February 14th, 2018

The kitchen was transformed. The usual clutter of takeout menus and my mom's work mail had been cleared from the table, tucked into the drawer. Two of our nicer plates, ones with a thin blue ring around the edge that I think came from a wedding gift my parents never actually returned, sat waiting. In the centre of the table, a small candle I’d found in a junk drawer flickered. The smell of lemon pledge fought a losing battle with the aroma of the garlic bread warming in the oven.

I tugged at the collar of the black dress shirt. It felt stiff. The fabric was a little too crisp against my skin, and the top button felt like it was trying to choke me.

My phone buzzed on the counter. I glanced down. A text from Mom.

'Everything okay? Did she get there yet?'

I typed back a quick reply. 'Not yet. All good here.'

Her reply was almost instantaneous. 'Don't burn the house down.'

A smile touched my lips. I put the phone down. Mom had taken a double shift at the diner, saying, "It's Valentine's Day. The lonely tip like crazy if you flirt with them a little." She then slipped a fifty in my hands, "Make Makaylah feel special."

The timer on the microwave beeped. Perfect.

I slid on the oven mitts and pulled the sheet of garlic bread out. The scent of toasted garlic and melted butter hit me like crack. I set it on top of the stove to cool.

Just as I was stirring the sauce, I heard the faint crunch of tires on the snow outside, followed by the soft thud of a car door closing. I wiped my hands on a dish towel and smoothed down my shirt one last time.

A soft knock echoed through the small apartment.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm the fluttering in my chest. I walked to the door and pulled it open.

Makaylah stood there, a hesitant smile on her face. She was wearing leather trousers and a tube top, not her normal jeans and hoodies, which I was used to. Her hair was down, falling in soft waves over her shoulders, and she had a faint bit of makeup on, another thing I wasn't used to seeing.

She looked breathtaking.

"Wow," I said, the word slipping out before I could stop it.

A deep blush crept up her neck, colouring her cheeks. "You don't look so bad yourself," she said, her voice a little higher than usual. "All... dressed up."

I stepped aside to let her in. "Come on in."

She stepped inside, her boots making a soft clomping sound on the mat. I closed the door behind her, shutting out the cold.

"So," she said, her eyes scanning the room. "This is... really nice, Raj."

"I try," I said.

She turned to face me. "Happy Valentine's Day."

"Happy Valentine's Day," I said, closing the small distance between us. I wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her against me. I leaned in, my lips finding hers.

Her lips were soft, tasting faintly of her mint chapstick.

"Okay," she said, her voice a little breathless. "Now I'm hungry."

"Right," I said, pulling away. "Dinner. Right."

I led her to the small table. "Sit," I said, pulling out her chair.

"A gentleman," she teased, sitting down. "I'm impressed."

"I'm full of surprises," I said, walking to the kitchen.

I dished out the spaghetti. I brought the two plates to the table, setting one down in front of her. I then grabbed the sheet of garlic bread and set it in the middle of the table.

"Ta-da," I said, a little flourish in my hands.

"It looks amazing," she said, picking up her fork. "Seriously."

"Dig in," I said, sitting down across from her.

We ate in a comfortable silence for a few minutes. The only sounds were the clinking of our forks against the plates.

"This is really good," she said. "Like, surprisingly good."

"Surprisingly?" I said back in a mock-offended tone.

"This is the first time you've cooked for me in the two years we've been dating," she said.

"First of many," I promised, as I took a bite of my own spaghetti.

She smiled.

After dinner, we were curled up on the couch, a random movie playing on the TV that neither of us was watching. Her head was on my shoulder, her arm draped across my stomach. My hand was resting on her hip.

"This is nice," she said, her voice a low murmur.

"Yeah," I said.

She tilted her head up to look at me. Her eyes were soft in the dim light. "You know," she said, her voice dropping to a whisper. "I was... really looking forward to tonight."

My heart started to beat a little faster. "Me too," I said, my own voice dropping to match hers.

She leaned in, her lips brushing against mine. "I think we should..."

"Okay," I said, my throat suddenly dry.

She stood up and held her hand out to me. I took it, and she pulled me up.

I led her to my room. My bed was unmade, a rumpled mess of blankets and pillows. My laundry was in a pile in the corner.

"Sorry for the mess," I said.

She laughed. "I've seen your room before, Raj."

She walked over to my bed and sat down on the edge. She patted the spot next to her.

I walked over and sat down.

She turned to face me. She reached out and cupped my face in her hands. Her thumbs stroked my cheekbones. "I love you," she whispered.

"I love you too," I whispered back.

She leaned in, her lips finding mine. Her tongue slipped into my mouth, tangling with mine.

My hands came up to rest on her waist, my fingers digging into the soft leather of her trousers. I pulled her closer, deepening the kiss.

She broke the kiss, her forehead resting against mine. Both of us were breathing heavily.

"Okay," she said, her voice a little shaky. "Prom. That was the deal."

"Yeah," I said, my own voice a little shaky. "But..."

"But?" she asked, her eyes searching mine.

"But," I said, my hands sliding up her back, "we can still... you know. Have fun."

"What do you mean?" she asked, her eyes searching mine.

"I mean," I started, my voice lower than I intended, "that I've been... thinking. A lot. About prom. And us."

Her expression softened. "You have?"

