Dolls & Peepholes

Through the peephole he was standing there with washed out flowers looking like a drowned rat. She couldn't decide who looked more defeated, him or the droopy daisies hanging from his hand.

It must have been the sad daisies that got to her, because she opened the door.

His smirk dominated over the puppy dog eyes the second he crossed the threshold and grabbed her.

"You need to apologize to me." She demanded, pushing both her palms against his chest.

He leaned into her ear. "I really am sorry you loved that porcelain catastrophe so much."

"That wasn't what I meant." Her hand slapped hard against his chest – he ignored it.

He tilted his head towards her pulled away one, letting his lips hover over hers. He heard her breathing hitch as it always did when they got this close.

He was going to make her sorry for locking him out in that downpour.

"It was ugly, and I am not going to feel sorry for breaking it. But… I will apologize for this…" He let his voice trail off as their lips grazed one another and her eyes closed. She had fallen for it.

Quickly reaching behind her while she was distracted he grabbed the final remaining porcelain doll from their mantel.

She groaned in complaint when he pulled away, then yelled when she opened her eyes. "Damn it, put that back!"

He knew this game well enough, and it would take more than that.

Putting it up in the air and out of her reach he spoke. "Not until the signed Gretzky photo goes back up!"

She stopped jumping at his hand and rolled her eyes. "No way, that was tacky."

He laughed and shook the doll in the air. "And this isn't?"

"No, that's art." She folded her arms.

"Whatever, either the great one gets his place back or the doll gets it." He pretended to throw the figurine and she screamed.

"Fine!" In the blink of an eye she was gone and back again with the signed photo in her hand.

"On three…" She said hovering the photo over the mantel.

"… Two … Three" Both items were placed on either end of the mantel and they both let out a sigh of relief looking at one another.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Jerk."

He reflected the look and took the first step forward. "Loser."

"Idiot." Step.

"Prude." Step.

They were inches apart. "I really hate you sometimes." She said with a smirk she had stolen from him a long time ago.

His voice answered in a whisper. "Oh trust me, I hate you way more."

"Good."

Great."

And then she kissed him.