Sunflowers and Ink

Part 1: Chapter 7

They sat together in the Church's garden for a while, then at Josselin's suggestion, decided to go back to his apartment. At Meara's suggestion, they decided to stop for cupcakes at the bakery on the way.

They got chocolate peanut butter and vanilla caramel and Meara got a couple of brownies to take home for Stacey and Adam. When they got up the stairs, Familiar was waiting for them at the door. She rubbed up against Josselin's leg and he handed the cupcakes to Meara so he could pick her up and prop her on his shoulder. He nuzzled her just below her ear, and Meara smiled and closed the door behind them.

They settled on the couch and Familiar got a little too curious and put her nose in Josselin's peanut butter frosting when he wasn't looking. But he laughed and scooped another bit off with his finger for her, and she licked it off bit by bit, purring. Josselin looked back at Meara while Familiar feasted.

"Thanks for coming out with me today," he said. "I had a lot of fun."

"Me, too," Meara grinned. "Um, if it's not too forward, I'd like to invite you to dinner sometime soon to meet my roommates? Maybe next Monday? I know you usually work late the rest of the time."

Familiar's sandpaper tongue scraped the rest of the frosting off Josselin's finger and he wiped his hand on his pants. He smiled. "I'd like that."

Meara smiled back and took a bite of his cupcake. He sniffled at the tickle on his nose, and turned back toward Josselin when he laughed.

"What?"

"You have frosting on your nose," he said. He wiped the tip of Meara's nose with his thumb. He looked around for something to wipe it on, but all he had was another cupcake, so he stuck it in his mouth. Meara laughed. Josselin still had some on the corner of his mouth.

"You missed," he said. And without thinking, he leaned closer and kissed it away. Josselin's eyes were wide and his eyebrows up high when he pulled away. Meara moved back, hesitantly.

"Was that okay?" he asked. He managed to keep his voice from shaking.

"Yeah." Josselin smiled. "It just surprised me."

He kissed Meara back.

Within minutes, Meara was lying on the couch with Josselin on top of him, half-eaten cupcakes left on the coffee table in their wrappers, forgotten. Meara curled his hands in Josselin's long black hair as Josselin balanced one elbow on the couch, the other hand gentle on Meara's side. Meara kissed from Josselin's mouth to his ear, down to the sunflower on his neck. Josselin's breath hitched and he pressed closer. He hummed softly, happily, and Meara kissed the brightly colored tattoo again.

Josselin's thin fingers were warm through the fabric of his shirt, his sharp elbow tight in Meara's side so he wouldn't slip off the narrow couch, but the pressure was pleasant, comfortable. Meara nipped at his neck and his fingers curled, gripping tightly to his shirt. It bunched up and the heel of Josselin's hand brushed Meara's stomach. The muscles jumped and his breath caught.

"You okay?" Josselin's whisper brushed against Meara's ear, hot and damp, like his tongue.

"Yeah," Meara whispered. "I haven't dated since high school. I just have to get used to it again."

"Do you want to stop?"

Meara shivered. Josselin's breath still whispered hot against his ear, and it had always been one of his weakest points. But this was only their second date and everything was going so fast and --

Josselin crawled off of Meara and sat up near his feet. Meara followed suit, leaning his head against Josselin's shoulder.

"I'm sorry," he murmured. "I just --"