-- A LITTLE UNEXPECTED [Autumn]

[DEVIN JAMES THATCHER]

Life had definitely been hectic the past few months. Devin had confessed his feelings for Autumn, who he had not seen in quite a while since that point due to issues at home and dealing with school. His step-mother had driven him to the point of insanity, and so found himself a job at the club. It was the job he had been dying to get since a while back, and finally after he turned eighteen Devin could take the opportunity. The manager was more than happy to take him on, and he became the club DJ on the weekends. The pay was not amazing, but for his age it was enough to get by. He saved every paycheck he could, dealing with his home life in stride knowing full well that it would not be long before he could finally live on his own. Once Devin obtained enough money to cover a few months of rent and deal with the other expenses, he turned heel out of his father's house and never looked back. They gladly tossed his stuff out into the yard in attempts to get him upset, but that only made things easier on the blonde. The world was looking a lot brighter, and with a smile Devin woke up rather late on Saturday morning feeling better than he had in a long time.

"Well, at least I don't work tonight," He said rather cheerfully as he rolled out of bed and wandered into the living room in nothing but his red and black mesh shorts, flipping on the TV. Since he lived alone, Devin enjoyed having the TV on when he was at home to keep the house from being so quiet. Was it lonely? Yeah, slightly, but it was not entirely bad. He did have his friends at the very least, and they made him very happy. Then, he frowned slightly; Devin had not talked to Autumn in a long while. He had planned on asking her to be his girlfriend about two months before, but never got the chance or the right opportunity to do so. It had only been about a week since he had moved into his new house, so the boy was busy moving his stuff in and getting settled, but he hoped that she would be able to come over and spend some time with him at some point. Maybe then he could ask her what he wanted to. "After all we've been through, I hope she says yes." It made him nervous as hell to think Autumn would turn him down, but something inside said that she wouldn't do such a thing. After sleeping with Harley and turning her down, she was still there by his side and consoling him as he cried. If that did not prove how amazingly loyal she was, then what would?

After taking a long stretch, Devin ran a hand through his hair and went to the kitchen to make himself some cereal. It was a simple breakfast, but he was a simple guy. He enjoyed the small things in life and did not need anything ritzy to feel comfortable. A bowl of cereal on a raggedy couch from the thrift store while watching his tiny flat screen TV made him more than happy. Anything was better than living with his dad and step-mother. The last words he shared with that woman, however, was not something he could quite forget. "You're going to live alone, grow old alone, and die alone. You're weak and stupid. No one will want someone like you." It made his stomach wrench in pain, but it was temporary as he thought about Josh, and Nell, and...Autumn. His heart skipped a beat as he thought about the beautiful blonde girl that so quickly captured his heart. He considered texting her and asking her to come and visit his new home, so he quickly whipped out his cell and texted her. "Hey beautiful, finally got settled into a new house. You should come and visit me today if you aren't busy..."

Devin hoped that she would come and see him today; he was eager to talk about them as a couple, and maybe have a late lunch if she was interested. He wasn't too bad of a cook and considered making something for them instead of going out. If I'm going to be off of work, might as well just spend the day inside.

[renn]

The week had been hectic, so indeed Autumn was happy that it was Saturday morning. She didn’t really have anything planned, but yet she found herself waking up at the crack of dawn, and taking a shower. A soft sigh escaped her as she stepped out and dried her dirty blonde hair. On her mind was of course, Devin. She hadn’t seen him since their accidental meeting on the school grounds, and she actually missed him. He had finally told her how he felt, yet they hadn’t really said much on the matter. He hadn’t asked her out yet, and well they really hadn’t had the time to be honest due to school and well he had his life at home. So of course she was pondering about their relationship. They both liked each other, so why weren’t they together yet?


