nathan dawson's pov:

I don't know what I was expecting to gain by promising to come along with Solar and the others, but I definitely didn't think I was going to return home with a cat. A tomcat called Blueberry.

Whereas Jonathan adores dogs, I'm more of a cat person. Jonathan has been asking for a dog for years, and every time the answer is the same: we'll think about it. Which means: not gonna happen. I was certain I would be hearing those words as soon as Jeffrey picked up the phone.

"Cleaning a litter box isn't very fun." He pointed out instead.

"I bet it isn't, but I'll do it." 

"Cats vomit hairballs." Jeffrey continued. 

"Sure." I agreed, not bothering to add I would be the one cleaning up.

"They might scratch you when you clip their nails. Actually, they might scratch you for no reason at all."

"Yup, it happens." If Jeffrey was going to talk me out of this, he would have to get more creative. 

"Cats treat you like they're gods and you're their humble servant." 

"I know, and it's p-pretty cool, isn't it?" I knew I was winning, and that's why I called Jeffrey and not mom.

"It is. What can I say, I love cats." Jeffrey chuckled. "Do you have a picture of him?"

"Not yet, but you should see him, he's gorgeous." And that went on for a while.

"Okay." Jeffrey gave in. "But you're telling your mom this was all your idea. Deal?"

"Deal." I laughed. 

A little while later we were on our way out of Kieran's great-aunt's apartment. Kieran, who wasn't exactly a muscular guy either, carried the stack of books Solar had happily accepted, while Solar and Choni huffed and puffed under the weight of the cabinet. I was carrying Blueberry in an old carrier, still not quite believing he was coming home with me.

The cabinet didn't fit in the elevator, just as Choni had assumed, so we took the stairs instead. I tried not to stare at Solar too openly, when he exerted himself with the cabinet, but Kieran was eyeing his boyfriend uninhibitedly. I wasn't sure if he was just that horny or madly in love with Choni. On the other hand, those things weren't mutually exclusive.

"Hurry up, these books are so heavy." Kieran pointed out with a grave face.

"Haha, very funny." Solar rolled his eyes. Their way of talking to each other puzzled me: I knew they were best friends, but sometimes they talked like they couldn't stand each other. I couldn't always tell if they were joking or not.

Solar and Choni were able to get the cabinet on the back of the pickup truck and covered it with a tarp. I gave Blueberry to Kieran, thinking that it was risky enough for me and Solar to travel on the back with the cabinet. I, on the other hand, didn't want to waste an opportunity to snuggle close to Solar.

This time, though, Solar didn't wrap his arm around my shoulders. At least we were sitting so close our arms were pressed together, and Solar had a winning smile when he babbled about the books he had found. I wasn't the only one who was surprised by not having to return home empty handed.

I really wished I could share Solar's joy of reading, but even if I couldn't, just looking at him so excited about something filled my chest with warmth. His eyes lit up with excitement was one of the most precious things I had ever gotten to witness in my life.

By the time we made it to a gas station near Frostford, it was already starting to dusk. Kieran hopped out of the car and glanced up at us over the side of the truck. "You coming or not?"

"Nah, I'm good." I decided, having no need for a toilet or coffee break.

"Same here." Solar agreed. And soon it was just Solar, Blueberry and I in the car.

I glimpsed into the carrier, feeling a smile tucking up the corners of my mouth. Blueberry was staring back at me, his blue eyes curious and alert. He was still here, he was really real.

"You really love him, don't you?" Solar leaned closer. I had a feeling that he was studying my face instead of looking at Blueberry, and I was so focused on my new pet that it took me a while to notice how close he was. 

In the golden shade of the setting sun, Solar's eyes looked brighter than ever and for the first time I noticed the tiny specks of silver in his dark gray irises. I wondered what Solar was seeing when he looked into mine. 

When he leaned closer, his eyes straying on my lips, I forgot how to breathe. I didn't even remember the existence of Blueberry for a moment. I glimpsed at his lips and how they parted slightly when he was so near our breaths mixed and the tips of our noses were inches apart. 

Solar's fingers brushed mine and I swear I was going to drop dead if I couldn't feel his lips on mine. So I inched closer, my heart fluttering in my chest so fast my head was spinning. Was I even breathing anymore? And then.. 

..we heard someone clearing his throat on our side. "Sorry, did we interrupt something?" 

Heat rushed to my cheeks and I let my chin drop, hoping my hair covered some of the redness. Even if I had had a good impression of Kieran, at that moment I wanted to twist his smirking head off his shoulders and toss it in a recycle bin of the gas station.

"I'm going to kill you." Solar fixed a poisonous glare at Kieran, and I had a feeling he was just as happy with the interruption as I was.

It took ages for my face to cool down and my heartbeat to moderate after that. I was still embarrassed by the interruption, but more than that I was thinking: I almost kissed him. Oh, how much I hated that almost part.

Solar's arm circled around my shoulders and he pulled me closer, which was almost as good as a kiss.

I reached for Solar's other hand that was resting on his lap. He had almost-kissed me, so I was 90 % sure he wouldn't mind me holding his hand. And he didn't. Instead Solar entwined our fingers together and squeezed my hand all the way back home.

It would have been a perf*ct day, if I hadn't spotted a familiar figure waiting for me on the porch. When our eyes locked, all I could think of was: almost. Almost a perf*ct day.