Plug in Baby

"How much longer do you think we'll be stuck in darkness?" I asked Matt, placing my book on UFOs down in my lap.

"I'm not sure. It's been about four hours," he said, looking up around the room as if a light would magically turn on from his movements. "It should be soon. They've had to have fixed the issue by now."

"If they did, you'd think the lights would be on, wouldn't you?" I giggled.

"I suppose you're right," he smiled sheepishly, closing his book on time travel. "It's goin' on eight though. It's gotta be soon that the lights go back on," he sighed.

"I'm sorry that my roommates are jerks and refuse to pick me up. It's nice of you to let me stay," I said quietly, looking down at my injured hand.

"It's not a problem. I couldn't very well let you stay out there in the cold rain, could I?" he said, setting his book on the coffee table. "Besides, I like having you here. It tends to get lonely some nights. I'm glad to have the company," he smiled.

"We've been sitting around for the past four hours just reading in silence though. I'm hardly entertaining," I argued.

"Well, just having you reading with me is enough to ease some of the loneliness," he said. "Though it's getting quite chilly in here," he added, rubbing his hands together to create friction heat. "How about we move into the other room and I start a fire that we can sit near?"

I nodded, "Alright. I'll make some tea I guess."

"Good thing I have that gas cook top instead of an electric one," he smiled.

"Yeah, good thing," I laughed.

I set my book down on the table near his and grabbed a candle, standing up from the couch and heading in the direction of the kitchen. As I approached, I could see the fragments of the shattered plate that were spread about as well as a few droplets of blood from where I had been crouched earlier. I quickly looked away from the blood, feeling slightly uneasy looking at it and started the kettle for tea.

For the last four hours, the electricity had been out and despite my many attempts to contact my flatmates to come and pick me up, they refused to answer the phone. I had a feeling that Lucy was doing this on purpose though I had no idea why. I think she had diluted herself into the idea that if I was left alone with Matt in the dark that I would eventually crack and do something radical and out of character, like shag him. I knew better though. I wouldn't be doing anything with Matt that wasn't professional. I didn't want to ruin the working dynamic we had together, no matter how much I craved to be cuddled up against his warm body.

Matt was kind enough to offer me a book to read so we wouldn't get bored. I actually learned a lot about UFOs from the book I had been devouring. It was interesting that I wanted to read the book at all, especially since I wasn't a big fan of anything science fiction. I guess Matt had an influence in my sudden interest. It was weird that all we did was read in complete silence for such a long time. We barely spoke to each other but I guess the one thing I could always count on with being near Matt was the comfortable silence. It was nice to just be near him without having to force a conversation.

I started moving around the kitchen carefully, trying my best to manage holding things with my bum hand. It was difficult to do things since the middle of my palm was cut. Gripping things too tightly was painful so I was limited to use of the one hand I had left, which made me a lot slower than usual. I mentally cursed the broken plate on the ground that caused my injury.

As I waited for the kettle to boil, I decided that since I had enough light to see what I was doing that I would actually clean up the mess I had made earlier. I bent down and started carefully gathering the large pieces of broken porcelain and tossed them into the bin. I noticed a few small pieces left but decided that I would get those with the broom and dustpan when the electricity went back on. I wasn't going to tackle such a thing when I couldn't see properly.

I heard the tea kettle whistling, signaling that the tea could be made as I wandered towards the stove to pour the hot water into the pot. I grabbed a bag of peppermint tea from the container on the counter and put the baggie into the steaming water, plunging it in and out of the water so it would sink.

"So is the tea nearly ready?" Matt asked, popping into the kitchen with his cell phone acting as a flashlight.

"Yep. I just need to pour the tea into cups," I replied, attempting to grab the handle with my busted hand and causing a harsh stinging sensation from the pressure against it. "Ow, shit," I muttered loudly under my breath.

"Here, let me do that for you," Matt said, taking the tea pot with ease and pouring the piping hot liquid into the dark mugs.

