What was it about him? Girl, sit down. You wouldn’t understand the amount of fuck-hot sexuality that poured off this man. He wasn’t even fair. Just swoon and yum and exotic while also being the realest person you spoke to all day. He was a flirt. You could be a boy or girl. He’d flirt. It was so hot. He was like a beautiful movie star in the midst of us normal people. He’d wear skirts sometimes and nail polish other times. He was the first real human boy I ever saw wearing eyeliner and it sculpted how I viewed my dream guy. The confidence to put that on and just...be himself? Everyone wanted to know him and be around him. And I was lucky enough to have that happen quite a bit.

Austin was super involved in his family’s affairs. They seemed to be collecting teenagers lately. First, it was Gaze, just a year younger than Austin, who was a foster kid for the last few years of his teens. Then, Ruffian showed up on the Burathons’ doorstep, and like the superheroes they were, they just folded him into the family.

Ruffian fell in deep love with my friend, Teddi. Later on, he robbed our friend-enemy, Meg. It was a little complicated, but the good news was, he was out of prison and Teddi was still in love.

I did a stint at community college while living at home, and now, finally, I was transferring my credits to college in Loveville City, the same city as Austin.

I got a text message back from him:

AUSTIN: Stay in your foyer. I’ll be by in a few minutes.

And that’s how I was in the vestibule of the dorms in my Wonder Woman pajama set waiting for my dream man.

I wasn't sure what car to look for when a figure walked up to the door and rapped his knuckles on it.

How did this feel so personal? Well, usually Teddi was involved, and now it was just us. Austin and I.

“Kitten. What’s up, baby?” When I opened the door to let myself out, his arms were waiting.

I just shook my head slowly in his chest. He wrapped his hands around my back and my head.

“There, there. This city can be an ass buster. I’m sorry. Let’s go back to my place.” He put his arm around my shoulders. And even though I was scurrying out of my dorm room in the middle of the night, I still felt a thrill. People walking by would think we were together. Like together together.