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"I'm sorry, I miss you too but I have to stay." I smiled into the phone as I talked to Austin.
"Als, you've been cooped up in that bakery for three days."
"Austin you promised." I said, feeling guilty.
"I know, but you also promised to always kiss me goodnight and never go to sleep frustrated and I am frustrated that my lips have not been on yours in three nights."
"I am so close to finishing my summer flavors please just give me one more night" I begged.
"Alright, I'll pick up a shift tonight and then I will have 2 whole uninterrupted nights with you, ok?"
"Sounds amazing. See you tomorrow morning?"
"See you tomorrow morning, I miss you."
"I know, now stop guilt tripping me."
"Sorry, but I'm just a hero who misses his girlfriend.."
"Alright superman, be safe tonight" I giggled.
"I will, wonderwoman."
I made a kissing noise into the phone.
"I refuse to resort to that, mostly because my guys would make fun of me for eternity."
"Bye Lieutenant."
"Bye Cupcake."
I felt my cheeks heat up as he hung up the phone. He hadn't called me that since the first time we had breakfast together. I remember hating it so much that I used it as one of the reasons I would avoid him. But, today when he said it I didn't mind it as much.
The past two weeks had been heaven, I was loving the time Austin and I had together and when we had work coming home to him was something I thought I could get used to. We would switch off whose house we stayed at. Luckily in such a small town you are never too far from anywhere so it didn't really make a difference where I stayed. While Austin worked doubles I helped Trish with the wedding, I still couldn't believe Austin's best friend was marrying mine. It was like some weird love story. But, every time that thought crossed my mind I was also reminded that life wasn't a love story. It also made me fear the future, because I wanted to make sure Austin was in it and I didn't know how to quite do that yet. Nothing was for certain or forever, I learned that.
"I can't believe you" Trish said, walking through the doors from the front counter, pulling me from my thoughts.
"Excuse me?" I laughed.
"You have this amazing guy waiting for you at home and where are you? Here."
"So do you, and here you are working instead of planning your wedding!" I exclaimed.
"Ally, you know that Dez and I are waiting until next spring, I have plenty of time and plus he's working tonight."
I didn't respond with words I just shot her a 'Well, I don't really care' look.
"You are gonna do the same thing you did to all the other guys in your life." She said getting ready to walk back out with a tray of cookies I had just baked.
"Oh yeah and what's that?" I said, halting her movements.
"Drive them away. Force them to find someone else to spend their time with."
"So, the fact that my past boyfriends cheated on me is my fault?"
"No, I'm not saying that. All I'm saying is that I like Austin, I like you and Austin together. Please, go see him."
"He's working" I shrugged.
"So bake something and bring it to him." She motioned in a circle around the cookies for emphasis.
"What?"
"Do it."
"Fine." I pouted, secretly excited to see Austin.
So as I did the past two times I had been to see Austin at work I baked up some snickerdoodles, his favorite, and headed over, full of confidence. Well, that was until I started to remember the thought that was in the back of my head ever since that night at Austin's. I really didn't know Austin all that well and yet I felt like I had known him my entire life. Still, there were so many questions left unanswered.
My self confidence lowered even more as I arrived outside and saw that one of the trucks wasn't there. They must have gotten a call or something. I quickly contemplated waiting or leaving and decided on the former. I probably could have went in and sat down but I decided as it was a beautiful spring night to sit outside. I pulled out my little notebook which held my new recipe ideas and also some songs I wrote back in high school. I read over the ingredients, then the procedure. Taking some notes in the margin I pondered what kind of call they could be on. Then my phone rang.
"Hello?" I answered.
"Ally, don't get mad ok?
"What is it Trish?"
"There may or may not be some firefighters and their firetruck sitting outside the door right now."
I felt my jaw drop as I comprehended what she said. "TRISH!"
"How was I supposed to know?" She defended.
"I'm on my way back now, I'll be there in 2 minutes. Do not let them leave" I threatened.
