Naina stepped out of her house and onto her porch where she was greeted by the sight of Aman sitting on the stairs. Rolling her eyes upward she sighed loudly as she moved to sit next to him.

Aman shifted to make room for her, chuckling softly as she sat down.

"Not in a good mood, are we specsy?"

Aman had been over just visiting like he usually did. Naina, her family, and Aman had dinner together and had some laughs at the dinner table. It had almost felt like they were a family for the first time in forever. But Naina knew that Aman wasn't truly a part of the family, so it was only a fleeting happiness that she'd felt. Anyway, now that it was getting late, she'd expected Aman to have gone home, but here he was always begging to annoy the hell out of her.

Naina shot Aman a glare for a few seconds before responding. "How can I be in a good mood when you're always here prancing around like you own the place?"

Aman arched an eyebrow at this as he leaned towards her, nudging her shoulder with his. "You seemed pretty happy while we were talking inside," he said. "I mean, as happy as a curmudgeon like you can get, anyway." Aman then made a sour face. "Oh woe is me, my life is so horrible. I only have a beautiful house, a loving family, a pretty face, and an amazing friend named Aman who also happens to be incredibly good-looking and-"

"Shut up before I smack that "good-looking" face," Naina said, holding back laughter. Even she couldn't deny that Aman could be amusing at times. She'd never admit that she secretly enjoyed his imitations of her serious side. Okay, maybe it wasn't just a side of hers that was serious. It seemed to encompass her entire being. And to be honest, it kind of stung a bit, too, when he made fun of her for it. I mean, she couldn't help being like this. It was just who she was. Just like Aman was the happy go lucky type because that was just who he was.

"Ah ha!" Aman said, pointing a finger at her playfully. "You admitted I'm good-looking. Looks like we have to get hitched now."

The two of them laughed at this for a few seconds before settling into a comfortable silence. Then Naina broke the silence, almost speaking without thinking clearly beforehand.

"Why are you so happy all the time, Aman?" she asked, looking at him with interest. "You're so upbeat...so energetic. I can hardly even bring myself to smile at people yet you're laughing and grinning all the time." Naina shook her head with wonder. "How...how are you like this?"

Aman smiled softly at her, his eyes growing wistful and distant. "Why am I so happy? It's not as easy as you think, specsy. It's actually really hard most of the time. I just do it because I feel like I have to."

Naina rolled her eyes at this. "Because you have to? What are you, a superhero or something? You think you owe people kindness...and...and happiness?"

There was a brief silence between them. He shifted a little in his seat, visibly uncomfortable. Naina wondered if maybe she was prying a little too much. Just when she was about to tell him he didn't need to answer her, he spoke.

"Well, to tell you the truth it's because of how my parents raised me. They were both very kind and cheerful people. I admired them and wanted so much to be like them. They made me want to leave an impact on others and inspire them to do things they never dreamed of doing."

Naina watched as Aman turned away briefly, noticed his hands crawling over one another as though he were anxious. He'd never spoken to her about his parents before and she sensed that this wasn't something he divulged to just anyone.

Naina felt her heartbeat quicken as she slowly reached for Aman's hands. But before she could take hold of them, Aman turned back towards her, smiling sadly. Naina pulled her hand back as though she'd been burned, and tried to play it off as though she'd not done anything out of the ordinary. Then Aman spoke again, his voice so soft she had to fight to hear him clearly.

"Have you ever been kissed, Naina?"

Naina's eyes widened at the unexpected question. Her mouth dropped as she found that she was at a loss for words. She wished that she could ignore the pounding in her chest as she fought to find an answer. No, she'd never been kissed, but to admit to something so embarrassing was unthinkable. Aman had probably been kissed many times. He'd probably had many relationships. And here she was in her twenties and a virgin in every possible way.

"You know what? Never mind," Aman said, chuckling almost knowingly which sparked that familiar fury that Naina often felt around him. Except this time she felt some shame as well. Aman then patted his legs and stood up. "Well, I think it's about time that I should leave. We had some good food, a nice little chat, and now I'm ready for bed. Man, am I pooped!"

Naina couldn't help but feel some disappointment at this. She had wanted him to stay at least a little longer. Deep down she'd been enjoying their heart to heart and to have it cut short right when they connected like they did kind of sucked. But she forced a smile as she stood up herself. She crossed her arms as she stepped backwards back onto the porch. "Alright, well, guess I'll just be heading on inside then," she said, trying to sound casual.

Aman looked at her strangely for a second. Then without warning, he stepped up onto the porch as well, standing in front of her. They looked at one another for a few seconds awkwardly.

"Well?" he asked, as he stretched his arms outward motioning for her to hug him.

Naina's mouth dropped and she sputtered nervously before succumbing to the pressure. She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him. Aman then wrapped his own arms around her, holding her tightly as they stood there for a minute enjoying the feeling of their bodies pressed against each other.

When they finally let go of one another, Aman smiled at Naina softly. "Okay, this time I'm going for certain. Just thought I'd give you a gift before I leave. So you don't feel too lonely tonight," he said, winking at her.

Naina reddened at this. "Whatever," she said, not knowing how else to respond.

After Aman had gotten into his car and then driven off, Naina stood on the porch already dreading the impending solitude. She couldn't deny that the moment he'd left, she'd instantly felt lonely. His radiating warmth was so comforting that once it had departed she was left feeling like she'd lost a vital chunk of herself.

She wondered if maybe...maybe she...

No.

He was too annoying. He was too cheerful and outgoing. They had nothing in common. I mean, he always called her that stupid nickname. And he didn't understand the meaning of giving someone space. And he was…he was...

He had those dimples when he smiled. And he was so kind-hearted and caring. When he winked at her knowingly it made her heart flutter. And his hair looked so soft, she just wanted to run her hands through it. And-

No! No, no, no…what the hell was she thinking right now?

I'm losing my mind, Naina thought to herself. She turned around quickly and walked back into her house before she could continue down the road of reflecting on Aman. Right now what she needed was some sleep. Maybe that would help her to get back on track and not think too much about him.

And so Naina went up to her room and tried not to think about Aman.

And she failed miserably.