baby steps | ✓

eighteen

    A firm arm had wrapped itself around Athena when she woke up, they were placed tightly around her stomach as her back was pressed in front of someone's torso as the person made sure that she stayed right there. There was a slight thump in her head and it was probably a slight migraine from the beer. She felt safe in the person's arms, a warm breath tickled the back of her neck as she felt their warmth in the cold morning. She wondered whose arms had wrapped around hers when the only person was Alejandro who slept in her bed, her eyes went wide at the new discovery.

    The 'pillow wall' was not a wall anymore, nor did it do their job as the person who slept next to her and seemingly jumped over it and was now encasing Athena in their arms. She blushed at the thought of Alejandro practically spooning her as he slept. She did like the feel of his touch and a blush rose on her cheeks as closed her eyes and enjoyed being so close to Alejandro. His touch had warmed her from the seething cold that threatened to make its way through the apartment, thank God that she remembered to put the heater on inside the room and made some difference through the cold. But, the bills would rise up, but she didn't want her baby to get sick.

    Alejandro had moved slightly in his sleep, his grip on Athena tightening as he mumbled incoherent words. His head had dipped into the crook of her neck and now his lips were resting on it, barely skimming her skin. She blushed some more before hearing something behind her, particularly in the direction where Drew lay, who was now wide awake and had suddenly started to cry. Hearing her son's cries, she tried to slowly untangle herself from Alejandro whose vice-like grip on her was threatening to tighten with every movement that she made. She huffed as her baby's cries grew louder.

    "Alejandro, wake up please," she said to Alejandro as she practically slapped his arm to wake him up. But, unluckily, it didn't work which made Athena's heart race, she wanted to put her child to rest as his cries were getting louder by the minute that it made Athena's already small migraine become much larger. 

      "Alejandro!" she hissed louder before slapping his arm violently again which thankfully, woke him up in a daze. His blue eyes coming to view as he spotted Athena and heard the cries of a child. He immediately thought it was his own as the dream he just had was about his own child and he gasped thinking he had skipped time and was now in his dream. But, one look at Athena made his return back to reality a slap in the face as Athena finally was out of his clutches and went to her crying baby who just wanted his mother's attention and calmed down slightly.

    He blinked twice before sitting up and staring at Athena and Drew. Seeing Athena in the morning light had made her look like a goddess as she caressed her child with love. It was as if he was seeing his dream, his wife holding their child in the morning light as she sung a song. Athena, who was too worried about her child had started to sing her song to him and his little cries had quietened down to a little whine. She stared down at her child and stopped singing it kiss him softly on his forehead and was slowly lulled back to sleep.

     "Morning Athena," Alejandro grinned, picturing the dream once more before lazily stretching out and then plopping his head back on the bed.

      "Good morning, Ale," she teased at his nickname as she remembered the events last night before the kiss.

     "Oh shut up you," he chuckled before looking at the destroyed pillow wall and grinned a little bit more.

     "Guess the pillow wall didn't work," he smirked deviously at Athena who blushed a deep scarlet before sticking her tongue out.

      "Yeah it didn't, guess who was trapped in a vice-like grip, me," she said angrily, which turned into a playful glare which Alejandro grinned at.

     "You liked it didn't you?" he teased even more which made Athena's heart beat frantically and another strong blush to taint her cheeks as her face grew hot from his comment.

     "Uh, Uhm, I-well-uh" she stuttered out, trying to come back with a response, but being put on the spot was never an option for her as she embarrassed herself in front of him.

      "It's alright, really, don't try, you might hurt yourself," he chuckled hoarsely as his voice was scratchy from screaming lyrics out last night.

     "Okay," she mumbled out childishly, before placing Drew back into his cot and then walking over to the side of the bed which was unoccupied and snuggled back into the warm covers.

     "Are we going to talk about last night?" she asked as her mind flashed images of their kiss which was shared near the firepit and her heartbeat had accelerated as her body heated up from the memory. Alejandro gave an awkward cough as his face turned beat red as he looked up at the ceiling, his mind racing with the same image of her lips being planted onto his.

   "Yeah, do-do you regret it?" he said nervously as he took a glance at Athena who stared at the ceiling too, her face beet red as her mind raced with thoughts. Now that her system had gotten rid of the alcohol, did she regret it? She liked it the feeling of his lips on hers, how he gave her warmth that was unimaginable, how he made her feel safe and protected and how he cared for her, unlike any man she was with before. She did not regret it one single bit.

      "No, I don't," she admitted sheepishly and took a deep breath in as she waited nervously for his response.

      "I don't either," he smiled, his heart bursting as he finally knew that she did not regret it and it made him feel like the happiest man alive.

      "So, what does that mean for us?" she replied back, her breath lodged in her throat at the question. Were they together? Are they dating? Friends with benefits? What were they exactly? They've only been friends for around two, almost three weeks. What does this mean for their friendship?

      "It means, well, you know what? This isn't the place to decide, I'm taking you out in an hour and we'll have breakfast. You can go to work at your normal hours, at night, and I'll take care of Drew while you're out it. If you can, we can drop Drew off at your friend's place as we go for breakfast. We'll only be a little bit, I'll see you soon." he rushed out, Athena barely hearing some words as he got up and grabbed his bag full of stuff to go out. Athena got up too as she watched him get ready to go out back to his house so he could pick her up later.

   "Wait, what?" she said breathlessly, as he was walking quickly to the door with his bag, drapped onto his back.

    "Call your friend, see if you can drop Drew off at her's in an hour, I'm taking us out for breakfast and we can discuss it there, alright? I'll see you later," and he was gone, down the hallway and leaving Athena in a heap of blushes and as a confused mess, but she liked it anyway.