Haphephobia

Chapter 19

My eyes tried to open as sunlight streamed through the closed lids. They were practically glued shut by crusty sleep. I had to physically use my hand in order to pry them open. When I did so, I let out a contented smile. I felt exceedingly well rested, the sunshine had come out at last, the weather was pleasant, my arm was warm-

Wait, what?

I turned my head around to my other wide, noting the sleeping form of Ava. She breathed deeply as she rested against my chest, my arm somehow still slung around her. I took a moment then to allow my eyes to widen further, slowly and carefully removing my arm from her waist and preparing to stand up. Nobody had to know anything happened, certainly not Ava-

"Benedict, if you speak a word about this to anybody, so help me, I will kill you with my bare hands." Ava murmured. I jumped a little where I stood- I supposed she'd woken up just in time. That was my luck for you: I though I could've gotten away with it. Of course not.

"You don't have to tell me twice," I stated, clearing my throat and mussing with my hair as I tended to do when I was nervous. 

"So anyways, Ava, how much extra money do we have?" I asked, focusing my thoughts on breakfast so Ava couldn't tell what I was up to.

"Uh, I think Jensen gave us five hundred bucks for anything we need outside of the mission." She replied, still groaning. Her eyes had only just opened, and she sat upright on the bed, stretching her back cautiously. She figured I was up to something, no doubt.

"Well then, since we don't start scouting until nine o'clock tonight, and it's currently eleven a.m., I'm going to take you out for lunch. We'll blow off this lame hotel breakfast and eat something classy." I suggested, barely able to contain myself. I'd never done something so... well, spendy for a girl. Not that it was my money I was spending.

"You mean, like a date." She said monotonously, staring at me straight in the eyes. I panicked momentarily, not having outweighed the possible consequences of my forwardness.

"Uh, unless you don't want to, err.... sorry..." I stuttered, but in a moment's notice, Ava had sprung up from the bed and came up to hug me. She seemed genuinely excited. In fact, I could feel her happiness literally lapping against my head in waves, like the ocean shoreline to the sand. How strange. 

"I'd love to, are you kidding me? But you know, I've never really been on a date before. I wouldn't knw the first thing about what I'm supposed to do. And judging from your memories with Claire, I'd say you and I are nearly on the same page." She claimed, her arms still circling my waist. I stretched my own out to wrap around her shoulders, me being considerably taller than her. Her head lay against my chest, bouncing slightly when I chuckled.

"You'd be correct, as always. But there's a first time for everything, isn't there? We'll pretemd I'd never known Claire. Sounds good to me. Then we can be awkward together, in the fun sort of way." I said. Honestly, Ava felt right, sitting here in my arms, like she fit. Like I fit, even: not too often had I felt that way with anyone else before.

***

Ava and I walked hand in hand down the street together. I'd styled my hair in an upwards sort of way, and she'd simply combed hers. It had that messy sort of kinky-curly style when she didn't bother straightening it; a feature I'd never seen on her before. I'd chosen to wear a pair of tan skinny Dickies and a thick maroon turtleneck, while she wore a green-and-black checked flannel and dark blue skinny jeans. We both wore converse, which padded down the street in a four-step sound as we came up to our destination.

"Transmitter, close prorgram, please." I spoke into my free hand. The three-dimensional hologram flickered off, and I held my hand loosely at my side, the little coffee shop now in clear view.