I swear Nicos' arm weighs 50 pounds.

Trying to get it off of me without waking him up was one of the hardest things I've ever done. I was basically out of breath after, but I waited until I was out of the bedroom to start breathing heavily.

I pulled the pans out as quietly as I could. Nico is gonna be so shocked when he wakes up to a breakfast cooked for him by me.

Because I'm the best girlfriend ever.

The bright sun lit up the kitchen, filling it without a single light on. I poured the pancake mix onto the pan and put it on the stove, and started to make some coffee.

By the time the coffee was done, I could flip the pancake. Once I flipped it, I walked over to the window to see if there was a breeze today since Winter and I were going to be outside.

I slid the kitchen window up, smiling when a cool breeze sent some of my baby hairs to fly around. The sound of a dog barking to my left made me turn my head, and there was an entire family in the backyard. Two dads were with their two kids, and their children were playing with their dog. They all looked so happy and carefree, all of them smiling widely.

I wish my family was like that.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

The loud alarm made me cover my ears before turning around.

"Oh shit," I swore to myself, seeing the black pancake burning and smoking profusely.

I removed my hands from my ears, letting the sound of the fire alarm nearly make me deaf. I removed the pan from the stove and turned the stove off, but the alarm was still beeping.

I picked up a rag and started shaking it in the air, trying to get rid of the smoke. I heard Nico start to come down the stairs, so I dropped the rag and casually stood in the kitchen as if the fire alarm wasn't still blaring.

"Elle? What the fuck happened?" he asked while looking around for the fire.

I shrugged like nothing happened, "I don't know. I'm just eating my pancake."

He glanced at the black pancake in the pan, and I watched as his brain slowly pieced it together. He picked up the rag and shook it around near the alarm to clear the smoke, and it finally stopped beeping.

"I don't know why it did that," I shrugged and gestured to the pancake. "This pancake is cooked perfectly."

Nico looked at me with a 'really?' expression. When I nodded, he picked up a fork and walked over to the pan. He tried to send the fork through the pancake, but it was so hard that it didn't even break it.

I put my hands up, "Hey, everybody has different tastes."

He leaned down and kissed my cheek, "This is why I should make our food."

"I tried my best," I sighed, and he pulled me into a hug. My arms wrapped around his torso, and his wrapped around my back.

"I know you did. Let me make you something before you go and see Winter," he suggested, and I nodded against his chest.

I pulled away quickly when I remembered the coffee. I didn't mess that up.

I grabbed one of the mugs and handed it to him with a smile, and he thanked me while he took it. He sipped on it while I sat down, and he grabbed a new pan while pulling eggs and bacon out of the fridge.

I'm meeting Winter downtown in 45 minutes, and Nico has to work today, so it works out perfectly. I have a shift tomorrow, and I'm going to be the only person there since my grandparents don't also need to be there during shifts that are later in the day. So I'll be able to play my drug music as loud as I want to.

Nico cooked the food like it was the easiest thing he has ever done. He slid the full plate across the counter to me, and with how much my stomach was grumbling, I didn't even wait a second before starting to eat.

As I ate, he stood across from me, leaning his elbows and forearms on the table. I chewed and he asked me, "You need me to pick you up after?"

I shook my head, "No, you don't have to leave work. Winter has a car, I'll have her drop me off back here."

He nodded in agreement. I was already ready for the day, white dress on and my hair wavy. Nico told me he was going up to take a shower before we left, and since I ate slow and he showered quick, we were both ready to go at the same time.

Winter was already where we were meeting, and I hummed to the radio while we drove. Nico suddenly turned the music down and said, "If anything happens, you know to call me. Right?"

"Right," I agreed, even though I wasn't worried about anything happening.

I smiled and waved at Winter as she came into view. She stood up off of the bench, and Nico parked directly in front of her. I leaned across the seat and kissed his cheek, "I'll-"

He cut me off by grabbing my face and pressing his lips against mine. I felt all warm inside as we kissed, and he grabbed a handful of my hair for a moment.

He released it and my lips, "I'll see you at home later."

Home.

I nodded before getting out, and I was quick to greet Winter with a hug.

"What do you wanna do!" she asked me excitedly as Nico pulled away. "I was thinking we could get some iced coffees and walk around for a bit."

"That sounds perfect," I agreed while linking my arm with hers.

We got iced coffees from a local shop and walked around for way longer than I thought. She told me stories from when she was in high school, and I told her some stories about my brothers. But because I have the body of grandma, I asked if we could sit and rest at the park after about two hours.

She agreed and we tossed our empty cups into a nearby garbage can. All of the benches were full, so we went to lay on the grass.

We laid down, and I kept my legs straight out in front of me, but crossed them at my ankles.

"So," she said while we looked up at the sky. "Tell me about your boyfriend."

"I actually just moved in with him," I confessed, the words still sounding surreal. "It was unexpected, but it has actually made me the happiest I've ever been."

"You see a future with him?" she asked me as the birds chirped.

My heart warmed in my chest just thinking about it.

"Honestly, Winter?" I said while looking up at the sun.

She turned her head to look at me, so I turned mine to look at her.

I confessed, "I think I'm falling in love with him."

She shot up, some pieces of grass getting stuck to her black hair. She said excitedly with a smile, "Shut up! Are you serious?"

I laughed and pushed myself up, too. I nodded, "I'm serious. I'm just worried he doesn't feel the same way."

"He let you move in with him, and I saw how much he smiled after kissing you in his car. He waited until you were with me to drive off, and even as he watched you walk over to me, he looked at you like you were worth every dollar on this earth," she told me. "I think he feels the same way, Elle."

