Davyn had to admit that this was something new. He couldn't remember the last time he'd enjoyed kissing someone that much. To be fair, he couldn't remember the last time kissing was more than a hasty prelude to meaningless sex.

For the first time maybe ever, he hadn't expected anything else than kissing. The abandonment he'd felt in Millie was enough to temper any further desires, especially since he hadn't even considered sleeping with her. He still wasn't, really. He wasn't even sure he would ever want to since it would complicate things.

When they'd had their fill and he felt as if he'd fall asleep right next to the pool, they both dressed up and he'd led her to the reception of the dorm. A part of him wanted to steal one last kiss, but the receptionist guy was there and Davyn really didn't want him getting the wrong idea, because then he'd become a pain in the ass and maybe no loner let him in. Instead, he gave her hand a light squeeze and let himself out into the night.

His mind was filled with their kisses on the drive home as his heart continued to pound in a weird, unfamiliar rhythm. Why had it felt like that? She technically had no idea what she was doing. Like a blank canvas on which he could paint whatever he wanted. Was that it? That the canvas was all his? That he could draw anything he wished, without any previous interference? The idea was strangely enticing.

When he reached the house, he went in without caring about Freider or Ron or anyone else. For the first time after so long, he got into bed and slept.

He dreamed of his parents, dancing around the living room to one of those old, corny love songs, his mother's cheek pressed against his father's chest, their eyes closed, warm smiles on both their faces. And even if his parents were young in that dream, Davyn knew he was still his real age, watching them through a distorted lens. Even so, it wasn't a nightmare, but a bittersweet memory which he appreciated. It was like visiting his parents, seeing them again when they were at their happiest. When he woke up, there was a knot in his throat.

And yet, the warmth inside his chest which had ignited the previous night was still there. He wondered if it was real as he took a shower and headed down for breakfast. Ron and Freider were both in the kitchen, Ron gobbling up some cereal, Freider leaning against the counter and sipping his coffee.

"There you are," Freider said. "What happened to you last night?"

Davyn's stomach jumped to his throat. "What do you mean?" he asked, picking up a piece of toast and biting into it.

"I said hello when you came in and you totally ignored me." Freider narrowed his eyes. "You looked totally gobsmacked."

Did he? He just shrugged. "I was exhausted, really. I didn't even hear you. Really needed sleep."

Freider couldn't argue with that. He knew he'd had little sleep the night before what with making sure Ron didn't choke on his own tongue. What he didn't know was just how little Davyn had been sleeping in general ever since their father died. Why had that night been different?

"Are you taking me to school?" Ron asked, drawing their attention to him.

Davyn thought he sensed a bit of hope in his voice. "Yeah, sure. Be ready in ten minutes."

Ron quickly shoveled the last spoons of cereal in his mouth, looking like a red-headed chipmunk, then hopped off his seat and headed up the stairs.

"Did you say anything to him yesterday?" Davyn asked.

Freider scoffed. "Not really. Maybe what you said to him, but in other words, so that he'd understand the gravity of his actions. But I mostly left him alone."

Davyn wasn't sure whether to believe him or not, but decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. After all, Fredier had been behaving much better lately and he'd take it.

Ron was quiet on the way to school, but it wasn't a loaded silence, so Davyn let it slide. He'd much rather stay in his comfortable haze then get into potentially painful stuff. He deserved the break. When they reached school, he just sent Ron off with a general warning to be good, then made his way to his first class.

With the aid of proper sleep, his mind was much clearer so he actually did decently on the surprise quizz and could then pay attention to his classes. Though, every time he headed down the hallways to get ready for his next class, his eyes searched the crowd. He wasn't even sure if he was looking for Millie or for Nicholas Harkin. Though, to be fair, Millie was a lot more pleasant on the eyes.

By lunch time, his haze had started to fade and a slight pounding in his temples had him conceding that he couldn't make up for months of exhaustion in just one night. He couldn't even concentrate on what the other guys on the basketball team were saying, even if he shared his table with them. Whatever it was, it must've been funny because they were laughing a lot. It grated on his nerves a little.

"Hi."

The familiar voice startled him and he looked up and over his shoulder at Millie who had come close to his table, carrying her tray. There was a shy smile curving her lips. For a second, all he could focus on was their shape and the memory of them under his own.

"Hey," he finally said.