But the young earth element didn’t rush it. She knew Devin was sort of the old fashion type, so she figured when it was the right time that it would happen. And if it didn’t, well, she would take the liberty and ask him out herself. That did bother her a tiny bit, but if it had to be done, she would do it. As she thought these things over in her mind, she was pulling clothes out of her closet; a light denim pair of skinny jeans, a gray and white striped short sleeved shirt, a white jacket with a purple eagle over her heart, and her black and white converses. Slowly the girl dressed, her mind else where as always but soon she was pulling herself out of her thoughts. She couldn’t be thinking about Devin and hers situation all the time.


She shook her head slightly before she bent over, taking her hair up in a high pony tail, leaving her bangs over her left eye. Slowly she strolled back into her bathroom, adjusting her shirt and jacket so it looked accepting before she cleared her throat and spread a coat of black onto her eye. She backed up, looked herself over one more time before she turned around and grabbed her white and black zebra print purse. And she was about to walk out of her room before she forgot her necklace and her phone. A sigh escaped her again as she turned and took her silver necklace with a silver ring attached to it and slid it over her neck before grabbing her phone off the bed side table.


Quickly the young girl left her dorm room, thinking everything was alright until she reached the entrance of the dorms. She swallowed, hearing her phone ringing. She fished it out of her purse and looked down at the shining screen. Dylan was written on it in black. She locked her jaw and sent it to voicemail. Over the last few days Dylan had been calling her nonstop, and it had just started to set in that he was stalking her. He had managed to follow her around campus, watch her everywhere she went, and he kept texting her and calling her. She pushed the door open, and walked out, looking around to see if Dylan was anywhere in sight. And he wasn’t. Thank God. Her head shook as she walked down the side walk, and than her phone chimed.


A frown was on her face as she fished it back out of her purse and once again sent Dylan to her voicemail. Her head shook as she placed it in her pocket so she didn’t have to stop and dig for it again. And she had just reached the garden when her phone rang once again. But it wasn’t Dylan. It was a girl who lived across the hall from her. She just answered when the girl explained that her dorm had just been broken into. But she had just left. Slowly she turned around to see Dylan running out of the dorm building. That’s when panic set in. Quickly the young girl ran back to her dorm to find her clothes everywhere, her bed unmade, her bathroom destroyed. She sat down on the bed pulling a picture frame off the floor of her grandmother. The glass was cracked.


She shook her head again, and sniffled as she wiped her eyes and stood back up. That’s when her phone chimed and she found that it was a text from Devin. She smiled slightly as tears started to travel down her face and she took one look around the room. This would take a long time to clean up but she wasn’t coming back until the school caught Dylan. So she quickly stuffed a pair of shorts, a purple v-neck, and undergarments into her purse. Since Devin had his own house now, she figured he would let her stay for a couple of days, at least she hoped. She stood up, wiped her cheeks and closed her dorm door before she exited the dorm building and making her way towards Devin’s new house in the down town area.


- - - - - - -


Soon the young girl reached Devin’s door only twenty minutes later. She looked down at her shoes for a moment before wiping her cheeks that were still red from crying on the way over. Why did Dylan have to ruin everything? She swallowed and knocked on Devin’s door. Of course he knew she was on her way due to her text she had sent him when she left the school campus, Hey hansom, I’m on my way. She had tried to seem as happy as she could be through her text. But now that she was standing on his porch, she wasn’t so sure she could put up the act of being happy. But she shoved a smile on her face once he opened the door. She hoped he wouldn’t see through the forced smile.

[/size]

[DEVIN JAMES THATCHER]

With a forced sigh, Devin fell back on the couch and propped his feet on the coffee table. The TV flicked images across the screen, but clearly the blonde was not very focused on the show. It was a good show but his mind continued to drift elsewhere. He had not yet received a text from Autumn, and wondered if maybe it did not send, or she did not feel like talking to him. He frowned a little at the thought, but pushed it aside; after all they went through, she was not the type to do such a thing. A smile formed on his face as his phone went off, the name 'Autumn' clear on the front. He popped his phone open and read the text. Devin's muscles relaxed. I get to see my girl today after all. He finished his cereal and made way to the kitchen with the empty bowl, cleaning it out before tossing it into the dish washer. It felt really nice to have his own place and do his own thing. After being under his step-mother for the past few months it was hard to imagine that he could do laundry whenever he wanted, clean his own dishes, and did not risk getting yelled at for 'opening the door too loudly'. Devin shook his head and rid himself of the past, knowing that pushing forward would be the best.

