Just benefits?

Five

"Cora, time to eat."

See i have some options here. I can hit whoever tried to disrupt my sleep, get up and eat angrily, or just be a good person and get up and eat peacefully. As appealing as more sleep sounds right now, food sounds better.

I groan and push away whoever it is right next to me and reluctantly get up. "There's a good girl".

My eyes shoot open and I make eye contact with Clay who only looks like he is holding  back a laugh at my reaction behind his smirk. That son of a-

"I just woke up, i give you five seconds to run for that comment." his smirk falls as I get up.

"Five"

He gets up and slowly makes his way out of the door.

"Four"

He realizes the seriousness of my tone and face and starts to run.

"Three two one."

And with that i chase him down the stairs, almost falling a few times but manage to keep my balance. I chase him around the house, both of us laughing. We get to the couch, with me on one side and him on the other. "Clay I am gonna kill you." "Only if you're a good girl while doing it." Oh this little-

I jump over the couch to him. Making us both fall onto it laughing like lunatics, with me on top of him, straddling him. Once we calm down I get off of him, making my way towards the smell of food, hearing him follow behind me.

Dinner flies by with all of us cracking jokes, catching up and just overall enjoying each other's company. After dinner we decided to put on a movie and watch that in the living room with Clay and myself on the couch and my brother on one of the chairs by himself.

"I'm telling you, he is the killer!" I say as we continue to watch kives out. "We already know he killed himself, Cora." Clay says from his place next to me. "Yeah, I know that but he had to have something to do with something. No one is that cute and innocent in these movies." I reply talking about Chris Evans' character.

"I mean she isn't wrong." My brother agrees and I just point at him with my hand in a 'see' motion.

"I don't like that she's here. Now you're always gonna agree with her and not me while she is here, I can already see it. It has already started!" We both laugh at Clay's statement that will no doubt be true. Growing up, especially with our ages so close together, we were always sticking up for each other and always ended up agreeing with practically everything. I don't even remember the last time we had an argument.

"Whatever, bro." My brother laughs, knowing he is right and having no way of denying it.

After that we continue the movie, debating about the characters and who did what, until finally the movie came to an end and the truth finally came out about everything that had happened in it.

"I told you!" I stood up and yelled pointing at Clay who only laughs a bit and shakes his head as my brother gets up to get something from the kitchen. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. What was it you said again, 'no one is that cute and innocent'?" I nod my head confidently.

He then leans forward and peaks in the kitchen then turns his attention back to me. "Well, then, you must not be very innocent then." I feel my cheeks warm up at both his comment and the wink that he sent me after. God, I am never going to get used to this.

Not even a second after, my brother comes back out with a water in his hands. "I'm gonna head to bed guys, have fun if you watch another movie, if you need me you know where I'll be." he walks over to me placing a kiss on the top of my head. "I love you sis." I smile at him. "I love you too bro."

And with that, he is gone, leaving me and Clay alone. Again.

"Do you wanna go up to my room and watch a movie?" I furrow my eyebrows in question. "Why your room?" "So we dont disturb his precious sleep." Yes, just like me, my brother loves his sleep and if you disturb it, he will be pissed. "Yeah, good point. I'll make more pop corn and be right up. Go ahead and get a movie started."

He nods then walks up the stairs to his room while I go to the kitchen to make us some more popcorn.

After I finish that I head up the stairs and into Clay's room, closing the door (which he had left open for me) behind me. I plop on the bed next to him, getting comfortable and he hits start on the movie, never giving me a chance to see the title of the movie.

The opening scene plays and the characters look familiar but I can't exactly put my finger on it. What movie is this? A few more minutes go by and the two main characters start to get steamy, that's when it clicks as to what movie it is, and my cheeks flush.

"Clay!? 365 days, really!?" And this asshole starts laughing at me! I take the pillow from behind me and hit him with it, causing him to stop laughing and moving altogether. Uh oh, that was a mistake.

He instantly and easily snatches the pillow from my off guard self and starts to tickle my sides, making me erupt in laughter.

"Clay! Clay, I'm sorry! " I manage to get out in-between giggles. He finally stops to let me breathe and I graciously do. Then I make the mistake of noticing the position that we are in. At some point while he was tickling me, he had gotten on top of me, straddling my waist. Well shit.

I finally catch my breath and stare into his deep green eyes, becoming instantly mesmerized with his emerald orbs. He brings himself lower onto me, bringing our faces together.

"I'm not sure what it is Cora, but there is just something about you that makes me mesmerized by you. Makes me want to know you. Feel you. Kiss you." He breaths out, his breath meeting my parted lips.

I'm honestly not sure how I feel about his statement, because deep down I think that I feel the same.

"Cora, can I kiss you?" not trusting my words i only nod my head, giving him all of the permission he needs.

He leans down the rest of the way and our lips barely meet, like a teaser of his soft lips. I lean up into his touch, making our lips fully meet and I feel butterflies erupt in my stomach. Honestly the best kiss I have ever had in my life.

He pulls away so we can breathe and we do, both panting from putting our heart and souls into the kiss.

"It's late, we should sleep." he nods and gets off of me, but when i go to get up he stops me by grabbing my wrist. "Please don't go. You can sleep in here." I almost aw out loud at the cute little pouty face he makes.

I lay back down, shifting to get comfortable before he wraps his arms around me, pulling me into him, also causing me to giggle a bit.

And with the feeling of his safe and protecting arms around me and the thought of his lips pressed against mine, I fell asleep.