THE DEVIL'S AFFECTION

25. ROMANTIC MATERIAL

I WAKE UP still attached to Hanes, differently than we were last night but still intertwined in each others embrace. I just watch his peaceful expression, knowing it will be gone by the time he wakes.

I begin to recall all the emotions I had running through me last night and begin to dread them as they overcome me again. I don't want to want him. If I have him, I'll end up needing him. I can't need anybody.

Hanes takes a deep breath, his body tensing up as he stretches while he wakes. He slowly opens his eyes to see mine and he smiles softly.

"Were you watching me, dandelion?" His voice is breathy and raspy, breaking slightly when he says 'watching'.

"Only for a moment." I grin.

He tightens his arms around me, pulling me in closer.

"What do you want to do today?" He murmurs.

"Don't you have to work today?" I question, slightly confused.

"That's not an answer to my question."

Guess he doesn't have to work.

I think about all the things we could do. Among those, my fantasies from last night start to appear. I begin dreaming of those pancakes.

"Let's go get some pancakes." I hum, my mouth salivating at just the thought of the syrup.

"Let's go do that." He agrees, taking another deep breath and shuffling a bit. "I don't want to get up." He sighs.

I loosen out of his grip and crawl over him; straddling his hips and leaning over him while placing a hand on either side of his head.

"Well, I want pancakes!" I smile.

His wide grin peaks up higher on one side as he looks up at me.

"Is that so?" He puts his hands on my ass and squeezes it to punctuate each word.

"Yes! Now, get up!" I say sitting back.

He sits up to meet me and our faces stop just inches apart. He inspects my face, his eyes scanning over every inch before pinging from one of my eyes to the other.

"You're so beautiful in the mornings. I rarely get to tell you that because I leave before you get up but... I think about it every morning."

My heart pelts out of my chest and my face burns with emotion. I don't think I've ever been told that before. It wasn't even just what he said but the way that he said it. It's as if he had thought about it a thousand times over and just got to tell me now.

I smile warmly at him and plant a kiss on his lips that he readily returns again after we part.

I look over at myself in the mirror over the dresser. "I have to do something with my hair."

He turns and looks as well. "I think it looks pretty." He roughs it up with one hand.

"Hey!" I swat his hand away and begin to pat down my hair. "You're not helping."

"Well, neither are you. I can't get up with you sitting on my lap." He lays back.

I climb off of him and step out onto the cold tile floor. This is always the least pleasant part of the morning. The floors are always absolutely frozen for the first half of the day.

I walk over to the bottom dresser where I sit down, feeling the frigid floor freeze my ass, and grab a pair of socks and put them on. I continue to sift through to look for something appropriate to wear today.

"We need to get you some new shoes today. Maybe some boots will do you good. It'll be snowing any day now." Hanes suggests. I look back to see him sitting on the edge of the bed completely nude.

"Heels surely won't be good on the ice." I chuckle.

I feel strange now, having him buy me anything. This feels more like a mutual relationship rather than a job. I need to remember that this is just a day. A day and a night where he's been sweet. He's come a long way and some days I feel like he's still the angry and cynical man I met not that long ago. This is a job — I remind myself — nothing more.

"We'll stop by the shops after breakfast, then." He gets up and walks over to the dresser.

I slip away to the bathroom with my outfit to get dressed. I can only imagine that it will be freezing out there today.

          HANES REACHES his hand over my head and roughs up my hair as we sit at the bar in the diner, waiting for our pancakes.

"Hey!" I whine, swatting his hand away. "I tried to fix it."

"I like your bedhead." He chuckles, moving to rest his chin on his fist.

I just smile at his fond expression and then look over to the waitress coming over with our pancakes.

"Here is your pancakes and your syrup," she lifts the container up from behind the counter. "Is there anything else I can get you?"

"Nothing for now, thank you."

"Thank you," Hanes smiles to her before looking back to me with the fond smile that he wore moments before.

I think back to a time before he would address waiters and waitresses with respect. There's even times now when he slips up but that, right there, seemed almost like a reflex. He's in such a good mood today.

"Wow, you light up with pancakes." He smirks at me.

"I do love pancakes." I look down at them. That's not the only reason I'm grinning through.

I pick up the syrup and pour it all over the pancakes, nearly drowning them in the sweetness as it pools and spills over the stack.

"Jesus... that's a bit much!" He laughs.

"I like syrup! Pancakes are just the vessel."

I set the syrup down and look for the utensils but I can't find any.

"What are you looking for?"

"I can't find the utensils." My eyes scatter to find a set, but we weren't given any.

Hanes looks around and then leans over the counter and reaches down to grab a set of utensils. He passes them to me with a cheeky smirk before looking around again to see if anyone saw.

"Thank you," I smirk, unpacking them from the napkin. "Aren't you going to eat?"

He shrugs. "I was just going to watch you."

"I can't eat these all by myself! Besides, I don't want to eat with you staring at me like that." I chuckle.

"Like what?" He leans in closer with a more intense stare. "Like this?!"

We both laugh as he retracts his glance.

He leans over the counter again, quickly swiping another set of utensils before unpacking them and digging in with me.

"Now, for future reference, this is way, way too much syrup for me." He laughs, trying to pick up the soggy pancake with his fork.

"You just don't know a delicacy when you see one." I mumble with my mouth full.

"Alright, there! Try to keep it in your mouth." He laughs, shielding himself.

I swallow and laugh. "Sorry."

I watch as he takes his first bite, the grin not leaving his face for a moment. I don't know why he's in such a good mood today but I'm happy to see it. I know this is something I'll want to remember on the bad days.