's reactions to his remarkably jaw-dropping voice.

"You got it?" Josh asked the long-haired boy, who only nodded in response.

After the two secured the camera on the tripod, they jogged to the other side of the street, spotting the girl's close-knit group of friends talking among themselves until their black-haired best friend walked up to them.

"Have any of you heard from Kayc yet?" Sean asked, his voice dripping with hope, his eyes almost pleading.

Although the two friend groups hardly knew each other-mere acquaintances, bordering on absolute strangers-all of them exchanged apologetic looks with one another, knowing all-too-well that what was going to leave their lips was going to break this poor boy's heart.

Swallowing loudly, Tahani was the first to say something. Somewhat quietly, she said, "I don't think she's replied to any of our texts yet."

They watched as what little light was left in his dark eyes disappeared, drowned out by the words that left the curly-haired girl's mouth. The ends of his lips twitched ever-so-slightly, his adam's apple bobbing up and down, his throat burning.

"Nothing," Ken added, using one hand to scroll through his texts on his phone and the other to string around his girlfriend. "Sorry, dude."

Slowly combing his hand through his newly-permed curls, Sean emptied out all the oxygen in his lungs, his breath cold against his lips.

"It's fine, I'm fine," he sighed, a lie that seeped straight through his teeth. "I'll just text her again, just one last time. I don't think it'll hurt anyone."

Except him.

sean
hope you're
doing well.

sean
amazing, actually.

sean
i miss you.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

With her untamed brown hair carelessly sprawled across her sheets as they spilled onto the floor, the brunette woke up suddenly-limbs tangled, eyes half-lidded, and head empty.

Kaycee's eyes took in a single second of the phone screen propped up beside her and she instantly knew that she had overslept, what was supposed to be her indulging in a quick binge-session of her favorite series turning into her straight-up passing out on her bed.

The girl hurriedly scrambled out of bed, nearly tripping over her own sheets as they slipped off of her small bed and splayed across the floor, tangled around long legs, still clad in day-old leggings.

"Shit, shit," Kaycee hissed, cursing under her breath. "I shouldn't have let this happen."

Her mind seemed like it was about to explode, different thoughts filling her head, her body unsure of what to do first and what to do second.

Her hands went back and forth between bunching up her blankets and rummaging through the covers for her phone. The second she caught sight of her phone, she snatched it off of her bed.

Kaycee tried not to step over her own sock-covered feet as she stole a shirt and some sweatpants from her closet, swiftly slamming it shut.

The girl expertly made her way through her apartment as she simultaneously speed-walked to the bathroom, scrolling through her messages.

ken (1 unread message)
yo kc i'm at the café. u
should really go dude.

bailey (2 unread messages)
please talk to us kayc :((
sean really misses you,, just
listen to him

tahani (1 unread message)
sis MOVE UR ASS

sean (3 unread messages)
i miss you.

The tiny letters splayed across her screen had practically reached into her chest and tugged at her heartstrings.

Sean's words were the last thing she saw before she slid into the restroom with ease.

She took a brisk shower, before wiping herself dry with a towel and throwing on her clothes-or rather, his clothes, his oversized t-shirt swallowing her small frame-and slipping on some sneakers.

The brunette threaded her short fingers through her hair as she dried it with a towel, her hair damp as she let them dance along her shoulders, drenching the boy's oversized shirt.

Like an arrow from a bow, she took off, not even bothering to take a look outside her window as the clouds turned grey, ready to cast a storm over her head.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

The group waited with baited breaths as they watched the black-haired boy walk back to his spot behind the stand, before bending over and bringing his guitar back to his chest.

Eyes widening, Tahani swore he was about to start tearing up, right then and there, standing in front of the café.

"God, I can't watch this," Tahani sniffled, slivering her arms around Tate as she sobbed into her shoulder, the light brown-haired girl stroking her side comfortingly.

Ever-so-slowly letting his eyes fall shut as he took a deep breath, Sean strummed a single string of his acoustic guitar, the soft sound filling the cold air.

This is it, I guess.

"So, I just wanna say that these songs are dedicated to Kaycee Rice," Sean said into the microphone, his supple fingers shakily snaking around the stand as he said her name, swallowing the lump in her throat. "Some of you might know her as the girl who works at the coffee shop that probably can't spell your name right," he laughed softly, almost sadly, "but I know her as the girl of my dreams."

The ashen sky crackled, scaring off a few people, but that didn't stop the crowd in front of the coffee shop.

Sean Lew loved the rain, after all.