She lingered for a moment, but since his table was full, she must've realized that she couldn't join him because she moved past it and towards a table further back. Davyn followed her with his gaze, noting how she was wearing the overalls again and how well they hid her gorgeous ass. She took her seat three tables back, next to Max and two other girls. One of them was maybe one of her roommates, but Davyn had never paid attention to them properly.

"Whoa, Dav, what was that all about?" Will asked, looking from Millie to him.

"What?" he asked, sounding as bored as possible. Unfortunately, the entire table was staring at him.

"Why's the dorky, dirty girl saying hi to you?" Nick asked, leaning over and getting in his face. "Don't tell me you're scraping the bottom of the barrel."

Davyn tightened his fist under the table but kept his demeanor neutral. "Nope, not the case. But even if it was..." He glared at everyone at the table. "It's none of your business."

The guys scoffed, but pulled away from him. Even if they weren't really friends, just teammates, they knew him well enough to back off and they were decent enough. They still glanced back towards Millie as if trying to figure out what was so special about her. Davyn was wondering that himself, but he was sure people couldn't tell unless they got to know her.

"She's not ugly," Kevin mumbled, turning back to his tray of food.

"Yeah, if you look past her clothes," Will agreed with a sage nod.

Davyn had looked past her clothes, and even if he ignored the conversation, his mind couldn't help going back to last night. It sent a shiver down his spine.

"Huh, she's hanging out with Max Tanner," Will added, throwing another look over his shoulder.

"She's his sister," Davyn said automatically. "You guys know Max?"

"Yeah, he's in a few classes with me," Kevin said. "He's cool." He glanced back at Millie again. "So that's his twin..."

Davyn was no longer paying attention. It was maybe insane, but he didn't like these guys discussing Millie. Fortunately, the subject ran dry fairly quickly because no one knew anything more about her. They seemed to suddenly realize it was strange that he did, though.

"How'd you even know her again?" Will asked and Davyn was a second away from stomping on his foot.

"The music room is next to the gym. I met her there."

All eyes turned to him again. He wished they'd just go back to talking about basketball or football or something.

"In the music room?" Nick echoed as if the information was complicated and neededa rehash.

"Yeah. She plays piano. And paints," Davyn added as an afterthought. "Hence the overalls."

"Is she any good?" Will asked.

That was an odd question. It also struck Davyn that he'd never asked her about it, had never seen any of her paintings. He suddenly became very curious about it.

"I don't know," he said.

His gaze moved to the table Millie had sat at, but she'd already gotten up and was heading for the door. Just as she reached it, she threw another glance his way and gave him a small smile. He wasn't sure he got to smile back before she let herself out, but it felt nice to have this tiny bit of kindness in his life.

Fortunately, the guys really did returned to talking about their latest game strategy, so Davyn had the freedom to ponder on what that interaction meant. So they'd kissed. Big deal. Did that mean they had to now sit together for lunch? Was he supposed to do more than just say hi?

The thoughts continued to swirl around his head for the rest of the day, but the only conclusion he could draw was that it was annoying as fuck that he kept thinking about it. By the time the school day was over and he headed for the library for homework, he seriously considered going home. But that would mean altering his schedule because of her.

Come on, this doesn't have to get weird.

It never got weird before and he'd kissed and ditched an endless stream of girls. Of course, those girls knew not to expect anything. Millie on the other hand had given him her first kiss and was probably expecting him to ask her out or ask her to be his girlfriend or something. The idea made him scoff. As if.

In the silent library, he tapped his pencil on the side of his notebook, staring at the chemical reactions and not really seing them. He'd always enjoyed chemistry, but now, for once, it didn't draw him in. To be honest, he longed for a different kind of chemistry. When was the last time he'd spent so long without kissing someone? He'd never asked himself that before, but going through some form of withdrawal was the only suitable answer for how much he'd enjoyed kissing Millie.

That or his previous blank canvas theory. No one had imposed a style on her yet, so he could. Mold her to be perfect for him.

What the hell was he thinking?

He forced his mind away from anything carnal and focused on the reaction in front of him. Something about it suddenly made sense, so he began decomposing the elements, twisting them and turning them into something else. Something that answered the question presented to him by his teacher.

As he reached the correct answer, he continued to twist the pencil between his fingers. What if he went further, what if he could twist it into something else? That was one of the main things that fascinated him about chemistry. The endless possibilities, the danger and all the what ifs. He hadn't been in the lab for a while, but maybe he should visit it soon and try out some combinations. It shouldn't be too hard to gain after-school access. Ms. Park loved him after all.

