"Make yourself at home." Kris says casually as he guides me into his beautiful loft apartment.

I sit in the middle of the floor and play with his husky. He pulls the tug toy and snarls. I hear kris laugh behind me. His arms wrap around my waist as he sits behind me.

"Watch this. " he says, "baby!"

The husky runs to sit in front of him with his tail pounding on the floor.

"Hi five." The dog listened, "good boy."

Kris runs through a bunch of tricks he has taught his dog. Eventually I ended up sitting next to him and playing with his long hair.

"Even if you move school I won't leave you Tao. I'll still drive you every morning and we can get coffee. I'll make sure people there know who you are so they don't do this to you. No one deserves this. It disgusts me that people think this is okay."

"Thanks kris"

...

I woke up in the middle of the night from a headache. Kris was still sleeping next to me so I let him rest, I got up slowly and sat on the steps leading up to the loft bedroom. I looked out the window directly across from me. The night sky was turning yellow and pink, the sun was coming up. I didn't sleep much at all. Usually naps don't effect me in that way.

Baby was sleeping soundly on his dog bed near the futon. I pulled my knees up to my chest and thought to myself. I'm so pathetic. I cry too much and kris is always doing things for me. Is doing this out of pity? He has known me for a year, he knows that I'm over emotional and filled with anxiety. Maybe he is waiting to see what he can get from me to take up and leave.

No. Kris isn't like that. He is a dork but he is smart. He knows how much that would destroy me. Why would I even think of something like that? Stupid.

"Tao?"  Kris groggy voice calls me from above.

I get up and walk back to bed. He holds his hand out with the cutest tired smile. I take it and lay down, he wraps an arms around my torso and pulls me so my back is flush against his chest, I can feel his slow breath over my shoulder.

"It's cold. Are you okay?" He asks.

"Fine."

That's another lie. I was over thinking about why you like my pathetic when you could have someone more popular and beautiful.

"I can hear you thinking Peach." He says and kisses the back of my neck.

I can't stop the soft sigh that comes from my lips and the way my body melts to his after that. Internally I was screaming on how good that felt, externally I was blushing and hoping he didn't hear that.

"What's going on in your head?"

Should I be honest. What if I hurt his feelings. Maybe he won't trust me again. I sigh and shake my head.

"It's nothing. We'll have to get up soon anyway. I'm gonna go get coffee." I kiss his hand before excusing myself.

I can't go out into the world in kris' pajamas. I look in his closet down near the living area and find white pants and a blue flannel, that works. I can't wear a hat yet which is disappointing but I can understand why. I grab my wallet and his set of keys and leave.

It's cold and foggy outside in the early morning. It gets pretty hot during the day but as the weather is slipping into fall. That means they have the winter specials out now. The streets are empty and shops only just now opening. Lucky for kris just down the block is a 24 hr cafe.

I step inside and smile at the fresh coffee ground smell, they are putting fresh scones into display as well. The only people inside the modernly planted cafe are the two works at the counter. I step up and bid a good morning to the worker who was probably here during late hours.

"Can I get one Americano and one hot Pumpkin Spice Latte?"

"Sure. Name?"

"Kris. " I'm using his card so I figured I'd say his name to keep away from confusion.

After a few minutes I am walking out of the small shop and into the morning streets. There are a few people out now, grogginess taking over their working bodies. The ground is wet from the fog, the windows reflect the dark clouds.

I've always liked sweet things, kris doesn't care for them. He says the bitter things are more beneficial to your health, I say it's gross. I would much rather deal with a sweet aftertaste then cringe at every bitter encounter. And I feel that with all I go through I should at least be able to enjoy some sweet things.

I push into the door of kris loft and set my wallet and the keys on the counter. Kris is sitting on the couch in clean clothes with papers in his lap. I kiss his temple and hand him his coffee with an exhausted smile.

"How's your head?"

"Okay I guess." I shrug, the pounding against my soul hasn't stopped but I've felt worse pains. I sit down and look at the pages.

"New recruits. I have to pick before the end of the season. Will you check me to my game on Sunday? It's an away game."

"I'll bring the truck"

That's if Dae let's me. I need to talk to him later about school. There is still half a year at this one. And