One more time?

My fingers trailed along the middle of her back, feeling along where her spine was. She was sleeping, her arm wrapped around my waist and her warm cheek just below my collarbone. I could feel her breath on my skin while I ran my fingers along her back.

I couldn’t believe it was real. I was lying here, naked with a sheet draped over us, and I had just made love for the first time in my life. It was different from everything else I had ever done. It was…closer than anything I had done. One of the most terrifying things of course, being that close to someone, but still one of the most wonderful things.

She shifted, turning her head before drifting back to sleep. I just smiled and tucked strands of hair behind her ear and allowed my thumb to run down her cheek softly. She was beautiful. She had this freckle on her right shoulder blade; my fingers seemed to find it automatically.

I closed my eyes and felt myself start to slip away into sleep.

Love.

What a crazy idea.

What a brilliant idea.

Love.

I was in love with Sara.

My entire world was turned upside down now.

And I couldn’t be happier.

“Dev?” Sara mumbled, pulling me from my sleep.

“Hmm?” I asked, cracking my eyes open. She was still draped over me, but those green eyes were open and looking up at me.

“Did you mean it?” She looked scared. I knew that feeling.

I smiled a little, rubbed her back, and kissed her forehead. “Yes.” I whispered. “Oh God, yes. That’s the only way I can describe what I’m feeling. When I’m with you…I feel different. I didn’t know this is what it would be like. It’s…strange.”

“Good strange?”

“Very good. Scary, but good.”

“I’m glad.” She rested her head back on me and closed her eyes. “We need to go to school.”

“I guess.” I mumbled. “I left my clothes back at my place.”

She held herself up over me and lowered her lips to mine, kissing me softly. “So, you love me?”

I chuckled raised myself to my elbows and kissed her. “I love you.” I kissed her again. “I love you.” And this time, I deepened the kiss slightly and thread my fingers through her hair, pulling her into me. I moved back just enough to whisper, “I love you.” Our lips brushed together when I spoke.

I could feel her lips turn up into a smile. “Say it again?”

“I thought you said you didn’t need to hear it?” I said, rolling over so I was on top of her.

“I don’t need to, but I want to. I like hearing it.” She blushed and looked away from me.

I turned her face back to mine and whispered, “I love you.” Pulling her leg up to hook at my hip. “I love you.” I whispered again, moving my lips to her ear. “I love you.” I said as I kissed her neck. “I love you.” I could feel the smooth sheets move between us. “I love you.” I kissed along her collarbone. “Want to hear it again?” I asked, a smirk toying at my lips.

She smiled slightly. “One more time?”

“We’re going to be late to school.” I said chuckling, pushing the sheet off the bed while I said, “I love you.” Not for the last time in the next few hours.

Once again, damp with sweat, I lay there with this crazy, insane, beautiful, amazing girl.

“We’re definitely late for school.” She said, chuckling quietly.

“We can try again tomorrow.” I said, hugging her to my body.

“That’s a great attitude to have.” Sara rolled her eyes at me.

“Stay here with me today. Let’s go out, have lunch, take a walk or something. Stay with me. I’m not ready to go back to school yet.” I pleaded.

“You’re going to fail that class.”

“Tutor me.” I said with a grin.

“Ha. Ha. Ha.” She smiled anyways though.

I took her hand and slid my fingers between hers. “Can you imagine I went all my life without these fingers? It’s weird. They’re such a big deal to me now, I can’t imagine not having them. It’s terrifying. You scare me, Sara. I can’t think about not having you in my life now. It used to be that I could never even imagine someone like you in it. You’ve really screwed me up, haven’t you?” I asked, casting her a smile to let her know I was joking. “I’m in love with you. You’ve got me all turned upside down now.”

“Do you regret it? Falling in love with me?” She squeezed my hand, as if to make sure it stayed in hers.

“No, not one bit. Everything’s different, and sometimes I feel like I don’t know what to do. These things I thought I knew all about, sex, kissing, emotions, everything…it’s different. It’s intimate, and I’ve never had that before. I’ve never been so…close to someone. Not even Carrie, who I was convinced I loved. I didn’t. Not like this. This is…I don’t know how to describe it.” I was focused on how our hands looked. Which fingers where mine, and which were hers?

“I understand.” She smiled and watched out hands intently.

“I need to go to work tonight.” I muttered.

“First day back since the accident, huh?”

“Yeah.”

“Will you come back here afterwards?” She asked quietly, like she was almost nervous about it or embarrassed.

“If you don’t want me to I don’t have to.” I said quietly.

“I want you to stay here tonight. I can pick Cooper up from your place while you’re at work.”

“I won’t be back until late tonight.”

“I don’t mind.”

I smiled and brought her hand to my lips and kissed it softly. “I love you.”

She chuckled. “I think you like saying that as much as I like hearing it. I love you too, just so you know.”

“I do like saying it. I like hearing it too.”

“I love you.” She said, her eyes started to drift closed.

“Tired?”

“It’s not my fault I was up all night and then was prevented from going to school because you wanted to stay in bed.”

“You act like you didn’t enjoy it.” I gave her a knowing smile and she just blushed and looked away.