"Thanks," I smiled. "I seem to keep forgetting that I've hurt my hand," I said, examining the bandages as if I could actually see the wound.

"I don't know how you can forget about an injury like that," he chuckled.

"Well, it doesn't hurt unless I mess with it," I replied.

"Ahh well," he shrugged. "I'll carry the mugs for us if you can manage the candle," he suggested.

"I think I can manage carrying a stupid candle," I replied sarcastically, grabbing the candle off the counter top.

I led the way towards the piano room, noticing the flickering glow from behind the partially open door. I pushed the door open, noticing a fire crackling on the other side of the room. There were a few lit candles resting on top of the large, black piano top, illuminating the gorgeous instrument even more. Matt walked over towards the fire while I wandered to the piano, completely fascinated by the glorious instrument.

I set my candle down near the others on top of the flat surface of the black wood and stood before the beautiful music box, lightly brushing my fingertips over the ivory keys but not making a sound. There was something about just touching the piano intimately that made me feel rather connected to it, even though I had only sat down to play it the one time. Every time I was in Matt's house, I wanted to play again. For something that I wasn't very passionate about to begin with, it was interesting that I was so drawn to it.

"Take a seat," I heard Matt say.

I turned to glance at him, noticing that he had appeared on my right side. He had a small smile on his face as he held out his arms, inviting me to take a seat on the bench. I complied with his request, sitting down on one side of the piano bench while he sat on the other next to me. He looked back to me with that smile on his face as I brushed the red curls out of my face.

"Would you play me something?" I asked sheepishly.

He nodded, "Of course. Anything in particular you'd like me to play for you?" he asked, readying his hands over the white keys.

"Whatever comes to mind," I shrugged. "I just want to hear you play."

"Alright," he said, shifting his focus back to the instrument in front of him.

I watched him as he let his fingers slowly glide across the keyboard, producing the most wonderful sounds that sent shivers down my spine. I kept my eyes focused on his face as he concentrated on the instrument before him, shutting his eyes and allowing himself to lose sense of everything else around him with the exception of the music. I found myself smiling a bit as I watched him perform, almost admiring the way he played the beautiful classical piece. I rested my hands carefully in my lap, allowing the wonderful melodies to float through the air and into my ears, filling my head with the most wonderful romantic sounds.

I sat in silence for ten minutes while he continued to play the piece expertly and with such vigor, watching him the entire time. He was just so passionate about the piece he was playing that I could understand why he played music for a living. Music seemed to light Matt up, giving him this indescribable look of satisfaction and contentment as he played. He looked as if he had died and gone straight to heaven. It was amazing to see that much passion come out through the music he played. He felt about music the same way I felt about painting. I hadn't really seen such an effect before. It was eye opening to see my emotions I usually went through while painting mirrored in Matt's movements and expression on his face while he played the classical music.

The quiet ending came way too soon as I found him staring at me, trying to gage my reaction to his music. I smiled at him, which made his face relax a bit as he smiled back. He was nervous, which I didn't understand. I thoroughly enjoyed the music he played. There was something about watching Matt play that made it all the more enjoyable.

"Rachmaninoff is always so beautiful," I sighed after a long silence between the two of us. "Especially that movement you just played of the Piano Concerto in C Minor. The 2nd has always been my favorite," I smiled.

"You're familiar with Rachmaninoff?" he asked in surprise.

"Of course, though it seems that the 1st movement is more popular of the pieces," I nodded. "When I was learning to play the piano, the guy who taught me everything I know, the Piano Man as I called him, was a big fan of classical music so I wound up learning to play some of the greats like Beethoven, Mozart, Rachmaninoff, Chopin, and Brahms."

"Do you know how to play any pieces by them?" he asked in wonder.

"I remember one," I said nostalgically. "It's actually my favorite piece of all time."

"Would you play it for me?" he asked quietly.

"I don't want to butcher the work. I'm not an expert piano player or anything and I'm not sure I remember it all," I said, shaking my head slightly to protest.

"I'm sure you'll play it beautifully," he said. "Please?" he asked with a pout.