"I'm not gonna lie and say this whole songwriting thing was easy, because, believe me, it wasn't," he admitted, his fingers thoughtlessly drumming along the side of his acoustic guitar. "With that in mind, I'd like to thank one of Kaycee's best friends, Tate McRae, for helping me out with this whole thing."

Sean turned his head to the light brown-haired girl, sympathetically smiling at him as she slightly nodded her head, giving a small wave to those who turned their heads in her direction.

"So," he continued, almost awkwardly. "Yeah. Here goes, I guess."

Sean opened his mouth, and let everything loose.

He threaded his heart and soul into every last word and every single syllable he had scribbled onto those sheets of paper, strumming the strings of his guitar as the sound of his soft voice sifted through the air.

"The only coffee I need in the morning," Tate soundlessly mouthed along with him, knowing the song by heart. "Is you, my darling."

Little did he know that on the other end of the street was the girl he was pouring his heart out for, going as fast as her small feet could take her.

Forcefully pressing her eyes shut, Kaycee flinched as she heard thunder bellow from beyond the clouds, brushing and bumping into a few people as she made her way through the busy street.

The adrenaline coursed through her veins as she heard her blood roaring in her ears, racing down the street, rushing past people as she raked her eyes over him, standing right in front of the coffee shop.

That's when she felt a drop of rain fall onto her head, then another, and then another.

Kaycee looked up, a dark gray enveloping the skies as droplets of rain came falling down on the street, dancing along the sidewalks, drenching the soil.

Without a care for the water that was threading through her hair and trickling down the side of her head, her eyes darted to the black-haired boy who she could only barely see from where she stood.

Sean felt the rain dripping onto his head, but he didn't mind getting drenched. He had always loved the rain, anyways.

The storm was an opera of the skies, the trees and grasses its percussion. The clouds played their instrument, spitting thunder at the pitiful scene below, lightning streaking across the sky. They hailed bullets down from the heavens, pouring over people's heads, mercilessly pounding against the pavement.

Until it didn't.

Suddenly, the girl didn't feel anything falling onto her head.

Kaycee slowly tilted her head up, over her head an umbrella, and the one holding it the boy he'd ever-so-often see at the coffee shop, his hair no longer slicked back, a small smile strung on his lips.

Eyes wide as a shiver ran down her spine, she whispered, "Gabe?"

She looked up at him in disbelief, her lips twitching in the slightest, blinking once, before blinking again.

"Here, take it," Gabe told her, holding the umbrella over her head as he let the rain take him in, trailing down his body. He gestured towards the café, towards him, a genuine smile splayed across his lips, "You should get moving."

The two teens stood under the rain, one holding their umbrella out for the other.

"T-Thank you, Gabe," Kaycee hiccuped, hesitantly taking the umbrella in between her fingers, holding it above her head, a thankful smile barely stretching past her eyes. "Thank you, so much."

For him, that smile was all he really needed.

"Know you're always welcome," Gabe grinned, giving her a small wave as she smiled back at him, scampering over to the café.

Carefully making her way through the crowd, her eyes lit up as she caught sight of her curly-haired best friend.

Tahani's mouth instantly turned into an o-shape, eyes turning into saucers as she tapped her other friends' shoulders like an attention-seeking five-year old trying to tell their mother that they saw their best friend at the supermarket.

They turned their heads in the direction the loudest of their group pointed to, their eyes stretching wide, soundless gasps falling from their lips, as they welcomed the small girl into their arms, smiling from ear-to-ear.

"You made it, dude," Ken chuckled softly, ruffling a hand through the girl's wet hair, his short-haired girlfriend still giving her best friend a hug.

One by one, they hugged one another, their group whole-complete. They couldn't have cared less about the fact that they were all dripping with rain, their clothes drenched, their hair damp.

"Don't ever leave us like that again," Tahani scolded the brunette as she tightly wrapped her arms around her, "I swear, I was this close to breaking into your apartment and knocking some sense into you."

Weak laughs falling from her lips, Kaycee pulled away from the shorter girl, all before her eyes met those of her light brown-haired best friend.

"God, Tate," she whimpered, practically running into her friend's arms as she wound her arms around her. She clutched onto the cloth of her trench coat, crying, "I'm so, so sorry. I should've trusted you."

Mascara already streaking her tinted cheeks as her hair stuck to the side of her face, Tate held her best friend close to her, a hand clasped over her shoulder.

"It's okay, Kaycee," Tate whispered, lips twitching into a smile, "I forgive you."

