Short Stories to Pass the Time

Stargazing

"You ready?" He said as I plopped onto the passenger seat and closed the car door, shielding us from the brisk winter winds blowing.
"Heck yeah, I'm ready!" I clicked the seatbelt into place. " I've been waiting all day for this!"
His lips quirked into a smile. "Oh? Were you that excited to see me?"
"Pssh, don't kid yourself. I was talking about the glorious hot chocolate that I made."
His mouth gaped open in mock hurt. "Wow, some kind-hearted person you are! I've been replaced by a beverage of all things!"
    "Hmm. I suppose you're a close fourth on my list of priorities."
    "Fourth?"
    "Of course! You're right after food, Costco, and Earl Grey Tea."
    "But food and Costco are literally the same thing!" He cried as he shifted gears to roll off of the driveway.
    "Nuh uh, they're not. Besides, you're not in any place to doubt my judgement. I might just lower your ranking for insubordination."
    "What are you?! A tyrant?!"
I turned towards him. "Precisely that, my little noodle."
    "I cannot believe that this is happening to me of all people!"

*****

    We arrived in a grassy clearing shielded from the wind by a copse of trees just as the sun had begun to dip below the horizon. As I exited the car, I couldn't help but be transfixed by the sky. It was washed in beautiful shades of golden light that dimmed to subtle oranges and purples as it neared the deep indigo of twilight. No photograph or picture could ever do this sunset justice.
    "Sheesh, I wish you looked at me like that," he quipped, startling me out of my thoughts.
    "Give me a good reason to and I will!" I shot back, making my way to the trunk as he popped it open. He gathered the bundle of blankets in his arms as I made for the thermos and cups. Trusting that he could handle closing a trunk, I set out to find the perfect spot for stargazing.
    After a few bouts of haggling over the best spot in the field for stargazing, we settled on a fairly level patch of grass that didn't look too overgrown. He quickly laid down the largest quilt onto the grass, meticulously smoothing out any major bumps, lumps, and wrinkles with his brows furrowed in concentration. With a flourish of the extra blankets, he suddenly threw himself onto the quilt and rearranged the fluffy nest to look somewhat less chaotic. Satisfied, he wordlessly patted the space beside him, gazing up at me like an excited puppy.
    "You're so cute," I said, settling into the niche beside him with hot cocoa in hand.
    "What do you mean?!" He whined, lip curling into a pout. "I'm the most scary person in a fifty mile radius of this place!"
    "Yeah, right. You're as scary as a little puppy," I said
    He let out a noise of indignation.
    "Oh don't be like that. You may be a cute puppy, but you're my cute puppy. Hot cocoa?"
    "Fine, it better be as good as you say it is."
    "Oh please, you almost insult me with your doubt."
    Pouring both of us a cup filled to the brim with steaming cocoa, I handed him one and gripped the other in between both hands. The heat from the cocoa seeped through the cup and into my chilled fingers, thawing them from the chill in the air. Tendrils of steam rose from the surface of the cocoa and I could smell the rich chocolate and spice of cinnamon. Blowing at the surface, I sipped at the liquid, and smooth, rich chocolate coated my tongue. Closing my eyes in bliss, I sent a silent thanks to whoever discovered chocolate centuries ago. Damn, this was good cocoa.
    We both lapsed into a comfortable silence, admiring the setting sun and gradually sipping away at our cocoa before the cold could steal away the comforts of a hot drink. No one liked lukewarm cocoa, especially on a brisk winter day. The wind whistled through the treeline as the sun finally set and the stars emerged from their daytime slumber. However, the coming of night also brought a chill as the heat of the sun dissipated into thin air. I nestled myself deeper into his side, intent on stealing as much warmth as possible. Suddenly, he repositioned himself to sit behind me and brought both arms around my waist in a comforting embrace, and his chin came to rest on my shoulder. I was, effectively, enclosed in a very nice cocoon of blanket and loveable noodle.
    "Better now?"
    "Yes, much better," I said.
    "Am I still fourth on that list of priorities?"
    "Hmm, I may reconsider bumping you up. The jury is still out on that decision, though."
    "Oh? And how may I increase those chances?" He said, breath tickling the shell of my ear. "Perhaps something more drastic is needed, hmm?"
    "Depends what kind of drastic you're talking about, mister."
    His arms tightened their hold around my waist. "Depends what it takes to elevate my status on your priorities list, love."
    "Oh, I see the game you're playing. Well, I do have one thing that may elevate your status."
    "Yes?" His voice became a low murmur in my ear.
    "Unfortunately, that's for me to know and you to find out."
He let out a low growl in frustration. "Why must you tease me like this?" He said, voice still soft.
"It'd be no fun if I just told you the answer, duh," I said with a smirk.
"I may be a puppy, but I still have fangs, love," he said, nose burrowing into the junction where my neck and shoulder met. Thankfully, it was shielded by a layer of jacket. "Would you rather I try to find out right now?"
Heat rose onto my cheeks at the open ended question. This was not part of the plan,
"Are you trying to threaten me right now?" I managed to sputter out.
"Is it working?"
"Of course not!" I said with as much bravado as I could muster. Lesson one of dealing with him: don't give him any openings. He will use them against you later on. I had to tread carefully if I wanted to maintain my leverage. However, the presence at my neck was not helping in the least.
"Oh, really? This means I might have to up the ante, right?" he continued, breath fanning along my neck. A shiver crept along my spine, and I was pretty sure it wasn't because of the cold. He knew my leverage was crumbling, clever puppy. I had to act now if I wanted to maintain any semblance of my brave facade.
"Not if I," I said suddenly twisting around in his grasp, "up the ante first!" I pushed my arms against his chest in retaliation, knocking him over in the process, and he landed on the quilt cushioned by the extra blankets. I had, as fortune would have it, ended up straddling him with my arms planted next to his head. Well, this was certainly not going to play out the way I had planned. By now, the only light that shone throughout the field was that of a low hanging Moon. Despite the near-darkness, the soft look on his features was as clear as ever.
"What are you going to do now, my love?" he said, laced with amusement and with a teasing smile. "Now that you've got me, quite literally, trapped between your arms."
I was filled with an abrupt urge to wipe that stupid smirk off his face. "I'm gonna give you what you deserve, obviously."
I leaned closer to his face until I could see the flush on his own skin. Glad to know I wasn't the only one who was riled up. The heat in my cheeks was almost unbearable now, fueled by equal parts embarrassment and proximity to him. Closer. His lashes fluttered. I transitioned to resting on my elbows as the distance closed. Closer. Now, I was wracked by indecision. What to do now was beyond me. The tension in the air was palpable and the chill of the night air had been long forgotten. In the split second of my hesitation, he caught me by the waist and pulled me onto him. Our bodies were flush against one another, and he kept his arms around my waist. I couldn't escape even if I had wanted to. My head had somehow ended up face-first onto a very, very, warm chest. Damn him and his soft hoodies.
"Looks like I win this one, love," he crooned, voice vibrating through his chest.
"Shut up," I said, response muffled through his hoodie.
"Does this mean I get to move up your priority list now?"
I lifted my head off of his chest. "Only if I get to steal a kiss first."
"Deal any day of the week, my lovely."