For Your Eyes Only

30

Nate's three friends show up five minutes to six o'clock which I am grateful for because everything is a total mess. For someone who is always on top of things when it comes to organization, I am an even bigger mess than my house.

The beer is set out on my parent's long dining room table for hands to grab, thanks to Justin, Danny's cousin. He is the only one I know who would pull through at such short notice.

"Where are your parents?" Molly asks while hanging up a birthday banner by the staircase.

"My father has a Dartmouth reunion for his fraternity that he attends every ten years. My mother likes to tag along. I guess I just got lucky that it happens to be on the same day as Nate's birthday."

"It's funny how things work out, isn't it." She ties the farthest string around the ceiling beam and then steps down off the chair.

"Yeah," I reply, moving the beer cans in a straighter line to distract myself. "Is it."

My phone dings in my back pocket and it's Nate, telling me he is ready when I am. I about jump out of my skin.

"I'm going to go get him!" I shout, my voice bouncing off the walls. Gavin and Trent are somewhere in the livingroom messing with the flat screen tv. "Don't mess this up, guys. Go hide."

"Hiding is our forte, princess," Trent says over his shoulder as he continues to press buttons on the remote. I have come to ignore the little nickname Nate's friends have pinned to me.

I roll my eyes and escape out the door to fetch the birthday boy who is waiting at the door when I stroll through it. And my mouth drops open when I lay eyes on him.

He looks amazing.

His growing hair is styled in perfect, gelled waves around his face, highlighting the speaks of gold in his eyes behind his black framed glasses. I haven't seen these glasses in a while, getting used to either seeing him in sunnies or nothing at all.

Over his new Captain America t-shirt that I got him as a present, considering the blood didn't come out of his old one, he is wearings a dark green and grey checkered dress shirt that hugs his broad shoulders and chest in a way that makes my mouth water. Dark denim jeans hang from his slender hips.

"You look... " Words seem to fail me and this is a first.

Nate shifts on his feet and shoves his hands in to his front pockets. "I just thought maybe I should wear something nicer than usual. Maybe I should change." He begins to start back up the stairs but I rush around him by stepping up a few steps to stop him.

"Not a chance," I finish once my brain starts to work again. "You look amazing, Nate." My hands roam over his clothed chest while my eyes roam over the rest of him.

"Thank you," he replies bashfully. His fingers tickle the back of my thighs as he wraps his long arms around me. His brows skyrocket. "Jeans?"

I can't think while his hand skim the rough fabric over my backside.

"Mhm," I mutter, his touch shutting down the switch to all common sense. I clear my throat and wrap my arms around his neck. "It's nice to switch things up sometimes."

"I don't remember a time you weren't in one of those skirts of yours." His hands boldly slip into my back pockets. "This is convenient."

I swallow roughly and my breathing grows heavy. This boy has the strangest effects on me even by the most simplest of touches. "I think I should wear these more often."

Nate hums low in his chest but before he can connect his lips to mine, my common sense kicks back in. If we are even the slightest off schedule, the surprise will be ruined. As extremely tempting his behavior is at the moment, his friends put a lot of hard work into keeping this secret from him and I didn't want to make them wait much longer.