The Other Roommate

14 - Falling In Love

If at times Alex forgets she's already in love with Callie, that's because she falls for different aspects of her every day. She first fell in love with her insolence which was brought about by their constant bickering. As dreadful as that may seem, she found Callie's standing up to her rather sexy. If it was possible to fall for butts though, that would have been the first she would have thought of.

Alex did acknowledge Callie's beauty right off the bat. However, she knew it wouldn't be called love if she was only "in love" with her physical traits.

"Do you feel better? Does your head still hurt?" Alex affectionately queried, lightly setting her hand on Callie's lower back. "I feel bad for not asking earlier. I was busy getting ready."

Both women were in their employee locker s***h restroom. Callie was shoving her things haphazardly in the small rectangular steel box while Alex had just finished tying her hair up in a ponytail. They had around five minutes before their shift begun. They normally get there 30 minutes early but both were exhausted from the lack of sleep.

"No, it's okay. It was my idea anyway." Callie shrugged her shoulders, downplaying the situation. She was still quite busy with pushing her things to the smallest corners to fit them all. "I had fun, it just sort of backfired." She slightly twisted her head to Alex and beamed at her. "And I do feel better. Your soup of coffee helped." She feigned annoyance, shaking her head contemptuously as she recalled Alex's antics.

Alex chuckled, proud of what she had done. She let out a sigh of contentment as she thought back on their painting session and everything that followed. Alex may seem to be a pretty tough person, because she is, but her happiness is as shallow as Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia's salt flats. Her family and closest friends only do as little as hug her and she would feel elated.

"It was a great idea nonetheless." She nodded in affirmation as she looked at her reflection on the small mirror inside her locker before closing it. "It's a Sunday though. It won't be as busy as it was yesterday."

"I am yet to recover from yesterday's outpour. Who in the world celebrates a groundbreaking deal at a bar?" Callie sarcastically muttered, dropping her head back, groaning. "And I decided to ask you to paint with me."

Alex lifted her brows, chuckling. She perched her hand on her locker door, leaning all her weight there as her entire body faced Callie. "Uh...everyone?" She chuckled, amused by her roommate's whining. "People want to loosen up after working their butts off, BB." She furrowed her brows as she remembered something, looking at her shoes. "Come to think of it, I haven't had alcohol since before the rooftop."

"That's a good thing, DP." Callie tapped Alex's shoulder, finally finished with her rummaging. "Don't you feel better? I'm sure your liver appreciates it." She grinned cunningly, rocking her brows. She was proud of Alex but their relationship always consisted of playful banter.

"I actually have not felt this good my entire life." Alex admitted, not pertaining to her physical comfort. Somehow, her words had felt bittersweet. She loved that Callie makes her happy. However, her past had been that bad, that unfortunate that she had not felt that much bliss before. It was evident on her features, she was slightly frowning as her hazy eyes exuded melancholy. "I'm sorry for crying on you." She timidly muttered, shoving her hands in her pocket.

Alex never felt at ease when she feels vulnerable. She may have felt it was alright to cry that morning but she had been cringing when the thought occurs in her head. Denise was an exception though - they have been friends and family for a really long time. She may have not liked crying on Callie, but she sure did love having the brown-eyed girl soothe her.

Callie could physically feel her heart sink and her stomach started to feel sour that she felt she would regurgitate acid anytime soon. She was still not used to seeing Alex as exposed as she was. Callie knew how to handle situations like that as she had always been affectionate towards the people she holds close to her heart. The problem was, it was Alex and Alex was usually the tough one between them.

However, if there was anything she was certain about, it was how she felt for the girl standing in front of her and that she hated seeing her so down.

Without thinking further about it, there she was, inching closer to Alex and knowing what exactly she wanted to do. Callie swung her arms around the older girl and held her close which was instantly reciprocated. If there was a positive kind of feeling after being punched in the gut with the air being forced out of the lungs, if such a feeling existed - that was how both of them felt.

And they still could not get used to it and Alex fell in love with the affectionate side of Callie the moment the younger girl accidentally kissed her on the lips. It was on that odd day where she was staring at Callie's butt with Felicity showing up out of the blue.