I sighed heavily, "Alright fine. It's unfair that you pull such a sad face like that to sucker me into playing piano for you," I said with a small mock glare.

"Whatever it takes to hear your favorite piano piece of all time," he grinned.

"Ok, but don't blame me if I mess it up. I'm a little rusty," I said, positioning my fingers correctly over the keys.

"You've already warned me so I can't say a thing about it," he said.

"Ok," I said, taking in a deep breath.

I shut my eyes and allowed my fingers to press down on the keys, hearing the familiar melodies flooding my ears. I could literally see the musical notes from the music sheet floating through my head, giving me a sense of what I was actually doing while I played. I couldn't stop the small smile forming upon my lips at the familiarity of the music that began to play. It brought me back to San Francisco all those years ago when I was just a little girl.

Suddenly, I was a seven year old girl once again, sitting on a piano bench in the small, rundown living room of a struggling college student, watching in amazement as his fingers expertly danced along the keys, playing this slow and romantic piano melody. I was sitting beside him on the bench and seeing his eyes closed tightly and a soft expression on his face as he gushed out the music through the keys. The one thing I remember about the Piano Man clearly was that he was a big fan of the romantic composers and always told me about how specific pieces displayed different emotions.

Playing this piece, I couldn't help but realize that this was my favorite piece because it was what love was supposed to feel like for me. I wanted my life to play out like this Intermezzo, able to stare into someone's eyes and hear the soft melodies play in my head like a movie. If I had all of that, I think I would know when I had fallen in love, though it was an idealistic. Wishing for such a thing seemed silly to me because that's not how it was in the real world.

Before I realized it, the five minutes had flown by and I was playing the last few notes, ending the wonderful piece. I slowly opened my eyes, placing my hands back into my lap and glancing at Matt, who seemed to be staring at me in memorization. His blue eyes had a slight glint in the candlelight, some kind of hidden emotion lurking in his gaze. The corners of his lips were slightly curved upward into a soft smile, almost unrecognizable because it was so subtle.

I could feel my heart racing in anticipation, unable to break the gaze between us. I felt nervous because the silence between us was too great. I needed to know that I hadn't ruined a beautiful piece of music with my fumbling fingers.

"Brahms is your favorite?" he asked quietly.

"Just that specific piece. There was something about it that just connected with me at a young age and it's been my favorite ever since," I explained.

"You played it beautifully," he said.

"Thank you," I said, slightly blushing and looking down at my hands.

"So other than that classical piece, do you know any other piano pieces?" he asked.

"I know some contemporary stuff, you know like pop music but not really anything else," I shrugged. "My mom was a fan of The Beatles and Elton John so I grew up singing 'Tiny Dancer' and 'Hey Jude' with her until I developed my own taste in pop music," I explained.

Matt's smile grew larger as he placed his hands over the keys once again. I looked at him in confusion for a moment until his fingers began to dance effortlessly over the keys, playing the very familiar tune from my childhood. I couldn't help but smile at the memories that this song brought me and also at the fact that Matt knew how to play this song by memory.

"Hey Jude, don't make it bad. Take a sad song and make it better. Remember to let her into your heart and then you can start to make it better," Matt sang, glancing at me with a smile.

"Hey Jude, don't be afraid. You were made to go out and get her. The minute you let her under your skin then you begin to make it better," I sang quietly.

Matt stopped playing the song not too long after that and laughed quietly. I kept my eyes down on the keys as he glanced at me, his cheeks tinged pink. I think he was embarrassed though I didn't know why. I thought it was sweet that he knew the chords to the song I remember so vividly from my childhood back in San Francisco.

"I can't believe I remembered that," he chuckled, shaking his head slightly.

"I liked it," I smiled. "You have a very nice voice."

"Thanks. You do too, you know."

"Oh, no, I sound awful," I said, shaking my head.

"No, you don't. You sound very lovely," he replied.

