The Flyer & The Frat Star

Thanksgiving

Josephine

I am so looking forward to this break. Mostly everyone is heading to their hometowns for the Thanksgiving holiday, leaving me with a 5-day cheerleading and school free week, and of course it doesn't hurt that Hero and I are planning on spending the American holiday together. I'm just heading home from my Tuesday night class expecting an empty dorm room considering Khad mentioned her brother coming to pick her up to go home tonight, so when I open my room to the scene in front of me, I am more than pleasantly surprised.

My beautiful hunk of a boyfriend is sitting underneath the cutest blanket fort set up in the middle of the room with the laptop set up with Netflix and an extra-large Hawaiian pizza and a bottle of my favorite white wine. Hero looks up as he hears me enter the room with the brightest smile on his gorgeous face, that irresistible dimple shining underneath the fairy lights strung across the sheets. "Welcome home, baby," he grins a mega-watt smile, showing his perfectly straight teeth. When he smiles that big he looks so carefree and young, I live to see that smile. I realize I'm just standing there staring at him with a dopey smile on my face once he mistakes my silence for apprehension. "Sorry if this is corny, I had Khadijha let me in and help set it all up with the lights and stuff. She said it would be, and I quote, 'hella romantic,'" he begins his rant, and I know him well enough now to stop him before he spirals out of control with word vomit. I chuckle at his impression of Khad and drop my backpack to the floor before climbing under the fort and capturing his lips with mine, feeling both of our wide smiles in the kiss, completely smitten with each other.

"Did you already eat a slice?" I ask cheekily, tasting the sweetness of the pineapple on his tongue.

"Maybe," he laughs, flashing that perfect smile once more. I feel so giddy and in love, waiting for the other shoe to drop as it feels too good to be true. "So, I know Americans usually eat turkey or some shit for Thanksgiving but I figured pizza was a pretty even equivalent, right?" he smirks as he opens up the box (minus one piece) and the delicious smell wafts to my nostrils.

"Best Thanksgiving meal I've ever had," I joke as I immediately grab the biggest, cheesiest slice and shove it into my mouth in the most unladylike manner possible, that just goes to show how comfortable I am around Hero considering I would've obsessed over the calories in each and every slice before and count how many times I chewed each piece just months ago.

"More like only Thanksgiving meal you've ever had," he chuckles, pulling out another slice for himself.

"Not true! Shane invited me to his family's Thanksgiving celebration last year in his hometown, therefore, I am quite well versed in the American tradition," I attempt my best American accent, which fails miserably if Hero's cackles are any indication.

"Did he invite you this year?"

"Yeah," I swallow the giant bite of pizza stuffed in my mouth before continuing. "But I wanted to stay here, you know, with you," I blush, dabbing the grease from my mouth with a napkin to avoid eye contact.

"Well, I'm very thankful you chose to stay here with me, baby," he nuzzles into my neck, knowing it's my secret ticklish spot as I burst into laughter. I wish I could bottle how I feel right now in this moment. Young. Happy. Carefree. Head over heels in love.

After eating another slice myself and another 3 slices for Hero, we've comfortably settled into position to binge the latest Netflix series after I changed into my comfy cotton PJ shorts with one of Hero's large sweatshirts that still smells of him. I snuggle my back into his front, savoring in finally being the little spoon for once as we start the first episode of Outer Banks, Hero's large hand tracing light circles on the bare skin of my hip underneath the heavy sweatshirt material.