A/N: Sorry it took so long to update but I've been having a hard time with this story because it's my baby. I want everything to be perfect for you guys. Anyway, let me know what you think!

The next morning I woke up alone, an unusual occurrence because I always woke earlier than Fitz. I got out of bed, wondering where he was. I used the bathroom and brushed my teeth then went to the kitchen, smiling at the sight of him. He stood at the stove, frowning at whatever he was attempting to cook in a skillet.

"You know, using my kitchen without my express permission and supervision is a crime with a very big punishment," I said, announcing my presence.

He turned around and grinned at me, adorable and sexy at once with his tousled hair and pajama pants sitting low on his hips. "I should be the one punishing you. Your stove is defective. So is this skillet." He looked at whatever was in the skillet. "I think your eggs might be bad too."

"A poor carpenter blames his tools," I teased, smirking at him as I walked over to examine his handiwork. His half-scrambled eggs were beginning to burn. I looked up at him. "Maybe you should let the chef do the cooking from now on, baby."

He pouted cutely. "I was trying to do something nice for my girlfriend."

I kissed his bottom lip then scraped the ruined eggs in the garbage. He leaned against the counter, watching with a smirk as I got new eggs and butter from the refrigerator. I took a bag of flour from the cabinet then cracked the eggs in a glass bowl, whisking them quickly to break up the yolks. I added a dash of flour and explained, "If you add just a little flour, the eggs will be so fluffy it'll be like eating clouds."

I put a bit of butter in the skillet to coat it then beckoned him over as I poured the eggs into the skillet. I gave him the fork and instructed, "Just keep stirring them and they'll scramble. It's easy baby."

I couldn't help but smile as I occupied the space between him and the stove. He was absentmindedly scrambling the eggs with his chin nestled in the curve where my neck and shoulder met. His left hand was flat on my bare stomach. It hadn't even occurred to me to put something on over my underwear. He smelled so good and clean as he nuzzled the underside of my chin, breathing me in as he did.

"Pay attention," I admonished, trying to sound stern as I poked his now still stirring hand. He chuckled as he resumed his scrambling. When the eggs were finished, I put them on a plate then went to get bacon from the refrigerator, a rather difficult task to accomplish with him attached to me.

"You're making cooking a lot harder than it has to be," I said, giggling as he peppered my neck with feather soft kisses. "And you're supposed to be learning. I'm not always gonna be around to feed you."

"Yes you will," he replied, his lips on my shoulder. "I'm never letting you leave this apartment."

He emphasized his statement by pulling me even closer, pressing his growing erection against the small of my back. I put the bacon in the skillet, my hands on autopilot because his teeth were on my earlobe.

"So you're gonna hold me hostage?" I asked giggling as he went back to kissing my neck. My phone began buzzing on the counter. I looked at the screen, smiling at Abby's name.

"I'm at your job and you're not here," she said when I answered.

"I'll be there soon. I'm making breakfast," I replied, giggling as Fitz's index finger circled my belly button. It seemed he turned me into a giggling machine.

"You're with Fitz, aren't you?" she asked in a knowing voice. I could practically hear her smirk.

"He wanted to make me eggs but he didn't know how," I explained, smiling as I put the bacon on the plate with the eggs. He couldn't get them to scramble right. He's so cute when he's frustrated."

"Liv, you're gushing," Abby pointed out.

"I can't help it. I'm in love," I replied, smiling at Fitz. He leaned over and pecked my lips but I wasn't satisfied with one kiss. I grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him in for a few more kisses.

Abby's voice burst our blissful bubble. "You guys know I can hear that right?"

I laughed at accidently putting her on speakerphone when I took the phone from my ear. "Sorry Abbs."

"Tell Fitz I want my friend back!" she exclaimed.

Fitz and I laughed. He replied, "She's mine now and I'm never giving her back!"

"I'm sorry I thought I called my friend Olivia," Abby said. "Shouldn't you be depriving our youth of a decent education, Fitzgerald?"

