Sweetener

Better Off

"Can you grab this please?" I asked Pete. He took the box from my hand and I grabbed the next one which was heavier than the one he had. I stumbled backwards but, Pete managed to use one hand to steady me. "Thank you" I mumbled.

"You only have four boxes?" he asked.

"Yeah" I said "The rest is in storage, I really don't need it all here" I said "Besides, you uhm, always force new clothes on me?"

"You're correct I do" He said as we walked inside. He put his box on top of the other one, and I put mine on his "I like to buy you things, feels like my money's not going to waste"

"I don't want the Gucci though, I'm not about that Gucci life" I said.

"You wear it anyway" he laughed. I blushed.

"Yeah because you spend an outrageous amount of money on it" I grumbled. He flashed me a smile. "The jumpsuits are comfortable" I admitted.

"You like the sweaters too don't lie" he said. I blushed again as I crossed my arms. He was right, in fact I was currently wearing one. "Patrick" he grabbed my hands "This money I have, it's wasted I swear. I like to buy you things whether you need them or not. It makes me happy"

"Why?" I asked.

"I don't know" he said honestly.  "Mm, you're so hard to please sometimes though, a part of me thinks buying you something will make you happy" I blushed again.  I looked away from him.

"I'm sorry" I whispered.

"Why? I like that about you" he said "I like that it takes more than money to make you happy.  It's new to me.  You don't care about my money you want me, and it's so refreshing.  You're hard to please to me because everyone I've ever been in love with just wanted one thing"

"Your dick?" I asked jokingly.

"Okay two things" He said.  I laughed gently.  "I love that laugh" He lifted my chin with his finger "I love that smile, and that stupid sparkle in your eye"

"I'm sorry still, that I'm so hard to please" I said gently "I really am.  I guess I am so hard on you sometimes, maybe that's my way of trying to push you away.  I have this theory that I'm better off without anyone, and maybe thats why everything collapses around me at some point.  It's like a game of Jenga, the more blocks I pull the weaker the tower gets.  Then it crumbles"

"I have Jenga" He said.  He led me to his bedroom.  I felt like commenting on how he ignored me completely. But, this was Pete.  He never ignored me, and everything he did had a reason behind it.  I watched him scan his closet, and pull out the Jenga box.  He sat down, set it up, and pulled the first block.  "Go" he said.  I slowly pulled another block.  He went, then me, then him.  It was quiet.  It was focused.  Every move I made was to keep the tower up.  Pete was rougher though, it was like he wanted it to fall.  Finally, I grabbed the wrong piece, and it slammed to the ground. 

"Jenga" I said quietly. 

"Watch this" He said.  He pulled the fallen tower to him, and started to rebuild it from the ground up.  He gently placed the built game into the box.  I stared at him in confusion.  "You still don't understand?" he asked with wide eyes "Patrick I rebuilt it.  Easily too"

"So that means?" I asked in confusion.

"God your dense sometimes" He said.

"Hey we cant all be highly intelligent like you" I whined.  He smiled at me.  "What?" I asked.

"Patrick, you said your relationships are like a game of Jenga, each piece you pull inevitably leaves the tower to fall.  But, what do you do with the pieces when the game is over?  Leave them on the floor of your room and pretend they don't exist?" he shook his head for me "No, you create a new tower.  You pick up all the pieces and make a new one to put away.  Or even slowly work on making a new one everyday"

"So you're saying that with you-"

"With me the tower might have fallen, or might fall again.  But, I'm willing to sit here and pick up all the pieces to create a new tower" He said gently "Or work on trying to create a new one everyday" I crawled over to him and hugged him tightly.  He fell backwards probably on purpose.  I laid on tope while he had his arm around my waist. 

"How do I change?" I asked. 

"Why would you wanna change?"

"I don't want the tower to fall at all" I whispered.

"It's not gonna" he said gently "You're annoying and pestering.  You think you know everything and knocking your walls down is hard.  But, I fall deeper in love with you everyday despite it.  In fact I fall deeper in love with those parts too" He said honestly.

"Thanks" I grumbled.

"Just being honest" he said.

"Well if we're on the subject of honest you're-"

"Pushy, clingy, annoying.  My thought process is weird so you never know what I'll do next.  I'm strange, and hard to read.  I dislike my food to touch on my plate, and hate having a mess around me" He played with my hand.  I pouted at him.  "I know I'm not right" he whispered.

"It's not that you're not right" I said "I think you're perfect, and that's what matters"

"Despite me not liking my food to touch on my plate?" he asked.

"I'm in love with that side of you" I said gently "I'll spend forever making sure the food on your plate doesn't touch.  Although it did weird me out a little on our first date"

"They literally didn't even try to get my asparagus away from my potatoes" He pouted. 

"At least you're not the kind of person to send food back" I said.

"I was a waiter before I made bank, it's very annoying when someone does that" he said "Unless it's a completely screwed order and even then I don't send it back" I ran my fingers through his hair and smiled at him.  "What?" he asked.

"You're changing my mind about marriage everyday" I whispered. 

"How long will you make me wait to be your husband?" he asked gently.

"At least a year" I said gently "I want to be certain"

"Our three months is in two weeks.  Which means on exactly April 26th, the day before your birthday, I'll ask you to marry me" he said.

"Don't spoil the surprise" I whined.

"I never said how I'd ask you to marry me" He said hugging my waist as I sat up on his stomach.  I leant down and kissed his lips.  "But, I can spoil that surprise"

"No" I said gently "Don't, I wanna be surprised" he smiled at me goofily. 

"So you do wanna get married then?" he asked.

"To you and only you angel baby" I smiled. 

"Why do you call me angel baby?  I love it and I'd like to know why" he smiled.

"Because you're my baby, but you're my angel from heaven" I said gently "My absolutely angel baby"

"I'm in love with you" he said gently "Angel baby"