After he was done with the dishes he went and sat on the couch for a few more minutes, eager to see Autumn's beautiful face. It had been too long, and he was more than excited to hold her in his arms. Devin flipped through a couple of channels before finally hearing a knock at his door, and nearly killed himself trying to get off of the couch and towards his front door. "Coming!" He called out as he fell onto the carpet, his knees burning from the impact. Rug burn would definitely be the result. Standing up and brushing himself off, Devin could not help but grin as he opened the front door. His heart jumped into his throat. "Hey Autumn! It's been so long since I've seen you..." As he looked at her, his grin faltered into a partial grin. The smile she wore on her face might have fooled some people, but it seemed rather forced. Either way, he did not push the matter just yet; after all, he had not seen Autumn for quite a while and did not want to press into something she did not feel like discussing. "I've missed you," He finished, keeping himself cheerful as he hugged her. He was shirtless, but Devin did not exactly think about that tiny detail. He was just happy to embrace her. The boy buried his face into her neck for a second before pulling her back and looking at her.

"Come on in!" Devin urged eagerly, stepping aside to let Autumn into the house. "It's not amazing, but it's better than living with my dad and step-mom. It's nice to be out from under them."

[renn]

Autumn’s head tilted when she heard a thump just beyond the door. Maybe Devin had fell? She smiled softly, looking down at the concrete as she heard Devin calling out that he was on his way. His voice was harmony to her ears. And it put her in a better mood than she was before. Well, as better as she could be. But she now a reason to be happy. She was able to see Devin, speak to him, embrace him, hang around him. She smiled again once he opened the door.


“Hey!” She smiled brighter, and looked down at his bare chest. She was barely able to keep herself from ogling at the sight. He did look great shirtless. And it had her smiling brighter once Devin stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her. Which she quickly hugged him back, her head leaning against his chest, listening to his heart beat until he stepped back and told her he missed her. “I missed you too!” She laughed quietly, readjusting her purse on her shoulder before he stepped a side.


Once he stepped aside the young earth girl stepped through the door frame, looking around. Now that Devin had his own place, he seemed happier. Brighter. She liked him like that. Not like he wasn’t already bright or anything, but this Devin was different than his regular self. She smiled softly and looked up at him before around again. “You have a nice place.” She readjusted her bag again. Nervous habit. Than as she took another step through she peaked into the kitchen and than down the hall. “That is true. I bet it’s a big relief. Not having anything to worry about as in grown up wise.”


She smiled again at him before leaning against the wall, her eyes focused on Devin. She would ask him soon enough. She just hoped he said yes. If he didn’t, well she would of course have to go back to her dorm, clean up, try and forget about what happened. Yet she didn’t think she would be able to live there. Dylan knew where she lived there, and he would keep coming back until he got to her. Well, he already did really. She cleared her throat, the smile slipping from her face when she heard her phone ringing once again.


The young girl took a deep breath again and slid it out of her pocket. The screen of course read Dylan. Her head shook slightly as she clicked on the text and read in her head, How’d you like my surprise? Send me to voicemail one more time and worse things would happen. It was a threat. Great. Just great. Dylan had now turned to threats. And that’s when terror kicked in. She shook her head, flipping her phone shut as she avoided looking at Devin. But soon she had to look at him, her eyes glassy. “I-I need to ask a favor..of you Devin..” She swallowed, taking a deep breath before she stashed her phone back in her pocket.

