home had never been a solid concept for aurora. like family, it was something she only understood in theory. home was more than a house or a couple of walls, it was a place where one was supposed to be safe. a place one could go to when they had nowhere else to turn to. she had never had that-- growing up, there was no comfort, no safety. just a cruel competition aurora had never asked for, a game to play until her father was satisfied ( which he never was ). the starline cruise, although originally a way to get rid of the girl, had turned out to be one of the better things that had ever happened to her. for a while the ship was her home, or at least it had felt that way. although aurora knew that had less to do with the cruise itself than the people on board, or a single person if she was to get specific. flash forward a few months later and she’s tangled up egyptian cotton sheets, the blinds open just enough to let the sunlight filter in. her bed, their bed. their apartment. the idea had seemed wild at first, moving in together. but nights apart never felt the same anymore, the absence of the other’s body pressed against her own almost too much for aurora to bear. and so the girl, intoxicated and turned a fool by love, proposed the unthinkable. a place to call their own, where they didn’t have to part ways at night or share a space with family members. a place where they were free to be affectionate without the fear of someone walking in. a place where they could wake up to nothing each other every single day. naveed had a field day hunting for the place, his unbelievably high standards almost impossible to meet. it wasn’t until aurora, drained from every open house, grumbled in protest ( like she so usually did ) that the boy made any compromises. moving in had been exciting for them both, and the girl was especially ecstatic to have some place to go in the city besides the house she grew up in. they’d spent days painting walls, ending the day covered in an array of colors, laughter bubbling from their lips. they’d spent days hunting for furniture, or appliances, or anything else they would possibly need. but mostly they’d spent days in bed, cuddling and kissing and touching until one of them managed to drag themselves out of bed and be productive. it didn’t seem like her life. because in all her wildest dreams, aurora had never thought she could be so damn happy. some days she wanted to whisper into his ear that the apartment didn’t even matter-- he was what was home to her. he was her safe haven, and it was in his arms was where she could imagine spending the rest of her days. she slipped out of bed with ease, pausing to stretch her exposed limbs like a cat waking up from a nap. it only took a glance to realize naveed’s side of the bed was empty, and with a grin she noted backpack still strewn across the wood floor. that meant he hadn’t left for class yet. aurora slipped a robe over her tank top and pajama shorts, the action so familiar by now it had almost become routine. the sound of her steps as she padded into the kitchen were muffled by her slippers, and the girl took the opportunity to wrap her arms around naveed’s waist as he stood hunched over the counter, nuzzling her face into his neck. “mm, morning baby.” she murmured, voice still laced with sleep, the sound of it notably softer and sweet. aurora pressed her lips against his cheek, trailing gentle kisses along the side of his face. “don’t go to class today.” she whispered, lips curling into a grin as she suggested the idea. she’d already proven to be the boy’s biggest distraction when it came to his studies, but aurora hardly cared if it meant she’d get to spend more time with naveed. not even falling in love could make the girl less selfish, but she liked to believe her actions were justifiable. “stay here with me.” her lips brushed against his ear, words honeyed. “i promise i’ll make it fun.”
