loving you is like...

12

Aster returned to her place about an hour later. As soon as she got into the room, she shut the door, kicked her shoes off, and got into bed. Yes, she went to her girls group in the comfiest of clothes. Those girls were pretty much the sisters she wished she grew up with. They saw her at her worst and best. They earned the family status in her book.

Upon getting into bed, Aster pulled her fluffy white sheets up to her waist and snuggled down against her pillows. With her phone in her grasp, she unlocked it to text Fallon. Her thumbs hovered over the keyboard. Part of her wanted to hear his voice and see his face. Maybe that was too much, but she hadn't seen him a whole lot in over a month. Then there was the question of whether or not asking him to join her at the Christmas Festival over text was the best way to go. Aster tossed options around in her head, but her heart took over and guided her fingers to selecting the option to call him. The deed was already done and Aster's heart raced as the call went through. She could feel the heat rising around her because of how nervous she was about this. What was so different this time if she made calls to him before?

Fallon resorted to taking a break from playing video games with his friend when Aster's name popped up on the screen of his phone. His own heart jumped in his chest causing him to sit up with haste. Fallon doesn't wait a moment longer to answer the call he felt he waited eternity for.

"Hey!" he greeted her with a bit too much enthusiasm, so he cleared his throat to cover up. His cheeks flushed with blush almost as red as his phone.

"I mean hey. How's it going." A nervous chuckle followed as he rubbed the back of his head.

Aster couldn't help but laugh along with him. "Hey, Fallon. Sorry for calling so late, but I was with some friends." She peeled back the sheets and climbed out of bed to pace her room as she conversed with him. The floor quietly creaked beneath her feet in certain places, but she barely gave it her attention. Fallon had it all in that moment.

Unlike her, Fallon remained in the comfort of his bed. His navy blue sheets wrinkled beneath him as he slouched into a more comfortable position. He set his phone next to him and relied on hearing her voice through the convenience of his headphones. Fallon wanted to see her face, but her voice was enough. He couldn't forget what she looked like. It was etched in every corner of his mind making it nearly impossible to not think about her.

"It was church. Right? How was that?" Since when did he become interested in that? He had no idea, but Aster was interesting.

She was surprised to hear that from him, but not entirely shocked about it. Was he comfortable talking about church? She brought it up to him before in conversations, but they never dwelled on it. They usually moved on to another subject just as quickly as she mentioned anything involving her faith.

"Oh Um... Yeah. Just hung out with my girls group." Aster felt prompted to continue, so she did, and with a small smile resting on her lips. She finally settled back into her bed as walking and talking proved to be impossible when talking about one of her passions.

"We ordered something takeout and just talked about God and life. It was refreshing to be with them in the middle of a crazy week." Aster pulled a blanket around her shoulders once the AC kicked in. The vent blew cold air right on her. "What have you been up to?"

Fallon could hear the smile in her voice and found himself smiling as well. He knew a thing or two about the craziness of life, so he understood how being with friends could relieve some stresses. That was part of the reason why he invited Evan over.

"I'm just here... cracked a few cold ones with a friend. He is currently playing a game and I'm here talking to a really nice girl." Fallon wished he could have seen her facial expression, but they never video chatted before. He assumed she wasn't comfortable with that yet. Things weren't official yet anyway. Which he was working on...

"Oh?" Aster responded to his statement about talking to a girl. So he was talking to her on the phone and speaking with another one at the same time? How else was she to respond to that?

Fallon heard the uncertainty in her voice. As if she was sitting in front of her, he quickly sat up straight in bed and shook his head.

"I meant you. There's no other girl. Just you." He hoped he believed her. Fallon had a history he hadn't told her about yet, but word always got around somehow. Luckily for him, Aster knew nothing about it.

"Oh! I'm so sorry," she laughed and rubbed sleep from her eyes. From classes straight to work and then straight to her small group, Aster had a full day. She was glad for the weekend off to recuperate. "Had a really long day. I'm not usually this slow."

"So this is how slow you get late at night. I'll keep that in mind." Fallon was just teasing her.

"Hey! Okay, Mr. Perfect. Not everyone can be on top of things like you." Aster's smile widened and the change was evident in her voice.

Mr. Perfect. Fallon was far from it, but he appreciated her kind words. "I suppose I should let you stay on top of your bedtime. Talk to you later?"

Aster wished they didn't have to stop talking, but it was getting later. The fact that she got to sleep in the following morning made her a little eager to get to sleep.

"Yeah, of course. I'm off this weekend starting tomorrow so... call or text whenever." Aster chewed her bottom lip after speaking. Was that too forward?

Fallon decided to take a risk and see where things went. Was he really himself if he didn't take a risk?

"Okay, girlfriend. I'm taking you up on that offer." Fallon leaned back into his pillows with a smirk resting on his lips. Yes, he did just say that.

Aster gasped like she got the wind knocked out of herself. Did she hear him correctly? Or was she really that tired?

"Uh... girlfriend? I'm not..."

"Is that so? Well I guess we have to do something about that, then." Fallon paused to check the time on his phone. Half-last midnight. She needed her beauty sleep, he supposed. "I won't keep you up any longer. Goodnight, Aster."

She was too stunned to say anything about him having to fix the situation about her not being his girlfriend. In that moment, she was glad they were not physically together for the blush in her cheeks was so bright, she was convinced someone could see it even in the dark.

"G-Goodnight, Fallon!" she squeaked and quickly hung up the phone. She lightly tossed it on her bed and grabbed a pillow to scream into it.

What just happened?!