September

Time turns flames to embers, you'll have new Septembers

September starts in her new apartment. She's sitting on her couch with her closest friends, Marie and Walker, singing along to terrible music. With her phone in one hand, she's staring at it intently, thinking of the damage she could do if she just hits the button.

Marie tells her to do it, Walker begging her to add some drama into their lives, and the alcohol running through her veins isn't helping. "Just do it, what's the worst that could happen?"

She looks over at Marie, a pointed look on her face, "Hmm, I don't know. He could think I'm crazy? I could make work the most awkward thing in the world. So many things could go wrong."

"Or, it could go so very well."

She's never liked how right Walker could be.

Before she can do anything, he grabs her phone and does it for her. A scream leaves her lips, and she snatches the device back, turning it off before anything else can happen. A flutter of laughter leaves her friends and she sends them a glare. "What have you done?"

"Something you were too scared to do. You're welcome."

She throws the nearest pillow at him, hitting him directly in the face. Another round of giggles leaves the group. She stares at her phone, her heart beating a mile a minute. Marie nudges her, "Nothing bad will happen if you check it. He probably hasn't even said anything, all you did was add him. You work together, it's fine."

She sighs but does so nonetheless. The white logo shines back at her like a taunt. 10 seconds feels like an hour, her heart beating faster as time ticks by. She's soon treated by her lock screen, a photo of the three of them last summer. She smiles at the memory of a night much like this one. She unlocks it, navigating to the app. Marie moves to lean over her shoulder, Walker cheering her on.

And there it is.

His name, a red dot beside it. "Nope, nope. Can't do it."

She tosses her phone to Marie, who eagerly clicks on the message, a snapshot of his face pops up with a hello written beneath it. "It's fine El, he just said hello. See, nothing bad."

Her eyes dart to the screen, heart softening at the photo. "Awe he looks so cute."

Walker lets out a snort, "If you hadn't let me do that, you'd have never seen it."

She ignores the comment, reaching for her phone and curling up on the couch. Nerves are long forgotten as she falls into conversation with the boy.

"Hey, come on. It's supposed to be our night, you can't get lost on your phone now. Let's go on a walk."

Marie grabs onto her hand, pulling her up from the couch. "Hold on, hold on. Just let me reply to him."

Walker and Marie share a look, knowing she won't be putting her phone down anytime tonight.

"So, this may be a really bad idea, but we're going on a midnight walk," Marie pops into the background holding a bottle, "With wine!"

The three of them burst out laughing as Elia ends the video, hitting send. She shoves the phone into her pocket, the claps her hands, "Okay! Walk time!"

The fall weather has yet to set in, the last remnants of the summer heat still heavy In the air. She's buzzing with excitement as they walk down the street, a smile plastered on her face. She's laughing or smiling in every message she sends to Karter, silly videos of her dancing in the streets.

Somehow, they find themselves at a park with Walker climbing the jungle gym, Marie singing at the top of the slide, while she sits on a swing lost in thought.

"You should tell him how you feel!" Marie shouts at her.

"And now I have to re-record that, thank you so much for that."

Marie slowly makes her way off the equipment, taking a seat beside her best friend. "Come on, do it. What's the worst that could happen?"

She scoffs, "He could reject me? No thanks."

Walker makes his way over, sitting down on the rocks in front of them. "Really? Do you think he would stay up till 2 am dealing with your drunk ass if he didn't like you? C'mon, give me your phone."

She stands up, walking away from him. "No, nope. Not doing that again."

He's quick to follow her, chasing her down the football field. She screams as he catches up to her, grabbing her phone out of her hand.

"No, walker. Don't, please, I'm begging you."

"Why're you so dramatic, El?"

She sighs, accepting defeat, and sitting down on the grass. Marie joins them, resting her head on her shoulder. "Now, mister Karter, my dear friend has a dilemma. She likes this boy, but she's scared to tell him, doesn't think he'll like her back. But I say he will."

