The Friend I Needed

Twelve.

Twelve.

She parked her car right next to Nathan’s truck, turning the engine off she smiled to herself. Maybe she didn’t have a perfect life, but it was the best she could ask for and she wouldn’t change a thing, well maybe change the fact that her dear twin brother was far away from his family, but other than that, she believed she was alright.

Closing the door behind her, she let her car key on the bowl on top of the small table and locked the door behind her, already knowing Tommy was spending the night.

It wasn’t nothing new that sometimes her friends stayed over with her and Gabriel, she had enough rooms to let them stay and they didn’t mind sharing beds.

She loved having them over, sometimes her loneliness got the best of her and depression intended to appear and take her peace away, but Gabriel and her friends never let that happen, always pushing that terrible dark cloud away from her reminding her that she’s never truly alone.

Walking deeper into the house she noticed it was a little too silent, turning into the living room she noticed that one child was missing from the couch where Tommy, Gabriel and Luca were cuddling.

“I took him home, if that’s what you’re wondering.” Nathan’s voice caught her off guard almost making her yell, but his hand over her mouth prevented her from that. “Relax, it’s just me.”

“I’m sorry.” She spoke softly when he let go and turned back to the couch with a small smile. “They fell asleep, uh?”

“They were awake when I took Elliot with me.”

He crossed his arms over his broad chest, she noticed that he had indeed showered and was now dressed in loose blue sweat pants and a slightly tight black t-shirt.

“I found them like this when I got back so I covered them with one of the blankets I found on the closet. I apologize, I didn’t intend to intrude but I didn’t really know where to find extra blankets.”

“You don’t have to apologize, Nate. You’re free to feel like home here.” She smiled at him before walking closer to the sleeping boys on her living room, she crouched down caressing their heads whispering to them. “Tommy, Gabe. Wake up, boys.”

“Mmm…”

Tommy opened one of his eyes trying to hide his yawn with the back of his hand, he looked down at the child sleeping on his chest and smiled softly at him before looking back at her.

“Hey, Oddie…”

“Hey, sweetie.” She kept on caressing his cheek with a smile on her face. “Why don’t you get up and go sleep with Gabe? You’ll get sick if you sleep here.”

“Is it ok?”

“Of course.”

He nodded getting up slowly trying not to wake Gabriel up; Nathan got close holding the boy close to his chest resting his small head on his shoulder walking upstairs with Tommy close behind.

Oddie petted Luca’s head as she picked the pillows and blanket up, fixing the couch watching how the big puppy she loved so much cuddled closer to the pillows earing a smile from her.

“Good night, baby boy.” She kissed his head walking towards the closet in the hall turning the lights off, letting the last of the fire on the chimney light the place.

She then headed towards the kitchen turning on the spots under the cabinets, a warm small light surrounding her. Sighing she put the teapot away and washed the few dishes she had in the sink, not really in the mood to turn on the dishwasher.

Ignoring completely the rest of the world she focused on her task humming lightly to herself, failing to notice the young man watching her in silence from the kitchen’s doorframe. Nathan smiled at how cute she looked, he couldn’t believe his eyes every time he saw her smiling his way or just talking to him.

He didn’t think he was worth her attention, ever since he met her at the fire station he couldn’t take her out of his mind, she was like a never ending dream that he wished turned into a reality; Oddie was everything he could ever want, but after living so long surrounded by lies and hatred, he couldn’t bring himself to tell her anything.

Not that he wanted to rush things or anything, of course he was pleased when he found out that Gabe’s father was actually her twin brother and not her husband, but still he wanted to prove he was worth her time and heart.

For the first time in years, Nathan wanted to fall in love and have this girl fall for him the right way, step by step, never rushing the feeling just letting it come and take over both of their minds and hearts.

What he had felt that afternoon when he came over to her house after the fire emergency, the feeling of being loved and cherished, the worried yet relieved expressions on everyone’s faces.