I fast-walked down the sidewalk, hoping they would be able to stay long enough. As the bakery came into view I saw the big red firetruck parked across the almost empty street. I yanked on the door but it was locked, we were closed. I balanced the plate of cookies in my one hand and fished for my keys with another. I felt them fall from my pocket and hit the ground. I sighed and looked down at them, silently cursing.
"Need some help?" I felt my heart jump as my eyes popped up from the ground.
"Yes" I smiled at Austin as he emerged from the truck. "I thought you guys would be inside."
"We have to get going back to the station soon, we only left to get gas. I made them stop on the way back." He looked down and rubbed his neck.
"Why are you nervous?" I laughed.
"I am not nervous" His voice hit a high note I never heard before.
"Yeah and I'm six feet tall." I giggled.
He laughed along, taking a step closer. "Are those for me?" He nodded towards the plate.
"Maybe."
"I bet they are amazing, I can't wait to eat them all and get fat." He took them from my hand before setting them down on the bench next to the door.
"That might be a deal breaker" I joked. "I mean I only agreed to go out with you for your abs."
He held his heart in fake hurt. "Ouch."
"Just kidding, but they are a plus." I took another step closer to him.
"Damn, I wish we didn't have work. I miss you next to me every night."
The horn of the firetruck sounded off behind us.
"Just kiss me already, before they squirt us with the hose."
He laughed before leaning down and connecting our lips in a passionate deep kiss. I felt his hand on the small of my back, lifting me off the ground to bring us closer. It wasn't until the boys started hooting and hollering that we came back to reality.
"Do you work tomorrow?"
"Not if you don't." I smiled up at him.
"I'll see you in the morning then?" He said, it coming out as more of a question.
My smile grew. "Normal spot?"
"Oh of course!" He chuckled jumping up into the truck, but not before scooping up his plate of cookies.
Trish appeared from behind the truck as it peeled away from the sidewalk and started down the street. I watched it all the way until it turned the corner and out of my sight.
"See, don't you feel better now?"
I shook my head at her. "Come on, we need to finish these cupcakes so I can get on with my life."
"More like get it on with a certain lieutenant." She wagged her eyebrows at me as we walked into the bakery.
"I am so sorry Austin, I overslept and-" I started to walk towards the table but stopped dead in my tracks when I saw the worried look on his face, mixed with anger.
"We haven't seen each other in days and then you almost completely blow off a morning date without a call or text, I was worried sick Als"
He got up and gave me a quick hug that normally would have comforted me but this one I felt like it was just a reassurance that I was actually there. After, he went back to his seat and took a long sip of coffee.
"Austin, I'm sorry, but I was up late trying to complete my work before-"
"I was up late last night fighting an apartment fire. I got 2 hours of sleep, but here I am. If you didn't want to get up that early then all you had to do was say so."
"I wanted to, I planned to. I just messed up." I sighed in defeat.
"You did." He smiled for the first time that morning, rising from his seat to come over to me again.
"Hey!" I shouted slightly, noticing the change in mood.
"Next time you oversleep, text me, so I don't lose my mind and start a search party for you."
"Austin, people oversleep all the time, I highly doubt a search-"
"Als, a couple weeks ago I found you curled up in a ball over your mother's grave on the verge of freezing to death. People may oversleep and shit may happen, but with you I want to know when it does. I worry about you." He wrapped his arms around my shoulders and pulled me close.
"I worry about you too, Mr. Apartment Fire." I pouted, poking his chest his chest.
"It was nothing, in and out in a couple of hours. Most of it was superficial smoke anyway."
"I am sorry about this morning, I didn't mean to upset you." I mumbled into his shirt, taking in the scent.
"Come on let's go." He said, relocating me under his arm.
"But I didn't get to get coffee" I whined.
"That's what you get for sleeping in." He joked as we walked out of the coffee shop.
"Fine but if I don't get coffee then I do get to know what we are doing today."
