TIFFIN

24

Hey everyone!! I don't know about you but Jealous by Nick Jonas popped in my head <3
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The figure was a young man, but no one I had ever seen before. He was tall and built, his biceps protruding through his shirt sleeves, and had wild blonde hair that was the color of corn silk. When he saw us, he unleashed a breathtaking grin that nearly made me lose my breath. 

"Hey," He spoke, commanding attention to every word he spoke, "Mom's wondering what's taking so long?"

"Yeah," Josephine faked a quick grin. "We're coming now."

As we made our way from the laundry room and down the hall, I wasn't sure what to expect. What I was met with was the most confusing thing: Hero was turned around, simmering with rage as he stared at- not me- but who I guessed was Josephine's brother. 

Her mother stood up at once, clearing off her spot at the table. 

"Oh, please. Come sit. You should all eat."

"Oh," I replied, "me and Hero already ate."

"Fine!" Josephine's brother barked, without any shame. "Suit yourselves! Plenty for me!"

As to not be rude to either Josephine's parents or brother, I sat as her father left. This seemed to annoy Hero to no end, causing him to huff as he sat across from me. 

"Oh, please excuse my son's manners," Josephine's mother began as she started cleaning dishes, "Chad is here for the weekend and he's on short term leave from the military."

I felt the sudden urge to pay my respects to chad for his service, no matter how long he'd been in. If my parents taught me anything, it was to respect those who fight for our country. 

"Thank you so much for your service," I squeaked out, feeling awkward as Josephine still hadn't joined us at the table. 

I expected Chad to ignore me and to continue scarfing his fried potatoes, but he quickly wiped his mouth with a napkin thanking me in turn. 

"You're very kind," he replied, gingerly holding my gaze. "No one has told me that before."

"Oh, wow," I giggled, "I can't imagine why."

"I have no idea." He said. 

I leaned up on my elbows, more invested in the conversation. "Are you in the Army?"

Chad cleared his throat importantly.

"No. Marines." He chuckled along with me. 

"And how's that working out for you?" Hero spoke, slicing through the silence in the air. 

"Hero!" Josephine's mother exclaimed, sensing the tone of disrespect in his voice too. 

"It's okay mom," Chad spoke, "I'm doing very well cousin. I've learned a lot of new things. You could learn a thing or two from them. I sure did."

"Oh yeah?" Hero challenged. "What have you learned? To kill people. Oh, yeah. Very useful skill."

Josephine gasped. Her mother started crying and I wanted to apologize on her behalf. Hero was acting like some immature adolescent and I knew a few people who would have knocked him down a peg or two and would have sent him to military camp faster than he could blink. He probably didn't care.

"I'm done with this shit-show," Hero said out of nowhere. "We're going to take a little walk-"

Quickly making his way over to me and grabbing my hand, Hero dragged me with him as he made his way into another part of the house. I noticed Chad looking baffled by this display of behavior, but he soon went back to his food, not really caring either way. 

"Where are you taking me?" I asked Hero as he shut a door loudly. 

"Taking us away from my crazy family," Hero replied, "We're in my childhood bedroom,"

"Childhood bedroom?" I urged. 

"Yeah." He removed his jacket, taking a look at his surroundings. "I stayed here most of my life. I think my parents got tired of me most of the time so my aunt bought a bigger house, in favor of me."

Wow. This jerk really was full of himself. 

"Well, take a seat," Hero scoffed as he sprawled across his bed, practically lifting his phone up to his nose, feverishly typing. He probably wasn't doing an essay.

I sighed as I sat on the edge of the four-poster, feeling uneasy with how close we were. My mother had signed me up for etiquette classes as a young girl and I was always taught to keep my distance from any boy, unless absolutely necessary. Until marriage, I was taught to abstain from self-gratification, including brushing another's hand. 

I noticed Hero staring intently as if examining me like an experiment. 

"Did I do something to upset you?" I asked, feeling the anger seeping off him. 

"What do you mean?" Hero tried to act stupid, looking through his phone once more. 

"You know what I mean." I urged. "You've been in a foul mood since lunch."

Hero paused as if weighing his options, then finally decided to give me an answer I wasn't prepared for. 

"Fine. Do you want to know what's getting on my nerves? Your cock-blocking."

I gasped, shocked at what he'd just said. What did that even mean?

"Oh, don't act all innocent now." Hero demanded, making me shake inside. "I saw the way you and my cousin were flirting."

I raised an eyebrow. "Chad? No, you've got it all wrong! I was merely trying to-"

"Shut the fuck up." Hero glared. "You knew exactly what you were doing."

"No, I-"

My next words were soon cut off by Hero smashing his lips to mine, his tongue finding mine. 

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