| �Good Morning,� Brooks said to Kelsey as she walked into the kitchen. She blinked and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, and stretching her arms above her head. �Morning, Brooksey,� she mumbled, still half asleep. �What the hell are you doing here?� she asked groggily. �I want breakfast,� Brooks said simply. �Oh.� She padded over to the refrigerator and opened the door to the fridge and leaned over to grab the carton of strawberries from the bottom shelf. Without even turning around, she knew exactly what Brooks was doing. �Brooks, stop staring at my ass, you�re not getting a piece of it.� The paper that Brooks had been reading suddenly ruffled. �I, uh, I wasn�t�� Kelsey laughed and stood back up, holding the strawberries. �Every single time I turn my back, you do that. I expect it. You�re a guy, I forgive you.� Brooks was blushing as he pretended to read the sports section. �Kelsey, I�� He looked up at Kelsey, who was taking a seat next to him at the table, and biting part of a strawberry with a small grin. �Okay, I was, I�m sorry,� he admitted, going back to the paper. �That�s okay, Brooksey.� She took another bite of the strawberry. �Why are you at my house this early, anyway? You�re normally sleeping right about now.� �I woke up early for some reason. And I�m bored. Didn�t want to stay home and deal with Toby�s excuse for cooking. And I didn�t wanna eat alone.� �Okay, next question. How did you get into my house?� Kelsey asked, taking another strawberry from the carton and biting into it. �Lisa let me in before she and Matt left for breakfast twenty minutes ago.� Kelsey blinked. �Okay, so let me get this straight. You didn�t want to deal with Toby�s cooking, but you want breakfast.� Brooks nodded. �Okay. You didn�t want to be alone for breakfast, but the only way into my house was to wait for Lisa and Matt to go out for breakfast.� Brooks nodded once again. �Then why didn�t you just go out for breakfast with Lisa and Matt?� Brooks looked at Kelsey like she had grown an extra arm. �Because eating here is free and eating with them isn�t,� he said, grinning and grabbing a strawberry. Kelsey smiled. �I suppose you�re right,� she said, taking the carton to the counter. �Want some strawberry pancakes?� Brooks� eyes lit up. �You know how to make those?� he asked, standing up and walking to the counter. Kelsey opened a drawer and grabbed a paring knife. �Yeah, you know I�m a good cook.� Kelsey opened a cupboard and tried reaching for the pancake mix, which was on the top shelf. �Who the hell put that stuff up there? Two people live here, both of which are under five foot six, why do we even have a top shelf in this place?� she asked, annoyed. �Can I help?� he asked, grabbing the mix from the shelf and handing it to her. �Thank you Brooksey,� Kelsey said, opening the box. �I knew there was a reason that the stork got your genetics confused with a giraffe�s.� Brielle paused to watch Brooks pout. �I�m kidding,� she said, laughing. �Do me a favor and grab two eggs and the milk from the fridge, would you,� she said while she grabbed a bowl and a measuring cup from the dishwasher. �Done,� Brooks said, opening the door to the fridge. Kelsey measured the mix and milk and cracked the eggs into the bowl. Within a few minutes, Brooks was watching Kelsey add strawberries that he and Kelsey had cut to the mix. Once they were added, Kelsey took the wooden spoon she had been using out of the bowl and turned around to tell Brooks to grab a pan from a bottom shelf. When she turned, the spoon hit Brooks right in the middle of the chest. �Oh, I�m sorry,� Kelsey said, trying not to laugh at the look that crossed Brooks� face. He suddenly put his hands on his hips and pouted, and she couldn�t contain the laughter any longer. �You think this is funny?� he asked, looking down at the pancake mix dripping from his shirt. Kelsey nodded, trying to control her laughing, but her efforts weren�t working. He grabbed a spoonful of the mix and flicked it across Kelsey�s face, landing it on her nose. She suddenly stopped laughing just as Brooks started. �Very funny, Brooksey,� Kelsey muttered, wiping the mix from her nose. She suddenly smiled and patted Brooks on the cheek. �You�re a clever one, aren�t you Brooks?� He stopped laughing as soon as he felt the wet mix hit his cheek. �Oh, that�s how you wanna play it,� he muttered, taking a finger and dipping it into the bowl. �You know what Kelsey? I�ve always thought you had the most adorable face,� he said, trailing the finger along her jaw line. �And the cutest little chin,� he said, cradling her chin in between his thumb and forefinger. �I always thought you were cute, too,� Kelsey said, ruffling his hair with her handful of mix. �Okay, that�s it,� he said, grabbing a handful of the mix. Kelsey did the same, and within moments, they were both almost completely covered in strawberries and pancake mix. In the midst of their arguing, Brooks had spun Kelsey around, and had one arm around her waist, pinning her back to his stomach, and the other arm was around her shoulders. He had a handful of mix in his palm and was threatening to shove it in Kelsey�s mouth. �Brooksey, please, don�t,� Kelsey pleaded, half laughing. �That�s sick, it�s not cooked�� �What�s that?� Brooks asked. �I didn�t hear you, you�ll have to speak up.