Sugar

Sugar: 8/10 Cup

"Stay still."

"This stuff is uncomfortable," Dorian grumbled, peeking through slit eyes at the flush face straining to hold back laughter. "It's not funny."

Kahlia glanced up at him and grinned. "It's a little funny. You look adorable."

"I'm not adorable." He scowled at her, but the effect was dampened by his closed eyes and he was pretty positive that his beautiful girlfriend was laughing at him.

Girlfriend. Was it too soon to call Kahlia his girlfriend? Did he mind? Did she? Dorian could count all the girlfriends he'd had on his index and middle fingers and he considered her the third.

Hopefully.

"Done." Kahlia was looking at the back of the bottle's instructions. "It says here we're supposed to feel some tightening after a few minutes. I don't feel any yet." She shrugged and set the face mask down. Peeking up at him through her lashes with a cute little smile.

Dorian looked at himself in the mirror and scowled further. He looked ridiculous and the dark blue goop was dripping down his temples thickly. "This is supposed to be what?"

"A purifying face mask. Cleans the pores." She pat his chest and hopped down from the bathroom counter. "Come on, I'm hungry."

They'd gotten Caribbean takeaway from a place Kahlia swore up, down and sideways that he'd love.

The day had started out awkwardly, when Charles Obisani walked back into the house to find his daughter sprawled over Dorian's body on the couch, mascara dried in streaks down her cheeks. He'd already been awake, so being forced to make eye contact and low conversation when the older gentleman sat down across from them with a cup of coffee had Dorian contemplating if he'd survive ducking out through the living room window.

Thankfully, it didn't come to that. Dorian received the man's approval, which made him happier than he let on. Kahlia's father was obviously protective of her the same way she was of him and it made Dorian consider things in a different light.

Was he as protective of Kahlia as those around her were? He had no intentions of hurting her but he didn't exactly have the cleanest record on break-ups. More like his relationships always fizzled out fast and messy with frayed ends. But he'd never met anyone like her before.

He didn't know whether he was hoping that things with her would stick for the long term. He liked her, obviously, and he loved not having Cora in his ear like a love-hungry mosquito, but was he willing to sacrifice his blissful solitude for a relationship?

This was a question that had been swirling around in his mind practically since he woke up that morning. But underneath all that ugly doubt was another question that made him pause.

Would it be so bad?

"Here, try." Kahlia handed him a full plate, steaming hot and very aromatic. His mouth watered.

With a sceptical squint just to make her suffer a teeny tiny bit, he put the first forkful of food in his mouth. And another. Then another. And some more. His mouth was on fire— it was so spicy.

Dorian's face mask cracked at the cheeks where he grinned at her.

"I knew you'd like it!" Kahlia clapped triumphantly, taking up her own fork to start digging in. "I've been emptying my wallet at this plate since college. They're amazing."

"Yes, they are." He would definitely be visiting them in the future. This type of food wasn't something one only ate once. There was no way he could move on without circling back a few more times.