"Me too!" Marie yells.

"Yes, yes," He waves his hands around in a dismissive manner, "We all think he does, but El here doesn't." He sits down, shimmying his way between the two girls, "And sent. Now we wait."

A moment passes, then two, and the silence is almost deafening as they wait for his response. Finally, a small ping! is heard and they all scramble to open it.

"Well, I have a feeling he does too. I say give it a shot."

A squeal escapes her lips as Walker and Marie cheer. "You have to tell him, there's no way he doesn't like you back."

"Okay, okay. Give me the phone."

She accepts the device from Walker, walking away from her friends. "Okay, I'm so sorry about that. We are all very, very drunk. But, yeah, I like this boy. But I'm too scared to tell him."

A heartbeat passes.

"I say do it. Also, I'm going to bed. Goodnight, El."

She sighs, knowing it's now or never.

"It's you. I like you."

She screams and hits send, panic flooding her veins. For a second it feels like she can't breathe, all the alcohol leaving her system. A shiver runs through her as a breeze passes by, time seeming to stop as his reply comes through. "I like you too."

***

The next day after she's woken up and mended her hangover, she messages Karter. She has the day off but knows he'll be in later that day, so she asks if he wants to come over. Their first official date.

Marie and Walker stick around to meet him, asking him every question they can think of to rule out the chance of him being a serial killer, before leaving to go see a movie. Elia watches them walk away before turning to look at Karter.

"Hey."

"Hi."

An awkward laugh leaves her as she lets him in the door. "Welcome to my apartment."

He sets his bag down at the table, following her to the living room as she takes a seat on the couch, "It's cute."

"It's okay, you can call it what it is, small."

He sits down beside her, nudging her with his knee. "It's very cozy. It's what I imagined you living in."

"Oh, so you've thought about my apartment before?"

He laughs, "Not like that, it's just very you."

She smiles at him, turning the TV on and leaning into the couch, "Well you can thank Marie and Walker for that, they put all the furniture together for me while I was at work. And this couch was the best purchase I've ever made. In all honestly, I sleep here more than I do my bed."

He shakes his head at her, a small smile making its way onto his lips. He moves closer to her, resting his arm on the back of the couch as she searches for a movie to put on. She flips through every app she owns, not knowing what kind of mood she's in until he takes the remote from her.

He spends a few seconds scrolling before making a decision and she looks at him in shock, wondering how in the world he can just decide when it takes her 20 minutes to figure out what coffee she wants. He shakes his head when he notices her face before turning back to watch the movie.

It's quiet for a while, nothing but the sound of voices in the background. She catches herself staring at him, lost in the thought that this can't be real. He's ethereal, in a way words can't describe, and she can't imagine how this is happening. He catches her staring a moment later, a smile gracing his lips, and she swears it's the most beautiful thing she's ever seen.

He reaches his hand towards her, placing it softly on her cheek, rubbing small circles. They sit like that for a while, lost in each other's eyes. "This doesn't feel real."

It's the same words that have been playing in her mind all night, echoed out by him. She feels a sort of relief knowing she's not alone in this feeling. She leans into him, resting her head on his shoulder, and he wraps himself around her. They lay tangled like that until the movie is over and the credits are rolling. She doesn't want to move, too lost in the feeling of peace she feels with him. But she knows it's late, and her friends will be back soon. A soft sigh leaves her lips and he turns to look down at her. "You okay?"

She nods, not wanting to break the little bubble they've found themselves in. "Marie will be back soon, she's supposed to spend the night."

"Ah, so you're kicking me out?"

She giggles, "No, just saying we won't be alone for much longer."

He rolls the two of them so she's laying on top of him. She rests her head on his chest, and he runs his fingers through her hair. She's tempted to fall asleep right then, but a notification from her phone disturbs her. She groans, reaching for it, seeing it's a text from Marie saying she's only a few minutes away. "She's almost here."

Karter hugs her closer to his chest, "I don't want to let you go."