As she held an umbrella over the both of their heads, the brown-haired girl's eyes fell on the boy that stood in front of the coffee shop that had taken over her entire head, her entire being.

Kaycee's eyes eased into the sight of him.

Passionately pouring his heart out into a song he had written for her right in front of the very same café they wrote their story into, he had his eyes pressed shut, plucking the strings of his guitar.

The black-haired boy had his hair permed, a wet mop of tousled curls on top of his head, water dripping from the tips of his hair to the jacket that hugged his shoulders, a shirt barely hidden underneath.

Tears brimmed the girl's eyes as his voice filled her ears, her heart racing in her chest, the unrelenting rhythm of her heartbeat rippling through her ribs.

As his eyes fluttered open, his mouth flew open as his eyes finally melted into hers, his mind going blank as his jaw fell to the floor.

She was there.

"I, uh," Sean sputtered, stopping the song suddenly, his hands shaking in the slightest.

That was all before his lips broke out into the biggest, brightest smile, stretching all the way from ear-to-ear, his heart swelling-it came from deep inside him to light his eyes as it spread into every part of him, a spring flower swallowing sunshine.

The adorable boy's dimples teased the corners of his lips, his nose scrunching up, his eyes crinkling.

"Sorry," he laughed awkwardly, unable to keep the stupid smile off of his face, before resuming the song where he had stopped, the mood at the café instantly shifting along with his.

The rest of the words tumbled out of his mouth with an untamable energy-an uncontrollable energy that spread a warmth through the hearts and souls of everyone who listened to him.

It was one of the countless things the girl loved about him-how he, even if he didn't know it, spread happiness wherever he went, his heart full and pure, his smile eyes kind and loving, his smile honest and sincere.

Kaycee, along with Josh, Julian, Tate-all of them-listened to him, watched him, adored him, slowly swaying their bodies to the sound of his voice, arms strung around one another.

Sean almost didn't finish singing before shouting out, "Thank you, New York!" into the wind, his lips uncontrollably strung into a dimpled smile that stretched from ear-to-ear, his excitement uncontainable, undeniable.

The audience clapped in applause, in awe of the young boy's angel-like voice, all before dispersing into different directions.

While some of them tip-toed over the rain water that pooled along the pavement, some of them stayed dry under their multi-colored umbrellas, the sound of the pitter-patter of the rain filling their ears.

Under the rainbow of brightly-colored umbrellas was the teary-eyed brunette and her light brown-haired best friend, bodies brushing against one another.

"What are you waiting for?" Tate teasingly said into her best friend's ear, the smallest of smirks tugging at her lips, "Go get your man."

And without a second thought, Kaycee did just that.

Simultaneously, Sean slipped off the guitar he had strapped around his torso and shoved it into his long-haired best friend's arms.

"Thanks, Julian!" Julian could only shake his head as his lips lifted up into the smallest of smiles, loosely holding his best friend's guitar to his chest. Laughing softly to himself, Josh tucked his tripod under his arm and hung the camera strap around his neck. "You too, Josh!"

Sean and Kaycee desperately ran into each other's arms as if their lives depended on it.

The two couldn't care less about the silver bullets hailing down from the ashen sky, harshly pounding against the sidewalk as people hastily scampered off of the slippery streets.

They sifted through the sea of people as if they were sifting through space-as if they were two stars tied together by the thinnest of strings, two stars that fell into a cosmic bust, still trusting the sky to pull them back into line.

So close, yet so far away.

The small girl practically jumped into the black-haired boy's arms, the boy instantly wrapping his arms around her as he whirled them around, specks of water staining their cheeks.

Standing beneath the safety of her see-through umbrella, Tahani couldn't help but smile ever-so-softly as she watched the two smiling at each other from ear-to-ear underneath the sweep of the storm swirling in the sky.

They simply stood there, holding each other.

The curly-haired girl tore her eyes away when she felt a tap on her shoulder. Turning around, Tahani met the soft eyes of their short-haired best friend, Bailey.

"Wanna give them some space?" Bailey asked beneath her blue umbrella as she pointed behind her, both groups of friends walking back into the café as Josh Beauchamp pulled down the blinds, covering the coffee shop's floor-to-ceiling windows.

"Over here!" Chloe bellowed over to the curly-haired girl, beaming a smile at her long-haired ex-boyfriend as he held the door to the café open for her, before making her way inside.

Jokingly rolling her eyes, Tahani slightly nodded her head, her curls tumbling on her lightly-freckled shoulders. "Yeah, sure."

