loving you is like...

13

As anticipated, Fallon and Aster were going on another date. A week went by since Aster was left stunned after that late night phone call. The conversation replayed in her mind all week, but Fallon never mentioned in again when they spoke after that. Aster didn't know if he was simply teasing her that night or if he was serious about making things official. He was keeping her on her toes and that suspense slowly gnawed away at her patience.

Fallon planned to put her worries to rest during their date. He told her to meet him at another little cafe a few miles away from where she worked. He couldn't drive as yet with his injured leg, so he relied on his dear mother for transportation. It only brought back memories of her chauffeuring him around up until his junior year of high school when he finally got his own car. On the way to the location of his date with Aster, his mother reminded him of those times. Fallon loved him mother with all his heart, but his past was something he wasn't too fond of speaking about. Much less thinking about. He wanted to focus on the present and the young lady sitting outside the cafe. Aster. How long had she been waiting?

When his mother pulled up to the cafe, Fallon couldn't get out fast enough. He insisted on going to the date without his crutches as they got in the way and made him clumsier. The boot he had to wear was clunky enough. And he wasn't in much pain since he took a bunch of painkillers. Not too much. Just the right amount he knew he could handle.

"You two have fun and be safe. Take pictures and everything, okay?" Mrs. Andrews reminded her dearest son as he got out of the car. "Oh, don't forget the flowers, Fallon." She gestured to the small bouquet of flowers resting on the backseat. Despite being named after asters and roses, Aster preferred daises. Fallon made sure to search for those flowers. The yellow and white ones seemed popular, so he settled for those.

"Thanks, Mom," Fallon sighed in relief. He picked up the flowers with care. After doing so, he walked around to the driver's side of the car to give his mother a kiss in the forehead. "See you later."

Fallon walked away after that because he didn't want to waste anymore time. His mother sensed his urgency and decided to pester him about the date, in a loving way, when he returned home. Fallon waited a couple weeks to see Aster in person and wanted to make every second count with her.

"Aster? Hey." Fallon waited until he got to the bench to speak up. Even with a boot on, he walked with pep in his step. Goodness, he couldn't take his eyes off her. Even when bundled up in her winter coat, she looked adorable.

Aster's eyes went straight to the flowers when he approached her. Her heart beat picked up pace as her mind came up with all sorts of reasons as to why he was giving her flowers. But it couldn't be. They never discussed ever making things official yet.

"Flowers? Now I feel like I should have gotten you something," Aster admitted to him as she went in for a hug. When they hugged, she was able to breathe him in and his cologne greeted her as warmly as the embrace they shared. Spiced vanilla. Warm and comforting with a hint of spice. It was too bad he pulled away from the hug, but it was all to give her the bouquet of daises... her favorite.

"You being here is more than enough for me," Fallon reassured her with a smile to put her worries at ease. He wanted to hold her again and breathe in the subtle scent of strawberries and cream from her hair. Whatever conditioner she used, he hoped she never stopped using it.

After held on to those flowers once Fallon placed then in her hands. The plastic wrap around the bouquet crinkled in her hands as she raised the flowers to her nose. For a moment, she picked up the scent of his cologne, but the scent of flowers soon took over.

"Fallon... these are literally my favorite flowers. And they smell amazing! Gonna put these in some water as soon as I get home." Luckily, the cool air wouldn't cause the flowers to wilt like they would in the heat. The vibrant yellow daises stood out against the white like the summer sun.

Fallon failed to hold back a smile seeing her bright eyes light up at the sight of the flowers. So those were a hit! He made a mental note of that. For now, they had business to attend to inside that little cafe.

"Well, m'lady. Let's get some lunch so your precious flowers will get home in time," he laughed and turned her in the direction of the cafe. Once facing that, he put his hand on the small of her back and guided her inside. He made sure to hold the door for her and to pull out her chair after finding a table.

Aster was taken aback by his chivalry and thanked him for being the gentleman he was. So chivalry wasn't dead and Fallon's nerves clearly weren't either! Aster noticed how nervous he was, but she couldn't blame him. She was nervous about how the date was going to go. Flowers, revived chivalry, a bundle of nerves? Aster was practically on the edge of her seat for this one.

Despite being nervous, they carried on conversation as if picking up where they last left off. The delicious lunch with hot chocolate on the side put Aster and Fallon at ease. She leaned in intently to listen to him talk about updates in his life, and he heartily laughed at the mustache she wore after getting whipped cream under her nose. The moment couldn't have been more perfect.

After finishing most of their food, Fallon reached out and gently took Aster's hand into his. His thumb lightly ran over her knuckles as he searched for words to begin. It was almost hard to concentrate seeing her blush as red as the half-eaten slice of tomato on her plate. Her eyes met his and remained there as if entranced by a world he kept hidden there.

"So... Aster. I know things have been crazy busy and I really like you... Wait. No. I mean yes I like you. A lot. What I'm trying to say is," Fallon began to ramble. He used his free hand to rub the back off his neck while blushing his own tomato-red in the face. Where were his words?

Aster's heart loudly pounded in her ears as he spoke to her. Well, whatever he was trying to say had her heart beating at a pace she wasn't used to. "Come on... spit it out, Fal," she laughed and closed her hand around his.

Fal. No one called him that... not even his closest friends. If that didn't make him melt into a puddle, then his heart must have been stone cold. Luckily for Aster, his heart was in her hands.

"I was just wondering... if maybe... How do you feel about making things official?" Fallon finally forced himself to speak. Even after getting that out, he held his breath in anticipation of her answer.

Aster lowered her eyes for a moment to their hands. They fit so perfectly together like puzzle pieces. Nothing felt forced in the hold they had on each other. She liked him just as much and maybe even more than he liked her. Sure, he neither confirmed nor denied being Christian, but sure was sure it wouldn't be too much of a problem. He seemed to really care for her.

After that moment for thinking, she fixed her eyes on him again and a cheeky smile crept up to her lips. She had that look in her eyes she had back when they first met and she took his laptop. Miss Mysterious.

"I don't know. What do you have to say about it, boyfriend?" she inquired and found his other hand to hold. Maybe that hot cocoa made her confident with its bold flavors.

He was terrible at hiding it, but Fallon released a sigh of relief at her statement. "I like the sound of that, girlfriend." Flowers, revived chivalry, and a bundle of nerves? All worth it.

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Hey, y'all! This chapter was fun to write! Had help from a dear from for this one. Thanks so much Slayton24 :)❤️