My heart felt all gooey, like a cooked marshmallow. I asked while picking some grass out of the ground, "You think so?"

She nodded, "I do."

Her phone started to ring, and she sighed when she looked down at it. Her eyes met mine again, "I have to go now and take my brother to soccer. I'll give you a ride."

I stood up with her and brushed the grass off of my butt. As we walked, I asked her, "Could you drop me off at his work instead?"

"Sure," she smiled.

For some reason, I really wanted to see his face.

We got to Winters' super cute car, and she played Taylor Swift on the radio while I told her where to go.

She parked in front of it once we got to the tattoo parlor, and I smiled at her, "I'll see you again soon."

"You better!" she said as I got out of the car.

I shut the door, the wind blowing my hair and dress around. I entered the tattoo parlor, making the door 'ding.'

"Hi Sin," I smiled at him as he looked up from the tattoo he was giving. "Where's Nico?"

"He is doing a self-defense class," he told me, making me frown. I guess I should've asked which work he was going to.

Sin gestured to the back room, "You're more than welcome to wait here for him, though. He's coming to pick up some shit once he's done."

"Okay, thank you," I smiled at him while walking into the back room.

After walking for so long today, the chair looked more comfortable than ever. I sat down on it and pulled the blanket over my legs, my face pressing against the pillow while I decided to watch Netflix on my phone.

I let out a yawn, but ignored it. I'm sure Nico will be here soon.

------

♦ ♦

"Good job, everyone," I called out even though I wasn't paying attention.

I feel pathetic. All I can think about at all times is Elle. I know she's just downtown with her friend and it's only been a few hours, but I'm worried about her. The thought of her getting hurt feels like a knife to the chest.

"Hello? Cross?" someone's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

I met their eyes, "Oh - yea?"

"The class just ended and I thanked you," the middle-aged woman told me.

I nodded, "Yea, you're welcome."

I want to see Elle.

The class slowly started leaving, and I was starting to get impatient with how slow some of them were. I wanted to go home and see my fucking girl.

Felt like ages until they were all gone. I cleaned up the room quickly, not doing as good of a job as I could've. But I wanted to see her.

I collected my things and got in my car, speeding since I needed to pick up some shit from the tattoo parlor.

I parked outside and walked in quickly. The papers were just on the counter waiting for me.

"Hey Cross," Sin spoke up as I grabbed the papers.

I replied in a monotone voice, "Hey."

I started to walk back to the door when his words stopped me, "Elle is waiting in the back for you."

I felt my heart lift in my chest, but I turned around with lowered eyebrows. I walked into the back room as Sin resumed his tattoo, and Elle was asleep in the chair.

Her phone played a TV show on it, so I paused it so that it wouldn't go any further ahead. I sat down on the chair and put my hand on her back, and once I started rubbing it up and down, her brown eyes opened.

I wish everything in this world was that color.

"What are you doing here?" I asked her.

She sat up in the chair while rubbing her eyes, "I fell asleep?"

"Mhm," I hummed.

"I thought you were here, so I had Winter drop me off here," she told me, and the corners of my mouth turned up hearing that she wanted to see me.

"Wanna go home and watch a movie?" I asked her, and her face instantly lit up.

She stood up, making the blanket slide off her legs. It landed on the floor in front of her, and I already knew if I didn't move it then she was going to trip on it. I moved it quickly before she could take a step, and she laughed once she noticed why I did that.

I grabbed her hand as we walked out of the tattoo parlor. Only a few hours, and I missed her so much.

"Can I drive?" her words made me stop in my tracks.

She was quick to follow it up with a, "Please?"

I let out a sigh. She stared at me through her big brown eyes, and I couldn't get myself to say no. I handed her the keys, "Fine."

She cheered like the best thing ever had just happened.

I got into the passengers' side, which I had to slide back since my legs are longer than hers. The yarn that I bought to knit her a stuffed animal with was in my bag in the backseat, but it was zipped up so thankfully she couldn't see. I don't know how to fucking knit, and it'll probably take me a while to figure it out.

The car jerked back when she put her foot on the gas, nearly breaking my neck. She laughed, "Oops."

"Is that what you're gonna say when you hit someones' car?" I asked her while she started driving.

She shrugged, "I'd probably be like, 'oh shit,' and then speed away."

I nodded, "Of course you would."

I was ready to grab the wheel at any moment the entire time she drove. When we turned onto my road, she hit the curb, and said that it was the curbs fault for being too close to the road.

She finally parked, and I let out a breath of relief.

"See?" she said while unbuckling her seatbelt. "That wasn't that bad."

I think my blood pressure went through the roof. I nodded, "Uh-huh."

I followed her inside, and she went up to our bedroom. She sat down on the bed and leaned down to take her shoes off while I asked, "How was hanging out with Winter?"

"Good," she looked up from her shoes for a moment. "She and I had a really good talk about something."

My head tilted as she moved back in the bed to get more comfortable, "Yea? And what was it about?"

"Girl stuff," she shrugged.

I kicked my shoes off before walking around the bed and sitting down beside her. She let out a sigh while she flipped through the movies, and I pulled her into my chest. Her head lay on my chest while she finally picks a movie, and my fingers run through her chocolate-colored hair.

She tilted her head up to look at me, "Does this movie look good?"

I nodded even though I didn't know what movie it was. She relaxed against me, and my hands never stopped.

I love her hair. I love her eyes. I love her perfume.

But most importantly,

I'm falling in love with her.

And as I look down at her, her smile reaches my face and my heart skips a beat in my chest. And I realized something.

I think that I should tell her that, even if she doesn't feel the same way.