Solace's eyes were droopy as she lazily brushed her teeth, nothing but the bristles moving against the hard surface and the dripping of the tap water into the sink.

The sun was rising behind the dusty clouds, and through the small window in the bathroom, the snow fell in determined and robust motions. For the last few days, winter had come in with full force with its bitter wind and numbing cold. The ground was piling with white, the residents of Boston throwing rosy salt on the pavement and sidewalks to prevent any broken bones and slippery mishaps.

Just the other day, Solace almost fell face first onto the concrete outside her apartment. She caught the stair railings last second and avoided any embarrassing tumbles. A child licking his stupid candy cane pointed and cackled at her as if the potential of breaking her skull was the most hilarious thing in the world. She would be lying if she didn't think about grabbing his poufy coat and shoving him into the ground. And when she started walking again, she was cautious and gentle. She moved slower than a sloth. She wouldn't have been surprised if moss began to grow and twirl around her legs.

She wasn't looking forward to heading out today. There was a storm warning in the next two days and today's blizzard was simply a preview of what was yet to come. But Solace had no choice with the last days of classes rolling in. Christmas was hurdling their way in the next ten days, and she couldn't wait until the stresses of her exams were over.

All she had to do was suffer for the next three hours for her Global Politics exam. That meant getting up at six in the morning to make it to Harvard in time. Rubbing her eyes tiredly, she glanced at the door in surprise when it swung open.

Sage sauntered in with his grey sweatpants and an old basketball t-shirt. His chain was in view as the cross sat between his collarbones. She kept staring at him with a what-the-hell expression as he casually grabbed his own toothbrush, squeezing a large amount of toothpaste onto it. He continued to brush his teeth as if he hadn't just busted into the bathroom while it was occupied.

Solace gathered her braids and bent over to spit in the sink. Once her mouth was clear, she said, "Ever heard of knocking?"

He shrugged. "Do roommates not brush their teeth together?" he asked, his words gurgled from the foam collecting in his mouth.

She wanted to point out they were technically not roommates since he didn't pay the rent. He was simply a guest, but her body was lacking caffeine. Coffee was always needed when going toe-to-toe with Sage. "Why are you up so early?" she asked instead.

Sage spit the excess toothpaste into the sink, letting the water run momentarily. "I was thinking I could drop you off at school. You have class today, right?"

Her eyes wandered over him curiously as he leaned against the counter, one hand in his pocket and the other holding his toothbrush. Even doing something as trivial as brushing his teeth in a faded t-shirt, he still managed to exude charm. Solace noticed he never walked around shirtless. It wasn't like she wanted to see him topless. That was not it. 'Till this day, she was still curious about the tattoo at the back of his neck. Sage never gave her the opportunity to take a peek as he was always fully clothed. He must have been self-conscious about the scars on his body from the way he quickly threw his shirt on that day she saw him half-naked. Solace didn't know why. Those scars didn't take away from his beauty.

"Yeah, I do," she finally said. She rinsed her brush and wiping her mouth with a towel. It was a surprise he knew her schedule. Sage was always in his own little world, and sometimes she felt like he never listened to her. But that assumption was slowly crumbling. "Why are you feeling generous all of a sudden?"

"Maybe I'm just being nice, SoSo," he pointed out obnoxiously. "I don't need you breaking a bone two weeks before our job. Unfortunately, I do need you."

As she walked past him, she threw him a glare and pettily smacked the toothbrush out of his hand. All she heard was him shouting at her, but his words entered one ear and left the other. Solace was becoming a professional at ignoring Sage.

Her movements were almost mechanical as she picked out clothes for school and put them on. She put her braids into a ponytail with a thick scrunchie, stopping only for a moment to use her lip balm. Solace would be more inclined to do her make-up if her class weren't in the early hours. For now, her professor could have a front-row seat to her dark circles.

Once her skin felt renewed, and her body smelled like vanilla, she stumbled to the kitchen and made herself some iced coffee. Solace was aware it was below zero, and her eyelashes would freeze the minute she stepped outside, but she was never a hot coffee person. It didn't help that her drink was thirty percent creamer. She pulled herself onto the countertop, letting her feet dangle as she sipped her excessively sweet drink.