She sighs, bringing herself closer to him. It feels as though she can't get close enough. He squeezes her tightly once more, "C'mon, I guess we have to get up."

She protests but does so nonetheless. It's a silent dance they do moving around the apartment. He gathers his things as she walks him to the door, neither knowing where this is going, but not wanting it to end.

"I'm really happy you said something."

He's leaning against the door, a smile on his lips, and she swears he looks like a piece of art standing in her doorway. "Me too. I was scared, but I'm so glad I told you."

He chuckles, leaning down to pull her into a hug. Faces mere inches from each other. She can feel his breath on her lips and she's sure he can hear her heart beating in her chest. All it takes is a second, and his lips are on hers. It's short and sweet but leaves her brain in a hazy fog when he pulls away.

"Goodnight, El."

He's gone a second later and she's left standing in her doorway, smiling like an idiot.

***

She wakes up the following day to a picture from Karter. He's laying in bed, hair in a mess around him, face flushed from sleep. She can't help the way her heart picks up at the sight. She replies, and within seconds her phone is ringing.

"Good morning."

His voice is laced with sleep, a deep rasp coating it. "Good morning."

She rolls out of bed, phone pressed to her ear, lost in conversation. She doesn't see Marie sitting at the dining room table when she walks out of her bedroom but hears the laugh she lets out when she realizes who she's talking to. "Can't go a few hours without talking to him, huh?"

She flips her off, laughing, "Fuck off, we're making plans."

The comment only makes Marie laugh harder and she hears Karter mumble something in the background.

"Sorry, just telling Marie to fuck off."

"Yeah, you tell her."

She laughs, and it's a moment that makes her chest ache.

"So, do you wanna come over later? I have to work tonight, but I figured we could order some food and have a movie night."

"I'd like that, yeah."

They finalize the details before she hangs up the phone, looking over at Marie who's shaking her head. "What?"

"Nothing, you just haven't been this happy in a while. It's nice."

She smiles to herself. It's true, that her life hasn't been the easiest these past couple of years, this is the first time in a while she's been genuinely happy.

She has the day off from both work and school, so she and Marie spend the morning enjoying one of the last nice days of the year. They get breakfast at the bakery down the street from her apartment, eating it in the park. They sip on green smoothies and eat sweet pastries, sitting under the September sun. They've both worn dresses today with plans to take pictures down by the river later.

It's one of those perfect days. The kind where you wake up and everything feels right. They spend a few hours down by the river, she has her camera in hand, snapping photos of Marie as they walk around. They head back to her apartment early in the afternoon, where she spends a few hours editing the photos and waiting for her date.

It's not long before she's hopping into her car and making her way over to Karters. It's a short drive, and she's there within minutes. Karter is waiting at the door for her, a goofy smile plastered on his face. She walks over to him and is immediately pulled into a hug. "Hi."

"Hi."

He grabs her hand, leading her through the building and into the elevator. "Hope you're not scared of heights, my apartment's on one of the top floors."

"It's fine, just don't make me stand by the windows and we're all good."

He laughs but nods his head. He pulls her close to him, wrapping his arms around her as they go up. When they reach his floor he leads her to his apartment. "Welcome. It never looks like this, but I stress cleaned before you came over."

She laughs at his confession, "Don't worry, I did the same thing last night before you came over."

He shakes his head, hiding a smile as he turns to grab her hand. He brings her into the living room, sitting them down on the couch. "Okay, so I remember you saying you love Harry Potter. I'm going to order dinner and we can watch whichever one is your favorite."

They start watching the third one, which in her opinion is the best out of the series, while he orders dinner for the two of them. He pulls her into him on the couch, nestling her into his side. She doesn't pay much attention to the movie, too distracted by his fingers tracing shapes on her arm and it's not too long before she starts falling asleep. She's lost in the feeling of comfort that's washed over her, only woken when Karter gets up to get the food. "Sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep."

"It's okay, go back to sleep if you need to, I'm just going to run and grab the food."

