Author's note: Thank you so much for all the love, you guys. I'm going to keep working on this for a while. There might be time jumps eventually. I have visions of lovely things. Even some special guests walking in on something. It will be lovely.

Anyway, happy reading!

Chapter Five

Adrian called Jill a few days later. "How do you feel today?"

"Fine. Why are you calling instead of texting?" she asked.

"I want to hear your beautiful voice. Is that so wrong?"

"I don't guess so. What's up?"

"How do you think the block exercises are going?"

"Fine. I've been working on it all week when I was studying."

"Good."

Jill asked suddenly. "Are you going to sleep with her?"

That's unexpected. Adrian sputtered. "Well, I don't plan on it anytime soon. She's better than that."

"Good. I was about to say that."

"Yeah."

"I've been privilege to your imaginations." She pointed out.

"What does that mean?"

"You want to marry her."

"Haven't you ever fantasized about marrying a guy you like?"

"Yeah. All girls dream about their wedding at some point."

"Well, guys can do that too." He paused. "I just want to have a private conversation with her and not have to worry if you've been listening in."

"I understand. But I wouldn't say a word."

"You're a good kid, you know that?"

"Yeah, my mom tells me that." She chuckled. "I like talking to you, Adrian, but I really need to get back to my homework."

"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow when we go to the feeder."

"Okay."

Adrian stared at his phone for a few seconds and then he called Sydney. "Hey. Can you come over?"

"Not tonight, I've got a ton of homework."

"Do it over here. I want to see you." He begged.

"Adrian, if I come over there, all you're going to do is flirt with me and touch me until you have me on my back on your couch."

"You make it sound so sordid, Sage. I just want to see you. I'll sit in a corner and paint and you can do your homework."

"I have a curfew."

"You're an adult."

"Yeah, but they don't know that here."

"You're getting your things together, aren't you?"

"I'll be there in a few minutes." She said, just before she hung up.

I had actually started getting my things together as soon as Adrian had requested it. I could do this work in my sleep. And I could finish whatever I didn't do tonight first thing in the morning. Most of what I planned to work on was stuff due in a few days' time anyway, so I didn't really have to do it. I put that stuff back.

I hurried down the steps, not getting scrutinized, thankfully. I stopped off to get coffee before completing the trip. Adrian opened the door for me when I walked in. He stepped to the side and motioned me through the door and then he took my hand and kissed it.

I smiled and shook my head, "You're ridiculous."

"I know." He led me into the living room and we sat down on the couch together.

I pulled out my homework and started on it.

Adrian leaned into me and kissed my neck.

"Hey!" I said, pushing him away with a giggle. "You said you were going to let me do my homework."

"That was before you got here and I realized how much I've been missing you." He kissed my neck again.

"I'll let you kiss me if you let me finish this. I have a few more problems to do."

He made a face. "Math."

"Yeah, well, it's kind of your fault I have to be stuck back in school."

"How is it my fault?" he asked.

"Out of a big chain of events, I choose you to blame because I like you the most." I met him the last few inches and kissed him.

He smiled and pulled the book off my lap. He placed the paper and pencil in the crease and closed it as he sat it on the coffee table. Then he pulled me on top of him as he reclined on the couch.

I pushed myself up. "What are you doing?"

"Letting you take over for once." He said, running a hand up my side.

I smiled. "I need to finish my math."

"Kiss me for a while first. You have hours."

"I also have reading for my English class."

"No doubt a book you read already."

I leaned down and kissed him. Then I said against his lips. "One hour."

"One hour kissing or one hour until all your work is done?"

"One hour until all my work is done." I sat back up and pulled my book back onto my lap.

He sighed. "Fine." He sat in the opposite corner of the couch and watched me.

The silence was lovely. I never thought silence could be so comfortable. I turned and stretched me legs out, resting my feet on his lap. He took it as an unintended cue and started massaging them.