I felt myself blushing at the compliment, looking down at my lap once again. I started twiddling my thumbs, unable to control my nervous fidgeting. I stopped, completely freezing when I felt a warm hand placed over mine. I looked back up to Matt, who wore a soft expression on his face. My heart raced uncontrollably under his touch, tingling warmth creeping up my arm and into my chest. It was amazing how he seemed to have such an effect over me.

"Your hands are like ice," he commented with a slight frown.

"Really? I hadn't noticed," I said hypnotically.

"Let's warm you up by the fire," he said, grabbing my hand.

"Ok," I agreed breathlessly.

He stood up, also helping me to my feet as he led me towards the fire place. He grabbed a few pillows from the couch and tossed them on the floor right in front of the fire, leading me around the coffee table. I took a seat on the ground and grabbed my cup of tea from the table, wrapping my popsicle fingers around the mug and embracing the warmth that was now circulating. Matt copied my actions, leaning against the table for support directly in front of the cackling fire.

"So, how are we supposed to occupy time now?" he asked me.

"Well, we could play 20 questions," I shrugged, taking a sip of the warm mint tea. "It's something that I used to play with Symon whenever we were bored and drunk," I laughed.

"Was it more amusing when you were drunk?" he inquired with a smirk.

"Everything's more amusing when you're drunk," I said.

"Well, if you want we can crack open a bottle of wine and drink that instead if you feel that you need more amusement for this game," he said.

"I don't need to be drunk to play that game, unless I'm with Symon. In order to answer his questions, it's usually better if I don't remember them the next day," I giggled. "He's very crude."

"Oh so he's one of those chaps," Matt said knowingly. "Kind of like Dom."

"Exactly like Dom. I think if those two met, they would fall in love and we would be out of commission for best friends," I smiled.

"I guess that's the price we'd pay for arranging a play date," he shrugged.

"I guess so," I sighed. "So, do you want to start with the questions or should I?"

"You can start if you wish. Are there any stipulations in this game?" he asked.

"Not with the way I normally play. Everything's free game to ask," I replied. He nodded in response. "Ok, first question: how old are you?"

"I'm thirty, though I act very childish for someone my age," he said. "How old are you?"

"I'm twenty four. Favorite food?"

"Pasta. Favorite color?"

"Oh, that's a tough one. I'd have to go with purple. Worst job?"

"Caravan cleaner. Best mate?"

"Crap, I can't just pick one. Symon and I are the closest but that's only because we've dated so many years ago. Lucy and Owen are good friends too. I can't just pick one," I told him. "Who's your best friend?"

"I'm in the same boat you are. I can't pick just one. Chris, Dom, and Tom, who works with us on tour, are my best mates. What's your favorite band?"

"Oh man, I don't know. That's hard cuz it changes all the time," I sighed. I took a sip of tea, trying to think of an answer to give him. "Um, I guess my bizarre obsession with Coldplay would constitute them as my favorite."

"I can't believe you know who Coldplay is but when I mentioned what band I was in, you had never heard of us," he said in disbelief.

"I'm sorry! Coldplay's just more of my style. I listen to all that pop stuff and the fact that Chris Martin plays piano is just a plus," I said in defense. "I mean, of the two songs I've heard by your band, I must admit I like you guys."

"You do?"

"Well, like I said, I've only heard two songs before but I liked them."

"I guess that counts for something," he sighed.

"Ok, my turn for a question," I smiled. "First kiss?"

"I was five years old in pre-school. Her name was Mindy Browne. It was on a dare from one of my mates," he admitted. "What about you?"

"Um, I was also five when I kissed Kenny Goodrich. He lived in my apartment building in San Francisco," I said, smiling at the memory. "He was my best friend growing up and eventually wound up moving to Houston to live with his mom," I said, staring off into the fire. "Anyway, first song you ever wrote?"

"I think it was a song called 'Small Minded' and I don't really know what it was about but it was total crap," he said as we both laughed a little. "What was your first painting?"

