Chapter 101 101- Never Let Him Steal That Kiss Again
LEXI
Blake and I basically sleep away most of the day, which is unsurprising considering it was already daylight by the time we went to bed. I do learn one thing though. Sleeping next to Blake is incredibly hot. Temperature wise that is. He runs very warm. Like a living furnace. Which I suppose makes sense considering he’s a dragon. But by the time I wake up late in the afternoon, I’ve pushed all the blankets off of myself and they’re lying in a heap somewhere near the foot of the bed, although they’re still half draped over Blake. He, of course, looks perfectly comfortable. His arms are wrapped tightly around my waist and he’s basically hugging me like an oversized teddy bear. One leg is hooked lazily over mine too, like at some point during the night he decided that the best place for me to sleep was directly attached to him. No wonder I’m so warm. I try to shift slightly, wiggling carefully to see if I can slip out of his grip without waking him. Nope. Blake doesn’t even move, but his arms tighten automatically when I try. Like some deeply ingrained instinct refuses to let whatever he’s holding escape while he’s asleep. I sigh. Without waking him up first, getting out of this is going to be straight up impossible. Which sucks for Blake because I desperately need to get up, use the bathroom, and have something to eat. So I guess it’s time for him to wake up.
“Blake?” I prompt softly. He grumbles in response and pulls me even closer against his chest. I roll my eyes.
“Blake, wake up!” I try again, poking his arm. He lets out a groan that sounds deeply offended by the concept of consciousness.
“Stay… Sleep…” He mumbles. I laugh.
“I need to get up, Blake. Pretty please?” I say sweetly. He grumbles again, clearly unhappy about it, but after a moment his arms loosen and he reluctantly releases me. He immediately rolls onto his back again like the entire exchange has exhausted him. Within seconds he’s halfway back to sleep. He must be pretty tired. We were up really late and he DID do a lot of flying last night. I climb out of bed and pad across the room to Blake’s bathroom. I don’t think I’ve actually been in here before. It’s laid out almost exactly like mine, but the colours are completely different. Everything is dark, black tiles, dark blue towels, even the little containers on the counter look sleek and moody. It’s kind of dramatic. But honestly… Pretty cool. Once I’m more comfortable and slightly more awake, I head back into the bedroom. Blake is still lying there on the bed. He’s not quite asleep anymore, but he’s definitely not fully awake either. His hair is slightly messy and one arm is draped lazily over his eyes like the daylight is personally offensive to him.
“You look so comfy.” I comment, sitting on the edge of the bed. Blake nods slightly, his eyes still half-lidded with sleep, and gives me a slow, content smile. He really does look comfortable. His hair is a little messy from sleeping, one arm stretched lazily over the pillow where I had been a few minutes ago. The blankets are tangled around his legs. He reminds me of a satisfied cat baking in the sunshine. All warm and relaxed and pleased with life. The kind that has absolutely no intention of moving for hours. For a moment I just sit there and watch him. Blake isn’t usually still like this. He’s normally sharp and alert, always thinking three steps ahead of everyone else, always watching what’s going on around him. Even when he’s relaxed there’s usually a sense that he could move in an instant if he needed to. But right now there’s none of that. Right now he just looks peaceful. Safe. Content. And for some reason that makes my chest feel warm. Actually, the only other time I’ve seen him look this relaxed is when- I don’t even get to finish the thought. Blake’s hand suddenly snakes out and grabs my wrist. Before I can react he gives a sharp tug and I let out a surprised little noise as I’m pulled forward, landing sprawled across his chest.
“Blake!” I squeak. But he’s already wrapping his arms around my waist again, pulling me close and holding me there like he’s reclaiming something that wandered too far away. Apparently getting out of bed earlier was a mistake. He shifts slightly beneath me, settling me more comfortably against him like this is exactly where I belong. His eyes open properly now, the sleepy haze fading as he looks up at me. For a second he just studies my face. Then his gaze drifts down to my lips. And he smiles. It’s not his usual smug grin or teasing smirk. It’s softer than that. Almost lazy.One of his hands slides up from my waist to the back of my head, his fingers slipping easily into my hair. The movement is gentle but deliberate as he draws me down the rest of the way. Our noses brush first. Then his lips meet mine. The kiss is slow and warm and completely unhurried, like he has absolutely nowhere else to be and nothing else he wants to do right now. Like this moment is enough. Yep… The only time I’ve ever seen Blake this relaxed is when he’s doing stuff like this. After a few pleasant minutes, I pull away.
