Recently you got into trouble for punching another student who is one year younger than you after finding out that they were bullying your younger sister, it wasn't a really hard slap and it was meant as more of a warning but you still ended up in quite a lot of trouble as it turned out that student you punched was the schools's student council presidents younger brother.
A few days have passed since the incident and eventually, it all blew over with the only punishment being a warning for both parties involved.
School has just ended and you pack up your stuff before leaving the building and begin to head home but you don't get far until you hear a voice from behind you. "Hey you!" Once you turn around you see, Naomi, the student council president but also the brother of the student you punched a few days prior. "You're the one that punched my brother, correct?" She aks in a stern and somewhat cold tone while staring intently at you.
Yes, it was me, are you here to reprimand me for what I did? I said calmly, not worried about her presence
She narrows her eyes when she hears your calm tone and sees you being so unphased by the situation, it almost comes off as condescending to her. However, she decides not to let that anger her too much for now as she just wants answers and maybe some sort of apology from you before she can move on from this whole thing completely. After taking a deep breath to calm herself down, she responds
"Yes... I did come here to reprimand you." Her tone has softened somewhat but it's still quite stern all things considered. She takes another step closer to you and crosses her arms over her chest as she continues to stare at you intently, almost daring you to look away or back down from what she's about to say next
Go ahead, I hear you, but you know it was your brother's fault, so don't give me too many explanations I said calmly and almost challenging her, while looking directly at her without looking away
She glares at you when you say that it was her brother's fault, taking another step closer to you so she can look down on you. "It might have been partly his fault," She admits, "But that doesn't give you the right to go around hitting other people! And I should know better than anyone how protective you are of your little sister!" Her eyes narrow dangerously as her voice begins to rise in pitch slightly. "I swear if it wasn't for my brother being such a delinquent, he'd have never had to be near you in the first place!"
If that bothers you, educate him and make him a good boy. Anyway, he is your brother, so I have nothing to do with him or you, but take it into consideration if you care so much about him I said calmly, then turned around and started walking
You hear her footsteps behind you as she follows after you with every step that she takes. "Don't turn your back on me!" She snaps, grabbing hold of your shirt collar and yanking you roughly backwards so that you face her once more. Her green eyes blaze with anger now as she glares down at you. "Do you realize what could have happened?! You could have seriously hurt him, or worse!"
Without giving you a chance to respond, she tilts your chin up using the grip she has on your shirt collar, forcing you to meet her gaze directly. Her yellow eyes boring into yours, making it hard to look away even if you wanted to. "I want an apology from you," She says coldly, "And I want you to promise me that you'll never do something like this again."
I can only offer you an apology, because if your brother bullies my sister again, next time I won't be so gentle and I'll give him a good beating I said calmly, but a little furious while looking into her eyes
Her jaw tightens at your reply and she feels a sudden surge of anger course through her veins. "You're not going to get away with this," She snarls, reaching up with her free hand and gripping the back of your neck. "I could make things very hard for you." And she means it; as student council president she has a fair amount of pull when it comes to exerting influence over certain situations.
But then again... she's just as protective where her brother is concerned. Her eyes flicker downwards for a moment, taking in the size difference between you two as she tries to decide whether or not physically forcing an apology out of you would be worth it in the long run. Maybe... maybe she should back down a little bit here.
With another deep breath, she slowly releases her grip on your neck and takes a step backwards, though she remains close enough that if you were to try anything stupid she'd still be able to stop you without too much difficulty. "Fine," She mutters reluctantly, "I'll accept your apology for now..."
You are strong, more than I thought I said calmly, while adjusting the comfort of my shirt but well, I guess these are the things we do for the family
She snorts derisively at your comment about her being strong, ignoring how it makes her chest puff up with pride just a little bit. "Don't be so quick to judge my strength," She says with a shake of her head before looking you in the eye again, her expression softening slightly. "But I appreciate your apology... and your understanding." Her voice trails off for a moment as she considers adding something else, but then decides against it, choosing instead to nod curtly before taking another step backwards.
"Just... be careful from now on," She says quietly, looking away from you for a moment. "I don't want anything bad happening to either of you." And with that, she finally turns and walks off down the street, her posture straight as an arrow and her long legs carrying her quickly back towards the safety of school grounds where she can be among her own kind once more.
When she left, I started following her Hey, smart girl, you forgot to tell me something I shouted that to catch up with her
"What's that?" She snaps, spinning around to face you again. Her eyes narrow, daring you to say anything further. "Make it quick and get it over with," she growls impatiently. "I don't have all day."
If I apologized to you for what I did, it would be fair for you to apologize to me for what your brother did, don't you think? I said calmly, and in a more friendly way
She blinks at your question before letting out a small laugh that holds no humor whatsoever. "I don't owe you an apology," She says coldly. "My brother is better than you will ever be, so I won't apologize for his mistakes." Her tone softens slightly. "But I'll accept your apology, if that makes it any easier for you..."
Better than me? I said sarcastically and then laughed I don't fight with defenseless girls and then get beaten by their brothers, but your brother did go through that Then, I laughed again
She rolls her eyes at your snide comment about her brother being better than you. "Yes," she says simply, folding her arms over her chest once more as she looks down at the ground for a moment before lifting her gaze back up to meet yours. "My brother is stronger, smarter, and more athletic than you will ever be." She takes a deep breath before continuing on in a softer tone. "But that doesn't give him the right to go around hurting people either." Her green eyes flicker between your own for several long moments as she ponders her words carefully. Eventually, she shrugs helplessly. "It was his mistake too, but..."
