on my block

Window (monse and Cesar)

Monsy rolled over and tried to pull the blankets over her chilled skin. When the fabric wouldn't budge she muttered "cold" and tugged harder. She had spent several hours pacing and then several hours making Cesar reassure her that he was still very much alive and now she needed more sleep.

"Sorry, some chick climbed in my window last night and was all over me before I had a chance to close it." She felt the bed dip a little and then shake as Cesar cranked the window shut. She smiled to herself as a warm arm pulled her against an even warmer body. She snuggled in deeper. She could get used to this. Except it felt like only a few seconds before pounding on the outside door was intruding on her early morning dozing. "Who knew badass cholos like Oscar were early risers." She tried to pull the pillow over her head to block out the sounds.

But in a stroke of cruelty the pillow was whipped out from under her head. "Come on lazy bones. We have to get moving."

"Who you calling lazy?" She mused her hair out of her eyes. She really would like to go back to sleep but she wasn't going to let him have anything to lord over her, because she knew Cesar would use it to his advantage. "Five bucks says I can be ready as fast as you."

"Ha, I'm not taking that bet because I have it on good authority that you don't have five bucks." Cesar grinned before pulling on a worn pair of baggy shorts. She watched his abs flex as he threaded a belt around his waist. Too bad he couldn't go shirtless all day long. That would help take her mind off of everything. "C'mon. You are so losing this bet already."

"Then turn around so I can get up!" She hissed. "Besides I thought you weren't taking the bet?"

"Why do you get to ogle me and I don't get to even see you? Doesn't sound fair to me." Cesar dropped to the edge of the mattress, so close she could simply curl at her middle and wrap around his back.

She laid her head on his thigh, "Because you're..you know..you... and I'm just...ugly, gangly me." She hadn't meant to say that out loud. She never wanted to fish for complements. But now that it was out there...well it wasn't a perfect explanation but she didn't know exactly why she could be completely uninhibited when they were fooling around but feel ridiculous picking up her clothes off the floor afterwards.

Cesar paused, one long sock dangling from his fingers. "Is that what you think?" She nodded, wishing she could be one of those girls that was comfortable in her skin all the time.

He turned and pushed her hair off her face. "You're beautiful Monse, inside and out." The pads of his fingers grazed her cheek. "And I know sometimes I've been an ass but if I've ever made you feel anything less than that, I am a fool, and I'm sorry."

She blinked in surprise a few times. One thing she loved about Cesar was that he had no poker face. She could see what was coming almost before he knew it himself. It made it awfully hard for him to lie to her. It also meant that she could see the sincerity in his wide eyed, almost reverent stare. "Yeah? Sometimes you make me feel that way...beautiful I mean."

"Oh yeah? Cesar smirked. "So what are you saying? It doesn't last long enough? You need a top up before your day?" He bent down to kiss her, one hand curving behind her neck. It only took a few moments before she let him haul her into his lap and she had forgotten about school and everything else.

There was a pounding on his door. "Cesar, get up or you'll be late. I need you to move my car."

She let him up for air. "I'm busy!' Cesar called over his shoulder with a chuckle before returning to nibble his way along her collarbone.

"Then get unbusy. Besides you have school. Weren't you giving me a hard time about pulling you out of school for too many...ah, appointments just yesterday." Monse swore she heard a feminine giggle in the hallway outside Cesar's door.