A Little Bit Married

Pain or Paradise

"Excuse me," I said, and she looked up to me.

"Yes, ma'am?"

I bit down on my lips. "Do you...perhaps have doughnuts?"

I opened the door of our room and peeked in. The room was dark, and I snuck in, then hid the plate covered with a stainless cover under the bed. I could hear the sound of the shower, and I went into the closet to change.

I wrapped a robe around me and stepped out just as Gray walked out. He had a towel wrapped around his waist, one hand drying out his hair. I froze, but he said nothing as he walked past me towards the room.

I let out a breath and ran into the bathroom. I had a candle and a lighter, too, and I had insisted on coming up with the plate instead of having room service deliver it. That wasn't the way I wanted him to see it.

Why am I doing this? I searched for answers too as I tool a quick bath, dried out my hair so it doesn't drip water, but not enough to have it completely dry because I didn't want Gray to fall asleep before I came back.

Thankfully, by the time I walked out, wrapped in a robe, he was sitting up in bed, reading the newspaper.

I swallowed, then went around to where I had kept the doughnuts. I sat in bed, my eyes taking him in, my bottom lip between teeth as I wondered how to start.

"Do you have something to say?" He asked, closing the paper and turning to me.

I took in a deep breath, then, like a stupid maniac, spread my arms out. "Happy birthday!"

He blinked, then gave a small laugh. "Well, thank you."

I cleared my throat, then leaned over the bed and grabbed the plate. I brought it between us, and he looked at me, his eyes glistening with amusement, his smile small.

"What are you doing, Angeline?"

"Make a wish," I said, then lit the candle.

He looked up to me, the flame dancing around in his eyes, his lips slightly parted. "That is..."

"Just make a wish, Gray. It really doesn't matter. Anything."

He sat up and adjusted, crossing his legs under him. "Fine."

His body shone under the orange light, his hair turning into gold strands. His eyes closed for a minute, and then he leaned to me and blew out the candle.

I clapped slowly, putting the candle away.

"What did you wish for?"

"I won't tell you," he said in a whisper. "What do you have in there?"

I shrugged. "Guess."

He met my eyes, then gave a small pout. "I hope there are doughnuts in there."

I gave a small laugh and opened up the plate. Sure enough, there were six doughnuts stacked upwards in a triangle. Six different flavours, shapes and sizes.

Gray broke into a laugh, his head thrown back, his chest heaving. He looked truly happy, his syes retaining the mirth all through.

"When did you do this?"

I shrugged, feeling so light seeing him truly laugh. He had seemed more or less okay with the event, but in here, shirtless, just the two of us, he seemed really happy.

"Are you happy?" I asked, my voice low as I leaned even closer.

He smiled again, the same smile that I thought was worth every effort, and he nodded.

"Thank you, Angeline."

I smiled, then pushed the plate even closer and moved, too. "Do I have your favourite flavour?"

He picked a classic chocolate glaze, and I moved it from the stack, then handed it to him. I expected him to take it from me, but he leaned, taking a bite from my hand.

His eyes lit up, and he smiled. "They are good."

I bit down on my lips and took a bite from the same doughnut, too, my eyes holding his. He watched me, almost as entranced as I was when he had done it, a small, almost musical smile playing on his lips. I dropped the doughnut back, my eyes lifting to him.

"I unfortunately don't have a gift for you," I said, shrugging. "But... I now know the date, twenty-fifth of July. Next year, I mean, if I am still around, I will make sure to save up and..."

The words stopped in my throat as he covered the distance, taking my lips in a slow, fiery, needy kiss.

My eyes closed, my breath stopped, my bain immediately shutting down. He pulled away, his eyes fixed on my lips, his hair falling in front of his eyes, darkening them, increasing the dangerous allure they already had.

Time seemed to stop, and I think time seems to be stopping a lot these days. Was it the end of the world? Or was it the end for me?

His hand was holding my nape through my hair, and it was just one of the ways he has held me that I want to feel over and over again. His body was slightly hovering above me, his lips parted and close, his breaths fanning my skin.

I met hisbeyes again, as he moved his other hand to run along my strands, his eyes darkening with each slow move.

"I think you do have a gift," he said, his voice a husky, smoky drawl.

"Gray, I..."

"Shut up and kiss me," he said, cutting me off, but made no move.

I know he meant every word, especially the part where I was to kiss him. So defying myself and my rationality, I leaned up, my hands wrapping around his neck, my head tilting to the left, and I took his lips slowly in mine.

He sighed the name Angeline into my mouth, before raising the tempo of the kiss, bringing me to lie back, till he was hovering right above me, his body slightly touching mine each time he leaned closer and deepened the kiss, teasing the gates of what could very well be pain or paradise.