Romani Noor is an aspiring chemist- well, possible ex-chemist, after she can no longer afford the rise in her university tuition fees.
Her best friend and sister, Juno, is living across the country with her wife, sending Romani occasional cheques t...
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I swing my bare legs as I sit on the counter in the bakery's back room, happily munching on a plate of chocolate chip cookies River made me for doing so well on my exam.
I was dressed in a dry oversized t-shirt River gave me after we rushed home in the rain. It fits me like a dress, and River was insistent I didn't need pants.
The nerve on this boy-
River jogs back down the stairs, and I grin at him, cheeks puffed like a chipmunk as my mouth is full of his delicious, warm cookies.
Though I frown when I realise, he's still in his wet clothes. I swallow my mouthful, and open my mouth to say something, but I pause when he walks across the room, and starts pulling his wet shirt over his head.
My mouth gapes open as I watch him. He was lean but had defined muscles on him. I knew the other two boys fought- so they were a lot bulkier than River- but damn.
Stirring and working in the kitchen all day takes a toll on his body. His arms were the most impressive by far.
I shake out of my perverted trance before he can call me out on it, "Why don't you put some dry clothes on?" I ask him, and he glances up at me through his wet strands of hair.
My own hair is wet and hanging round my face messily, and River seems to notice as he approaches me.
He stands between my legs as I sit on the counter, his bare chest now very close to me. My heart-rate picks up, he smells of storms and rainwater- which makes sense considering we both just ran through one.
"Don't have any more clean clothes." He mumbles absentmindedly as his hands come up to brush his fingers through my damp hair, untangling some of the knots.
I hold my breath as he does this. The act of touching someone's hair always felt so intimate to me. I love it.
"But you gave me your shirt... you should have taken it for yourself." I say back with a frown, and his lips tilt up ever so slightly.
"Looks better on you." He replies, his eyes finally leaving my hair and straying down to my own. "So, are you going to tell me how my Bambi ended up in detention?" He snorts, like the idea of me getting into trouble was that alien.
Though I raise a brow at his words, "'My' huh? What would Valentine say about that?" I decide to tease him, and he of course stays cool as a cucumber.
He narrows his gaze on me, hands now resorting to twirling strands of my hair around his fingers. The act was both innocent and a threat; I wasn't going anywhere.
"You got a problem with that?" He retorts at me, "Why don't you ask Valentine yourself." He recommends and I clench my jaw, hoping my face didn't flush at his nonchalance to the idea.
I take the cowards way out and ignore him, deciding to switch the topic by answering River's previous question, "I was late to my math lecture."
River tuts at me, releasing my hair and taking a step back to lean on the counter opposite me, "Very bad." He reprimands, "At least you weren't dealing drugs. Or making them." He smirks at me, and I practically choke on the cookie I was munching on.