She trails off again, unsure of what else to say. Finally, she gives a small nod. "I'll apologize," She says quietly, her voice barely more than a whisper. "If you want me to." There is an unspoken challenge in those words, as if she's daring you to ask for it.
It seems fair to me, since I did it I said calmly, and looking her directly in the eyes
Her expression softens further at your words, and she gives you a slight smile. "Thank you," She says sincerely, her voice barely above a whisper as she meets your gaze directly. She takes another step closer to you, reaching up with one hand to touch your cheek gently before leaning in even closer. Her eyes lock onto yours, and for a moment it feels like all the anger and frustration that had been between them only moments ago has melted away completely.
"And," She whispers softly as she leans in further still, "I promise to keep an eye on him, to make sure he doesn't hurt you or your family again." Her words are light, almost airy, but there is steel in her tone that implies she means every single one of them. Her breath fogs the air between you as she holds your gaze intimately, not quite daring you to lean forward and close the distance yourself.
Umm, sure, apology accepted I said nervously and blushing at her action and her approach towards me
At the sound of your voice accepting her apology, she lets out a shaky breath, feeling like a huge weight has been lifted off her shoulders. Her touch remains light against your cheek as she takes another step closer still, closing the final inch between them before brushing her lips gently against yours. The kiss is sweet and gentle, devoid of anger or frustration, full of nothing but relief and understanding.
Her tongue flickers out to tease the seam of your lips before sliding past, tangling with your own tongue as she deepens the kiss, allowing herself to become lost in the moment. Her free hand finds its way around your neck, pulling you closer still until there's no more space between their bodies. It feels right; this feeling of closeness, of acceptance and understanding... She could get used to it, if only for a little while longer.
When she finally pulls back from the kiss, Naomi rests her forehead against yours, both of them breathing heavily as they catch their breath. Her eyes close briefly before she opens them again, meeting your gaze with an expression that is part gratitude and part yearning... a silent promise to remember this moment forever. "Thank you," She whispers softly.
What, what was that? What did it mean? I said nervously, unsure of how to proceed next
She smiles at your question, feeling warmth spread through her chest as she gazes into your eyes. "It meant... that I appreciate you," She whispers, running one hand through your hair before resting it against your cheek once more. "And that..." Her voice trails off for a moment as she ponders the words carefully. "I think... maybe we could be friends."
Her lips quirk into a small smile at the thought, and her eyes sparkle with hopefulness. It's not something she's ever really considered before; being friends with someone like you. But now that it's been put out there... she can't help but wonder how it might feel to have someone like you in her life, too. Someone who understands what it means to protect those you care about.
Ok, okay, I guess, it would be nice to be friends I said nervously, still not understanding very well what had happened
Smiling warmly, Naomi steps even closer to you until she feels the heat radiating off your body envelop her as well. "I think it would be really nice," she murmurs quietly, her gaze never leaving yours as she reaches up with both hands and cups your face gently between them. Her thumbs brush against your cheeks in a soothing motion that sends shivers down your spine.
Without warning, she leans forward once more, pressing their lips together in a tender kiss filled with promise and hope for whatever the future might hold for them both. When she pulls back again, her eyes sparkle with anticipation at the possibilities. "So," She says breathlessly, a playful smile tugging at the corners of her mouth, "friendship it is, then?"
Why, why did you kiss me again? I said blushing, with feigned fury and nervous while I looked at her
She giggles softly in response to your question before cupping your cheek with her hand once more, brushing her thumb gently against the sensitive skin there. "I kissed you again because it felt right," she whispers, leaning forward until their noses are almost touching. Her voice drops even lower as she continues, nearly a whisper now: "And because... I want to." There's an intensity in her eyes that you can barely contain, like she's daring you to challenge what she's saying, to go further if that's what you really want.
If that's the case, then don't do it again I said blushing and nervous, pretending to be angry with her
Her lips curve into a mischievous smile as she says, "Oh, I'm sure I will... whenever the mood strikes me." Her fingers dance lightly along your jawline before coming to rest on your collarbone. She takes a step back from you now, giving herself and both of you some much-needed breathing room.
"So," she begins, clearing her throat as she tries to regain her composure, "Shall we get going? I'm sure your mom would like an update about what happened today." She gestures vaguely in the direction of the school, not wanting to look at you anymore just yet for fear of being unable to resist the urge to lean forward and steal another kiss.
She needs time... she needs some space... or maybe she just needs more time with you. It's hard to tell right now, her thoughts are racing a million miles an hour as she tries to make sense of everything that has happened between the two of you in the last few minutes. One thing is for certain though; whatever happens next, she knows that it will be different from anything she could have ever imagined.
What do you mean by that? I said nervously again, unsure of what she wanted to tell me
"Oh, nothing," she says quickly, waving her hand dismissively. "It's just... I think things might be changing between us." She studies your face for a moment, trying to gauge your reaction. "And I wanted to make sure you were okay with that." Her voice wavers slightly on the last word, and she fights back the urge to reach out and touch you again, even though she knows it's probably not such a good idea right now.
With another deep breath, she squares her shoulders and forces herself to meet your gaze directly once more. "So, what do you think?"