October.

I woke up on the wrong side of the right bed, with the wrong feeling in my gut and no clothes, whatsoever.

What a weird mix.

The other side of my mattress was cold, and the smell of bacon filled the atmosphere of my whole room.

I was aware of what had happened last night, the small pain between my legs as I search the room for something to wear - anything really, so I picked up the pair of hamburger boxers off of the floor, after lamely throwing on a piece of new underwear along with Luke's old t-shirt.

Why the hell did he have hamburger boxers?

My eyebrows were furrowed absentmindedly; I kept trying to raise them, get them back to normal (whatever normal was, in an eyebrow manner) along with widening my eyes to make me more awake. Maybe that was it, maybe I was feeling funny because I was tired, even if I slept pretty early yesterday.

Which is what I found odd - seeing that I just had sex, followed by a wonderful slumber next to my boyfriend - and it was even at an early time. So why was I feeling so bad?

I ruffled my hair lazily with my hand, covering my mouth with my arm as I yawned and stepped out of the bedroom and into the living room, finding Luke, with a spatula in his hand and his back turned to me.

The feeling in my stomach rose, and I grimaced, suddenly feeling a little uncomfortable around him.

I didn't know whether or not it was because I was hungry and tired, or maybe it was the fact that we had it yesterday. We did the do.

So instead, I sat patiently on the stool - farthest away from the stove - and tried to grab a plate across from me as quietly as possible.

It didn't work, being a major klutz and all, which clanked against the granite and caused Luke to turn around, beaming widely at me as he took the pan off of the stove and turned it off, setting it to the side before striding over to me and enveloping me in a warm hug.

"You're wearing my underwear, in case you haven't noticed," he chuckled, fiddling with the strings in the front. I sucked my stomach in, pinching my lips together. He frowned softly, "Okay?"

I only nodded, pulling him closer and leaning the side of my face against his chest. He pushed my shoulders back, looking me in the eye as he kissed my nose. "Baby, you can tell me anything. What's wrong?"

"I don't know. I just- just don't feel good."

His complexion paled. "Y-you don't feel- I used a condom. R-right? I learned from homeschool that you don't get pregnant right away, or am I wrong? Oh God, October-"

"Luke, no," I couldn't help but giggle at his innocence; "Like, it's not physical, no, it's just- I don't feel right. Like, for example, I can't even bring myself to want to eat that really good looking bacon behind you, right now."

"It must be bad," he groaned, taking the shirt that covered me and fiddled with the hem. "Was it about last night?"

"No." Kind of. Yes. "I don't know. I just feel like it was too early. For you, I mean. I feel like - it's hard to explain - that I forced it upon you."

"But you didn't."

"But it feels like it. And that's why I kind of feel bad right now. And uncomfortable."

The smile on his face had faded (it had faded long ago, right when I brought it up) and he dropped his head, the hem of his shirt still in his fingers. "You're not- you're not going to be like her, are you?" He asked timidly, looking like he wanted to step closer, but didn't want to.

"Who?"

He jutted his head forward, not wanting to say her name. His ex-girlfriend. My eyes widened at the realization. "What? No, no, I'm not going to leave you-"

"It seems like it."

"Luke, I just said that I feel like everything was suddenly rushed. I just got home, for Christ's sake. I love you. Why would I leave you? What, just because I had sex with you now, that you think I would just walk out the door?"

I stood from my seating and this time, I took the brave step forward and touched his fingers with mine, looking straight into his blue eyes. "I won't leave. Even if we just did the do - which was great, by the way - and I love you."

"You already said that," he pouted, rocking back and forth on his heels to purposely push me back gently.

"Can't stop won't stop," I shrugged, kissing his nose and heading to my bedroom without another word, striding slowly and swaying (or at least attempting to) my hips.

"October," I heard him call from behind me and I try to hold back a smirk, turning slowly and putting my hands on my hips.

"Yes?"

I watched as his eyes scanned my body quickly, his tongue pushing at the inside of his cheek. He nodded his head in his direction, signaling me to walk towards him.

"I have work, and I'm already late."

"Come here."

"Why don't you come here?"

The left corner of his lip pulled up as he took long steps toward me, pushing my hips and turning the both of us, so I was against the wall and his tall figure.

I felt my confidence drain as he moved his lips closer to mine, running his tongue along his bottom lip.

"Have fun at work." And with that, he walked off to the kitchen, grabbing the two empty plates and placing the crunchy bacon on them - one on mine, one on his.

"Asshole."

"You love me."

"I do."

~~~

Michael was acting strange today. Like there was a secret spy watching his every move, and if he were to make a wrong one, a bomb would explode somewhere, and he would've ruined everything.

"Hey," I nudged him with my shoulder, and he nodded in response, not taking his eyes off of the blender - which was filled with no substance. "Okay?"

"Yep," he replied, grabbing a cup randomly and was about to scribble something down, when he realized I haven't even given him an order to place. There wasn't even anyone in line. He looked over to me and opened his mouth, then closed it. "I- yeah. I'm great." He placed a quick kiss on my cheek and disappeared into the back room, almost body-checking into Bruce. He seemed even more aware of our boss, seeing that he didn't even make eye contact nor greet him back when Bruce said 'hi'.

Weird.

"October," Bruce waved me over to him, a wide grin on his face; he never grinned that big before, only once, and that was when the newbie worker was marked employee of the month.

"Yes, sir?" I shrugged off my apron, since it was my break time, and made my way over to him as someone else took my spot. "What's up?"

"I just wanted to say, congratulations," He nodded, looking impressed, while I stood there, perplexed, not knowing a single word as to what he was saying. "Well earned. You deserve it."

"Uh, thanks?" I replied, tilting my head yet smiling anyway - even if I had no idea what this whole congratulatory conversation was about.

He reached over and tapped my shoulder awkwardly, "Good work, kiddo. Remember me when your name's in the lights." He flashed me another quick smile and walked off into the back room without another word.

I stood there, watching his back as I held my apron loosely in my hand. I was so lost in my mind that I didn't hear Michael walk up to me, his face plastered with a smile - more like a grimace, really - as he pulled me towards his working area.

"What was that about?" I asked him, picking up stray cups and plastic straw wrappers and crumpling them in my hand, then throwing them in the garbage.

Michael only shrugged, picking up yet another bottle - caramel - and re-writing over the label with his black Sharpie. "I don't know. Probably just some mid-life crisis shit he's going through."

I nodded, my mouth an 'o' shape as I walked around the counter, sitting on one of the empty seats in the coffee shop.

'Remember me when your name's in the lights,' I muttered to myself, and shrugged, watching as Michael picked up each bottle, writing over the not-so-faded ink. He normally sat with me during my breaks; we always had it together.

Weird.

---

is michael one of October's drawings

because he's being

sketchy

THAT WAS SO GOOD