Page 35 of Vexing the Viper

"So, um, Niko and I hooked up last night."

"For the first time?" he asks, his eyebrows squishing together.

"Yeah, for the first time."

"Huh. I assumed you guys have been messing around for a while."

"Why would you assume that?" I ask, baffled he would think that.

"The sexual tension between you two is so palpable, I thought you two were hooking up and fighting at keeping it a secret."

"Oh, hmm. No. We haven't been."

"Is that what you need advice on then?" he asks excitedly, placing his hands in his lap. Oh, my god, he's like a kid in a candy store.

"Well kind of. I don't even know if I need advice. But I want to keep hooking up with him, and more. Definitely more. But back in class, I remembered he's the coach's son, and now I'm not sure if I should try and pursue anything."

"Why not? Have you talked to Niko about this?"

"Well, no, but—"

"Then start there,” Sam cuts me off before I can continue. “Talk to Niko, then base your decision on what he says."

He's right and I know it. Hell, I knew the answer to my question before I even asked it. The more I think about talking to Niko, the more nervous I get. Whatever we have is still so new, and I don’t want to risk pushing him away.

"Come on, let's get some lunch. I'll talk to Niko later."

Walkingthrough the front door of the dorm, I take in Niko. He’s sitting on the couch with a bag of chocolate candy in his hands. He tosses one into the air, and I watch Lox knock it out the way then hiss excitedly.

"You cheater," Niko jokes, flicking Lox while letting out a loud laugh. He hasn't noticed me yet, so I lean back against the wall and take a second to admire him playing with his snakes. Niko is unlike any other monster I've ever met. He stays in his true form all the time, so there has never been a time when I haven't seen him with all his snakes slithering around. He may think that people look at him differently because of his appearance, but I think it's more so people stop and stare because of his confidence in himself. The snakes being badass is a plus too.

Bo notices me first, standing straight up and hissing wildly trying to get my attention. Niko whips his head around and glares at me. "Care to tell me why Bo loves you now, when just a few days ago he didn't."

"Um." I can't tell if he's actually angry with me or if he's messing around. "Well, I played with him for a while last night, and I'd like to think we became fast buddies."

"Wait." He stands up and walks around the couch getting right up in front of me. "You played with him last night?"

"Well, I played with all of them, but he was the one who was awake the longest and wouldn't let me sleep." Snickering, I remember his antics last night. "Every time I tried to close my eyes, he would wake me up, so I stayed up way later than I should have and played with him."

"Oh, my Medusa," he whispers, tears forming in his eyes. He smiles shyly at me, raising on his toes. "Why does that turn me on so much?"

"Yeah?" I chuckle, grabbing him around the waist. "Does that earn me a kiss?"

"Hell yeah."

We both lean forward at the same time, kissing softly and passionately. This kiss is much different than the ones before. The last one was lustful and hot, and this one is sweet and romantic. I grip his head, tilting it, kissing him again. Pulling away, I peck at his lips again, squeezing his hip. "Can we talk?"

Niko smiles at me with hooded eyes. "Sure."

"Okay, so, first of all I really like kissing you. And second, I enjoy playing with your snakes while you're sleeping." He slaps at my chest and I hold onto his hand, placing it in my lap. "I want to date you." I shrug, putting it all on the line. There's no point trying to beat around the bush.

"Me?"

"Of course, you." I laugh, shaking my head, my chest warming at his shocked expression. "I've wanted you for a while, and while it may be hard because you're my roommate, I want to try."

"I'd like that." Niko is beaming widely, and I love that he’s wanting to date me.

"I would, too."

---