My Boyfriend From The Store

Aurora watched Theo's pink lips part. "Are you okay?" His breath fanned across her face. Even soaked, Theo still smelled heavenly wrapped around her.

Aurora nodded, unable to get words out.

Theo sighed with relief, but didn't move his arms. Another lightning bolt split the sky, thunder ringing out, and Aurora squeezed her eyes shut, a quiet tremble spreading across her body.

When the echoing of thunder stopped, Aurora's eyes opened again to see Theo watching her softly. "Are you afraid of-?"

"No!" Aurora cleared her throat, tilting her head away. "No."

Slowly, she was lifted back onto her feet, Theo's arms loosening around her, but he didn't let go.

Theo kept his right arm wrapped tightly around her waist, occasionally looking over, as they started walking again.

"Where's your car?" Theo shouted over the rain, and Aurora pointed to a corner, trying to stop herself from shivering.

Theo tightened his arm around Aurora, pulling her closer.

For being completely soaked, he was very warm, Aurora thought.

They rounded the corner and the parking garage came into view. Aurora almost cheered for joy at the sight of her car. Theo picked up his pace.

The moment they got under the shelter of the concrete parking garage, Aurora let out a sigh of relief, leading Theo forward toward her black Audi A8.

Theo's eyes met hers before he opened the passenger side door. He nodded toward the seat. "Let me drive, you look seconds away from sleeping."

Aurora's eyes turned back to the car. "Are you sure? I can-" Theo groaned almost impatiently, grabbing her waist and carefully putting her into the passenger seat.

Oh! Okay.

Theo pulled open the driver's side door and slipped into the car. He leaned forward and pressed the heated seats button, and the warmth immediately started to spread through Aurora. A soft noise left her as she melted back into the seats.

Her eyes fell closed, resting her head back against the warming leather of the seat.

"How will you get home?" Theo's voice pulled Aurora from her relaxation.

Her eyes slowly opened, and she turned to look at him. The exhaustion from today's work weighed down on her, and she yawned quietly. Theo watched her, waiting for an answer.

"I'll call Vincent or a driver," Aurora's voice came out hushed, her eyes fluttering.

Theo hummed softly and began to drive, carefully pulling out of the parking lot. The rain pattered against the car, muffled by the soft hum of the engine.

-

A gentle tap on Aurora's shoulder made her stir in her sleep. She wrinkled her nose at the idea of opening her eyes.

"Aurora," Theo called, and her eyes slowly opened. She blinked, to get rid of the tiredness still coating her body.

"Huh?" Aurora mumbled, yawning before stretching and pausing at the uncomfortable feeling of wet clothes still on her body.

"We're here." Theo nodded toward the window, and Aurora's head turned in the direction.

She could see the place her car had stopped many weeks ago, with the hue of blue and yellow light of "WS-Opens 24 Hours" in the distance.

Theo unbuckled his seatbelt and went to step out. "Thank you for-" He froze when he saw Aurora also getting out.

The rain drizzled down on them, and Aurora let out a quiet breath, her eyes staying trained on the convenience store in front of her.

"Do you want to come in for a drink? It's the least I can do to thank you," Theo asked and Aurora nodded. Together they started their small journey to Theo's apartment

Theo's apartment was pushed back away from the convenience store and the road. There was an awning covering the door, green and gold colors scattered about the fabric.

The apartment complex wasn't exactly the best. Honestly, the elevators were the worst of it, but the rooms, however, were really nice. Small, but nice.

Aurora's heels clicked, the unfamiliar sound of the building floor making her nervous. She followed Theo as he took a left and headed down the dimly lit hallway.

Theo came to a stop in front of a door and stepped inside, holding the door for Aurora to follow, closing it behind her.

"It probably isn't what you're used to, I-" Theo's voice came out soft, caution hinting in his tone.

"I like it. It's warm and homely," Aurora meant it, and relief trickled through Theo as he stepped into his kitchen before turning back. "What would you like? Hot cocoa? Tea? Milk? Coffee?"

Aurora shrugged, sighing calmly as she kicked her heels off. "Hot cocoa sounds nice," she murmured softly, walking over and pulling out one of the stools before sitting down.

Theo's phone buzzed, and he pulled it out. A soft smile touched his lips as he looked down at the screen.

Aurora glanced up at him with a raised eyebrow. "My friend texted me," Theo said, putting his phone down and turning back to the hot cocoa without further explanation.

"Are you afraid of thunderstorms?" Theo asked again softly, and Aurora's eyes snapped to him at the random question.

"Yes," Aurora replied as she watched Theo reach up into his cabinets and pull out two black mugs from the shelf.

The mug clinked against the wooden tabletop as Theo set it down in front of Aurora. Aurora took it, and her lips pulled up into a small smile.

Aunt Flora would always make hot cocoa during thunderstorms to calm her down. Aurora's interaction with Theo brought back those memories.

Theo broke the silence with a wry grin. "I can't cook to save my life."

Aurora's eyes flickered up to his, a smile easing onto her face. "You can't? Really? I love cooking."

"I'm horrible at it," Theo said, taking a sip of his hot cocoa.

Aurora watched as Theo leaned forward, placing his elbows on his countertop. Theo tilted his head up to Aurora, his dark hair falling over his eyes. "What's your favorite dish to cook?" Theo queried, his attention on Aurora.

"I think it would be shepherd's pie," Aurora admitted, tapping her fingers against the black mug. "Aunt Flora taught me how to make it."

Theo sent Aurora a gentle smile, and she couldn't help the small curve of her lips in return. They stared into each other's eyes for a while, nothing but the calming sound of the rain pattering down on the windows.

Theo shifted his gaze to his drink and downed his hot cocoa in one go, placing the cup on the counter.

Okay, that was her cue.

Aurora set the black mug down on the counter and stood up. Theo followed her to the door, standing there quietly as she slipped her heels on.

"Thank you for the hot cocoa." Aurora's tone was soft and truthful. "It was nice," she stated, clearing her throat before looking back at Theo.

"You should go home and change into dry clothes," Theo stated, and Aurora's head snapped to her clothes. She had forgotten about her wet clothes.

Aurora nodded. "See you tomorrow." She opened the door and stepped out.

Theo held the doorframe, standing to his full height. "Have a good night, Aurora."

Aurora turned and walked away, calling a driver to come ride her home.