I didn't think I'd ever wake up in a car bed. Then again, Seven isn't like what some would consider a normal guy either. Not that I was complaining. It was a damn nice car bed. Not everyone can cut down a Lamborghini like this one. It's beautiful. That's for sure. Granted, Seven is a big boy and should have a big boy bed, but like I said, not complaining. I opened my eyes and took a good look around the room. Aside from the car bed, it was standard fare. Dresser, mirror, chair, closet. Bathroom was a little to the left. I could do better, but I also did better for a living. Here nor there.
Because that bathroom was starting to look pretty damn good. However, the second I tried peeling Seven off me, he twitched. Nope. I can hold it. Honestly, I was completely ok with it. My arms tightened around him and as if acting on reflex, Seven nuzzled his face into my side, letting out a little whimper in his sleep. Oh, Seven…How long and how badly have you needed this? How touch starved have you been? As much as it sucks, I can relate. I know he jokes about how I could have Trevor at the drop of a hat, but having been down that route already, I didn't want him. And he didn't want me. That was the part that hurt the worst. I could still hear him clear as a bell in the back of my head, saying he didn't want me. Trevor was also hella drunk that night, but drunk just said what sober didn't have the balls to. So, what do we do? We stay friends…ish.
"MC," Saeran stood in the doorway, "Are you still here?"
"Shh!" I hushed him, keeping my voice down, "Yeah. Obviously. But could you keep it down, Saeran? He's still asleep."
"Sorry," he took a seat in the aforementioned chair, swinging his legs over the arm.
"What do you want?" I asked, cradling Seven against my chest.
"I was going to grab some breakfast," Saeran explained, "I was wondering if you wanted anything while I was out."
"No," I shook my head, "But thank you. We're good."
"I see that," he pointed out, "Can I ask you something? And without you losing your shit over it?"
"Sure, Saeran," I allowed, "I'm an open book. What's on your mind?"
"Are you…" Saeran thought it over for a second or two, "Should I expect to see this kind of thing more often?"
"I don't know," I smiled a little, "That's up to him."
"Well," he figured, "You like him, don't you?"
"Of course I do," I didn't even have to question it, "I adore him dearly. Seven and I…I'd love for this to be a thing. And a regular thing at that. I mean, he's the dork from next door. The asshole that blasts Mr. Brightside when I'm trying to sleep. But if we're being completely honest here, when he took me for dinner to pay me back for his office, after that was said and done, those few days where I didn't hear from him…"
"I remember them."
"I missed him," my chest ached a little, "I got so used to having him around and hearing whatever music he was playing on the other side of the wall that I had a hard time sleeping without it. He's…I don't want to say it."
"Say what?" Saeran wondered, idly listening.
"The last time I said he was special to me," I winced, "He freaked. I didn't hear from him for a few days. And I'd hate to go back into that vicious cycle."
"He's still here now, isn't he?" he nodded toward his brother all snug in my shoulder.
"Well, yeah," I shrugged him off, "But he's also still asleep."
"Is he?" Saeran had a dirty, shit eating smirk on his face that had me doubting myself. He had a real talent for that kind of thing, "You're welcome, Saeyoung. The cat's out of the bag. Are you happy now?"
Seven cuddled a little closer into me, hiding his quickly reddening face. I don't think he was asleep, "You were awake?!"
"You were honest?" Seven looked up at me, his eyes all sparkly like he was on the verge of tears.
"Of course I was," I squeaked, "All you had to do was ask me, Seven! I would've told you! Instead, you got Saeran to corner me?"
"You let your guard down," Saeran critiqued, "That's not my fault."
"Hey, MC," Seven reached over on the nightstand and grabbed his glasses, "You want to go get breakfast?"
"Seriously?" I feel like I just got played here, "You have Saeran ask me if I'd ever be interested in a relationship with you and what my true feelings were instead of asking me yourself, yet you have the audacity to ask me for breakfast?"
"That summed it up nicely," he pushed himself out of bed, "Is that a yes or a no on breakfast?"
"On one condition," I put my foot down, "You let me ask you just one question."
"Alright," Seven allowed, "That's fair."
If he could do it, so could I, "Are you in love with me?"
I could see it in his eyes. That boy was a deer in the headlights. Come on, Seven. You're so smart. You should've seen that one coming. Yet, here we were. In lieu of an answer, he completely blew me off, "Come on, MC. We just woke up. Breakfast first. It is the most important meal of the day. Not to mention, it's awful for you to skip meals. I've taken your option away from you. We're going to get breakfast, you and I."
"Fine," I wasn't going to turn him down in the first place. I've been around Seven long enough to know somewhat how he operates. He's procrastinating with the prospects of breakfast. I had to admit, though. I was kind of hungry and something tells me I know where we'll be going. Lines in the sand needed to be drawn, though, "I will get my answer, Seven."
"And that's fine by me," Seven went into the bathroom and shut the door behind him, "But you already have it!"
What? Seven's twitchy ass was an absolute Rubik's cube to figure out. If a Rubik's cube had a baby with a Rube Goldberg machine and that baby threw a cat in a bathtub, I have no doubt in my mind that's what Seven's stream of consciousness looked like. It was a simple yes or no question, yet here we have Seven overcomplicating it and speaking in riddles like some sort of bridge troll. He's already told me? He could've told me the answers to life somewhere in his nonsensical rambling tangents he does and I wouldn't have a clue. Then again, I don't think he would either.
