I must have fallen asleep at some point because Dego woke me up with a gentle nudge.
I was sprawled on my back on the couch, lower legs still resting in Dego's lap.
He had one hand gently grasping my ankle and the other was resting next to my waist, and there was a soft smile on his face.
"Is the movie over?" I asked groggily.
"Yeah, it's over...are you okay to drive home?"
"Mhmm..." I said, nodding, and rolled onto my side and closed my eyes again.
I was pulled out of my dreams once more by a firm shake this time.
"Avery, do you just want to spend the night? It's completely okay."
I just stared at him in complete confusion.
He grabbed my hand and pulled me into a sitting position, took my chin in one hand and looked at me.
"What time is it?" I mumbled.
"11:30."
"Yeah...but Scott's asleep now..."
"Do you want me to text him?"
"Yeah...I'll do it," I said, and stood up from the couch, swaying as I stumbled over to the kitchen to get my phone.
I told him I was staying the night at a friend's house since it got late, and made my way back to the couch and sat down.
"So you're gonna stay?" Dego was standing, blowing out candles and shutting blinds.
"Yes...that would be very nice...I'm sorry for the trouble but I, I think I would fall asleep if I tried to drive," I answered honestly, waking up a little bit.
"No trouble at all Ave, are you okay on the couch?"
"Oh yes, that's fine for me."
"K, let me grab you a pillow and another blanket."
"Thank you," I murmured sleepily, when he came back and gave them to me.
"Of course, need anything else?"
"No I'm good," I said, smiling, eyes closing simultaneously.
"Ha, go to sleep."Dego said, easing me down onto the pillow and putting both blankets over me.
I clutched them close under my chin in my dreamlike state, mumbling a thank you.
"Goodnight," he said, and I sensed him leaving the room, and I whispered a quiet reply, but knew no more until morning.
•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•
I awoke with a jolt, sensing I was not in my bed.
I looked around the room, saw sunlight streaming in through the sliding door, and remembered where I was.
The whole house was dead quiet, the only sound coming from the fan.
I sat up and brushed my hair out of my face, looking around for a clock.
My phone lit up with a text from the floor, and I saw that is was only seven thirty.
Good, I didn't have to be at the restaurant until eleven. I made my way down the hall to the bathroom, found a towel and washcloth, and took a quick shower, using the men's shampoo on the ledge. If I smell the wrong type of sexy for a day so what.
I towelled off and put the t shirt back on, remembering my clothes were still in Dego's closet, and not wanting to wake him up if he wasn't yet.
I walked back down the hall and started when I saw Dego in the kitchen, shyness overtaking me.
I was suddenly aware of how little I knew this person, and here I was standing in his livingroom, wearing his t-shirt that barely touched my thighs and with one of his towels wrapped around my head.
"Good morning," I said softly, taking a seat at the bar.
"Good morning." Dego glanced at me and smiled. My eyes traveled down his shirtless torso, noticing an intricate tattoo on his ribcage.
A dragon.
"Are you working today?"
"Don't you know?" I asked with a grin.
"I have too much to keep in my brain, okay?" he defended himself.
"Haha, yes I work, eleven to seven."
"Gotcha. I have to go in at ten."
"Okay."
"Do you want anything for breakfast? I got waffles."
"Ooo yes I'll have a waffle."
"Okay."
We ate our breakfast at the bar together, and got to know each other a little more, and I forgot my shyness.
Dego had a way of putting you at ease, once you got past his serious countenance and saw him smile.
"Im going to need to go home soon, I need a change of clothes and other stuff..." I said, rinsing my plate and taking the towel off my hair.
"Hmmmm...there is probably a few shirts at the restaurant in your size."
"Yes, you're right...I don't even have my toothbrush though," I laughed.
"Oh, I've got a couple new ones in a drawer somewhere, follow me," Dego said, getting up and heading down the hall.
I trailed after him to the bathroom,where he handing me a new one in a package and took my towel from me.
"Did you...use my shampoo?" He asked, looking down at me.
"Ummmm....yes...?" I chuckled nervously.
"Ha, you smell like me," he said with a quick grin, and walked to his room, leaving the door open.
I brushed my teeth and headed over to his room, standing in the doorway, crossing my legs self consciously.
"Hey," I called to him," Mind if I get my clothes from your closet?"
"Huh? Oh come on in," He said with a wave.
I entered the closet and shut the door, changing into my clothes from yesterday, which still appeared perfectly clean. I would just get a different shirt from work and call it good.
I exited the closet, finger combing my hair with one hand and holding the t shirt up with the other.
"Um, want me to put this in the hamper?"
"What? Oh why, it's not even dirty." Dego said, taking it and throwing it back on the shelf.
"If you say so." I didn't point out that he might want to wash it simply because it had been worn, he obviously didn't care.
"So...do you mind me staying here until...we go to work? I'll just go in at the same time as you," I shrugged.
"Ugh, Avie you're such a persistantly polite girl, I don't mind anything you do,you could live here for all I care," he vented, rolling his eyes.
I felt myself blushing, and opted for humor to distract him from noticing. "Persistently? I'm persistant am I? Never heard a man use that word before."
"I've been educated."
"So I see."
He smirked and I saw him glance me up and down. Back came the blush. I hoped I looked all right.
"Like I said, nothing about you bothers me."
"Well...thank you. That is nice to hear I suppose." I put my hands behind my back and sat on the edge of his bed.
Dego lazily walked over to his dresser and pulled a shirt out, putting his arms in but leaving it unbuttoned.
I had to look away so I didn't stare, there was something way too attractive about an open button up shirt with a gold chain around someone's neck.
"Am I too ugly to look at or something?"Dego asked, noticing my glance.
I laughed awkwardly. He knew what he was doing to me.
He just smirked, refusing to break eye contact as he went about getting ready. He even continued to stare at me as he gelled his hair in the mirror. I looked elsewhere again, and I heard his soft laugh.
This man was too...intense for me, I thought. There was so much to him...that I felt I had so far not even scratched the surface of him.
And a little part of me felt guilty, because I was beginning to sense how fond he was getting of me, and I wasn't sure if I returned the feeling.
Attraction I felt, yes, and his personality was awesome, but...something felt not right to me, I didn't feel...an emotional attraction towards him. Not yet anyway. Perhaps I just needed to get to know him more.
I'd wait and see.