Love The One You're With

Chapter 38- Two Minutes

Thankfully, I woke up feeling a bit better than I had all night. I rolled over to check my phone and audibly gasped when I saw it was 3pm. I stretched and grabbed a cough drop off my nightstand. Sam Kiszka had to be the sweetest man because I knew these weren't in the house last night. I finally crawled out of bed and wandered into the kitchen to find him ladling soup into a large bowl.

"I thought I heard you moving around! Good morning, beautiful. How are you feeling?" He asked brightly. I peered over the counter into the large pot he was ladling from and my mouth began to water. Chicken noodle soup is my favorite.

"I didn't know you were going to let me sleep all day," I teased before following him to the table where he sat down my bowl of soup. "Thank you, I do feel a little better," I admitted before blowing on my first spoonful.

"Good! Jake had to go pick up his car from the bar, but I think he was heading home with Josh after that...so it's back to just you and me," he grinned wide and I couldn't help but laugh. He sat down across from me, and scooted forward until our knees were interlocked under the small table.

"His loss because this soup is delicious," I slurped another mouthful as I glanced up at Sam. "Would you mind to make me some tea?" I asked in a small hopeful voice.

"Yeah, sure," he hopped up and hurried back to the kitchen to turn on the electric kettle. I giggled as he hurried around the small space gathering the chamomile tea, the fancy spoon we used for stirring, and the new jar of honey from the pantry. He paused at the mug cabinet before turning to me and asking, "Where is your new mug?"

"What new mug?" I asked as I cocked my head sideways in genuine confusion.

"Shit...you hated it didn't you?" He looked so defeated as a look of realization washed over him.

"Sam, I don't know what you're talking about. Did you get me a mug?" I sat down my spoon and walked over to him, wrapping my arms around his middle as he stared into the cabinet where all of our mugs lived.

"For Christmas.." was all he said before I screamed. I had completely forgotten about the gift from Sam that I never opened. I ran to my room and pulled it out from under my bed in a huff before coming back to the kitchen and sitting at the table. I pushed my half empty bowl of soup aside and began unwrapping the small, yet surprisingly heavy, colorful box. He turned and watched me as I lifted a large lumpy and misshapen mug out of the tissue paper that surrounded it. It was a mixture of teal, green and tan colors that swirled around the outside, leaving the inside a shiny tan. The handle was kind of wavy in a whimsical way, and I fell in love with the uniqueness of this mug. I could tell Sam had spent hours on it, and it meant the world to me. Before I realized, tears were streaming down my face in twin tracks, and I looked up to see Sam beaming at me with little pools forming in the corners of his eyes.

"I didn't want to open it without you," I mumbled before standing up and throwing my arms around him.

"I know it's not pretty like something you'd make, so if you hate it, you can just use it for your water cup when you paint or something," he said softly as he kissed the top of my head.

"I love it, and you," I replied, quoting his own words back to him as I tilted my head up to kiss his soft lips. I placed one hand on his cheek, holding him close as my other tangled in his thick hair.

"Are you sure?" He asked breathily as he pulled away momentarily.

"Mhmm," I murmured as I leaned in again, deepening the kiss as I opened my mouth and let his tongue slip inside. His hands slid down my sides and gripped my waist, pulling me flush against his front, where I could feel him getting hard against my lower tummy. "Should we take this to one of our bedrooms?" I giggled between kisses, but he suddenly pulled away.