31 | REALITY CHECK
I’m wrapped in warmth so intense it should feel suffocating - if I didn’t instinctually know the source. My fingers twitch around their twin fist-fulls of thick fur and I feel the bed vibrate and dip as the massive creature around me shifts. Literally. My eyes snap open as strong, humanoid arms warp around me and a hard body presses against mine. My heart leaps in my chest, even before the scent of parchment and pine registers in my head. I knew it was him even before I’d opened my eyes. On some level, I’m always aware of him when he’s this close.
Sleepy silvery-grey eyes locks with mine, his sweet smile warming my body and sending my heart skipping for a few beats. I feel my astonished expression trying to mirror his - the contagious smile wanting to spread across my own mouth.
But I don’t let it. My head’s trying to recover, the last few memories I had - back at the Elemental estate smacking into me in leaps and leaving weird little gaps. I blink as I struggle to comprehend it all and wonder how we got back to the Coven - and how Blue’s now in my bed - with me. Fully clothed, so I know this isn’t another vision or a dream. Still…
“You…why are you here?” I manage to say the wrong thing. Again.
“I would think that would be obvious.” Blue grins down at me, flexing his arms a little and pulling me even tighter against his chest. “I came to see you.” He nuzzles his cheek against mine, the gentle rumble of a growl reverberating through his chest. An involuntary shiver rolls over me and I can’t help but rub my own cheek against his before he pulls away.
“You’re in my bed.” I point out, my body oddly relaxed despite this fact. In fact, I feel completely calm - and it has nothing to do with Blue’s abilities as a Sensor. I know the feeling is all me. Calm and whole. Not even a smidge of hurt ruins the moment as it had been a few days ago. And that’s when I notice the demolished barrier between us. He’s no longer fighting to block me.
“If you could just give me a little space. Just until you’re fully recovered.” Blue tells me quietly - and I know he doesn’t mean physically. I frown at him, not daring to invade his side of the bond or cross that mental bridge, but nod my assent.
“Wanna tell me how long I’ve been out?” I ask him, relaxing back against the pillow of his arm and watching him expectantly.
“Two days,” He tells me, reaching over with the arm that had been wrapped around my waist a second ago, and playing with a strand of my hair, a grim set to his lips. “Hale thinks it was because of the time you *spent*.” His forehead wrinkles a little at the weird phrase and I feel my nose scrunch at the term. “He’s been talking to Nikki.” Blue adds to me with a pointed look. “We had to know why you were under so long. And why your hair keeps doing…” He shows me the silvery-white strand he’s been playing with. I stare at the curl, my body tensing as I recall how Yuri and I first noticed it - after I was experimenting with the time thing.
“What did she say?” I ask Blue softly, tearing my eyes from his hand as he moves to put the curl back and smooths my hair.
“She wouldn’t tell me anything. I think she’s mad at me.” He sighs and gives me a too-innocent look. “No clue why.” He mutters and the expression cracks into a nervous grin. I roll my eyes and sigh.
“Can’t image what reason she’d have.” I murmur sarcastically and his smile grows into that thousand-watt thing that always manages to make my heart soar.
“You’re going to have to ask Hale.” Blue finally sighs and reluctantly releases me. In the same motion, he sits up and leans over to plant a soft kiss on my forehead. “Gotta be getting back to the Pack.” He tells me sadly, and rolls off the bed in one graceful, fluid motion. “Are you ever going to come back to school?” He adds after a second and I frown at him. Then I realize all this time I’ve been ditching school - too consumed with the fate of the universe to really think about something so mundane as high school.
I let out a string of curses and Blue chuckles.
“Figured you’d forgotten.” He leans back over briefly to press another quick kiss to my cheek. “Call if you need anything.” He taps my temple lightly before leaning away and leaving my room before I can answer. I scrub a hand over my face, blinking hard as my mental calendar lets me know it’s Monday based off the information Blue told me.
Despite there being a whole world hanging in the balance, I also know if we do really manage to beat everything…I’m going to want to actually graduate from high school. That much I know. That much I want. I let out a deep, deep sigh and sit up, running my fingers over my hair again and trying to push the Apocalypse away from the forefront of my mind for a second.
I haven’t been to school for a week and a half. I’m not sure if Hale’s been covering for me beyond what was ‘excused’ when I was Summoned to the vampire Court. But then, I’m not sure how much time I can really miss before becoming a truant and having to repeat senior year. As I grind my hands into my eyes, another thing prickles into focus.
Darine. I’d outed the existence of vampires to my best friend. I swallow, recalling what Mikyle had said about her…and how the memory wipe hadn’t seemed to take. And the thing with Yuri. I groan, wondering if my human friend is still even alive. You’d think Blue would have told me if she was in any danger, so I assume so… Still.
Darine is the proverbial dog-with-a-bone. I don’t know what she’d do with the full knowledge of the supernatural community, but it’s clear that she wouldn’t just let it go either. That aside, I don’t *want* to lie to her. She deserves better than that. In the last seven -*eight* - months, we’ve become closer friends. She’s a good person. I know it with certainty I know what I am.
She’s not the type of person to tell the world about something like this. She’s smart enough to keep her mouth shut and I just feel like complete shit for lying to her all this time. For keeping it from her. She deserves better.
I let out a huff as I swing my legs out of bed and get to my feet, stretching and trying to get all the kinks out before going off to deal with the problem I’ve been ignoring for far too long.
