Beastly Roommates

"Things are more complicated," I finished for him.

"Yeah. I'm glad you agree. I'll just tell them you've already got plans." He sat down and started eating his sandwich. "Complicated doesn't have to be a bad thing though, is it?" He asked quietly between bites.

"No, it doesn't," I replied with a light chuckle.

"Good." A couple minutes later he finished his sandwich. "Want to watch a movie or something?"

"Not especially, but I don't mind if you do."

"Ok." He started up a film about a 19th British navy ship and its crew tracking down a superior enemy vessel. While I mostly kept working on the scarf, I did keep an eye on the movie and had to admit that it was pretty good. I also tried to forget my worries and simply enjoy being with David like Sara had suggested. It wasn't that hard and I found myself frequently glancing in his direction, and smiling on the occasions when our eyes met.

Chapter 19

The next few weeks after my first date with Ruth were nice, but it always seems like she was holding back, even when she was relaxed. We went on a date pretty much every weekend on either Friday or Saturday evening, but things between us were progressing even more slowly than I'd ever imagined. We flirted and hugged often during the week and most of the time she let me hold her hand if I was driving her somewhere, but nothing new ever really happened.

"Hey Dave, what should I throw on the grill for ya?" My dad shouting from my parent's patio pulled me out of my thoughts.

"A couple legs and thighs!" I yelled back.

"What, no burgers?" He asked with his face scrunched.

"Not feelin' it!" He shrugged and turned back to the grill. I turned to Jill who was sitting next to me chuckling.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothin,'" she replied. "Whipped," she teased in a low sing-song voice just before taking a sip of her beer. I grabbed of the bottom of the bottle and tilted it up making more of it pour out than she'd intended. "You jerk!" Jill cried out sputtering. She slugged me in the arm, but it was worth it. Our mom, who was sitting across the picnic table from us shook her head.

"What am I going to do with you two?" She asked rhetorically.

"Not much you can do anymore. It's not like you can ground us!" I joked.

"Burgers are up!" Announced my dad.

"Dibs!" Shouted Jill and she ran over to him, though since mom and me were both having chicken, it wasn't like there was a need to hurry. I glanced between my mom and the beer my sister left behind.

"Don't you dare," she warned.

"Oh, I dare!" I replied with a smirk, just before taking a long swig of Jill's drink, almost finishing it!

"You deserve whatever's coming to you. You know that, right?"

"Yep!" My mom rolled her eyes. My sister walked back over with her food and I wasn't quite successful in stifling my laughter.

"What?" Asked Jill, eyeing me suspiciously.

"Nothing," I lied.

"Chicken's up!" My dad called out. Jill picked up her beer and looked at the depleted contents of the bottle for a moment before she narrowed her eyes and growled at me.

"Gotta go!" I exclaimed and left, escaping her retaliation. My mom followed, but she wasn't in as much of a hurry.

"That wasn't very nice..." she said when she'd caught up.

"No, but it was funny!" She just glared. "I'm gonna get her another one!" I protested, and that seemed to pacify her.

I got my chicken and some sides, as well as two more beers before heading back to my seat.

"Brat!" Exclaimed Jill as she swatted me upside the head. I chuckled pulled out my pocket knife, with which I popped the lid off of one of the beers.

"Truce?" I offered as I handed Jill the bottle. After snatching it out of my hands she kept her eyes on me suspiciously while she took a sip. I just started eating my chicken. Our mom had made it back with her food

"You two make peace?" She asked and Jill and I exchanged glanced and unable to stay mad at each other we just laughed.

"Yeah," answered Jill.

Her and mom started talking about her work and my thoughts turned back to Ruth, specifically about the goodnight kisses we shared at the end of each date. I loved them every time and I looked forward to them all week, but Ruth only let it happen at the end of our dates. I tried to kiss her a couple other times, but each time she pulled away and said she wasn't ready. The lingering uncertainty of our relationship status was really starting to wear on me.

"David!" Shouted my mom, snapping her fingers in front of my eyes.

"Oh, hey. What's up?" I asked.

"You have been a real space cadet today, is everything alright?" Asked my mom.

"Yeah, just a bunch going on at work right now," I lied.

"Alright. Then how about you leave that stuff there, and have a good time with your family!" I put on a smile.

