Exposed (#wattys2016)

chapter twenty-five

"Let's stay outside," Caspian mumbled quietly against my lips as we stood on the walkway inside of my small, fenced in front yard. "I have some alcohol here." He mumbled again, pointing behind him to the porch step lined with various drinks.

"Were you waiting for me?" I smiled as our foreheads touched, my eyes peering up into his.
"Always waiting for you," Caspian said while trying to remain composed. I started laughing and pushed him away playfully, grabbing onto his hand as he guided me up the steps. I tried to read his knuckles but it was too dark.

We sat down on my porch steps, watching the lights turn on and off at the neighbor's house across the street for what seemed like a long time. "I wonder what they're doing," I mumbled quietly while I sat next to Caspian. He just shrugged and loudly belched from the beer, popping open another can.

"I feel drunk already," I complained as I rested my head against his shoulder, dropping my empty can onto the ground. "You're a fucking lightweight," He teased. There was some truth to that, though. I pulled my cigarettes out from my pocket and stuck one between my lips, bringing the lighter up. The smoke filled my lungs then dispersed back into the night air.
"I wonder how we got here," I said while looking up and down the street.

"You mean me and you or the whole damn planet?" Caspian took another long swig from his can, staring out into the street.

"I don't know," I drunkenly said, although I wasn't even that drunk yet. I passed my cigarette to him once his eyes shifted to my lips.

"We should go to a hotel just to get away from things," I suggested, not realizing money was needed for that.
"That sounds fun, hotels can be fancy around here but you just gotta pick the right one."
Caspian gave me my cigarette back and shrugged. "I got the money for that, don't worry. My treat."

I looked at him, wondering if he was just drunk or delusional... or both.
"You do?"

He nodded.
"Of course. I'll just have to save a bit more so give it a week or two."

I smiled and grabbed his arm, pulling it against my chest, "This could be our first real date."
He just smirked and looked the opposite direction.
"Don't think I've ever been to a hotel in my life," Caspian said with no excitement in his voice.
"It's nice," I shrugged and continued, "you don't have to do much."

Caspian yawned loudly after I spoke, leaning his head and body back against the steps. His eyes closed and he kept his hands on his bottle.
"Wait, you're sleeping there? That's uncomfortable." I studied his current position, fighting the urge to cradle his head with something softer than a porch step.
"Nah, I'll use your bed," He groggily spoke as his eyes opened reluctantly and he stood up, traveling up my steps and into the house.  I followed along sleepily. Levi was still in the living room with all the lights out except the TV.
"Hey, how's Gina doing?" I questioned him while he picked at the blanket over his body. His eyes glanced up towards where I was standing, "Okay. She's going to be bedridden for the next few months until she has the baby."

I groaned and leaned my lower back against the side of our couch. "So she gotta use this couch or something?" I could hear the whine in my voice, and I was a bit disgusted.

"I don't know yet. Go to sleep, I can tell your drunk," Levi pulled the blanket closer to his cheeks. "And be quiet if you're gonna do any shit or butt stuff, everyone is asleep."

I laughed quietly and mockingly saluted him as I stomped with absolutely no noise up the stairs and into my room. I shut the door and noticed the bed that Lilly usually sleeps in was unoccupied.
Caspian was sprawled out on my bed with all of his clothes on, one arm covering his eyes. I sat down on the edge of my bed and studied his lips. Red, but not too red. Perfect red. Thick but not too thick or too thin. Perfect. His jawline and chin had a small angular property to it around the edges, somehow adding more depth to his face.

"What are you doing?" Caspian jerked his arm away and sat up, his eyes squinted while looking at me.
"Nothing," I murmured, "Just getting ready to sleep."

I lazily crawled into bed with him, clothes and all. I let my arm drape over his chest and my leg over his. He pulled the covers over me once I was settled, which caused me to smile a little bit more than before.
Perfect, I thought silently to myself.