55. The smell of breakfast in the morning.

 

"This can't be good," Cyrus had thought about this long and hard. He needed Pixie to talk to.

"What?" She looked at him as if she was ready to hear him out. They were in the apartment making waffles for breakfast. It was like the first meal they'd had homemade in ages. She licked her dry lip then bit her bottom lip as if she was ready to discuss whatever was on his mind.

"I overheard Diago say he'd take Ali to this Halloween party out past the cemetery," Cyrus said it sounded weird. "They want to charge everyone twenty bucks who goes to it."

"Is there a band playing?" She asked as she poured syrup on her waffles and Cyrus bit into a crispy slice of bacon.

"I didn't ask." End of story. He looked at her blankly. Thinking this could mean, moving on to something else. Only, he didn't know where to start. He went on to put a little more Cool Whip and cherry pie filling on his waffles. Really, he didn't know how Pixie liked hers so plain. He even added banana slices.

"Well.." he took a sip of coffee as if that would give him the courage.

"Well, what?" She looked at him as if he just couldn't leave her hanging.

"Do..do you like sleeping with me?" It didn't sound so bad when he said it.

"I don't mind. You don't thrash around."

He nodded. Yes, they had slept together for months now, but that was only sleep. It was still just sleep, but for that one time.

"Do..do you think you could ever..you know...like being with me..when..when..you're not drunk."

She almost choked on a piece of waffle then. She cleared her throat.

"I guess so." She nodded. "I mean, you aren't like anybody else I know. I know we're friends. We're really good friends. I like that about you. It's just." She sighed. "A part of me feels I have let you down."

"But..but you didn't," he promised. "I think I'm ready for, you know...a real relationship." He couldn't help but smile. "I just want you to be happy." He was quiet then as he played with the Cool Whip and the cherry pie filling with a square of waffle on his fork. "Cause, you make me happy. And, I just want you to feel you are with someone normal."

"Don't say that," she clasped her hand over his hand. "I like just the way you are. I don't ever want to give you up."

Cyrus bit a grin. Finally, a conversation that was so much easier than he ever thought possible.