"Sounds good," I answered cheerfully.

"Good! We were asking if you were up for a game of cornhole after eating.

"Sure!" I exclaimed. "Guys vs girls?" I suggested.

"You're on!" Challenged Jill. We finished our meals and set up the target ramps.

"Ready for a thrashing?" I said, unable to resist a little trash-talking.

"Nope! And you can even go first!"

"Come on, son. Let's show these girls who's boss!" Egged on my dad. Eyeing up my target I let fly the bean bag... and wasn't even close to the target!"

"You're not going to get very far throwing like that!" Teased Jill. Our mom threw next and just barely landed on the target ramp, but it was enough for a point. I let fly my second bag and it was almost as far off as the first one!

At the end of our turn my mom had gotten two on the board and I wasn't close on any of them...

"What were you saying about a thrashing?" Taunted Jill. I didn't bother answering.

I wasn't the greatest cornhole player, but I could usually hold my own against my family. This time, however, my dad and I lost all three of the games we played pretty miserably, and it was definitely my fault.

"Don't worry about it, everyone has off days sometimes," reassured my dad after the damage had been done.

"Thanks," I muttered.

"Work still bugging you?" Asked my mom."

"Yeah," I lied again, knowing full well it was Ruth that had me distracted. I checked the time. "Well, despite the loss," I glared at Jill, who stuck her tongue out at me, "this was a good time."

"Maybe next time you're roommate will be able to come," suggested my dad, and my chest tightened.

"Yeah, maybe," I replied, trying to keep as much awkwardness out of my voice as possible.

Jill and I gave our hugs goodbye, and then we each took off.

A couple of hours later I made it home. Ruth was sitting on the couch playing a game.

"Hello, David," she greeted with a smile.

"Hi, Ruth." I wanted to sit down and snuggle up to her, but resisted the urge to do so. Instead, I leaned down and gave her a hug while standing. I ran my fingers up from her nose to forehead and through her hair while cradling her head close to me and she cooed happily. Her hands likewise rubbed up and down my back, and it felt wonderful. I didn't want it to end, but after only several seconds I pulled back anyway. Ruth was smiling, and I was too, but I felt like if I pushed to much, what we had could snap like a glass rod. That was the last thing I wanted to happen.

"Did you have a good time," she asked while resuming her game.

"Yes, I did. It was nice seeing my parents again."

There wasn't much of the evening left, but for the rest of it I just watched her play the game. Frustration or not, I still enjoyed being with her.

Chapter 20

I looked at the time and grinned. My shift was finally over, and I had another date with David that evening. I went to the back room to retrieve my coat, and Sara was just arriving to start her own shift.

"Hello, Sara," I greeted happily.

"You're in a good mood," she commented. "Going out with you-know-who tonight?"

"Yes," I answered with a smile.

"Have a good time!"

"I will!"

On the bus ride home I smiled as I thought about the familiar routine we'd settled into. We'd hug and flirt during the week building to the date we'd go on either Friday or Saturday evening, which always culminated in a lovely goodnight kiss.

When I arrived, there was about an hour until David was supposed to be home, so I decided to start getting ready for the evening. I spent a good amount of time brushing out my fur. For a moment I wondered what it would be like if David did it, but I shivered and tried to push the thought out of my head as quickly as it came. The idea of being that intimate was as frightening as it was alluring.

It was chilly out so I put on a gray sweater I recently finished knitting, and a longer navy-blue skirt. I was just brushing my hair when my phone rang. I was surprised when it was David.

"Hello, David," I greeted upon answering.

"Hey, Ruth." He didn't sound happy. "I've got some bad news."

"Uh oh. What's going on?"

"I have to work late..." my heart sank.

"How late?" I asked tentatively.

"I'm not sure." I groaned in dismay.

"Does this mean we're not going to be able to go out tonight?" I heard David sigh.

"I don't know. I'll keep you posted though."

"Ok. Thanks for letting me know." I ended the call. Disappointed, I made my way to the front room and flopped down in my chair. I picked up my crochet materials to keep myself occupied while I waited.

Almost two hours after David normally got out of work, I got a message from him.

'Should be leaving in about a half hour.'

By the time David got home and cleaned up he probably wasn't going to want leave the apartment again. Even so, I had to ask.

'Do you think we'll still be able to go out.'

