52 | COLLEGE APPLICATIONS

I stretch after finally, *finally* finishing the college application I’d been working on all month. The college is the same one Mom and Hale met at - the one on the northern side of Port Greene. At first, I’d been hesitant to even look into the college, thinking it was too far from Kiwina, since there was another just a little south of here, but eventually the college won me over. The general studies and other courses offered there are more tailored to helping students eventually decide on a future career - and their library is huge. Not that the other school was much different, but something about the choice just felt right to me.

Even if it is a little further from home than I’d like - I still would like the opportunity to go there. And if anything should happen, I’d still be close enough to both Kiwina and Port Greene that help wouldn’t be as out of reach as it would if I went out of state or something. I know it’ll be a bit of a struggle, what with the bond between me and Blue, but I think I can manage. Besides, hopefully I’ll get my acceptance to the college and finish my studies before Blue and I can officially…well, it’s a pipe-dream to think either of us will hold out that long, but I can try.

“You look happy.” Darine comments quietly from her spot at the table across from me. We’re in the computer lab section of the library, me working on the application, while Darine fills out her financial aid application. She’s been a little behind on her applications lately - mostly due to the hovering Wolven a shelf over. Yuri’s been a little more like Blue used to be when we first met. Hanging around Darine like she’s a fragile creature - which she technically is - compared to us.

“Just finished my application.” I nod to my human friend. “Signed, sealed, delivered,” I hum under my breath as I exit out of the website and log off of the computer. My body hums with pride and joy at completing something so mundane. The brief feeling of normality makes me happy, overshadowing all the issues hanging over my head for once.

“Whoa, major points,” Darine grins at me, her eyebrows raised in surprise. “Who’d have thought you’d be the first to submit your college applications out of all of us?” She asks rhetorically with a wistful expression on her face. I laugh despite myself and am promptly *shushed* by the librarian from the back room she uses as a lounge. Darine smothers a giggle - only to stop all together when a familiar warmth presses into my back. I tilt my chin up to gaze up the chest of Blue. His silvery-grey eyes locked on mine gently - but I note a slight chill to their normally warm look. “I’m gonna see if Yuri has any tips for the application,” Darine mutters the half-assed excuse, getting up from her chair and walking away to give us privacy.

Ever since she’s discovered Blue and I are mates - in the middle of the process, really - she’s been trying to give us as much privacy as possible. Which is annoying when I’m trying to concentrate on important things like studying or trying not to trip over my own feet. It’s happened a few times that I do a quick mental check to make sure I don’t accidentally lean into something that shouldn’t be leaned into - or step on something that shouldn’t be stepped on before I can relax. I make a mental note of talking to her about it next time we’re out of hearing distance from the guys. And right now, I was in the middle of basking in my own achievement, happy to have completed something so normal as applying for college.

But now my heart’s no longer focused on the prideful march and has lapsed into skittering around like a racing jack-rabbit on ice. The stomach-fluttering his presence induces making me forget all about the innocent happiness and warping into the slightly more romantic flare as my hormones react to his nearness. All of this is hard to fight as I try to be nonchalant in front of him. It’s been getting harder to ignore the ever thrumming heat that grows when he’s close by and I know I’m going to have to deal with it soon. *I swear this nervousness is going to give me an ulcer.*

“Hey, what’s up?” I ask him softly, turning in my chair to face him so I won’t have to angle my head so weirdly to look at him. He’s frowning now, eyes searching mine.

“You turned in your applications already?” Blue seems mildly surprised by my proactive decision. I shrug, my heart’s funky beat adding another wild kick against my ribcage in response to the non-answer answer. *I probably should have mentioned I wasn’t going to a local college. Well - it’s still in the state*. I remind myself - forgetting my mate’s right in front of me as I think this. Blue’s eyes widen, a flicker of fear igniting the silver there. “Red?” His voice rasps darkly, not at all helping the shiver of heat his use of my nickname induces.

“Hm?” I hum back, the sound strangling a little in my throat when he brushes a hand over my neck. My breath hitches as the tingles from his touch over the mark, normally hidden by my hair, sparks to life and forces jolts of electricity to crackle down my spine.

“Your college applications,” Blue prompts with a smirk, the fear in his eyes becoming overshadowed by the hypnotic swirl of heat echoed by his own emotions. I swallow, trying to stop feeling as I attempt to concentrate on a coherent reply. But now he’s stroking his thumb over the mark, the roughness of his calloused skin sending chills to mingle with the heat and making me feel a little faint.

“Uh-huh..” I hear myself breathe, blinking hard as I try and focus on anything but his captivating eyes and the emotions he’s stirring. “Wh-what about them?” I clear my throat, pulling away with a little too much feigned calm to be seen as calm. Blue’s grinning fully now, and drops to lean his forearms on the back of my chair. Our faces are level now and only a few inches apart.

“You’ve finished them?” He asks again. I blink at him as my mouth goes dry, the closeness of his lips to mine making the semi-innocent thoughts I had a few seconds ago dip towards the gutter. The sight of the tip of his tongue against the slightly parted seam of his mouth doing odd things to my stomach.

“Mhm.” I hum again instead of just saying yes, the sound scraping out of my throat and coming out more like a moan than a sound of agreement. Blue’s eyes flare a little, but he’s always been better at controlling himself than me.

“Where’d you apply?” His question confuses me for a second as I stare at him.

“What?” I breathe out, something in the back of my head blaring to stop the first answer that comes to mind from popping out of my mouth. I blink again, this time some of the lusty fog clearing in my mind enough for me to focus.

“Where did you apply?” Blue repeats with a slight frown. I stare at him for a second, noting the things I hadn’t seen before: the tight crease between his eyes and tension of his jaw. The gravel in his voice so close to a growl. It makes it clear that he’s not just asking because of simple curiosity or to make conversation: he’s interrogating me. I swallow back the answer that would undoubtably spark a million question and go for something a little more vague.

“Well, just the local colleges.” I comment, more stating facts than saying I applied to all of them. The words feel a little stiff leaving my mouth but they seem to appease whatever fear had been growing in my mate and his face smooths.

“That’s great.” He grins at me and I see his shoulders relaxing a little. “I’m sure you’re going to be part of the early acceptance to SLVC.” He mentions the southern college I had rejected and have to school my expression before he notices.

If only he knew I purposely chose something farther away…and closer to the Reinier territory to top it off. And maybe that’s what he’d been afraid of: me being so close to danger - out of the scope of the Azure’s protection. It’s not like things with the Reiniers are anything to worry about, but I could see Blue not liking me be so close to the people who were so hell-bent on killing me only a year ago.

“Yeah, you know,” I lean forward to give him a light peck on the cheek before getting up from my chair to hide my panic. “Fingers crossed.” Blue straightens and wraps an arm around me, completely relaxed now the he thinks I’ve applied to the nearest college.