Status: in progress/frequent updates
You Haunt Me
xii. December 31st, 2011
“Do we have to go out tonight?” Rae had asked John as they laid on the couch, her head on his lap. This was their usual position, even before they started dating. In retrospect, she supposed it made sense why everyone thought they were dating, even back then when they weren’t. A lot of the stuff they did was rather “couple-y”, she had begun to realize.
He shrugged, his hand moving to her hair. “That’s up to you. Do you want to go out?”
She shook her head. “Not really. Stella will be disappointed but I think I’d rather stay in.”
“Sounds good to me,” he responded. “The less drunk people we have to deal with the better, am I right?”
She giggled a bit at this. She was glad he was making her feel better about not wanting to go out. Just the thought of it alone made her anxious, and he was well aware of this. He didn’t mind having to stay in, as long as she was happy.
She had just moved into his apartment with him a couple of days after Christmas. It was something they had been planning for awhile.
Rae recalled the conversation she had with Stella that day.
“I can’t believe you’re actually moving out,” Stella spoke, leaning on the doorframe as she watched her best friend place some last minute items in a box.
Laughing, Rae stood up, turning to face her. “I’ll still be here all the time when he’s on tour, and I’m literally going to be fifteen minutes away.”
“I know but… it’s just… you’re growing up so fast,” Stella paused, dramatically wiping away fake tears. “Soon you’ll be off having kids of your own-“
“Relax, mom,” Rae joked, pulling her friend in for a hug.
“Yes, I am your mom because I will never have kids of my own. No, but like, really,” Stella began, her tone taking on a more serious note. “You and John are so cute and your babies would be adorable as fuck.”
“Slow down, there,” Rae laughed again, moving away before changing the subject. “Do you want to help me carry these boxes out to the car?”
“I guess so,” sighing, Stella leaned over to pick one up off the floor of Rae’s bedroom. “I honestly can’t believe this is real. My baby Aralynn Rae all grown up.”
Rae glared at her, grabbing a box of her own. “Shut up.”
“Really, though. I’m so happy for you, Rae. You guys are good for each other,” Stella spoke. “I love you so much.”
“Aww,” Rae smiled. “I love you too.”
John and Rae watched the ball drop on the television, waiting as the last few seconds were called out.
“5, 4, 3, 2, 1, happy new year!” the crowd called out, and John leaned down to kiss Rae’s lips.
“Happy new year, love,” he spoke, breaking the kiss briefly before she pulled him back.
“Happy new year,” she whispered against his lips. The kiss slowly became more fervent, and she climbed onto his lap. Her fingers were tangled in his hair, and she felt like she just wanted him closer.
“Whoa,” he breathed, pulling away for a moment.
“I-I’m sorry,” her voice was just above a whisper.
“What for?” John questioned her.
“I just... I want you,” she spoke, the words falling out of her mouth faster than she could stop them.
He raised his eyebrows at her. While she didn’t overtly say it, he was pretty sure he knew what she was talking about. “I’m… are you sure?”
She nodded. “I’m sure.”
While she did feel kind of scared, she knew she could trust him.
"Rae," he spoke. "We don't have to if you don't want to. I don't want you to feel like we have to because I want to sleep with you. I want you to want it because you want it, okay?" He couldn’t seem to stop the words from falling out of his mouth, even though he knew he probably sounded ridiculous.
“John,” she giggled. "Stop rambling."
He laughed as well. "Sorry. Honestly, though. Are you sure you're ready?"
She grabbed the back of his neck, brushing her lips against his. "Yes, I'm sure."
Picking her up, he carried her into the bedroom. “I love you so much, Aralynn Rae.”
She shot him a look. “I love you too, O’Callaghan. Sometimes I question it, but I do.”
He laughed “I’m just going to take that as a compliment.”
Laughing along with him, she gripped the bottom of his shirt. “You do that.”
He shrugged, his hand moving to her hair. “That’s up to you. Do you want to go out?”
She shook her head. “Not really. Stella will be disappointed but I think I’d rather stay in.”
“Sounds good to me,” he responded. “The less drunk people we have to deal with the better, am I right?”
She giggled a bit at this. She was glad he was making her feel better about not wanting to go out. Just the thought of it alone made her anxious, and he was well aware of this. He didn’t mind having to stay in, as long as she was happy.
She had just moved into his apartment with him a couple of days after Christmas. It was something they had been planning for awhile.
Rae recalled the conversation she had with Stella that day.
“I can’t believe you’re actually moving out,” Stella spoke, leaning on the doorframe as she watched her best friend place some last minute items in a box.
Laughing, Rae stood up, turning to face her. “I’ll still be here all the time when he’s on tour, and I’m literally going to be fifteen minutes away.”
“I know but… it’s just… you’re growing up so fast,” Stella paused, dramatically wiping away fake tears. “Soon you’ll be off having kids of your own-“
“Relax, mom,” Rae joked, pulling her friend in for a hug.
“Yes, I am your mom because I will never have kids of my own. No, but like, really,” Stella began, her tone taking on a more serious note. “You and John are so cute and your babies would be adorable as fuck.”
“Slow down, there,” Rae laughed again, moving away before changing the subject. “Do you want to help me carry these boxes out to the car?”
“I guess so,” sighing, Stella leaned over to pick one up off the floor of Rae’s bedroom. “I honestly can’t believe this is real. My baby Aralynn Rae all grown up.”
Rae glared at her, grabbing a box of her own. “Shut up.”
“Really, though. I’m so happy for you, Rae. You guys are good for each other,” Stella spoke. “I love you so much.”
“Aww,” Rae smiled. “I love you too.”
───────────────
John and Rae watched the ball drop on the television, waiting as the last few seconds were called out.
“5, 4, 3, 2, 1, happy new year!” the crowd called out, and John leaned down to kiss Rae’s lips.
“Happy new year, love,” he spoke, breaking the kiss briefly before she pulled him back.
“Happy new year,” she whispered against his lips. The kiss slowly became more fervent, and she climbed onto his lap. Her fingers were tangled in his hair, and she felt like she just wanted him closer.
“Whoa,” he breathed, pulling away for a moment.
“I-I’m sorry,” her voice was just above a whisper.
“What for?” John questioned her.
“I just... I want you,” she spoke, the words falling out of her mouth faster than she could stop them.
He raised his eyebrows at her. While she didn’t overtly say it, he was pretty sure he knew what she was talking about. “I’m… are you sure?”
She nodded. “I’m sure.”
While she did feel kind of scared, she knew she could trust him.
"Rae," he spoke. "We don't have to if you don't want to. I don't want you to feel like we have to because I want to sleep with you. I want you to want it because you want it, okay?" He couldn’t seem to stop the words from falling out of his mouth, even though he knew he probably sounded ridiculous.
“John,” she giggled. "Stop rambling."
He laughed as well. "Sorry. Honestly, though. Are you sure you're ready?"
She grabbed the back of his neck, brushing her lips against his. "Yes, I'm sure."
Picking her up, he carried her into the bedroom. “I love you so much, Aralynn Rae.”
She shot him a look. “I love you too, O’Callaghan. Sometimes I question it, but I do.”
He laughed “I’m just going to take that as a compliment.”
Laughing along with him, she gripped the bottom of his shirt. “You do that.”