Young Lust

22 - Caught Off-Guard

"Of course I'm not asleep," Steven laughed.

"You could at least come upstairs and get your own blankets and pillow."

"Well aren't you the best hostess in the world,"

"I didn't ask you to sleep on my couch tonight. No invite equals no hostessing." I smirked.

"Whatever," Steven poked his tongue at me and stood up from the couch. He left me in a cloud of dust as he silently raced upstairs.

I followed him up with a sigh but he was gone by the time I got to the top of the staircase. I peeked into each room as I passed, leaving my bedroom last at the end of the hall.

"Steven?" I called quietly, nudging the door open all the way.

"Johnny was here, eh?" Steven squinted in the darkness to read the scribble I'd forgotten to wipe from my whiteboard.

"Ugh, he broke into my room while I wasn't even home!" The fact still bugged me.

"Hm."

Steven continued to inspect my bedroom as I suspected Johnny had done. He finished at my bed and dumped himself right onto it.

"Hey!" I spat. "Dude, get off my bed!" I rushed over to try and pull and push him off, but he had a good grip.

"No invite equals no hostess, remember? So I fend for myself," Steven replied with smart-assery.

I stood over him with my hands on my hips, looking at him with my eyebrows raised and my lips pursed.

"Fine, fine," he grumbled playfully and rolled off my bed.

I left my room with Steven in tow to show him to the linen. After pointing out the linen cupboard, while Steven grabbed a blanket out, I went back to my bedroom for a pillow. Since I had three, for artistic value, I could spare one for Steven.

I threw the pillow at him and he caught it one-handedly. Then I ushered him back downstairs to the couch and let him sort himself out. I climbed the stairs again and changed into my pyjamas and plopped into bed.

I noticed the pleasant aroma embedded in my top pillow; like a spicy-smelling aftershave. Steven's aftershave. As creepy as it sounds, it smelled really good, almost sexy, and I couldn't stop sniffing it. How haven't I noticed this smell until now?

---

I woke up with a start before dawn. I'd set my alarm for this ungodly hour so I had a chance to kick Steven out of my house before my mother would wake up.

Trudging downstairs, I was still half asleep and struggling to not just stop and sleep right there and then on the staircase.

As I approached the couch, I saw something that was wrong. Steven was absent. But then I noticed a giant light coming from the kitchen - the refrigerator light.

I snuck silently towards him and waited for him to turn around. He scoured the shelves for something edible until he settled for a swig of milk - straight out of the bottle.

"Get a cup next time, ay?" I told him as I turned the kitchen light on.

Steven was quite startled at the announcement of my presence and he nearly choked. He turned around, milk dripping down his chin, eyes wide, cheeks red.

"Um, you didn't just backwash into my milk bottle, did you?" I crossed my arms.

"N-no! Shit, Jade!" Steven spluttered as he put the bottle back in the fridge.

The scene before me was funny enough that I couldn't help but laugh at it.

"Shut up!" Steven started to laugh with me.

I remembered that my mum was still asleep so I shushed the both of us. We stood there in silence until Steven struck up a conversation.

"Those pajamas are pretty hot," he whispered out of the blue.

I frowned at his forwardness and looked down at my pjs. They were my favourite - dark grey singlet with black lace around the top, and matching short-shorts with lace around the bottom. I didn't even give a thought about Steven seeing me like that until he said something, and it made turn a bright pink shade of awkwardly embarrassed.

I self-consciously crossed my arms in front of my chest, also remembering the fact that I didn't think to put on a bra before coming downstairs. Then I realised how messy I must've looked - my hair wasn't done either. I was just asleep, of course I don't look done. But this is really, really awkward.

I was busy trying to concentrate on the floor instead, when Steven clicked his tongue at me. I looked up at him with an annoyed expression and raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Don't you agree with me?" Steven folded his arms as well and looked smug for some reason. All I could do was narrow my eyes at him.

"Well, I'm not joking. I know you don't have any feelings for me. But please, Jade... could you just give me a chance?"

"I.." ...had absolutely no clue on how to respond to this. "A chance for what exactly?"

"To... I guess, show you to not be so... so... closed-minded with me." Steven answered unsurely. "Did that make sense?" he laughed nervously, doing the scratch-the-back-of-the-head thing.

"Uh..." I noticed that daylight was slowly creeping in, and completely avoiding the subject, said: "My mum's gunna be up soon."

Steven looked a little hurt at my topic change.

"Better do this now, then," Steven said quietly and stepped up to me. He put his finger underneath my chin and tilted my face up towards his own, looked at me with confidence, and kissed me.

My eyes widened at his sudden move; but then I found myself closing them. I could smell the spicy scent from my pillow upstairs - but the real thing was so much better. I decided that his smell was sexy after all.

Steven's arm wound around my waist, his plushy lips pressed into mine carefully, and warmth flowed through them.

Steven Tallarico was kissing me, and I was enjoying it.

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A/N: finally, gosh