How Oddie hugged him crying on his shoulder for the thought of him dying or getting hurt, Henry’s calmed face when he saw him and how he called him son before hugging him, the kids and Tommy running to him crying and smiling widely overjoyed with his presence.

Yeah, liked that. For some reason he missed a feeling he never really felt before, he loved to think he had come home to a loving beautiful wife, a caring father, a troublesome little brother and his children calling for him. But it was just a mere dream, he wasn’t worth that kind of life, how could someone as broken as him have something so pure?

“A dollar for your thoughts?” Oddie’s soft voice brought him out of his internal punishment, he looked up smirking at her sweet face. She was standing on the other side of the kitchen island with two cups with steam coming out of them.

“I believed it was a penny, not a dollar.”

“Well, I believe your thoughts are worth way more than just a penny.” She called back earning a chuckle from him.

He walked closer to her standing a few inches from her small frame, staring down into her beautiful eyes he carefully touched her cheek, his gentle touch brought shivers all over her skin.

“Is that hot milk?” He lifted an eyebrow at her beaming face.

“It helps me fall asleep at night when insomnia tries to take over me. I figured after such a hard day, you’d need some as well.” She looked away with a bright blush dusting over her cheeks.

“Thank you.” He put his fingers on her chin bringing her face back up, she noticed his face was slightly flushed as well.

“It’s just hot milk, no need to thank me for that.”

“You know that’s not what I meant.” His voice went lower an octave, sounding so though yet so reassuring, she closed her eyes enjoying the soft whisper he was delighting her with. “I’m talking about what you did today.”

“What I did?” She looked at him with confusion on her gaze, not fully understanding him. “I only decorated my house and baked some cake, you’re the one we should be thanking.”

“What?”

“You…you risked your life today to save those innocent people, you fight with fire for a living and ask for nothing in exchange. I don’t understand how can you be so brave.”

“I’m not that brave, doll.”

“Are you kidding me?” Her eyes went wide at his statement confusing him, she pulled away from him letting her lower back rest against the island. “I was dying inside when I saw what was happening in the news and I felt cold sweat all over my body when I heard the captain was there ready to enter the already crumbling house.”

He listened to her soft voice, he could hear how she was trying not to talk to loud to wake the boys’ upstairs but also, he noticed she couldn’t hide the almost broken tone her words wore.

“I felt how my heart broke when I saw the building fall down and you hadn’t come out.” She lowered her face hiding her pain and distress, she felt him stand in between her legs laying one hand on her waist and the other back up on her face.

“Oddie…” He brought her face closer to his, it was so hard for him to keep the distance he wanted to disappear badly, he wanted to stop the trembling of her lips with his own but he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

“I wanted to die when they didn’t say anything else about the situation and you never answered my text, I didn’t even know if you saw it or not.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You should be, you idiot.” She pouted at him cutely if you ask him, he tried hard not to smile at the sweet face she was making. “Do you know how worried I was? You should’ve seen everyone’s faces, they were dying to know if you were ok.”

“That’s why as soon as I saw your text I didn’t bother to shower and change on the station. I grabbed my keys and drove my truck all the way here just to see you.”

“Still, a simple ‘ok’ would be enough, you know?”

“I’m really sorry… but, may I ask, why were you so worried?”

“I…” That caught her off guard, she knew exactly why she was so worried but she couldn’t make the words leave her mouth.

The fear of getting hurt again prevented her from speaking the truth just like his fear of being alone once more prevented him from making a move to kiss her. Unknown to both, they wanted the same thing from each other, but their insecurities were a big obstacle to it.

Oddie closed her eyes, a few tears escaping down her rosy cheeks before opening them again to stare directly at him. She tried to see into his mind maybe just to confirm that he could somehow feel the same, she would be a liar if she said she wasn’t craving a kiss from his lips.

