Shaforostop It (2015)

Chapter Nineteen - Of Course

I dropped my bags and ran into his arms. He picked me up and spun me around as I wrapped my legs around his waist. Denis held me so tightly I could hardly breathe, but I welcomed it. "Fuck, Leda." He muttered, and smiled widely. "I missed you." I pulled back to look at him and he kissed me softly. I was absolutely beaming.

"I missed you too."

"Well hell, Leda." Ben laughed bluntly. "Didn't you miss me?" I giggled as Denis put me down and I hugged Ben tightly. Ben was a good hugger.

"Hi."

"Glad you're back, kid." He said genuinely. Denis picked up my bags just as Roger walked out. He always got stopped at security.

"Put them down." He commanded to Denis.

"No," Denis said flatly.

"Back off, Roger." I said, and stepped between the,.

"I'll take a taxi to your house." He said to me, and walked off through the airport.

"Who the fuck was that?" Ben laughed loudly.

"Roger." Denis and I said at the same time. "My manager."

"More like person attack dog and leader of the kill-Denis club." He muttered. I sighed. I wished they would have gotten along - it would have made my life a lot easier.

"Just pretend he doesn't exist." Looked up at Denis and he forced a smile.

"I never realized how short you are." Ben said curiously.

"I'm small, it happens." I sighed. I got that a lot.

"Denis Stoff?" Some girl with black flippy hair and Pete Wentz eyeliner ran over.

"Hi." Denis smiled.

"Ohmygod. Hi. It's you. It'sreallyyouholyshit. Ben? Ohmygod." She was speaking so fast you could hardly understand her. "I'm your guy's biggest fan." Um, no. I'm Denis trash No. 1 thanks.

"What's your name?" Ben asked.

"Leda Black."

"Woah, her name is Leda too!" Ben laughed. I smiled and waved awkwardly. I stepped aside while they hugged and talked and took a few pictures. I couldn't help but feel a little jealous.

"I have to go. Anyways, It was super cool to meet you guys."

"Bye." Denis grabbed my hand and pulled me with him. "Come on, big surprise." We left the airport and got in Ben's car. When we turned the opposite way that to either of our house, I looked at Denis beside me, confused.

"We're going to your 'big surprise'." Ben mocked Denis, accent included.

"I don't talk like that." Denis rolled his eyes and chuckled.

"Yes you do." Ben and I said, exactly in sync. Denis and I were both in the back seat, with Ben driving. I just watched out the window to where we were going, Denis tracing small circles on my palm happily. Texas felt much more chill than California. People were fatter, food was greasier, state is better. Everyone else's obesity made me feel a little better about myself. We turned into a subdivision of houses almost the size of mine, and I was even more confused.

"Close your eyes." Denis shouted. I laughed and saw Ben smile softly, before I shut my eyes. The car stopped and I heard the doors open. Denis took my hand and helped me out of the car.

"I swear to god if you walk me into something." Denis giggled as he lead me forward.

"I will not." We stopped and Denis squeezed my hand tightly, bursting with excitement. "Behold!"

"Casa Del Stoff!" Ben cheered. I opened my eyes to see a gorgeous house in front of me. Tall, bluish gray on the outside, with a bright red front door.

"What?" I looked to Denis, whom was smiling his ass off."

"I moved!" ***In two weeks? Holy shit. Why? How? What the fuck?***

"What?" I repeated.

"I'll leave you two alone. See you later. We said an extremely brief goodbye to Ben before he drove off.

"Come on." Denis pulled me inside, the front door unlocked. Right through the front door was a staircase leading to a basement. Denis pulled me to the right, into a very formal living room. He must have spent so much on new furniture. Everything was dark, and red or black, and I was so in love. There was a black velvet couch facing thick black curtains covering a large bay window. The table between the two was the same from Denis's house, seemingly, but painted black. there was a tall bookshelf on either side of the window, full of books and small knick-knacks - the kind of thing you would find at The Strange And Unusual. On the wall above the couch two Ibanez guitars hung securely.

"Holy shit, Denis." I breathed. I wandered into the next room, the kitchen, and it basically had the same theme. With every room I wandered into, Denis following me excitedly, I fell in love more and more with the house. Denis took my hand.

"There's more." We walked from the top level of the house down the stairs by the front door, to the basement. He gestured for me to go first and I descended curiously. An entirely empty room with impossibly high ceilings - given the amount of stairs it wasn't surprise. One wall was all mirrors, and all the others were white. The floors were springy.

"Don't," I stopped myself out of sheer excitement. "Denis this isn't-" I looked up at him.

"It is." He smirked.

"Holy shit." I mumbled.

"For you. Try something." I took off my leather jacket and Denis took it.

"I don't even-" I paced. I felt like electricity was flowing through my veins. I did a free hand cartwheel, and almost screamed with excitement.

"Woah," Denis gaped. "that was amazing. Come," he set my jacket on the steps and brought me into a room under the stairs. Smaller than the massive gym room, this one was full of exercise equipment. Weights, wraps, machines, yoga balls, you name it.

"What is this all for?" I turned to Denis and he draped his arms around my shoulders, looking down at me.

"You."

"But why?" I laughed. I don't even want to think about how much all this costed to have installed. Why would he do all this for me?

"Because I love you." He kissed me softly. "Will you move in with me?" Wha- move in? Oh my god. Holy shit. Mother shit fuck. I felt sick with excitement.

"Yes." I grinned. Denis wrapped his arms around my waist and picked me up, spinning me like a movie cliché. I felt so happy I could have cried. Things seemed to be on a constant ascent for me. Set routine, good friends, a great boyfriend, and moving in with my great boyfriend.

"This is gonna be amazing. I love you so much." Hearing those words from Denis made everything so much better. It always did.

"I know. I love you even more."

"Not even possible."