I laughed. They bickered like brother and sister. Fitz countered, "Taken a swing at anyone lately, Sugar Ray?"

"Are you offering your face as a sacrifice?" she asked. We laughed. They traded barbs for a little bit longer before Abby had to get to work. After I hung up, I looked at Fitz.

"Speaking of work, aren't you supposed to be going to a department meeting today?" I asked, stopping his hands from squeezing my bottom.

"I do but Cy's gonna cover for me. It seems I've fallen ill," he answered with a grin. "That means I'm all yours baby."

He hoisted me onto the counter, his lips headed for my neck. My eyes darted to the clock. It was 10:07. I was planning to go to work not having been there in almost a week. It wasn't like me to miss so many days. "Fitz, baby, stop. I have to get ready for work."

"I'm playing hooky for you. Can't you play for me?" he murmured, his lips on my ear.

"I shouldn't," I breathed. I could feel my heartbeat in my core.

"But you will," he replied confidently, his lips between my breasts.

I pulled his face back so I could look into his beautiful eyes. "Only today."

He smiled as he set me on my feet.

XXXXX

After breakfast, we showered and I straightened my hair, a rather cumbersome process with Fitz's arms wrapped around me.

"What do you wanna do today?" I asked, smiling at the reflection of him nuzzling my jawline.

"Go back to bed," he answered almost immediately.

I laughed. "You're insatiable."

"And you're not?" he asked in reply.

I bumped him with my hip as I turned off the straightener. "We should go to the farmer's market."

"Can we not and say we did?" he groaned.

I smirked at him as I left the bathroom. "You went with her."

"And I was suicidal the whole time," he relied as he followed me into my bedroom. I opened my closet door and pulled out a black and white Breton striped three quarter length sleeved top with an open back and a swingy red skirt. I bent over to get brown wedges then shut the door.

"But it'll be fun with me. Then we can go to Bed, Bath, and Beyond to get you new sheets and a new shower curtain because the one you have is disgusting baby," I reasoned. I put the clothes on the bed then went to sit at my vanity to put on lotion and makeup. Fitz lay back on my bed and sighed.

"I just want you to know you're giving me Mellie flashbacks," he grumbled.

I frowned at hearing her name. I had tried hard to like Mellie, but she made it a terribly difficult task. She was too loud and far too needy with Fitz. She'd touched him constantly, and deferred to him like she couldn't make choices on her own. I remembered the day they'd gone to the farmer's market, the way she had appeared at his side when he answered the door, smiling smugly and wearing his shirt. I had never been more jealous.

Frowning at him, I grumbled, "Why don't you call her then?"

He smiled at me. "Angry?"

I didn't reply, just went back to getting ready. He walked over and scooped me up, wrapping my legs around his waist. He kissed my nose. I turned away from him. He grabbed my chin and made me look at him. "Stop being mad at me."

"I'm not mad," I replied. I wasn't mad. I just didn't like Mellie. I had never been more jealous than the time she was in our lives, starting with my birthday. I couldn't hide my sullenness as I watched her laugh and touch his arm while they sat at the other end of the bar. Edison picked up on my attitude immediately. Mad at your boyfriend? he'd teased. I swore I wasn't, but I couldn't stop frowning. By the time we were ready to leave, Abby scuffling with security as we walked out into the night, I was primed for a meltdown. Edison was seething, apparently ready for a fight. He had an explosive temper, but it was nothing compared to my birthday meltdown, and he shouted himself into becoming a target for my dish-hurling.

"You're mad," he insisted. It was petty and childish, but I never wanted her name to pass his lips unless he was telling me she got hit by a bus.

I pouted at him. "Don't say her name to me anymore."

He looked surprised. "Are you jealous, Liv? Really?"

He laughed and a smile tugged at my lips. I muttered, "She tried to steal you away from me."

