I looked at Mabel's and my hand across the console, our fingers intertwined and I remembered for the umpteenth time how lucky I was that I was here. Not here here because I wouldn't have minded not driving around at midnight in search for the perfect donut (Mabel's idea of a good time, apparently), but supposedly when Mabel said "let's get donuts!" it meant upwards of an hour of driving.

Mabel wiggled her fingers around mine before clasping them back tightly again. She turned her head to shoot me a wide grin, "So you liiike me," She teased in a sing-songy voice.

I stopped at a red light before using my free hand to gesture for her to come closer. "Come'ere," I leaned forward as she brought her face closer and nipped at her nose with my teeth lightly just as she wrinkled it back at me in response "I like you," I emphasized as she smiled at me in return.

Her little fingers twisted against my hand again. Damn, this girl couldn't sit still.

"So, are we like on a date then?" She asked almost shyly. Mabel was never shy. In fact, I almost hated when she was shy around me because that meant that I had made her feel that way. And when Mabel wasn't confident and babbling a mile a minute, she wasn't my Mabel.

I brought our intertwined hands to my face and kissed the tips of her fingers. "This would be a pretty lousy date, Maybie." Maybe I was moving too fast, I reasoned. I just couldn't not touch her.

She frowned at me, "I think this is a spectacular date," She paused and shot me a playful smile, "But only if we find the best donuts I've ever had. Then I guess it'll just be a pretty lame get together."

I feigned offence, "We can't have that. I have a reputation to uphold and 'pretty lame get together' will never be it."

I pulled to the side of the road before tugging out my phone and googling reviews. What the hell had become of me? I hated sugar.

I paused on one shop that got raving reviews and got back on the road, "Best donut you've ever had coming up. And conveniently it's only twenty minutes away from here. Would ya look at that."

"Hmm," Mabel sighed, "I'll believe it when I see it. I have a theory that the best places are always the furthest away."

"You have a fetish for drivers that I should know about?"

"Not on the first date, Marcus," she responded sleepily as she tugged her legs up onto the chair, curling them against her body, setting her head on the seat as she smiled at me. "You have to wait until at least the third date for that kind of dirt." There was my confident Mabel.

"Well I better make this a pretty damn great date then," I replied.

"You know I'm just kidding, right? I like driving around with you. Or just talking to you," Mabel murmured, her eyes half closed at this point.

"I know, baby. Talking to you is the best part of my day," I admitted and it actually was. "You falling asleep there?"

"Never. Donuts first, sleep later," She whispered, her eyes completely shut now. "Neeeed sugar to operate," She mumbled.

A few minutes later (and some subdued snoring later), I was parked in front of All About the Glaze, rated five stars on google based on hundreds of reviews. If that didn't appease this girl's sweet tooth I genuinely didn't know what would. It was then that I realized that this place was closed.

In fact, every place was generally closed at two in the morning.

So, I turned to Mabel and took in the shadows that her long eyelashes made on her cheeks and her full lips, slightly parted. She really was beautiful.

I reached forward and moved a stray strand of her fiery red-hair away from her face, freely and without thinking and just like I've always wanted to. I took a moment to appreciate the sweet girl sitting across from me, her back hunched onto the seat of the car. How did I get here? I was in awe of the moment I found myself in. I didn't deserve it and I knew that was the truth.

I reached into the back seat and draped a jacket across her frame wanting more than anything else to just stay here in this moment. It eased my mind to be around Mabel and that was something that I hadn't found anywhere else. And that was the thought that occupied my mind as my mind drifted.

By the time I opened my eyes again, I now had my jacket draped over me. What the hell? I peeked at Mabel to see her still sleeping except without a jacket now. Crazy girl. I removed it off of me and placed it gently on her. I sat up, yawning widely. It was currently six in the morning and I was in desperate for a coffee. My head pulsed in demand for the liquid gold.

I slowly grasped the door handle and opened it, wincing at the slight squeak it made before sneaking out of the vehicle without waking up the girl snoring next to me.

I stretched my limbs and took in the random street we had landed on. There had to be a coffee shop somewhere around here.

"You guys okay?" A voice asked and looked up to see an older man in a white apron, holding a box and balancing the door to the donut shop.

I walked forward to hold the door open for him. "Morning. We're actually waiting for your highly anticipated donuts."

He walked inside and shot me a wide grin, "Come on in then. We're not open for another half hour but you'll get the freshest batch before anyone else."

I took in the glistening shop in front of me. Mabel would love this place, I mused. There were literal donuts on the walls, in picture frames, donut shaped tables and donut hole stools. "That's amazing, thank you."

"No worries! It's not often we get people parked out front waiting to test the product. I'm just heading to the back to dress the donuts now."

Dress the donuts? "Actually, can I ask for another favour?"

"Depends on what it is," he laughed heartily.

"If it's not too much trouble, can I dress one of the donuts? It's for my ah-girlfriend." Girlfriend? What the hell was I saying? I didn't know but I liked it a little too much.

He smiled at me, "Young love. Sure thing, I'll bring it up front."

He walked into the back and returned with a box of four steaming donuts. He proceeded to show me the cases filled with decorations and I knew in that moment that I had to bring Mabel in here next time. She'd lose her mind.

"What are you thinking?" He asked me gesturing to the mother load of sprinkles sitting before me.

I gestured to the strawberries for one because it reminded me of Mabel's red hair, pink frosting and jumbo pink sprinkles for another because it was her favourite colour, a galaxy coloured one for the first time we kissed under the stars, and the last one was an amalgamation of Mabel - sprinkles, glitter, hearts, and flowers - literally what I imagined a unicorn's shit to look like.

I grabbed two coffees on my way out and made my way to the car, peeking into the window to see Mabel rubbing her eyes and yawning. I grinned, placing the box of donuts on the hood of the car as I cranked the door open abruptly.

"Ah!" She screamed in response.

I laughed, "Sorry." I really wasn't. She was cute when she was startled.

"You scared the crap out of me!" She chastised as she clutched at her chest. Don't look you perv.

"You need coffee?" I asked, handing her a cup and taking a sip of my own. Finally.

Her eyes brightened, "Thank you! Though you do owe me another date. I didn't get a donut at all."

"I guess we'll have to go out again?" I asked as I took another sip, still standing outside the door.

She grinned widely, "I guess. But seriously," She continued in a solemn tone, "I need sugar."

I reached onto the hood of the car for the box and handed it to her just as she grasped it and opened the lid. Her jaw dropped as she looked at the box of diabetes that sat in front her.

"Are these for me?"

I nodded, "Go nuts."

Without tearing her eyes away she continued, "But we'll still have another date right?"

I laughed, "We'll still have another date," I echoed.

"Good," She stated still staring at the donuts in front of her, "because I really want to go on another date but I really want these donuts." She pulled out the extra sprinkled donut and stared at it wide-eyed before taking a huge bite.

Who the hell was I kidding? I was downright in love with this goddamn girl.