Both bartenders transported the trays of various glasses and began polishing them after saying they hellos to Randy Burk and everyone else. Randy was repeatedly thanking Alex for covering his shift the previous week, he was why Alex did not get a day off. The only ones left were the red wine glasses and Callie suggested she start with the prep for their back-up as they had ran out on them the previous day.

Callie was dragging a black cart around, collecting various bottles of liquor, lemon, lime, mint leaves and everything else they needed for the shift. While she was busy completing her mental list, Alex was whistling Louis Armstrong's "When the Saints Go Marching In" and did not have a care in the world until Felicity Meade spoke.

"Hey Alex." Her stupidly sexy nasally voice resonated in Alex's ear, tickling her impatient bones.

Alex was immediately exasperated. She took a deep breath as she rolled her eyes in annoyance. She had balled the little red rag in her hand and gripped the red wine glass tightly, she was afraid she would break it. She was increasingly frustrated that there were not a lot of guests who could have taken her attention. There were only two people at the bar and Randy Burk was doing well on his own.

"What?" She retorted with an angered huff as she fought to stay calm. She momentarily looked up to meet her hazel eyes - faking a smile while deliberately narrowing her eyes, mocking her.

Alex went back to polishing the glasses, carefully putting them in separate, clean containers. Her moves were swift and clear-cut given the consistency of the job she has been doing for over a year. However, her speed was somehow doubled as she coped with her angered state and her quickening pulse. She was trying to forget about the blonde in front of her and how annoyed she was.

"I just wanted to apologize, again." Felicity's voice was in an odd mix of insecurity yet confidence at the same time - like she knew what was about to happen but she just had to talk to her ex.

Alex furrowed her brows at what she heard. Her jaw gaped as her eyes widened in shock, sarcastically chuckling. "I never heard an apology. I do remember some sloppy name calling though." She scrunched up her features, scornfully smiling.

"Please, Alex, hear me out." Felicity beseeched, her hazel eyes flooded with such desperation as she laid her hands on the counter, slumping her shoulders.

The bartender abruptly stopped what she was doing. She reluctantly looked her in the eyes without feeling the slightest compassion for her ex. She scowled at her, gritting her teeth. "Two seconds."

"I'm not asking you to forgive me and we could magically get back together because we both know it doesn't work that way." Felicity guardedly began, urgently trying to connect with the green of Alex's eyes. "I know I hurt you and I'm sorry."

Alex pursed her lips, nodding with an unreadable expression. She was not swayed by ex's words. If anything, she was exasperated as more words spilled out of her cheating mouth.

"Are you done?"

Felicity nodded erratically, unsure when to stop. She eventually did and looked at Alex expectantly, hoping to at least draw a positive answer from her.

"If you think I'm going to apologize, too, you're hallucinating." Alex muttered as casually as possible. She was ecstatic to find only two more unpolished glasses and would not have to stay and talk.

The blonde shook her head, shyly smiling. "I was just staring at you." She truthfully confessed.

Alex c****d her brows in disbelief of her ex's bluntness. "Well, are you done with that, too?"

"Why are you still so bothered by me?" Felicity retorted with a hint of frustration in her voice given that she did not get what she wanted. "If you really have moved on with Callie, wouldn't you have been just casual with me and not this angry?" She emphasized Callie's name, mocking it.

"Oh, I don't know." Alex sarcastically retorted, shrugging her shoulders. She put the glass and the rag down as she leaned closer to her ex which successfully made Felicity's heart race speed up. "Because you keep bothering me? Besides, Felicity, the real measure of my moving on from you is if I still think of you."

Felicity licked her lips as if she was expecting something to happen. She was hopeful and that hope was significantly rising. Her the corners of her lips were about to quirk up to make a smile but was halted as soon as Alex spoke with a mischievous grin.

"And to answer your unspoken question, I...do...not." Alex muttered, dragging her words for suspense before straightening herself up with her signature smirk that Felicity used to like.

"Okay..." Felicity nodded incessantly, trying to process what she had just heard.

