Lillian sighed deeply and collapsed onto the couch.

“Did I say how thankful I am for dinner yet?” She mumbled from the couch.

‘Lady-like’ was clearly not on her mind. The soju he let her polish off had her a little more ‘relaxed’? than usual. The way she tilted on the couch showing him her panties once again. He just smiled softly.

“You might have mentioned it.” He smiled lightly, grabbing the blanket off the back of the couch.

He threw it gently over her lap, covering her.

“Mmm.” Lillian hummed in thanks to him. “Want to watch something?” She whispered in his general direction.

“Sure, what’re we watching?” He plopped down where she had sat up, making room for him.

“Something funny.” She nodded to herself.

“Alright something funny.” Brayden chuckled.

With her guard down she flashed him that dazzling smile, just for him. She hunkered down into the corner of the couch, toes wiggling under his thigh as a brace. She hummed approvingly and settled in for whatever he turned on. He picked a favourite of his and she beamed.

“Very good. I approve.” She muttered.

Her gaze fell on the tv, and she was hooked, but Brayden was watching her. Watching her smile and laugh and even snort. His arm thrown over the back of the couch, her legs tucked next to his just filling up all his space with her scent. He laughed and smiled when she did and when her eyes started to flutter shut, he found his own hard to keep open. He frowned to himself. He wanted to watch her be peaceful for a bit, but he just couldn’t fight off the weight of his eyelids any longer.

He felt her weight shift and disappear, taking all her warmth with her, but then the blanket gently lay across his lap as she coaxed him to lay down, her hands and words soothing. A gentle kiss pressed against his cheek and her feather light breath in his ear whispered,

“Thank you, for today.”

And she was gone, but he was already falling back to sleep with the feeling of her lips on his cheek.

He heard the front door open, and James’s keys rattle around; the sun was long since set. Brayden heard Lillian’s gentle footsteps pad through the apartment and gentle reminders to be quiet, whisper off those soft lips. He heard James’s muttered responses, and the way he tripped himself into his room, Lillian in tow. He tried to force his eyes shut, but he just couldn’t, peeking through his lashes at Lillian’s slightly disgusted face disappear through the doorway into James’s room. The soft muttering coming from them made his stomach turn.

He forced himself up into a sitting position, his head in his hands. Why would he think today would change anything? He heard a soft sigh from next door and stood up abruptly. Brayden ignored every other sound coming from that room as he slammed his door shut.

He turned his tv on in his room to drown out any innocuous sounds from the rest of the apartment and stripped himself out of his clothes, the smell of Lillian lingered on them, and his heart hurt. In his underwear he climbed into his own bed and buried his head in his pillow forcing himself back to sleep.

When he woke in the morning, he could smell bacon beckoning him into the kitchen. The thought of her cooking with him in their shared kitchen made his stomach turn again.

Going out with her had been a terrible idea. It made all the mundane things she did with her real boyfriend so much worse. Usually, he could ignore the sick feeling or push it down until he didn’t notice it anymore. They’d gone on a date and now he couldn’t fathom never going on another one. She should’ve been in his bed. Not sneaking out of his arms and sleeping with useless fucks.

Brayden rolled over and stared up at his ceiling. He might as well get the cutesy shit out of the way, desensitize himself to it all over again. He groaned and rolled himself off his bed in one movement forcing himself to land on his feet before he hit the floor. He pulled a pair of sweats on and scrubbed his face with his hands, running them through his hair. Huffing, he swung his bedroom door open.

Breakfast was being made, and she was in their shared kitchen, but James wasn’t hovering nearby like he usually was. Brayden glanced around the common space again trying to find him.

“He already left for some team thing.” Lillian chirped.

“I didn’t think he had any work today.”

“Neither did I.” She rolled her eyes. “If I had known, I probably wouldn’t be here at all.” She added coarsely.

“So, why are you? Here, still. I mean.” He groped at the English language.

It was too early to look at her in another pair of boys’ boxers and a t-shirt. He scrubbed a hand over his face again.

“I figured is he’s going to ditch me; I might as well enjoy myself. So, I made us breakfast.” Peaking at him under her lashes.

“For me?”

“Us.” She corrected. “You can’t eat it all.”

“Hmm.” He hummed gleefully.

“I’ll take it back.” She challenged.

“Best behaviour.” Raising his hands in surrender and crossing his heart.

She rolled her eyes at him and pointed with her chin at the bar stool at the counter. He sat dutifully. Bare chested he schemed and smiled at her knowingly.

“What was it you were saying about my tattoo yesterday?” He teased.

She plopped a plate in front of him.

“This is your best behaviour?” She quirked an eyebrow at him.

