Power & Control

43: Save My Life

~A

The morning of the 13th of September found me outside his door at 9 a.m., an enormous box of fresh pastries in my arms that I was struggling to hold up single handedly to ring the doorbell. I had spent all of yesterday searching up the best bakeries in town, and the only one I could find that looked good enough was almost an hour away from his house. I didn't overthink it, because I knew I wouldn't find a way to justify why I was willing to go so out of my way. I managed to ring the bell after a bit of a struggle, and I impatiently waited for him to answer the door. My cheeks were hurting from smiling, my heart beating fast out of excitement.

It took him quite a while, and I was momentarily worried that he wasn't even here. But his bike was parked right by the door, and I highly doubted he had taken Irina for a walk this early in the morning. He was not a morning person, and I had found that out the hard way on numerous occasions.

He answered the door before I got the chance to ring the bell again, and my heart skipped at the sight of him with hair all messy and cheeks flustered, chest bare as the only thing he had on was a dangerously low hanging pair of basketball shorts. With wide eyes, brows raised high, he assessed me in confusion.

"What's wrong? What happened?" I scoffed at his questions, at the worry in his tone. Leave it to him to always assume something's wrong.

"Something has to happen for me to visit you?" I pushed past him, feeling his gaze burn into the back of my head as I quickly toed my Vans off. Irina trotted over all excited, her tail wagging and her tongue hanging out of the side of her mouth.

"During the day, yes." I threw him a glare over my shoulder at his dig, but held back from giving him a snarky response and made my way to the kitchen, eager to rid myself of the comically large box. I set it on the round table, and I turned to find him following after me.

"When were you planning to tell me your birthday's today?" I hung my backpack over the back of a chair before crossing my arms, tapping my foot impatiently. The shock on his face told me that Kat had kept her word and never mentioned the fact she had already told me about it herself.

"How did you-"

"Doesn't matter. What matters is that you were gonna keep this from me and not let me spoil you on your special day." I smiled at the way he rolled his eyes, pushing the mess of soft brown hair covering his forehead back.

"I don't need spoiling. It's really not a big deal." I rose a brow, uncrossing my arms.

"Is that so? Okay, then I guess I'll take this entire box of fresh, steaming hot pastries and be on my way. Such a waste, really." I tapped my nails onto the white cardboard, shaking my head in disapproval. A few silent moments followed, the only sound being of that of Irina breathing heavily as she sat right by his side, like she always did. When he finally talked, he did so in a small, quiet voice.

"Well, you're already here. And I'd hate for those to go to waste." A small, playful smile grew on his face, one that was impossible not to return.

"That's my boy." I pinched his cheek mockingly, and he pushed my hand away with a deep groan. I chuckled, opening the box to reveal the array of both sweet and salty bite size pastries, apple strudels and chocolate croissants being the majority since they were his two favourites.

"Have a seat. I'll make us coffee." I pulled out the chair he sat most of the times I've been here, patting the back of it before turning to go to the coffee maker.