[/size]

[DEVIN JAMES THATCHER]

"Thanks!" Devin chirped. He did not realize how different his demeanor was since moving out of his dad's house; he smiled more, and it almost seemed as though nothing could drag him down. He felt like superman, only shorter and considerably less built, and with blonde hair. Okay, so he looked nothing like him, but the feeling that he was invincible did surge through him every once in a while. Like he could walk on air. Smiling at Autumn, he shut the door behind her and glanced around his apartment. It was basic, but he was glad she did not mind the simplicity of it all. Her opinion mattered most, anyway. Devin nodded softly and smiled, agreeing with her. It was nice to have his own place and be his own person after so long. He did miss his aunt and sister, but he kept in close contact with them and things were going very well. At this point, life was going really smooth. Now all I need to do is ask Autumn to be my girlfriend.

It made Devin nervous just thinking about it. He tried to think of how to ask her, but then again just saying 'will you be my girlfriend' sounded just as fine as anything else. It was probably the nerves getting the best of him. He inhaled deeply to keep himself composed as best he could, and decided to go ahead and ask. Just as he turned to talk to her, Autumn's phone went off. She did not answer it, and a few moments later received a text message. The look on her face concerned Devin, and instantly he was at her side, looking down at her with his brows furrowed. "What's wrong?" It bothered him that Autumn avoided his gaze; something in his gut told him that something was going wrong, and he was not quite sure how bad it was. Did something happen with her parents? Or maybe a friend at school? Devin felt his stomach knot up slightly in anxiety as he wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close. "And what favor would that be? Anything you need...I'm here." His hand gripped her shoulder in attempts to reassure her, but Devin still felt unsure of what he could do to help. She hasn't even told you yet. Calm down. It was hard to settle his nerves when she looked so frightened. His protective instincts kicked in, but remained still in attempts to console Autumn.

[renn]

Autumn looked up at Devin's friendly, hansom face. That was full of concern. For her, to be exact. She swallowed dryly and looked back down at her feet as she took a deep breath. How could she just com out and ask if she could crash in his new house until she got back into her dorm, when he was just getting settled? It made her terrified thinking Devin would say no to her. Of course she would go and find somewhere else to crash until she got enough courage to go back to her dorm, and of course the issue with Dylan would have to be resolved before she even set foot back in the dorm housing.



Her head shook slightly as Devin was by her side in an instant, looking down at her with all the concern in the world. It made her feel guilty for even bringing it up. Maybe she should just find someone else to ask. After all, Devin wasn't her boyfriend. Yet. She swallowed again as her wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. She tried to smile slightly at the contact, but the problem with Dylan kept interrupting. A sigh escaped her for a moment as he explained that he was here for anything she needed. But this was a big deal, and the thought of him turning her down made her stomach turn.



But she knew Devin well enough that he wouldn't do that. They had been through a lot. And she really did mean a lot. They had cried in each others embraces for Christs sakes. Slowly the young girl wrapped her own arms around Devin's waist and laid her head on his chest for a few moment, collecting her thoughts. Than she had how she would word the favor. Just come out and ask. After of course she explained the reason why she was asking.



She slowly looked up at him, her mouth parted slightly as she searched his blue gaze. “I'm..being stalked..And this morning he kept calling..and calling, which of course I ignored the calls, so it made him angry.. And than when I left this morning..my dorm was broke into. By him...So I have no where to go because I'm scared it will happen again,” She paused for a breath, “So I was wondering if I could crash here for a few days? Until I get back into my dorm again...” She trailed off, waiting for his reaction. Wow that was a mouthful, and it had all slipped out in a rush.

[/size]

[DEVIN JAMES THATCHER]

Devin'sheart ached as he watched her; there was something in her eyes that said something was wrong, but of course they could not speak for her entirely. He hoped that she trusted him enough to talk about anything she needed to, even if their past was not the best. But I love her. She doesn't know that, but...hopefully she will know I care enough to listen and care. As she returned his embrace, Devin's skin tingled at her touch. It felt good to have Autumn in his arms, even if she was upset. As he stood there and held her close, wondering if she was going to talk about what was going on or keep it to herself, the girl pulled back slightly and looked up at him. The blonde allowed his hand to run through her hair in attempts to try and keep her soothed as his eyes locked onto hers. Autumn looked so...scared. He felt his protective instincts kick in. However, as she spoke and explained the situation his eyes narrowed and his muscles tensed up in anger. Devin never quite understood how people could not just leave well enough alone, and not take a hint? They were simply not right in the head. He wanted so bad to tell her that everything would be alright and the stalker would eventually walk away, but even Devin knew that it did not work like that. It was not so easy. He found it difficult to be optimistic and offer her an encouraging word and a smile, but he was at least able to offer her a soft look of understanding as he cupped her face, a sigh passing his lips.