The night slowly fades away after he gets back. The food is quickly eaten, and the movie is forgotten as they talk about everything that comes to mind. Before either of them knows it, it's been hours. The sun has long ago set, the moon hanging in the sky.

"I should get going soon, I have class in the morning."

She's wrapped in his arms, the only place she ever seems to be anymore. He groans, holding her tighter, "This is why I didn't go back to school. Early mornings were never for me."

She laughs, wiggling her way out of his arms, "Well, one of us has to be the smart one in this relationship, and I guess that's me."

He gasps dramatically, putting a hand over his heart, "I'm hurt Elia, truly."

She bursts out laughing as she puts on her jacket, grabbing her bag as he follows her to the door. "I feel like I'm dreaming when I'm with you."

She looks up at him, a feeling of adoration filling her chest. "I feel like that too."

He leans in slowly, lips brushing hers. The hairs on her arms stand up, an electrical current floating through her. He pulls away and she's quick to chase his lips, stealing another kiss before he can move too far.

"Okay, I really have to go."

He nods, pulling her in for one last hug, before walking her out the door.

"Tomorrow night. Sushi date. I'll pick you up after I get off of work?"

She smiles, nodding her head, "Sounds perfect."

***

The day drags on, her classes seem to never end, and the sound of the clock taunts her. She knows she'll get there eventually, to the promise of a date, but she swears time is moving backward. By the time she gets out of her last lecture, it's as if every ounce of energy has been drained from her body.

It doesn't take her long to get home, but by the time she does her energy's picked up, and nerves starting to get the better of her. There are still a few hours before Karter gets off work, so there's no real need to start getting ready yet, but it's the only way she can keep herself from freaking out. She hasn't been on a real date in months, not really having the time to anymore. She ends up taking far longer than she thought she would to figure out what to wear, going through almost every outfit combination in her closet.

She faces times Marie while she does her makeup, catching up on the past few days and calming her nerves. Before she knows it, she's getting a text from Karter saying he's only a few minutes away. She ends the call, throwing on a pair of shoes, and heading out the door. She's greeted by Karter standing at the front of the building, "I was going to come in and get you."

She giggles, "Sorry, I got a little excited."

He shakes his head, reaching out to grab her hand and leading her to his car. They spend the car ride catching up, she listens to him complain about his shift while she talks about her classes. They sing along to every song on the radio and she feels like her soul is on fire. Before long, they're pulling up to the restaurant and he's walking around to open her door. "Milady."

"Why thank you, good sir."

They make their way into the building hand in hand. She feels like one of those cliche couples from movies, the ones who are always happy to be together, but she doesn't care. She is happy, something she hasn't felt in a long time. They get seated in a booth farther back in the restaurant away from everyone else, and it's almost like they're in their own little world.

The waitress brings by menus along with a bottle of wine Karter had ordered as they were seated. They sip on their drinks while they chat, finding out new things about each other. Their food comes and goes quickly, both too hungry to wait. She laughs as Karter struggles to eat his noodles with chopsticks, and he laughs when her sushi falls apart on her. It's a night filled with laughter and good company.

They make their way home to her apartment late that night, the wine in her system flushing her face in a red hue and leaving her warm all over. It's late, a theme for all of their time spent together, but neither of them wants to leave, "Stay?"

They're soft words, barely a whisper, but he hears them. A small nod is all she needs before leading him to her room. She changes into a tank top and shorts before giving Karter a pair of her brother's old sweatpants to change into, quickly climbing into bed afterward. It's not long after he wraps his arms around her that they're both fast asleep.

She wakes up the following day to the sun streaming in, casting shapes against the wall. She's laying on Karter's chest, his arm wrapped around her waist. The sun is basking him in a warm glow and she reaches up to trace shapes on his cheek. He stirs, opening his eyes to look at her. She giggles as he squints at her, "Hi."

"Good morning."