After the brown-haired girl's best friends stepped into the café, there was nobody else but them, the buildings, and the brooding rain.

The rain pouring over their heads, Sean wrapped his arms around Kaycee's waist as she tightly strung her arms around his torso.

Inhaling his ever-so-intoxicating scent, the brunette tucked her head underneath the black-haired boy's chin, the tips of her hair tickling his neck as water trickled down the side of his head. The girl buried her face into his chest, the rough, textured fabric of his light-washed denim jacket resting underneath her fingertips.

The never-ending, undying head hug.

"Angel," Sean whispered into her hair, her eyes widening as she let out the smallest whimper.

The very sound of his wavering voice, the very sight of his quivering lip-it felt like a rock thrown into the ocean, rippling through the still water, sending waves thrashing against her fragile heart.

Towering over her, he tentatively traced his hands along the shape of her tiny frame, his large hands traveling up her body from where they were on her small waist. The boy couldn't help but notice how she fit so perfectly against him, how the subtle curve of his palm fit so perfectly against the fabric of her shirt-or rather, his shirt.

Imbedding every last crevice and every last curve of her body into his brain, he brought his hands to the dip of her back, drifting over the arch of her spine, before tangling his fingers in her hair.

Kaycee shivered as he glided his hands up the side of her body. He held her oh-so-delicately, almost like a doll, almost as if he was afraid she would disappear.

And for a second, he thought she would.

"I can't believe you're here," Sean rasped out, eyes raking over the girl in his arms.

The girl looked up at him for a split second, not a single word slipping from her soft lips as she stood on her toes and snaked her long, slender arms around his neck. Threading a hand through the tousled curls on top of his head, she tucked her head back into his neck.

"I'm here," Kaycee heaved into his chest, so softly that he could barely hear her hushed voice. "I'm really here."

Clutching the back of her head, he carefully held her head in the crescent of his hand. It was like he held his whole world right there in his hands, and in a way, he kind of did.

"God," Sean said in disbelief, drops of rain dripping from the side of his head to the crown of her hair, drenching her already damp hair. "I've missed you-so, so much."

And just like that, the dam in her eyes broke.

"I've missed you, too," Kaycee cried as she tightly clung onto him, practically climbing him, her nails clawing into his back.

It was almost as if she was never gonna let go.

Sean was the first to pull away from the embrace, sweeping his eyes over the sight in front of him.

Tentatively tilting her chin up, he brushed his thumb ever-so-slightly against her lightly-freckled cheeks, stained with the softest shade of red, specks of water sliding down her skin.

His heart broke at the mere thought of salty tears spilling out from the small girl's eyes, seeing the shining specks of water that lined her cheeks and her thick curtain of long, curled lashes.

Silently, Sean wiped them from her cheeks.

Don't cry.

Staring into her eyes, he could've sworn that the gods had fashioned stars into them, shining pools that swallowed the sun.

"I'm so sorry, Sean," Kaycee choked out, clawing onto the sleeves of his jacket, the rain curtly dancing along her knuckles.

"Don't be sorry, baby," Sean soothed as he slicked back the strands hair that stuck to the small girl's forehead, making sure he could see her.

All of her.

Sadly, he smiled at her. "I'm so sorry, angel. I knew all along that you didn't like anything over-the-top, but I didn't listen-I wanted to surprise you, but in the end, I went out of my way to keep secrets from you," he sighed, "I hurt you-"

"No, no," Kaycee cut him off. "Don't."

He looked at her confused, brows crinkling together as she continued, "You don't get to do that, not when I'm the one who should be saying sorry."

"Kaycee-"

"I was stupid, Sean."

"Kaycee," he pressed. "Please-"

She sighed, her eyes slowly falling shut as her brows stitched together, her short thumbs tracing shapes onto the small of his neck. "I should have listened to you, okay? I should've trusted you, took the time to listen to your side of the story, but instead, I shut you out. I'm so sorry, Sean, I was so stupid, I-"

"Sorry, I love you," Sean interrupted, "but could you please just stop saying sorry, stop saying you're stupid, and just, I don't know, smile for me?"

The second he said those three words-those three words they've not once in their lives told each other-the small girl had practically choked on her own spit and was seconds away from coughing it out.

Sorry, I love you. Those three unspoken words had slipped from his lips so carelessly, so casually, as if they've told each other those three words a thousand times, time and time again.

When in reality, they haven't.

I love you.

