If I could take longer to have breakfast, wash the dishes and all other small routines before leaving my place, I totally would. I would do anything to drag my time with Maca because I know we'll have to part ways shortly and I feel like we still have so much to talk about. Of course I want to see her again, every day if I could, but I don't know how to approach the topic without sounding desperate, which I probably am. I'm aware we've mentioned many times that we'll do other things together, but in all those occasions it has been a general idea, without a date and time set. I could be tomorrow or in three years or maybe never. She hasn't dropped a hint that could lead me to ask her for a next time to meet.

This should be like taking off a band-aid, but every time I gather the courage to ask her to determine our next meeting, she smiles at me or does something and I get sidetracked. It's her fault. Completely her fault!

Before driving her to St. James to pick her clothes I of course call Grace prior leaving my flat to make sure she's there for when we arrive.

"Are you still with her?" she shouts when I call her. I use the time Maca goes to the bathroom to make a call, suspecting my sister will be loud and inappropriate. "Did you spend the night with her? HAROLD REID! What did I tell you about premarital sex?"

"Nothing of the like happened, Grace! Jesus, what do you think I am?" I spat, feeling offended and blushing at the same time, thinking of how much I wanted to kiss her all night. I'm not telling Grace that, though.

"If you took advantage of her I swear I'll tell Mum," she threatens me and I shiver, imagining what would happen if Mum knew I ever did something like that.

"We just talked all night long, that's all, Grace. I didn't confess nor proposed. I didn't even kiss her," I tell her. "It just got late and we realised it would be better if she stayed over instead of leaving that late."

"If she ends up knocked up, you will have to marry her and look after the child."

"Oh my God, Grace!" I shout, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Will you stop that? Nothing happened and I just called to ask you to be at St. James so she can pick her clothes. That's all. We're not going for your blessing or anything, got it?"

"Yeah, yeah. You got it already so that's uncalled for. But well, I'll be there, worry not, little brother."

"You're so annoying. Don't make any of your jokes when we get there, Grace. I beg of you, behave."

"I'm offended, Harold. Who do you think I am?"

"I know exactly who you are, that's why I'm saying it. I'll see you in a few minutes." I just hang up before before she can say anything, heaving an exhausted sigh two seconds before Maca comes out of the bathroom. I shove the mobile inside my pocket, smiling brightly at her. "Ready?" I ask and she nods.

"H, I was wondering... where do you keep the post-its? You mentioned you had them on a wall but I haven't seen them," she muses.

"Oh right, they are in my room," I reply offhandedly. "Wanna see them?" I ask and her eyes widen for a second before her cheeks burn bright. It takes me a moment to realise she's embarrassed because I just invited her to my room, and maybe nervous.

Blimey, Grace can't ever find out I did this. She'll accuse me of pervert and call a priest herself to purify my soul or something.

"It's fine if you don't want to and slash or makes you uncomfortable. My mistake, sorry," I apologise, looking down and feeling like an idiot for not realising how it sounds when a guy invites a girl to see something in his room. "Shall we go?"

"It's fine, I wanna see them. I'm curious," she says and my head shoots up, my eyes finding her extremely blushed face. "It'll be a few seconds, anyways." I blink five times before I can react and make some sounds that can tell her I understand.

So I walk up to her and then lead her to my room. I leave the door open although it's not like it makes a difference, we're completely alone here. Oh boy, I'm getting nervous myself. Especially when she walks in and I remember my room is a complete mess. I wasn't expecting anyone to see my room! There're clothes on the floor and the bed is barely made and things all over the place. I scan the place quickly, looking for something that could scare her forever but apparently everything is harmless. Just your normal guy mess. Besides, she doesn't pay much attention to the room once we're inside, because the wall next to the window catches her attention immediately with all the post-its I've put there. All her post-its. There are in any order, one on top the other with no organisation whatsoever. I just went adding more and more post-its as I was getting them, so there ones that are completely hidden, yet they are there.

"Wow... we exchanged so many," she muses. "So many colours and sizes."

"I like seeing it there," I tell her. "It reminds me that we've actually known each other for a long while. We've bee talking for months."

"It looks really cool," she compliments and I can't help my smile. "It's hard to think that we actually met last night when you see all this. To be honest, I like it better than text messages or emails or anything else, even if we didn't have much space to write. You can see it and it's so colourful and bright. It makes it tangible, henceforth realer."

"Indeed," I agree. She turns to look at me with that bright smile of hers and the sight takes my breath away because the background are all the post-its, those dozens and dozens of colourful notes she wrote me and that I stared at for five months. They are finally together. The owner of those notes is right in front of me. "You know what is missing on that wall?" I ask next. Maca cocks her head and I just smile before I turn on my heels and go for my Polaroid. I come back running, finding Maca with a worried and confused expression. "A picture of us to commemorate this day!"