� �Don�t,� Kelsey said. �Come on, I�ll do anything,� she whimpered, watching his hand get closer and closer to her mouth. Brooks paused. �Anything?� he asked, contemplating what she was saying. �Almost anything,� Kelsey muttered, rolling her eyes. �So what�s your definition of almost?� Brooks asked, grinning. He suddenly remembered something Kelsey had let slip when she was a bit tipsy one night when he and a few other people were over. They had been talking about sensitive spots, and Brooks asked Kelsey where hers was� �I have to admit, there is one spot that drives me crazy when someone kisses it,� Kelsey said with a small smirk. �I�ll bet I know where it is,� Brooks said, reaching over to Kelsey and poking her in the ribs lightly. �I�ll bet you don�t,� Kelsey replied, smacking him in the arm. �It�s not where you�re thinking. It�s my neck,� she said, pulling her hair to her left shoulder. �Right here,� she said, pointing to the spot right above where her neck met her right shoulder. �A guy can kiss me there and I won�t be able to see straight, let alone form a coherent word.� Brooks waited until Kelsey was about to speak, and leaned down and nuzzled her neck with the tip of his nose. A small squeak escaped Kelsey�s lips, and Brooks smiled with satisfaction, knowing he had her exactly where he wanted her. �What was that, Kel?� he asked, breathing hard on her neck. �Your definition of almost, what was it, again?� �I, uhh�� Brooks suddenly kissed her neck softly and she gasped. �Brooks, what the hell are you doing?� she managed to blurt out. But she still made no move to stop him. �Asking you what your definition of almost is,� Brooks said simply, before kissing her neck again. �Right, almost� umm� well, you see, I won�t-� Kelsey inhaled sharply as Brooks continued kissing her neck. �Oh dear God, Brooks, don�t stop,� she muttered, closing her eyes. She felt Brooks� smile on her neck with her sentence. He suddenly stopped kissing her and turned her around, wiping the pancake mix that was in his hands on his jeans. Her eyes were wide open, as well as her mouth. �I thought I said not to stop�� Kelsey muttered, trailing off as Brooks placed his hands on her shoulders. �Kel, how long have we known each other?� Kelsey blinked, and opened and closed her mouth once before answering. �I don�t know, a year and a half, maybe?� she asked, wondering what exactly was going on in his head. �Brooksey, I�m confused-� �Then I�ve wanted you for a year and a half,� he said, looking directly into her eyes. Kelsey stared almost blankly at Brooks for a few moments. She had no idea what to say. �Oh, God, Brooksey�� She hesitated for a moment before blurting out, �Are you serious?� Brooks nodded his head rapidly. �Yes, I am serious, I�m very serious,� he said, moving his hands from her shoulders down her arms. �Then kiss me,� Kelsey said quickly, the instant his hands reached hers. Brooks needed no more than a half a second to contemplate what she had said before his lips were on hers. For a few seconds, neither gave the world around them so much as a thought; the only thing that existed was the two of them. Until a car pulled up in the driveway. They broke apart quickly, Brooks sprinting toward the sink and leaving Kelsey standing in the middle of the kitchen, in a slight state of shock. She quickly realized what was happening, and ran over to what remained in the bowl, and started stirring it. Brooks was wiping a small piece of strawberry with a dish towel from behind his ear when Lisa and Matt walked in the room. �What the hell happened here?� Matt asked, looking around the normally spotless kitchen. Both Lisa and Kelsey were neat freaks and the house was usually spotless, especially the kitchen. �Brooks decided to help me cook,� Kelsey muttered, keeping her attention focused on the bowl. Lisa sighed. �I�ll help you clean up,� she said, grabbing a spare dish towel. Brooks cleared his throat. �I hate to eat and run, so to speak, but I have to get going, I�m gonna head over to practice and see if they need me.� Without another word, Brooks was out the door, and Kelsey was left with her back to Lisa, staring at the bowl, wondering if she had imagined the whole thing. Matt had wandered into the living room and turned on the television while Lisa began wiping down the counter. Suddenly, Lisa blurted out, �Don�t you have work today?� Kelsey�s eyes enlarged, and she inhaled sharply as she looked at the clock on the microwave. �Shit,� she spat out angrily. �Lise, I am so sorry for the mess, Brooks was being an idiot, and I really have to get ready cause I�m gonna be late and-� �Don�t worry about it,� Lisa said, holding up a hand. �I�ll make Matt help me. Go get ready, I�ll see you later.� Lisa paused while Kelsey smiled gratefully. �You are going to be home later, right? Not at Two AM like yesterday?� �I�ll be home by six,� Kelsey promised. �This is gonna be a short day, I�m only recording the last few parts of one song and I just wanna make a rough mix for the band to listen to in the car. I won�t be late.� Lisa smiled slyly. �Good, because I have a surprise for you later.� Kelsey raised a pancake mix-covered eyebrow. �Oh?� she asked suspiciously. �What kinda surprise?� �You�ll see. Now go get ready, you�re gonna be late.� |
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