I waited for his reply with baited breath.

'I don't think so.'

I felt like I wanted to cry. Our dates had become highlight of my week.

'I have an idea though. I'll call you when I get out of work.'

With his last message much of my disappointment subsided and in its place was curiosity over what David had in mind.

'Ok. I'll talk to you then.'

I went back to my yarn and found myself looking forward to hearing about his idea.

As expected, about a half hour later David called.

"Hi, Ruth."

"Hello. What's this idea you've got?" I asked.

"I figure we could just have a night in." I furrowed my brow.

"But every other night is already a night in." He chuckled.

"Yeah, but this time we make a point to spend the evening together. I'll pick up takeout on the way home, we can watch a movie, or whatever else we want to do. Maybe we could even go for a walk." The more he spoke, the more I liked the idea.

"I think I would like that!"

"Good! I'm going to let you go so I can call in dinner."

"Ok, see you in a little bit!"

I went back to my hook in a much better mood than since he first called with the news of his being late.

Around forty minutes later there was a knock at the door. When I opened it, David was there with several bags in his hands!

"Hi," I greeted excitedly as he came in. "That's a lot of food!"

"Yep! There's an Italian place on the way home from the latest job site I've been curious about. I got you five cheese ravioli with marinara sauce and vegetable soup. I've got shrimp scampi, and a seafood chowder. And for dessert, I got us cannoli's!"

"That sounds delicious!"

"I'm going to take a quick shower. I'll be right back!"

The food didn't just sound delicious, it smelled delightful too! Figuring I could make dining a little nicer, I got out a couple of plates and bowls, and transferred the meals to them while David showered. A short while later he was back, dressed in a pair of gray slacks and a blue button down shirt. Him making the effort to look nice made me quite happy.

"Hey, that was a good idea!" He complimented, gesturing to the plates. We sat down and ate our meals while we shared the details of our respective work days.

"That was very tasty," I said as I was finishing the last bite of my cannoli. "I've never had Italian food before." David grinned.

"Then I'm glad I could introduce you to it!" He gathered up the dishes and put them in the sink. "We'll get to those later," he said after coming back from the kitchen. He held out his hand to help me from my seat and I grinned widely. Without letting go of my hand he guided me to the front room. I watched curiously when he started fiddling with his phone, but a moment later it started playing some old classical music. Moving in front of me, he took my right hand and put it on his shoulder, then took my right in his left. I gasped when he placed his right hand on my hip and pulled me a little closer. Then we began to dance. It wasn't much more than slowly shuffling our feet in a circle while we swayed back and forth, but staring into David's beautiful blue eyes while we moved to the music was the most romantic experience I'd ever had.

When the music stopped he let go of my hand, then reached up and gently pulled my face toward his, and kissed me softly. While I normally preferred we wait until the end of the date, it was so sweet that I let it slide. When we separated he was grinning ear to ear, and I knew the corners of eyes were turned up in a smile too.

"Ready for that movie?" He asked.

"Yes. Did you have one in mind?"

"Yeah. It's my Sister's favorite, but I think it's pretty good too."

"Ok, that sounds good!" We both sat down on the couch, and David messed around with his game console for a minute and when the movie started up he took my hand once more.

"That Mr. Darcy seems like a real jerk," I whispered, shortly after the move started. "I don't like him."

"Just keep watching," David whispered back directly into my ear and I shivered slightly. Instead of resuming his sitting position, he leaned against my arm and my pulse started to quicken. When I looked over at him, his smile made me melt a little and before I realized it I had put my arm around him and pulled him into my side.

As I kept watching, the plot twisted and turned delightfully until it's very satisfying conclusion.

"What did you think," asked David, once the movie was over.

"I very much enjoyed it," I replied. With the movie having finished, I looked down and my heart started to race anxiously again. Now that I wasn't distracted I saw that I was holding David in my arms with him laying on me, just like the day he came home sick! Despite my anxiety, David looked so happy that I couldn't resist hugging him closer for a moment, which only made him smile wider. He folded one of my hands in his and stroked the fur on the back of it, which felt quite nice.

As I got more used to holding him, my heart rate returned to normal. He was very warm, and the feeling of his weight on me was thrilling. Wordlessly, we stayed like that enjoying the closeness for quite a while, and I thought that maybe we could snuggle on other evenings too, not just date nights.

