Damaged

Twenty Three

By the time the two of us are done eating I find it harder and harder to stop staring at Peri, the thought of taking him home not sitting well with me, an offer of, "Do you maybe want to stay and watch a movie or something?" rolling off of my lips with no hesitation as he walks with me while I bring the dishes we had used to the sink, his offer to carry his own plate firmly rejected in a way that had made his cheeks light up, the use of the nickname Princess one that he still hasn't objected to... One I hope he never objects to because damn if he isn't one with his pretty curls and the gorgeous way he gets bashful every time he meets my eyes.  

"I-I would love too! But- It's getting a little late, isn't it? I don't want to keep you up if you have work tomorrow, Papi..." It's obvious in how slowly he lets the words fall out of his mouth, his eyes glued to one of the tiles on the kitchen floor instead of me that Peri might not actually want to leave... Just as much as I don't want him to... The two of us mesh so well together that the thought of dropping him off and coming back home to an empty house just doesn't sit right with me... And I think maybe my Princess feels the same... I can't stand the way he seems to fold in on himself in defeat, the hand not responsible for clutching the cane responsible for keeping him steady coming up so he can wrap his arm around his waist as his shoulders droop. 

...

Pereskia 

...

"Hey... If I had an issue with you staying I wouldn't have offered... Okay?" Arnold is sweet when he steps forward to wrap me up in a hug that makes me feel so warm inside I think he might have melted my brain just a little bit... 

He must have for me to be smiling into his shirt while he runs one of his palms over my messy curls, the way he lets me lean into him bringing back memories of what his body looks like underneath the well-tailored clothes as I feel his muscles flex around me as he holds me close so I have no other choice but to stutter my words into the marble that masquerades as his flesh, "W-What movie d-do you have in mind?"

I know that he had mentioned an or something... But from what I've gathered today Arnold isn't the kind of man who would try and rush me into anything physical, even if his appetite for cuddling seems insatiable... He hasn't made a single move to try and turn those cuddles into anything else, even when we were naked earlier at the spa with me in his lap even while we soaked in the mud... His or something is probably a bubble bath or cuddling and talking... and I'm not sure I would mind either of those scenarios... 

I didn't expect a full fairytale from the mysterious stranger who has made me feel so very safe every single morning in our silent exchanges... I had imagined it plenty of times... That he would waltz right up to my booth and offer to sweep me into the sunset with an unrivaled flare... But I had never imagined he would actually do it... And now that I've had my fairy tale day I don't want it to ever end... I don't want to go back to my apartment just yet because I don't want the magic to end... If I close my eyes and fall asleep Arnold may very well be gone when I wake up, and today will be the only memory I'll ever have of feeling special like this... Of feeling wanted just like any other regular guy romantically, and not just some showpiece or pity project... And I don't want this feeling to end... I want to spend more time with my boyfriend... And if he says it's alright that I keep him up tonight then I plan on taking him up on the invitation to stay. 

...

Arnold

...

 It's a good thing that Peri can't see my face at the moment because the smile I have on my face is so big that it actually kind of hurts, and the only solution to the problem is to make sure that my Princess is smiling just as hard, the careful way I pick him up accentuated with a bounce and a spin once I've made sure that I've got a good hold on him, the way he fits so perfectly in my arms seeming to speak volumes as I coax a round of laughter from him that makes my heart pound before I'm able to let both of us tumble down onto the couch... My sweet Princess wiggling his way into my lap without a second thought, the way he's seeking out the comfort of sitting on me when he had been so shy about it this morning making me gather him up for a light squeeze before I snag the remote from the back of the couch and aim it at the television to turn it on, giving it a few minutes to warm up before hitting the button that will bring up Netflix. 

I don't bother trying to weigh in on what we watch, the remote being passed to my Angel so he can pick out one of the many movies that the streaming giant offers because I know that I'll be too busy watching Peri himself... There isn't a single actor or actress that could pop up on that screen that could compare to my Pereskia... And I'm going to spend every single day that he allows me to stay by his side making sure that he knows I think he's the most beautiful person I've ever met, both inside and out... I know it's a bit soon for me to only have eyes for him... But as we settle down, his hands rearranging my own instead of letting me turn on the lamp next to us so we aren't watching our movie in the dark so I'll hold him tighter after he gets my nod of approval like the Angel he is to put on an Indiana Jones movie that I have a feeling neither one of us is actually going to watch... His lips pressing a firm kiss to the base of my neck as he curls into me,  the look on his face when I realize he's staring up at me instead of the screen one that invites me to dip my head down and capture the lips that have had my attention all damn day...