When did he get here?

Don reached for the paper bag, taking it from my hands. He took out a few different pastries and placed them on the plate he took out of the cupboard. He then placed the plate before me on the kitchen counter.

He looked at ease doing all that as if he had been doing it for ages. He seemed to find his way around my kitchen easily too. You would think he frequented there but that wasn't the case at all. Don rarely went to my place. In fact, I could count on one hand how many times he had been to that particular apartment since I moved in about a year before then. It would amaze you to know that his place was just a ten-minute drive away from mine. The few times he had been there had always been him tagging along with Ray or to better put it, Ray dragging him along. That was for the few minutes he managed to stay around.

You see, if I didn't know Don better, I would have assumed he's wasn't a people person at all. But that wasn't entirely accurate. He just had a unique approach to relationships, like keeping everyone at a distance (All the same right? lol).

At first glance, it might seem as though he's aloof or uninterested, but that wasn't the case. He was simply cautious about who he let in. But once you manage to break down his defenses, you'll discover a kind and generous heart (You can just take it as me having a lot of tolerance. Lol). I guess that was more reason why we remained friends for so long, despite his tough exterior.

Our families have been intertwined for as far back as I could remember. Our fathers were best friends, and they married two women who were also best friends. It was no wonder we grew up together, and our friendship felt more like a family bond, though distant (lol). If not for Ray's charming personality, which won us over in high school, I think I might have been Don's only friend. But Ray's presence expanded our small circle, and we became a tight knit group from there.

"Earth to Jess" I heard Don say with a wave of his hands in my face. That brought my mind back to him.

"Where was your mind? He asked

"What were you thinking about? He added with another question, staring at me with his brows creased together.

"Nothing serious" I said and if I knowing him as well as I thought I did, I knew he was definitely going to drop the topic. The man didn't pry. I wondered if he was ever curious at all.

"Okay," he said, his deep voice calm and collected, and I couldn't help but grin. I knew exactly how he behaved, and I was right again. It made me happy for no particular reason, and I couldn't contain my smile. It spread across my face, and he noticed, his eyes narrowing slightly as he quirked his brows in question. The gesture looked good on him, and I found myself admiring that. He was probably wondering why I was smiling, but I couldn't explain it even if I wanted to.

So, I decided to feign ignorance. "What?" I asked, trying to sound innocent.

"Why are you smiling?" he asked, his eyes still fixed on mine, and I just shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant.

"It's nothing," I said, hoping he'd drop it, but he didn't.

"It's not nothing," he said, his voice firm but curious, and I wondered if that was the same person I had just said didn't get curious. He was behaving out of character, and it was surprising.

"What's not nothing?" I asked, hoping he'd leave it, but he continued his questioning.

"It's what made you smile while looking at me. Do I look funny, or is there something on my face?" He asked in one breath, running a hand through his face as if cleaning whatever was there. His eyes were still fixed on mine, and I felt like he was trying to read my mind. I woundn't let him. Instead, I just shrugged again and looked away, hoping he'd drop the questions. But something told me he wouldn't. He was determined to figure out what was behind my smile, and I was determined to keep it a secret.

"You just look really cute" I offered in response to his expression. I knew that would tick him off and it got me the intended effect.

"You know you can't say that to a grown man Jess" he said with a scrawl on his face which I showed absolutely no regard for. I guess you get immune to a person's behavior overtime. It didn't bother me.

"Not if that grown man looks this cute" I said still staring at him. I wasn't giving up on my goal. That was when I caught a faint blush on his face. I almost missed it. It was such a rare sight.

"No way........." I say my hand to my mouth. "No way I just saw Donald Kingsley blush" I said or shouted and for a second he looked dumbstruck before his expression immediately returned to neutral.

"I saw it Don. Don't try to pretend you didn't just blush." I said in the most cheerful voice I could get out while smiling from ear to ear. "Saw .... what?" He asked as if he didn't hear me clearly. He was playing dumb.

"I clearly saw you blushing Don." I said.

"You're clearly blind" he said keeping a serious face."You wish" I said

"It's not like you can take it back since I did see it" I continued.

"You are imagining things Jess. You saw nothing. Go get your head checked." He said but I wasn't ready to drop it. Not yet. I just found joy in getting a reaction from him no matter how little it was.

"You know I’m not. Just admit it. It won't kill you." I said and before I could think about stopping myself, I reached out to his face poking his cheeks with my fingers playfully. I loved doing that.

"I definitely saw you blush, Don," I said with a playful smile, trying to tease him out of his usual calm and collected exterior.

"It's a sight I can't miss." I said and his reaction was immediate and unexpected. He grasped my hands with his, his fingers intertwining with mine in a gentle but firm hold. His eyes locked onto mine, and I was trapped in their depths. I couldn't even blink. His eyes where beautiful and with their piercing gaze, he held me captive. For some strange reason, I let him stare. I mean, it wasn't like I was complaining, since I was staring right back at him, lost in the intensity of the moment. But then, as if struck by a sudden realization, he released my hands and took a step back, breaking the spell that had locked us both.

"You should be careful, Jess," he said, his voice low and husky, sending shivers down my spine.

"What if you fell?" The rational part of my mind, which had been temporarily abandoned, suddenly returned, and I stumbled over my words.

"Uhmm... yeah. I should be careful. Why wasn't I careful?" I repeated, asking myself, trying to make sense of what had just happened.

"What do you need to be careful about, babe?" a voice which didn't belong to Don interrupted causing both our heads to turn towards the opened kitchen door.