HER : A BEAUTIFUL MEMORY

"Damn, I want to kiss you!" He says. His own eyes widening at the words that spilled past his mouth. He seemed to have lost control over his words. Baffled, he appeared at his own thoughts.

I laughed. 'It's okay'. I was about to tell him. 'You were just caught up in the moment'. But before I could, he stepped closer, lessening the distance between us. His arm snaked around my waist, and I gasped against his hold. I felt his other palm against my skin as he cupped my cheek, gently.

He lowered himself to face me, and I could feel his breath on my lips. Choco-chips. He touched our forehead together, and his palm on my cheek traveled to tuck a stray strand of hair behind my ear and then down, getting a gentle hold of my neck as he pulled me towards him.

"May I kiss you?" He then asked, more sure, determined, this time.

I pondered over the question. He was handsome. Sure. But, he was a stranger, too. We had met by chance, in a city, which was home to neither of us. We were nothing but tourists in this foreign place, enjoying our holidays. A handsome stranger. I concluded. A handsome stranger who wanted to kiss me. But, do I want to kiss him?

I looked up searching for his eyes, but they were already looking at me. Intently. Waiting for my answer, he stood. And I decided not to make him wait anymore.

"Maybe," I answered. "Are you a good kisser?"

He looked at me with a beautiful smile on his lips. "Maybe," He said, too, playing along with my question from earlier. "Why don't you find out yourself?" The beautiful smile turned into a smirk and he closed the distance between us, placing his lips onto mine. I froze momentarily but kissed back soon. With the same pressure and intensity he was applying, I copied his movements.

He seemed to have realize that I was, actually, a stranger to kissing, and tried to pull away. TRIED. But, I held him. One hand desperately clutching the shirt on his side for keeping my balance, and with my other free arm I grabbed his collar, keeping him in place. I bit his lower lip. Although inexperienced, I wasn't unaware.

His hold on my waist tightened, any second thoughts disappearing. He deepened the kiss and taste of the choco-chips we had been munching before came back to me. It was wonderful. Everything. The sand beneath our feet. The sound of waves crashing at the shore. The faint music playing in the background. His body against mine. His lips on mine.

If not for catching our breath, we wouldn't have parted. We were both a panting mess.

I looked down, at our hands, clasping together. Since when were we holding hands? Despite the nerves waving in my stomach, my lips were up and my cheeks were hurting.

"Why," I heard his voice, so little.

"Hm?" I looked up, back into his eyes that were already looking at me.

"Why did you let me take away your first kiss?" He whispered looking away from my eyes, onto our feet that suddenly seemed more interesting to him.

So, he did realize it was my first kiss. I thought.

His hand trembled in my hold.

"But, it wasn't your first kiss. Then why do you appear more nervous than me?"

I waited but he didn't answer. Or he didn't know how to. He seemed to be at a loss of words. I sighed and decided to answer his initial question instead.

"I wanted my first kiss to be a beautiful memory." I said and he finally looked back at me.

"Wouldn't it have been more so with a lover rather than a stranger?" He frowned.

"Yes," I said. "Indeed it would have been a beautiful memory, more so with a lover rather than stranger,"

He tried to pull his hand away from my hold. I didn't let him though. Of course, he could have just pull his hand away, forcefully. But, he didn't, and so, encouraged, I tightened my grip on his hand and squeezed gently.

"But, what after we broke up?" I asked.

He appeared shocked for a moment, but then, his eyes sparkled, and he answered my question. "It wouldn't be a beautiful memory anymore."

"Yes, my first kiss, a memory that I am to carry with myself forever, will no longer remain beautiful after breaking up with my lover. It will become painful instead. I will come to regret it. And I do not want that."

He rubbed his thumb over my knuckles soothingly and it calmed me, so much that I was surprised.

"Of course, not all people think the same way, but, that is the case for me." I chuckled trying to lighten up the mood.

I looked up to catch his eyes, and yet again, they were staring at me. So much emotion in them. It overwhelmed me.

"Magical." He said. "It felt so magical that I keep wanting to kiss you again. Can I—?"

I smashed our lips together before he could finish the sentence and we kissed.

Again.

And again.

"Just one more time." He said.

And I lost the count after that.