Big Steps

Kisses

We get home later that night to find that everyone's gone. We're home alone, but everyone's got an eye on us.

Harrison and his parents went to a meeting with him somewhere about a school or something. Mom and dad went to go on some sort of business trip. I guess with the kind of work they do, they have to go somewhere once in a while. 

After the night's events, I crash in my room and wake up to the bright sun in my eyes just what seems a few short seconds later.  I sit up, feeling a headache set in from my lack of sleep.

My room is quiet and so is the house. It's so eerily quiet that I'm not sure this is a dream.  My clock says it's six in the morning. That's way too early for me. 

I slip out of my warm comforter and quietly make my way across the hall to Tucker's room. Just thinking about seeing him makes my heart skip a few beats. He's made me so happy in just a few hours than Colin's ever made me in months. It's just... perfect. 

I open his door, hoping it won't squeak, to see that his curtains are drawn so the sunlight can't penetrate through his windows and into his room. He's lightly snoring and curled up on the one side of his bed closest to the wall. I tiptoe inside and close the door behind me. 

I crawl under the blanket beside him, feeling warmth next to him. I pull the blanket up to my chin, and he slightly moves. His eyes flutter open, and he smiles down at me. 

"Good morning, sleeping beauty," I comment quietly. He smiles but doesn't laugh. 

"I could say the same to you," he replies before kissing the top of my head. He puts his arms around me and closes his eyes again.  It feels unreal to me. I feel as if I shouldn't be here because of how strange it would seem. Tucker's my best friend. Neither of us want to jeopardize that friendship either, but I think we can both agree there's something more in us that's waiting. Potential. 

"I never thought it'd happen like this," he says in a low voice. 

"What do you mean?" 

"I didn't intend to fall for you like I did. Hell, I didn't expect anything at all." 

"Why not?" 

"Because you're you, and I'm me. What would someone like you want with someone like me?" he asks.  I hesitate for a moment, not entirely sure how to answer him. 

"Everything," I whisper. He relaxes a little more and pulls me closer, gently stroking my arm with his fingertips. 

"You know this is dangerous, right?" he asks after a few minutes. "Your mom and dad would kill me, you, or both of us if they knew." 

"Then we won't tell them." 

"But," he prompts, "you never know what they'll say." 

"Oh trust me. I know," I answer.  We go back to silence as he plays with my hair and runs his fingers up and down my arm. He sighs and brings his lips to my shoulder and leaves them there. His breathing tickles my skin, and I smile to myself. 

"I'm hungry," he says, breaking the silence. He stands up and stretches. 

"Way to ruin the moment." 

I follow him downstairs and walk into the kitchen. I lean against the counter and watch him get a pan and some ingredients out. 

"I didn't know you knew how to cook," I tell him in amazement. He smiles and laughs to himself. 

"Yeah, well, when you're stuck around my mom all day, she'll show you a thing or two." 

"My mom was never really a good cook. Heck, she hasn't gotten any better." We both laugh.