He moves to hug her, pulling her closer to his chest. They lay in silence for a moment until his stomach growls. They both burst out into a fit of laughter, "I guess I should go make us something to eat."

"Might be a good idea."

Though the words suggest she should get up, she makes no effort to move, too comfortable in his arms. It takes another 10 minutes to pass by before she gets up, only doing so because her stomach has begun to growl.

She gets up, puts on Karter's discarded shirt over her tank top, and makes her way to the kitchen. She puts on a Spotify playlist and starts pulling out ingredients, "You like pancakes, right?"

She hears a shuffle come from the bedroom, and a second later a pair of arms wrap around her, I'm more of a waffle person."

She gasps, wiggling out of his grip and turning to face him, "I bet you also pour your milk before the cereal."

She moves to continue cooking as a look of offense crosses his face, "How dare you compare me to that kind of psychopath. I'll eat your pancakes, but when I cook, it'll be waffles."

She shakes her head at him and tosses a whisk in his direction, "Mix, waffle boy."

"Yes ma'am."

They cook together, dancing to the music coming from her phone. The scene brings a warm feeling to her chest, the domesticity of it making her heart race. While she cooks the pancakes, Karter prepares the toppings and sets the table. They talk about their plans for the rest of the day, him having work in the evening while she has an essay to finish.

Before long, they're cleaning up, Karter's getting dressed and they're saying goodbye. "I feel spoiled, getting to see you every day. This doesn't feel real."

He smiles at her, "It's real, I promise."

He kisses her on the forehead, bringing her in for a hug, and then he's walking out the door.

***

Just like every other night since their confession, Karter finds himself on Elia's couch. They've got a movie playing in the background, sharing a bowl of popcorn between the two of them, and catching up on their days. "Calum asked who I was seeing tonight."

She turns to face him fully, bringing her leg up to her chest, "And? What did you tell him."

"I told him I was seeing a girl, and when he asked if it was my girlfriend, I said it was complicated."

Her chest deflates at the comment, sinking into the couch, and bringing her other leg up to her chest. "Oh," she hates how her voice almost breaks as she speaks.

He moves to grab her hand, "That's why I wanted to come over tonight."

Tears start to well in her eyes, she knows it's the moment she's been fearing might happen, she just didn't expect it so soon. He notices, reaching up with his other hand to wipe away the tears. "Hey, hey. It's okay, it's not what you think it is."

The words do little to calm her, panic starting to set in. He pulls her into his chest, wrapping his arms around her, "I wanted to be able to tell people something different when they asked who I was seeing. I want to tell them it's my girlfriend."

For a second, she doesn't know what to say, but then the words finally sink in and she throws a pillow at him, "You asshole, I thought you were saying you didn't want to see me anymore."

"Is that a yes or a no?"

She grabs him by the face and kisses him, it's slow and sweet and when she pulls away her cheeks are flushed a light pink, "Yes, you idiot."

He brings her back in for another kiss, this one faster, leaving the two of them out of breath when they pull away. He sighs a breath of relief, "For a second I was scared you were going to say no."

She laughs, leaning her forehead against his, "You were scared? I thought you were breaking things off with me."

"I guess we're both idiots then, huh?"

She shakes her head, leaning in for another kiss. Her heart feels like it's going to beat out of her chest, an overwhelming feeling of happiness coursing through her.

The next night, they're lying in bed in his room, the window open and a soft breeze blowing through. The moonlight shining, their breathing being the only sound. He's playing with her hair in one hand, the other tracing shapes up and down her arm. It's been another night of movies and cuddles, a routine for them when Karter gets off work.

She yawns as goosebumps rise over her skin, and he laughs as he feels them. "Tired?"

She hums, nodding her head. "And comfortable, wish I didn't have to leave this in the morning."

"Mm, tomorrow. Our first shift together since we started going out. Don't know how I'll be able to keep my hands off of you."

She giggles, "Is that really going to be such a challenge?"

