Possession

Iris and Patrick spent the better part of a half hour watching Andy and Marlene give each other lovey-dovey eyes, the two of them collectively being a third wheel. Iris had supposed that Andy would just be another guy Marlene had met and brought back to smoke, but she saw that Marlene actually really liked him. After twenty minutes of uncomfortable silence, for Patrick and Iris at least, Iris decided she and Patrick should leave the lovebirds alone. She stood, stretching her arms above her head, and Patrick couldn't help but notice the way her shirt rose up and exposed the skin of her stomach. She gestured for the boy to follow her, making their way into the kitchen.

"I figured we should leave those two alone. I don't know how much longer I can watch them making eyes at each other," Iris shrugged. "Wanna go for a walk?"

Patrick swallowed nervously. "Yeah, sure," he picked up his jacket, slipping it on. Iris did the same, opening the front door without saying a word to Marlene. She noticed Patrick's hand ghosting on the small of her back as they made their way through the door onto the porch, somewhat of a protective instinct.

They walked down the road side by side, hugging their coats to their frames as they made their way through the night. The wind blew a little more than Iris had remembered on her way home, causing her to shudder every so often. Patrick kept looking down at her every few seconds, just to make sure she was actually walking by his side. An actual, real, beautiful girl in his presence was not something he was used to.

"So what are you into?" Patrick asked, looking over at her. Her dark hair fell around her face, her green eyes sparkled in the darkness as she looked up at him.

"Uh, I don't know really," she laughed nervously. "I guess anything. I like music, going for walks, sunsets, the beach, movies. I love love." As soon as she said this Patrick smiled.

"I love love too." Patrick's response was eclipsed by Iris's sudden fear, she saw the Church of the Fallen Saints approaching in the distance and instantly shuddered, cutting their conversation short. "Are you cold?" Patrick asked, moving slightly closer to her.

"Oh, no, no," Iris shook her head with a nervous laugh. "That church always gives me the creeps." She took a step closer to Patrick, noticing he smelled like Old Spice and fabric softener.

"Yeah, I noticed it on the way here. So fucking creepy." As they approached the church Iris instinctively leaned into Patrick, cringing away from the dark structure. Her arm wrapped around his waist, and immediately Patrick felt his cheeks flush. "It's all right," he murmured, picking up the pace.

"I know, I walk by it every day but it still freaks me out." After the church was out of view Iris pulled away from Patrick with an embarrassed expression. "Uh, sorry, sometimes it just really creeps me out. You know?" Her voice was quiet, and the way the moonlight reflected in her irises made her more beautiful than anything in the entire world. Patrick shook the thoughts from his head and they continued their trek around the neighborhood under the twinkling stars.

"So what do you like?" She asked, turning the conversation Patrick's way.

"I dunno. Music, comics, film, food. A lot of things. I think asking someone what they like kinda sucks because you need to hang out with them to really see what they're passionate about. You know?"

Iris nodded her head, her home coming back into view now. "Yeah, I get that. Are you saying we should hang out more?" Her smile was coy as she leaned into Patrick a little closer.

"I-I mean, if you'd like to," he stuttered, surprised. "I think you're really cool."

"Yeah, I think you're pretty cool too. We should definitely start hanging out." Iris opened the front door and allowed Patrick to step inside before her.

"C-can I, you know, have your number?" He asked quietly. He couldn't hear Andy or Marlene, but that didn't mean they weren't listening to him attempt to court Iris.

"Yeah, definitely." She took a sticky note from the counter and scribbled her number across the yellow surface with a black Sharpie, pressing the paper into his hand. "Just gimme a call sometime, all right?" Her eyes shifted to the clock, reading 11pm. She didn't want to kick him out just yet seeing as it was Friday night.

Patrick nodded happily. "Yeah, that sounds great," he said, eyes falling on Iris's face. The lull in their conversation became awkward, and neither knew whether or not it was time for them to part ways for the night.

"Do you wanna watch a movie or something? I bet Andy's staying the night, so I mean, if you want you could too? We could watch some movies or talk or... I don't know," she stammered. So stupid, she thought to herself, why am I so fucking stupid? He probably thinks I'm illiterate.

"Yeah, sure. What have you got?" Patrick turned his back to her in favor of entering the living room. Iris inspected his slim figure as his figure retreated in the shadows of the dimly lit living room. He wasn't much taller than her, with lanky arms and legs and a small frame. His jacket was abandoned on the coffee table, his shoes kicked off in front of the couch. She was amused at how quickly he had become comfortable in her presence. And how quickly she had grown so fond of his.

He hunted around the room until he found their movie collection on a bookshelf in the far corner. He studied the titles before pulling several off the shelf. He turned to Iris with a gleeful smile. "I've found a couple we could watch!" He told her excitedly, making his way to plop onto the couch. He reminded her of a small, excited dog. He pushed his black glasses up further on his nose. "Have you got any tea?"

Iris couldn't help but laugh where she stood in front of him, cupping his cheek in her hand. Her fingers were cold, contrasting his hot skin. His face immediately flushed ruby red. "For you dear?" She smiled dreamily at him. "I've got anything."