Hell, she couldn’t even remember when had been the last time she had kissed someone, she wasn’t sure if she remembered how to do it at all. But Nathan had something in him, other than his stunning looks, that pulled her to him and she didn’t want to run away.

Just like he did, for the first time in a while she wanted to try again; she wanted to try and love, even if it was just for a brief moment she wanted to feel it, she wanted him to kiss her and touch her and be there with her, only him and no one else.

But first she needed to make sure it wasn’t that bad of an idea, she had to hear it from his lips so that she could fully open up to him the way she really wanted.

“Before I answer your question, I need you to answer mine first.”

“Alright.”

“After I tell you what you want to hear, are you going to stay?” The pain behind her eyes was murdering his insides, he wanted to know what was hurting her so bad and do his best to keep her away from it.

He stared at her straight into her eyes, holding her closer to his body letting her put her small hands touch his chest having her feel the beating of his heart, both their faces got closer and closer having their noses touching softly.

“The only way I can leave is if you tell me to do so.” He gulped, the need to kiss her was taking the best of him.

“I like you more than I should, I miss you more than I have and the need to have you around is too much to handle.” She stared at his lips biting her own gently before looking back into his eyes. “I’m terrified yet I feel nothing but longing when it comes to you. I hate the idea of you suddenly disappearing and today was proof of it.”

“I’m not disappearing, Oddie. I thought I made that clear already.” Their lips barely brushed, just one small movement and they’d be finally kissing.

“That’s not the only thing I fear.”

“What are you so afraid of?”

“I fear that if I open my heart to you, you’ll leave me… I don’t want to be hurt and alone again, but at the same time… I only want to be with you.” She caressed his face with her right hand tracing every feature of his face, trying to engrave in her mind everything about him. “Is it wrong to want you so bad right now? Even when we barely know each other?”

“No, it’s not. Because right now I’m feeling all of that and more, it’s becoming harder to control and stop myself from kissing the hell out of you.”

He rubbed his nose to her brushing their lips once more, both hearts beating incredibly fast, hands trembling with the need to touch more and lips craving the others as if they needed water.

“What’s stopping you?”

“You say you want me to stay and not leave, when I’m the one hoping you let me be part of your life and be with you as long as possible.”

“Nathan, don’t leave.”

“I won’t.”

And with that a new kind of fire lit up in her kitchen, lips fighting each other in hunger, incapable of stopping and craving more each time they danced together. Her lips were softer and sweeter than what he could’ve imagined before and his lips were so gentle yet passionate, feeding her love and passion in one simple kiss.

She hugged his neck as he put both hands on her hips lifting her up to sit her o the island counter, standing right between her thighs as she circled his waist with them, his hands gently squeezing her legs enjoying the moment they were sharing.

One could think it was pure lust they were feeling, but only they knew the reality of the situation, no one but them could understand the feelings going wild in their hearts. Her hands tangling in his soft hair while his explored the skin on her legs and back under her shirt.

Nathan was so careful with how he touched her, even though he said he didn’t want to rush her into anything he couldn’t help himself at the moment. He needed to feel her up close, he needed her lips and her touch, he needed her presence and her heart, he needed her and only her.

Asking permission with the tip of his tongue to deepen the kiss, she quickly granted him entrance, waiting for the kiss to get hotter but for the surprise of both, it was the complete opposite. From both side, the moment they went that far it was the moment the kiss got more intimate, the way they touched each other’s bodies was so gentle and loving.

Wanting the moment to last longer, they kept the soft pace but the same burning desire. After a few minutes of kissing they pulled away trying to catch their breaths resting their foreheads together, a wide smile appearing on both chuckling lowly.

“That was the best kiss I’ve had in a long time.” He mumbled kissing her blushing cheek. “Maybe in forever.”

“Liar, I should be the one saying that.” She pulled away a little cuddling his face with her hands, caressing his stubble with a smile on her face. “I like you, Nathan.”

