𝙵𝚘𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚆𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛 || 𝙰𝚞𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚗 𝙱𝚞𝚝𝚕𝚎𝚛

06 - Cold Showers

𝙴𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚢𝚘𝚞'𝚛𝚎 𝚗𝚎𝚡𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚖𝚎𝙸𝚝'𝚜 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚢 𝙸'𝚖 𝚙𝚒𝚌𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐
𝙱𝚞𝚝 𝚊𝚝 𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚝 𝙸 𝚐𝚘𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚒𝚗 𝚖𝚢 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚍- 𝘚𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 - 𝘏𝘢𝘺𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘒𝘪𝘺𝘰𝘬𝘰 -

AUSTIN

An ungodly amount of pancakes later, Elsie got up and began cleaning up.

"Oh no you absolutely can't do that." I went to grab her arm but just fell short. "I can't let you do dishes."

Her body spun while collecting every dirty dish she could hold.

"Why! You saved me yesterday and you made me pancakes!" Her voice light and bubbly. Mood noticeably better than when she first woke up.

The fix-it pancake magic worked yet again.

I didn't bother arguing further, when she had made up her mind it was hard to stop her.

The warmth of the noon sun helped ease a foggy sensation that had taken shelter in my head.

There was a new heaviness to my chest that was driving me mad. It felt so familiar, but I didn't understand it. I couldn't recognize it, but I knew it. Kinda like when you can't remember a specific word. You know what the word means and what you're trying to say. But somehow the word no longer exists in your vocabulary.

As I snapped out of my thoughts, I pulled my thumb from my teeth. The skin around my fingernail was shredded. I had tried to so many times to quit the habit, but it always returned.

Elsie went to snatch the last dish left, my white syrup-covered plate sitting in front of me. But I pulled the edge back.

"Nuh uh, the least I can do is bring it to you."

"Now, how is that any different from me taking it?" She gave a playful huff.

"It makes me feel less guilty."

I round the corner and came up behind her to drop the plate into the sink.

I froze when our bodies grazed each other. My hips behind hers at an angle. Her warmth radiated against my body. It felt magnetic. The scent of my sheets and lingering perfume intertwined on her, filling my nose.

She stilled shortly after me. Suds poured out of the now stalled sponge. Her fingers gripped around the blue sponge. It made me wonder what her hand would feel like wrapped around me.

Being jealous of a cleaning utensil was not on my bingo card for the day.

My mouth just above her neck, lips so close to her skin.

I let out a hitched breath that just grazed the small curve of her neck. I felt her tense against me, only bringing her closer. Her hands still paused on the now spotless, soapless plate. Goosebumps rolled across her shoulder that was only covered by a thin black strap.

My hands begged to touch her. Other parts of me craved to touch her too, wanting to press up against her.

The image of her bent over the counter flashed across my mind. Her lengthy chocolate waves wrapped around my fist. Her full hips swiveling against my—

Shit.

I pulled away and promptly readjusted myself. Finding a thrown dish towel, I pretended to clean up around the kitchen. I wiped a random spot on the granite countertop.

What the fuck was that.

"Um, I think I'm gonna take a shower. Do you need anything before I get in?" I tried to stifle the sense of urgency in my voice.