Gen 2 - Chapter 2: Butterflies.

I opened the door and felt confused to see a pizza courier standing on the porch. I smiled and told her that I didn't order a pizza, to which she replied that she was sorry for disturbing me and promptly left. Seeing as I was already awake I decided to make myself some more cocoa to help soothe me back to sleep.

As I drank the last bit I heard the doorbell again, it had better not be that damn pizza courier again I thought. I placed my empty mug in the dishwasher and headed for the door.

I opened the door and said "I already told you.." My heart skipped a beat when I realised who was standing there. He looked a little nervous as he said "Sorry to call round so late...can I..come in?" I moved aside letting him pass by and into the hall, as he did I caught a waft of his scent. His aftershave was a strong, earthy, musky scent, that, coupled with my nervousness and excitement made a heavy bouquet which I was already drunk on.

I gestured to the sitting room as I closed the front door and followed him through. I asked him if he would like a mug of cocoa, as I was going to have another, he replied "That would be great, thanks." As I brought through the steaming mugs of cocoa, which I knew were going to take a while to be cool enough to drink, Jacob said "I suppose I should tell you why I am here." "Well normally I don't have many post midnight guests" I replied laughing, to which he chuckled, and then looked at me very intently as if weighing his words.

"You know when you have something on your mind and you think you know the answer, but something holds you back from asking the question that would give you the clarity that you need. Then you start thinking about all the possibilities, and maybe you start to think that the one thing you want to ask, the answer you want to hear will be the right one. You can convince yourself for a while, but there is always the shadow of doubt, always the spectre of rejection. In time the shadow grows larger eroding the confidence that you had in your previous certainty. Then food becomes grey and un-appetising and sleep becomes a listless daydream as you become haunted by that shadow. Then you realise that you have to know, no longer can you live with half certainties and the need to know overcomes the fear of rejection, and then you start to wonder how can you ask that question? Your mind begins to race with a thousand different possibilities all at once, some hopeful, and some tragic, but they have all led me to this point." As he finished speaking he took a sip of cocoa.

I had an idea of where this was leading, but I thought I would let him finish before I saying my piece, as a lot of what he said was making a lot of sense to me. He was explaining how I felt about him, and my assumption was that this was how he felt about me too. He wanted to ask me a question, but was afraid of the answer. I almost laughed at the absurdity of it, that this gorgeous hunk of man could be afraid of anything that I could say.

"So" he continued "I can remember the day we met like it was yesterday, you were wrestling with the lid on a bottle of medication. I came over and opened it for you, and even though I had had the crappiest day, your smile made everything else seem inconsequential. Then when you sighed my name in the club I felt my heart soar. Every moment in-between those two, every time we have met or seen each other you have made me feel invincible. Lyra.... I'm crazy about you, and..."

I placed my finger on his lips and pulled him to me, we moved together in a moment that lasted an eternity, I had never felt anything so right in my life. I was intoxicated by his scent, his lips, his touch. If he were a pool I would have thrown myself in at the deep end. As we pulled apart I took his hand and led him upstairs.... .

Stay tuned for chapter 3 :)