She was mostly hurt but had something else in mind. Desperation was running its course in her veins. It was her insecurity that drove her to cheat on Alex, it wasn't because she loved her less. Alex was just the kind of person she perceived as the heartbreaker and when she was left hanging without a reason, she feared the worst and thought of revenge.

"Bye." Felicity reluctantly muttered, deep in thought. She was contemplating on pushing through with it or not. In the end, she leaned as close to Alex and attempted to kiss her cheek but was quickly dodged with Alex moving away at the same pace.

"Are you serious?" Alex furrowed her brows, putting her hands on Felicity's shoulders, pushing her quite harshly. "What did you just do?"

Felicity shrugged, the hurt was apparent on her features. She was frowning despite her attempts at looking happy with the pathetic smile she was wearing.

"It's just wishful thinking, Alex." The blonde begrudgingly left, defeated as soon as she finished speaking. There was an evident disdain for Alex that was getting stronger in her chest and the sight of Callie smiling sincerely at her only intensified her anger.

Felicity had to do something and she knew what it was.

"I saw that." Callie playfully muttered while Alex's back was on her. She dragged the black cart in the middle of the confined space of the bar, unloading items one by one.

Her humor was apparently unappreciated by Alex. The older bartender swiveled insecurely, praying she did the right thing.

"Did I do what you hoped I would do?" Alex asked anxiously, helping her work partner empty the cart.

"Maybe." Callie casually muttered. She shrugged, avoiding Alex's eye contact on purpose as she attempted to pull the empty cart towards the back of the house. She found Alex's rare feat of apprehension endearing and decided to play with her a bit.

And it looked like Callie succeeded as Alex's thick brows furrowed and swiftly reached for Callie's wrist, effectively prying the younger girl's hand off the cart's handle. Alex pulled her closer. She let go of Callie's hand and wrapped her arms around her waist to keep her in place.

"What do you mean 'maybe'? Are you messing with me?" Alex queried intently. Her green eyes searched Callie's bright brown ones, looking for something. "Just to clarify things, BB. She tried to kiss me, but I dodged her." She apprehensively explained.

Callie was unsure as to why Alex felt compelled to explain. They were not dating despite all the kisses and touch, and Callie was curious where they stood but never asked. Although, she did like the little sad kitten to Alex's usual tiger and when she looked at those gorgeous greens, her lips instantly turned up to a closed-lip smile. She was happy despite the lack of labels.

"You're cute when you're anxious." Callie cooed, blowing on Alex's face contentedly grinning.

Alex feigned annoyance, squinting her eyes at her. Callie chuckled, smirking at her - she was proud of herself. When Alex wouldn't let up and kept with the scowling look, Callie lifted her hands to cover the entirety of Alex's face. She loved days like that - when her heart is the lightest yet beats erratically with the inexplicable joy and excitement Alex gives her.

"Did you wash your hands?" Alex queried, her voice muffled by Callie's palm.

"You mean, after I got these things? No." Callie retorted honestly, giggling. "I did wash them before we polished the glasses though."

Alex untangled her arms from Callie's waist and grabbed her wrists, pushing Callie's hands off of her face. Callie attempted to squirm her way out of Alex's grasp but the green-eyed girl overpowered her effortlessly. She looked up to see Alex smirking at her, an indication of her mood and it was the good kind. Defeated, Callie slumped her shoulders while protruding her bottom lip in a frown.

Callie's goofy side had always been the most noticeable of all her quirks. Alex had fallen in love with that aspect of her so many times and that may have been one of her favorites other than the affectionate side of Callie.

"Wipe that pouty face off...or else." Alex warned lightheartedly, smirking. She was about to lean in when Felicity's head popped out of the door leading to the back of the house.

"Hey!" The blonde called out, rolling her eyes as she saw what was about to happen. She was quietly celebrating the victory but maintained the hard line of her lips and the glaring pair of hazel eyes. "Dorsey is looking for the both of you."

"We'll be there. Thanks." Callie kindly said, offering Felicity a sincere grin but was not returned. Instead, the blonde rolled her eyes and ducked back to wherever she came from which confused Callie to say the least.