He stepped backwards until we reached the bed then sat down. "No one," he planted a kiss on my lips, "will ever," another stomach-fluttering kiss on the hollow of my throat, "steal me," a third magical kiss on my collarbone, "away from you."

"Promise?" I pushed him back on the bed, leaning down so our chests were touching.

"Promise," he replied as he wrapped his arms around me.

"So since we're not going to the farmer's market, what do you wanna do today?" I asked.

"What do you wanna do?" he asked.

I shook my head, smiling at him. "No, no, no. You're the hooky captain today."

"'Hooky captain;' I like it. That's going on my business cards from now on," he replied, making me laugh.

"You're such a dork!" I teased.

"Well you love me so you're a dork too," he argued then asked, "So how do couples spend hooky days?"

"I don't know. I've never played hooky before today," I answered. "My boyfriend's a bad influence."

His lips curled into an adorable grin. "You just called me your boyfriend."

"I call you my boyfriend all the time. Just not to your face." I laughed.

"How about we go to Bed, Bath, and Beyond and get the sheets and the shower curtain then go to some of those boutiques you like. I'll complain about how long you take deciding between two pairs of shoes that look exactly the same, and how much they cost but I'll pay for them anyway because you look at me with those big brown eyes. Then we'll go to the movies, and I'll pick a scary movie so you'll cuddle up next to me. I'll be scared too but I'll act strong because I want you to think I'm a tough guy. After the movie, we'll go out for ice cream and you'll scold me about my manners. Then we'll come home and we'll make dinner together. How does that sound?"

"Like I have the best boyfriend in the world," I replied, grinning like a goon. He gave me a kiss before going into the bathroom to shave. I followed him, smiling as I wrapped my arms around his bare midsection and planted kisses between his shoulder blades. He reached back and squeezed my hip. I lay my head on his back, enjoying the flexing of his back muscles as he shaved. I loved that we could be together in silence. Edison always needed to fill every minute—even intimate moments—with words, usually words I had no interest in hearing or words that inevitably led to an argument. Fitz and I could lay around for hours, reading or watching movies, and never say a word. It never felt awkward. Honestly, they were some of our most intimate times. We could talk endlessly about anything, but our silences held some of the moments when I realized just how deeply I loved him. His laughter made my heart soar, but the way his eyebrows furrowed when he was engrossed in a book made me want him to kiss him senseless.

XXXXX

"Am I fish shower curtain guy?" Fitz asked, holding up a translucent blue curtain covered in tropical fish.

"Well, if you buy the fish curtain then you have to get the fish rug and the fish soap dishes and wall decorations," I replied.

"This curtain is a pyramid scheme," he laughed.

I held up a world map curtain. "This is nice."

"And educational," he replied with a laugh.

We finally decided on a plain black curtain then moved on to bedding to get new sheets. He wanted stripes. I picked up white 1500 thread-count sheets, smiling when he asked why the thread count mattered.

"These are going to feel amazing on your skin," I explained. "You're never gonna wanna sleep in clothes again."

"Why am I spending $80 on sheets when you already make me not wanna sleep in clothes for free?" I laughed as his arms snaked around my waist, pulling me back against him. I couldn't resist pulling his head down by the back of his neck and kissing him. I sucked his tongue into my mouth and someone yelled for us to get a room. We sheepishly pulled away, laughing like teenagers.

"God, we're officially obnoxious," I declared.

"I can't think of anyone else I'd rather be obnoxious with," he replied, leaning down to kiss me again.

"Stop," I mumbled against his lips. "I love how you're suddenly 16 again."

"I wasn't nearly this smooth at 16," he murmured. "Or as lucky."

"You're lying," I replied with a smirk. He had been nothing short of drowning in women since he turned 15 and morphed into a demi-god.

"Just a little," he laughed. "It's not like you were any different."

"Um, yeah I was," I scoffed. "I didn't have sex until freshman year of college, the end of freshman year I might add."

He laughed. "Really, Livvie? That's so cute. You're my little prude!"