Nevertheless, Seven and I pulled ourselves together and headed for the diner. I kind of wanted to go to the vegan place Zen took me to, but the diner had been tried and true. Why fix it if it's not broken, right? As the two of us ate our pancakes in complete silence, I glared a hole through Seven. It's not that I'm overly pissed off at him. Far from it. Although, he didn't have to use Saeran to get answers out of me. But this is Seven. He's the most extroverted introvert I have ever met in my life. All the while I was burning the inside of his brain with my eyes, the smile on Seven's face couldn't get any bigger. Which made breakfast all the more infuriating.
"MC," Seven wondered, "Are you mad at me?"
"No," I kept as level of a head as humanly possible, "Why would you possibly say such a thing?"
"Because," he pointed out, "I have a feeling that if you could shoot laser beams out of your eyes, I'd be dead where I sit. But dude! That'd be so cool! Can you shoot laser beams out of your eyes, MC? Because that would be cool as hell! You could fight crime and I could be your lovable sidekick that eventually gets a spinoff that does even better than the original series!"
"I can't shoot laser beams out of my eyes," I promised. And he's lucky I couldn't. Because he wouldn't be exactly dead where he sits. However, there'd be a nice burn mark between his eyes, "And I'm not mad. Horribly impatient, yes. But no, Seven. I'm not mad at you."
"Don't be so bitter, MC," Seven took my hand, "You'll find out in due time. But for now, you just need to wait a little longer."
"Fine," I snapped a little, ready to hit him. If he was my sidekick, his spinoff would be because of a falling out the two of us had. Which would lead to our series of one of us becoming a villain to get our vengeance against the other one, but then, we set aside our differences and go back to fighting crime together. Mother of God, I've been around Seven too much. We're starting to think alike. It could be worse.
"You know," he teased, "Your face is going to stay like that."
"No, it's not," I assured, ready to drive him through a wall. Come on, Seven. Just tell me. Relax, MC. It's like Saeran said. You don't want to scare him away and you know what kind of flight risk Seven can be. He can be exhausting, but it's totally worth it in the end. Just to pacify him, I relaxed my face. Actually…That felt much better than the angry glare I had going on.
Once the two of us were content and full of pancakes, we started heading back to my place. The only suck part was the black van still parked in front of the building. Gee, I wonder what that could possibly be. Do these people not have a hobby or is trying to get a glimpse at the girl that stole Zen's heart their idea of how to kill a Sunday afternoon? Unbelievable. I haven't had the stomach to look at the internet since the article went up. Besides, I was a little busy with shitty, low budget movies in Seven's theater.
"Hey, MC," Seven tapped on my shoulder, "Are there still photographers in front of the building?"
"Unfortunately," I grumbled, beyond done with this bullshit. A part of me wanted to scream at them that I wasn't seeing Zen, but the best thing to do is to keep my mouth shut and not give Zen's publicist more to handle.
"I'm sorry," Seven took off his hoody and wrapped me in it, "There. Is that better?"
"Yeah," I went to put the hood up only to have it knocked back down, "What the hell, Seven?"
"Don't put the hood up yet," he demanded, looking over my shoulder toward the photographers.
"Why not?" I wondered. That was the whole purpose of Seven giving me his hoody. So I could hide in it.
"Because," Seven snaked his arm around my back, making sure the cameras saw, and pulled me into something he's wanted to do since we were on the roof (if not before). As the flashes went off around us, I didn't even care they were there anymore. I didn't expect a kiss from Seven to be filled with such fiery passion, yet be so beautiful and gentle. This boy truly was an enigma, but I think he just gave me my answer, "That's why. I love you, MC. If I didn't, I wouldn't have just put my anonymity on the line for you. Because of you…It's time for the international man of mystery to just be an international man. And that's all because of the girl who stole his heart."
After that, my own heart shattered to pieces. I did it. I broke him without breaking him. Still caught in a daze and seeing spots from the camera flashes, I could only say one thing, "No."
"Wait," Seven gave me a confused look, "No? MC, I just poured my heart out to you. That's not something that happens every day. You'd have a better chance at seeing a unicorn, yet you say no?"
"And I stand by what I said," I clarified, cradling his cheek in the palm of my hand, "Because you, my dear, sweet, and wonderful Seven, will always be a mystery to me. I can promise you that. Scientists a hundred years in the future will still be picking apart your brain, wondering what exactly made it tick, and come up short."
Seven pulled me against his chest, never wanting to let me go, "That's my girl."
"Yes," I reveled in his warmth, beyond content with the world, "Yes, I am."
"Before we're mobbed," he pulled himself together, "And before you see me break down in tears, I should get going."
"Ok," I understood. He had a Saeran to get home to.
"I got a few things to take care of," Seven gently kissed my cheek, "I want you to stay inside for the day, ok? Don't come out until I come get you. If you want, I'll send you my Netflix information."
"Oh, Seven," I melted inside, "You really do love me."
"I'm serious, MC," he giggled a little, "Stay inside. Got it?"
"I will," I got one last kiss, "I'll see you soon."
"Sure will."