"I'm so sorry Autumn," Devin apologized softly, his thumb brushing over her cheek. "But it's okay for now, alright? You're safe here. He won't find you." Seeing her so upset...so scared...it hurt him. He wanted to march right over to the school and take care of the problem once and for all. Although...that might require recruiting Joshua, who may not mind jumping in and helping if he told him the situation. Josh and Autumn were at least decent acquaintances from what he could remember. He should at least know of the situation, right? Devin was not exactly physically capable of dealing with a psycho, though if put in the right mind-set it might be possible. Either way he was going to try and find a way to help Autumn without putting her in harms way. First order of business would be to talk to a teacher, maybe. It did bother him a little that the girl never mentioned having a stalker before, but that was rather foolish. Only a month or so ago they patched things up after the fiasco with the dance and Harley, so Devin did not really expect much in-depth personal information to reach his ears until now.

Leaning in, Devin kissed Autumn's forehead and pulled her close again, his bright blue eyes searching her face for a moment or two before attempting another reassuring smile. She was such a beautiful girl, with a beautiful personality, and it continued to hurt him knowing that somewhere on the school grounds someone was aiming to hurt her. "Of course you can stay here. You can stay as long as you want to..." He hesitated, and bit at his lip a little. "Or as long as you need to. I would be more than happy to have you with me." Quickly he grabbed her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. He wondered what they were going to do to deal with the problem; even telling a teacher would not make it all disappear, nor make Autumn feel incredibly safe. The only thing the boy could offer was a place to stay and his company. "You can have my bed. I don't mind the couch." He swallowed a little bit, feeling nervous. Having the girl of his dreams in the same house with him...sleeping in his bed. Although he would have preferred this under different circumstances, he was happy to help her in any way he could.

[renn]

Autumn let her eyes fall to the ground in sadness. She was scared. Scared for everything really. Her whole life circled around school and now recently Devin. The school was her home. Her only home she ever knew. Her parents didn't care about her, probably wouldn't even take the time out of their own day to come help her with this problem. So she left them alone, and came back to Devin, her only friend she laid that must trust into. Devin, after all they had been through, was now her new found comfort blanket. Even if he sometimes seemed like he didn't know what to say, his words, his actions, his comforting face, made it all better.

Slowly she looked back up at his face as she tightened her arms around his waist, her cheek resting just above his heart because of their height. She slowly took a deep breath, her eyes closing. This was just a messed up situation, and it needed to be handled as quick as possible. Just because she knew Dylan wasn't kidding when he said worst things would happen. She couldn't let him hurt the people she cared for; Josh, Nell, Harley, and Devin. Four people that she held close to her even if she barely was able to talk to them. Between school, and working with her gift, she had mostly used up most of her time. But that did not put them out of her heart. Especially Devin.

She swallowed dryly as Devin pulled back a little, his hands now cupping her face. Her arm's loosened around his waist, her eyes dropping to his chest, but she wasn't oggling in her expression, so it wasn't noticeable that she was jumping around in her head despite the situation. But even if she wanted to continued to state she forced her eyes back up to his face once his thumb started to caress over her reddened cheeks. Her eyes followed his eyes as he spoke about her being safe here and she nodded numbly, responding with a soft okay. The girl did feel safe here, with Devin, inside his home. She knew nothing would happen with him around, he cared to much about her to let anything happen. Well, at least she hoped.

