You know sleeping next to someone else isn't as bad as I thought it would be.

When I envisioned myself having to share a small sleeping space with someone else it repulsed me, like chills up my spine disgust, but sharing a bed with Nick isn't that bad. He doesn't make me feel hot or sweaty, and he doesn't hog the blankets. He pretty much stays in one spot, but he does snore. It's not a loud obnoxious sound, just a continuous buzzing. It's kind of cute actually.

God, I must really love him for me to think his snore is cute.

"Maya," Nick said with his eyes still closed startling me. "Why are you watching me sleep?"

I looked away embarrassed. "I wasn't."

He looked at me through cracked eyelids. "Yes, you were. I could feel it."

"That's stupid, you couldn't feel anything."

Yawning, he wrapped his arms around my waist, spooning me. "You were looking at me but I don't mind," he pressed a kiss on my cheek. "If you're into that type of thing, you can watch me all you like."

"I wasn't watching you," I said defensively, turning to look at him. His hair was a mess, and his eyes were still sleepy despite the mischievous grin on his face. "Your snoring woke me up."

That was a lie. Charlie pawing at my legs woke me up. Turns out the only thing he wanted was attention. Typical.

"If you say so," he said, knowingly. "So what are your plans for today?"

I sighed letting myself get comfortable next to him. This was all still weird for me the whole love thing. "I don't know, I was going to hang out with Maggie."

"Who's Maggie?"

"She's my friend," I said. "She owns an antique shop a few minutes away. You should come with me, you'd like her." I haven't seen the old lady in a few weeks, so I thought I would check up on her. Make sure she's not getting into any trouble.

"Okay," he agreed. "I'd like to meet your friend, but can we go to my house afterward."

"Sure." I haven't been there since he let me borrow his car.

"I think my letter from the institute might be in the mail," he explained. "I hope I got in."

"Of course you got in," I said confidently. "They'd be stupid not to let you in."

He chuckled. "Thanks, but I still need to check."

I have complete confidence in him. They'd have to be blind not to see his talent. "I love you," I said before I could stop myself.

He smiled making me feel all jelly inside. I don't know if I'll ever get used to this feeling. Even if we're together a hundred years, I don't know if I'll get used to him looking at me with his warm eyes and soft smile. But I guess that's the fun of it.

"I love you too," he said, kissing the tip of my nose. "What do you want for breakfast?"

"You're going to cook something?" I asked, surprised.

"I can make eggs, Maya," he rolled his eyes.

"I like mine scrambled," I told him. "And we can make pancakes," I remember picking up some mix from the store.

"I don't know how to make that," he admitted, a cloud of doubt coming over his face.

"Don't worry, I'll help you." If he can manage to make pasta and scrambled eggs, he can make pancakes no problem.

"Okay," he sighed, relieved. "We'll leave after breakfast."

I nodded in agreement. "Maybe I'll find a few more things for my apartment while we're there, and maybe a few sweaters too." It was getting really cold out, and I wasn't as prepared as I thought I was.

Charlie bounded up on the bed and plopped his chubby little body between our faces. There are no boundaries with that one.

I looked over Charlie's orange body, and asked, "Breakfast?"

"Breakfast," Nick agreed.

***

"Why do you shave your head," asked Nick. He sat on the closed toilet seat, watching me cut my hair. I told him that it was going to be boring but he insisted.

After my shower, I was looking in the mirror and decided it was time for a haircut.

I hadn't cut it in months and it was getting a little too long for my liking. Once I have to start using curling creams, it's time for it to go.

"I don't like doing my hair," I said honestly. "It takes too much time and effort to keep up with it."

" But don't you miss having hair?"

"Nope." I thought I would at first, but after I did it, I felt so free that I never wanted to go back. And I like the way I look with extremely short hair. Even if Roxanne did tell me I looked like a boy every single day. "It's kind of my thing now. Can you picture me with hair?"

"Uh, no," he said looking up at me.

I finished lining myself up in the mirror while Nick stared at me. I had half a mind to tell him to stop, having his eyes on me still made me nervous.

"What if I shaved my head?" Nick asked taking the clippers off the edge of the sink. He flipped them on and off studying them closely.

"Uh..." I hesitated. I would hate that.

"Would you still think I'm beautiful?" he asked looking me straight in my eyes. "Would you still love me?"

"Nick," I said patiently. "Put the clippers down." He better not.

He started to move them closer to his gorgeous blonde hair. Oh my God, he's going to do it.

"Say it," he said the clippers were only a few inches from his hair. One false move and it would be disastrous.

"Say what?" I asked frantically. Couldn't he wait until after we visited Maggie before he decided to have an identity crisis?

"Tell me I'm beautiful and that you love me or I'm going to shave my head." He's bluffing, he won't do it.

"Nick, this isn't funny."

"Say it," he sang continuing to move them closer and closer. I felt my heart begin to beat faster. Dammit, I love his hair.

"Fine!" I yelled giving in. "You're beautiful and I love you! Now put down the clippers, Nick!"

He smiled smugly, turning them off and placing them back on the sink. He stood from the toilet seat and stood behind me. Shaking the hair that had fallen on the towel that I'd wrapped around my shoulders, he then placed his arms around me.

"I knew you thought I was beautiful," he said cockily.

"I also think you're annoying as hell," I told him. He scared me.

"But you love me," he said in a sing-song voice.

I frowned. "You are so..."

"Gorgeous."

"Interesting." He almost gave me a heart attack, and for what, a stupid joke. "And you've hit your twice a day limit and it's not even afternoon. I hope you're happy with yourself."

"But-but-that's not fair. It was just a joke, Maya," he spluttered, "I'm sorry if you thought I was actually going to shave my head."