For some reason, there was a nagging feeling in Callie's chest and it was not the good kind. She could sense an impending trouble but didn't give it much thought and was forced out of her daze when she felt Alex pulling her towards the door. Their hands soon entangled as they made their way through the hall leading to Mason Dorsey's office and it was only the second time Callie dreaded walking down the path - the first one being her accidentally hearing Alex practically playing off whatever they had.

Alex knocked on the open door with her free hand which prompted Mason to swivel in his chair. Mason's eyes were immediately drawn to his bartenders' tangled hands and frowned instantaneously. It was the first time the gesture had elicited such disappointing reaction from him.

I knew it. Callie thought.

Alex caught a whiff of the gloomy air and ran to her coping mechanism, anger. "What is this about, Mason?" She begrudgingly asked through gritted teeth.

"I'm just going to go right to it." Mason breathed, nervously setting his hands on his chair's armrest. "You know there are rules about dating because we want to avoid compromising each of your efficiency. I didn't see any problem with that but your co-workers are not comfortable with both of you dating each other." He regretfully spoke, keeping his head up to assert his autocracy.

Callie froze. She was not one to participate in conflict and if she could, she would gladly live in peace and harmony with the rest of the world without offending any other people. However, she was worried and stunned at the same time. Callie knew the little problem would cause an uproar in her roommate's veins. At the time, all she could do was squeeze Alex's hand, reassuring her it was okay.

"Is there any chance that it could be a coworker?" Alex raised her brows indignantly, holding Callie's hand tightly. "And would that happen to be Felicity? She went all crazy on me just a few weeks ago and Callie and I get to be punished for it? Are you kidding me, Mason?"

"My hands are tied, Alex." Mason raised his hands in defeat. He was not particularly happy to provoke his best employee. Alex had always been his favorite. "I'm not asking you to break up. I gave you two some slack because you started this..." He wagged his index finger between Callie and Alex, emphasizing a point. He, too, was confused as to where the bartenders stood, especially after that conversation with Alex. "This...whatever you two have before Maxwell came to work with us. But you gotta understand, Alex, some people aren't as comfortable with seeing two women kiss."

"Is it Felicity?" Alex pressed angrily. Her green eyes had darkened to emulate the rage she was feeling within her. She took a dangerously intimidating step towards Mason, scowling at him. There might have been a very thin line to their employee-employer relationship and Alex was never scared to overstep that boundary. "She did not seem to feel weird when it was her mouth I was eating."

Callie's eyes widened. She could not fathom having the strength or audacity to spit such unrestricted words. All her life, Callie had been raised to respect others to the point of letting them walk all over her without any sort of complain from her. She often settled for less and was forced to be satisfied by that. Alex may have had similar experience but she had learned to be feisty and snatch something she thought she deserved.

When push comes to shove, Callie always chose flight while Alex would choose to fight.

Mason stood up, feeling cornered by his employee. He was not aggravated or any sort. If anything, he was remorseful. He did not want to upset his favorite employee who had become his friend but had to assert his authority. "Alex, I am not pointing fingers. But I'm the manager and y-"

"No, it's fine." Callie cut him off with the sudden surge of courage despite her shaky voice. She feared Mason and his commanding exterior. However, she wanted the little tension gone and was desperate to get out of there. She was not thinking straight. Amid her chaotic, jumbled thoughts with the atrocious feeling in her chest, she randomly blurted out, "We're not exactly d...dating."

It was the worst indecision of her life and she could feel Alex writhing their hands loose. Callie felt her insides churn painfully with her ragged breathing making her feel lightheaded. That was exactly what Alex felt on the day she let the vile words slip and Callie could was certain how it felt to be at the receiving end of such hurtful words.

"She's just another girl I enjoy kissing."

Alex could feel her anger intensify. However, it was not aimed at Felicity anymore. It was aimed at herself and the words she had said on that day had been constantly replayed in her head, mocking her. Callie was only speaking the truth and Alex didn't like the sound of it. She, too, was uncertain of who they were to each other.

