"Have a good night, you two!" Chris heads back into the barracks, Leaving Leon and I alone at the bottom of the stairs. Leon leans on the railing, looking me over, all of my bags now hanging from his arms.
"You wanna... go get dinner?" He looks shy, his embarrassment completely irrational. We've spent every meal together for the last three weeks, and I'm not completely sure how dinner tonight is any different than all the meals we ate seated across from each other at the card table in our hotel room.
"Sure. Probably should've picked something up while we were in town." I look off to the side, his nervous energy making me jittery, his eyes pulling up to meet mine with a nervous smile.
"Well, I meant, uh, just us." He shifts the bags, seeming uncomfortable, laughing under his breath.
"Tired of Chris, Leon?" I laugh lightly. "We could order something in?" I shoo him up the stairs, and he nods before ascending, steps thudding on the metal, bags crinkling and swaying around as I follow him up, sneaking ahead to pull the door open, a quiet thanks passing his lips before we head to my room, my bags set gently on top of my dresser.
"What do you want? I'll call." He takes the few steps to my bedside table, flipping through the provided book of local phone numbers.
"I don't care, your pick. I don't know how we're gonna pay, though, I don't have any cash." I start taking clothes out of bags, tearing tags off with my teeth, tossing them into an empty bag at my feet. I peek over at Leon, resting on my nightstand facing me, pulling cash out of his wallet.
"I've got enough, burgers sound good, what do you think?" He shoves the bills back in, setting the brown leather to the side, grabbing and continuing to flip through pages, looking for something suitable. I turn my eyes back to my task, folding my new pants, putting them away into one of my empty drawers as I speak.
"Sure, that's fine. Just get me whatever you get." He hums in agreement, turning away from me to pick up the landline, pressing it between his ear and shoulder, his jacket pulling tight over the muscles of his back. He taps on the buttons, leaning forward on his hand as he waits for someone to pick up.
"Hello, uh, I'm doing good, how're you?" He doesn't seem to like talking on the phone, his foot tapping nervously, his voice a bit higher pitched than usual. "Good, good. Yeah, I just need two number threes. Okay, uh, hey, what drink?" He twists around to look at me, fumbling with the cord.
"Tea?" I never usually get drinks at fast food places, not a very big fan of soda. He nods, leaning back on the table, pulling annoyedly on the cord.
"Okay, tea with both. Yeah, we're on base. Okay, thanks." He places the phone back down, tucking the cord back over the side of the table. "Twenty minutes." I nod, neatly placing my stacks of shirts and jackets into their new home, picking up bags and shoving them inside my trash, at the foot of my bed.
"Sweet, here." I pat the jackets he let me borrow over the last couple days, folded neatly, ready for him to take back. "You can have these back now." I smile, pulling the green sweatshirt I picked out earlier over my head, sighing at the soft warmth inside before pulling my hair out of the neckline, fluffing it lightly, worried it's messy from sleeping while it was wet earlier.
"Keep them, they're yours." He takes a seat on my bed, leaning back on his hands, his own jacket laid on my nightstand, folded neatly. His words send a nice sensation through me, pleased at his offer, excited at the implication. He looks up at me, dim light shadowing his face, and I move to switch on my bedside lamp, not really a fan of the bright, white overhead light of my room.
"You need them, it's only gonna get colder, Leon." I take a seat beside him, facing toward him, one leg pulled up, the other left on the floor.
"I've got plenty, you look better in them than me, anyways." He smiles, yellow light illuminating his light blush, cheeks dusted pink, hand fidgeting with the comforter between us, picking at the fabric.
YOU ARE READING
Another first day
Romance"You weren't in your room." Her voice is hoarse, low with leftover tears. "Needed a shower. Sorry, princess." I run my thumb along the back of her hand, soft, delicate under my rough skin. She sighs, her body heaving against me, the sound tired. " '...