I sipped my coffee occasionally and shared smiles with Adrian. It felt very domestic. I sat my finished homework and empty cup on the table and crawled to the end of the couch. I cupped Adrian's cheeks and gave him several soft kisses on his lips.

He stretched out and pulled me on top of him once more. One of my hands tangled in his hair while the other caressed his cheek and slid up his arm where it wrapped around my waist. I shifted it up higher when it dipped a little too low.

I resumed the kiss and the caresses as he slid his hands up and down my back. I felt him fiddling with my bra. I broke the kiss. "Excuse me, that is not happening right now."

He smirked and moved his hand away. "Just testing my limits."

"And that's the limit." I said. I rested my head on his shoulder.

He ran his fingers over my spine. "We never do this." He said softly.

"No, we don't."

We were quiet again. We breathed the same breath. My finger drew lazy circles on his shoulder as his fingers continued their journey up and down my spine.

"I like this." He said finally.

"Me too." I said around a yawn.

"You'll get in trouble if you don't get back before curfew."

"I know." I pushed myself up and kissed him softly and then sat back.

"Could we maybe…have a talk?"

"About what?"

He hesitated. "Sex."

I was shocked by that. It wasn't what I expected. I thought maybe he wanted to talk about what we should call our relationship. But not that. I got up and filled a glass with water from the pitcher Adrian kept in the fridge.

"I'm sorry. Never mind." He lit a cigarette.

I sat back down beside him. "I don't want to do it. I mean, I do. But not any time soon."

"And not with me?"

"I wouldn't mind it being with you." I said shyly. "I've just never really thought about it. Not in terms of anyone. I've always been so focused on other things."

Through all of this, he smoked heavily on his cigarette. "I think about it a lot."

"Well, you're male. Men of your age crave it more than women. Women crave it more when they're older." I was rambling. We both had our ways of dealing with the awkwardness.

He stubbed out his cigarette and blew the smoke away. "Forget I even brought it up." He got up and started pacing.

"I want to." I said. "But I always thought I'd wait for a while if I was ever with someone. That's not something I just want to throw away. And if we get to that step while we're here, it's even more likely that we could mess up somewhere."

"Yeah." He said, combing his fingers through his hair. "I could use a drink. This is so awkward."

"Why is it awkward? You've done it before, haven't you?"

"Yeah." He stopped and looked at me. "Most of them…except Rose…"

"Okay, I know once she enters into the conversation—"

He cut me off. "I loved her Sydney. I thought we had something."

"Then what do we have?"

"I'd like to think that the slip-up I had at the movie the other night wasn't much of a slip-up."

"Like I'm your girlfriend?"

He shrugged and reached for another cigarette. "Not if that's not cool with you."

"I don't know. I don't think that's a good idea."

He put the pack away without lighting up again. "Yeah."

I stood up and tugged on his arm. I pulled him back onto the couch. I kissed him. "I like you. I like this. And I don't want to move any farther than what we have right now. At least for the moment."

He nodded and kissed the back of my hand. "Lay with me here for a little while longer?"

"Sure."

We stretched out on the couch again. This time I rested my ear over his heart. He played with my hair as I listened to its beating.

"I bet it will be great if we ever get to it." I said after a while.

"It will be." He agreed. He kissed the top of my head.

"And you would know because you've done it."

"Not with you. Every girl is different. But you've got a lot of pent-up passion that I'd love to unleash."

I turned my eyes into his chest.

"You're so amazing." He whispered huskily.

I chuckled. "Are you seriously trying to get me all hot and bothered?"

"Is it working?"

I laughed. "Only a little. I have better willpower than that." I sat up and smoothed down my hair. "I need to get going."

"May I visit your dreams tonight? I haven't done that in a while."

"As long as you promise the dream walking will be this moment." I kissed him and then gathered my things. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Tomorrow." He echoed.

He walked me toward the door and we shared several more kisses before I finally was able to make myself leave.