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Description
"I stared into the summer evening, the air turning mauve as the sun dipped over the copse and splashed the last rays of light across the whispering ryegrass in bars or orange. A whippoorwill called out, and another answered, until the dusk was filled with the conversations of the nocturnal fauna beneath me feet and in the towering birch trees that stood about the knoll. Above their racket I could hear my family talking and laughing on the porch several yards behind me, the clinks of ice in their cups, the sounds of forks against china, all stirred up along with the thick summer air and sweet scent of fresh ice tea.
Just a few more minutes. A few more minutes and I’d be sixteen, a few more minutes until the anniversary of the day I came into this world.
“Hey.”
I turned, and saw him moving towards me, uncertainty tugging at his heels. I knew what he was thinking; I was thinking the same as he. That kiss in the attic. The laughing, the paint, then the sudden quiet. The turning, and finally the shy feeling of his lips against my cheek. It was quick, but it happened, and it tore down the confidence and the easiness and brought with it uncomfortable awkwardness and the catch of the throat whenever our eyes met.
“Hey,” I said quietly, looking down at my hands.
Benjamin stepped forward until our shoulders were brushing, two shadows dozing in the grass, lit by the hanging pink and orange birthday lanterns hung around the porch, swinging from the old willow tree.
“Your Dad said that you’ll be sixteen in a minute,” he murmured shyly. “Thought I would keep you company for the countdown.”
“That’s very thoughtful,” I stammered, trying to hide the blush. Why did he have to kiss me? Why did he have to go and ruin everything? I didn’t want to be like this around him. I wanted the old easiness, the smiling, not the bumbling and the silence.
“Happy birthday.”
“What?”
“I said happy birthday, Sara.” He stole a quick glance at me from the corner of his eye. “You’re officially older than me, I guess.”
I laughed quietly. “I suppose so.”
This time, when I looked at him, we held each other’s gaze. I don’t know why, but we did. My chest tightened and butterflies filled my throat. I’m not sure who leaned first; perhaps it was he, but I’ll never know, but it happened; he bent his head and I tilted mine, and we kissed. His hands found mine, our noses brushed, our foreheads touched, and Benjamin and I were kissing. It didn’t feel awkward, because if he had been looking close enough, perhaps he would have seen the fireworks going off behind my eyes eyes. This time, they weren’t bad fireworks. They were beautiful. Absolutely and utterly beautiful.
I could feel heads turning and eyes fall upon us, and even Hanna calling:

“I KNEW THEY WERE GOING TO DO IT THIS WHOLE TIME!”

He pulled away, smiling sheepishly. “Everyone’s watching…sorry.”
I grinned and pulled him into me by his shirt collar, tasting his lips once again. “I’m not.”
I felt his hands unclasp mine and rest on my waist, and I leaned into him more, fingers against his shoulders, breathing him in. “Best birthday present I’ve ever gotten,” I whispered after our lips finally parted, and he laughed.
“I agree, even though I think I enjoyed it just as much as you did.”

---

HOLY SHIT. This took me FIVE HOURS. FIVE. F*CKING. HOURS. So glad I finished this. I officially hate linearting. Buut, I may do it again because it makes my drawings look much more professional.

PLEASE COMMENT AND FAV; THIS TOOK A LOT OF HARD WORK.

Description
"I stared into the summer evening, the air turning mauve as the sun dipped over the copse and splashed the last rays of light across the whispering ryegrass in bars or orange. A whippoorwill called out, and another answered, until the dusk was filled with the conversations of the nocturnal fauna beneath me feet and in the towering birch trees that stood about the knoll. Above their racket I could hear my family talking and laughing on the porch several yards behind me, the clinks of ice in their cups, the sounds of forks against china, all stirred up along with the thick summer air and sweet scent of fresh ice tea.
Just a few more minutes. A few more minutes and I’d be sixteen, a few more minutes until the anniversary of the day I came into this world.
“Hey.”
I turned, and saw him moving towards me, uncertainty tugging at his heels. I knew what he was thinking; I was thinking the same as he. That kiss in the attic. The laughing, the paint, then the sudden quiet. The turning, and finally the shy feeling of his lips against my cheek. It was quick, but it happened, and it tore down the confidence and the easiness and brought with it uncomfortable awkwardness and the catch of the throat whenever our eyes met.
“Hey,” I said quietly, looking down at my hands.
Benjamin stepped forward until our shoulders were brushing, two shadows dozing in the grass, lit by the hanging pink and orange birthday lanterns hung around the porch, swinging from the old willow tree.
“Your Dad said that you’ll be sixteen in a minute,” he murmured shyly. “Thought I would keep you company for the countdown.”
“That’s very thoughtful,” I stammered, trying to hide the blush. Why did he have to kiss me? Why did he have to go and ruin everything? I didn’t want to be like this around him. I wanted the old easiness, the smiling, not the bumbling and the silence.
“Happy birthday.”
“What?”
“I said happy birthday, Sara.” He stole a quick glance at me from the corner of his eye. “You’re officially older than me, I guess.”
I laughed quietly. “I suppose so.”
This time, when I looked at him, we held each other’s gaze. I don’t know why, but we did. My chest tightened and butterflies filled my throat. I’m not sure who leaned first; perhaps it was he, but I’ll never know, but it happened; he bent his head and I tilted mine, and we kissed. His hands found mine, our noses brushed, our foreheads touched, and Benjamin and I were kissing. It didn’t feel awkward, because if he had been looking close enough, perhaps he would have seen the fireworks going off behind my eyes eyes. This time, they weren’t bad fireworks. They were beautiful. Absolutely and utterly beautiful.
I could feel heads turning and eyes fall upon us, and even Hanna calling:

“I KNEW THEY WERE GOING TO DO IT THIS WHOLE TIME!”

He pulled away, smiling sheepishly. “Everyone’s watching…sorry.”
I grinned and pulled him into me by his shirt collar, tasting his lips once again. “I’m not.”
I felt his hands unclasp mine and rest on my waist, and I leaned into him more, fingers against his shoulders, breathing him in. “Best birthday present I’ve ever gotten,” I whispered after our lips finally parted, and he laughed.
“I agree, even though I think I enjoyed it just as much as you did.”

---

HOLY SHIT. This took me FIVE HOURS. FIVE. F*CKING. HOURS. So glad I finished this. I officially hate linearting. Buut, I may do it again because it makes my drawings look much more professional.

PLEASE COMMENT AND FAV; THIS TOOK A LOT OF HARD WORK.