A Different Slice

45 - Love (Naomi)

Thursday morning, Naomi awoke to the scent of strawberries, sugar, and pancakes. When she peeked her eyes open, Kieran stood by the bed, holding a wooden tray with a crepe surrounded by berries and topped with a zig-zagged drizzle of caramel. If she snuggled into the pillow, it smelled like him too, and she loved it. After the softball game, they'd gone out for drinks without Greg and had returned to Kieran and Jake's place, where cuddling with Kieran far outweighed sleeping alone. While it wasn't their first time sharing a bed, it was the first night they'd done so at his apartment.

"Good morning, Naomi."

Even his voice made her smile. How early had he woken up to make this?

She sat while cocooning herself in the bedspread. "What is this?"

"Breakfast in bed?"

"Why?"

He raised his pierced eyebrow. "Who are you, and what have you done with my amazing foodie girlfriend?"

She chuckled. "It looks delicious, but you didn't have to go to all this trouble." She would have enjoyed cuddling with him and having toast or cereal. She wasn't this high-maintenance.

"I do though because subconsciously you need to associate this place with delicious food, so when you're hungry, you come to visit."

Excitement flooded her heart, and she shared it with a smile. "I want to visit you, goof."

"Good, because you're incredible, and I can't imagine not having this or you in my life." He bit his lip and glanced at the crepes then at her with those magic hazel eyes. "Naomi, I love you."

Her breath caught in her throat, and warmth spread through her chest like that melted caramel. "Kieran, I-I." This was the worst time for her tongue to tie up. She had said it so many times internally and nearly blurted it out after he'd been so supportive during their boundaries talk and the silly strip tease she loved. Humour and laughter made intimacy much easier for her.

Why were the words staying trapped?

"It's okay. It's soon, but I want you to have zero doubts about my feelings. You're the best, and so is this. There's no pressure to say it back. I'm always cool with moving at your speed physically and emotionally."

On closer inspection, he'd even arranged the strawberries in a heart around the plate. His smiling face was only directed at her, making her hands itch to run over his beard and pull him as close to her as possible.

"Can you put the food over there for a second?"

Kieran's brow furrowed, but he set it on his desk and came back. She drew him closer by his soft pyjama t-shirt until he lay beside her. She stroked his beard with her thumb and ran it gently over his lips, to his amusement.

"I love you too," she whispered. "Hearing it just... it overwhelmed me in the best way."

As they kissed, she tasted salty caramel and peppermint, which was a very odd combination. The smooth sensation of his tongue slipping into her mouth silenced her thoughts. She pulled him closer, despite the comforter blocking their connection. As if he could read her mind, he untangled her from the cocoon and slipped beneath it with her, pulling their bodies flush together. 

"Kieran, won't you be–" A gasp followed Jake's words along with a slight thud. "I thought we talked about closing doors. Noami, did you stay overnight?"

She pulled away and looked over Kieran's shoulder toward his brother. "Sorry, Jake. I distracted him. We're supposed to be eating Kieran's delicious breakfast."

"Breakfast in the bedroom?" Jake crossed his arms and glared at Kieran's back.

"It was an 'I love you' breakfast in bed. Very romantic." Naomi sneaked in a kiss since Kieran still refused to face his brother. "We won't make a habit of it."