I cried, "I'm not a prude!"

He kissed my nose. "Oh, come on. I think it's cute."

"It's not cute," I whined. "And I'm not a prude. You're just slutty."

"Only with you." He smiled like Prince Charming.

XXXXX

I looked down at the two different pumps on my feet. I couldn't decide between a t-strap and a Mary Jane strap. I looked up at Fitz who had lay down on the boutique's couch with a despondent expression. He had been right about me not being able to decide between two pumps that were almost identical. Reluctantly, I admitted, "I can't choose."

He rolled onto his side and looked at the shoes. "You have enough black shoes, Liv."

"Maybe I should look at the blue ones again," I replied, looking down at the shoes.

"Maybe the fact that you can't choose means you have enough shoes," he suggested.

I smirked at him. "Maybe we should try another store."

"Maybe I should run out into traffic," he grumbled as he sat up. I took off the shoes and walked over to him, frowning.

"You're not having fun." He looked up at me and his face softened. He pulled me onto his lap.

"Baby I'm having fun with you. I always have fun with you. But we've been here an hour and a half," he explained.

"I'm sorry. I'll pick." He kissed my cheek and gave me a squeeze.

A pair of red Jimmy Choo open-toed pumps with an ankle strap caught my eye and I tried them on. I smiled at my feet. "These are definitely the ones."

"Great!" he whooped as he hopped off the couch. "Let's go!"

I laughed. "You're such a brat."

XXXXX

We stood in front of the ticket booth, him frowning and me giving him my best sad eyes. I wanted to see Frozen since there were no scary movies playing but he was adamant that we would see anything but it.

"Please," I whined. "James and I loved it."

"Not helping your case," he replied with a smirk.

"Cyrus loved it and he hates everything," I argued. Cyrus had originally objected to seeing a Disney movie but was enchanted by the time we got to "Do You Wanna Build a Snowman."

"You really wanna see this?" he asked, looking down at me. I could see him softening to my will. I gave him my best big brown eyes and nodded. He sighed as he pulled out his wallet. He reluctantly told the girl waiting for our decision, "Two for Frozen."

I wrapped my arms around his waist and kissed his chin. "I love you."

"You're making me cheeseburgers tonight," he replied.

"Okay!" I chirped as I skipped into the theater, pulling him along.

Once I got him to stop trying to make out with me, he got into the movie. I watched with amusement as his eyes lit up during "Let It Go." I teased, "Admit it. You're having fun."

"It's…okay," he replied noncommittally. I laughed as I ate popcorn. When the movie was over, he sat with the biggest grin on his face. I smirked at him, knowing he'd loved the movie just as much as I had. I asked, "So?" He shrugged as he stood then stretched. I gave him a wide-eyed stare of disbelief. "Oh, come on! You love it!"

He shrugged again, still smiling. "It was okay, Liv."

"You are so full of it," I declared as we walked out of the theater. It was still light outside so we left our car and walked down the sidewalk to the Johnny Rockets a few blocks away from the theater. We sat at the bar and ordered a hot fudge sundae to share.

I leaned my chin on my hand, grinning at him as he texted. He looked up at me and smiled then asked, "What?"

"Nothing. You're just handsome," I replied. I smiled playfully at him. "Got a girlfriend, handsome?"

"Yeah," he answered. "She's the best thing in the world. I'm head over heels in love with her. And for some unknown, unfathomable reason, she loves me too. I wanna go on every rooftop and scream how much I love her because she has made me happier than I ever thought possible."

I hopped off my stool and stood between his legs, wrapping my arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around my waist and said, "Now I know a girl as pretty as you has a boyfriend."

"I do," I answered. "He's the sweetest, funniest, most perfect guy in the world. He makes me smile so hard that I think my lips are going to fall off. And he makes me feel so beautiful, and amazing, and loved. I've never loved someone the way I love him. Sometimes I feel like I could just burst from how much I love him. And he loves me too. It's the craziest, most wonderful thing in the world."

