for better or for worse // mitchel cave (completed)

part XLIX

*mitchel's pov*

"i think this is the worst movie you could have possibly picked, jesse," i groaned in annoyance, watching the tv screen light up. "the amount of times i have seen iron man three is unfathomable. please let us watch something else."

lara giggled, leaning more into my arm that was slung around her shoulders. we were having a nice little hangout session with all the boys. supposedly laralyn and all the boys were totally cool now, and the fun in the air made me feel nostalgic.

laralyn was a home of sorts to me. where the band is, the home is of course, but the familiarity and happiness laralyn brought me was the highest form of reprieve possible.

i leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head, smelling the fruity shampoo she used. i couldn't believe i could actually miss someone's shampoo.

she always had me under her spell, there was something about her that had me entranced since the first night i saw her dancing so independently in the club nine months ago.

she snapped me out of my thoughts as she leaned up, pressing a soft kiss to my lips. "what are you thinking about?"

i looked down at her features, and used my hand to put a piece of hair behind her ear. it may have seemed like it was so simple to forgive her. but truthfully, it took me a while even after we discussed everything at the restaurant. but the more i went out with her, hung out with her, and everything else i realized just how similar we were.

we both were having to figure out something new, we were practical toddlers in the world of relationships. i thought i was so much better than her when we broke up, but i didn't know just how badly i was messing up. we both made some terrible mistakes, but it brought us back to each other.

when i used to see pictures of her, all i could see was the mistakes she made. but we've picked every inch of each other's brain these past few weeks, and i could tell how much we both matured.

she wasn't the same, but neither was i. and that's what made the forgiveness come so easy. cause no matter what, my love for her was eternal, and i was prepared to never let it run out. she was my soul mate.

i heard her groan as she lightheartedly slapped my shoulder. "mitchellll, why are you ignoring me?"

i shook my head quickly, shaking off my intrusive thoughts. "i'm not trying to, i'm just lost in thought."

she opened her mouth to reply before christian stumbled into the room, pointing at us. "tony stark and pepper pots, stop being absolutely gross."

i rolled my eyes. "well i am a billionaire genius playboy, so that could be true."

laralyn scrunched her eyebrows together, obviously perplexed. she didn't watch marvel and had no idea what we were talking about. "who's pepper pots?"

"iron man's boo thang," clinton snickered, putting a twang in his voice as he laid out on the other couch, pulling a blanket over him.

she nodded her head in understanding, and looked back at me. "yall are a bunch of fucking nerds."

i gasped as jesse laughed, sauntering over to a recliner beside us. "maybe, but i think we're your favorite nerds."

she ignored him, casting her eyes downward awkwardly. she never enjoyed talking to jesse for some reason, not that i blamed her. jesse tried to maintain their friendship but laralyn just didn't want to be too close to him again. i didn't have a problem with it.

the movie started finally, after a quick popcorn throwing fight between christian and clinton and we finally settled down. it took about forty five minutes before lara started yawning and i swore it was a new record of how long she could last watching movies.

she always got bored about fifteen minutes in and complained for the entire other two hours. she leaned closer to me, her arms swaddling around me as her head rested on my shoulder, her legs propped on top of my lap.

"thank you," she whispered.

"for what?"

"for accepting me. for taking me back, even if it's not as a girlfriend."

"don't speak too soon about that," i quipped silently. it's not that i didn't want her to be my girlfriend but i just wanted to make sure it was the right decision before i proceeded onwards with her. we were going back to australia for a few months in november, so i just wanted to make sure i could bring a stable relationship back to my mom and dad.

they didn't know about all the drama pertaining to our relationship and i hoped they never did. i just wanted to ask lara back out when i knew the timing would be right.

she raised an eyebrow and i waved her off, standing up and gesturing towards upstairs. "i'm tired, do you want to spend the night?" i questioned hopefully.

clinton scoffed as he heard this. "can you please just use protection?"

i sent a glare towards him. my intention with this was not to sleep with her. sure, i teased her in dirty ways all the time, but i wasn't sure we needed to be sleeping with each other until after we were officially stable.

lara groaned in annoyance and shot him a middle finger playfully. "go away," she grumbled, going ahead to take the steps up to my room. i witnessed her saunter away before i decided to start walking up the steps.

"wait mitchel," jesse said suddenly.

i looked back at him in curiousity.

"i'm really happy you're happy with her. you guys are made for each other, and i'm being sincere when i say that. i want to see you like this all the time."

i nodded my head. "thanks man. it means a lot."

christian made some gagging noises per the usual, but i ignored him as i walked up the steps and swung open the door.

laralyn was somehow already half asleep as she waved me in sleepily, and i laughed to myself, slipping off my shirt and sliding into bed with her.

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