"Well, when I've spent all week with you, got to hold you and kiss you whenever I wanted, it's going to be very challenging." He shifts so he's hovering over her, "Might just have to pull you into the freezer just to kiss you."

His eyes rake over her face, landing on her lips. He lowers his head down slowly, capturing her lips with his in a soft kiss. "Something like this," Then he kisses her again, this time harder, leaving the both of them breathless, "Or like this."

She looks up at him like he'd hung the moon just for her, and he swears he forgets how to breathe. He brings his hand up to trace the shape of her face, losing himself in the way she's looking at him. This moment right here, is the one people describe in books. The one where your heart finds another and decides, 'yes, this right here, is home.'

He kisses her once more, then moves to lay beside her, pulling her tightly into him. They fall asleep like that, wrapped up in each other's arms.

Morning comes all too soon, the sound of her alarm going off waking them both up. She groans, reaching to silence it, and Karter pulls her back into him. "Back to sleep."

She giggles, turning around to face him, admiring how he looks in his half-asleep state, "I can't, I have class in an hour."

It's his turn to groan as she makes her way out of the bed. He watches as she gets dressed, pulling on her jeans from the night before and one of his hoodies. She makes her way to the bathroom, brushing her teeth and washing her face, as he watches her from the bed. "You know, you could just not go to school. Not to be a bad influence or anything. I could make us breakfast, we could go out, just something to think about."

She looks over at him, a smile playing on her face, and shakes her head. "I wish I could, but I can't."

Karter groans, rolling over and hiding under his pillow, "Fine. Leave me if you must."

She giggles at his dramatics, walking over to kiss him goodbye. "I'll see you tonight. I'm in at 5 and I'm closing, so we'll get to spend lots of time together."

It's a Friday, which means she only has one class, but she still spends most of her day on campus. Sitting in the library, trying to pull together as many essays as possible so she doesn't have to worry about them over the weekend. All too soon, she's heading home to change before making her way to work. Karter's already there, having started earlier in the day, and she's excited to see how the night will go.

He offers her a small smile as she walks in, brushing his arm against her as she walks past him. She makes her way into the back, dropping her stuff off in her locker and tying her apron around herself. She turns to see Karter standing at the door, "Hi."

"Hi."

He walks towards her, pulling her into a quick hug, "Have I ever told you how cute you look in this?"

She giggles, "Is this a kink I should be aware of? Sexy food worker?"

He rolls his eyes, turning to walk away, "No. Definitely not."

She lets out a laugh, following behind him as he disappears into the kitchen as she continues to the front. Within a few minutes, the restaurant is packed, the evening rush having just begun. It's almost two hours later that she finally gets to take what feels like her first break since starting her shift. She's standing in the freezer, grabbing a few things to refill the ice cream station, when Karter comes in. He sneaks up behind her, grabbing her waist and turning her around. "Hello."

He drags the word out and she smiles up at him, "Hey."

He leans down to place a kiss on her lips, and she giggles as he nibbles on her bottom one before pulling away. "I've been wanting to do that for hours now."

She raises her eyebrow, "Have you now? I thought you said this would be easy for you?"

He rolls his eyes, playfully pushing her away, "well, clearly I lied."

She grabs onto him, pulling him in for another kiss, moving away only in time for the freezer door to open and Calum to walk in. "Nice, party in the freezer!"

They all burst out laughing, grabbing what they all need and then making their way out. The rest of the night runs smoothly, the rush having come and gone. She stays later than normal to help Karter do his closing duties, the two of them quietly closing up for the night. When everything is said and done Karter walks her to her car, kissing her goodnight.

"I'll see you tomorrow?"

She nods, "I'm working a mid-shift, so we'll get to see each other for a bit before I'm off."

He nods his head, kissing her one more time before closing her car door, and making his way to his own.

