I'm on my way.

Ever since I'd received that text, I couldn't think straight. I knew I was supposed to be tidying my kitchen, sweeping my floors, and folding the blankets strewn about my living room, but I couldn't have done so, even if I'd wanted to.

I aimlessly swept a Clorox wipe across my countertop, completely spaced out as I was thinking about the feeling of hands traveling up my back, lips against my neck.

There came a knock on the door, making me snap back to reality and look over at it. I bit down on my lip and jogged over to my mirror, unbuttoning the top button of my dress and pulling a few strands of hair out of the clip I had it pulled up in.

I opened the door and Fred smiled, stepping inside. "Hi."

"Hi," I greeted, leaning against the door after closing it.

"I have a proposal."

My eyes went wide, and I felt myself panic. "Oh?"

He laughed, tilting his head over. "Let's go to lunch. Just at the cafe right by the building."

"O-oh," I laughed, nodding, "yeah. Yeah, that works."

"But," he said, walking over to me, "before we go."

He knelt down, looking up at me as he pulled my underwear down my legs. I felt my stomach flip, and I was rather curious as to what Fred King was about to surprise me with this time.

He lifted my dress and pressed a kiss to my leg, looking up at me as he slipped something into my underwear. I couldn't quite see what it was, but he nodded down at my feet for me to step back into them.

I looked up at him as he stood back up, earning a charming smile from him.

"You have not lost your pretty boy title, Freddy King," I softly said, looking up at him.

He bit down on his lip and nodded towards the door. "Already got us a table."

I smiled and grabbed my coat, slipping into it as I opened the door. I looked back at him as he closed it, tilting my head over. "What'd you put in my underwear?"

We made it to the elevators, making him smile and look over at me. "Nothing. Why do you ask?"

I giggled and stepped into the crowded elevator, Fred closely following me. We found a spot between the obvious gym enthusiast, drenched in sweat, and the older lady staying as far away from said gym enthusiast as possible.

We all stood in silence as the elevator slowly descended down to the first floor, but I gasped and grabbed Fred's arm when I felt a vibration against me.

My jaw slack, I looked over at him with wide eyes. "Fred," I whisper-yelled, earning the older lady's eyes.

"Shh," he whispered, his pointer finger against his lips, "it's quiet in here."

I let out a breath, biting down on my bottom lip as I leaned my head back. There's no way I'll survive this.

The elevator stopped and we stepped out of the elevator, making him pull me close. "Good luck trying to order with that."

"Fred," I said, stopping him in the middle of the lobby.

"What?" He asked, grinning as I felt yet another vibration against me.

I grabbed his solid arm, dropping my head. "Fred."

He looked down at me, and I saw eyes that took me back to when we were nineteen years old. Curious, mischievous, and I'd realized that Fred had yet to grow old.

I felt a smile tug at my lips, making me shake my head and look up at him. "You're crazy."

We walked out of my apartment building and to the cafe, sitting at our outdoor table for everyone to see us.

"You do know this most certainly going to make it to the tabloids, or whatever," I said.

"Embarrassed to be seen with me?" He asked, looking up at me from his menu.

"Curious as to what Josie's going to say when she sees it."

He chuckled. "She is a spitting image of seventeen year old you. Physically, internally."

"God help her," I muttered, smiling a soft smile as I opened my menu.

"Good afternoon," our waiter greeted, smiling down at us, "what can I get you all to drink?"

"Water for me," Fred said, looking at me as he leaned back in his seat, his hand in his pocket.

"Wat-" I was cut short by the vibration, closing my eyes as I let out a breath, "w-water."

My cheeks flushed, I couldn't even make eye contact with the waiter. He didn't seem to think much of it as he walked off, making me shoot Fred a glare.

He chuckled, shrugging. "I think this is fun."

"Of course you do, you're the one torturing me."

"I've always liked it rough," he muttered, smiling a boyish smile as he looked towards the buildings surrounding us.

I bit back a smile, but jolted forward when the vibration was a bit more intense than before. "Jesus."

"I'm just hitting buttons right now," he chuckled, his eyes locked on me.

"W-well, I-I wish you'd stop," I said, my forehead pressed so harshly against my palm that I was about to give myself a headache.

"Miss King?"

I knew that familiar voice- one of my clients. I plastered on a smile, looking up at her. "H-hi."

"Hi," she greeted, smiling a warm smile.

"How are you?" I asked, letting out a sigh of relief as the vibration stopped.

"I'm good," she said, "I'm actually going to see the makeup artist you recommended, we're doing kind of a demo look today."