"Oh, you wanna know what we're doing today?" He said, mockingly.
"Yes."
"Would you like me to announce it from a rooftop or write in the sky?" He smirked.
"What are you talking about?" I laughed at his playful mood.
"Well, I kinda thought it was obvious what we were doing today." He shrugged before removing his arm from my shoulder and taking my hand.
I held onto his arm with my other hand that wasn't connected with my his, leaning my head onto his bicep. "All day?"
"Oh, all day baby." He wagged his eyebrows at me. "Unless you would rather do something else."
"Oh no, all day works for me. I just hope you're prepared, I slept in remember, Mr. two hours of sleep."
I watched as a wicked smirk spread across his face as we approached his apartment. "Listen up Cupcake, I was trained to perform at 110% on little to no sleep. I don't think I am anything less than prepared, especially when I have such good motivation."
He playfully smacked my butt as we walked up the stairs and I let out a yelp before he lowered his face to my ear.
"Race you." And then he took off. "Winner gets top!" He yelled down to me as I stayed there shocked into paralysis.
Then reality hit me and I took off like lightening. Austin Moon never failed to surprise me.
"I never want to leave this bed." Austin whispered into my neck as he peppered it with kisses.
"Austin it's been like 24 hours, we need to get up and go out into the sunlight. I'm running low on vitamin D." I smiled as he trailed up my jaw and his eyes met with mine.
"I know something you're not running low on." He smirked. "Vitamin A."
I pushed him off of me and sat up. "You're a dork."
"No, don't get up again." He pulled me back down and I moaned.
"Austin we need to get up." I whined.
"We did get up, and we got a shower and we ate like 2 times. That's like 3 things."
"I'd hardly call that progress." I said, even though I stopped fighting to get up.
"Why do we need to make progress, I just want to lay here with you in my arms, forever." He kissed my jaw again, trailing down to my sweet spot on my neck.
"Forever?" I asked, this was the first talk of the future with him and I immediately wanted to take back my words.
"Well, maybe not forever." My heart dropped. "Unless you wanted to….nevermind."
"No, what?" I said, pulling his gaze to mine.
He stared for a long time, attempting to read my mind with his eyes, searching them furiously. "Move in with me." He said after a few silent beats.
I felt my heart jump out of throat. "Wha-what?"
"I love waking up to you in my arms, and we are usually at your house or mine so why not save some money?"
"Austin, I love the idea of moving in with you but lets be practical here, what about when you work the night shifts?"
"You would stay here and keep my bed warm for me when I get back in the morning."
"Austin, this is your place. If and when we do move in together I want it to be our place. It won't feel right moving in here or having you move in at my place."
"Take the 'if' out of that sentence and you have yourself a deal." He smiled down at me as he now hovered over my body.
"Ok, but when we do move in together I want it to be a home. I mean we are both getting older and I just want you to know that I'm not looking for something short term. I want to settle down eventually."
"This is probably a conversation we should be having over dinner or something. Not lying naked in my bed." He smirked, looking down at my body.
"Fine, take me out to dinner tonight. We will talk then." I rolled out from beneath him and gathered my clothes.
"Woah, where are you going?"
"I have a hot date I have to get ready for." I smirked back at him as he sat back on the bed. "Now, what to wear?"
"Dress to kill, as usual." He said with a wicked smile.
I smiled to myself as I walked out of his apartment a few minutes later after a heavy makeout session by the front door. I was in love with Austin Moon, and there was no way around it.
I know its been tooooooo long but life has been so crazy and I have been consumed with college and then summer happened and my boyfriend took me on a trip to Florida as an anniversary gift so I was kinda preoccupied with that but no more excuses. He is back at work and I am back to writing during my lunch breaks at work and at night before bed so hopefully I can keep updating more regularly again. I am so sorry and thank you to all my day one readers who have stuck through the long wait periods and continued to wait while I neglected to write but I promise to be better! XOXOX