You Are My Reason For Breathing

For the first time in what felt like forever, I had actually woken up with a smile on my face. I got out of bed, and the smile stayed. I got breakfast, sat on my couch, turned on my television, tried to think of something other than that amazing kiss, as the smile stayed. I was hoping it would become a permanent fixture on my face.

I liked being happy. I liked waking up happy. I liked staying happy. I was hoping this feeling of elation would stay forever. I didn't wanna lose this moment of complete joy.

There was a knock at my door, as I turned around, abandoning my thoughts, and grinned as wide as I possibly could when I saw Andrew walk in with something behind his back. I looked at him incredulously and he just shook his head while he grinned. He quickly turned around to close my door before coming over and sitting on my coffee table, directly in front of where I was.

He took my unfinished bowl of cereal and set it beside him on the coffee table. I tried peeking behind him to see what he was hiding, but he wouldn't let me see. Every time I tried, he smacked my hand gently and told me 'no'.

I crossed my arms in front of my chest, defeated that I couldn't see what he was hiding. I was also kinda pouting because he took my food, and I wanted to stab him and run so I could get it back. Well, not literally. He stole my food so I'm kind of irked.

I waited for him to say something as he just stared at my face while I rearranged myself so I was sitting Indian-style on my couch. As soon as I got myself situated, he wasn't watching me anymore. He was just sitting in front of me, twiddling his thumbs with a slight smile on his face. I wondered what he was up to, but I just shook it off.

I took this time to be a creeper and stare at the cute boy in front of me. His wispy dirty blond hair fell in chunks in front of his face, and over his thick framed glasses, shielding those beautiful blue eyes I had fallen so in love with these past few months we have been friends. I found that he had an eyebrow ring, something I've never noticed before. I sat back in my couch with wide eyes as he had looked up and caught me staring.

He smiled softly and I blushed and looked down at my own hands, finding them very interesting. Andrew lifted my head up to look him in the face. He took his two hands and leaned forward to put them on the blush that had settled its way onto my face, and he smiled. "I love it when you blush," he sighs contently and takes his hands back to himself just as another settled in.

This time though, he wasn't the one looking me in the face. He had his head down, staring at his hands for the second time this morning. "Why?" I asked curiously.

He sighs, and looks up to face me. "It lets me know that I get to you the way you've been getting to me," he says quietly. Almost as if he was afraid to say it.

My stomach does multiple flips and the butterflies in there go crazy...and, I blush again. He smiles of course, and just like that, I'm tongue-tied and can't speak. I hate the way he can just smile, and I won't be able to say anything coherent. But, I love it though.

I get an idea, and take his hand. I start tracing patterns on it, loving the way his skin feels. A mixture of soft and rough. The in between.

I feel him move, I stop and look up at him. He sighs contently. I smile and stop what I'm doing, still wondering what he's hiding behind his back. "What are you hiding?"

"Well," he's smirking now. "I'm a closet puppy murderer and I hide dead bodies in my closet."

I gasp and we laugh loudly together. I put on the most serious face I could muster, before saying, "I have a daughter and I killed my husband. That's how I ended up here."

The emotions on his face was a mix of anger and stupidity. He got up from his spot on the coffee table and started towards the door. I beat him to it and attached myself to it. "I was joking Andrew!" I giggle a little at how he believed me.

He pouted and put his arms over his chest like a five year old. "That wasn't very nice."
"Well that's what you get for not showing me what was behind your back you meanie face!"

He could tell I was joking this time and laughed a little. "Since you wanna know so bad, and just can't wait, fine," I squealed with delight, "But, you have to stay right there with your eyes closed."

I stuck my tongue out at him and put my hands in front of my eyes, so he could be sure I wouldn't peek. I heard his footsteps coming closer and heard no more steps, so I guessed he had stopped in front of me.

"Hold out your hands," I held out my hands, but still kept my eyes closed. I got confused when I felt plastic being put in my hands. "Now, open your eyes."

I opened my eyes and looked at Andrew first before I looked at the bundle in front of me. His face held anxiousness and I smiled. I looked down in my hands, and gasped when I saw no not a bundle of roses, tulips or anything, but a bundle of daisies.

I gasped and looked at him with a giant grin and he smiled. "What's this for?"

He stepped closer to me and took the beautiful flowers out of my hands and on the counter. Grabbing my hands, he spoke a few short words. "I like you Amber," He laughed as a pink tint appeared on his face as he looked down at his shoes and my sockless feet. "I have for awhile now, actually," he picked his head up and looked me in the eyes, trying to read my emotions.

I blushed furiously as the butterflies that were already swarming in my stomach went wild. "Really?" I said in a small voice as Andrew smiled.

"Yeah," he said while stepping closer to me, and looking at me softly. "What made you think I didn't?"

