Winter Rains{ManxMan}

TWENTY

Jackson

He groaned and his back collided with the couch, I turned to look at him. His hair was a mess, there were books all over and the laptop was open to some word document.

"This is why people hate school." He mumbled and sighed. "But it shall not defeat me." He glared at the screen then and went back to typing his first assignment.

His determination was adorable, I smiled and reached over to touch his hair.

"You are not allowed to distract me." He whined and smacked my hand away.

I laughed holding my poor hand. "Ow." I sat up looking at him.

"Last time you touched me, I lost a day, boy and I cannot-" He looked up and glared. "Cannot let myself five into your devious ways." He turned back to the laptop.

"Me?" I blanched touching my chest. "If I remember correctly, you whines about being done with life and then crawled over and began kissing my neck. If anyone is devious. Is you." I moved off the couch and sat on the floor, Tomin found his wat to my lap, looking up at me I smiled at my only true friend. "Even Tomin agrees."

"Don't bring him into this." I shook my head.

"He's my witness."

"Do not do that to him." He pointed at me. "He's traumatized enough because of us." He mumbled. "I'm sorry, Tomin. Come here so I can give you real love." I raised a brow at him and he stuck his tongue out at me.

Tomin meowed and rubbed his head into my chest, getting comfortable enough to sleep and I laughed looking back at Kevin I watched him glare at the poor cat. Kevin shook his head and grabbed his textbook.

"I don't have time for a petty cat." I blanched.

"Forget him Tomin, he's just grumpy he isn't as loved as I." I cooed and a pillow collided with my back.

I walked into the bakery, having opted for a change. I greeted the staff and checked everything in the kitchen and the dining area of the bakery, it was small but mostly for those who just wanted to enjoy a sweet baked good before going home or wherever.

I reviewed some of the complaints with the staff and opened a discussion on how to improve them and went to the office. I did a bit of paper work until mid-afternoon then I found myself in the kitchen making a cake. It was red velvet, with cream cheese icing. I packed it up and went home.

I knew Kevin would arrive later than myself so I played with Tomin until he was too tired to even lift his paw which was always so adorable because then he wanted to be carried around everywhere so he knew where I was at all times until he fell asleep.

I started cooking dinner around 5 so that everything would be ready for Kevin. Winter was looking to be almost over and soon we'd welcome spring. As I cooked I smiled thinking back at how before I'd have never been able to picture myself this happy, this content. With a boyfriend, living with said boyfriend and even preparing to have dinner with him on his birthday which he hated.

There was something I was keeping from him I realise as I finished, something I hoped to turn into a gift but also not feeling sure how he would take it. As I finished setting the table I went to my bedroom where I had the photo.

We'd been together for a good month and a half now and we kept our respective rooms our own. I realise that because of our situation, dating can become suffocating due to such close proximity. We make it work through communication mostly and it's what I hope we'll be able to maintain until the very end.

I looked down at the woman with short blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She had a small mole at the corner of her left eyebrow. She wore a soft light pink suit with a skirt, and a black silk scarce tied around her neck, she had luggage beside her as she smiled at the camera and she had two others dressed the same around her.

The sound of keys hitting the counter drew me from my thoughts. I went to the closet and reaches out for the light blue gift back and dropped the photo at the bottom.

I went out to greet my adorable boyfriend.

He stood by the table I'd set up in the living room with our dinner and the cake. He was frowning.

"Before you get mad." I began rushing over to him and placing the bag on the floor. "You can't get mad."

"You did this?" Soft words came from him, his eyes glassy as he looked away from the setting and met my smiling gaze. I cupped his face and kissed his forehead.

"Happy birthday." The first tear slid down his face before he crashed his forehead into my chest, I wrapped my arms over his shoulder then and pulled him close.

"Thank you."

We sat down and ate. There was laughter and joy as we talked out our life together and we shared some dreams and stories of old and stories we'd heard from others. It was random and sweet and it was us.

I gave him gift at 23:00 because I liked how curious he would get.

"It you were going to give it so late, why let me know it existed before hand." He rolled his eyes, pushing my face away when I tried to kiss him to make up for the frustration. I laughed.

I got him a bracelet with my initials on the front and on the back the first words I said to him, 'hello, anyone there?' He chuckled and looked at it.

"It may not be that romantic...common even, but... It's what brought me to you so it's special to me." I nibbled on my bottom lip. I should have thought of something better.

We were on the couch, he inched closer and kissed me. "I can't believe you remember that." I smiled and gave him another peak.

"Nothing with you is ever going to be forgotten." I murmur against his lip before he kisses me again.

"I love you." I froze then, my eyes wide and Kevin sighed, kissing me anyway until I wasn't so frozen anymore. I grabbed onto the back of his head and kissed him fiercely.

He loved me. Me! Kevin said he loved me. My stomach was tumbling down stairs, feeling the best kind of queasy which was the kind most called butterflies. I laughed against his lips when I nipped them and he whined.

"And I, you." I told him back before we just stared at one another. He smiled widely and laughed shyly, rubbing his neck and I tugged on my earlobe looking away suddenly just as shy.

"This..." Kevin retrieved the photo then.

"Your mom." His breath hitched and he stared fixedly then without a word.