The rest of his homework was a lot less thought provoking, and since he didn't have the patience to loiter, he gathered his stuff and headed back out into the hallways. If he went home now, it would be the earliest he'd ever been in over a month. On the other had, it was also way too early to head to the gym. There was still light outside.

So he ended up lingering on the hallways, dragging his feet in no particular direction. For a few minutes, he put his books away and waited, a part of him hoping that Nicholas Harkin would come around. It was too late for that though since the school was mostly empty. He next contemplated going for a drive since he hadn't done that in a while. But his feet led him further in, towards the music room. He stopped in front of it, the muffled notes of piano music making his heart beat faster.

After a few moments, he pushed the door open. Millie was indeed in front of the grand piano, her fingers moving deftly across the keyboard. She was still playing that mixture of classic rock and classical music, the toll of Hell's Bells entwined with a dreamy sequence reminiscent of Chopin.

It sounded good. The way she varied the intensity and the tempo had something mystifying to it. She suddenly stopped, and the silence felt so heavy. But she didn't turn around or get up, just picked up a pencil and began scribbling on the sheet music in front of her, writing on.

Even if he'd first scoffed at her, he had to admit he was impressed. She was creating art, regardless if he liked it or not. He'd never created anything like that.

She started playing again, picking it up from where she'd left off, her fingers a lot more unsure now as she explored different ways in which the melody could go. It was fascinating to watch. Finally, she picked up her pencil and started writing again.

"I think I liked the previous version better," he said.

Millie flinched and drew a line over her stave. But when she turned to him, there was a smile on her face.

"Hi. I didn't think you'd be here so early."

He just shrugged, so she turned back to her sheet music and began erasing the line she'd drawn by mistake. Her butt shifted to the right, as if making room for him on the seat. He closed the door behind him and strode over, sitting next to her and watching her drawing some tiny dots on the treble stave.

"You mean this version, right?" she asked, tapping her pencil to her chin.

"I'm not very good at reading those. I mean I know the notes, but I'm very bad at playing them inside my head."

She glanced at him, eyebrows raised. "You said you played guitar."

He shifted in his seat. It wasn't too often that he was faced with things he wasn't particularly good at. "Some, yes. But I mostly play by ear."

"Ah, a raw talent," she said with a grin.

"More like an amateur."

"Yes, totally an amateur."

He nudged his shoulder against hers and she nudged back, giggling. She didn't seem to care that they hadn't really interacted in the cafeteria earlier or that he was there when he shouldn't have been.

"That really did sound better," he offered.

"It's a work in progress," she said. "Just like me and you."

"Separately or together?" The words were out before he could filter them.

Millie's cheeks caught a rosy tinge that looked great on her, but she kept her smile. It anything, it turned more sly.

"It depends now."

She was flirting with him. The annoying, boring, artsy girl was flirting with him and doing a damn good job at it. He was intrigued.

"Depends on what?" His voice came out equally teasing. He enjoyed this game. Even if he never dated in the true sense of the word, he'd always enjoyed the flirting.

She scooted a little closer and looked up at him. Her light blue eyes shone like sapphires in the dying light of dusk. Her lips were rosy and looked so soft and inviting. It took only a few seconds for him to forget that he was expecting an answer from her and lean over instead.

Her lips were so familiar, as was the way she molded into him, throwing her arms around his neck. The intensity of it hadn't been his imagination, nor the way she moved and answered, the way she was still ademnat but let him take control. She tasted like cherries and smelled like sunshine and happiness.

His hands settled on her hips for a few moments before starting upwards, towards her shoulders, then her face. Those overalls would've killed the vibe if he wasn't just too damn aware of what was underneath them. His mind became a bit blurry as he let himself have this, the tiny slither of light in what had become a dark life.

She pulled back, her breathing uneven, her lips swollen and cheeks ablaze.

"Well, I wasn't expecting that," she said.

"Then what exactly were you expecting?"

"I don't know... More teasing."

"Flirting. The word you're looking for is flirting."

Her cheeks became scarlet, but it looked good on her. He wanted to undo her French braids again, run his fingers through her hair when he wasn't drunk.

"Also," he continued, more to distract himself, "if you start something, you'd better be prepared to finish it."

Her eyes widened. "What's that supposed to mean?"

The panic in her voice made him laugh. "Relax, darling, kissing is not going to turn into anything else. I meant that if you'll start teasing me, you'd better be prepared for the consequences."

The fear in her eyes was replaced by a determination he had to admit he liked. "Oh yeah?"