“Well good morning to you too. Although I’m fairly sure that it’s actually afternoon at this point.” I say, a little breathlessly. Blake just smirks and shrugs, still not releasing his grip on my waist.
“Details.” He remarks lazily. His hand tightens slightly where it rests against my back, like he’s not quite ready to let me go yet. Then he stretches underneath me, arching his back and rolling his shoulders like a large cat waking up after a long nap. The movement shifts me slightly where I’m lying across him and he adjusts his position, sitting up a little more while still keeping one arm loosely wrapped around my waist.
“I like having you here.” He comments casually. The words are simple, but the way he says them makes my cheeks warm.
“You should spend more time here.” He adds. I blush slightly.
“I think I like being here too.” I admit. It’s true. Being in his room feels… Comfortable. Easy. Like it’s slowly becoming familiar in the same way my own room is.
“So yeah. Maybe.” I add with a small shrug. Blake’s smile widens just a little, clearly pleased with that answer.
Eventually, after a bit of gentle persuasion, I manage to convince him that we should both actually get up and start the day. At first he’s not particularly enthusiastic about the idea. He seems perfectly happy staying exactly where he is with me pinned against him indefinitely. But the moment I mention food, his entire attitude shifts. Apparently that’s the correct motivational strategy. By the time I’ve showered and gotten dressed, Blake has already finished and is pacing the hallway in front of my room like a restless guard dog waiting for me to hurry up.
“Are you done yet?” He asks for the third time.
“Yes.” I sigh, opening the door. We head down to the cafeteria together. Technically the Academy cafeteria has designated mealtimes, but Blake still isn’t supposed to go during those anyway because of his suspension. And honestly, I’ve never actually seen the cafeteria completely empty of food before. Either it always has food available… Or the Academy is just being extra accommodating with us. Either way, I’m not complaining. A few minutes later I’m sitting at one of the tables with a huge bowl of pasta in front of me and I’m perfectly happy. The food is warm, the room is quiet, and Blake is sitting across from me looking much more awake than he did twenty minutes ago.
“So…” Blake says after a moment, leaning back slightly in his chair.
“I figure for the rest of this afternoon we could watch movies or something.” He suggests. I hesitate. Immediately his eyes narrow slightly. I give him an apologetic smile.
“I should probably study a bit.” I admit with a sigh.
“I feel a little behind since I keep missing classes.” I add. Potions class is just apparently really hazardous. Maybe if it was my last class of the day instead of the first, I would miss less classes. Blake makes a face like I just suggested something deeply offensive. But he doesn’t argue.
“Fine.” He says reluctantly. Then he pauses.
“With me?” He adds. I blink.
“You want to study together?” I ask. He makes another face.
“Honestly? No.” He says bluntly. I laugh.
“But I want you close.” He continues, completely unapologetic.
“And if that means studying or pretending to study while you actually study, then I’ll do it.” He concludes. The honesty of that makes me smile immediately.
“Thanks, Blake.” I tell him warmly. He nods once in acknowledgment, but then he hesitates slightly. Which immediately makes me suspicious.
“About your classes…” He begins slowly. Uh oh.
“Maybe you should… Extend your weekend a little.” He continues. I pause, my fork halfway to my mouth.
“Extend my weekend?” I ask.
“Take a few more days off. Not go back tomorrow morning.” He says.
“Huh?” I lower the fork and stare at him.
“Why would I do that? I feel okay now.” I remind him. Blake makes a face.
“It’s just better if you stay hidden and safe.” He argues.
“You’re smart. You don’t need most of those classes anyway.” He adds. The argument sounds… Weak. Even he seems to know it. So instead of responding immediately, I just sit there and look at him. And wait. Blake holds my gaze for a moment before finally sighing in resignation.
“Fine.” He mutters.
“But you’re not going without me, remember?” He adds, sounding slightly cranky now.
“If you go to class, I go with you.” He says firmly. I relax slightly and reach across the table, taking his hand in mine.
“You’re the best Blake. I mean it. Thank you.” I say sincerely. He squeezes my fingers once in response, his expression still slightly grumpy but a little softer now too.