At that moment, she couldn't have cared less about the fact that she was standing in the middle of the sidewalk, soaked from head-to-toe, the storm-stirred skies spilling water onto their heads.

"Okay," Kaycee giggled, and Sean couldn't have been happier to see the smallest of dimples tease the side of her eyes again.

"How about we just agree that we both messed up and we'll both do better the next time around, yeah?" Sean threw his head back in laughter, letting the rain fall onto his face.

"Absolutely."

Sean's lips lifted into a smile that stretched from ear-to-ear and past his crescent-shaped eyes. "I'm glad to hear that," he said as his nose scrunched up in the slightest, his dimples teasing his lightly-speckled cheeks, the smallest mole on the side of his lip.

Kaycee couldn't help the smile that broke out on her lips. She laughed as she pushed back the wet mop of curls on top of his head as they fell against his face, a small laugh erupting from back of his throat.

"So am I," she giggled.

Sean softly squeezed her hips as she snaked her arms around his neck, her short fingers sliding up the side of his body.

The two were flush against one another. They were two hearts tied together, beating together as one-the girl's hand kissing the side of his neck, the pulse of her wrist against the pulse of his neck.

Kaycee looked up at him, taking him all in. She couldn't help but smile, seeing how strands of his newly-permed black hair had stuck to his forehead. How his shirt was almost see-through under the snug-fitting denim jacket he wore around his shoulders. How his full, pink lips were almost shining, specks of water sliding down his skin.

Sean gently took her face in his hands, his thumb tracing her jaw before pressing the pad onto her tear-stained cheek, dusted with the lightest of little brown freckles.

The two were inches-maybe even centimeters-apart, the slightest movement making them melt into one another.

"Kayc," he whispered.

His other hand found itself on the subtle dip of her waist, slightly above the hem of her leggings, holding her close to him.

His eyes swept over every last inch of her-from her damp hair to her drenched sneakers-before his eyes stayed on her pink, plump lips.

She might've been a sunflower basking in the sunlight, a sole yellow flower in a field of red roses, but any flower would've been ashamed to bloom in the presence of her pink, petal-like lips.

"Look, I know this is going to sound really cliché," Sean started, shyly scratching the back of his head. "I, uh, well-can I?"

Kaycee let one of her rainbow-making giggles fall from her lips, the sound sifting through the cool air like music to his ears.

She laughed, "Of course, baby."

Their foreheads were pressed against one other, noses brushing each other's in the slightest, unsure of where their breath ended and the other's began. All that filled their ears was the sound of their own hearts in their chests and every breath they took, chests rising and falling with every faint breath.

Sean sharply breathed in as he carefully cradled her face in the curve of his palm, her soaked curls sticking to the side of his knuckles. She tangled her hands in his hair, letting her fingers thread themselves through every single strand, softly tugging at the roots.

And with that, he captured her lips in his.

Sean and Kaycee moved against each other so perfectly, lips pressed against one another's as they poured out all of their pent-up emotions into this one, intimate moment.

She knew she sounded as cliché as could be, but she could've sworn that the organ pumping blood to every part of her body had exploded, along with the pit of butterflies she had zipped-up in her stomach.

And to think this all started with a poorly-spelt name on a coffee cup and a cheesy pick-up line on a piece of tissue paper.

Sean slightly tilted his head to the side, angling her head so he could press his soft, full lips harder onto hers.

Kaycee smiled, her supple fingers sifting through his stark hair. The black-haired boy smiled into the kiss, his ever-so-iconic dimples teasing the corner of his lips.

It all happened so quickly, and the next thing they knew, all the air had been taken out of their lungs and they needed to breathe. The two broke apart, breathing heavily, gasping for air.

Sean didn't want to stop. He was addicted to it all-the sweet taste of her lips, the shivers sent down his spine as she pulled at his hair, the warmth that seared through his skin as she pressed her lips harder against his.

Kaycee Rice was caffeine, and Sean Lew was addicted.

As if the tables had turned, the girl got on her tippy-toes, tilting the taller boy's head towards her so she could press her soft lips to his forehead, placing a kiss in between his brows, pecking his button nose-peppering his face in loving kisses, just like he always did to her.

"Hey, just so you know," Kaycee hummed, her lips slightly swollen as she pressed a sweet kiss to the dimple that teased his lightly-freckled cheek. "I love you, too."

Sean smiled from ear-to-ear before capturing her lips in another kiss.

Sean Lew loved the rain, and especially the rainbow after.

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┌─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───┐

THE END
caffeine.

└─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───┘