Chapter Nine: Unpacking the Past
Lucas stepped into the freshly sky-blue painted living room and removed his brown boots, placing them neatly on the shoe rack that Riley had assembled only a week after moving in—his boots were always trekking mud into their home, so she took no time before finding a solution, as a dirty house and a New York City girl certainly do not mix. After grabbing a chocolate chip cookie from the dessert tray on the table, and darting the entire thing into his mouth, he walked over to their white couch, swallowed, and wrapped his hands around his girlfriend's eyes. "Ready for a surprise?" Lucas asked temptingly.
A smiled crept upon her face, definitely always ready for a surprise. "Is that even a question?" The two had lived together for a total of two weeks now, and since first getting their start, Lucas was very accustomed to surprising her—whether it be flowers, a favorite snack, or a rented movie to watch for the night, the young woman was very spoiled by him. She grabbed his rough hands and removed them from her face, still holding them tightly in her own. "You already know surprises are my favorite things."
Pulling his phone out of the pocket of his jeans, Lucas opened his photos app and clicked on the picture saved at the bottom, enlarging it full screen. He positioned the picture in front of Riley and waited for her to register the view. In the photo was a dapple-gray colt, barely old enough to be separated from its mother, standing long-legged and lanky in the rustic barn where it had been born. "Do you like it?"
"Lucas!" she snatched the phone from the boy's grasps and zoomed in on the horse. "He's so pretty! Can we go visit him?"
"Well…" Lucas walked around the small couch and took his place next to Riley. Giving a light kiss to her cheek, he propped his legs up on the coffee table and crossed tired arms behind his head. "We won't have to visit him, babe. He's ours. We pick him up next week."
Rapidly twisting her head to the side, she was dumbfounded. "Wait," Riley laughed nervously, "he's ours? As in we take care of him? How can we possibly afford a horse?" This didn't make any sense. The two were supposed to be saving money as much as possible right now, and were currently sleeping on a mattress set upon a floor shy of a bedframe in order to cut costs. She scratched her head, confused, and then situated her hair down evenly amongst her shoulders.
"Look, I know this move has been hard on you…and you're right, we shouldn't be spending money on extras right now…but I start my assistant job at Dr. Kaff's next week, so we will at least have a little more income, and I just thought it would be nice for you to have some company here while I'm balancing work and classes. We've got all this land, so I figured I should at least put it to good use for you." Reaching out, he encompassed the delicate young woman and drew her into his chiseled chest. "It's a horse all for you, Riley. Fit for a princess."
He smelled like cedar and was as solid as pressurized coal. It was impossible not to be infatuated with this boy. Riley's entire life she had prayed for someone to sweep her off of her feet and to make her feel like she was special—someone that would give their all to her, as she would to them. As she lay upon him, she sighed smitten, feeling so cared for and safe. "You got me a horse, Lucas. Who even are you?"
"I'm your happily ever after," he smiled knowingly, taking the girl's chin between his index finger and thumb. Lucas lowered his lips towards her glimmering ones and put every emotion he felt into it. This was his favorite hobby, kissing Riley. She was warm and felt like Christmas morning, a place of comfort and sincerity—where you could still be dazed each time you woke up, but yet still feel the exact same cozy sentiment as all of the years prior. He would have Christmas morning every single day if that were an option. Laying her down tenderly into the couch, his hand found a blanket and covered it over their bodies, continuing on to his secondfavorite hobby. As Lucas admired this beautiful young woman, that for some reason beyond his comprehension had chosen him to be her boyfriend, he couldn't help but think of their first time…he always thought of their first time, in every instance when they would reach this point. Senior Prom night was cliché for everyone else, but it wasn't for Riley and Lucas. They'd actually left Prom only thirty minutes in, being unimpressed with the music selection. A hotel room wasn't reserved, no plans were made, no expectations to uphold. This was just a date, as casual as all the rest they'd had. Lucas, after-all, was a gentleman and knew Riley wanted to wait until marriage. However, a couple messy burgers into the night, sitting in Central Park on an isolated bench under a dim lamppost, their kisses deepened, and showed no sign of stopping. Gripping his pressed suit, the girl fell to all temptation and breathlessly asked to be taken to the nearest hotel. He was hesitant at first, but seeing those intoxicating, mesmerizing eyes and recognizing the importance of the request, he obliged. Of course they were very nervous at first, delving into something completely unknown. Though despite the clumsiness, they eventually found footing and rhythm to satiate all that had been building for the three years they'd been together. It was the best night of his life, without a doubt, and each time they reunited, he was able to relive the sacred memory.
Nuzzling into the boy's neck, Riley gave it a light bite and stroked her tan fingers through his already rustled hair. "Eventually, we will have to unpack all of these boxes, you know?" She signaled out towards the evidence stacked in front of their fireplace. "As much as I enjoy these distractions, this house isn't going to organize itself."
"Well then let's get to it, m'lady." Pulling up his previously abandoned boxers, he gave another kiss atop of his girlfriend's chocolate hair and began to sort the container closest to him, though his body was exhausted at this point. Inside it was framed pictures, mostly of their life since middle school—ones of he and Riley that he placed on the mantle, and then ones of he and Farkle as well as Maya and Riley that he set on the shelves beside. Gazing at all of these photos, he could not help but be anything except thankful—for the life he had lived, the people he had met, and the woman he was fortunate enough to come home to each night. The boy turned around and took sight of Riley, still collecting her clothes off of the floor. She was magnificent, and could fill the home better than anything that conceivably remained in those unopened boxes.
Riley dug out her phone between the middle cushions of the couch and then pulled it up to where she could check the hour. It was 6:51PM. "Almost Maya time," she grinned, straightening up the area, setting each pillow to its own designated spot.
Lucas nodded, adoring this girl more than anything, and placed another discovered picture onto the shelf in front of him. "Seven as always, its Maya time." He let a breath escape, and then stuck to his task. "Enjoy, babe."
Running into the bedroom for privacy, the young woman shut the door and pounced onto the mattress, eager to hear from her friend. It had only been twenty-four hours since hearing her favorite voice, but that was obviously twenty-four hours too many. Counting each minute down, she waited until the phone showed seven exactly, and then pressed anxiously upon the top name of her contact list.
A/N: Please review, I love to hear all of your thoughts. This is a very slow burn, it will cater to both ships involved. For fun, post the ship you're rooting for in comments. Thanks!