My lips popped into a small circle. “Well that’s okay. I’m almost 18.”
He chuckled a soft, enticing sound. “Are you worried about our age difference?”
“Well I don’t want you to think of me as a kid,” I muttered. No one wanted to be friends with a kid.
Marco chuckled before smoothing my hair back. “You don’t have to worry about that, beautiful. You may be new to all of this, but I see you.”
The small butterflies in my stomach fluttered nervously. I wasn’t familiar with this feeling, but it encouraged me to curl further into Marco. He obliged and held me close as my nose trailed along his neck. A soft, low sound echoed through his chest.
“Alright,” he sighed after a peaceful few minutes. “I need to get you to class before I decide to implement a mandatory skip day.”
I rolled my head against his shoulder to look up at him, “that doesn’t sound terrible.” My face was slightly pink and I could feel myself absorbing his affection like a starving kitten. It didn’t help that our position was rather intimate, my body and head wedged on his lap and shoulder. It was a comfortable and warm position.
“Are you flirting with me, Maya?” Marco cooed softly while picking up a piece of my hair and twirling it gently between his tanned fingers. Our noses were so close to one another and I wasn’t positive why, but I felt like if I just leaned up and pressed my lips to his, it would feel amazing. I’d never had my first kiss but somehow I knew a kiss between Marco and I would be special.
I sat up with raised eyebrows. “Was I? I’ve never flirted with anyone before.”
Marco’s head fell back as a deep chuckle filled the air. “Gods Maya, you are a breath of fresh air. I have never met someone with as much curiosity as you.”
I flushed. “I have a lot of years to make up for.”
“Well, it seems you have six dragons willing to aid in that endeavor,” he chuckled.
I smiled and asked, “if you’re dragons, do I get to be the princess?”
Marco’s teeth flashed white in a dangerous smile. “Didn’t the dragons eat the princess?”
I blush at his tone and reached for a response, “fine, I’ll be a dragon then, or a knight.”
He hummed appreciatively after a dark chuckle. “We will create a brand new character for you, Maya. I promise.”
His eyes softened as he lifted a tanned hand to my cheek and smoothed it gently with a thoughtful look. I leaned into it and practically purred before he wrapped me into a hug again. I waited for him to let go but with the way my head was tucked under his chin, I wasn’t positive that would happen.
“Marco?” I whispered, loving his name on my tongue.
“Hm?” He offered a distracted sound.
“You told me to go to class but won’t let me go,” I whispered with a slight smile.
He looked down and chuckled, brushing my chin in a soft hold. “Sorry, Maya.”
As he walked me out the door, I offered him a slight hand squeeze and moved down the hall. I slipped into my first class and found my space open between my three friends. Anani squeezed my hip in passing as Ledger tilted his head back so that his messy curls fell back. Henry offered me a smile that had my face lighting up with a blush. He made me feel all warm and fuzzy, that Henry.
These feelings were really worrying me.
I would have to watch out, I didn’t want to burden them with my emotions. Of course, I was going to feel affection toward them, but they didn’t need to know the extent. I was too much of a weirdo as it was.