It had stirred a calm water they were enjoying.

Defeated, Alex rolled her eyes, mumbling, "Whatever."

Mason shook his head while descending on his seat, ready to get back to work. His hands hovered above his computer's keyboard, ready to resume. He had quite a lot of paperwork to do and was just glad to have the ordeal done and over with.

Callie was about to go out when Alex held her on either side of her jaw and neck. She was confused about the abrupt moves but was more bothered about getting in trouble, unlike the ballsy little Alex Rivera.

"Hey Mason!" Alex called out, prompting her boss to look at their direction.

She smirked at Mason. It wasn't her usual smirk, it was laced with anguish and betrayal but she was more determined to rile her boss up. Alex then drew her head closer to Callie and slightly parted her mouth. Callie acted on instinct and mirrored Alex's movements but was surprised to feel her partner's tongue lick her bottom lip right before feeling Alex's plump lips.

The bold move cause a tingly sensation to travel all through her body and was welcoming the feeling despite Mason's widened eyes that could have fallen out of their sockets. It was not the first time she felt Alex's tongue in her mouth but that kiss was different, it was passionate but desperate at the same time because it was. Alex was desperate to make it up to Callie, to somehow wipe her words away, like it never existed.

And just like that, Alex darted towards the bar. She left Callie flustered with cheeks flushed a deep shade of red coupled by the raging rapids of her pulse. Callie aimlessly stared at the filing cabinet in front of her, unable to move.

Mason eventually recovered and went ahead, typing away, pretending to not have witnessed the frenzied kiss.

Callie wasn't used to Alex being quiet. It had already been a few hours and Alex had only answered her in one or two words, or simply the exact answer to Callie's questions. There had only been a few patrons in the bar and one bartender was enough to build all the drinks. While her hands were being occupied by the drinks she was building, Callie's head was inundated with Alex.

Alex was zoning out, aimlessly staring at the house band who was just setting up for their eleven PM gig. Her chin was on her hands as her elbow rested on the shiny counter. She was still quite bothered by the uncertainty of Callie's feelings for her. Sure, she was still infuriated by Felicity, however, Callie just outweighed everybody else.

"Callie, Black Russian and Mudslide over here please." A patron who wore a regular dark tee with his overused jeans said. He was waving his arms incessantly at the younger bartender who beamed at him.

"Coming right up, Greg!" Callie retorted, picking up the vodka and coffee liqueur.

The routine had paved for Callie's speed and accuracy just like Alex. She was thankful that that day did not come earlier, when she had just started or she would be in a constant state of panic whenever somebody ordered a drink from her. She slid the old-fashioned glasses one by one towards Greg who caught them in time. He retrieved money, enough for the drinks with a huge tip from his pocket and put it on the counter. Greg grinned at her, nodding in gratitude before scurrying off to his date.

"Are you okay?" Callie asked Alex as soon as she was free from obligations. She cautiously approached her dazed partner and stood right next to her with the fabric of their clothes barely touching.

"No." Alex retorted monotonously.

Callie sadly let out a sigh in defeat. She gently laid her hand between Alex's shoulder blades to offer consolation. "It's okay. We-"

"Rivera." Mason's deep voice resounded in the little partition of the bar which didn't seem to startle Callie but enraged Alex who cringed at the sound.

"What?" Alex angrily replied, swiftly snapping her head towards his direction.

Mason offered a tight-lip smile, not wanting to cause commotion which might force him to fire Alex. "In my office." He calmly stated before heading back to the direction.

"Great." Alex mocked, standing straight. Her nose flared which usually happens when she is irritated.

Callie held onto her roommate's chin, making her face her properly. "Can we talk about this later?"

The older bartender simply nodded. Desperate for a smile, Callie didn't care about the backlash she could cause and moved her hand to the back of Alex's neck. She leaned in, giving Alex a delicately affectionate peck on the lips that made Callie take deep breath.

"We could get in trouble." Alex mumbled as soon as Callie pulled back. Her heart rate had doubled, tripled even. It was greater, stronger than the palpitations she feels when she's aggravated.

