Chapter 17: Burning desires.
Andrew picked up the balloon with paint, then looked at it a bit, recalling all the sad but fun memories before gently smiling at Hannah.
"But I found out that throwing this paint at this canvas really helped me channel my rage," he said as he pointed at the huge white board by his side.
Hannah just stood there speechless. Andrew put his head down slightly. "I've been coming here a lot since... Priea got expelled. It's been really tough for me without her," Andrew said in a slightly sad tone unfamiliar to Hannah.
Hannah's expression changed. Andrew walked closer to her. "And I thought, with everything you've been through, maybe it could help you too. I know this year hasn't been easy for you either," Andrew said as he gently placed the balloon filled with paint on top of Hannah's hands.
Hannah smiled gently, then she threw the paint at Andrew.
Andrew looked at his clothes, shocked, while Hannah laughed. He gasped as he looked at his clothes one more time. Then he looked at her. "Oh, you're so dead." Hannah's laughter increased.
Then he ran towards her with balloons filled with paint. Hannah, noticing it, increased her speed as she ran. He threw the first paint, shouting, "Oh, I'll murder you!"
Hannah increased her speed. "No, no, no!" she screamed.
He threw the next one, then Hannah charged at him, screaming, "Andrew!" She picked up some paints from a bucket filled with balloons. Hannah laughed as she threw the paints at Andrew.
After eventually getting tired after "winning" against Andrew, she gently touched him. "Let's throw at the board," Hannah whispered in a low voice.
As she threw her paint at the board, waiting for Andrew's, she felt a water-like substance. She gently touched it. Andrew did it; he threw the paint on her hair.
Andrew couldn't control his laughter at the way one of Hannah's eyebrows shot up and her blue eyes looked directly into his, especially with blue and yellow paint all over her face.
Hannah shifted her other eyebrow towards the board. Andrew walked to it sadly as he raised his two hands to his side.
Hannah smiled as she threw the paint at his back, forgetting they were still in their uniforms. Hannah was also asked to go to the board because she threw more than twice. She happily hopped to the board as she filled ten waves of paint where it was thrown.
She turned to Andrew as she smiled, bringing out one balloon, then throwing it at his face. Andrew just busted into laughter.
Exhausted, they lay on the ground with paint all over their bodies, rubbing themselves on the ground, rubbing paint all over the floor.
Hannah jumped up, then continued throwing the paint, trying to create something she didn't know. Andrew just stood there looking at her as she moved her hands, throwing multiple paints at the board.
Andrew walked forward to her, his eyes holding a newfound softness. He gently cupped her face, his thumbs brushing away streaks of blue and yellow paint. Hannah looked up at him, surprised by the tenderness in his gaze. He leaned in slowly, his lips meeting hers in a kiss that was less sudden and more like a quiet exploration. It wasn't just a physical act; it felt like a silent acknowledgment of the vulnerability they had shared in that chaotic, colorful space.
Hannah's initial surprise melted away as she leaned into the kiss. There was a warmth in his touch, a sincerity that resonated with the unexpected connection they had forged. She gently shifted her hands, resting them on his paint-splattered chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart beneath her fingertips. His kiss wasn't demanding, but rather a gentle invitation, and she found herself responding with a quiet yearning she hadn't anticipated.
As the kiss deepened, a sense of peace settled over Hannah, a feeling she hadn't experienced in a long time. It was as if the shared laughter and the release of their anger had cleared a space for something new to bloom. Andrew gently carried her up, his lips lingering on hers between soft kisses as he held her close. Hannah rested her head against his shoulder, a small smile gracing her lips. In that moment, covered in paint and standing in the quiet of the warehouse, a fragile but undeniable connection had formed. Hannah even used a finger, still coated in blue paint, to gently trace a small heart on his cheek.