“So do I, Oddie. I like you a lot.” Kissing the tip of her nose and smiled widely at her, his blush becoming redder with the thought of the next words he was going to utter. “Would you like to go on a date with me?”

“Aren’t we a little too old to date?” She mocked tilting her head to the side, enjoying the sound of his laughter.

“One is never too old for romance.” He winked making her blush even more.

“Remember that I have a child to take care of, I can’t just leave him home alone with the dog.”

“As if I care about that, I don’t mind if he comes over with us. When I say I want you, I mean all of you.” Oddie stared at him wide eyed, feeling tears come back to her eyes, feeling ashamed of crying so much during the day she covered her face with her hands confusing him.

“You’re crazy…”

“Yeah well, I totally blame you on it.” She looked up quickly with a frown,

“How the in the world is it my fault?”

“I could say the cheesiest thing, but even the thought of it makes me cringe. So, think of the answer yourself.” She actually did think of the most accurate answer to that and indeed, she cringed.

“Thank God you didn’t answer that one, or else I’d be kicking you out right now.”

Both chuckled lowly before sharing another kiss, shorter than the other one, but still sweet and exquisite. Pulling away once more he helped her down holding her waist again, setting her in front of him.

“I think our hot milk is no longer hot.”

“Yeah… do you want me to warm it up again?”

“Sure, let’s drink it up before bed. I’ll be leaving soon either way.” The cup almost fell off Oddie’s hands in panic, putting it down on the counter she turned quickly to him before rushing into his chest, the air leaving his lungs at the sudden hard hug he was receiving.

“Please don’t.”

“Oddie…” he tried to regain his breath resting his hands on her shoulders pushing her away slightly frowning at her pouty face. “What’s wrong? Did I say something wrong?”

“You said you’ll leave.”

“Well yeah, doll. I can’t stay here; I have to go home so you can rest.” He ran his fingers over her hair feeling the soft strands tangle with his hand.

“You… you can stay if you want.” She put her head on his chest trying to hide her flushed cheeks, making him smile.

“I can take the guest bedroom if that’s ok with you, as Tommy is sleeping with Gabriel.”

“Sleep with me.”

“What?” Now it was his turn to blush madly, he was not expecting that.

“Come on, Nate. We’re not kids anymore; I think we’re more than capable of sharing a bed.”

“Do you think it’s a good idea?” He couldn’t thrust his need for her, he could he be sure that he wouldn’t try to make a greater move with her?

“Would it be that bad if we both lose it for one night? You said you’re staying and I’m sure as hell staying too.” The look on her face let him know that she spoke pure honesty and he couldn’t be happier.

Kissing her whole face, he finished his sweet attack with a soft kiss on her lips smiling lovingly at her, cradling her face with his big hands.

“As much as I’d love to fully make you mine right now, I rather wait.” He found her expression adorable, chuckling to himself he walked past her to reheat the milk before speaking. “I truly want to do things right with you, doll. I want to date and get to know each other so much that there won’t be nothing we don’t know about each other; and if we happen to miss something, then time will let us understand what we don’t know.”

He turned around handing her the warm cup, both smiling, their gazes full of longing and happiness.

“I like the sound of that, we have a lot of time to get to know more about us.”

“Right.”

“Can I ask for something?”

“Anything.”

“Don’t call anyone else doll, or I’ll kick your ass.” She smirked at how he almost chocked on his drink. When he regained his breath he saw the amused look on her face, chuckling he clinked his cup with hers.

“Deal. In that case, I’ll ask for something too.”

“And that’d be?”

“Don’t you dare show those beautiful faces to anyone else.”

“Uh? What faces?”

“The ones you make when I stand close to you.” He did as he said and stole a kiss from her again, making her blush madly, smirking at her face he pulled away drinking up. “That face, could bring shame to angels.”

“Ah, you’re the worst.” She drank from her up as well before looking up to his face with a wide smile. “Deal.”