•Memories• ||D.M.||

83. Coffee Breath

I slowly stretched, not registering where I was due to the sheer fact that I was exhausted.
I could barely remember the whole night, staying up with Draco singing karaoke, playing charades, and making food until I seemed to overdose on microwaveable mozzarella sticks.
I did now realize that I was in the twin sized bed that he was supposed to be in, and sat up confused by the lack of dorky boyfriend.
It only smelled like his cologne and the daisy scented linen spray he used all over the apartment the night before because, according to him, it smelled "too much like wood in here."
Maybe he had to leave early? It wouldn't make sense why he stayed up with me so late then..
"Hello?" I turned into the kitchen with a blanket around my shoulders, not greeted by Draco, but the addicting smell of coffee.
I looked to the coffee pot amidst the mess from hours ago, a simple sticky note on it.
'Made coffee. Had to go do work stuff -_- I'll be back around 5 so go look around the boring city if you want. Be safe though! get food situated too? Thanks you're the bestloveyou-'
The last part was squished together because of how much he wrote.
"Jesus, even on notes you talk too much.." I laughed to myself before putting the note down and pouring the lukewarm coffee before putting my mug in the microwave.
How... normal. I smiled to myself.
Getting dressed, I continued to baffle myself with the concept of this type of life.
It was so quiet and quaint, boring but maybe with him..
I was getting ahead of myself.
Knowing him, and knowing the world I'm involved with, wanting this life is hilariously out of the picture.
But walking down the street, passing people that don't know who you are, it was the lightest my hearts ever felt.
And then, it was also the hottest I've ever felt.
"I'm so sorry, ma'am!" A kid who was taller than me said as they tried to stabilize the coffee that they spilled on me.
I hissed in pain and insisted it was fine, a bit taken aback from being called ma'am by a kid that was probably my age.
"No, ah! Pim you moron!" They scolded.
"Pim?" I questioned as I pulled napkins from my pockets.
"Yeah, uh that's me.."
"That's a badass name." I laughed as I got the moisture off, thanking all powerful beings that my shirt was black.
"Thanks, I made it myself!" They threw up finger guns awkwardly.
"Oh? Parents let you do you?" I continued to smile.
"Actually, no!" They said with a strange enthusiasm and watched my face drop. "Oh! No, I mean that like, I don't have parents to tell me what to do!" I grew slightly more concerned. "I'm an orphan, but don't be all weird about it.." they said with a nervous expression.
"Wasn't planning on it. Technically me too." I replied.
"Really?! What's your name?"
I have no idea why, but my reply was something that even I didn't expect.
"I'm Elizabeth."
"That's cool."
"Not as cool as Pim!" I insisted.
"I mean, the British accent makes your name cooler."
---
"So genderless and parentless!" I laughed along to their joke as I sat on the swing next to them, eating my food.
"So what are you doing in California?" They asked me.
"I'm on a trip with my boyfriend." I replied.
"Where is he?" They asked.
"He's doing work stuff, actually.." I smiled softly.
"Ah, adulting.." Pim said in a fake wise tone.
"Pim, how old do you think I am..?" I asked.
"I dunno, 22?"
I laughed out loud. "I'm 15!"
"No fucking way!" They cried out. "Why is your boyfriend working??"
I stopped laughing and went quiet.
"Ohhh..." they slowly nodded. "It's okay, I respect the hustle."
I blinked in confusion.
"You have a sugar daddy, right?"
I stopped myself from throwing my body off the swing and just smiled in response.
---
"You're totally getting taco truck food for him!" Pim insisted as they dragged me.
This was amazing.
---
"I donno, I just feel like, maybe in another life I had a bigger purpose? I have this desire to save the world.. but it's stupid because like, from what?"
"Well, maybe it doesn't have to be something specific.. you could just save animals from people, or children from going hungry." I suggested.
They smiled as I stopped in front of the apartment.
"Well, if you ever need anything in the city, I'm everywhere." They said.
I felt the urge and the need to hug them, so I did.
"Today was great.. and I'll make sure to." I waved them off like a ghost as I opened the door and went up the stairs.
"I have.. food?" I stopped when I saw the kitchen chair thrown to the side at the end of the hall.
"Who was that?!" Draco's eyes were bloodshot, and I jumped at the harshness of his tone.
"Some kid I met.. what happened??" I walked in and put the bags of food down.
"Really?? You expect me to believe that?? What happened to me being able to trust you??" He laughed in my face.
I stopped taking the food out and paused.
"Look, I get you're stressed but don't be a dick!" I exasperated.
"I'm not the one getting close with absolute strangers for a whole day!"
"You have no reason to be this jealous." I crossed my arms.
"What..?" He narrowed his eyes, before they went wide again. "You think this is because I'm jealous?!"
"Well what else could it be?!"
"I wouldn't care if they kissed you outside there at this point! You know how
dangerous it is for you, especially if you're here with me! Trusting someone that's bigger than you like that is stupid! And I really thought you weren't stupid!"
My blood began to boil. "I can handle myself. I'm not just some helpless little girl!"
"I know! I know, okay?! I can't have anything bad happen to you though-"
"It won't!"
"You can't guarantee me that!" He hit his fist on the table, and it fell silent as he began breathing erratically. "God, you're the only thing I can hold and feel at home with.." he said, his voice seemingly shattered, like glass.
His big grey eyes turned to a deeper blue.
The blue when he was about to cry.
So I dropped my pride and held his head against my shoulder, bringing him home.
"You make things so much harder.." he said quietly, and I loosened my grip, heart dripping.
"I'm sorry.. I know. I know I should just shut my mouth and let you do what you need, but all my thoughts-"
"You make it so much harder, but you're the only reason it's worth it.."
Sleeping separately that night didn't feel right, but both our hearts felt warm, maybe in the same way that a bruise feels warm at first, but to him and I, we could feel the love through the pain.