"I'd never do it sober." I assured him, "My niceties towards you are reserved solely for when I'm out of my bloody mind. So feel free to bask in its glory while you still can, Kennedy."
"It's fine." He simply acknowledged, starting to unbutton it. I couldn't help but stare in awe.
"You say that a lot, you know?" I concluded, and he gave me a puzzled look in the mirror,
"say what?" he asks, completely oblivious.
"That 'it's fine." I tell him, "Why?"
"Because it has to be, Armani," he explained briefly, his voice trailing off.
He begun to take off his shirt, and I took notice of the way the material slipped off his shoulders first, and the muscles on his back flexed in unison. The artist in me took notice of every dimple, every freckle, every curve and dip of his perfect body. I jumped to my feet and looked in the mirror, at him, at us, and I couldn't help but yearn to trail my fingers lightly onto his back. It was almost as if he could see the thought bubble forming in my mind and shot me a knowing glance.
"Armani, you need to rest." He insisted, but I could tell from the undeniable rawness in his tone that a part of him didn't want me to.
"I'm tired anyways." I laughed and raced back into my room and plopped myself onto my bed. I closed my eyes as colours danced behind them in the dark.
"You can't sleep in that. Where are your night clothes?" River asked. I couldn't tell whether he was doing this because he wanted to do it or because he felt obligated to.
"I can't, or you just don't want me to?" I taunted, and he rolled his perfect blue eyes.
"You quite literally cannot because it's inhumane to go to bed in day clothes." he proclaimed, "and despite all evidence leaning towards so, I don't take you for a heathen."
"Whatever," I teased with a giggle, "You can just leave. You don't like me anyway, Mr grumpy pants."
River closed his eyes and took a deep breath. I was testing his patience, and was it so wrong that I loved it?
He simply ignored my response and swung my wardrobe right open, and started rifling through the top drawer—but that wasn't just my pyjama drawer. It was also my underwear drawer.
"River, if you wanted to see my panties, you could've just asked." I chuckled. He only turned around and lifted a daring eyebrow that made my cheeks flush. "Whatever, J-Just close the drawer, you perv!" And he did just tossing a pair of pink pyjama shorts and a simple grey top on my bed.
"Put those on. I have to go." He Instructed,
"Wherever are your manners?" I gasped like the lead of a soap opera, "Putting a lady to bed without at least buying her dinner first?"
"I don't put ladies to bed very often. You just happen to be the exception to the rule." He deadpanned. "Now put those on—"
"Of course, I will. Just tell me what your favourite cheese is?" I giggled. I had no idea what I was talking about. All I knew was that I wanted him to stay.
"My favourite cheese?" He asked, looking at me like I'd lost my mind,
"Don't you like cheese?" I pouted, and he turned around so I could change.
"No, I don't, now change." He seethed, still very shirtless, still very beautiful.
I slipped on my pyjamas reluctantly as my head began to spin again. Maybe I really did need to get some rest. Once I was done changing, I slid into my warm sheets, lay my head on my pillow, and then proceeded to dim the lamp on my nightstand.
"Thank you." Was all I could manage to choke out, my eyelids beginning to feel heavy.
"What for this time?" River gibed with a sly smile I could see even in the dim lighting. He pulled up the chair from my desk and slid himself onto it, right in front of my bay window. Moonlight seeped through the blinds and highlighted River's angel-like features, his strong angular jaw, and his narrow eyes were slits of ice in the moonlight's seduction.
"Everything." I replied with a yawn, "Isn't this the part where you leave and act like this never happened?"
"That wasnevermy intention." River chimed like he knew something I didn't. "Va te coucher."
Sleep, he persisted and I did just that.
When I awoke in the early hours of the morning with a killer headache, Keomi was getting ready for class. I turned my gaze to my nightstand, where there was a glass of water and a note that read;
