#I can't wait to get overly sappy with all of them hell yes

[indomitablemegnolia]

He pulled a quarter from his pocket; rolling it over his knuckles, smoothly, not even looking, "oh I got this," he pulled out a pink cupcake, "happy birthday, they don't have candles, so just make a wish and you can have it." he pushed the box my direction.

"Oh wow, I dunno the last time anyone really remembered my birthday, except my mum and dad."

"Now, that is a sad commentary, now make a wish, make it a good one." I closed my eyes, scrunching my entire face, opening them with a giggle.

He handed me the cupcake, I bowed my head accepting it. "Thank you." I stopped myself from tearing up. I fished my debit card out of my pocket, "As with all things, it is always better when shared." I sliced it in half offering him half.

"I Love the way your world works." He eyed my debit card, I licked the frosting off of one side. We shared another one of those soul deep looks; I wish I could stop staring at the way his lips parted as he took a bite of the cupcake, at the pink frosting clinging to his top lip; the delicious way his tongue sweeps out collecting the sweetness, the wet seductive sheen it leaves on his mouth before the pad of his thumb wipes it away. I pushed the back of my fingertip through the little girl pink frosting, bringing the finger to my mouth, the overly sweet strawberry flavor greeting my tongue; I could imagine the flavour of his tongue; I giggled.

"What was that thought? Curiosity goes wild with wonder at that giggle?"

I shrugged, and lied, "A stupid quote." I tippled my beautiful fantasy, keeping it close to my heart; it made it to my brain quickly, more potent than any alcohol. I have to admit that I am addicted to the way he watches my every move.

"Oh yeah," he leaned in close, "what quote?"

"Just Tennyson, 'I am only merry for an hour or two; upon a birthday: if this life of ours, be a good glad thing, why should we make us merry, because a year of it is gone?" I took a liberating breath, "but Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering ‘It will be happier;’ and old faces; Press round us, and warm hands close with warm hands, and thro’ the blood the wine leaps to the brain' kind of the way I hope things work, but they never do." I took a drink of my coffee.

"I do wish I could have found some wine for our first date."

I chuckled derisively, "First date..." god his size especially those shoulders beginning to dwarf me.

"Yes, first date," he sounded wistful, "a fantastic quote, but I doubt that was the cause of that giggle, but happy birthday."

I laughed keeping that delicious thought to my self "And a very merry unbirthday to you." I look a bite from my cupcake; his thumb, the same one from his lips, swiping that pink heaven from my lip; my tongue darted out to greet the touch; I heard him suck air between his teeth. I flinched rolling my eyes away from that suddenly heated gaze, that big bad wolf grin.

I made a frustrated noise, "Sorry." I fumbled out awkwardly, I busied my hands fidgeting with my cupcake, pinching a piece off nibbling.

"Oh, I hope you are not;" he leaned even closer, "curiosity looks beautiful on you; strong, decisively moving toward what you want." His voice somehow deeper, closer more intimate; "I have a curiosity of my own; that birthday wish..." he stroked his fantastic lips with those two delicious fingers, "what was it?" He pushed the remainder of his half past those delicious lips.

"Oh no;" I swiped a little frosting, absently shaking my head; he nodded, "nope," I shook my head furiously, "nope, can't tell if you tell it won't come true."

"Ah, honey, but how many times have you wished and held to that rule?" I chewed my lip, "By that look, I would guess all of your life;" I nodded dreading that truth; "I am no one, not even a name, maybe in keeping with your new M.O. you should buck that old trend, I might help it come true."

Without waiting a beat, I levelled a judging gaze on him, "A million dollars." I crossed my arms waiting, "so, where is that brass lamp there genie?"

"Woah, hell of a cop out, fine, keep your wish, I wanted to hear more of your world unfold."

I sat back, disappointed with myself, I chewed the tip of my index finger, frosting flavour lingering. "I am sorry, that was rude; I dunno what got into me, cynicism must be getting to me, it's just habit I guess." I sighed, "it's a stupid wish, but on every star, every birthday candle, every water destined coin, I wish the same sappy stupid wish; I wish for happiness."

He chuckled, not mocking, "Well honey, the universe might just find that a bit vague," he ran his hands through his hair, "a little ambiguous; it might need just a bit more detail."

I laughed, licking cake from my fingers "You think you know the universe better than me, huh?"

He leaned in, "Maybe," his hand rubbing on the thigh of his jeans, "I'm just saying, if you were a wish-granting spirit, details as to what your happiness is might be prudent;" he touched my hand; "let's just assume that they have been granting them this whole time using Mangalas definition of happiness."

I snerked lightly, "Huh, you seem to understand my luck." I sighed and acquiesced, "okay, fine, happiness would be softness, accept..." I trailed off; shaking my head, dropping my hands to my lap resigned.

He let out a small frustrated noise, "No, what happened there?" He reached out carefully to caress my cheek, "you were just starting, but then... you stopped as if you talked yourself out of happiness."

"Yeah, I suppose I actually might have." I chuckled sadly, "it is hard, it might sound fake, disenchanted, even a little too pat; just that it is like defining delicious."

"Now, it's peculiar that of all the words you choose that particular morsel, one that has been not been far from my mind most of this conversation.  Delicious, delicate, from Latin delicia, plural deliciae," I shivered, staring at him, that big bad wolf grin swallowing his face, "I always bump up against," his wide shoulders bumped mine perfectly on queue as he leaned in taking my hand in a soft caress; "a word with a cooperative meaning; a flavoured heaven that is sweetly delicate and pleasing to the senses. A delight, an allurement, to charm, to allure, to entice." He pressed a kiss to my palm; "if you ask me that definition applies to you;" it was no longer a shiver as if my entire body was vibrating. "If you ask me that was rather easy to define. Now, let's try happiness." His playlist continued the supple electro sounds of Moby, Natural Blues. I subconsciously giggled.

He continued caressing my hand, his fingers tracing along my very awake skin. "What brings you, you personally, to the state of being happy?"  His eyes bore straight into my soul. "You seem to be one of those even friends would say, 'she struggled to find happiness in her life', rather unfairly; the truth is you know life is harsh, and you find and treasure the little shining moments that bring," kissing my palm again, "contentment," the base of my thumb "pleasure," punctuating each word with a kiss "joy," the inside of my wrist "cheerfulness," he continued up my arm "merriment, gaiety, joy, joviality, glee, blitheness, carefreeness, gladness, delight" his voice reverberated along my shoulder, his breath thrilling my skin, "fulfilment" he kissed the spot on my neck that left me boneless, "satisfaction."

I gasped, my body shivered my neck involuntarily opening for his lips, finally, words began to spill from my throat; my voice raspy, foreign, "I am tired of being forgotten, invisible, unknown, unaccepted. I want just a connection, a single human who can see me; a friend, a lover, hell a stranger, who sees me; who will remember me; I know this sounds pathetic, but that is my most honest answer." I gobbled the last of the cupcake.

"Oh I like that answer, it is not pathetic; those are human needs. I was kind of hoping for some guilty pleasure.  I wanted a further look into your world, but I find you, even more, match the definition of delicious, an alluring strength, with a fragility; sturdy, but delicate," His face just so earnest, "whipped cream on strong espresso," he framed my face with his hands. "You have been seen, I see you, I am.." he hesitation, "drawn to you;" he kissed my cheek, "and this night will be remembered, you will be remembered; if kept ever safe from the world in my mind." I sat stunned staring at him; it was as an ancient Greek god had stepped from the clouds.