More Than I Bargained For

A Starry Night

"Okay so deep question time," I said.

"Okay."

"What's your last name?"

He laughed, "Right, guess I forgot that part.  It's Storm.  What's yours?"

"Dark."

"It suits you.  You're right," Neal said as we set up camp late evening.  "This spot is perfect."

"Told ya."  I said as I placed the wood near the fire pit.  

Neal started the fire and we both took seats on the nearby log.

"My dad and I used to come here when I was a kid."

"Used to?"

"Yeah.  He took me here from the time I was born to when I was six.  It stopped after that because of his job.  He's a commander on the USS Carter so I was raised by my friend's parents after that.  He's gone like eleven months out of the year.  When I was old enough, which was when I was fourteen he trusted me enough to live on my own."

"That must suck."

I traced a circle in the dirt with a stick and shrugged, "It does but I'm used to it."

"What about your mom?"

"She uh, she died a few days after I was born after she had a complication from the pregnancy."

"I'm sorry."

"It was a long time ago."

"Still.  Do you ever think about her?"

"Sometimes.  Most of the time though it's hard to miss someone you never met."

"I never knew my parents," said Neal, "it was just me and Andrew growing up.  Andrew is my older brother.  He's got a ten year difference on me."

"Wasn't there someone looking after you guys?"

"Sure we had guardians but not the loving family you grew up with in your friend's home.  It's kind of a complicated story but I pretty much began living on my own when I was fourteen too."

"How old are you anyways?"

"Nineteen.  You?"

"Sixteen."  I looked down.  Neal should be in his second year of college by now.  "Guess this complicates things doesn't it?"

He smiled, "I won't tell if you won't."

I smiled back, "Deal."

I began to shiver.  "Cold?" he asked.

"I'm fine," I told him.

"No you're not."  Neal got up and went to the truck for the extra blanket's we had.  He wrapped it around me.

"Thanks.  You know this blanket is big enough for the both of us."  

Again he smiled and the two of us were wrapped in the blanket.  I sat closer to him.

"You good," he asked.

"I'm perfect," I said as I leaned into his chest.  He placed a kiss on top of my head and in that moment I couldn't help but look at him.  His copper skin and his blue eyes made him look like a god.  As I stroked his cheek it was in that moment that I realized just how deep in love I was with Neal Storm and I could see in his eyes that he felt it too.

He leaned down towards me and I up towards him.  Our lips met.  I had never kissed a boy before but something told me that this was not the way it was supposed to feel.  It felt heavy but in a powerful passionate kind of way, a way that couldn't be explained even though Emma had.  From what she told me and from what I was feeling now, it couldn't even come close.