Eventually it got late and was time to get ready to go to bed. We untangled from each other and got up off the couch. He walked me to my room while we exchanged smiling glances the whole time. My stomachs fluttered delightfully when he reached up and stroked his hand up the length of my face like he often did at the end of our dates, then stepped closer. I lowered my head down to his and felt the wonderfully gentle pressure of his kiss. Our lips moved against one other's and I cooed softly with delight. After several seconds of that bliss I felt something different. Something wet and slick slid against my lips and I quickly pulled away, gasping sharply in surprise.

"What... was that?" I asked, touching my lips where they were still moist.

"Oh..." David murmured. His eyes widened for a moment, then fell to the floor. "That was my... tongue." I gulped and my chest tightened.

"I don't think I'm ready for that..." I said quietly. The night in had been amazing, but it had also pushed a lot of boundaries and I was at my limit. "I had a wonderful evening though. I hope you did too."

"Yeah, I did," he admitted, but he didn't look up.

"Goodnight, David," I said after a few seconds and opened my door.

"Ruth, what are we?" He asked quietly, just as I was walking into my room. Confused, I turned to face him again. He was still staring at the floor.

"What do you mean?" He looked up, and the anguish in his eyes made my heart ache for him.

"Tonight was awesome. We danced, we cuddled, we kissed... but is all that going to be off-limits tomorrow?"

"David..." I uttered breathlessly, but he continued.

"On 'date night' it's like you're my girlfriend, but for the rest of the week it's like we're not much more than good friends and roommates." David was starting to get more agitated and my heart sank. I opened my mouth to speak, but couldn't find any words. He took a deep breath and held it for a second. When he exhaled he let his gaze drift back to the floor.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "If this is where you're at, than I guess that is what it is." I tentatively reached out and touched the side of his face. He looked up at me and I smiled the best I could, though my heart was pounding.

"I... need a little time to think, but we can talk about this tomorrow morning, if you want." His eyes brightened just a little bit.

"Really?"

"I promise." I pulled him into a hug and ran my fingers through is short hair soothingly. He took another deep breath before he wrapped his own arms around me. After a minute he seemed to calm down and we separated. We said goodnight and went to our separate rooms.

Once I had shut the door my legs felt like rubber. I collapsed on my bed and started breathing in shallow gasps. I'd promised David that we would talk about us, but I had no idea what to say. I wasn't even sure why he was so upset!

I pulled my phone out and called Sara, and hoped that she would pick up. Thankfully, after the third ring she did.

"Hi, Ruth. What's going on?" She asked.

"I think I might have screwed up..."

"Uh oh. How?"

"I started filling her in on the events of the entire evening."

"Whoa, he tried to French you?" She interrupted with a laugh when I got to the last kiss.

"Yeah..." I replied, feeling rather embarrassed.

"Nice! He really is hot for you!" I groaned.

"I pulled away..."

"What! Why?"

"I wasn't ready for it!"

"And so that's what you think you screwed up?" I groaned again.

"That's not even it." Sara let out a squeak of surprise. "I thought we'd settled into a comfortable routine, and I don't think David saw it that way."

"Oookay... what did he say?"

"That to him it was like I was his girlfriend during date nights, but during the rest of the week we were just good roommates."

"I see, and what was this routine?"

"Just that we'd just flirt and hug during the week, and then we'd go out on Friday or Saturday." It was several seconds before Sara responded.

"That's the whole routine?"

"Yes..." I replied slowly.

"Oh sweetie, no wonder he's frustrated!"

"What do you mean?"

"I think at this point he doesn't want to just go on dates. He wants a relationship!"

"But you told me that I could just go on dates!" I protested.

"Yeah, but only until you figured out what you wanted. You weren't supposed to settle into it!"

"Then what do I do?" I whimpered.

"David wants to be with you, so you need to decide whether you want to be with him too, or not."

All the things we did on date nights ran through my head. The kisses, the cuddles, his sweet caresses on my face, running his fingers through my hair, and even him just holding my hand was wonderful. Not just that either. His kindness and patience too. Him being human once seemed like such a big deal, and it no longer felt that way. I had my answer. Being with David was wonderful. For a moment I tried thinking about what it would be like without him, but it was too painful, and I had my answer.