-Blitzen POV-
“Will you ever shut up!” Sam screeches.
“I’m bored! It’s not my fault!” Magnus argues from the left of her. He continues to whistle the Spongebob theme song.
“Blitzen get him to stop or so help me.“ Sam says dangerously, turning to me. We’re in Magnus’ room in Valhalla, waiting for Hearth to join us. We are myself, Sam, Magnus, TJ, Mallory, and Halfborn.
“What do you expect me to do?” I ask, throughly confused.
“Anything.” She says, sounding desperate.
“TJ?” I say after a moments thought.
He looks at me from where he was sitting on Magnus other couch, playing video games with Mallory and Halfborn. “Yeah?”
“Entertain Magnus.” I say, though it turns out as more of a question than a statement.
“Why me?” He groans. Not even TJ wants to deal with Magnus in this state. Not even his-
“You are his boyfriend. And he’s driving Sam crazy, unless you want to deal with her-”
“Hey!” Sam interjects.
“I suggest you do it.” I finish.
He sighs and hands off his controller, and in one swift movement is next to Magnus. Magnus just noticing his arrival, gasps as TJ plants his lips on the others. Magnus, certainly is no longer whistling.
“Well…That worked.” Sam laughs.
“Yes, it definitely did.” I mutter.
“So…Where is Hearth anyways?”
“He had to go back to Midgard. He left a few runes back at the shop and couldn’t live without them.”
“Ohhh. I forgot that you guys are living together now. How’s that been?” She says, smirking.
“I-It’s good. We’ve known each other for two years, and it’s not much different. Except,” I laugh, “For this one time that I was fabric shopping in Midgard and I left my keys at home. Hearth was still sleeping, he had been up all night studying his books, I told him to go to bed earlier. But did he listen? No!” She’s tilting her head and smiling at me and I cut to the chase (no, not Magnus), “Anyways, I was pounding on the door and calling his cell, but he wasn’t paying attention to it. I ended up having to break into my own apartment VIA fire escape. That he did notice. He tried to hit me with a bat. I had woken him up and he thought I was a burglar.”
“Wow.” She says slowly, laughing quietly.
“It definitely was an interesting day.” I agree.
“But…No announcements?” She says looking curious.
“No? About what?”
“Hmm. Never mind.”
I frown, and am about to say more when Mallory’s yells scramble my thoughts.
“We aren’t eleven! I refuse to play such a stupid game.”
I turn to see Mallory and Halfborn talking to Magnus and TJ, who are holding an old pop bottle.
I don’t understand what’s going on at first, but Sam, however, connects the dots.
“Ha ha. This’ll be interesting. Who wants to play spin the bottle?”
Oooooohhhhhhh. Now I know what’s going on.
“I will.” Magnus says.
“Why not?” TJ agrees.
“Sure.” Halfborn says and Mallory conceeds.
“Argg. Fine.”
“Blitz…You in?” Sam asks me.
“I am twenty years old I don’t play-” I start to say but Sam gives me a look. “Yeah. Yeah, okay I’m in.”
She smiles, “Perfect. Now we just wait for Hearth.”
At this sentence I can feel my face heat up, “I-I don’t think he’ll wan’t to play. We should just get started.” I stutter.
“Sure.” Sam says slyly, giving me another look. What have I gotten myself into?
We all sit in a circle on the floor.
“You all know the rules,“ Sam says, “A player spins the bottle. Whoever the bottleneck stops on, the player has to kiss.”
We all nod, acknowledging the rules of the simple game.
“I’ll start.” Halfborn volunteers. It lands on Magnus.
Halfborn leans over and pecks him on the cheek. We all cheer. As soon as he finishes, TJ leans over and kisses Magnus, full on the lips. Halfborn holds his hands up in mock surrender.
Mallory spins next. It lands on Sam. Sam is the one to initiate the kiss, a quick peck on the lips later and both girls are laughing.
Then it’s Sam’s turn. It lands on me. We both laugh and I kiss her hand, like a gentleman.
Then it’s my turn. I spin the bottle.
It spins and spins and spins until it stops. On the door.
Coincidentally, said door is opening as the bottle makes it’s final revolutions.
It’s Hearthstone.
It’s Hearthstone with that striped scarf I gave him, that he never takes off. It’s Hearthstone with that same black jacket and jeans. It’s Hearthstone.
I can hear silence behind me, as I raise shakily to my feet. I stumble slightly over to where Hearth is looking at us all with confusion. I reach him, and look into his cold (yet so warm), gray eyes.
Very quickly I raise to my tiptoes.
It’s a shocking realization, this next thought. Have I always wanted this?
But the answer is so much worse better, Yes.
I can see the confused look on his face and ignore it. I hope he’ll forgive me for this: He never liked physical contact, and I would never do anything to hurt him.
But this? A part of me, however small and deep down, always knew I would do this.
I embrace that part of me as I lean forward and press my lips to his. He tenses and I hear a slight gasp, but then it’s over.
Just as quick as it started.
I pull away, and rush out the door. And I run. And I never, ever, look back.
Not once, not until I’m somehow back at the apartment I hope we’ll still share.
I should have stayed.
The thought hits me hard and I throw open the doors to the balcony, on the back side of Blitzen’s Best.
A drop of water hits my nose, and I realize it’s raining.
What have I done. I lean on the railing, embracing the cool drops that land on me.
I don’t know how long I’m stood there, on the balcony, until I hear the noise of a door being opened and closed from the front of the apartment.
I don’t turn. I don’t need too. I’d recognize those footsteps anywhere.
I feel fingers poking my shoulder lightly and I turn. Hearth looks younger than I’ve ever seen him. His gray eyes wide, his cheeks flushed green, and his hair matted to his forehead with rain.
“I-I’m sorry, It was a game but I-” I start. I don’t finish.
Hearth covers my mouth with his. It’s the best kiss I’ve ever had. Not to mention one of the only few I’ve had.
When we finally brake apart, gasping, Hearth signs, You’re going to catch a cold.
I laugh, and take his scarf in my hands, and pull his lips closer to mine once more.
“You’re all the heat I need.”
(Was that cheesy? I don’t think I care.)