"You're worth it." Callie whispered breathlessly earning her a small, happy smile from Alex.

Mason had asked Alex to help with the paperwork considering she was one of those he trusted and there weren't much to do in Alex's post. The entire night, Callie and their bar back, Javi took care of all the orders while Alex was sorting out financial documents. It was new to both of them. It was different when one of them was on her day off. But being there at the same time and not working together was not sitting well with them.

"Are you tired?" Callie asked as soon as both stepped into their apartment 30 past four in the morning. She pulled the beanie off her head while untangling the scarf she was wearing.

Alex bent down to pull one of her old black leather boots. It was the same one she wore on the day she met Callie. "I'll live." She grunted in the awkward position that squished her abdomen. She didn't sound so enthusiastic. She was too tired from all the reading and sorting, not to mention her emotional strain. "But I'll go shower for a really long time."

Callie was resolute about changing Alex's mood. She thought about giving her a massage but was not entirely sure if Alex would like it. For some reason, her thoughts were overwhelmed by lust especially after thinking back on that kiss underneath Mason Dorsey's doorframe. She felt an inexplicably warm sensation descend upon her that caused goose bumps to erupt as she shivered in desire.

"Calm the f**k down, Callie." She grumbled, slapping her own face harshly.

Callie ultimately decided to cook for Alex. She did not have time to make a fancier, Cuban inspired breakfast. Instead, she made the usual scrambled eggs, frankfurters and turkey bacon with as much love as she could. She seasoned the eggs with adoration, stirred it with affection and served everything with her whole heart.

Alex spent at least half an hour in the shower. She relished the relaxing sensation the warm liquid had given her. Wrapped in a towel, she stepped out of the bathroom only to be stopped halfway through the journey to her room. She was surprised to have caught a whiff of the freshly cooked breakfast.

"Okay." Callie muttered under her breath as the same lustful feelings brushed against her skin. She found her eyes inspecting Alex's bare shoulders and her tangled damp hair. Her eyes dared to descend to Alex's breasts down to the most private region, unconsciously licking her lips. She shook her head, desperate to shake the feeling off, forcing herself to grin at the confused Alex. "Good Might, Morticia."

"Good Might, BB." Alex unsurely stated with furrowed brows with both hands clutching the towel in the middle of her breasts. Her eyes darted between Callie, dressed down in a hoodie and cotton shorts, who was standing by the table and the table itself.

"What?" Callie panicked. She was convinced she had been busted. She played it off, chuckling as she spoke. "Aren't you happy to see me still awake?"

Alex drew her brows low as she narrowed her eyes. She pointed to her chest saying, "You cooked for me?"

"Like all the other times I have." Callie pursed her lips, pulling the corners down and shrugged as if it was obvious because it was. She was relieved to have not been that obvious. "Go get dressed." She encouraged with a nod, avoiding every other aspect of Alex other than her green eyes.

Alex smirked. The shower had relaxed her enough to calm her down but Callie's little gesture made her heart swell and in turn, brought her playful mood back. "What if I don't?"

The younger girl's mouth gaped in an open-mouth grin as she shook her head. She sat on her usual seat and picked up her phone, desperate to get away from the alluring look in Alex's mischievous eyes. "Okay, enjoy the cold October day."

"Fine." Alex marched to her room with Callie looking at her with much adoration.

At many points in the weeks that both lived in peace, Callie had asked herself how she hated Alex in the first place. Now that she knew got to know her on a deeper level, she may have found rationality in how Alex reacts to certain things which was that it had worked for Alex all her life. Then again, it might have just been her feelings for her which was far from reason itself.

Alex emerged in a tank top and sweatpants with a towel hovering above her head. She was rubbing her empty stomach as she scrunched up her features, aching to fill the gurgling belly. Callie was waiting for her on the chair to her left which Alex found odd but was grateful for. She may not be sitting right in front of Callie but she could reach her with ease.

Soon, they were stuffing their faces with food, Alex moaning in pleasure as soon as she took the first bite of her turkey bacon. The orgasmic sound did not help Callie's case. She instead stuffed her face with more food to purposely choke herself to momentarily forget about Alex's noise.