He kissed me and I lost track of everything except his tongue dancing with mine. My fingers slid through his curls down to his ears. He groaned in my mouth as I slid them between my index and middle fingers. He pulled me closer, his fingers digging into my hips. The waiter cleared his throat as he set our sundae on the counter. A few patrons were smirking at us. I blushed as I sat back on my stool. Fitz just smiled as he picked up his spoon. He scooped coffee ice cream onto his spoon and held it to my lips.

"Are we really gonna be that couple?" I asked, smiling at him.

"Eat," he commanded. I opened my mouth to accept the spoon.

I grinned at him. "I like when you're bossy."

XXXXX

"Go change your sheets," I instructed as I emptied the canvas Whole Foods grocery bag of his cheeseburger fixings.

"I like when you're bossy," he teased, smiling at me. I swatted his backside with a dish towel then put it back over my shoulder.

He hooked his phone up to his iHome and filled the apartment with music before going into his bedroom. Only when he was gone could I season the ground beef. I lightly buttered Hawaiian sweet roll buns then put them in the oven to warm before putting the burger patties in one skillet and bacon in another. When the burgers were almost done, I placed a slice of cheese on both of them to melt. I took the buns out of the oven and put the tray on the counter.

Fitz walked out of his bedroom, now dressed in sweatpants that sat dangerously low on his hips. He smiled as he walked over to me, singing as he wrapped his arms around my waist.

"Driftin' on a memory

Ain't no place I'd rather be

Than with you

Lovin' you

Well, well, well

Day will make the way from night

All we'll need is candlelight

And a song

Soft and long."

I smiled as he swayed us slowly to the Isley Brothers' crooning, his lips on my ear as I put the burgers together with faltering hands. His voice drifted off as he began planting soft wet kisses on my neck. I had to set the plate down because my hand was shaking. His name came out as an urgent whisper. He smiled against my neck and replied, "Yes, love?"

"Stop," I murmured, my hands on top of his on my breasts.

"No," he replied in the same tone.

"Yes," I whimpered as he squeezed my breasts firmly. "I want you to eat my burger."

"I wanna eat you." His hands slid down my body then under my skirt.

"Please," I whined. "I'll make it worth the wait. I promise."

"You better," he replied, giving my butt a firm smack that made me squeal as he went to turn off the music and turn on the TV. I grabbed a bottle of red wine from the refrigerator and two glasses then went to put them on the coffee table, bumping him with my hip as he passed me to get the plate with our cheeseburgers. He grabbed ketchup, mustard, and mayo from the refrigerator then came to sit next to me, smiling as I struggled to uncork the bottle.

"Need some help?" he asked. He took the bottle and pulled the cork out easily. "Just needed a man's touch."

I laughed. "You're such a caveman."

He gave a primitive grunt then delivered a wet kiss to my cheek, making me laugh harder. I watched, on pins and needles, as he put ketchup, mustard, and mayo on his burger then took a bite. He smiled, closing his eyes as he chewed. "Liv this is amazing!"

"I'm glad you like it. I've never made cheeseburgers before," I replied as I picked up my own burger. Fitz poured wine in our glasses as I put ketchup on my burger. "I love how we're almost 30 and never eat at a table, or off individual plates."

He laughed. We ate and watched House, snuggling as we leaned back against the couch. When we were finished, I washed the dishes, teasing him about not having a dishwasher. He swatted me with his drying towel. After we put the dishes away, I cocked my eyebrow at him. "Go get in bed."

He raised his eyebrows at me. "I'm not sure if I should be excited or scared by the look on your face."

"You'll find out soon enough. I promised to make waiting worth your while, and I intend to do so." I gave him a kiss. "Now go."

So this is a little bit of a cliffhanger but this chapter is already 9 pages long. I promise the next chapter won't disappoint though. Don't forget to leave your reviews! XOXO