"It was a picture of a bunch of bright pink jellyfish on yellow construction paper when I was in kindergarten for my mom," I laughed. "She decided to put it on the fridge, even though it was awful. I think she's still got it though somewhere in New York," I said, thinking aloud. "Best moment of your career so far?"

"Headlining the Reading and Leeds Festival definitely," he replied automatically. "That was pretty amazing because it's something I've wanted to do since I was a teenager. It was one of the best accomplishments for me personally," he said with a smile. "Ok, um, first serious boyfriend?"

"Probably my roommate Symon," I said.

"Your flatmate is an ex-boyfriend of yours?" he asked.

"Well yeah," I shrugged. "We met in the end of secondary and kind of hit it off. I moved in with him when my mom and step-dad moved to New York. He was more like a brother to me than a boyfriend so we broke it off and have been friends since," I explained.

"That's very impressive," he told me. "I don't think I've remained friends with any of my ex-girlfriends," he chuckled.

"Hey! You've asked two questions so far and now it's my turn. Hmm, let's see," I said, trying to think of a question to ask. "Alright, I've got one. How old were you when you lost your virginity?"

Matt seemed stunned by my question at first, obviously caught off guard by question. He set his cup of tea down on the table behind him and sat up straight. I had set my cup down as well, picking at the pillow that lay before me, waiting patiently for his answer.

"I was about sixteen I think. It was with my girlfriend at the time when we were at the Reading Festival," he replied.

"Wait a minute, you two had sex at the Reading Festival? Isn't that an outdoor festival?" I asked, slightly cocking my head to the side as I spoke.

He nodded, "That would be correct, yeah. It was a very different experience."

"I wouldn't have thought of that as a place to have sex. I thought it was just a place to go to watch bands play," I said.

"It serves many purposes," he chuckled. "What about you? How old were you when you lost your virginity?"

I blushed, looking down at the pillow that I was messing with in my lap, "I was nineteen when it happened with Drake, who was the jerk I was with at the time. God, it was one of the worst experiences of my life."

"Really? Why was it so awful?" he asked.

"Well, I guess I was just nervous and it was just extremely uncomfortable but then again, it was kind of a big deal for me while for Drake, it was just something to do to pass the time in the evening. I guess the significance in the moment didn't match up for either of us," I shrugged. "Oh well. I just wrote it off as one of those learning experiences."

"He sounds kind of like an asshole if you ask me," Matt said, leaning against his arm, stretching his body along the floor.

"He was but luckily I've only had two boyfriends like that in my lifetime and both of them wound up getting knocked out when Symon got through with them so it hasn't been all that bad," I shrugged.

"I guess I know not to be a jerk then because Symon sounds like someone I don't want to meet," he chuckled.

"Symon would probably freak out if he ever met you," I laughed, stretching out and lying on my stomach near him. "He's a huge fan. I think he'll kill me when he finds out I've been working here all this time."

"What? You haven't told him that you're working for me?" he asked.

I shook my head, "No, not really. I wasn't sure what his reaction would be if I told him but I'm sure it would've led to more questions that I wouldn't know how to answer. I didn't want it to be a big deal, you know, because it wasn't a big deal for me."

"I understand. I guess that's why I enjoy spending so much time with you," he mused, glancing down at me. "I almost feel normal around you and we can talk about things other than what new songs to write or organizing the next tour and album. It's nice."

He flashed a soft smile at me, the fire illuminating his face clearly so he looked as if he were glowing. I couldn't tear my eyes away from his blue eyes, suddenly feeling rather connected to him in some new way. It hadn't occurred to me until just now how romantic this could be if we were both after the same thing. If he was at all interested in me, I would more than likely be wrapped up in his arms, letting his body heat warm me instead of the fire behind me.

"It's nice to feel normal every now and again," I replied.

"Are there times where you don't feel normal?" he asked.

"When I was a teenager, I used to think I was very strange. I didn't have many friends and I was kind of always had my head stuck in the clouds, thinking of things to sketch or paint. It wasn't the kind of thing that kids my age were doing so they just left me be most of the time," I shrugged. "I guess some of that social awkwardness carried over into my adult life because my only friends are my flatmates and I get super nervous around new people."

