Artem

Cooking with Star was amazing. She was willing to help and actually did everything right along with me. When she was uncertain of something, like cutting the veggies, I wrapped my arms around her and guided her hands. It was heaven. Plus, the meal turned out perfectly. Once she had let herself stop second guessing herself she had fun and wasn't nervous at all.

I had just grabbed a light blue and green blanket and her hand as I walked toward the door. I was determined to hold her hand as much as I could tonight so I wasn't letting this opportunity slip by me.

We made our way closer to the water, just high enough that I knew we would be out of the way of the waves as they slowly washed onto the shore. We worked together to spread the thin blanket across the sand and I placed some stones I had brought out earlier onto the corners to hold it in place.

"I will go get dinner." I smiled at her.

"Let me help. It's a lot to carry." She offered immediately.

"You can carry the drinks for me then." I couldn't stop smiling tonight, I hope she didn't think I look like a creep with all the smiles I was giving her.

When we went back inside she grabbed the basket I had intended to carry the drinks in, but she also grabbed the plate full of ciabatta bread.

"I will take these." She smiled. "You need to get the plates."

"You're so sweet." I felt like I was being less inhibited tonight, like maybe I was still drunk on the memory of her lips from the other day.

"I'm just trying to help." She patted my arm then before she went back outside. Oh goddess, what was I going to do? I wanted her so bad, but I needed to let her move at her own pace.

After she left I prepared two plates full of the food, large heaping portions meant for a wolf. I had also grabbed a small basket that I had filled with silverware and napkins. I wanted this to be elegant yet also casual. I was trying to give her everything at once.

The food was set out and the drinks prepared, I had managed to get her to taste the wine but there was water for her as well. We started to eat before talking about anything. We had worked up an appetite from the cooking and I wanted to know what she thought of the first meal we had cooked together.

"Mmmm, this is so good." Her eyes were lit up like they were reflecting her namesake, the brilliance of that look took my breath away. All I was able to do in that moment was put a bite of food into my mouth. I was losing my sanity, losing my intelligence, but I didn't care. If she would still accept me I would turn into a bumbling fool for her.

After the meal was nearly done we started to actually talk while we ate. Just nonsense for the most part, but I wanted to know what she wanted out of life and where she wanted to go from here.

"I never thought sand would be like this." She giggled as she dug her toes into the very thing she mentioned. We had both taken our shoes off before sitting down. "It's so soft." Like your lips, and your skin. The words went through my mind, but thankfully, not past my lips.

"Star?" I called her name to get her attention but I kept my eyes on the water's edge as I nibbled on a piece of bread.

"Yeah?" Her voice sounded so full of life, more lively than I had ever heard it before.

"What do you want to do? With your life I mean."

"I don't know what you're asking me." She still sounded happy even with the confusing question.

"What do you want out of life? Where do you see yourself in the future? Do you want to go to college?" I needed to know these things, they were important.

"I-I don't know." She hung her head, some of the carefree sound leaving her voice. "I don't know what to want. It's never been something that was an option before."

"Where do you see yourself going though?" I was looking at her now so I saw the pain in her eyes then.

"I-I thought I was going to….. going to stay with you." She looked heartbroken now and I felt horrible for asking these things of her.

"You are." I spoked hurriedly, trying to alleviate that sad look in her eyes. "You are, if you want. You can stay with me forever. I don't ever want to be without you." That made her look a little better. "I was just meaning that if you could have a job, what would it be?"

"I never thought about it. I guess I would just want something that wasn't around too many people. I don't even know what kinds of jobs there are. I need to experience some of the world first I think."

"That is a wonderful plan. And you never need a job unless you want one. I will support you, I will do anything for you, forever." I felt myself blushing now as I took a sip of wine, she did the same thing at the same time.

"Artem." She finally spoke after a minute, her voice soft and nearly too quiet to hear.

"Yeah?" I continued to look at the water, fearing the look she might give me.

"Thank you." I looked at her then, unable to stop myself. That was when I saw the love and happiness filling her eyes.

"For what?" I was the one confused now, lost about what she meant.

"For always being there for me. For always showing me how much you care about me. For being so amazing."

"It's easy to be there for you, Star." I leaned down toward her, our eyes locked. "I love you, so I want to be the one that you rely on and come to for help."

"I-I think that I, I think that I m-might love you too."