He surrendered and dug into the bacon, eggs, and toast she’d piled on his plate. She placed her own plate next to his and sat down, dipping her toast in her egg yolk. He watched her out of the corner of his eye. All his melancholy forgotten.

“You tucked me in last night.” He smiled at her.

It wasn’t really a question just a statement.

“I did yes.”

“Thank you.” He continued to beam at her.

She shrugged sheepishly and continued eating. He nudged her with his elbow lightly and winked with his toast in his mouth. Lillian smiled back and poked at her bacon. They ate in silence a little longer.

“You don’t even like bacon.” Brayden evaluated. “Why’d you make it?”

“You like it.”

“I do yes.” Braydon smirked and snatched the rest of her bacon off her plate.

She cried out and he kissed her temple.

“Thank you for breakfast. It was delicious.” He beamed.

His heart fell he saw her face, when he realized what he’d done. It was so domestic. He sputtered weakly.

“Sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”

“Just forget it. It’s fine.” She replied a little coldly.

She picked at her remaining egg, while he just stared down at her.

“I don’t regret doing it. I just shouldn’t have done it without your permission.” He clarified.

“I said it fine.” Through tight lips.

He picked up his plate and rinsed it quickly, putting it in the dishwasher. He huffed a breath standing over the sink.

“I know I keep crossing the line with you, I just – I just, think about us so much that I forget which life is real. All the things I want to do slip out and you pay the price.” He dropped his head. “I – I’m.”

“Brayden please. I know. I know. Sometimes – sometimes I forget what’s real too. But I’ve been with him so long, I can’t just throw out the stability with him for you. I don’t know if you’ll get on with my brothers, or my mom, my friends. How you’ll judge the mess that is my house? Am I supposed to risk my whole future for someone who might get bored of me and move onto the next prettier girl?” Lillian’s eyes glistened.

“So that’s all it takes?” Brayden mused.

“What?”

“All I have to do is prove to you that your friends and family will love me, that you could live in a literal encampment, and there is nobody and nothing that could stop me from loving you, and you’ll choose me?” He stared into her eyes as he rounded the corner of the counter.

“Brayden…”

“Is that what I have to do? Cuz, I’ll do it. My god I’ll do it so well, your friends will be begging you to pick me instead. I know they’re James’s friends too, but I swear it. Lily, look at me.” He grabbed her chin. “Lily I can and will prove it to you. Every day until you change your mind, I’ll prove it to you. I love you.”  He added breathlessly.

Brayden searched her eyes endlessly for the crushing rejection he was waiting for.

“You don’t even know me. How can you love me?” She whispered.

Brayden chuckled and pressed his brow against hers until their noses brushed.

“Lily, if you think I haven’t been paying attention this whole time, you’re even more clueless than I thought. Doubt me all you want; I’m not going anywhere.” The hand not gripping her chin shook at his side.

He clenched his fist behind his back and breathed in a deep breath of her scent. He’d said it, out loud, to her face. His breath started to shake as he looked into her chocolate orange eyes.

“You love me?” She whispered He nodded silently, staring into her eyes intently. Her breath came unevenly.

“Lily…”

“Hmm?” She breathed.

“I’m going to kiss you now. Just this once, until you change your mind.” Barely more than whisper on his lips.

Before she could say no, he closed the distance between their lips and kissed her gently, and slowly, until her lips parted in a sigh against his. He deepened the kiss, parting her lips with his tongue. Tasting her for the first time set his blood on fire. A guttural groaned rippled through his chest onto her lips, where she returned it with a delicate sound of her own.

Brayden’s free hand tangled in her hair, forcing her head back into a tilt letting his tongue slip deeper, savouring the taste of eggs on her own sweeping tongue in return. He stood between her thighs pressed as close to her as he could get, all he could think about was the feel of her against him.

Just as gently as he started, he pulled away, leaving soft, gentle kisses on the corners of her mouth, with a final tender touch of his lips over hers, savouring the softness of her lips on his for one last second. His panting matching hers as he stared into those desire clouded eyes silently begging for more. He kissed her forehead softly and stepped away, letting his hands fall back to his sides. His breath still came heavy and fast, his cock leaving a visible outline in the sweats he’d put on. Brayden watched her eyes dance across his face, his lips, down his chest, catching on the bulge in his pants. Lillian’s tongue flicked out over her bottom lip hungrily. He huffed a whisper of a laugh and retreated one more step.

“I didn’t let you say yes, so whatever you do don’t feel guilty about it. I wanted it so I stole that kiss from you.” He ground out.

Her eyes darted back to his and she nodded slowly.

“Okay.” She whispered breathlessly.

He nodded at her one more time before he tore his eyes off her squirming form and escaped into his bathroom.