Callie ultimately forgot about Alex's moaning. When she looked to her right, Alex's features were a bit tensed and thought it might have been the problem Felicity had started. She reached for Alex's left hand, pulling the fork gently out of her grasp and replaced it with hers.

"Don't worry about work. It's fine." Callie coaxed, offering her a pathetic looking half-smile which defeated the purpose of the whole consoling.

Alex let out a puff of frustration. She shook her head saying, "It's not."

"I know it isn't but think about it, we live together." Callie grinned, genuinely happy about their living arrangements. "Think about it - we can do whatever we want in here."

"I suppose." Alex reluctantly muttered, looking into Callie's brown eyes.

"No one can stop me if I do this," Callie leaned towards Alex, sighing as soon as their lips touched. It was a light peck that spoke volumes. She slowly opened her eyes, smiling happily. "I've always wanted to do that since last night. But I'm hungry, so, I'll eat before I completely forget about the food."

Alex happily obliged and resumed eating. Callie stood up to retrieve the ketchup bottle which was practically empty. She forcefully tapped the bottom of the plastic bottle over her plate which she held diagonally. Soon, the thick, red-colored glob of tomato puree gushed out of the bottle and into the plate. However, the force at which Callie was hammering the bottle caused a strong impact that made droplets of ketchup bounce from the plate to Alex's forearm.

"Damn it! Clumsy sucker!" Callie chastised herself, forcefully placing the bottle on the table. "I'm sorry, Alex." She reached to wipe the ketchup from Alex's arm with her finger and put the certain digit in her mouth, sucking it clean.

"You suck?" Alex repeated mischievously. She emphasized the word, insinuating something with her bobbing brows. Callie's innocent finger-licking was somehow made into something provocative in Alex's mind.

Callie crumpled her features up in disgust, eying her roommate condescendingly. "You're gross."

"I agree with her on that one!" Denise emerged from room with disheveled hair, a drowsy looking face matched with her wrinkled clothes. "Good morning, cousin and cousin-in-law!" She greeted the two bartenders, throwing her arms to the side, grinning broadly.

Alex attempted to glare at her which was blatantly deflected by Denise by holding her palm against Alex. Much to Alex's relief, Callie didn't seem to mind, instead, she greeted Denise with the same enthusiasm and invited her to eat.

"I finally get to have a decent breakfast." Denise commented as soon as she sat in front of Callie, where she usually sits. She furrowed her brows in confusion as she indeed found Callie in front of her who she often finds on her right.

"Hey! I make breakfast every single day." Alex complained, slapping Denise's arm lightly.

Denise giggled, enjoying how worked up Alex was. "The thing is, my dear cousin, you cook late and I have work before eight." She retorted with a feigned disappointment but grinned as she realized something. "And that rhymed, I hope that isn't a crime." She held her head up with pride.

"Oh god." The oldest of the three slapped her forehead in frustration.

Callie and Denise bellowed in laughter, making Alex squint her eyes at her co-worker who covered her face once again. Alex just giggled at the immature display while Callie's heart fluttered at Alex's reaction. She took a deep, calming breath. She was euphoric at that moment.

Denise bit her lips, suppressing the grin that was about to break out of her lips. She, too, was overjoyed for her cousin and her supposed in-law. She was the first-hand witness of how rocky the bartenders' relationship started off and was pleased to see them full of life because of each other. Denise was too happy, she felt as if she was about to choke on herself and just flat out weep in happiness.

All the playfulness had been halted when Callie's phone rang. She adjusted her gaze and looked to the left of her plate where the phone sat, mindlessly removing her hands from Alex's face. The bright display presented a familiar name which made her quite confused. It was too early for the certain person to call. Callie could feel fear start to build up in her gut.

"I have to get this, it's Jazmin." Callie muttered, cradling the phone in her hands.

"It's okay. Go." Alex assured her, beaming her a tender smile.

Denise only nodded as she had food in her mouth.

