Thorns between us

Fifteen: Close

Author’s POV

The rules were working.

Mostly.

Ten days. Ten days without feeding. Ten days of breathing and naming things and running until his legs gave out.

Drayk was tired. But it was a good tired.

“you’re getting cocky,” Draygon said.

“maybe,” Drayk thought back. “let me have this.”

She felt it too. He could see it in the way she stood closer now. In the way she didn’t flinch when he moved fast. In the way she laughed.

Real laughs. Not the shaky ones from before.

It was evening. They’d found a meadow. No deer. No rabbits. Just tall grass and fireflies starting to wake up.

“We should stop here,” she said.

Drayk nodded and dropped his pack. “No fire?”

“No fire,” she agreed. “But we can—” She gestured to the grass. “Lie down.”

So they did.

Side by side. Not touching. Staring up at the stars through the trees.

The quiet between them wasn’t careful anymore. It was comfortable.

“You’re different,” she said after a while.

“How?”

“Softer.” She turned her head to look at him. “You smile more. Even when Draygon’s being annoying.”

Drayk huffed. “He’s always annoying.”

“she’s right,” Draygon said. “you do smile more. it’s gross.”

Drayk ignored him. “I’m trying.”

“I know.” She shifted. Her pinky brushed his. Neither of them moved away. “Can I ask you something?”

“Yeah.”

“Before. The ball. When you danced with me. Did you—” She stopped.

“Did I what?”

“Did you like me? Even then? Before all this?”

Drayk looked at her. Really looked. The fireflies reflected in her eyes.

“Yeah,” he said quietly. “I did. You laughed when I stepped on your dress. No one at court laughed at me.”

She smiled. “You were terrible at dancing.”

“I know.” He laughed. “I was terrible at a lot of things.”

“Not anymore.” Her pinky curled around his.

Drayk’s breath caught.

“can i say something?” Draygon asked in his head. Quiet.

“what?”

“don’t mess this up.”

Drayk swallowed. “I’m trying not to.”

She moved first. She rolled onto her side, facing him. The grass was soft under them.

“Drayk,” she whispered.

“Yeah?”

“Can I—” She reached up. Her hand hovered near his face. Asking.

Drayk nodded.

She touched him. Just her fingertips, along his jaw. Like she was checking he was real.

He closed his eyes.

When he opened them, she was closer.

“Drayk,” she said again. His name sounded different this time.

“Don’t,” he said. But he didn’t move away. “If I— if I lose control—”

“You won’t,” she said. Certain. “Breathe with me. Remember? In for four.”

He did. In. Hold. Out.

Her hand slid into his hair.

“Out for four,” she whispered.

He exhaled.

And then he leaned in.

It was soft. Careful. Like both of them were afraid they’d break.

Her lips were warm. She tasted like water and something sweet.

Drayk’s hands came up to her shoulders. Not gripping. Just holding. Like an anchor.

“you’re okay,” Draygon said. Soft. Surprised. “you’re okay.”

Drayk pulled back first. Just an inch. To check.

She was smiling. Small. Real.

“Hi,” she whispered.

“Hi,” he whispered back.

He kissed her again. Longer this time. His thumb brushed her cheek.

When they broke apart, both of them were breathing hard.

“Was that—” she started.

“Yeah,” Drayk said. “That was real.”

She laughed into his shoulder. “Good. Because I was going to be really mad if I imagined it.”

Drayk smiled. He couldn’t help it. He tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. “You’re not imagining this.”

“Prove it.”

So he did.

Not with teeth. Not with hunger.

With his hands in hers. With his forehead against hers. With the way he said her name like it was the only word he knew.

They fell asleep like that. Curled together in the grass. No space between them.

No fire. No monsters. Just them.

For the first time since the deal, Drayk didn’t dream of blood.

He dreamed of roses.

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