Smiles Softly Novels & Stories

She looked real. And she was smiling. Axel’s breath caught in his throat. A soft, easy smile. The kind he hadn’t seen in weeks. Maybe longer. It wasn’t the smile she gave him when she was trying to keep the peace. Or the tight-lipped one when she was afraid. This one… this was lighter. Brighter. Healing. For someone else.

“Not just talking. You were smiling.” I paused for half a second. Damn Marcus and his semi functioning memory. Tariq dropped his fork like it was breaking news. “Smiling? Like actually smiling? Not the polite one or the fake public one, but the real kind?” “I smile all the time,” I muttered. “False,” Rafeal said. “You smirk, you glower, you look vaguely constipated sometimes, but smiling? That’s rare, my guy.” Tariq barked a laugh. “So who was she?”

I laughed softly. "What?” Still nothing. Instead, he leaned closer, gently brushing a loose strand of hair away from my face before tucking it carefully behind my ear. His fingertips lingered against my cheek for just a second longer than necessary. "I like seeing you happy," he murmured. The warmth in his voice melted something inside me. My smile softened. "You've smiled more during this trip than you have in months." His eyes searched mine. "Real smiles." Not the polite ones. Not the brave ones I'd worn to convince everyone I was okay. These were genuine. The teasing disappeared from his expression, replaced by something quieter. Something vulnerable.

After a few seconds… I place my hand in his. Grudgingly. My hand looks so small in his. He helps me out of the car. Then he looks at me. Really looks at me. “Smile,” he says softly. “You look beautiful tonight.” And just like that— My brain stops working again. Why does he keep doing that? God. He is dangerously handsome when he smiles like that. His fingers lift slightly. And brush against my cheek. Soft. Gentle. Unexpected. My breath catches. Then he takes my hand again.

“It was.” “I just wanted to take my time slowly with you.” I looked at him. “I know. It’s just… it’s a lot. But I’m trying.” “I know,” he said. “And I appreciate that.” He smiled at me then. A different kind of smile — softer, sweeter — than his usual smirk. “Maybe we can take this slow,” he said. “Get to know each other.” I nodded. “That sounds better than pretending everything is perfect.” He chuckled softly. “Yup.”

“But I really am and I want to tell you that-” His smile stopped me dead in my tracks. It was such a slow, easy smile that somehow completely transformed him. His eyes sparkled warmly and his features softened into something comforting but still powerful. The long jagged scar that marked the side of his face almost vanished against the brilliance of his smile.

While Mother Nena's sly smile was visible in my peripheral vision. "You're Softy," Sheena spoke up and tossed back her head. "Oh my God! I was such a moron!" She shook her head again before bursting out laughing. Like she had received a piece of humorous information. But there was a bizarre mixture that I couldn’t quite put my finger on.

The silence between us began to feel more comfortable, like we were sharing a quiet understanding. "You're welcome, Eliana," she said, her usual smile fixed on her face. Her smile seemed to be a permanent fixture, a reflection of her warm and welcoming nature. I found myself drawn to it, feeling a sense of comfort and ease in her presence. As I looked at her, I couldn't help but wonder what lay beneath the surface. Was her smile always this radiant, or was it just for me? I felt grateful for the warmth she was showing me, and I hoped that our interaction would continue to be as pleasant.

It felt like his smile has become a default display whenever he sees her–Georgia is still not getting used to it, because the smile was completely different from the teasing ones he showed her before! This time, the tease was replaced with the gentleness she couldn’t imagine that lives in him–his lips that smiles along with his eyes. Just every time he smiles, Georgia could just forget everything–the time seems to stop from moving. “Do you need anything, Mi Amore?” He asked. To add to the things that seemed to have changed in him that Georgia noticed, is also his voice. He sounded softer than playful. If only Primo didn’t move from where he was standing, Georgia would’ve probably been standi

as much harsh that sounded, I need to clear that up with him. Whether he was surprised or taken aback, I wasn't sure because he was still smiling like nothing ever happened. I'm starting to think that my words, or my voice itself doesn't carry much conviction. "You shouldn't dislike your friends," his soft smile almost melted the wall I had purposely built. "And you should smile more," he added which caught me off-guard a bit. "I am smiling. I always smile," I told him, appalled at his words. I am always smiling, right? Or not?