HIS FAVORITE GINGER ✓

THIRTY.

It took a while for me to realize he was really here last night and slept in the same bed with me - hallelujah - and he was also currently staring at me bashfully with a tomato-red face but I swear mine was probably redder.

"G-good eveni-, I mean morning. Sorry sorry afternoon." He scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

I tore my disturbing gaze away from his waist. "Afternoon?"

"It's 1pm." He stated blankly.

My eyebrows flew up in panic. "Shit. I slept in! School!"

My legs froze in their tracks up the staircase when Alejandro's ethereal laugh smothered every nook and cranny of the kitchen. "Since when did you ever care about school?" He casually leaned on the counter while mixing some steaming stuff in a pot.

"Since my grades started sagging down the New York sewers, threatening my hard-earned, well-deserved football scholarship." I retorted.

Another giggle from him made me mentally shudder in delight. "Whatever, I called in stressed for you today in school by mimicking an aunt 'Em'. They probably know anyways. Through the TV ya know, I've been watching them news all morning."

"Wow." I rubbed my temples with the heel of my palm.

"Tell me about it."

"What about you? Why are you still here? Aren't you gonna leave now?" I questioned more harshly than I intended. While half of me was crazily concerned, the other half yearned for his company.

"Mehh." He stopped at that and with the look in his eyes, anyone could tell right away he was trying to avoid my questions.

"So you're going to skip school today just like that? For me?" I asked, still baffled.

"While your grades are busy, 'wallowing in NY sewers', mine are pole-dancing on the tippy top zenith of the Eiffel Tower. And if you don't want me here, I can take my leave-"

He started to walk away from the counter and out of the kitchen when I dashed behind him - lightning speed - and wrapped my arms round his waist, his bum hitting my buck ever-so-slightly.

Awkward! (in a singsong voice)...

"Don't go, please." I breathed against his ear. I felt him stiffen around me.

"Let go, please." His voice should've come out weak from my divine touch like I hoped it would but instead, it was filled with mild rage and thick sarcasm. I should've known better than to provoke Angerandro with my troublesome questions and my lowkey humping that was just making matters worse.

"Sorry sorry." I uprooted my arms from his torso with pleading eyes and a flushed face.

"Whatever, I wasn't even planning on leaving anyhow." He nonchalantly strolled - more like cat-walked - back to his cooking and my platonic complement on how the apron fits caused him to tease me more by swerving his butt even harder.

"You know my mom used to wear that apron."

The corner of his lips that were still in a teasing smirk drooped, and within the twinkle of an eye, he was in front of me, wiping a stray tear with his thumb. My skin burned from his bare skin grazing my vulnerability.