20 Pancakes

Timo watched Shew bemused, her shock, confusion and the way she convinced herself was too cute for him to handle. She was not ready to believe he was there.

His grin stretched wider than ever before. Shaking his head in amusement he followed her into the room.

"Come on sweetie wake up." He tried to coax her standing at the foot of the bed.

"No" Shew muttered into her pillow.

Timo moved close to her, "Shew get up its nearly noon."

"No I will not and I will not listen to my imagination." Shew protested.

Timo chuckled, "I am not your imagination honey." She was behaving like a small child.

Shew rolled her eyes into the pillow, "Right you are not and I am the queen of wonderland."

"Not wonderland but if you agree then I will make you my queen." Timo tried to bargain. Although, he found the reference quite weird.

"When did you become so poetic?" Shew wondered still buried in her sheets.

Timo shrugged to himself, "I am a poet- in a way.

"No, I mean in my dreams before you never were so romantic." She started to wonder how many screws she had lost already.

Timo was elated. He had never dared to assume that she thought about him, "So you think about me a lot too?" He asked voice basked in need.

Shew's brain started to work again. She sat up in surprise, "You are really here aren't you?"

Timo wanted to pinch her cheeks but he held back the desire, "Yes." He nodded.

Shew turned red as a tomato. She had rambled all kinds of idiotic things in front of him.

"Just kill me now. I am such a big idiot." She buried her face in her palms. Least to say she was mortified.

"No, you are not an idiot. Now be a good girl and freshen up." Timo's voice softened. He couldn't bring himself to tease her.

She slowly looked up at him. Her eyes were wide as saucers.

Her innocent expression drove him madder for her.

"Just freshen up honey, I will prepare breakfast for you in the meantime." Timo grit his teeth and fled from the room.

After putting some distance between each other he dared to breathe a sigh of relief. It took another moment for him to control his rapidly racing heart. Never ever had a girl made him feel so just by a single look. He was in deep trouble.

***

Shew was a different case.

She was cursing herself for being lousy and rambling like an idiot. Her previously quiet heart was making most of the noise today whereas her logical brain was silent as a slice of dead meat.

The way he kept calling her honey was on repeat play in her head. The word rolling off his tongue left tingly sensations in its wake.

She shot up from the bed and took a look at her in the mirror. She looked like a ghost- 'no ghost look better than me' she thought.

Without wasting another moment she went into the bathroom to take a shower. It was the first time in long that she felt so giddy like a teenager. A smile graced her lips and it had no intention of leaving her face.

Half an hour later she came out following the scent of cooked food. She hadn't eaten anything the previous day so her stomach was growling and begging for attention.

She found that he had already set plates for breakfast. Seeing him in her house was weird.

Nice but weird.

"You already found your way around my kitchen?" Shew observed.

Timo shrugged, "It was easy enough. Feeling better?" He would never tell her that he had help from Lisa.

"Yes." Shew hummed.

"What are you waiting for? Start eating." He encouraged her.

Not waiting for more invitation, Shew greedily dug into the pancakes.

"um… they are delicious." She commented happily between the bites.

"Thank you." Timo greedily accepted her compliment. He was full seeing her enjoying the meal he prepared for her.

"Won't you have some?" Shew looked at him holding only a mug.

"No thanks, but I am on a diet." He replied curtly but his insides were melting. She cared for him.

Shew shrugged nonchalantly, "I will never understand this star thing."

"Understand me that's enough for now," Timo muttered under his breath. His star thing could wait.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing."

"Where did Lisa go?" Shew finally remembered that her close friend was missing.

"She had some work to do." Timo smiled into his coffee mug, "So, she appointed me as your babysitter."

Shew's mouth hit the floor, "I am not a baby." She protested.

"You sure are stubborn as one honey." He countered.

"Thank you for the tasty breakfast."

Shew wouldn't say it but she was slightly miffed about the 'baby' comment.

"Most welcome." Timo nodded in her direction smiling.

He bent towards her across the counter. With his face so close, Shew lost all control of her thought process. He brushed the side of her mouth with his right thumb gently.

"That's better." He nodded happily at his work.

"um…"

Shew's eyes were glazed and she could hear her heart thundering in her ears.

"Honey, are you ok?" Timo waved a hand in front of her face.

It took her a moment or two before she managed a small, "y-yes I think so."

"Really?" Timo frowned, "You seemed so flushed just now. I will call the doctor if you are not feeling well-"

"I am fine." Shew asserted once again.

She couldn't possibly tell him that their proximity had almost short-circuited her brain.

"Are you sure?" Timo was still doubtful. She had recovered from fever just that morning.

"Yes." She nodded. " I need to tell you something."

The playful atmosphere turned serious.

"Yes?" His eyes were guarded. He didn't want her to push him away once again.

"Let's go to the living room." Shew ran out without looking back

Timo stood in the kitchen all kinds of doubts flooding through his mind.

After a few minutes, he silently followed her to the living room.