"Save your apologies, it's too late." That'll teach him to scare me like that again. I brushed his arms from around my shoulders and begun pushing him out of the bathroom. "Go put more food in Charlie's bowl before we leave."

Still pouting, he reluctantly agreed. After sweeping the fallen hair from the floor, and cleaning and putting my clippers away, we left the apartment.

"Where is this place again?" Nick asked as we drove down the empty street. Maggie's Antique shop was a little out of the way, and there weren't any other stores around it. It was kind of a hidden treasure that way.

"Just keep driving I'll tell you where to turn." I sat with my leg propped up on the seat, eating French fries from a bag in the center console. Nick insisted on going through McDonald's even though we just had breakfast.

They technically weren't my fries, but we're in love so it's okay to take a few.

"What is Maggie like?"

Stealing a sip of his coke, I said, "She's upbeat, very colorful, she's funny," And she's old. I mean you're only as old as you feel and Maggie definitely doesn't radiate seventy-year-old energy. "She's unique."

Nick hummed at this. "Do you think we'll get along?"

"I'd be surprised if you didn't." Maggie gets along with everyone, but I know she's going to love Nick because he's sweet but most of all handsome. She's a sucker for a pretty face. "She might try to steal you away from me."

"She must be magic then," he chuckled. "No one could steal me away from you, even if you do eat all my fries."

"Don't you worry about what I'm doing you just focus on the road," I said, trying to distract him. "See you're about to miss the turn."

I motioned for him to turn left into the old shopping center where Maggie's store was. It didn't look like much from the outside but I knew there were tons of hidden treasures on the inside.

"Are you sure this is the place? It looks abandoned," Nick looked warily at the old building.

"Yes, this is the one. Park next to that purple car." I felt the excitement rising in my chest, not only because I enjoy hanging out with Maggie, but I had a gut feeling that she had some great pieces.

When Nick and I got out of the car I stopped him before we could go in. "Wait," I stood before him, and began brushing fry crumbs off the front of my sweatshirt that he had borrowed. Brushing a blonde hair into place, I said, "Much better."

He smiled down at me, blue eyes shining. "You always take care of me, Maya."

I wasn't sure how to respond it wasn't exactly a compliment but he didn't say it like it was a bad thing. "If I don't do it who else will?" I shrugged nonchalantly.

He pressed a kiss to my forehead, and I know what he wanted to say. He wanted to tell me he loved me, but I had told him that he had hit his limit. I was starting to regret that stupid limit in the first place.

"Let's go inside, lover boy."

The bell above the door chimed when we opened the door. I always loved the smell of Maggie's store it smelled like eucalyptus and mint, and a light smell of furniture polish. The store itself was a bit chaotic, upstairs was packed wall to wall with furniture of all shapes and sizes, and downstairs was filled with racks on racks of clothes.

"Maggie! Are you here?" I called out into the store. She's tiny so it's easy for her to get lost among the tall furniture.

Her small head popped up from behind a counter across the room. "Chickpea is that you?"

I smiled at the nickname. I can't remember why she started calling that exactly, but it was cute so I let her. "It is!"

I pulled Nick along behind me as I made my way over to her.

Maggie's dyed purple hair was pulled into a high ponytail on top of her head. And blue eyeshadow was smeared messily on her eyelids, and bright red lipstick on her lips. She's a colorful little old lady, that's one of the things I like most about her.

Her eyes grew wide when she caught a glimpse of Nick behind me. I went behind the counter and hugged her.

"I'm so glad to see you, Chickpea. I've missed you," she said rocking me back and forth. She dropped her arms from around me but not before pressing a smacking kiss on my cheek.

"Hey, watch it, you're going to get lipstick on me," I laughed wiping the red smear from my cheek.

"Oh, hush," she chastised me. She turned her attention to Nick, who stood awkwardly by my side. He looked slightly confused as he looked between the two of us, and I could tell he was trying to make sense of it in his head. "Maya, who is this handsome boy?"

"Maggie this is Nick," I said introducing them. "Nick this is Maggie."

"It's nice to meet you, Ma'am," Nick said politely.

"Come over here," Maggie said holding her arms out. "Don't be shy."

I gave him an encouraging nudge in her direction. "She's a hugger," I said under my breath.

He had to bend down to hug her as she only came a little higher than his waist. "Are you the one that fixed Maya's car?" she said once she let him go.

"I did," he answered.

"Oh, Maggie you should see it. It looks great," I chimed in. "He did amazing. Nick show her the pictures." If we would have taken my car we could have just taken her outside, but Nick drove us today.

"Okay," he said pulling out his phone to show her the pictures. She pulled her glasses from the top of her head and placed them on the bridge of her nose.

"Oh my goodness, is this even the same car?" she asked as Nick showed her the pictures. "This is phenomenal! Good job."

He blushed, bashfully, "Thank you, Maggie."

She looked up at him. "You have a lot of pictures of your cat."

"It's our cat actually," he said, pointing between us. "His name's Charlie."

"He's very cute," Maggie smiled, looking at me.

"Nick likes to spoil him."

He gave me a sidelong glance. "Don't let her fool you, I see her giving him treats every time my back is turned."

"It's not every time your back is turned." I try to give him only three snacks a day; four if he's been really good. But to me, he's always really good, even when he's not.

"Right," he said, rolling his eyes.

I playfully bumped him with my hip. He put his hand around my waist, winking at me.

Maggie smiled at the two of us. "Did you come to shop? I have some great new things up here, and I even got a box full of old jackets that I've been hiding downstairs for you," Maggie said to me. She knows me so well.

"Do you have any more of those cherry printed plates?" I asked her. I have two of them but I want more to complete the set.

"I think so. You'd have to look around for them," she sighed. "I'm sure they're around here somewhere."

Determined, I said, "I am on it."

If there are cherry plates, I will find them.