"I noticed that when I first introduced you to Chris and Dom," he smiled.

"Yeah well, what would your reaction be if a strange blonde man in extremely tight, bright yellow pants seized your hand and started kissing it?"

"I would probably be very flattered at such affection."

"Well I wasn't. I was more scared if anything. I thought, at one point, he would start kissing up my arm," I giggled.

"I wouldn't have let him do that," Matt said point blankly.

"Oh really now?" I asked with an amused tone in my voice.

"Well, you looked petrified," Matt said in defense.

"I was but you didn't seem to mind the fact that he was kissing my hand," I said.

"I did though," he said quickly, his eyes growing wide at the admission.

I leaned up so I was sitting, looking at him curiously. He also leaned up so he was sitting awkwardly before me. He started scratching the back of his neck, one of his little quirks that he had when he was nervous or uncomfortable with a situation. I just looked at him with a tiny smile, trying to reassure him that there was nothing to be nervous about.

"You did?" I questioned, titling my head slightly to one side. "Why's that?"

"I guess it just bothered me," he said quietly, shrugging.

"Are you ok Matt? A minute ago we were laughing and having a good time and now you seem anxious about something," I said, not really understanding his sudden shift in mood.

"Can I ask you something?" he asked.

"Considering you just did I can assume that you're able to," I giggled.

"Would you shut your eyes for a moment?"

I looked at him quizzically, unsure of why he wanted me to do such a thing. Even though it seemed completely silly, I was comfortable enough with Matt to do what he asked. I tucked my curls behind my ears and sat up straighter, placing my hands in my lap gently. I closed my eyes, patiently waiting for Matt to tell me to reopen them.

"Don't open them yet," he said quietly as I heard him shifting around on the floor.

I nodded, feeling my heart beating faster in my chest. I took a deep breath, letting it out slowly and kept very still. I started wondering what he was doing that involved my temporary blindness. Something about not being able to see Matt was a little disconcerting but also added to the slight tension I was beginning to feel between us now that one of my primary senses had been cut off.

Suddenly, I felt a warm pressure against my lips, making my body freeze at the moment of contact. My mind went completely blank for a moment, trying to register what was going on until I finally realized that the warm pressure I felt against my lips were another set of lips that belonged to Matt. He was kissing me.

By the time I had figured out that he was actually kissing me, he already pulled away. I remained exactly like I was when he asked me to shut my eyes, slowly opening them and meeting a very embarrassed looking Matt, who was scratching the back of his neck once again. I cleared my throat a bit, biting my bottom lip and looking down at my hands, trying to fight the smile from my face. I had no idea what the kiss actually meant, if it meant anything at all, but after the initial shock wore off, I realized I wanted to kiss him again.

"Sorry," he mumbled quietly, keeping his eyes cast downward.

I let out a small laugh that caused him to glance up at me curiously. I met his questioning ice blue eyes and felt my heart begin to beat faster once again. I missed the feeling of his lips upon mine and wanted to make that happen between us once again. All the shyness I had once felt being alone with Matt has dissipated tonight when we were forced together by this blackout and by my stupid roommates that refused to pick me up. I didn't feel so awkward now.

I scooted myself closer to him, closing any gap of space between us and tentatively placing my hands on his shoulders. His gaze followed my hands, looking at them as they were resting on his shoulders before looking back up at me with confusion. I raised my good hand and caressed his cheek, feeling the stubble that had already begun to grow. I took a deep breath, deciding to take a chance by making the next move in the playbook.

"You have nothing to apologize for," I told him quietly.

He seemed surprised when I pressed my lips against his but reciprocated my actions, wrapping his arms around my waist to pull me closer to him. My arms wrapped around his neck, leaning into his body. His lips moved perfectly in synch with mine, his hands lightly grasping the material of my thin white t-shirt at the small of my back. I felt his tongue lightly brush against my bottom lip, wanting to deepen this already wonderful kiss. I couldn't help but smile into the kiss, allowing him to deepen the kiss even more.