"Oh, wow," I said, smiling up at her, "well, I know-"

I was cut short, again, by the vibration being more intense, yet again.

"S-sorry," I said, looking up at her, "I've been having awful chills today."

"Oh, well, get better soon," she said, gently patting my shoulder before walking away.

I looked up at Fred, my bottom lip between my teeth.

"So, what are you thinking about getting?"

~*~

"Can't believe he let you out of the house," I chuckled, watching as Hero jogged up the steps of the house we were currently at for the night.

"He didn't," he laughed out, "he doesn't know I'm here."

"You're a bad ass kid," I muttered, looking over at him.

He shrugged. "Life was never nice to the good kids."

We walked inside and everyone greeted us, and drinks were held out to us.

"Hi," a girl greeted, smiling up at me.

"Hey," I said, smiling down at her as I brushed past her.

Hero chuckled, turning around to see her. "That was a swerve if I've ever seen one."

"Was it?" I asked, taking a sip of my drink.

"I poured those," Brian boasted, "with my little twist."

"It's great, man," I said, roughly patting his back as Hero and I weaved through the crowd of people.

"And our designated spot," Hero said, plopping down on the couch with a sigh.

"Where's Amelia?" I teased, looking over at him as I sat down.

He shrugged. "Not really sure."

"But you care."

He laughed, shaking his head. "Not quite."

"Yeah, you do," I said, getting comfortable on the couch, "I know you do."

"You planning on getting laid, or is that just me?" Hero asked, folding his arms behind his head.

"That's just you," I said, scanning the crowd of people.

I knew Zach wouldn't be here, he wasn't a party goer. Or I'd never known him to be one, for that fact.

"How come Josie and Eros never come to these things?"

I shrugged, taking a sip of my drink.

"You gotta come around to that idea," he said, looking over at me, "those two, they're meant to be."

"Well, maybe," I said, "I mean, it takes a fucking man to put up with her shit."

He shook his head. "She loves him, that's for sure."

"Good," I muttered. I really had no interest in Josie and Eros.

"I'm going to find a girl," Hero said.

"You do that."

Hero disappeared into the crowd, making me let out a sigh and lean my head back against the couch cushion.

"Hey," one of the cheerleaders greeted, "all by your lonesome back here?"

I looked up at her, smiling before dropping my head. "Uh, yeah. Guess so."

She nodded down at my lap. "You want me to fix that?"

I was curious- was I even still into girls?

"Yeah," I said, holding out my hand. She grabbed it and I pulled her into my lap, grinning at her before pressing a kiss to her lips.

Yeah. Definitely still into girls.

"I've never seen you move so fast," she whispered, flattening her hands against my chest.

I sloppily placed my drink on the table next to the couch, moving my lips against hers aggressively. She bit down on my lip and smiled, pulling away from me for a second.

She looked up at me as she pressed a kiss to my neck, keeping her eyes locked on mine as I was still scanning the room.

"Holy shit," I muttered, my heart sinking to my stomach when I saw Zach leaned against the wall next to the staircase.

With that girlfriend of his.

"Everything okay?" The girl, whose name I didn't even know, asked as she rubbed my shoulder.

"O-one second," I said, picking her up and placing her on the cushion beside me. I jolted up from the couch and walked over to the staircase, my eyes meeting his for a few seconds before I jogged upstairs.

I waited on him to follow me, and I walked into the first open room I saw, which happened to be the bathroom. Upstairs was empty except for the loud couples in the few rooms, and when I heard footsteps, I knew they were Zach's.

"Emergency?" He asked, leaning against the door.

"Hey," I greeted, biting down on my lip.

"I saw you over there with that cheerleader," he said, "nice."

"Is that jealousy?" I asked, grinning over at him through the mirror.

"I think you want it to be," he said, smiling as he folded his arms over his chest.

I kept my eyes locked on him through the mirror. He closed the door and chewed on his lip, leaning against it.

"You obviously led me up here for a reason," he said.

"I just wanted to talk," I said, chewing on the inside of my lip.

"Let's talk," he said.

"I'm sorry," I said, "about yesterday."

"Why are you sorry?" He asked.

"I didn't mean to put you in a position-"

"You didn't put me in any position. Trust me, I would've remembered if you would've."

"Was that a sexual joke?" I asked, looking over at him with furrowed brows.

"Yeah," he said, a grin tugging at his lips.

"That was a little out of pocket."

"It's my forte."

"I didn't mean to, like, make you feel bad. Or something."

"You didn't make me feel bad," he said, shaking his head.

"And you shouldn't," I said, shaking my head, "your girlfriend, she's-she's beautiful. And kind."

