Knowing Me, Knowing You | (S/P)

Chapter 16

September 16th.

Taking my gaze off the wooden door I take an apprehensive look at my wristwatch. I'm definitely not early. He finishes classes at 4PM and doesn't have office hours on Tuesdays. 

Unless he forgot that I was coming. 

That is a possibility. 

Which wouldn't make sense since he reminded me like a dozen times this morning that I should stop by at five sharp, but still–

My mental berating is interrupted by the door swinging open, presenting me the sight of a freshly showered Nathaniel.

"Hi." His eyes light up as soon as he sees me, and the anxiety that was previously overtaking me vanishes.

"Hi."

"Sorry, I just got out of the shower. Come in." Nathaniel steps aside to let me in. After he closes and locks the door he leads me towards the kitchen.

"Are you cooking something?" I comment at the delicious smell floating in the area.

"I hope you like lasagna."

"I thought we were ordering Chinese food or something."

"Is that what you college students survive with nowadays? It was couscous back in my day." He takes two long strides towards me, placing his hands on my hips.

"My bad, I forgot that professors tend to be more presumptuous." His eyes glow with disapproval, but a different type of urgency clouds them when he cups my face, his lips crashing against mine.

On instinct, my hands travel to his hair, my fingers tangling in the soft unruly locks. A needy moan gets trapped in my throat when he bites my lower lip, drawing the flesh inside his mouth.

God, did I miss his lips. I didn't know how badly I wanted to taste them until I did.

 He break the kiss suddenly, his darken eyes boring into me. "Do you think I'm arrogant?" 

"What?"

"The first time you were at my apartment, you said you thought I was over-confident. And just now y-

"It was just a comment."

"Are you sure?"

"Do you honestly think I'd be here if I thought of you in that way?" He doesn't answer, but his intense stare is still fixated on me –it resembles the way his face looks when he's questioning a student during his lectures.

"What I'm really sure of, is that I don't know crap about you except that you like Batman and black coffee and that you're from Philadelphia. And that just a week ago I didn't even consider being in this situation." 

The spiral of events of the last week hits me at once. The muted voice in the back of my head resurfaces, insistent of how much of a bad idea this is.

Nathaniel's gaze falls his feet, changing his weight from one foot the other. 

"Sorry. You're right, I didn't mean to be rude." 

I fling an arm around his neck, bringing him closer to me and peck him on the lips.

When he smiles, I take it that the subject is settled.  

"Dinner will be ready in a few more minutes." I take the hand he offers me, and we walk to the living room, facing the large windows. 

The sky is cloudy today which can only be a reminder of the upcoming fall. Although I'm excited to dust off my coats and wear nice leggings and cardigans, I am so not ready for Chicago's cold season.