Vanilla Cocoa

Chapter 12

I stared up at my ceiling fan as it spun as fast as it could muster. I'd had to get used to dealing with heat since I started living on my own, but nights like this almost made me regret cutting all ties with my parents. Having a little extra cash to throw at a functional AC unit would be really nice now that it was day three of triple digit temperatures. As things were, the apartment hadn't been under 80 all week. At least Stormy was able to enjoy Aster and Lillie's perfectly air-conditioned apartment until the heat wave passed.

I sighed and pulled out my phone. There was no way I was going to get any sleep tonight at this rate.

Almost as if he could sense my desperate need for a distraction, Nasos sent me a text. "You up?"

I grinned. "It's hot as fuck, what do you think?"

"Wanna come over?"

There was a thought. "Do you have AC?"

"Do you not have AC?"

"I'm poor."

"Okay, I'm coming to get you. Put some clothes on."

"Excuse me, how did you know I was butt ass naked?"

"Lucky guess."

I snorted but rolled my sweaty body out of bed to make myself presentable for this excursion. I opted for my loosest jeans and a plain t-shirt. It was way too hot to try to squeeze myself into any of my more form fitting wardrobe.

Just as I was double checking that I only looked a little like a drowned rat, I heard a knock and went to answer the door.

"That was fast," I said, taking a moment to look Nasos up and down. He was just wearing a t-shirt and basketball shorts, but something about it really accentuated how toned his body was.

"Um, do you need to grab Stormy?"

I blushed, realizing that I'd been staring. "Oh, uh, no, she's with my sister. She and Lillie – her wife – can actually afford a decent apartment, so I usually leave pets with them anytime it's not safe for them here."

"And why don't you stay with them too?"

I looked away. "It's pretty late. If we're walking to your place, we should really get moving."

Nasos laughed. "Who the hell said anything about walking? I have a taxi waiting for us. We should probably hurry up though."

I quickly stepped out of my sweltering apartment into the equally miserable night air and locked the door behind me. We walked down the stairs together, and Nasos opened my door for me like the gentleman he was. We both kept quiet during the ride, enjoying the AC inside the taxi, until we reached an apartment complex that looked much nicer than mine. There was even a gate to get in and a dog park.

"You're doing pretty well for yourself, huh?" I commented once the taxi drove away.

Nasos shrugged. "My dads pay me pretty well whenever I help them at their restaurant, and I've been doing a lot of merch sales since 'Love Between the Stacks' took off."

"Maybe I'm in the wrong industry."

Nasos snorted. "It's not like I was this comfortable when I was just starting out."

"Okay, fair enough."

Nasos led me to his first-floor apartment and let me in. Immediately I was greeted by Nasos' three energetic dogs all trying to sniff me.

"Hi babies!" I cooed, doing my best to pet all three dogs equally. "You're so friendly!"

"The black one is Marshmallow, the tan one is Gram, and the white one is Chocolate."

I raised an eyebrow at Nasos. "The black one is Marshmallow, and the white one is Chocolate?"

"I got Chocolate first, and she already had the name when I adopted her. I got Marshmallow and Gram at the same time, so it seemed like a fun theme."

I laughed, continuing to love all over the very excited dogs. "You're such cuties!"

"Okay, quit spoiling them. They'll start to expect it from everyone who visits!"

I sighed dramatically but stood up straight. "Sorry puppies, your dad is a killjoy."

Gram sat patiently waiting for more pets the longest, but eventually all three dogs went back to their beds and settled in for the night.

"You can use my shower if you want," Nasos said once all was calm again. "I have some old clothes that might fit you."

"Excuse me, are you trying to say I stink?" I teased.

"I'm trying to say that if you want to sleep in the actual bed, you better shower first."

***

Wearing Nasos' clothes, it was clear how much broader he was than me. The collar of the shirt he gave me exposed more of my chest than I'd usually show off, and the shorts only stayed up after I pulled the strings as tight as I could and tied them to keep them from slipping. I wondered absently if Nasos was into the boyfriend shirt thing.

I walked out of the bathroom and leaned on the doorframe to the bedroom, taking in the view of a shirtless Nasos sitting up in bed and scrolling through his phone. He noticed me and blushed.

"Um, I can try to see if I have anything smaller..." he started but trailed off as I strutted over to the bed and climbed on top of him to straddle him, lacing my fingers behind his head.

"I can always just sleep nude if you like. Or does it turn you on more seeing me wearing your clothes?"

He swallowed and looked away. "Please don't take this the wrong way, but are you trying to start something because you actually want to have sex right now, or do you feel like you have to?"

I paused, fully taken aback by that question. "You're literally the first guy to ask me that..."

After a moment of hesitation, he met my gaze. Up close I could just see the flames flickering in his eyes. "I know we haven't really put a label on this, but I don't want to take advantage of you. I don't expect sex every time we share a bed."

This was all entirely foreign territory for me now. I knew how to be sexy and drive guys crazy. That was familiar. This lack of expectations felt almost scary. "You're not going to get bored of me?" I looked away, ashamed that that thought had escaped.

He took my face in his warm, gentle hands and pulled my head down for a tender kiss on my forehead. "Never."

"Okay."

I got off him and settled under the covers, watching him as he got up to pull the chain for the lights, plunging his room into darkness. I could still just make out his shape, though it got easier to see the details as my night vision kicked in. He laid down beside me, careful not to invade my space, but I could tell from his face that he wanted to touch me. I moved closer to him, placing a tentative hand on his chest. He took the unspoken invitation and wrapped his arms loosely around me, still giving me the option to pull away if I wanted. I snuggled closer to him, glad that his night vision wasn't as good as mine. I don't know what I'd do if he could see the face I was making just then.

"Good night, Seth," he breathed in my ear.

I could feel the heat rising in my face. "Good night."

I closed my eyes. This close I could clearly hear his heartbeat, steady and reassuring. Were all phoenixes this warm, or was it just Nasos? Sleep crept in, pulling me down into the warm and dark. Is this love?