NATASHA

Ian came back really late. It was Christmas morning already.
"Ian!" I said, running up to him for a hug.
"Nat" he said, smiling and hugging me back.
Dane snorted, as he drank his coffee. Obviously his coffee was black too.
"Dane." Ian said while slightly tripping over a suitcase that he brought.
"Merry Christmas bitch. You're not getting rid of me. I'm staying right here." Dane said, patting the sofa he was sitting on. Ian rolled his eyes, and looked over to me, smirking.
"That is the worst Christmas gift I have ever gotten." Ian says to me, "stay right here. I have something for you."
Ian runs out to his car and opens it up, bringing inside a small bag.
"Here. Take it out the bag"
I took a small box out of the bag, and opened it. I slapped my hand onto my mouth.
"It's a promise ring." Ian said, while holding up one of his fingers. "May I"
"Yes!" I said, as Ian took the ring out of the box and slid it onto my finger. Dane stared as Ian pulled me in to peck my lips. While Ian's lips were clung onto mine, Dane giggled, and Ian flicked his third finger up at him.

﹋﹋﹋﹋﹋﹋

Dane settled in quickly. Mostly because he was locked inside the guest room majority of the time. I gave Ian a present too. He had always wanted this one jacket, and obviously that gave me the opportunity to buy it for him. He absolutely loved it. And I loved this ring. It fit perfectly, and it was the perfect shade of purple. Ian knew I loved purple. But something was weird. The smell of burning was coming from downstairs at six am in the morning. Was the house burning down?
I opened my door, and hopped down the stairs only to find Dane unsuccessfully creating an amalgamation of pancakes. He's so much like Ian except. . . He can't make pancakes for shit.

"Oh my god." I sighed in relief, "I thought the house was burning down"
"No it's just my professional chef talents coming in handy. Want one?" He said, as I stared in disbelief of the burnt, almost black pancakes.
"Uh- that's okay. I'll just eat an apple." I said, grabbing a ripened apple from the fruit bowl.
"As you wish. Just know that you're missing out on the best pancakes you've ever tried."
Dane dug into the amalgamation he made, and stuffed it in his mouth. He spit it out right after. "It's good, trust me." Not only were his clothes black, but his soul is black too because of the burnt ashes from the pancakes being disintegrated into his stomach.
"Is your whole closet black?"
"Nope. I've got some coloured shirts."
"Were they gifted to you?"
"They were gifted to me."
Ian walked down the stairs wearing nothing but a pair of boxers.
"Put on some clothes, for fucks sake." Dane shook his head.
"What if I say no. I mean, you're living in my house. Rent free." Ian replies
"Whatever. No one wants to see your 2 inch bo-"
"Stop right there Dane."
Dane rolled his eyes and tried covering up his laugh. Dane waited a few moments before Ian was many paces away. "You know, the shirt I was wearing yesterday is covered in red glitter." He said to me.
"Sorry. The glitter is super transferable."
"Now my closet can get a touch of red in it. Spicy"
"Right." I replied.

﹋﹋﹋﹋﹋﹋

After lunch, (that Dane thankfully didn't make) Ian headed out for a meeting, or something like that. On Christmas?
"See! This is what I was saying, he's going away again."
"I see." Dane said.
"I guess I'm sitting here on the couch all alone again."
Dane rolled his eyes. "I'm nobody to you?"
"I didn't mean it like that- it's just-"
"I understand. You just want Ian. I know."
"Yeah." I said, while twisting the promise ring around my finger.
"He got you your favourite colour." Dane said, admiring the ring.
"Yeah."

The doorbell rang. I stood up from the couch to open up the door, so hopeful that it was Ian. I just wanted to smell his sweet scent again. Instead I was met with nothing but a large cardboard box on the ground wrapped up in tape. I was staring down at it in disbelief.
"Is that my package?" Dane said, his voice echoed from far away.
"I guess so."
Dane's footsteps tapped along the timber ground, and soon his breathing crept closer to my ear, and he moved me out of the way with his hands gripping onto my waist in the most gentle way possible. His touch set something on fire inside of me but it felt wrong. So, so wrong. I stood there in shock as Dane picked the box up from the ground and walked away with it, like nothing happened.