A sigh escaped her as she brought her hand up and touched her palm to the top of his hand, her head leaning into his touch. His touch brought sparks to her skin, and it felt like fireworks were exploding within her body every time she touched him. And recently since they had confessed their feelings, it happened when she looked at him. She just got washed over with fireworks, her eyes lighting up every time. It was a wonderful feeling to be honest. But she forced them back now. This wasn't time to go ga-ga over her crush. There would be time after this for that kind of thing. Well hopefully there would be. If Devin agreed, then yes, if he said no..Well they would still spend what they had of the day together. So yeah, there would be time somewhere in the schedule.

She smiled slightly, her eyes dropping when he leaned forward and pressed his lips to her forehead. Her face turned a berry kind of color, her skin tingling. She wanted him to do it again, but she cleared her throat and looked back up at him to see his beautiful blue eyes searching her face. That's when hazel mixed with blue. She smiled more after time of just looking at him. Something about him just made her smile. Maybe it was because of his hansom face, or maybe the other is because of his personality and the way he cared about her..The caring was nice. Autumn hadn't really experienced caring before, so it was nice to have it from Devin.

Her ears tuned into him giving her permission to stay with him, and her eyes lit up, a thousand fireworks bursting, crackling, and shining in them. The girl didn't have anything to worry about. She knew Devin, knew his personality, he would never turn her away. Especially with this Dylan thing going on. The earth student through her arms around his neck since they had slipped to her sides. She pulled Devin tightly against her, her head buried in the crook of his neck, her breath hot on his neck. And after a few moments, she pulled back against her will, lowering back onto the balls of her feet since she had to raise up on her tiptoes to hug him that way. “Thank you so much..I..I'll help clean..Do dishes...Anything..Just thank you..” The girl was babbling, she was washed over with joy, yet still terrified, and it showed in her eyes when the fireworks finally calmed down. But when she felt her hand being grabbed by him, she intertwined their fingers, returning the gentle squeeze he gave it.

The earth student then looked up at him, and she shook her head, “You can have your bed..It's your house.” She brushed back a strand of blonde hair that had slid into her vision, “I can take the couch. It's no biggie.” A smile eased itself back onto her lips as she leaned up on her tiptoes again and kissed his cheek gently, not wanting to freak him out by kissing them. They had kissed twice, both enjoyable, but she didn't know if he wanted that to happen again or not. So she just settled for a kiss on the cheek. She lowered back down again, her free hand adjusting her purse on her shoulder, her eyes searching his face just to make sure the kiss was okay. Even though it was on the cheek, she didn't know if he was okay with that or not. “Thanks..again.” She lowered her eyes after a few moments, a sigh of relief escaping her.

At least she didn't have to deal with her dorm tonight.

[/size]

[DEVIN JAMES THATCHER]

It amazed Devin how a smile melted him from the inside out. Her eyes sparkled with joy, something that was ignited immediately after he offered her a safe place to rest away from the chaos at school. The fear that was written on her face slowly washed away; Devin was determined more than ever to keep that fear from haunting her again. Whoever this guy thought he was should watch his back, because Devin was not going to have him messing up Autumn's life. It was the first time in a long while that the boy truly felt angry, and ready to punch something. That was not something Autumn needed to see, however, so he refrained from revealing the fury he felt for her stalker, and instead kept a smile on his face. If Devin was anything, he was loyal to his friends and focused solely on their needs instead of his own. Sure he was angry, but it was not Autumn's fault. She was the victim, and needed to see a smile and hear a friendly word to keep her chin up. "No thanks needed. And you don't have to do a damn thing around here, Autumn. That's not your job okay?" Devin cooed softly, his skin tingling as she intertwined her fingers with his. They fit perfectly. "I'll take care of you. I want to take care of you."