***

September is coming to a close, the month that seemed to have lasted three finally ending. It's the middle of the night, but it feels like the sun is right outside the window. It's the last heatwave of the season, or so she hopes, but it's leaving her skin sticky and her apartment unbearable. Karter's spending the night again, lying on the floor without a shirt, trying to soak up the coolness of the hardwood. She's laughing at him, but she's got a wet towel wrapped around her to try and fight off the heat.

Karter groans from his spot on the floor, "You know, we live in Canada, it's not supposed to be this hot."

"Global warming," Elia replies, wrapping the towel tighter around herself.

Karter moves his head to look at her, "You know what we need? Ice cream."

Her eyes light up at the idea and she eagerly nods her head. Little ice cream dates have become something they do quite often. They both live a 5-minute walk away from a Mcdonald's and it's a nice treat after a long day of work.

It takes them longer than they'd like to peel themselves up off the floor, Elia complaining about the need for her to put a shirt on, Karter commenting on it being hotter for him since he's taller. They're thankful to be greeted by air conditioning that's on full blast when they get inside the building, looks of sympathy being thrown at them from the staff behind the counter. Karter slings an arm around her shoulder as they get in line, "What do you think you're going to get?"

She turns her head to look up at him, "I don't know, but do you think it'd be weird if I asked to take a bath in the ice cream machine?"

Karter snorts beside her, shaking his head, "While it's tempting, don't do that. It can't be very sanitary."

She sighs, rolling her eyes, "Fine."

They go up to order, and she can't contain her excitement when she gets handed the beautifully cold cup. "Thank the lords. Whoever invented ice cream is a genius."

Karter laughs at her and they both head to take a seat, digging into their cups of ice cream. They spend as long as they can in the comfort of the air-conditioned restaurant, chatting away about their days. When a worker comes up and informs them they'll be closing in a few minutes, they get up and head out into the heat. "God, I know I hate winter, but I can't wait for it to not be this hot."

Karter turns his head to look at her, "You hate winter? How?"

"Okay mister snowboarder, not everyone likes being in 6 feet of snow and freezing their asses off."

He snorts at her remark, "Sorry miss, I hate to inform you, but you will be snowboarding this winter. I'm taking you with me and I'll teach you how, you signed up for that when you started dating me."

A look of horror crosses her face, "I'm offended you think I don't know how to snowboard, need I remind you my family has a cabin in the mountains? I've been snowboarding since I could walk. I'm just accident prone and get cold too easily, I am not that kind of outdoor person. I prefer hikes."

"Fine. I'll strike a deal with you. You come snowboarding with me once and I'll go hiking with you."

He holds his hand out to her and looks at it skeptically, an eyebrow raised. "Only if you promise we can stop for hot chocolate after."

He shakes his head, "We can get as much hot chocolate as your heart desires."

She grabs his hand, shaking it, "Then I believe we have a deal, sir. Pleasure doing business with you."

He laughs, following behind her as she opens the door to her apartment. They both groan at the wave of heat that rushes out. "I really need to get an air conditioner. This place is going to get so hot next summer."

Karter hums beside her and she turns to look at him. "What?"

"Hmm? Oh, nothing. Just thinking about how nice it'll be next summer to be in a new apartment."

A look of confusion crosses her face, "What do you mean? Are you moving?"

"Maybe. I thought, possibly, if things are still going well, maybe we could find a place together next year."

She hops up onto the counter, crossing her legs, "Karter, are you asking me to plan to move in with you?"

He walks towards her, placing his hands on her legs, "Well, only if you want to. And granted we're still together by then."

She wraps her hands around his neck, "Mhm, yeah, if I can deal with your snoring that long."

"Oh wow, snoring is a deal-breaker, huh?"

She giggles, leaning towards him, "It might be. I like my beauty sleep, so as long as you can keep that under control and I can sleep, I think we could make it work."

He leans down to place a kiss on her lips, "I might be able to persuade you."

He moves his head to kiss down her neck, a small moan slipping out of her. "Yeah, and what's that?"

Suddenly, she's being picked up off the counter and carried into her bedroom, the door being kicked shut behind her, "Let me show you."