Inside Your Heaven

“Can we talk about how drunk you were last night?” Virginia’s cheeks immediately flush. “And what the fuck did you do to your phone?” I pick her phone up off of the kitchen counter and hold it up to her.
“Jesus, I don’t know. I was a mess, and my body hurts like crazy. What did you do to me?”
“Let it be known that nothing last night was my idea. You fell in the shower, you gave me what qualifies as the world’s biggest bruise, but I guess you liked it because of the scratches on my back.” I shrug. “None of this was my idea.”
She looks at me with disbelief. “World’s biggest bruise? How?” She rises from the kitchen chair and pulls up the back of my shirt.
“From falling in the shower.”
“Oh my god, I destroyed your back. I am so sorry.”
I laugh and pull my shirt down, turning around and holding her. “I got you so good that it doesn’t even matter.” I tug the collar of my v-neck that she’s wearing down to expose the rather large blue-purple mark on her chest.
She gasps and bats my hand away. “Holy shit, Alex!” She rushes into the bathroom to examine the hickey in the mirror. I follow her, and I can’t stop laughing. “We’ve been together for four years, and you’ve never given me a hickey.”
“I’d apologize, but I’m not exactly sorry…wait, four years?” I feel a slight panic thinking that I missed some huge important thing, and I’m in huge trouble. “I feel like I’m going to regret asking this question, but when did we hit four years?”
She stares at me.
“Am I in trouble?”
She just laughs. “You? I forgot it, too…wasn’t it like three months ago?” I furrow my eyebrows in thought.
“It was definitely more than three months ago because we were dating for almost six months before we had sex for the firs time, which was two weeks before Christmas because I was worked up about not being with my family.”
Her mouth forms a small ‘o’. “That was impressive. Definitely makes up for you forgetting our anniversary.”
“Me? What about you?”
“I’m sorry, but have you seen the hickey on my chest?”
I smirk. “No, why don’t you show it to me again?” She rolls her eyes and crosses her arms over her chest. I run a hand up her arm onto her neck and then into her hair held up messily by a ponytail.
She leans into my hand a little, and I press my lips to hers. I feel Virginia ball up the sides of my t-shirts in her fists and pull me so close that I pin her between the sink so much that I can feel her belly button ring against my stomach when she breathes between kisses. I trail my lips down to her neck. One of her hands lets go of my t-shirt to lock her fingers in my hair.
I find myself pulling the t-shirt over Virginia’s head and continue adding onto the bright blue mark on her chest. But not quite in the same location.
“Jesus, Alex,” she groans. I feel her nails dig into my skin again. I pull her hand from my side and lace our fingers together.
The front door closes, and Virginia’s immediate reaction is to shove me out of the bathroom and close the door behind me. I look towards the front door where Cody just stands with an “it could have been worse” expression.
We both just laugh. “Did you get a hold of Fearless?” I question, heading into the kitchen.
“They had a rep at the show last night, and Kyle talked to him. I guess we’ll see soon if they liked us.” He shrugs. “If it’s meant to be, right?”
I nod in agreement. “Absolutely.” I hear the shower turn on in the bathroom and decide to put on some coffee.

Virginia’s napping with the TV on in our room when I get home from lunch with Jack, and that’s how I know she’s absolutely, grossly hungover. She hates sleeping with the TV on and never has it on when she sleeps unless she’s sick or falls asleep before she turns it off. Cody’s also passed out on the couch, probably exhausted from a night of barely sleeping.
I climb into bed next to Virginia and flip off the TV. She stirs a little and sits up, glancing at the clock. It’s a little past one. Virginia curls up to me. I kiss the top of her head. “This is nice,” she mumbles. “We’ve had so much sex lately. I’m exhausted and sore. I like this better.”
I can’t hold back the laughter, and she just whines and pulls the blankets up, throwing them over her entirely and burying her face in my chest. “Forgive me for not being able to for almost six months.”
“Part of that was beyond my control.” She pulls the blanket off of her face.
“If it makes you feel better, I can’t even put on a shirt without being uncomfortable.” She giggles and shuts her eyes.
“It does.”
I don’t end up sleeping, but I lay with her for a good hour before realization hits me. Christmas is in less than a week, and I haven’t gotten a present for Virginia yet.
Boyfriend of the year.
Oh, shit. I mean ‘Fiancé of the year.’
I carefully pull myself out from under Virginia. It doesn’t seem to wake her, so I tip toe out of the room and into the kitchen where I pick up my keys and adventure into downtown Baltimore for something.
Which, in my hometown, might have been the biggest mistake ever. There are quite a few people stopping me, asking for my picture or for an autograph. I normally never mind this. I’m just a little flustered today after realizing I missed our anniversary and almost forgot a Christmas present.
Maybe I should just combine the two.
Ding. The idea light bulb turns on.