Our Soul Divided

09| I Remember That

Athena

I mean what I say to Stetson. I can still feel Dorian out there. If he was truly gone, wouldn't I feel it?

With all that has happened and all that I am trying to remember, I've just realized something, "What day is it?"

"Uh..." Stetson is confused by the random question.

"You don't know?"

He starts counting on his fingers, "December... 19th?"

"Isn't that..." I think really hard about our friendship in high school for a moment. "Isn't it your birthday?"

"Uh..." He trails off into a laugh. "I guess it is."

"What?! You didn't tell me!" I shove him playfully.

"I didn't even know what day it was. I'm still not completely sure I'm right. We don't really keep up with that these days," he explains with amusement dancing in his brown eyes.

"We have to celebrate," I remark, wracking my brain for what we can do.

Stetson steps closer to me between each word, "How. Do you. Propose?" His hands are fully covering both sides of my face as he forces my gaze to meet his. Suddenly, I feel hot and my skin starts to buzz with anticipation.

"I'm not sure yet, but we could start... with this," I push myself up onto my toes and press my lips to his. He tastes like chocolate with a hint of mint. The kiss warms me from my lips to my toes. The buzzing in my skin is now more of a vibration.

His lips move against mine in a way that feels like he is trying to consume the feeling. He groans softly and whispers, "I missed you more than life." He continues kissing me and I feel his passion build with faster, shorter pecks. When he finally breaks off, he leans his forehead against mine, panting. "I've been trying to restrain myself because we are both still grieving. But you're making this really hard."

"So don't," I whisper.

Then his mouth is claiming mine again with more fire than before. His hands roam until one lands on my back and the other is snaked into my hair.

Every time he kisses me, I feel whole. Like whatever is going on around us can wait, and no matter where I am: I'm home. He's right, our souls already know each other. And I can feel them celebrating reunion again when a memory knocks me from the present like a wrecking ball.

****

Stetson was knocking on the door to his own apartment, and the way he was shouting "Atti! Baaaaabe!" told me that he was drunk.

I rolled my eyes and laughed to myself as I glanced at my phone on the nightstand. 12:08. I had only gotten home an hour or so ago, but I had showered and I was already in my pajamas and in bed watching Netflix. I got up from the comfortable warm bed to go and open the door.

As the door lock clicked and I pulled it back, I revealed a very drunk Stetson in all his glory. His blonde waves were mussed and sticking out in every direction. His plain black t-shirt was rumpled, and his brief waistband was jutting out of his jogging pants. He looked like pure sex standing in front of me, and my body was humming for him already.

"Hey, you gorgeous girl," he stumbled through the door and brushed my face with his hand. Then he planted a quick kiss on my lips and moved toward the kitchen.

"You're drunk, and you have a key to your apartment," I giggled as I leaned over the kitchen island. He reached above his head for a glass and nearly fell backward. He chuckles at his drunken clumsiness.