#PARTNERS IN EVERYTHINGGGG ;-; including their food adventures hehe

[ortizselene]

Selene feels her heart practically galloping against the confines of her rib-cage, trying, her very hardest, to not to appear so ... dependent on Kieran's answer, when the reality is she waited for it on baited breath.

She wanted Kieran to stay.

After experiencing what it was like to make him laugh again ... it felt like she needed it. She never would have survived college without that fortifying, charismatic presence of his, and now, experiencing the spark of life that was so undeniably Kieran, it was just another potent reminder how much she missed it now. Her time with him had been so utterly formative. At times, it sort of felt like they were two saplings who had grown together, trunks twisting together and melding, and with his absence came the conspicuous gap in her trunk— obvious proof that something was missing, that something had once grown alongside her and supported her.

The absence felt so conspicuous at times. When she was sprawled out on the couch watching reality tv, the same long-running comedic disasters they had watched in college — all the trashy humor rang hollow without Kieran to laugh with. The same albums of her youth felt pointless without his ear to share the earbud, the same food they used to devour in her living room felt bland and formless in her mouth.

Everything felt less without him.

In a way that missed her best friend. And, in a way that roared inside her, Iin a way that craved intimate understanding, the pressure of his head upon her shoulder that ignited her entire body and soul.

And so when he does answer— I think I will — even the countryside seems to explode in technicolor.

Her head spins towards the window so he can't see the blush on her cheeks.

"...Good."

It's funny, that absolutely none of her thoughts wander towards her parents or fiance. All Selene is doing is imagining all the time she and Kieran can spend together before Monday arrives.

This roadtrip was a pretty fucking good start.

'I’m so excited for this fucking burger,'

'I’m gonna do a double. No pickles. American Cheese. Maybe add bacon…'

A groan escapes her, head swiveling to stare at Kieran with a sort of frenzied light.

"Oh my fucking god. Don't," she stresses, pressing her palms against her thighs as fighting back some physical sensation. The loaded fries, the beer, the pizza. "I'm gonna slap on all that fry sauce on my burger. And get red onions. And double American...."

Selene lets out a hungry sigh. They were making good time, practically soaring across the interstate, but know it feels as if her digestive juices were eating her own stomach.

"You should definitely get bacon."

And then there's the idea of taking more to go. Wings, with dark meat that practically melted off the bone. Pizza, with the perfect cheese pull, a box of loaded fries laden with every topping in the kitchen.

Yeah. That was a very good idea. All at once, she feels conspiratorial again— innocent and devious all at once, the feeling of being in kahoots with someone special, whispered secrets and glances that were as readable as a chapter upon a page.

"....I mean. We should take the whole appetizer menu back, right? Everyone else goes to bed fucking early, compared to us. We can squirrel it away and eat it again super late."

Selene smiled again, bit at her lip, and Kieran mirrored the same smile back at her. How had there ever been so much space between them? Kieran was thankful for the company, and there were a lot of questions that were pressed at the back of his mind — ones that wouldn’t surface that evening, but maybe one day.

Did you feel the same? Why did we lose contact? Do you really want to get married to him?

Any time that Kieran thought about the wedding, his chest tightened. He’d been avoiding the real reason that it made him upset, and now, it was becoming clearer. But those were thoughts for another night. Right now, Selene was agreeing to an impromptu shooting lesson, hoping that he stayed.

Kieran felt happy that she’d said that. Maybe she didn’t mean it, maybe it was just something to say, but it was still good to hear.

“I think I will,” Kieran replied. He could buy new clothes. He could get the dog sitter to stay extra. One weekend away wouldn’t kill him. He could find a way to avoid his family for a couple of days in order to focus his efforts on … Selene. Maybe there was a way to revive their friendship. He’d missed her, and Kieran hadn’t really realized it up until a few moments ago, when she hoped he'd stay.

Kieran sped through the interstate until they got somewhat close to Woodbridge. He hadn’t been back to this area in a while, and Kieran forgot how much he loved it. They were getting closer, and all Kieran could think about was his next meal.

“I’m so excited for this fucking burger,” Kieran said, gripping the wheel tighter as if it might somehow help them arrive faster. “I’m gonna do a double. No pickles. American Cheese. Maybe add bacon…”

Kieran’s mouth was watering.

“And their loaded fries. And a beer. A giant one.”

Kieran paused.

"Fuck. Their pizza and wings were really good, too..."

Kieran sighed, as if faced with an impossible decision.

"I guess we can take those to go, for later."