She laughs and blushes a bit again, but doesn't stop me when I stand next to her and wrap my arms around her shoulders, putting our heads together and then aiming at us with the camera.

"Smile!" I cheer before I snap a picture.

I wait for the product and fan it quickly to see our picture. My heart races when I see it, the two of us, smiling and finally together.

"Perfect," I whisper and then look at her with my most grateful smile before I turn around and put the picture on top of all those post-its. "Now it's complete."

She laughs before she says, "Shall we go now? I think we might be late." I blink a few times, slightly shaking my head to snap back to reality.

"Yeah, let's go."

And that's how we leave my flat and get in my car so I can finally drive her to St. James. It is quite close from my flat so it only takes us a few minutes to get there and knock at the door. Bert greets us.

"Hi there, again," he smiles at Maca. "Good to see you so soon."

"Hi, Bert," she greets with a happy smile. "I can't stay much though, I have classes today. I just came for my clothes," she continues and he nods, opening the door wide for us to walk in.

"That I heard. Please, follow me," he say and Maca walks inside first. Then I follow her but Bert's gaze distracts me. He's smirking, like Grace would do and I freeze for a moment. What does he have in mind? He's with my sister but he's not like her.

He proves he's a decent human being by not saying a thing and just leading us where Grace is serving breakfast to the kids that are already there.

"Maca!" she calls cheerfully and comes practically running towards us. "So good to see you again! He didn't do anything, right? If he did I'll spank him."

"Grace!" I cry out and Maca just laughs out loud.

"He was a perfect gentleman, Grace. Your brother is great," she replies and my heart races. "We had loads of fun."

"That's what matters," my sister replies and then she smirks at me. I know by the look in her face that if Maca weren't here with us, she would torture me. "Anyhow, my loser brother told me you came for your clothes. Do you wanna change back in them? You need to go to classes, right?"

"Yeah. But if it's okay with you I'll give you the dress back later? I washed it at H's place but still, I'm wearing it again so I'd feel better if I return it perfectly clean and ironed."

"Washed?" she echoes and then looks at me. I look away. I won't explain what happened and it seems Maca won't say anything further either. "O-kay," Grace concedes, separating the word in syllables. "And sure, whatever is fine for you. Come with me."

I'm left behind with Bert, seeing how my sister takes Maca away and for a second I want to follow them, but I realise I'm just being silly. Then I feel a hand on my shoulder and I notice it's Bert's.

"You're drooling, Reid. You have written all over your face that you fancy her. Maybe you should try being more discrete, you know? I mean, it was obvious before but now it's like you're shouting it from the rooftops."

"Is that obvious?" I ask with concern and Bert just laughs.

"Yeah, mate. That obvious." I just groan and he laughs again. "Are you officially dating already?"

I look down, feeling insecurity choking me because I'm not sure how to ask her out. I want to, I really want to and I'm pretty sure a part of her wants it too. I mean, she leaned in to kiss me. But I don't want her to feel like I'm rushing things. We just saw each other for the first time last night. Isn't like too fast to ask her out now? Even kissing her is quite fast when this date isn't an official date. I mean, I didn't ask her to meet me with that romantic intent.

"No," I confess and he squeezes my shoulder.

"That's okay. It's not like you won't see her again after this. Take things slowly."

I nod but I don't have time to say anything else because Grace and Maca come back, the latter is carrying a tote bag that I assume my sister lent her. I smile at them and I feel really happy when I notice how Maca stands next to me immediately, almost naturally.

"Will you stay for breakfast?" Grace asks but Maca shakes her head.

"We already had breakfast so it's okay. Thank you for the offer," she replies and Grace actually pouts. "Another time, maybe."

"I'll hold you on to that!" my sister threatens and Maca just laughs. "Have a good day, Maca." They hug and then Grace is back with the kids, doing her job. Bert escorts us to the door.

"See you around, kids," he says and for a moment I want to protest that we are not kids, which is the most childish thing I could do, but Maca cuts me off by giving Bert a hug.

"See you around," she says and steps outside. I shake Bert's hand and follow her back to my car.

"Do you have everything?" I ask her and she nods. "Then to the shelter now. You left the books there, right?" I ask to make sure.

"Yeah. I also wanna use the change to sign up for volunteering. I think we'll have enough time for that," she comments and I nod.

A smile draws on my lips because even if I can't manage to ask her out today before dropping her off at uni, at least I know I'll see her again in the shelter at some point is she signs up.

"Let's go, then. I don't want you to be late because of me," I say starting the ignition and driving to the next stop.

________________________

Worry not, my little grasshopers. I won't go all tragic death over infatuation on my precious babies. No death, I promise.

Shout out to best previous commenter: @SafiraJedida

Bel, xx