Pleasurable Expectations

t w e n t y - s i x

I woke up the following day, a firm chest under my cheek, my legs tangled with Jeremiah's. I couldn't help but smile, joy coursing through me. I fixed my gaze on Jeremiah's face, his barely parted lips allowing tiny snores to slip past their barrier. I giggled to myself because I planned on telling him he snores, and I know he's gonna fight me. I placed a kiss on my boyfriend's chest, a trail toward his neck following; I was bored, and I wanted him to wake up.

It took until my lips reached his that he woke up, and when he did, he grumbled, "No morning breath."

A perplexed look plastered onto my face. "What?"

I was rolled off of Jeremiah as he got up off the bed. I grunted as I rotated, my eyes sticking to him as he grabbed his car keys. He mumbled something short of a 'be right back' before slipping into his slides and a sweatshirt and leaving.

I inched towards my phone on the nightstand, grunts of effort leaving me as I wiggled on my stomach. I reached for my phone, my tongue poking out as I strained. And I almost had it until Jeremiah reappeared.

"Ki, what are you doing?" Jeremiah detoured to the nightstand, delivered my phone to my hand, and continued to his final destination...Wherever that was.

"What are you doing?" I shuffled into a sitting position, my back now resting against the stack of flattened pillows. I crisscrossed my legs, the cotton of the sheets resisting against my sweats.

A stream of water and a spitting sound ensued before Jeremiah poked his head into my bedroom from the adjoined bathroom. His speech was garbled by the toothbrush hanging from his mouth. Brushing my teeth."

I grimaced as I watched toothpaste dribble down his chin. "Right after you wake up?" My eyes were fixed on the droplet settled just above the dip in his chin. "Okay, I need you to get the toothpaste situation under control," I blurted with a sigh.

Jeremiah disappeared back into the bathroom, the sound of running water drowning out his movements. "Sorry. Didn't know toothpaste ground your gears," he called from out of view.

"What have King and I told you about saying that?" My forehead fell into my palm with a chuckle. "But anyway, is this because of what you told me about your mom?" I asked as I recalled our conversation from yesterday. Knowing a reason behind one of his quirks felt comforting.

"Bingo." Jeremiah stepped back into my view, a beaming smile on his face. "You never noticed I've never had morning breath?" He joined me on the bed, him now delivering me a minty fresh kiss.

"Uhh," I trailed. We'd just recently started spending nights together, and not one of those times was I concerned about his breath. Still, that raised questions in my head, questions like why it was never a problem. And then it hit me. "Did you wake up before me just so you could brush your teeth?"

A goofy grin was the first response I got. When I smacked Jeremiah's knee, he graced me with a verbal one. "I'd set the alarm for five-thirty or something like that, brush my teeth, then go back to sleep." He shrugged with such nonchalance, yet his lips were still stretched wide, teeth barely peeking through the part.

"Oh my goodness," I choked out, my hand covering my mouth as I attempted to stifle a laugh.

"What?" His smile shrunk as his eyebrows started to pinch in confusion.

"Nothing, J." A chuckle slipped through. I grabbed his face between my hands before bringing his lips to mine in a tender kiss. "That's so strange, yet so charming at the same time." I kissed him once more before continuing, "So, I assume you partook in toothbrushing secrecy every time we've spent the night together?" My lips quivered as I attempted not to smile.