redemption date.

Angel sticks to her promises.

She arrived early to the library, a heavy woven basket in one hand, a plaid picnic blanket rolled underneath her arm. All adorned in minuscule snowflakes.

With a gentle knock on the locked door, Abigail soon emerged from the back room of the library, unlocking the door and welcoming Angel inside.

"Thank you again, Abigail. You truly have a big heart," Angel unleashed her dimples at Abigail, flashing one of her signature sucrose smiles, "Please, if there's anything I can do to repay you-,"

"It's no problem Angel, really, just enjoy yourself!" she cut Angel off, stepping out of her way, "I trust you with this library more than anybody else,"

Abigail unhooked her winter coat from the hook, watching as Angel slowly dropped to her knees beside the basket, rummaging through the packed snacks.

From the bottom of the basket, she pulled out her phone, silently apologising to Abigail as she dialled George's number.

She didn't know how far away he lived from the bookstore and didn't want to unpack all the food for him to arrive an hour later.

"George?" Angel smiled into her phone, watching as George's tired face popped up on her cell-phone, "Did you just wake up?"

He mumbled a response which answered Angel's question despite his words being inaudible.

Angel quickly picked up the basket, holding it up to her front camera with a beaming grin, making sure to get the book shelves in the background.

It took a moment for George's dazed head to understand what Angel was showing, once he understood his lips parted into a smile as he sat up in his bed, "You didn't,"

She placed down the basket carefully, afraid of dropping it and ruining all her plans before George had even arrived.

"Yes I did!" Angel smiled at his reaction, she wasn't sure if he was actually interested in the idea of a picnic in the library, "Can you make it to the library or are you too tired?"

"I'd be stupid to miss a chance to spend more time with you. I'll be there in ten," George's camera spun quickly as he rolled himself out of bed, paired alongside a loud rustling sound.

Once back on his feet he ran calloused hands through his bed-hair, rubbing his eyes aggressively in an attempt to wake himself up more.

It was 3pm.

"Hey wait- George?"

He carried his phone throughout his house, dropping his phone onto his marble sink counter as he brushed his teeth, just barely in frame.

"Mhm?" George hummed, a sour blueberry blue toothbrush balanced between his cherry lips.

"Your hairs a mess," Angel commented on the mess of gentle curls upon George's head, he picked up his phone with his free hand to inspect his hair.

He was impossibly close to the lens, his freckles just barely being picked up by the phone quality and his eyes still gently puffed from sleep.

When George's eyes disconnected from the small image of himself he smiled at Angel, "Make that fifteen minutes,"

Fifteen minutes.

Angel ended the call, realising Abigail was still there, waiting by the door.

"I really hope it all works out, Angel, you're a lot happier around him," she smiled with reminiscence in her eyes, "You two remind me of Martin when we first fell in-love,"

Martin died two years ago, him and Abigail worked in this library ever since his father passed it down onto Martin.

"He'd be proud of you, Abigail. You looked after his library well,"

Abigail smiled gratefully, "We used to sit together on that same window everyday after school," she gestured towards the window where Angel and George had met, "Seeing you and George grow to love that spot too is heart-warming,"

It reminded Angel that everything good has to come to a end.

Though that might not be now, or a month from now, or a year from now, it will eventually will come to an end.

Eventually she wouldn't see George anymore.

She couldn't even imagine how it felt for Abigail to lose Martin, "I'm sorry I haven't visited as often as I used to, I've been too wrapped up in-,"

"In George? Don't worry about it, Angel. I was the same as you when I was your age," Abigail cut off Angel, though 'in George' wasn't the word Angel was going to use.

Wrapped up in love seemed to fit better.

Before Abigail was able to pull the door too far open, Angel spoke again, "I'll visit more, I promise,"

"I can't wait, Angel," she waved delicately before shutting the weak wooden door after herself, "I'll see you soon,"

Angel quickly unravelled the plaid picnic blanket, tugging on red and white corners to straighten it out across the library carpet.

It didn't take long for her to arrange all the snacks she had brought around the basket, leaving just enough space for the two of them to sit on.

George knocked on the glass door, five minutes later than he promised, but his hair was fixed and he held a small bouquet of flowers.

The 'Sorry we're Closed!' sign swung alongside the bells above the door as George walked inside, immediately walking toward their window.

"I know, I know, I'm late!" George repeated with his hands held above his head defensively, despite Angel not saying a word, "The queue was long for the flowers,"

Angel never believed someone could feel just as much happiness she felt seeing George waltz through that door.

Nothing compared.

Nobody compared.

She looked at him with a pure amorous glance, "Last minute flowers? My favourite,"

He rolled his eyes, holding out the paper-wrapped flowers out to Angel, "Would you rather them wilted? We can reschedule,"

"No, I think these are just fine," Angel took the flowers from his hand, ice cold skin brushing past warm skin, "Thank you,"

She laid the flowers down delicately, praying that they wouldn't wilt before she got home.

George crouched down on the blanket, smiling at the effort Angel had gone to for this date, "Did you bake these?"

He was pointing to the mince-pies carefully arranged in a clear lunch-box, they were poorly made for a supermarket, but impressive for an amateur baker.

"Yes I did," Angel nodded, crossing her legs on the blanket opposite to George, carefully watching as he picked one from the tub, "They aren't the best,"

He peeled back the foil case, taking a bite of the sugary dough and various candied fruits. He didn't seem repulsed, which was a good sign, "I think they're delicious,"

The room fell into a strange silence, one that the two of them had never experienced when together. Silence was always comforting between them, never heavy.

They both knew it was because of yesterday, where Angel avoided George's kiss.

"Can we- Do we talk about yesterday?" George winced, his eyes looking everywhere but Angel's eyes.

He didn't want to talk about it, he wanted to forget he even made that move, but it felt like they had to talk about it.

"It just wasn't the right time," Angel spoke, plucking a crimson and white candy-cane from the basket, "I wanted our first kiss to be somewhat special, you know?"

She placed the cherry red hard candy between her lips, waiting for George's response.

"I understand,"

Artificial colouring stained her lips a darker shade of red as she pulled the candy from her mouth.

"I wanted to, George. It's not that I didn't want to," she quickly added, afraid that George assumed Angel was just lying to make him feel better, "I really wanted to,"

"I understand, Angel,"

His movements were sudden, quickly standing up with a crinkle of the fabric blanket. Panic settled in Angel, he was leaving.

They shouldn't have spoken about yesterday.

Why didn't she just fucking kiss him?

"Please don't say you need to go," Angel whispered, looking up at George as he shrugged his coat from his shoulders.

"I'm not going yet, I just got here," George huffed a laugh, tossing his coat down onto the floor away from the picnic, "I will have to go eventually though, Angel,"

He slowly sat back down, holding his legs close to his chest. He wasn't leaving, it was just warm in the library.

George was right about having to eventually leave, which was the one thing that Angel hated about meeting George.

Having to end their time together, even if it's just temporary.

"Stay the night at mine," Angel proposed, "You can leave in the morning,"

idk why this took me so long to write IM SORRYRY