"Yeah," I said, one of my hands moving from her back to trace the line of her jaw. "And I want it to be... perfect. For you. But I'm not exactly... a pro."

She let out a soft laugh, her nose scrunching. "You're an idiot."

"I'm serious," I said, my thumb stroking her cheek. "So I might have... done some research. Watched a few... tutorials."

Her eyebrows shot up. "Tutorials?"

"Don't make it weird," I said. "I'm just trying to be prepared. I want to make you feel good, Macca. Really good."

She was quiet for a moment, her eyes locked on mine.

"What kind of tutorials?" she finally asked, her voice barely a whisper.

My thumb moved from her cheek to her lower lip, tracing its soft, full curve. "The kind that involve... me. And you. And a lot less clothing."

Her eyes flickered down to my lips, then back up.

"I want to eat you out."

A deep, vibrant blush spread across her cheeks. Her mouth opened, but no sound came out. She just stared at me.

I gave her a small, reassuring smile. "We don't have to do anything you don't want to. We can just keep making out. But... I want to. I really want to."

She closed her eyes, took a shaky breath, and then opened them again. A slow nod.

"Okay," she breathed out. "Okay."

I leaned in, capturing her lips in a kiss. My tongue teased her lower lip, and she opened up to me, a soft sigh escaping her.

My hands moved from her waist to the hem of her tube top. My fingers brushed against the warm skin of her stomach as I inched the fabric up.

She lifted her arms, allowing me to pull the top over her head. I tossed it aside, my eyes immediately drawn to her chest. Her breasts, full and firm, were right there, her nipples already pebbling in the cool air.

My gaze lingered for a moment before I looked back at her face. Her cheeks were still flushed, her lips were slightly parted, and her eyes were dark with desire.

"You are so beautiful," I whispered, my hands moving to cup her breasts. They were soft and heavy in my hands, a perfect fit. I brushed my thumbs over her nipples, and she gasped, pushing herself further into my touch.

I leaned down, my lips finding the sensitive skin of her neck. I placed a soft, open-mouthed kiss there, my tongue darting out to taste her. She tasted sweet.

My hands continued to explore her breasts, my thumbs and forefingers gently rolling her nipples between them. "Raj," she breathed out.

I kissed my way down her chest, my lips trailing over her collarbones, down the valley between her breasts. I took one of her nipples into my mouth, my tongue swirling around the sensitive peak.

A high-pitched moan escaped her lips, the sound so perfect it sent a jolt straight to my groin. I lavished her breast with attention, my tongue and lips working in tandem, my other hand continuing to tease its twin.

Her hips were rocking against me now.

I released her nipple with a soft pop and looked up at her. She was lost in the sensation.

"Okay?" I asked.

She opened her eyes, and they were hazy, unfocused. "Yeah," she breathed out.

I kissed my way down her stomach, my lips tracing the lines of her toned abs. My hands moved to the button of her leather trousers. I fumbled with it for a second, my fingers clumsy.

She lifted her hips, allowing me to pull the trousers down over her legs. I tossed them aside, my eyes drinking in the sight of her. She was wearing a simple black lace thong.

I hooked my fingers into the waistband of her panties. I looked up at her, a silent question in my eyes.

She nodded, her gaze locked on mine.

I slowly pulled the thong down, revealing her to me. She was smooth and pink, glistening with her arousal.

I settled myself between her legs, my hands gently spreading her thighs. I could feel the heat radiating from her.

I leaned in, my breath ghosting over her.

She shivered.

I placed a kiss on her inner thigh, slowly and deliberately, making my way towards the main goal. I was told to build the anticipation, so that was what I was doing.

Finally, I was there. I looked up at her one last time. Her eyes were wide, her chest heaving. She was watching me.

I leaned in and ran my tongue along her slit.

She cried out, her hips bucking off the bed. Her hands flew to my head, her fingers tangling in my hair.

I smiled against her. I was doing something right.

I explored her with my tongue, my movements slow and exploratory at first. I wanted to learn her, to map every inch of her. I wanted to know what made her gasp, what made her moan, what made her cry out my name.

I circled something that was a bit round at the top of her, my movements light and teasing.

Her breathing was ragged now, her hips rocking against my face. Her moans were getting louder, more desperate.

"Raj," she gasped. "Please..."

I took it into my mouth, remembering something about a clit, my tongue swirling around the sensitive peak as I gently sucked.

She cried out, her whole body tensing. Her thighs tightened around my head.

I kept going, my tongue and lips working in tandem, my hands holding her hips steady.

I could feel her tighten, a small vibration building inside of her. Her movements were becoming more frantic, her moans more desperate. Her thighs began to tremble.

"I'm... I'm..."

I doubled down, my tongue flicking against her clit, my sucking becoming a little more insistent.

She moaned with a loud cry, her body arching off the bed, her thighs tightening around my head. I held on, my tongue continuing to work its magic until her body went limp.

She collapsed back against the bed, her chest heaving, her skin flushed and glistening with sweat. I gently kissed her inner thigh, then another on her other thigh. I kissed my way back up her body, my lips tracing a path over her stomach, her chest, her neck.

I captured her lips in a kiss, letting her taste herself on my tongue.

She wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling me down on top of her. Her legs wrapped around my waist, holding me close.

We stayed like that for a long time, our bodies pressed together, our breathing slowly returning to normal.

"Wow," she finally said.

I smiled against her neck.