November 13th 2013

(Sorry - we're not quite up to date yet!!  See TODAY's post here.  I meant to post this last night, but I guess I didn't!  Oops..)
We haven't gotten caught smuggling Pascal between our shelves.  At least, she hasn't noticed yet. 
November 13th, I got up at 6:30, which was my normal time, since the 5th.  I hurried down to the deck with Pascal, and called softly.
"Eugene?" 
"Come on in," he answered groggily, after a few minutes.   
I stepped into his shelf and laughed.  "Did I wake you up?  I'm sorry." 
He blinked a couple of times, tossing his hankerchief off of his legs.  I went over and held a hand out to him, and he took it, standing.  "Thanks - and it's fine," he chuckled, clearing his throat. 
I reached to straighten his shirt collar, which was askew - just me being odd little me - and he pulled me close into a hug. 
"What?"  I asked, grinning at him and putting my hands on his shoulders. 
"Nothin'.  Do you want to, ah..,do something today?"  He asked me.  His face was red, but his eyes sparkled hopefully. 
"What's my answer to that, every other time you ask?"  I asked in return. 
"Take that as a yes, then?" 
"Mm-hmm," I grinned.  "When?" 
"Two..?"  He asked. 
I nodded.  "Sounds great!  I'll let you get back to sleep, I guess," I laughed, my face a little warm. 
"I won't be going back to sleep, but okay.  I'll see you at two, then!"
"Can't wait!"  I smiled, turning and leaving for my shelf. 

Well... I almost made it to my shelf.  I caught sight of a book on the chair.  Me and books...I love to read, so an opportunity to read never gets passed up.  =]
I hurried over to it and immediately dragged it over to the window, scrambled onto the windowsill, curled up in the corner, and commenced reading.

You know what's coming, don't you?
I lost track of time. 
Twenty-five pages later, Eugene and Pascal walked up to me. 
"Hey," I grinned, looking up at him.  It didn't process at first. 
"Hey, yourself," he chuckled, and then I remembered. 
I clapped my hands to my mouth and gasped.  "Ohh my gosh. I am so, so sorry!"  I buried my face in my hands, horrified.  "I can't believe-"
"Don't worry about it," he said, kneeling in front of me and taking my hands in his, pulling them away from my face.  "No problem." 
"Yeah, it is.  I wish I could actually do something right for once," I mumbled. 
"Don't worry about it," he repeated, letting go of one of my hands to brush the hair from my face.  "It's fine.  No harm done, no problem, and actually...what were you reading?" 
"Um...the first Anne of Green Gables book...."  I trailed off, glancing back at the cover of the book. 
"Cool.  Do you want to read together, instead of going for a walk?"  He asked.
"Well..you wanted to go for a walk, didn't you?" 
"I'm open to anything...long as it's time spent with you, I think it's time well spent.  Regardless of what we do."  He gave me a bashful grin, and I blushed, reaching for the book again. 
I patted the spot beside me on the windowsill, scooting forward and over a bit. He sat down, and I opened the book over both of our laps, leaning forward so I wouldn't lean up against him...which is what I'd be doing if I leaned back and was comfortable. 
"You can lean back if you want," he told me. 
Relieved, I leaned back and rested my head on his shoulder - but I made sure we could both still read - and we read in complete and utter silence for a good long while. 

The day was heading rapidly for sunset when Eugene randomly and totally unexpectedly plopped a kiss into my hair. 
I tried not to show my surprise, but my breath caught.  And then I remembered that I still hadn't told him I loved him.  I really did - sometimes, so much it hurt! - but I just hadn't gotten the courage to tell him yet.  Just as I was thinking that, he set his one hand over the one I had holding his side of the book open. 
I twisted around to look at him....and caught him giving me a look of sheer adoration.  It vanished when he saw I had seen him.  I swallowed, but my mouth was dry. "I-I...need to tell you something, Eu-Eugene."  I stammered, my heart thundering.  Why was I so nervous, if I felt the way I did about him? 
"Okay?"  He quirked a brow and tilted his head to the side, watching me. 
I opened my mouth, but all that came out were a couple sputtering, non-sensical noises. 
"You can tell me anything, you know that, right?"  He gave me a gentle, mildly concerned expression, and reached to brush the hair from my face. 
I'd never felt more loved, more accepted, or more at home in my life, up until I'd met him.  Only when I was with him, did I feel this way.  What was I waiting for? 
"I love you."  I blurted, finally, taking in and releasing a relieved breath once I'd said it. 
He simply beamed at me.  That's the only word I can think of to describe the look on his face. 
"I love you, too, and I could just kiss you right now, but I know you want to wait till you're engaged." 
I laughed.  "It's dumb, I know." 
"No, actually...it's  understandable." 
I tipped my head up and gave him a kiss on the jaw.  "I guess that'll have to do." 
"For now," he winked, letting go of the book - it was getting too dark to read anyway - and wrapping me up in his arms.  I noticed his face was a tiny bit red. 
I grinned and leaned my head on his shoulder, enjoying his warm embrace. 
We stayed that way for awhile, but then we headed back to the shelf. 
 "I'll see you in a bit, then?"  He asked me when we were at the deck. 
"Yup...see you in a few hours!"  I told him.  I wished I could take Pascal up to my shelf now, to save us both a trip, but everyone was still awake - understandably, since it was only 5:30!  But oh well - this is how life had to be.