Callie stood up from her seat after wiping her lips with the napkin, ridding the surface from grease. She crassly leaned down to kiss Alex's lips, physically and emotionally compelled to do so as it felt like too natural. "I'll be right back."

Denise was stunned. She swallowed the entirety of the food in her mouth, even the large chunks that were not chewed well. The disturbance in her throat prompted her to steal Alex's half-finished water bottle, guzzling all the contents.

"Hold up! Hold up!" She swung her arms in different directions, coping with her shock as soon as she forcefully put the empty bottle down. She looked at Alex incredulously with her gaped mouth. "What was that, Alexis?"

"A kiss?" Alex shrugged her shoulders, looking at Denise with the same skepticism. "Do you need me to explain the process to you? A kiss is when a person with lips p-"

"No!" Denise grumbled, irritated. She demanded for answers and Alex was merely messing with her. "Don't play dumb with me, porcelain butt. You're too cocky to be dumb."

Alex let out a huff in frustration, flaring her nostrils. "Callie and I kissed." She explained simply, raising her brows. "It's probably been three weeks. I don't know, Denise. I don't really care when it started but I like kissing her."

To her surprise, Denise smirked. Alex could have sworn Denise would easily rip her head off for not saying anything.

"So...Is calexis a thing now?" Denise rocked her brows incessantly, the smirk never leaving her lips.

"Again with that calexis thing." Alex protested, slapping her own thigh. She was still yet to find out what the meaning of the made up word was. It was the same frustration Callie felt with her acronym nickname for her. Alex somehow felt bad for keeping it from Callie. "What the f**k is calexis?"

The younger girl crossed her arms, shaking her head condescendingly. "And here, I thought you were smart." She giggled which earned her a glare from her cousin.

"What's her name?" Denise breathed, defeated. She pursed her lips, raising her brows, expectantly.

Alex furrowed her brows, thinking about how stupid the question was. "Callie, duh."

"What's yours?"

"Seriously?" Alex angrily scowled, leaning closer to Denise, hoping to intimidate her into just divulging the information.

Denise looked at her with a neutral look on her face. "Seriously."

"Alexis." The bartender reluctantly mumbled, not willing to participate in a game. She rolled her eyes before fixating on Denise's brown ones once more.

"It’s actually Porcelain Butt but that’s okay, too. And?" Denise expectantly waited for a sudden spark of Alex's genius.

"That's it?" Alex complained, the bridge of her nose crumpled as her brows drew together. "Can you just tell me? Just tell me."

"Callie. Alex." The younger girl repeatedly mumbled, emphasizing on the specific syllables.

Alex was beyond irritated at first until she noticed how Denise's intonation rose and fell. Her usually arrogantly correct mind was experiencing an unnerving turmoil.

"Oh!" She exclaimed, finally catching on. She sat straight as soon as the idea popped in her head. "Why can't it be 'alista' or something?" She complained.

Denise's jaw dropped in disbelief. "Why does your name have to be in the beginning, you conceited Cuban ass?" She leaned back on her seat, looking at Alex, scrutinizing her. "Besides, 'alista' sounds like ballista. And that’s just Calista without the ‘C.’"

Alex simply bobbed her brows as she sealed her eyes, pursing her lips - conceding her ideas in silence.

"So, what is calexis?" Denise excitedly leaned closer to the table, resting her elbows on the surface. She was ridiculously eager to hear the answer. “Roommate? Coworkers? Friends? Acquaintances? Girlfriends? f**k buddies? You can stop me anytime, you know.”

Alex sighed as her heart plummeted down to her wildly churning stomach, suffocating her. She was afraid to ask her. Alex had no idea where they stood and with Denise's question, it just became more apparent that she might not mean to Callie as much as Callie meant to her. Apart from that, she found comfort in not knowing and not having a solid, spoken commitment. Alex thought that if Callie ever cheated like Felicity did, it won't hurt as much because she was not her girlfriend in the first place.

Or at least, that's what she thinks.

"I don't know." Alex passively mumbled, zoning out on her cousin.

Alex loved Callie in her bliss. She loved Callie through her melancholy. Alex even loved her in her uncertainty.