Lipstick Stained Lips

She was in one of her strange moods again. Picking up a tube of lipstick from her small collection of makeup, she turned to her boyfriend with a mischievous gleam in her eye.

"Say…" she began, fiddling with the item in her hand. Her boyfriend, sensing her tone, looked at her with mild apprehension. Seeing her grin, amusement clearly emanating from her, he sighed to himself and asked, "What is it this time?"

Her grin only widened at his question. Raising the tube up between them, she smiled slyly at him. "Can I put
lipstick on you?"

"What? No!" he answered in disbelief. She chuckled, not the least bit discouraged by his reaction. "Please," she asked, as sweetly as possible, a feign look of innocence on her face. "It'll be fun," she said. "I said no. Put that away," he told her, a hint of annoyance in his voice. Still, she persisted.

After a relentless half hour of her attempts to change his mind, he gave in, knowing she would not be satisfied until she got her way. "Fine…" he said, sighing in defeat. "Make it quick. And don't tell anyone about this," he continued, warning her. She clapped her hands in glee, laughing. Taking the comic book from his hand and setting it aside, she told him to sit on the chair across from her.

Sat on the chair, he looked at her blankly as she raised the tube to his face. She paused, blinking, her hand hovering between them. Her excitement had managed to die down, clearing her mind, and the sudden closeness caught her off guard. She blinked again, staring at him as he stared back.

"Close your eyes," she said to him. "Why?" he asked, an eyebrow raised. He was suspicious of her. With his eyes closed, there was no knowing what pranks she would pull on him. "Just do it," she snapped at him, annoyed. But then she continued, mumbling, "It's awkward…" Realising her source of discomfort, the corners of his lips rose slightly. He closed his eyes shut and waited for her patiently.

Applying makeup had never been her forte and putting it onto someone else was no exception. Furrowing her brows in concentration, she struggled with the small tube. After a few attempts, she leaned back and nodded once in approval.

"Alright, it's done," she said as she stored the tube of lipstick, her lips twitching. Her boyfriend stood and walked towards the mirror attached to the wall. His reflection stared back at him with crimson coloured lips. Behind him, he could see her trying to contain her laughter.

"You look…so pretty," she managed to sputter out before cracking up and falling into a heap on the bed. He grabbed a piece of tissue paper from a nearby box and wiped his mouth furiously. "Idiot," he muttered under his breath. Eventually, she calmed down, wiping her tears as she sat up.

Still frowning, he sat back down in a huff. He was reaching out for the comic book when he felt a soft kiss on his cheek. It was brief, no more than a peck, but he looked at her in surprise. They had never even held hands, let alone this. Moving on its own, his hand rose to his cheek.

"As a thanks for putting up with my weirdness, and an apology," she told him, cheeks a faint tinge of pink. He nodded, unable to speak. After a moment's silence, she cleared her throat awkwardly. "Wanna watch a movie?" she asked. "Okay," he replied.

"Alright. You choose the movie. I'm gonna grab some snacks from the kitchen."

He nodded as a response and she left the room. Taking the laptop from the table, he smiled to himself. She really is strange, he thought.