It was five-thirty in the morning when Nox gently woke me. "I know it's earlier than you usually wake up, but I need to go back to the apartment to change my clothes. I thought you'd come with me so we could grab a coffee before school."
He was standing, still wearing only his jeans, both of our backpacks in his hands; he'd packed all of our stuff up already.
"You're going out shirtless?" My brain may still have been fuzzy from just waking up, but I instinctively felt protective of him.
"We're just going to the apartment, the drive isn't too long." Nox smiled at my sudden possessive behavior. "I like when you're protective of me," he laughed.
"I'll change at the apartment, too," I said, glad that Nox had taken me shopping for essentials like a toothbrush and deodorant to leave at his place. He'd practically bought me a new wardrobe as well, insisting that it was easier to buy new clothes than to transfer them back and forth between his place and mine.
"Come on," he said, "Kai is awake, too, so you can say bye to him before we leave."
In spite of the knowledge of Kai and Nox's newfound friendship I would be lying if I didn't say I felt a little awkward as we walked past Kai, who was sitting at the kitchen table reading something on his tablet.
"Morning," I said as we walked by.
Kai looked up from his tablet and raised an eyebrow when he saw Nox shirtless, but thankfully said nothing about it. "Morning. Why are you both up so early?"
"We're going to the apartment to change. Nox didn't bring enough clothes," I explained.
"You should bring everything here, since you'll be living with us." Kai suggested, looking at Nox.
Nox smiled, seemingly touched by the offer. "Thanks," he said, "I'll think about it."
"Oh, before I forget to tell you - I've decided to take summer classes at the college. I'm trying to expedite getting my degree."
"Okay, I'll make a note of it and we can discuss what classes you want me to register you for tonight." Nox nodded as he spoke, acknowledging Kai.
I couldn't help but smile every time they had a successful interaction – no matter how little it was; my happiness bucket filled up just a little more each time.
***
When we arrived at his apartment Nox let me have first dibs at the bathroom to brush my teeth and change. I was pretty fast - it took me about ten minutes to get ready. Now I was laying on his bed waiting for him to get out of the shower. Bored, I lay on my back with my head dangling off the bed. That proved to be a mistake - when Nox came out of the bathroom he was wearing only a towel wrapped around his waist, his muscular body still wet. I swallowed hard and the spit went down the wrong way causing me to choke and cough. I sat up quickly and ungracefully, patting myself on the back (not an easy feat when you're embarrassing and choking on your own saliva) vigorously.
Nox ran over and started patting on my back firmly. "Are you okay?" Though his voice sounded unmistakably concerned, his eyes danced with amusement.
"I'm fine," I said with a final cough, trying to seem nonchalant.
"I have to get dressed," he said.
Yes, yes he did, or I didn't think we'd make it to school today. Nox inspired so many feelings that I didn't know were within me to begin with, and it was obvious that I did the same to him. Now that we were truly open about our relationship and Kai seemed to be supportive of it, I could feel the irresistible draw between us. I'd always believe in the unmei akai ito - the red string of fate. Nox's origins were decidedly supernatural, so it was obvious to me that we were brought together by fate. We were meant to be together.
We were always meant to be, that was why I'd never fallen in love with Kai, even though it would have been logical; we'd known each other forever, our parents were friends, we'd always got along. I was destined to love Nox, and likewise, he was destined to love me in return.
"Hey, what's with the look? Are you okay?" Nox's voice had sounded concerned when I was choking on my spit, but his tone was different this time - more serious.
"I'm okay, just daydreaming of all the terrible things we could do together," I joked, "so you better hurry and get dressed. You're too distracting!"
Nox smiled, and I loved it when he did. His ears perked up a little whenever he smiled and I thought it was the cutest thing ever. It was something I'd noticed even back when he only existed in my dreams.
"I didn't realize I was so irresistible to you," he joked before adding seriously, "The truth is anything you feel for me, I feel for you ten times over. I love you so much that it hurts to be away from you. There are times where we can't touch, like in class, and I feel as though I'm wilting on the inside. That's why I was so jealous about you and Kai being tactile, but I understand and have known that it's always been like that."
Wow. I wasn't sure what inspired this honest and frank outpouring of feelings, but it explained so much. His initial coolness toward Kai - he obviously knew through his subconscious surfing that Kai meant a lot to me and that I loved him - though not in that way, he knew how tactile we were, and how independent I'd been before my depression had swallowed me up like a black hole swallowing the last star in the galaxy.
I could tell that Nox hated when we couldn't be together, and although I loved the attention a part of me was bothered that I felt like I was being made to choose between him and Kai.
But the fact of the matter was that he wasn't making me choose – that was only in my head - he was trying to respect who he knew I was on the inside, while he waited for any and every moment we could be together. Any moment that we could touch each other again - any touch, from something as simple as our hands brushing as we walked to our respective seats in class or as complicated as the deep kisses that made me wish I could get lost in them for all eternity.
My eyes met Nox's in what must have felt like an eternity for him. "We're joined by the red string of fate. There will always be only you."
He leaned forward, pushing me down and pinning me on the bed, kissing me over and over. My lips felt bruised by the crushing pressure of our kisses, but it was a good pain. "You are everything to me," he whispered.
It was probably only by the grace of God that his towel had managed to stay on.
***
By the time we made it to school homeroom was over and we had to check in at the office to get tardy slips. It was the first tardy slip I'd ever received in my life but so, so worth it. During the drive to school Nox apologized for 'being untoward' as he so put it. He'd explained that when he laid with me last night and I'd kissed his chest that he'd felt an electrical current run through him - the same feeling I'd had during our first kiss. He reiterated his feelings about how I deserved the best and even though I was 'completely irresistible' to him, he was going to wait until the right time.
Right time be damned, I thought. That was the hottest make out session that anyone in the entire world has ever had.
***
"Did you want me to ask Kai if he wanted us to come along on his date, like a double date?" Nox pushed his hair out of his face - he'd forgotten to style his hair with hair wax this morning after we'd gotten hot and heavy - and he'd practically pushed me out of the door this morning when he realized how late we were. He still looked amazing.
As much as I was dying for a double date, I didn't think it was appropriate. It was her first date with Kai and I wanted him to find happiness with her - not spend their whole date staring at me and Nox, wishing that it was him instead. They needed time together to become a real couple before they went on double dates. "Let's give them some time before we pounce on them with double dates," I said finally, my internal debate at an end.
"I was kind of hoping you'd say that, because I really wanted to go on a real date with you. Since Kai will be busy, I won't have to work, and," he said wryly, "I've already arranged with Jezabel for you to be off that day, too."
"What day is that?"
"Friday," he said.
I was surprised, but not too much. Friday always had potential to be busy since it was pay day for so many people and it was the start of the weekend, but Jez had a big heart. I wouldn't have been surprised if she had insisted on giving me the day off after Nox said the word 'date'. Jez was all about love - she was a diehard romantic.
As if Nox could read my thoughts he reached out and gave my hand a little squeeze. "You have really good friends."
"Yeah, I do, don't I?" I smiled sweetly at him. Since he came into my life, Nox had been helping me to see things in a different light without even realizing that he'd been doing so. I had always thought of Jez as a friend, and Nikki too even though we'd stopped hanging out with each other, but Nox made me see that I meant more to them than I'd ever realized.
"So," I said brightly, "what are we doing for our very first date?"
"It's a surprise," he said with a laugh.
The bell rang, indicating that lunch was over, before I could press him for details. "Come on," he said as he grabbed my hand, "we're going to be late for class." Nox had been saved by the bell. I rolled my eyes mentally at the thought.