I Don't Want It, I Just Need It.

I watched, enthralled, as Verity pulled a colouring pencil from the collection nestled in the knot of her hair. "'Ow d'ye know what colour ye gonna get if they're all the way back..."

"I don't" She smiled simply, her eyes flickering up from her sketchpad and meeting mine for a second. "The best things come from takin' risks. Ye know that Ol" I nodded in agreement and craned my neck toward her. It had been at least three minutes; I was no elephant, and I had forgotten the sweet taste of her lips. "I mean, look at you an' me" She smirked, "'ho'da thunk it eh? Beauty an' the beast"

She rolled her eyes as I pouted dramatically, and within a second her lips were upon mine. Another second, another kiss. And all would be forgotten. I was dreading the day it would stop being so simple. Dreading the day that I would slip up, and no amount of kisses; or all the seconds in the world, would be able to pick me up from the gutter. "I didn' say ye were the beast" She whispered against my lips before pulling away from me. Her cheeks a little flushed, eyes a little glazed.

I scoffed loudly and flicked the tip of her nose gently. "Ye nothin' short of a beauty though, aye?"

She shrugged; a tiny, forbidden smile tugging at the right corner of her mouth. Before returning her attention to her sketches. She was the most beautiful girl, and the fact that she barely understood that made me love her just that little bit more.

"D'ye know what ye gonna wear tonight?"I huffed loudly and rolled onto my back, glaring at the ceiling and kicking my feet against the matress like a child. "A cute little onesie maybe?" Verity chuckled, noting my behaviour. "Maybe you an' Tom could wear matchin'..."

"I found a nice shirt" I sighed, moving to lean on my elbow; my chin rested in my open palm.

"Found?"

"Well bought really" I admitted, as she raised her eyebrow sceptically. "Don' worry ye pretty little 'ead. Ye Ma 'n Pa 'll think I'm the bees fuckin' knees"

I saw Verity tense at the mention of them, but her discomfort failed to reach her face. She gave me a small smile and set her pencil and pad on her knees. "Ye think they'll be in a state t'notice" She chuckled hollowly, shaking her head. "I jus' thought it'd be nice t'...y'know. Get all dressed up f' Jakes big twenty one an...'s not often we get t'..."

"'ll be appropriately suited 'n booted" I interupted with a salute of my hand, as she began to ramble a little. "Ye know I'd do anythin' f'ye"

She giggled softly and pushed everything from her lap. Uncrossing her legs and stretching them far; well as far as her tiny frame would allow, out in front of her. Wiggling her toes with a sigh. "An' that" She smiled; a little uncertainly, meeting my eyes with her own. "'S why I love ye"

&&

"Ye early" She whined, grabbing my wrist and yanking me through the door. "I told ye to..."

I chuckled as she noticed the bunch of peonies clutched in my hand. "An' you, look incredible"

She rolled her eyes and burrowed her face deep into the flowers. Taking a deep breath of their strong scent. "'M not ready yet ye fool" She giggled softly, swatting me away as I tried to grab her toward me. My hands squeezing hungrily at the flesh of her bare hips. Hungry with lust. "These a' lovely"

"Those" I smirked, with a nod of my head to her chest. "A' lovely"

She hit the peonies against my forehead lightly and scurried across her bedroom. Pulling a bunch of decidedly dead roses from the vase at her bedside. And peering in. "They need water" She concluded, rushing past me to the bathroom. The glass vase clutched in one hand, peonies in the other.

"I made some pre-party pick me ups" I followed her nod toward the smokers tin on her desk.
"'elp y'self. 'S gonna be a long night"

I chuckled softly; her scatty mood explained as I opened the tin. Sure enough there were three, perfectly rolled joints lying side by side. Girl wasn't playing, and I didn't doubt it would be a long night.

Verity's Mother and Step Father had looked less than impressed when I had appeared at the door. I'd put it down to the fact they were sober. Or sober-ish.

I placed the joint between my lips and patted down my pockets in search of a light. Mumbling under my breath, cursing my 'smart' clothes. I could hear the water running down the hall and Verity singing softly. What? I had no idea. She was definitely more than a little baked. I didn't blame her.

I smiled broadly as I noticed a small blue lighter lodged beneath her sketchpad and snatched it up. A little too eagerly; I realised, as the pad thudded to the floor. Papers flying everywhere.

"I can't leave he alone f'a second can I" Verity smirked as she shuffled back into the room. The vase full of flowers held to her chest, water sloshing a little over the brim and splashing her scantily clad body. The tiny droplets snaking their way slowly down her...

I smiled bashfully as she caught me staring, and continued collecting the papers from the floor. Rolling my eyes as she stole the unlit spliff from between my lips and placed it between her own. "I don' think ye need anymore o'..."

"I don' think I should trust ye in my..."

"Wha's this?" I was shocked at the sound of my own voice. I'd meant to pose the question in my head. "I... Verity?"

She smiled awkwardly and tore the paper from my hand; retrieving her sketchbook from my lap, and placing it inside. "'S nothin'" She shrugged, placing everything back on her desk and rifling around for a light. Leaning across my shoulder to grab the one at my side.

"Ye reaction said it wasn' owt" I mumbled sarcastically. Trying to recall what I had just read. Or what I'd managed to read, before the letter was snatched from my hands.

"'S nothin'" She repeated as she sparked up the joint, and took a long, deep drag. Her eyelids fluttered a little as she exhaled and her lips twitched into a dozy smirk. "Really Oliver, ye don' need t'..."

"Ye sure? 'cause ye almost 'ad my 'and off snatching the..." I let my words trail as she rolled her eyes and thrust the blazing spliff toward me.

"'Av some o' this an' chill out would ye"

I took the joint from her, silently, and brought it to my lips. Taking a short, sharp, drag. Before exhaling slowly. "Were ye gonna tell me?" I asked, with smoke still billowing from my nostrils. "Did ye think that maybe I'd..."

"I 'avent even applied yet Oliver, 's..."

"Yet?" I felt my frustration rise as she rolled her eyes again. Stalking across her bedroom.

"'S nothin', really" She repeated for the third time, rifling through the clothes hung in her wardrobe. "'ve jus' been lookin' around. 'M leavin' college soon, 's natural t'av a browse aroun..."

"'S America Verity, 's ardly a browse"

"An' I'm 'ardly goin' tommorow, so can he please jus'..."

"Ye goin' then?" I choked back the lump in my throat. Deciding to take a hit in a lame attempt to clear it; or at least cloud my thoughts for a second or two.

"Y'ok Ol?" She asked as I spluttered loudly; perching on the edge of her bed and reaching out to me. She recoiled as I knocked her hand away and an exasperated sigh escaped both of our lips.

"I 'aven decided anythin' yet" She mumbled, fixing her eyes to her hands. Her fingertips were playing with the lace of her underwear, tangling themselves in the bright blue fabric. "I was gonna tell ye soon, I jus'... I knew 'ow you'd take it an'..."

"'Ow am I supposed t'take it?" I enquired, my tone brasher than I'd intended. "My girlfriends movin t'merica an' I..."

"'M not movin t' America Ol" she sighed, climbing to her feet and returning to her wardrobe. If only to keep from looking at me. "What d'ye reckon, the blue one I got in Camden? Or the black one I wore t'..."

"I don' think I can do this Vee" I heard the sudden gasp from Verity; even with her facing away from me, and knew I'd worded it wrong. "I mean tonight" I mumbled, "I don' think I can..."

"'M not gonna stay in Sheffield forever Ol" Verity whispered, "An' ye can't say you're goin' t' either"