I could smell coffee, it was sweet and strong. Honey lingered in my nostrils, making my eyes flutter open to my dorm room's white cement ceiling. A groan escaped me, and I placed an arm over my head to block out the sun's blinding rays. I had no curtain on my window, so I got the full force of the Apollo's wrath.
"Good Morning, sleepy head."
I gasped, and nearly fell off the bed. I tangled myself further in the sheets, fumbling to get them off as quickly as possible. I was still clothed. I let out the biggest sigh of relief.
I turned my glare to the gorgeous, yet infuriating man. Coop wore a cute smile on his stupid face, and my glare immediately intensified. Oakwood daggers pierced through my emerald eyes as I spoke.
"What are you doing in my dorm? How did you even find my dorm? Did you sleep here?" Maybe I was talking fast, way too fast, but his smile widened and recognition coated his features.
"Slow down. Man, if I knew you were this cranky when you woke up I'd have asked you to get lunch with me. To answer your questions, I helped you back to your dorm last night. Your head was hurting pretty bad. I helped you get into bed, and then I remembered something. We had a coffee date scheduled, and I have no phone number to contact you. So, I took it upon myself to grab us coffee and bring it to your dorm before you woke up."
Smoldering brown eyes shifted pink as he lifted the cups in his hand. His stupid grin was infectious, and I found myself smiling along with him.
"Oh, well, thank you for the coffee." I knew his smile was addicting, but I was going to blame the beautiful scent of coffee instead.
I grabbed the small cup from his outstretched hand, and took a large sip to sooth the tremors in my bones, and wake me up. Part of me hoped that this was a dream, and I was asleep in one of my caves.
It was my favorite: dark roasted cold brew, with my favorite cream, hazelnut. The extra honey coated my throat beautifully and gave me that boost that I needed for my classes today. I looked up from my cup, and saw that Cooper was staring at me with a look I really couldn't place.
"Yes?" I prodded softly, trying to avoid any more headaches for right now. The room was quiet enough; but I knew if I stayed in this room any longer, the close walls would start to suffocate me.
"Oh, nothing. Just admiring you while you drink your coffee." He shrugged as if he were telling me what the weather was today. I was grateful I hadn't gone for another sip of coffee, because I would have choked on it.
"That's not what friends normally say to each other, Coop." I nudged his arm with my elbow, placing the coffee on my desk, and going over to grab my backpack from the floor by the dresser. I heard him cough a little before clearing his throat.
"You're right, sorry, but I figured we could go on a walk before your first class. You have Eldritch right?" He fumbled over some of his words, rubbing the back of his neck.
That shocked me a bit, and I lifted my bag onto my shoulder, giving him a warm smile.
"Yeah, I do, how do you know that? Nevermind, I don't wanna know. Let's take a walk over by the gardens. That way I won't be too late." The playfulness in my voice was clear, and his smile widened. This boy was going to be the death of me. I could feel it.
Cooper grabbed my hand and led me out of the dorm and into the hallway. I saw a few of the men in the hall stare at us in shock. I heard a few snickers from some of the girls. When I swiveled my head in their direction, I noticed the girl from the kitchen. Her friends huddled around her and hushed whispers flowed from their mouths.
I lowered my head to the ground, not wanting to focus on that. We made it to the elevator in record time, and soon enough we were out of the building. I could breathe again, and it felt nice.
The campus garden wasn't that far of a walk from my dorm, and my mood immediately brightened when I smelled the lavender patch. I skipped over to it and plucked a few stems, placing them in the front of my backpack. I looked over at Cooper, and he was smiling at me, melting me with his heated gaze.
"You like lavender, little nymph?" It was a sincere question. His eyes glistened in curiosity.
"Yes, yes I do. It's one of my favorites." I told him as a furious blush crept onto my cheeks. I wasn't sure why, but I was opening up to this man within a few days of really knowing him. It scared the crap out of me.
"What's your favorite plant, Cooper? Have you tended to garden's before? What does the infamous Cooper do when he's not at parties?" Curiosity leaked into my words, and his body stiffened.
That was the trick when people tried to get to know you. Keep the answers surface level for yourself, ask deeper questions for them. Hopefully, the right question will spin the entire conversation in their direction, and all you have to do is sit back and listen.
I could tell that my questions made him a bit uncomfortable, though he managed to keep a bright smile on his face.
"Well, I prefer trees to plants, but if I had to choose, maybe spider plants? To answer your other questions, yes, I have tended to a garden before, but I was not the best at it. What do I like to do other than parties? Well, that varies, little nymph." His playful, yet seductive tone, sent shivers down my spine, and I closed my eyes, trying to shake them off.
I could feel him getting closer to me, and I fought to control my breathing. Eventually, I opened my eyes and he was inches away.
"You know what I meant, Coop. Hobbies, like gardening for me, but for Coop Eros, you know?" I tried laughing off my nerves, but they wouldn't budge.
"Oh, well in that case, let's go. Hiking, Oakley, is one of my favorite hobbies." He grabbed my hands and led me over to one of the hiking paths leading into the forest.
I debated bringing up class again. However, I kept my mouth shut on the way there. I was fearful that I would either push him away or embarrass myself. For some reason, I was more scared of the first one.