Dane sat on the sofa again, leaning back into the cushions with his humongous package sat on his lap, while I sat on edge, anticipating wanting to talk to him about what happened.
"Don't do that again." I said, as I fiddled with my fingers.
"Don't do what again?" Dane chuckled, as he held an exacto knife in his hand.
"You know what I'm talking about."
"Oh. I- did I make you uncomfortable? I'm sorry I won't do that again-"
"No I uh- I kind of. . . Liked it."
"Oh?-"
"So don't do that again okay?" I interrupted, trying to avoid looking into his eyes.
The side of his lips perked into a small smile, and he cut through the tape with the exacto knife precisely. Inside the box, was a grey plastic bag. I was very curious to know what it was.
When he pulled out the mass from the bag, I laughed a little because someone like Dane, wouldn't own a teddy bear.
I cleared my throat out and still avoided looking him in the eyes. "So who got you that?"
"Myself. I ordered it online since I knew I wasn't getting any presents." He chuckled, "it's cute isn't it."
"I guess it's cute?"
It was a Djungelskog bear from IKEA. Dane looked happy with it.
"I'm gonna go put this on my bed. It'll compliment the room very nicely." He winks.
Behind the door, the sound of keys jingled and soon the heavy door was wide open. Ian is back!
"How was your meeting"
"It was boring. I'm gonna make some coffee."
"Okay." I nodded my head. I filled a glass up with water and walked over to the seats under the kitchen counter. I heard Dane walk down the stairs.
"Hi Dane" Ian said, while Dane's smile faded.
"Anyway." Dane said, darting his eyes around looking for something, "I'm gonna go for a ride so- where is my water bottle?"
"Seriously Dane? It's right there." Ian points out, "now go fuck off."
"Happily." He said, sassily carrying the bottle and walking out the front door.

Ian walked over to where I was sitting and his breaths came close to my ears from behind. Too eerily similar to what Dane did. It sent shivers down my spine. Ian's lips connected with my neck, and he trailed his warm hands down my body from behind, and he kissed the side of my cheek softly.
The door squeaked open, "sorry I forgot my-" Dane said, stopping in his tracks, ". . .keys."

﹋﹋﹋﹋﹋﹋

Okay you've got this Natasha. Ask him why he's been acting so differently lately. No no. I'm overthinking this. But a meeting on Christmas Day is so weird? Why did he smell like a woman when he kissed me.
"Ian what's going on. You've been acting really weird." I said.
"I've been acting weird?"
"You smelt like a woman last night. A familiar one."
"Okay. You got me. I was testing out perfumes to buy for you."
"The stores are all closed, Ian. Stop lying to me."
"That my mother has; In my mother's home."
Immediately I felt stupid. And foolish. That I had just probably ruined my own surprise for me. For fucks sake Natasha. What were you thinking? He is your sweet boyfriend who was testing out perfumes he could buy for you. Such an idiot.
"I'm so sorry."
Ian stroked my hair, and put it behind one of my ears. "Well did you like the smell?"
"I did, actually."
"I'll buy it for you." He grinned sweetly.
"I love you Ian."
"I love you too Nat."
Dane's voice circulated from upstairs. "Ian, please get rid of that baby voice. Also can you please get me some orange juice?"
"No Dane. You're not a child, you can get it yourself."
"I am a guest here."
"Get the orange juice yourself please." Ian facepalmed.
"Fine."
Dane walked over to the fridge, and his tall figure brushed against me, the smell of leather filling my lungs, while he pushed past to get across to the fridge. He poured himself a glass of orange juice, and then walked over to the couch again. Does he ever get off that damn couch?
"What's on Ian's schedule today?" Dane said, laughing as he sipped on the juice.
"Surprisingly nothing. I'm staying here."
I squealed inside. A whole day with my boyfriend.
"That's great!"
"Hey Nat. Do you mind getting my phone from upstairs? It's on charge."
"Sure." I said, as I made my way up the stairs.
I found the phone lying on the bedside table, and unplugged it from the charger, trotting down the stairs again. "There."
"Thanks" Ian said, "Dane, make sure this house doesn't blow up, Natasha, come with me."
Ian grabbed my hand, and he brought me inside his car.
"I'm going to buy you the perfume you like." He smiled.
"Really?" I squealed, "thank you so much Ian."
He put his hand on my thigh, "Anything for you."

﹋﹋﹋﹋﹋﹋

"It's this one." He said, while grabbing the perfume off the stand.
"Ian, this is literally almost two hundred dollars, are you sure?"
"I am so so sure. Plus it's, one eighty five" Ian said, "I just want to see that beautiful smile of yours."
He made me smile even harder, that I could even grow new wrinkles. "Thank you Ian. I don't deserve you."