He's A Keeper

7

"Soo, we're a thing?" James asked.

"A thing." I laughed, looking at our entertwined hands.

"James, are you not man enough to properly ask me to be your girlfriend?" I laughed.

"Hey- I never said-" He started but I cut him off.

"Sshh- too late now." I giggled and pressed my finger over his lips.

He licked my finger and I gasped before wiping my finger on his shirt.

"Ew Brynn gross," He takes his hand out of mine.

"What?" I asked.

"Your palms are sweaty and gross," He said.

"You're sweaty and gross." I said and we both burst into a fit of laughter.

"So, to be exact, you are my girlfriend, right?" He asked, entertwining our hands again.

"Yep, if thats okay with you." I said.

"Of course it is." He said, raising our hands up and planting a few kisses on my hand.

Just then, I mustered up the courage to do something I'd never done before.

I took a breath and then got up and planted myself right on James' lap, facing him.

"Well this is new." He laughs.

"Do you know how nervous I am right now?" I laughed and then gulped.

"Why? Do I look intimidating? I'm literally a teddy bear." He laughed.

I pinched both of his cheeks and the nerves I had began to wash away.

He laid his hand on my thighs and stared up at me.

"What?" I asked when I noticed he was still looking at me a few moments later.

"You're really pretty.. and your lips look really soft." He said and I giggled.

He leaned in again and kissed my lips before planting a few quick kisses on my cheek and one on my nose.

I kept smiling and he said "What?"

"And you said my lips are soft."

"Thats because they are." He laughed and so did I.

"Dinner is ready!" Daniel called from below the treehouse.

"Kiss me one more time before we go?" I asked.

"You'll just have to see." He smirked.

"Jamesss, at least let me give you a kiss on the cheek." I whined as we walked toward the back door.

"You're adorable," He laughed and crouched down a little since he was taller than me.

I kissed his cheek a few times and then we resumed walking back to the kitchen.

I grabbed two plates, handed James one, then got two slices of pizza and a breadstick.

James sat me beside me at the table and we started eating.

"You two look comfy," Joey commented when he noticed I had my legs over James in the chair.

I giggled and continued eating when I noticed James had entertwined our hands and set them on the table.

"We're a thing," He said a few minutes later.

"Ugh good because I shipped it." Joey says.

"James I just wanna let you know we'll be having a talk after dinner." Daniel said, eyeing the both of us.

"Include me in that talk." Aunt Emma said as she took a sip of water.

Oh lord.

"Hey can I drive you to school tommorrow?" James asked me.

"Yeah sure," I replied before getting up and rinsing my plate off.

"James meet me in the treehouse when you guys are done talking." I said.

I finally made it back up to the treehouse and laid down on the couch and closed my eyes.

I was really tired.

Just as I nearly fell asleep, the door to the treehouse opened and someone sat beside me.

"Are you tired princess?" I heard James ask.

"Mhm," I yawned and laid my head down in his lap. I smiled at how he called me princess.

"Hey um, can I ask you something?"

"Yeah sure," I said.

"Um, are you like, comfortable with me kissing you and stuff, like on your neck I guess?" He asked.

I gulped.

"Yeah it's fine." I nodded and then closed my eyes.

"I won't go any farther down than your neck though okay? I just wanna let you know." He said.

"Okay." I said.

After a while of just cuddling, I asked him a question.

"What did they talk to you about in there?"

"Oh," He said, "They just told me that they really liked me and that you've been through a lot in the past year, and that you're well- fragile I guess."

"Oh." I said.

"What's wrong?" He asked when he noticed my frown.

"I didn't know I was sensitive, or fragile."

"They might think you are because of what happened to your parents." He says.

"I don't know, I'm not worried about it. I just wanna stay here with you. Forever." I giggled.

"You're so cute." He smiled at me.

I raised up and sat in his lap again, which was quite comfy.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and then rested my head on his shoulder.

"Babe," James whispered, "You smell really good."

I laughed.

He kissed my cheek a few times and then kissed down to my neck.

"You're sweet." I laughed, then leaned in and kissed him once.

"Oh look I get a kiss back." He laughed.

"Shut up!" I exclaimed and smiled.