Beyond the Ordinary

Chapter 43

KATE

Axel opened the door for me and the smell of cheap perfume and pizza filled the air.

"You hungry?" Axel asked me.

I nodded. "Yeah, a little. Are you?" I asked him.

"Yeah, that pizza smell just reminded me," Axel said with a light chuckle.

He easily snaked his arm around my shoulders and I put mine around his waist confidently, pulling him closer to my side.

"There's a pizza spot over there," Axel stated calmly and I could feel his ribs expand with every breath he took.

We walked over to the pizza spot and Axel took out his wallet to pay the worker. "What kind of pizza do you want?" Axel asked me.

"Cheese, please," I responded to him, reluctantly removing my arm from around his waist so that he could carry the box that the worker had handed to him.

Axel chose a table beside a large water display and we sat down.

"So, I think it's your turn in our game, babe," Axel stated, the nickname rolling off his tongue easily.

I smiled, swallowing a bite of pizza. "Okay," I said, wiping my mouth with a napkin. "So, you said you'd wanted to be a history teacher-"

Axel cut me off. "I did?" He laughed.

"Yeah, is that true?" I asked him.

He shook his head. "No, I made that up."

I rolled my eyes, feeling slightly annoyed. "Why'd you lie?"

Axel sighed, setting down his crust and reaching for another slice. "What I actually want to be is kind of embarrassing," he said, taking a bite of his second slice.

"Okay, what do you actually want to be?" I asked him.

Axel shook his head, chewing slowly.

I waited for him to finish chewing before he asked, "Promise you won't laugh?"

I nodded. "No, of course not."

Axel nodded. "Okay... I want to teach creative writing to kids that have had a rough life."

I smiled. "That's actually super cool! There's nothing embarrassing about that."

Axel's eyes lit up. "Really? You don't think so?"

I shook my head. "No, in fact, I think it puts my wanting to be a math teacher to shame."

Axel smiled. "Well, what if you become a math teacher for kids with rough lives? That'd be super cool!"

I nodded. "Yeah, maybe, but I don't know if I'd have the patience for that."

Something flashed across Axel's face, something like hurt, but it was gone before I could even ask what it was.

"Yeah, maybe not," he stated harshly, his voice sounding rough and upset.

"Hey, I'm not saying you don't, I'm just saying that I probably couldn't," I admitted, reaching for his hand.

Axel shook his head, moved his arm away, and continued staring at his pizza. "I know," he said, but he sounded like he didn't believe me.

I finished my last slice of pizza and Axel got up to toss the empty box along with our paper plates. "I'm sorry if I offended you," I declared, taking his hand.

Axel forced a smile. "It's fine," he said, brushing it off,  "I have an idea where we can go next."

He removed his hand from mine and slid his arm around my shoulders once again and I snaked mine around his waist, hugging him to my side. He bent his head down, kissing my forehead lightly, making that giddy feeling form into the pit of my stomach.

Axel took me over to what looked like a two-story Barnes and Noble. I smiled and let him take me inside.

"I didn't know you liked books," I said to him as he took me up the escalator to the second floor.

"Well, now you know," Axel said, taking me to the kids' section.

I smiled as he sat down onto a large purple couch, and using our joined hands to his advantage, he pulled me down with him and put his arm around my shoulders. I settled my head down comfortably against his shoulder and let out a content sigh.

"I think it's my turn," Axel declared, resting his head against mine.

"Yeah, I think so too," I said, putting my arm around his stomach.

I felt the muscles of his stomach tense beneath my touch then slowly relax.

"Okay, when did you start to like me?" Axel asked me, his chest vibrating beneath me as he spoke.

I sighed. "When we first started texting," I admitted, remembering the day well.

Axel smiled. "Cool. Your turn."

I nodded. "Okay, when did you start to like me?"

Axel smiled distantly, knowing his answer almost immediately. "The day I trained you."

"Wow. That soon?"

"Yeah, crazy right?"

I nodded. "Yeah, your turn, baby."

Axel looked down, meeting my eyes. "Baby? I like the sound of that," he stated, pecking my forehead.

I smiled. "So, what's your question?"

Axel sat up straighter and I did as well, placing my head back onto his shoulder.

"Did you notice we're alone?" Axel asked me, his eyes light with mischief.

"What are you getting at, Axel?" I asked him, biting my lip.

Axel looked at my lips, licking his own. "What would you do if I kissed you?"

My heart beats quickly inside my chest. "Um, I don't know..." I admitted, biting my lip harder.

"I really want to kiss you," Axel declared, lowering his head so his nose brushed against mine.

I looked into his dark eyes and my lips parted in anticipation. He pressed his face gently against mine, his lips only millimeters away. I could tell that he was nervous, hell, I was a nervous wreck, too. I'd never been kissed before and I was almost certain that I was going to be terrible at it.

Axel licked his lips, his tongue grazing mine as well, making me gasp. Axel smiled and met my lips with his. His lips were soft and warm against mine. He wrapped one of his arms around my waist and pulled me onto his lap, kissing me slightly harder. I struggled to keep up and opened my mouth against his to take a deep breath. Axel smiled against my lips and continued to kiss me, his tongue trailing my lower lip. I slipped one of my hands into his hair, feeling the soft strands between my fingers.

He pulled away and his lips were swollen and his eyes were so dark that they almost appeared black. "Have you ever done that before?" Axel asked me.

I shook my head. "Nope, you're the first," I admitted shyly.

Axel smiled. "You're mine, too."

I gazed up at him, shocked. "Really? But girls must throw themselves at you all the time."

Axel laughed, his chest shaking beneath me. "Oh, I didn't say they didn't, I just haven't kissed any of them."

I smiled and pecked his lips confidently. "Well, then I'm glad I was your first."

Axel smiled back at me. "Me too, babe."