ODDS & ENDS

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I close the door behind us and make sure to lock it while he removes his shoes. While I kick off mine, he's peeling off his outer layers. He seems as nervous as I am since usually if you invite someone into your place after a date it typically means you want to spend more time with them more intimately. If I'm being honest, I just wanted the chance to be alone with him to really just talk and get to know him better.

We hang up all our winter layers and head inside to my place. I'm still quite chilled so I make sure to turn on the floor heating. I ask Google to turn on the living room lamp and it ends up turning on the round lamp that sits on the floor. Giving the room a nice ambience, but not the lamp I thought it would turn on.

He's been over here before to hang out, but not like this. This feels different, like if something happens here tonight there's no going back to how we were before. He walks over to the floor lamp and crouches down to get a closer look. I walk into the kitchen and watch him from over the bar counter whilst looking for mugs. 

"Is this supposed to look like a moon?" He asks pointing at my large round floor lamp.

"Oh yeah, when I saw that I could have my own personal moon I knew I had to get it." He knows I love the moon after us chatting about the stars and planets one day. He knows a lot more about constellations and their names than I do though, but it was interesting to hear his vast knowledge on it. I really loved how passionate he was talking about it. His eyes lit up like the stars he spoke of.

I made my way to the kitchen cupboard to conjure up some warm drinks. He walks over from the lamp to watch me from the bar counter. I didn't ask him if he wanted a drink, but I know we're both cold so it won't go to waste. I decide to make some hot chocolate because I know he likes it, and I'm craving something sweet. He pulls out a bar stool and sits down to watch me. I prep his drink first and hand him a mug with stars and a moon on it that I picked up from a local business that handmakes ceramics. He's surprised when I slide the mug across to him, but he takes it carefully looking over the mug at all the lil details before taking a sip. I start to make mine and notice him watching me from his spot.

"Why me?" He asks catching me off guard.

"Why you what?" I continue what I'm doing.

"Is it really okay that I'm here?"

"Do you have somewhere to be?"

"No."

"Then I don't see the issue." He pauses thinking about my words and maybe his next ones.

"No, but like," He looks like he's collecting his thoughts. "Everyone likes you. I really thought someone like me— you wouldn't be interested in someone like me."

"If I wasn't interested in you, you wouldn't be standing in my apartment right now." I take a sip of my drink and look up at him over the rim of my mug.

Something in his expression changes. He gets up and walks around to the  inside of the kitchen before placing his mug in the sink. I turn around holding my mug to face him and lean against the counter to now watch him. He walks over to me putting his arms against the counter, my body between them. I'd be lying if I said my heart doesn't feel like it's about to jump out of my chest. To play it off I just take another sip.

"So you are interested."

"Did I stutter?"

"You didn't."

I take another sip and he holds his hand out to me, as it he wants me to offer mine. I change my grip so that I'm holding the mug with my right hand as I offer him my left hand. He takes it and leans it forward to him before making contact and kissing the top of my hand. If my heart wasn't doing cartwheels before it definitely is now. I think what hits harder is that he looks up to me while his lips are still in contact with my skin. When his lips finally break contact with my hand I can feel my pulse in my ear. Using his other hand he grips the top of my mug looking at me to release my grip. I do so and he moves to place it next to the sink without our other hands breaking apart. He steps back to me once again encircling himself around my body with no escape.