He just raised his eyebrows, inviting her to be a bit more loquacious than that. Instead, she moved closer and climbed in his lap. He had to twist on the seat and stradle it to make sure she didn't hit her butt against the keyboard. It was amazing how easily she wrapped around him, how he had no trouble lifting her and maneuvering her to bring her exactly where he wanted.

She didn't stop kissing him, and the show of trust, or lack of self-preservation or whatever it was turned him on even more. He wrapped his arms around her and deepened the kiss, enjoying how she seemed to surrender to him, how she wouldn't give up until she was out of breath. Even if she wasn't very good at flirting, what happened instead worked for him.

When she pulled away this time, she was practically panting, her gaze hazy. He just smirked at her, holding her against him, giving her the chance to get back in the game. She did. Without saying a word, once she'd caught her breath she came back into it and they kissed again.

It was so easy to get lost in it, to focus on this one tiny thing that brought him solace and forget about everything else. There was nowhere else he'd rather be and nothing else he'd rather do.

"Oh, darn it," Millie mumbled, pulling away from him and finally looking away.

It sounded wasteful, so he bit back a smile. "What is it?"

"I'm not being very productive, am I? I wanted to get more of the melody done today. I didn't expect you to drop by so early."

"Ah, I see, you'd rather work."

She glared at him as if that was totally beside the point, which he knew it was. "I need to work!"

"You need to chill."

"I don't think I've ever been more chill and it's scaring me a little."

"You're kinda cool when you're chill."

She huffed, but the smile proved she'd liked the compliment. "Look, you're quite a big distraction."

"Am I now?"

She nudged his shoulder with her fist. "You must know you're very good at this. And even if you weren't, I couldn't tell."

"You know, it's not about good or bad. It's about how everyone likes it."

Millie nibbled on her lower lip. "Huh, good point." She opened her mouth to say something else, but closed it, her face blazing.

Her returning reluctantly made him laugh. "Look, it's pretty obvious it works for you. And it's not a bad thing."

She still huffed and pushed herself off his lap. "I will neither confirm nor deny that. But I really need to work now. Maybe we could talk later, once you finish your practice?" There was both hope and a desperate plea in her voice that had him deciding not to push this further.

"Okay then. We'll talk later." And he got to her feet.

"Thank you." She sounded so polite it was hilarious, but he could tell she was a little rattled so he just waved goodbye and headed for the gym.

Once inside and alone, he looked from the sound system to the empty court and had to admit to himself that he was in no mood for running around and shooting hoops. This was new.

Don't change your habits because of her.

It was one thing to enjoy kissing her and an entirely different one to let her alter his life. So he forced himself to start a run around the court, then shoot some three pointers. He didn't start getting into it as he'd hoped, but he pushed forward, all the while thinking if there was any reason to continue doing this. He got enough training during his official sessions, and maybe it was time he returned to martial arts and found a suitable dodjo.

He was about to quit while he was ahead when he noticed that Millie was right inside the doorway, looking at him. His last free-throw went around the panel completely.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" he asked.

"Where's the music?"

Very good point. He'd completely overlooked that part of his normal training session because he didn’t need it to numb his mind. "Oh, I didn't feel like music today."

She took a tentative step forward. "Because of me?"

Well, yes, but not in the way she most likely imagined. But he decided to seem less of an ass than he was this one time, so he nodded.

She strode over, took his face in her hands and pulled him down to kiss him. He had to admit he liked this. It worked way better on getting his mind off things than shooting hoops.

Millie pulled back, letting him go completely, her breathing coming out in short bursts as if she were hyperventilating.

"I'm so sorry. Now I've ruined your training."

"That's alright," he said with a laugh.

"No, it's not. We can't keep meeting like this or we'll get nothing done."

That worked for him because he had nothing to get done, but maybe it was once again time not to be a selfish asshole and let her have this. But he wouldn't let her have it easily.

"What do you suggest, then?"

She pondered for a few moments as he wondered whether she'd have the guts to actually ask him out or even suggest a date.

"In the library after classes?" she said instead.

What a cowardly solution. He would've taken a raincheck if a part of him wasn't curious to see if he'd make her break every rule the library had.

"Okay," he said instead.

It was another challenge to get his mind off things.

♣️♣️♣️

Well, things have gotten quite interesting.  Davyn is forced to deal with the type of relationship he'd never had before. And for once, maybe Millie is handling it better than he is.

Hope you're having fun. Short note since I'm in the USA and need to scramble and visit stuff 😁

See ya next week!