"Yeah, that cheerleader's a looker, too."

"I just met her," I said, shaking my head, "l-like, I-I knew of her, b-but I just-"

I stopped myself. Zach made me nervous, and no one had ever made me nervous before.

"I don't know her name," I muttered, looking over at him.

Zach smiled, taking a few steps toward me. There wasn't much space at all between us, probably a few inches, and that was it.

"You look good, Henry," he said, nodding as his eyes met mine.

I parted my lips, my breath hitching in my throat. I looked down at his lips and bit down on mine, gulping.

"Z-Zach," I muttered, dropping my head.

"Yeah?" He asked, his eyes fixated on my lips.

I hadn't even noticed all of my blood had drained to a rather undesirable area. I let out a breath and turned around, my jaw slack as I looked down.

"Oh, my God," I muttered, taking a few deep breaths.

"You good?" He asked.

"Y-yeah," I said, "yeah, I'm good. I'm-I'm good."

I turned back around when it began to slowly go away, clearing my throat. "Y-you should probably go back to your girlfriend."

He nodded, chewing on his bottom lip. "Alright then."

I nodded, dropping my head. He began to walk out, but I looked up when he turned back around.

"Was that because of me?" He asked, "or the cheerleader?"

My jaw slack, I placed my tongue in my bottom lip. "I-uh-"

He smiled, trailing his eyes down me. "I'll see you Monday, Henry."

~*~

"Eros."

He looked up from the magazine he was looking at, his head in his hand. "Yes'm?"

"Come help me, please," I said, "zip this up."

He stood up, following me back into my dressing room. I stood in front of the mirror and he stood behind me, struggling to zip the dress up.

I let out a sigh, biting down on my lip. "Have I gained weight?"

"No," he said, "you haven't."

"It's a six," I said, "Eros."

"Baby, you haven't gained weight," he said, placing his hands on my hips.

"I think I have," I said, looking back at him.

He sighed, tilting his head over. "Maybe it's just made differently than other size sixes."

I let out a sigh and stepped out of the dress, looking down at it puddled around my feet. I felt tears cloud my eyes and I quickly blinked them away, sitting down on the small bench.

I dropped my head into my hands, sniffling.

"Josie, please don't cry," he said, kneeling down in front of me.

"I can't even get into my normal size!" I sobbed, "it's your fault! It's happy weight!"

He chuckled, gently pulling my head up. He wiped the tears from my cheeks, shaking his head. "Stop it."

"You don't understand, Eros. You guys don't gain weight. Not until you're like, forty and obsessed with beer. And I've got all these rolls and all this, you know."

He looked up at me as I continued to blabber on, and when I finally halted, he smiled a soft smile.

"Gain weight, lose weight, never change," he muttered, "you are always going to be the most beautiful woman in the room. Without fail."

I looked down at him, biting down on my lip.

"Every definition of the word beautiful, you are, Josephine."

"I'm so hard to deal with, though," I muttered, blinking back tears.

He smiled, tucking a chunk of hair behind my ear. "You're not easy, but no one ever liked easy."

I smiled, wiping my cheek quickly.

"Your body's beautiful, your face is beautiful, your hair is beautiful, your personality is beautiful. Everything you are. Everything about you. You're beautiful."

"Well, that's enough to make a gangster cry."

He laughed, shaking his head. "See?"

I smiled and he stood up, pulling me up with him. "Now say something nice about yourself."

I looked in the mirror, biting down on my lips. "I guess I have a nice skin tone."

He placed his hands on my waist and smiled, placing his chin on top of my head. "You're beautiful."

"Even my imperfections?"

"Love those."

"I didn't know I had any, but okay," I muttered, making him laugh, yet again.

He spun me around to face him, making me crack a small smile.

"I love you," he said, pressing a kiss to my forehead.

I wrapped my arms around him, and we stood in an embrace for a solid two minutes.

"I'm totally looking at your ass through the mirror."

I laughed, looking back at it. "I mean, these underwear are flattering. I guess."

He boosted me up into his arms, pressing a kiss to my lips. "Yeah, they are."

I smiled down at him, tilting my head over. "You know how everyone makes fun of people that fall in love so young? Like, they think we completely ruined our lives and didn't get to experiment enough?"

He knitted his eyebrows together, biting down on his lip. "O-okay?"

"I don't ever want to experiment," I said, "I want you to be my first and last everything."

"Does our first kiss really count though? We were, like, nine."

I shrugged. "I think so."

He smiled up at me, nodding. "Yeah. Okay."

~*~

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