The one thing Devin loved about Autumn was her kindness. It was soft and gentle like down feathers, but powerful enough to knock the boy off of his feet in awe. Like him, she always tried to put others before herself. It seemed to be a trait inherited by a lot of their fellow earth students, but to Devin Autumn's shined brighter than the rest. It could have been because she was the person he fell in love with, but that was a moot point. Autumn was his North Star. The one that pulled him away from the mess he was in and made him want to be a better person. She gave him a reason to smile. "I won't hear of it. You deserve nothing but the best. So...you will take my bed." As an afterthought, he glanced away from her for a second before catching her stunning eyes with his own. "Although to keep us from bantering back and forth about it, we can both take the bed. I'll sleep on top of the comforter, and you can sleep underneath. Sound fair?" Before, Devin would have taken the chance to have sex with the girl, but once his heart changed there was more of a desire to simply be with her on more than just a sexual level. Sure, he contemplated it, but what human in the world did not have those thoughts? She's worth more than one night. I need to treat her as such. Devin knew it was going to be hard, but worth it in the end assuming that things went the way he hoped they would.

"No need to thank me, really. It's no problem at all." Devin instantly brought his free hand to his cheek and held it there for a moment, watching Autumn with an anxious glance. His eyes drifted from her stunning hazel eyes down towards her lips, but pulled back up a moment later. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he leaned in and pressed his forehead to hers, squeezing her hand a little. "But...I do have one condition if you stay here." Devin added slyly with a finger raised in the air, his smile forming into a mischievous smirk. Not once did his gaze falter, or his smile fade; the confidence that he felt swelling in his chest was enough to fill the entire house. He was not quite sure where it was coming from, but it was there none the less. He wanted to take advantage of it before he started to babble like an idiot. He leaned in closer, his eyes still on hers. "That you let me call you girlfriend. I kinda think it's a suitable nickname. What do you think?" Devin was not a traditional person; most guys would rub the back of their necks and stutter 'w-will you go out with m-me?', but not him. It was generic and totally predictable, which he did not want. Judging by their last encounter on the school grounds, Devin could only assume that the question was something she should have at least half expected, right? They would not have gone through all of that only to avoid a relationship. I wouldn't have any other girl but her.

[renn]

Autumn focused her eyes up at Devin’s hansom face. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from him. His eyes sparkled, the smile he wore on his face was brilliant compared to the situation. And it made her insides jumble and twist together in happiness that for that moment she didn’t have to worry about the dorm, Dylan, or anything, she could just gaze into Devin’s bright blue eyes with her milky brown, and know everything was going to be okay because he was there for her. Like he had always been even when they had been just getting to know each other. “Nonsense. I like cleaning, and it’s the least I could do for this.” Her head nodded a tiny bit, her blonde hair bouncing a tiny bit with the movement, “You want to?” It wasn’t every day the young girl heard that.

Slowly Autumn’s smile returned to a small grin, the fireworks having finally stopped coursing through her veins, lighting up every single cell, muscle, and bone it touched. But even though she was only grinning, it still had that magical touch to it; it still held happiness, and it was all because of Devin. Because if it had been anyone else, the grin wouldn’t be there, nor any other type of smile, her lips would have been pressed into a tight line, her lips chewing at the hidden part of her lip until it bled.

Only that didn’t happen, because she wasn’t just with anyone else. She was with the guy she loved. Softly, Autumn cleared her throat as Devin declared that she would take the bed, and it had her opening her mouth to argue more about it, but she saw him glance away, and then return their gaze to exclaim that he would sleep on top of the coffers, and she could have underneath. And it made her smile as a thought pushed to the forefront of her mind, “Does that mean no cuddling?”

Her lower lip pushed out for a moment in a pout, but she couldn’t hold the expression long because a bell like laugh escaped her. The happy Autumn was once again pushing out to show since the situation thoughts were pushing back and locking away in a deep, dark corner so she could think about more things then those little bugger thoughts pushing and shoving their way into the forefront of her mind. Only after the laugh died down did she realize that Devin had brought his hand up to his cheek, and her insides flipped.

Oh no.

It was a problem. She should have never kissed his cheek…She swallowed, chewing on the inside of her lip as she watched him quietly, her eyes searching his gaze to see if it was a problem or not, but the way the corners of his mouth twitched up, and he leaned in to lean his forehead against hers, it seemed to not be. So, she let the worry die away, and a smile tugged at her lips once she felt his hand squeezing hers gently. Only that’s when he brought up there was a condition if she was going to stay there.