This time, kissing Matt felt as wonderful, if not more wonderful than I imagined it would feel. My head was spinning from the dizziness I felt with his touch. It was amazing how one person could make me feel so incredible. I never thought in a million years that I would be able to work up the courage to actually kiss him. I was never completely sure that he was interested in me that way, which was something I still had no clue about but I disregarded that. I just enjoyed the feeling of being close to him. I thought for a moment that I had dreamed up the entire evening.

Slowly, I pulled away from Matt, a little stunned by the intensity of that kiss and settled back onto the floor comfortably. Matt seemed just as surprised as I was as an awkward silence began to settle between the two of us. I immediately found myself fidgeting anxiously, trying to think of something to say to him but coming up with nothing at all. My mind was a blank slate, wiped of all thoughts the moment my lips touched his for the second time that evening.

"Um," Matt said shakily, clearing his throat before speaking. "That was unexpected."

"You started it," I replied.

'What are you, four? How very juvenile of you Azriel. Way to go,' I thought to myself, instantly wanting to smack my own forehead in my sheer stupidity.

He chuckled, "And you seemed to finish it, didn't you?"

"I guess so," I slightly shrugged, looking down at my twitching hands. "What was that about?" I asked quietly, glancing at him quickly before looking back down to my hands.

"I had wanted to kiss you for weeks now," he admitted, reaching out to grab my good hand from my lap. I was forced to look up at his face when he made contact, lightly running his thumb over my delicate knuckles. "You're intriguing to me in more ways than one, which is something that rarely happens. Most people I meet are rather boring but then you came along and you were quiet and smart and incredibly beautiful," he said, making me blush a little at his comment, "I found myself thinking about you whenever I had a spare moment alone. I started really looking forward to seeing you on Fridays and tried to find ways to talk to you because I couldn't get enough of you. You're very captivating."

"But I work for you," I stated quietly. "You're technically my boss. I don't get involved with people outside a professional level when I work for them."

"It doesn't matter to me that you clean my house because quite honestly, if it's the one thing that keeps you comin' 'round my house then I'm all for it," he smiled. "I just really like you Azriel. I would like to explore these new feelings that we both seem to have for each other."

I sat there for a moment, letting his words sink in. He did express interest in me. Though he was someone I worked for, I couldn't ignore the nagging in the back of my mind that was urging me to kiss him once again as I thought of reasons for us to end whatever this was between us. I couldn't think of a valid excuse though. There was a part of me that didn't want to let go of this extraordinary connection I had found in Matthew Bellamy and I was heavily leaning in the direction of keeping him around.

"It won't get weird or anything, will it?" I asked honestly.

"I imagine it'll be weird for Dom to have to restrain himself around you but other than that, we should be fine," he grinned.

"So, does this mean that you're going to ask me on a date or is this more of a casual kind of friendship?" I asked, unsure of his intentions especially after that amazing kiss.

"I'm not that much of a pratt Azriel," he laughed. "I'm going to go about this in the proper manner and ask you out on a date. I'm not expecting anything from you or anything. I promised once before that I would be the proper gentleman around you."

"Alright, just wanting to make sure," I smiled. "It's been a while since I've actually done this kind of thing so I'm a little confused," I admitted sheepishly.

"What kind of thing love?" he asked sincerely.

"Um, dated I guess?" I said unsurely. "I mean, I guess you could count tonight as a date since we spent a lot of time getting to know each other. I don't know. I was always bad at figuring out 'dating' stuff."

"Honestly, I'm new to this as well so I'm just as clueless as you are," he replied. "All I know right now is that I'm dying to kiss you again."

"Well, I would be ok with that," I smiled softly.

He leaned in slowly, lightly planting his lips against mine into a sweet, brief kiss. Butterflies started rapidly flapping around in my stomach at his kiss. It was amazing how giddy I felt for something as minor as a kiss. I could get used to this feeling.

I just hoped that this wasn't a dream.