Effervescent

Chapter 17

Athena

At the first step I take into Romeo's apartment, it becomes achingly clear that he hasn't lived here for a long time. There are no endearing trinkets or pictures adorning the furniture, not even a plant. Instead, the apartment is minimalistic, with a few well put-together furniture pieces in shades of grey. The floors are white stone and the walls are also white except for the one made up entirely of glass overlooking the complex' little garden three floors below.

Everything is amazingly clean.

I take a few steps inside, take a slow turn as I take everything in, then look at the homeowner. He looks a little shy from where I'm standing, as if having me inspect his home is somehow unnerving. Deciding to put him out of his misery, I grab his hand and pull him closer with a teasing, "Are you a neat freak, Romeo?"

He relaxes under my touch, his broad shoulders bunching less as he dips his head to brush his nose against mine, still holding my gaze. "Well, my mom taught me early on that there's no use leaving stuff lying around because there is no cleaning fairy ready to pick up after me. I made it a habit to put everything in the right place as soon as possible."

As he talks about his mom, I can't help but notice the slight edge in his voice. I don't understand why. There's nothing wrong about what he's saying. His words actually make his mom sound like a reasonable parent. Still, I make a mental note to thread carefully around the topic of his mom. If anyone knows how much of a sore spot family can be, it's me. And there's not even anything really wrong with mine.

"It's impressive. I wish I had mastered that skill, but no luck so far. As much as I like to have my room tidy, it just feels like life gets in the way at times and I forget or postpone cleaning everything up," I admit. He's been to my room, after all. I'm not a horrible slob, but there will always be something out of place with me.

He chuckles and dips his head a bit more for a quick kiss. "That's valid, Goddess. Tidiness is overrated anyway."

Instead of agreeing with him, I tilt my head for another peck. Then, I ask, "What about that movie. I was promised a comfortable couch."

"Ah, that's where you're wrong. I forgot to correct you earlier but there's actually no couch-Tv-combo here. I can offer you the couch and my laptop or my bed and the Tv. It seemed like the most practical option when I moved in to place my Tv in my room. Makes for way less stiffness in the morning when I fall asleep watching a movie." He gives my nose one last gentle nudge before pulling away, although he keeps his hands on me at all times. One arm snakes around my back, keeping me close while the other takes my hand as he leads me through the small living room and into the bedroom.

Again, the interior is minimalistic. One grey wall at the head of the king sized bed, two nightstands, one long drawer with a Tv on top. I raise a brow at him. "What's your fetish with the grey?"

He huffs. "It's not a fetish. The apartment came fully furnished and I don't hate it enough to change it. It's giving some serious Bat-cave vibes. Why, do you not like it?"

Is that a sliver of genuine concern I catch? Could it be that my opinion matters to Romeo? It makes me feel incredibly rude for not saying anything nice about his place so far. "I mean, a small pop of colour wouldn't hurt here or there, but you're right about the cave vibes. It's very manly." I shove my shoulder against his, not entirely serious but glad when he laughs. "Seriously, it's a really nice place. And that bed looks to die for."

"Better than the cinema chairs?" he offers, his voice light.

"Definitely." I beam at him and turn in his arms so we're face to face. One of my hands comes up between us, and I place it on his muscular chest. Goddamn, I don't think I'll ever get enough of his body. He's like a living, breathing greek statue. And he's so warm... I just want him to hold me close and keep me there for a while until I've mapped every inch of his skin and branded into my mind for all of eternity.

"Baby, don't look at me like this. And don't touch me like that, either. I promised you a movie," Romeo interrupts my train of thought, sounding pained. Warmth settles in my stomach, knowing I have this effect on him. That he wants me. That he calls me baby.

Oh God, are my legs still holding me up or is it all him with those steely arms wrapped around my middle? My knees feel like jelly.

"You didn't promise anything other than to keep me warm, and you're doing a great job at that right now. So don't step away again, okay?" my second hand joins my first on his collar bone, stroking the exposed skin lightly above the V-neck.

He groans softly. "How is it, that I am such a weak, weak man for you? Mh, Goddess? You could ask me to howl at the moon and I would ask how loud. This has never happened to me before, and I'm not saying that to sound cheesy or pick you up. I just need you to know that I'm not always such an insatiable horndog, okay?" He tries to laugh it off, but the only sound that comes out is a throaty huff.

His words curl around me like a warm blanket, even if he didn't mean them as reassurance. I love hearing that I'm not the only one out of depth here.

"Forget howling at the moon, then. What if I ask you to kiss me instead? For real this time. Without holding back and pulling away from me too soon?" My voice is nothing about a scarce whisper, nerves making it hard to say the words while the needy look in his eyes eggs me on.

"Goddamn, Athena." With that, his soft lips are back on mine, not slow and teasing but absolutely ravishing me.

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ahhh, it's been way too long since a guy showed me any sort of passion and I swear it shows. I'm torn between writing the most toe-curling smut and torturing myself in the process or ending it at this point to read.

Have a grand day<3