The young girl’s eyes widened slightly, her eye brow rising, suspicion and curiosity swallowing her whole being. What did he want? He didn’t want to do a one night stand did he? Because that surely wouldn’t happen. And if that’s what he was thinking, she was most definitely going to jerk away from him and run out of the house, and back to the school to never talk to him again. Calm down, you know Devin, most likely that’s not going to happen.. The thought buzzed around in her head as she felt light headed at the thought of him really asking that. But once he raised his finger, a smirk appearing on his lips where they once held the brilliant smile she loved, she realized that might be what he was asking.

Only that wasn’t it at all because Devin moved in closer to her, and then told her the condition - which was to let him call her his girlfriend. Her insides swarmed with a warm tingling feeling, her blood rushing hot, her smile widening and she nodded. “T-that works for me.” Slowly as Autumn searched his gaze, she closed the gap between them and then her lips were touching gently against his soft ones. Oh how much happiness was swarming inside of her right now.

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[DEVIN JAMES THATCHER]

Devin tilted his head slightly to the side, wondering why Autumn seemed shocked by his statement. "Yeah, of course I want to. Why wouldn't I?" He replied, toying with her hair for a moment as he watched her. Sure, this was the girl he was in love with, but even so he had that same loyalty towards Nell and Josh and any of his other friends. He would care for them if they needed it, no matter what it was they needed. Devin's desire to care for Autumn was way higher than it was for his friends though. He wondered if she had anyone ever offer to take care of her before; else why would she ask the question as though it never graced her ears in the past? That made his stomach churn. How could someone not want to look out for this girl? Because it's your job. The thought smacked him right in the face; he was not a firm believer in fate, but knew there was a reason they were here. There was a reason they both stood in the same room talking about this issue with her stalker and she came to him.

A warm glow graced his features at her next question, her pout only adding to the scene. "You are absolutely adorable, you know that?" Devin chuckled, still watching her. He brought his finger up to poke at her puckered lower lip, smiling down at her as he did so. He thought that all girls were pretty in their own way, and never came across many he found completely detestable, but Devin found Autumn simply captivating. It was almost difficult to come up with an appropriate response to her question. "We can cuddle if you want. I definitely won't object." Her laugh felt real and true, and he could not help but laugh a little with her. It was actually contagious. "Just figured...when it came time to sleep that you'd prefer the comforter arrangement." He was not sure what Autumn wanted, and was afraid if he offered to share the bed while they were both under the covers that she might get nervous or say no. It was not going to be easy for him to go through with that arrangement--after all, this was Autumn--but he would do it. Anything to feel her at his side when he fell asleep, and still at his side when he woke up in the morning.

However, having Autumn say yes to being his girlfriend would be just as good as waking up at her side. He searched her face for any sort of response, and took note of how bright her smile had become. His heart was leaping in ten thousand different directions as he reached up and brushed his hand across her cheek, fingers caressing her neck gently. "Good. I wouldn't have it any other way." Autumn closed the gap between them, Devin's knees nearly buckling beneath him. He kissed her back, gripping her neck lightly as his other hand wrapped around her waist to pull her in against him. Butterflies erupted from his stomach, his insides warming up from the core. It was amazing what this girl did to him, and he absolutely loved it. Without waiting for Autumn's consent--which he assumed she would not say no--he deepened the kiss and pressed her up against him more to ensure he could stay standing. He drowned himself in her presence, her touch, her kiss for a few minutes before he pulled away from her. He bit at his lip with a smirk as his nose brushed against hers. Devin was quite out of breath by that point. "You are definitely going to have to do that more often," He commented with a chuckle. "Like, whenever you want. I won't say no, that's for sure." The smile that formed on his face was of pure contentment; he could not be any happier than he was at that very moment. He had the girl he loved in his arms, and although her circumstances were dark he knew they could work through it together. "I guess we should discuss your...issue and figure out what we can do about it."