[CHRIS]

"Alex!" she screamed, running through the airport lobby before attacking Alex with a bear hug. She was loud — very loud. Alex rolled his eyes, trying to get the stray strands of Sky's red hair out of his face, but I could see the small smile forming on his lips. He had missed her, and he was happy to see her no matter how loud and dysfunctional she was being.

She pulled away from him eventually, the big grin she had on remained on her freckled face.

"Look at you!" she said in fake awe like Alex had grown an inch or something. he looked the same mostly, and I just laughed in the background. Her eye went wide, and it was like she was just noticing that I was standing there with them.

"Hey Chris!" she said, taking her hands away from Alex's shoulder before walking over to me. I reached out my hand to shake her own, but she went in for a hug before pulling away. I looked down at her in surprise, and Alex just laughed at his friend's behavior.

Lord was she chatty. She just didn't shut up throughout our walk to my care in the parking lot. I was starting to wonder why I had come over with Alex to pick her up. Ale was pulling one of her boxes, and I was pulling the other while she carried her backpack. She was in a long sleeve crop top in long flowing trousers and sandals. Her red curly hair was barely restricted by the headband with a flowery pattern on her head, but it was an aesthetic choice I guess.

Even when we were in the car and she was in the back seat she didn't stop talking. I was amused by the fact that Alex didn't seem annoyed by it, just assumed. Well, she was his friend, so that made sense.

"I missed you so much!" she went on, and I could catch her slouching in the back seat from the driver's mirror. "I live on campus, and I would have probably thrown myself in the bin if I had to stay there during the holidays — again. Thanks for letting me come visit you!"

"It's fine. I'm happy to see you too," Alex said with a grin, turning behind him so he could face his friend. "So, how's architecture coming around?" Sky grunted, and I couldn't help laughing along with Alex.

"I'll survive," she said plainly, and Alex just nodded his head.

My sister was still around, and I wondered what she would make of Sky. I could see the two of them getting along, but Sky was loud, and she was not and that was probably where they would have a problem. Plus, Sky was friends with Alex — best friends.

After a while, we got home. I drove into the parking lot, pulling the gear before turning the car off. We got down, and Alex picked up one of Sky's bag, and I picked up the other just like in the airport. We walked up the stairs to the main door, and I searched for my keys, unlocking the door soon after.

"Paul!" Sky yelled startling Paul who was sitting on sitting on the sofa in the living room. She sped walked to him, and he got up before he was pulled into her bear hug grip. She swung her body from left to right, making him move with her actions as she pat his head like he was a puppy she'd left behind while going for a long business trip.

"Where's Travis?" she suddenly asked, pulling away from Paul.

"He lives on campus."

"Oh," Sky said, cocking her head at Paul's reply before turning back my Alex and me. Alex motioned for her to follow him, and soon she had come forward to take her box from me after telling Paul goodbye. She thanked me for helping her before she disappeared into the hallway with Alex.

"I didn't know she was coming," Paul muttered, cocking his head. "Where's she staying?"

"Alex made me set up a bed in the study room, so goodbye to my little office I guess," I chuckled, and Paul smiled, sitting back down on the brown sofa.

"Is my sister around?"

"She went out to grab food to eat," Paul said, and I rolled my eyes.

"Sure, food," I stressed the last word. Knowing my sister very well she was stocking up on junk food. For someone who acted posh and snobbish, she could be a bit piggy about her eating habits. There was food here, not just her definition of food.

"By the way, where is Travis?" I asked, knowing that at this time the blond was usually hovering about Paul. I watched as Paul brought his knees to his chest. It took every fiber of my being not to yell at him for that, but at least he wasn't wearing shoes.

"He has to study."

"He studies?" I asked, and soon Paul was frowning, and clearly angry on Travis' behalf. I chuckled a bit, raising my hands up in mock surrender.

"I didn't mean it like that." I did, what I said was a clear lie.

"Okay!" Sky's yelling made both of us turn towards the hallway. She was now in a pair of PJ shorts and a plain white top. "You know Johan and the rest are coming over next week, right? Travis has a big game soon, and they're on holiday so they thought why the hell not."

"I don't care," I said, and Sky turned to me with a small frown before shrugging. Soon she was chatting with Alex and Paul, leaving me to my own devices. I let out a sigh, leaving the living room for the room I shared with Alex. A small smile made its way to my face when I saw his little notes pinned to the board we had over our bed. He had cute handwriting.

Since we started living together I've been thinking about something. I wanted to get us promise rings, but I was a little intimidated at the thought. Alex could do two things. He might agree, or he might laugh at my face and say I was being too much.

A sigh left my lips as I took a seat at the edge of our bed, and the matrasses sunk a little with my weight. I sat there not really doing anything until I heard the door click open. My eyes moved to the door, and I gave Alex a tired smile when he walked in. He was in regular home clothes now. I didn't notice that he had changed when Sky had.

"You just left," he said as he walked over to the bed, sitting beside me. "Why?" he asked, making me turn to him before letting out a small sigh. He had made to run his fingers over my arm now. It felt nice — comforting.

"Sky's just so—"

"Loud? Irritating?" he said, cutting me off. I grinned, and we both started laughing. Believe me, I liked Sky, but my brain had little patience for chatter that jumped from point to point without conclusion. She was a bit like a child in that aspect, and I didn't like kids. Sad for me since Alex loved them. Anytime he followed me to the local library he somehow wandered over to the corner with kids' reading. It annoyed me a bit, but it was part of his soft side a lot of people didn't get to see.

"I like her though," I said to be clear. Alex just smiled, crawling on the bed before lying down. I turned to look at him, and eventually, I joined him too. He shut his eyes, and I reached out to touch his face. His smile widened at that, and so did mine.

"I'll be having some free time soon, is there anything you want to do?" Alex asked me, opening his brown doe eyes. He stared at me, and I just shrugged.

"Anything you want to do," I answered, and he bit his bottom lip as if trying to think something up.

"Can I follow you to work?" he asked, and I just laughed.

"I really don't know, but I'll ask," I simply said. I wanted to add something to that, but I paused instead, wondering if I would freak Alex out, but after a while, I decided to say it. "Sometimes I feel like we're married," I ended up saying. I was expecting Alex to laugh or roll his eyes, something that would make my self-esteem shrink a bit, but he was grinning.

"Well, we might be sooner or later."

My chest felt warm at his answer, and I couldn't help but reach out to pull him closer. He laughed before merging into the messy kiss.

"I'd like that," I whispered against his lips and he just laughed, humming as I kissed his cheek. Alex might be laughing about it like it was nothing, but his answer meant the world to me.