Roads That Cross...

... At Midnight (Part 1)

"I'm just sad about Nico. I mean, not sad. I'm happy for him, really; this is a huge opportunity for him. But after all the time we've been together, he was starting to feel like a brother to me. I'm gonna miss him a lot."

She nodded, humming a little in understanding. "I get it. He was never my friend but, it's going to be weird not seeing him around anymore. Must be very tough for you."

He sighed, downhearted. "Yeah. And there's also the issue of finding a new place to live. We can't just stay here forever, eventually we have to find another apartment or something we can afford."

"Well I, for one, would be more than happy to have you live here forever," she said.

Simón laughed. "Don't lie, Ámbar. I'm sure you find it annoying to have so many people over."

"Yeah, but I wasn't talking about everyone, I was talking about you."

The humor left him. More like it was knocked out of him as his breath momentarily caught. Their eyes locked for some seconds before Simón averted his gaze, looking down to his hands instead. Ámbar used his silence to keep talking.

"You said earlier that you would've liked us living together under different circumstances. You never got to explain what you meant by that," she ventured as she moved a little closer.

"Yeah, because your boyfriend showed up," he noted out of impulse, and immediately regretted it because her eyes shined with interest. And something else. Something dangerous.

"Is that one of the things you'd like to be different?" She questioned, her blue eyes looking directly into his. "Me not being with Benicio?"

Simón took a deep breath, trying not to show anything under her piercing stare. He stopped leaning against the counter and instead stood straight, facing her fully. "Ámbar, you can date whoever you want. Really. But Benicio is... he's not good for you. He's a bad person, a bad influence, and you need to surround yourself with people that are a positive contribution to your life."

"Like you?" She guessed as she too moved right in front of him. Their eyes never left each other. He couldn't look away even if he tried. "...If we were together, would you be happier to be living under the same roof as me?"

"That will never happen—"

"I said if," she pointed out. She took one more step closer, leaving them standing face to face. "Let's fantasize a little, Simón. If we were here, in the middle of the night, without having to care about what anyone else would think... What would you do?"

She was speaking in a low, sultry voice, and the look she was giving him made it hard to think, made it hard to form words.

"I..." He gulped. His voice sounded deeper than usual, and his heart was speeding inside his chest. "I wouldn't do anything. I just... would be here with you."

"Really?" She muttered, inching her face closer, and suddenly, it was also hard to breathe. "Because I can think of a few things. And I could bet by the look on your face that you're thinking the same."

"Ámbar..." He let out, all but whimpering.

"Yes, Simón?" She breathed, just a few centimeters from his lips, and that was when his willpower broke.

His eyes fell close as he leaned the rest of the way, molding her lips against his own. It had been so long— too long since he last kissed her, but it felt just as good as the first time, maybe even more. His hands automatically came up to drown in her hair and pull her closer, crashing her mouth against his because he had been dying to do this for months.