Chapter Four

I didn't allow Del to carry me up the stairs to our apartment. That felt like a step too far even though he offered. By the time I got there I was exhuasted. This was one of the longest weeks of my life.

If it made my condition flare, it would only give Del more ammo for me taking most classes from home. I prayed to whatever god was listening that I'd be fine tomorrow morning despite the aching of my muscles. It was a wonder I felt it through the haze of alcohol.

"If weird is equal to flirtatious," Del was saying as he unlocked the door; pushing it inward. "Then I don't trust you to make that distinction. Where's his number?"

The piece of paper burned a hole through my pocket, but I didn't dare say so. Del was my best friend and not my keeper. If I wanted to talk to Asher, I would. If I didn't, I wouldn't. It was that simple. I closed the door behind us, clicking the lock and adding the chain.

"Where ever I want it to be," I muttered.

My shoes came off and then I was shuffling toward my bed at a slow but steady speed. The pins and needles in my feet made me worried and even the short walk upstairs made me nauseous. I should probably sleep with a waste basket near the bed...

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Del was right on my tail, buzzing around like a fly. I groaned under my breath, or maybe not, because he pouted.

"Uri!"

"I meant it's my choice whether or not to contact him."

"But why would you contact him?"

We walked into my messy room together. The minute Del crossed the thresh hold, he began cleaning–starting with the shirt I flung off on my way to the lie down. My pants came next, which I kicked under the bed for safe keeping.

"I don't know," I admitted. "I won't, probably, and don't ask me to swear it."

I flopped onto the mattress, sinking into the softness of my blankets and pillows. If there was one thing I cared about very much in my bedroom, it was the tranquility of my refuge. Buried within it all, I was lulled into a half sleep by the sound of Del puttering around.

Everytime he cleaned or worked or cooked, he hummed. They were the same few songs over and over again, but became so familiar over the years that I grew fond of them. Inebriated and loose lipped, I hummed along with him, matching Del note for note.

He stopped moving around the room, and then stopped humming a few beats before me. Embarassment flooded my heart as I slowly sat up on one arm; squinting at him.

Del stood there with my hamper in one hand and a pair of underwear in the other. If those were dirty, I might just toss myself out the third story window and pray for death. What was with that stupid, shocked look?

I glanced away, rubbing at my chest. "What? You hum them all the time, of course I know them."

"Yeah," Del breathed, a smile blooming to reveal his dimples. "Of course you do."

My brows furrowed. "Would you put that stuff down?"

He jolted before bending to finish the task. I watched him work for a while until the floor was clothing free. My clean clothes were balled up in a basket on the dresser, ready to be worn. Those on the floor were dirty. When I ran out of clean, I did laundry.

Del was the opposite. Proactive instead of reactive. When he started toward the clean clothes basket, I intercepted him.

"Hey, leave it alone. Come sleep."

I patted the bed. It was a king, so there were plenty of blankets and lots of room. Del swallowed and looked at me with an expression akin to agony.

"I don't think so. Not tonight."

"Why?"

"Your drunk."

"So?"

"And naked."

"Almost naked."

Dell shook his head with a laugh. "That's not better!"

I laughed too, and the tension shattered. Del sat down on the edge. I knelt beside him, doing my best to keep my hands to myself. The mojito was a mistake. Shame juice indeed.

"I'm glad you like me too, or might," Del said, stumbling to say the right thing. His honesty drew me forward until my knees were touching his thigh. "I want to take it slow otherwise I might—"

As he spoke, the lamp light slanted across his cheek, casting one half of his face in shadow. The contrast reminded me of a solar eclipse, a once in a lifetime event. That's what Del's experimental phase could be for me. I didn't want to miss it.

I sat up in a flurry, throwing myself forward and slanting my lips across his. Del caught me around the waist, rearing back in surprise but taking me with him. It was a convenient moment to swing my leg across his lap.

We didn't break the kiss, sharing a lewd, sloppy moment of bliss together. I didn't know what I was doing, but it felt like I was melting inside each time Del sucked on my tongue. Little sounds slipped out with every gliding touch of his fingers against my sides.

I sat back on his lap, gasping for air and twitching. My boner strained against my boxers but we bothed ignored it. Del was too busy drinking in the my face.

"What?"

I started to lift a hand to cover myself but Del caught it, bringing it to his cheek instead. "I'm in awe."

"Stop lying," I scoffed, rolling my eyes.

Without warning, Del secured his grip under my legs and stood up. I gasped, crossing my ankles and wrapping my arms around his shoulders. He walked us into the bathroom and turned so his back was to the mirror.

"See for yourself."

I dared a peak at my reflection. My skin was flushed up to my ears, and my chin shined with drool. But it was my gaze that had me wondering if it were real. Wanton was the only word to describe it. Impassioned.

Sensitive.

"Nngh," I moaned turning my face away. Del kissed from my ear down fo my collarbone, licking and sucking. "No marks!"

"I won't, don't worry sweetcheeks."

I squirmed away, pushing at his chest, but there was nowhere to go. My legs were around his waist and he had his hands on my ass. Digging in more like!

"Don't call me that," I complained.

Del smirked, a wicked glint in his eye. "Why not? You have 'em and I think you like it."

"No, I don't!"

My voice lashed out like a whip, but a whiny one. Kill me now! Alcohol was not my friend. I felt out of control and full of bubbling lava nearing explosion. The bottom of my stomach burned with desire. My hips had been grinding into his for some time now, but I don't remember starting.

This wasn't a good idea, why was I doing it again?

"Bed," I commanded. "Sleep."

"What? Are you a caveman?"

I threw Del a bone by nuzzling into his neck to take a deep inhale of his revitalizing scent. Just to see, my tongue darted out, licking. Salty. He hissed, kneading my ass.

"Fuck, you're lucky I have excellent self control," Del muttered.

"I'm not sure that's true," I replied. "You were jealous earlier. That's what started this."

He sighed as he placed me in the center of bed, refusing to climb in after me. "Yeah, I'm aware."

"Cat's outta the bag," I slurred, rolling over.

Del pushed my hair away from my forehead, thumb brushing the skin. "Maybe. Or you could go to sleep and wake up with no memory of this."

"If that was your attempt at hyp-hiccup!-nosis, it sucked."

He didn't respond for a while, snapping out a blanket before tossing it across my body. It was the softest one I owned, and I sighed in contentment. A shot of anxiety sparked through my chest when I heard him leaving. What he said next was faraway, already loosing focus.

"I wish it were that easy. Goodnight, Uri."

I couldn't answer, slipping into the void.