when the sun came up

the end.

If either of us says 'good' one more time, she thought absently, eyeing the dent in his full lower lip, I'm going to scream.

"But just so you know," Ethan added in a conversational tone, starting to yank his t-shirt over his head with one hand in a way that Emma found mildly distracting, "I've been in love with you for like the last six months."

Gray had said as much, but... well. It didn't quite compare to the reality of Ethan saying the words himself. She felt her cheeks fill with colour.

"Oh," she said stupidly, staring at him, unable to tell whether she was more affected by the words or by his sudden shirtless state. Both were powerful, in their own ways.

"You know," Ethan said, and now there was a grin growing on his face that Emma found hard to look at, beautifully brilliant as it was. "In case you were wondering."

She was fighting her own smile as she responded. "Well, I appreciate the update," she said, copying his casual manner as she pulled off her own top.

Ethan's gaze darkened even as his grin became fully-fledged, and he swiftly moved forward to close the gap between them and finally shut her up for good.

---

When Emma woke up the next morning, Ethan was lying down once again facing her, rather inexplicably holding her hand.

"Good morning," he said, the timbre of his voice so low and intimate that it almost made her shy. His eyes caught hers and held, corners crinkled up with warmth, causing her heart to come alive in her chest.

She raised a playful eyebrow. "I hope this whole 'creepily staring at me when I wake up drooling' thing isn't going to become a habit," she teased, squeezing his hand. "It's enough to make a girl self-conscious."

Ethan's smile widened, becoming slightly more like a smirk. "Ah, so you do remember," he said, and she knew he was referring to the first time she'd woken up in his arms.

"Mm, hard to forget," she murmured, casting her eyes down as a thought occurred to her. There was something she wanted to talk to Ethan about but she wondered... perhaps was it too early to bring up in conversation? They'd only just told each other how they felt the night before, after all. Everything was still so new, uncharted territory so to speak.

But surely, that was all the more reason to keep being honest with each other?

"Ethan," Emma began, a little hesitant.

"Hmm?" he responded idly, his hand tracing up the line of her arm.

"We're housemates. But we're also... together. Right?"

There was a half second of nervousness and terror and breathless anticipation as she waited for his answer.

"Right," Ethan agreed, with not a hint of hesitation. Her thundering pulse settled somewhat.

"I was just thinking that if we're... serious about this, you might end up having to get a new housemate at some point." She locked eyes with him, willing him to understand. "Maybe, maybe not. But it's just something to keep in mind, I guess. Would you be okay with that?"

Again she waited, heart in her throat, gaze fixed on his.

His answering smile, when it came, was like the sun on her face.

"I'm counting on it, princess."

i know it's really short but i just felt like i couldn't add anything else and i reeeally wanna start a new book so lemme know if youd like that :) 

EDIT: check out my other book if u are bored <3