Solace wondered if Emi was up yet. She had an online class in the next fifteen minutes. Emi would wait until the last moment possible to wake up and join the session. And it seemed she got her answer when she heard yelling from the hallway.

"Get out of the way, Sage," barked Emi and slammed the bathroom door.

She winced at the loud sound and continued to sip on her coffee. Solace smiled over the rim of her cup as Sage sulked over to the kitchen dressed in new clothes and smelling like coconut. He ruffled his wet hair in a towel, several strands falling onto his forehead.

"Emi stepped on my foot," he grumbled. He pulled out a packet of pop tarts and shoved them into the toaster.

"You were in her way."

"I was not," denied Sage defensively. "She's just cranky in the mornings. I was going to offer to drop her off at work, but now she can walk in the blizzard."

Solace rolled her eyes. "You wouldn't do that."

He sighed and muttered, "No, I wouldn't."

"Can you pick me up, too?"

Sage nodded, grabbing a plate for his pop tarts that sprang from the toaster with a ding. "You're done at twelve, right?"

She caved in and asked, "How do you know my schedule?" Even Emi was occasionally confused about the days she had classes and work. There were days she would have to double-check herself.

His lips tugged up. "I told you. I pay attention."

Her skin flooded with warmth when the conversation from a few days floated in her mind. Sage had said he paid attention. To her face. He liked her face. She would be lying to herself if those words hadn't been at the forefront of her thoughts lately. Solace thought she was pretty. She was confident in her looks. She loved how her skin glowed under the sun and how her full lips twisted into a bright smile. But it was something about hearing it from Sage that made it all too real.

Solace cleared her throat. "Can we get tacos for lunch?" she wondered casually.

Sage bit into his pop tart, smiling down at the frosted pastry contently. It was only when she called his name did he look up. "Oh yeah. I'm down for some tacos."

But now her eyes dropped down to his hands as she longingly gazed at the pop tart. Having just coffee for breakfast was not enough to fill her stomach, but she never was a breakfast person. "Can I have a bite?" said Solace, reaching out her hand.

He frowned at the notion of someone else's hands on his beloved food. Sage immediately turned to leave, but Solace acted quickly and put her leg up to stop him. She was met with an annoyed look as he attempted to move to the right, but just like before, she caged him with her other leg.

"All I want is a bite," she remarked.

Sage stared at her for a moment too long and sighed. He broke one tart, and from the way he grimaced, it was as if his soul snapped in two. "Take half," he grumbled.

"How generous of you to offer me my own food," she grinned amusedly and took it from his hand happily. Solace basically inhaled the pastry in less than a minute, the processed frosting and cookie tasting better than it should. She washed it down with her iced coffee, now ready to face the world. Or at least, leave her apartment in a partially okay mood.

"We should get going," but her words tapered off with Sage's intense gaze on her face. More specifically, her lips. Solace was certain his eyes were staring at her mouth with the way they drooped down.

Her heart felt like pins as Sage moved forward, slowly and determinedly. It was then she became alarmingly aware she still had him trapped between her legs. That didn't deter him until his chest was only a few inches away from hers. He stood amid her thighs, and she had nowhere to go.

She wanted to speak and ask him what he was doing, but she didn't trust herself to speak. Solace's voice would come out all wrong, especially when Sage raised his hand and cupped her cheek. He was gentle and soft, and it felt so right when it shouldn't have. The boy she competed and argued with and insulted wasn't supposed to make her feel like this.

Solace swore she was going to internally implode when his hand skimmed over the side of her mouth. He stared at her with his eyes that glimmered incomprehensibly, but she couldn't place her finger on it. But just as quickly as he was there, the faster he left.

"You had crumbs on the side of your mouth," he muttered, turning his face so she couldn't see his eyes.

But all she could think was how badly she wanted him to come back.

And that was a terrifying confession.

***

Author's Note:

Hi everyone! We got some more cute Solace and Sage moments! I have one chapter that should be out in 2 weeks, and I am so excited for it!

Also, guess what? I got a nose piercing!! I gotta wait a few months until I change it into a ring, but I love it hahah. I think I'm low-key turning into Zara with my short hair, piercing, and Docs lol.

Until next time - m.k.t