twenty three

                                    

                                          


                          


                          
𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄 !
                          
⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
                          
     Nova leaned on her bathroom counter as she held a box of purple hair dye she had picked up from a local beauty store about an hour before. Nerves filled her body due to her fear of messing her hair up. Besides, she had never dyed her hair at home before. 
                          
     Her worry calmed when she lowered the box from her line of sight to see Corpse sitting on the lid of the toilet a few feet away. Although she wasn't completely confident, at least she would have Corpse by her side. 
                          
     "It says to shampoo and dry hair, which I did already... so the next step would be to put the dye on my hair. 'With color brush, begin at the root of the hair and work it evenly through to the ends. Start nape of the neck and work upwards through the head and be sure to completely saturate the hair shaft.'" Nova quoted the box, reading it with furrowed brows due to her concentration.
                          
     "Okay. Let's put some gloves on," Corpse suggested, grabbing the box of gloves sitting on the counter and putting them on. Nova followed suit and poured the dye into a bowl. Standing in front of the mirror, the two got to work covering Nova's dark hair in purple dye. After an hour of work, the hair dye was finally on. 
                          
     Nova grabbed the box again. "'Place a plastic cap over the hair and leave color on for at least 1/2 hour or more.'"
                          
     Corpse took a cap from the counter and carefully placed it over her dye-soaked hair. The two smiled at each other, standing inches apart.
                          
     "We did it!" Nova exclaimed, putting both of her palms up for a double high-five. Corpse high-fived the girl. After a few seconds of staring at each other, evident tension in the air, Nova ran past Corpse. "Let's go watch a movie!"
                          
     The deep-voiced man shook his head at his missed opportunity, but followed after Nova anyways.
                          
     Thirty minutes into the random movie they picked on Netflix, Nova's timer went off. She excitedly popped up from the couch while Corpse paused the movie. Anticipation to see the outcome of the dye filled Nova's body, causing her to bolt to the bathroom, leaving Corpse in the dust. 
                          
     As Nova ran the water through the tap of her bathtub, Corpse finally made an appearance in the bathroom to assist with rinsing her hair. In his hands was an old towel Nova had decided to use, not caring if it was stained forever. 
                          
     Once the water was a lukewarm temperature per the box's request, Nova kneeled down beside the tub while Corpse plopped himself down to sit with his back against the side of the bathtub. He watched as the girl put her head under the stream of water, making the once-clear water purple. 
                          
     "How long does it say to rinse for?" Nova asked Corpse, words muffled a bit from her positioning. 
                          
     Corpse grabbed the box and skimmed the instructions. "'Rinse hair in tepid water thoroughly, until the water runs clear.'"
                          
     "Okay, can you tell me when that happens?" Nova requested, finding it hard to see.
                          
     "Uh, yeah, sure," Corpse answered, moving to kneel on his knees just as Nova was. He trained his eyes on the water and kept them there for a while before he finally couldn't see a trace of purple in the water. "You're good."
                          
     At Corpse's notification, Nova reached a hand out. "Towel, please."

                          
     Corpse handed her the towel. Nova, keeping her head in the same position as to not get dye everywhere, wrapped her hair in the towel. As soon as she was assured she wouldn't splatter purple everywhere, Nova lifted her head and locked eyes with Corpse, who looked in wonder at the girl a couple inches from him. She couldn't help but notice the small distance between them; Nova could feel Corpse's warm breath on her face. 
                          
     Breaking the silence, Corpse simply asked in a whisper, "Can I kiss you?"
                          
     "Yes."
                          
     Corpse leaned forward, causing Nova's heart to race. And, as much as she tried to calm it, she couldn't. Before she knew it, Corpse pressed his soft lips against hers. Any thoughts in her brain went away as her senses were invaded with only him. Corpse. Breathing in gave Nova another hit of him, almost like a drug. His bergamont scent filled her nose. And then, before Nova knew it, the kiss was over, leaving her stunned with her arms still sat in her lap. Do I like Corpse? Nova thought, staring at the man in front of her. He was so kind and amazing, despite not knowing. It didn't take her long to make up her mind about it. I definitely do. Shit. Of course, liking Corpse wasn't a bad thing, after all he was an incredible person, but Nova hadn't felt a romantic attraction to anybody for years. It scared her.

                          
     After taking in everything for a couple moments, Corpse seemed to make up his mind about something as he pursed his lips. "Do you wanna be my girlfriend?" He blurted out. Afterwards, he looked surprised he said it.
                          
     "Yeah," Nova replied breathlessly, still taken aback by the kiss shared between the two.