“I didn’t say that.”

“Good, because I enjoyed it.”

She rolled her eyes, “I know you did.”

I laughed and started to untangle myself from Sara. “What do you want for lunch?”

“We missed breakfast?” She asked, letting me go and stretching out and tucking the pillow under her head.

I smirked, thinking about our endeavors this morning. “No, we had breakfast, we just didn’t make it.”

She laughed and threw a pillow at me. “Get out of here. I’ve got some macaroni and cheese in there if you want.”

“College life.” I said, tugging on a pair of lounge pants and a tank top before tossing the pillow back on the bed and walking to the kitchen to make lunch.

I’d like to say that I walked into that kitchen, chef coat on, and glowered at my sous chef, line cooks, and swing cooks and said, “Well? Let’s get to work!” and then the kitchen chaos began, under my rule.

Instead, I walked in, put on my apron, and started bussing tables.

That’s right. I was a busboy. Busgirl. Buslady. Fuck it, bussexy.

Now, a restaurant job will kick your ass 7 ways to Sunday. My job in this popular Thai restaurant as the only busser is to clear plates from tables, clean tables after people leave, put silverware in napkins, drying silverware, drying cups, refilling glasses, refilling pitchers of our special drinks from the walk in freezer, delivering food occasionally, seating people occasionally, filling the ice container, filling cups of water to be used later in the night, making to go bags, filling the to go sauce cups, restocking to go boxes and bowls, putting food in boxes for people who want to take home leftover food, taking out trash, recycling, and bags of napkins that need to be cleaned, and then mopping at the end of the night.

And it’s not just one thing at a time, it’s at least three.

I’ve seen people with the flu working. The only reason I haven’t been at work is because I was in a wheelchair and then recovering from being broken. People who stay home from sickness get made fun of. Sickness is not an excuse.

You don’t sit down at all, you don’t eat, and you’re lucky if you get a drink in the six hours you’re there, luckier if you get to finish it.

And you never complain, at least not to those in the business. You’ll get into the ‘My job is worse’ argument, and then get called a pussy for not just dealing with it.

“Hey baby!” The Thai woman, who I believe was the owner’s wife and was like a swing cook in the idea that she did whatever someone needed her to do, whether it was cooking or seating people, called from the kitchen when I was putting dishes in the sink. She had affectionate names for her employees, including baby, which sounded a lot like ‘bebe’ with her accent. “You feel better?” Her grin was overly wide whenever she saw me, and I loved that she got excited about everything.

I laughed and said, “Much better.”

“You work fast tonight?”

“Yes ma’am.” I said, moving to start drying silverware.

“Good! Good! Don’t forget to fill to go cups.” She said before walking away.

About six hours later I was wringing out the mop for the last time that night when I heard, “Goodnight baby! Drive safe, yes?”

“Yes ma’am.” I smiled at her as I empty the mop bucket.

“Good! Food on the counter for you, don’t forget!” She said, walking out.

I put the mop and bucket away and came back to see a bag with a clear box of noodles and a box of spring rolls on top, still open to keep them from getting soggy. I smiled widely and picked up my bag of food and my motorcycle helmet before turning off the lights and locking the door before heading home. Well, to Sara’s place, which felt like home.

Cooper was lying on the couch, snoring loudly at Sara’s feet. She must have fallen asleep while watching TV because it was still on when I came in. I shut it off and put the food in the fridge before going back to the couch.

I pushed hair away from her face and kissed her forehead. “Baby, come on, let’s get you to bed.”

She groaned and cracked an eye open at me. “I fell asleep.”

“I saw. I’m glad you got some sleep.” I smiled and helped her up.

“I wanted to wait for you.”

“I would have felt bad.” I led her to the bed and helped her out of her clothes, she seemed too tired to do it herself.

I was getting her some clothes to sleep in when she asked, “How was your night?”

“Pretty good.”

“They gave you food, didn’t they?” She asked as she pulled on her new pants and shirt.

I felt my face flush and I looked away, grabbing my own lounge pants to wear for the night. “Maybe.”

“You don’t even like Thai food.” She said, chuckling to herself as she crawled into bed.

I slid between the sheets after her and wrapped my arm around her waist. “You can eat it for me.”

“We have to go to school tomorrow, you know.” She said.

“You sure.”

“Mhm.”

“Fine, fine.” I smiled a little more. “Goodnight Sara. I love you.”

I could practically hear the smile in her voice when she said, “I love you too.”

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What did you think?

By the way...Cravings is currently number 278 on the 'What's Hot' list under Romance. You guys. That's page 19. You guys. This is insane. I mean, I'm not a bad writer, but hot damn, I've read a lot better than I've written. Not that I'm complaining!!!!

Haha, hope you guys liked it. I'll be honest, Dev's little 'I love you' session was my favorite part.

Also, I work at a Thai resteruant as a busser, and that's literally what I do every night. I thought 'Eh, write what you know' and that's what I know.

Once again, hope you enjoyed it all. Let me know what you guys think, maybe I'll post a picture of some nice baked goods next time if you do?