I felt my stomach clench and my head swirled with memories that I wanted to forget. I shook my mind clear of those thoughts and just shrugged, which in turn made him crack a small smile.

"Well," he looked at me with the smile still upon his face, "you haven't told me whether you like me or not," he said as he smirked, already knowing the answer.

My cheeks flared again and his smirk turned victorious. "You already know the answer," mumbled quietly, trying to maneuver around him so I could get out of his intense gaze so I could think properly. But of course, he wouldn't budge.

I sighed and looked up at Andrew as he held the brightest smile I had ever seen someone make. I crossed my arms over my chest tried to stare him down, but with no avail. "You're a real turd-monkey you know that?"

He smiled and nodded his head like a child. "So I've been told."

I laughed and got an idea. I pointed my finger to the wall and said, "Look! A distraction!"

I chuckled lightly as he turned his head to the wall and I ran to my bed and hid under my un-made covers. I heard him throw out profanities as he tried to look for me. "Come out, come out wherever you are," he said in a sing-song voice.

I quickly put my hand over my mouth so I wouldn't laugh and give myself away. But thinking hiding on top of my bed was a pretty dumb idea, because I could hear his footsteps coming closer.

"I know you're in here. You might as well give yourself away now before I jump on your bed and kill you."

I laughed and poked my head out from under my blanket. "Damn. An ultimatum."

He smiled victoriously and jumped on my bed anyways. I closed my eyes in fear of him jumping on me. I peaked out of my left eye and saw him laughing as he laid right beside me. "So," I looked at him and urged him to continue. "you never told me whether you liked me or not."

He smiled and rolled over on his side and propped himself up on his elbow as he stared me down. I blushed furiously again and put my hands in front of my face, hoping he couldn't see. He did, of course, and removed my hands from my face, so I could look him in the eyes.

"Of course I like you," I said while avoiding his gaze and instead staring at my hands. "I thought you knew that."

He chuckled lightly. "Oh, I already knew that," I immediately looked at him and playfully glared at him. "I mean, who else could not like," he gestured towards his body, "this."

He smirked and I laughed as I sat up. "Again with the cockiness! When does it end?!" I asked dramatically.

He laughed too as he sat up and put them criss-cross-applesauce. He took one of my hands in his and just stared at them with the smallest of smiles on his face. The butterflies in my stomach went crazy again with the contact.

Andrew looked up at me as a blush progressed its way across his face. "I have a question to ask you, and I'm not sure how you'll answer, but it's been on my mind for awhile and-"

I interrupted him by putting a finger on his lips as I smiled. "Andrew?" He nodded. "You're rambling." I took my finger off his lips and the hand he wasn't holding to my side.

He pouted and it took all I had not to turn into jelly. "I know! I've never had this much trouble saying what's on my mind to another girl before."

I smiled and blush which gave him the little bit of confidence he needed to go on with his thought. "But you, you're not like any girl I've ever met. You're not a whore, you're not trying to get me in bed," I gave him a questioning glance as he looked down, noticed his play of words, shrugged and looked me back in the face, "and I know you're not using me to get someone else.

You come to the door dressed in your PJ's, still watch early morning cartoons, and you're not afraid to show emotion in front of me." I blushed even harder as he paused to take a breath. "You're perfect, even when you're not trying to be. You look beautiful even when you're dressed in jeans and an old t-shirt," He smiled as he saw the blush stay on my face, as I was fighting a smile. "And, you're genuinely nice, funny, and you're not afraid to tell me I sound like a douche or when my jokes suck. You're real, and it's fantastic."

I giggled like a little girl with my blushing cheeks as he finished his speech. "Andrew, that was beautiful," I said quietly, when my girlish giggles had calmed down.

His cheeks flushed momentarily as he scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "I've had that planned for days," he mumbled quietly as well. "I just didn't know the right way to tell you."

I grinned and took his other hand in mine. "That's so sweet. No one's ever said stuff like that to me, or told me that the planned how to tell me what they like about me," I said quietly and honestly as his smile quickly grew.

He took his hands from mine and looked at me with the biggest smile on his face. He took both of his hands and cupped my face as if I were about to break that very second. He leaned in and put his lips on mine ever so gently.

My eyes instinctively closed as I put my arms around his neck, trying to pull him closer. He laughs in the kiss and pulls away too fast for my liking. I kept my arms around his neck as he removed his hands from my face.

He smiled and opened his eyes. "Amber, will you give me the honor of having you as my girlfriend?"

I blushed and smiled as his smile grew. I nodded and he smiled as if i just made him the happiest man in the universe. "What took you so long?"

He laughed and put his hands on my sides. "The right moment," he muttered softly, not knowing he just made me the happiest girl in the universe.