freckles on fleek and thoughts on... well, you’ll just have to ask

You can't stop staring at the redhead in front of you, those copper strands catching light like something deliberately designed to wreck your focus.

You notice the freckles first — scattered across the nose, the cheeks, the shoulders — each one a small reason to look closer, then closer still. You feel something tighten in your chest when you realize there are more of them disappearing beneath fabric you'd very much like removed.

You already know the question forming in your mouth won't come out steady. You'll ask anyway, because whatever the answer is, you need to hear it said out loud.