it's almost like a magnetic field seems to pull them together ; an unseen force that compelled them to be closer . closer than they have been this entire night with their knees pressed together , their fingers brushing every time they reached for another drink , closer than they were when nina placed his arm around her shoulders and lugged him all the way across auradon prep’s campus to his dorm , closer than they were when he had stumbled to the floor and yanked her down with him . his breath had been warm across her cheek , and she has consumed so much alcohol at this point that she didn’t even care about how obvious she was when she glanced down at his lips , wondering what it would be like to kiss him right now , wondering how it would feel to truly throw caution to the wind and leave her past behind her . she didn’t have to think on the pros and cons for very long , because he had already closed the gap and sealed his lips over hers .
her hands move on their own accord , clutching at the curve of his jaw , fingers threading through the wisps of hair at the nape of his neck . henley’s kiss is ... soft , despite the drunken eagerness ; his lips press against hers firmly , but there’s a gentleness that lingers and takes her breath away . how sad is it , that she has never been kissed so kindly before ? her first instinct was to bite , to scratch , to dig her nails in , to be rough in all the ways she has learned to associate with this physicality . but henley is not like james . james is not here anymore , and she is no longer his to torment ; she refuses to allow him to live rent-free within her mind . one hand moves to grasp at the back of his shirt , fingers gripping the fabric in an iron grip , and she pulls him closer . inhibitions are gone with the wind ; instead of worrying , she allows herself to sink into the embrace and meet his enthusiasm with her own . she is so tired of being afraid .
