So Lock And Load, Mercenaries

Craig Mabbit was just a little away from perfect for me.

Don't get me wrong, he was the best boyfriend I could wish for, but there was just something missing, something not quite right. Our relationship was like a cog in a machine being just a millimetre too small, it still worked, but there was always something not quite right.

There was no fire between me and Craig, but maybe that was because we've been together for just a little over 4 months now, done everything couples should, and now, I hate to say it, but I'm almost bored.

I tap my foot, covered in a black and blue DC, listlessly on the pavement as I wait for Craig, just outside of Walmart, just where he'd asked, just where we always meet.

I find myself wishing I'd brought a hoodie, because even in Las Vegas the wind easily whips through my fitted Jack Daniels shirt.

I pull open the door and slip inside, folding my arms across my stomach and feeling my dyed black hair fall to rest over my shoulders, no longer assaulted by the wind. I pull out my phone and check the time, just a minute until Craig appears, and I know he'll be on time.

Just right, after a minute of waiting Craig appears round the corner, face as white as always against his black hair and black coat. I never knew why Craig wore his coat, always, even through summer, tightly fastened round him, only his legs, clothed in skinny jeans, appearing from underneath.

Craig smiles as he opens the door and reaches me, greeting me with a widened smile, "Hey Lily." He says softly, placing a hand on my cheek and bringing my lips forward to meet his briefly. We may be in public, but I haven't spent a while with him for three days, what with both of us being busy, and I expected a little more than a peck on the lips.

I decide, with a small sigh, to take action into my own hands, and place them on his face, pulling his lips to mine harshly, my mouth working to try to get a reaction, but I don’t, and when I pull apart I'm almost saddened.

"Hey Craig."

I loved him.

I knew that, but the something wasn't there.

From somewhere, held in his hand, Craig brings a hoodie up between us and smiles, "I knew you wouldn't wear one Lily."

I lean up, standing on my tiptoes from my meagre 5-foot height, since he wasn't expecting it, and kiss him deeply, the two fingers that aren’t wrapped in hoodie material pulling a little on the belt of his coat.

When we pull away I smile, desperate to get even the slightest reaction from the boy I loved, but he just smiled, leant down and whispered in my ear, "I love you."

"I love you too Craig." I say, and I mean it, as I pull on the black and white chequered hoodie and zipping it up.

'I love you' was a reaction, I knew that, and it made me smile every time the three words slipped from between Craig's lips, whether it be here, in Walmart, or in between our sheets as he collapses beside me.

We've had sex. That's an attraction, that's a fire, but it's not what I mean. It's always loving, and never, ever spontaneous. That was just Craig, though, he was never spontaneous, he was planned, and precise.

I longed for spontaneity, it was just how I was, and I longed for Craig to be the same. I wanted him to come home, or as we're down the park, kiss me like he wanted me, and take me home and we have a good shag.

It's never like that though.

I slip my hand into his as he leads me out of Walmart and down a few side streets, to a quaint café.

"What the hell Craig?" I murmur under my breath as he leads me through to a table at the back, a secluded one, just for two, with a small pot of flowers at the centre of the table. I sit opposite him and he tangles his legs with mine under the small table, reaching across and linking our fingers together too.

"What is this Craig?" I ask softly, raising one eyebrow at his as he smiles secretively.

"Just to say I love you." He says softly, squeezing my hand in his.

"I love you too." I murmur back, feeling a rushing through me, coursing from Craig's hand into mine.

I really loved him, but the something was missing.

A waitress bounces over to us, smile on her face, clutching her pen and pad, "What can I do for you two?" She chirps, flipping over a new page in her notebook, and waiting, pen poised.

Craig looks to me, nodding his head politely, and I order my usual latte with extra milk and a lot of sugar, and Craig orders a cappuccino, like always. I sip my latte when the waitress brings it to us and smile at Craig.

We make sweet conversation, just like a couple should, and Craig keeps our hands tightly linked. When I've finished, swirling the milky, frothy dregs round the bottom of my cup, Craig leaves some money on the table, squeezes my hand and leads us out the shop.

Craig carries on weaving us through the back streets of Vegas, the place I love, and stops outside a flower stall, leaning over and quickly picking out a gorgeous bunch of red roses, paying for them and handing them to me with another quick kiss on the lips.

"What the hell Craig? Stop being so mushy?" I say softly, taking the roses from him and admiring them.

"I love you." He was the sweetest boy I knew, that was for sure.

"I love you too..." I look down at the roses and frown, "Craig? There's thirteen roses here."

I scowl and Craig looks over at me, eyebrows furrowing. I was a strong believer of superstition, and thirteen was a very, very bad number for me.

Craig mumbles and pulls out one of the roses, making it a dozen, and leaves the other on the edge of the stall, "It's okay, there isn't anymore."

He's almost patronising me, and I feel suddenly embarrassed at my superstitions, but the number thirteen terrified me.

I hold the roses at my side as we walk along, and despite the sweet gesture I cant help feeling that this bunch of flowers were deeply unlucky, and something bad was going to happen.

My phone vibrates in my back pocket and I pull it out, murmuring an apology as I open it and put it to my ear, "Hello?"

"Lily, darling," I hear one of my best friends say over the phone, "We're having a sleepover thing, everyone's coming, you and Craig there?"

"Sure babe," I say, looking at Craig and smiling, "Who's everyone?"

"Me and Danny," Becky says, and I can imagine her smiling at the mention of her boyfriend, "Cathy and Zacky, Jen and Rou, Max and Kiara, Mike and Ria, Jake, Matt and Ronnie."

"Hell yeah we're there." I say, smiling, "See you there. Seven at yours?"

"Yeah babes, see you." She hangs up and I smile, turning to Craig.

"Up for a sleepover thing in an hour Craig?" I ask, squeezing his hand.

"Sure. Everyone there?"

I laugh a little and nod, "Yeah, everyone."