Seraphine

forty five

Seraphine

She'd kissed him. He'd kissed her. They'd kissed. 

We'd kissed! 

Seraphine blinks her eyes open and finds herself closer than close to a large man she instantly recognizes as Damien.

Dr. Brummer--her creative writing professor. 

She can't tell if she recognized his eyes, his smell, or the comforting feeling he'd brought her first. All she knows is that she wakes up calm for the first time in what feels like forever. 

"Good morning, darling." Damien's deep, sultry voice reaches her ears, and Seraphine registers his finger dancing on her bare arm. She smiles up at him sleepily, and he grins down at her. 

"Good morning, Damien." His fingers slide up her arm until they tease the hem of her shirt before going back down to tickle her elbow and then back again. 

Seraphine's eyes droop for a few seconds before she hears chuckling, and she snaps them open before reaching over to shove Damien lightly on his chest. "Damien!" 

"You look so peaceful, darling, let me lull you back to sleep," he pouts, but Seraphine is already rolling away and sitting up to stretch. 

She feels Damien's eyes on her even as her arms go over her head, and then she feels his hot gaze targeting the skin peeking out from between her shirt and shorts. 

Seraphine quickly lowers her arms and fidgets on the bed, pulling her shirt down and looking towards the door, the window, the lamp--anything but Damien. 

"Shy now, are we?" He teases, leaning over to pinch her shoulder. She jumps and squeals, not having seen him coming, and he laughs. "No morning kiss then, I assume?" Damien says, climbing out of bed, and Seraphine whips her head around to find him facing away from her. 

Before her thoughts have the chance to spiral out of control, she's on her knees and at the edge of the bed, her hand coming up to tap his shoulder. 

He turns around, a cheeky smile on his face, and Seraphine shakes her head, though there's a growing grin adorning her face as well. She leans forward and presses a chaste kiss to his lips, finding them just as soft as they were last night. 

"Thank you," she murmurs as she pulls away, and Damien grunts as his lips chase hers, trying to reconnect them. 

Seraphine laughs as she falls back on the bed, pushing his chest away. "Damien!" 

"Seraphine," he whispers, and she feels a jolt go through her spine, her laughter dying as heat fills her body and her eyes go wide. Damien lifts a leg onto the bed and starts to climb over her, his knees pressing into the sides of her thighs and his hands on either side of her head. 

Her heart rate speeds up as her breathing quickens, and suddenly Damien isn't Damien, he's Derek. 

"W-Wait--" she starts, her eyes burning with unshed tears, her body trembling, and Derek--no, Damien--rolls off of her quickly. As soon as his leg moves, she's curling into another ball, holding her stomach and trying to control her breathing. 

"It's just me, Seraphine, it's just Damien. Your Damien, darling, no one else." Seraphine feels the bed dip behind her as he comforts her with his words, and she starts to nod. She tries to force Derek out of her head but he's suddenly all she can think about, all she can hear. 

No one will ever want you like I will.

You're nothing more than a worthless whore, nothing more than a set of holes for me to use. 

You're nothing, Seraphine. Nothing.

"I promise you, darling, you're safe. You're not there, not with him. You're with us, Seraphine, and you're safe." Damien's voice cuts though Derek's, hard and stern and sure, and Seraphine feels Derek fade from her mind. 

After a few seconds, she's stopped shaking and the tears have subsided. A couple more moments and she's rolling over to face Damien, reaching blindly for his hand. He eagerly gives it to her, and she pulls his arm into her chest. 

"I'm here, Seraphine. I'm right here." He assures her, his other hand coming up to brush through her hair, and she nods into his palm. 

"I'm s--" his hand moves on its own accord and presses against her lips, preventing her from finishing her apology. Her eyes snap up, and he's raised an eyebrow at her. 

Seraphine sighs into his hand, presses a kiss to it, and lets go of Damien's arm, letting him pull away from her. He leans forward and helps her sit up, and then sits down next to her on the large bed. 

"Thank you, Damien." Her voice is hoarse, and she's sure she has terrible morning breath, but he still smiles at her, a breathtaking smile, and kisses her cheek tenderly. 

"Anytime, darling. We'll take baby steps, okay?" Seraphine looks at Damien, mulling over his suggestion, before nodding hesitantly. 

"Baby steps," she repeats, and his smile turns into a grin. He glances down, laces their fingers together, and brings her hand up to his lips. He kisses her knuckles and squeezes her hand, and she grins as she squeezes his hand in return. 

Reminded of their little game--and the constant reassurance that accompanies it--Seraphine straightens and hops off the bed, fully stretching her arms and legs, standing up on her tip toes and smiling down at Damien. 

"Breakfast?" She asks tentatively, and he nods with enthusiasm. 

"There better be some. If not, I'll whip up something--anything, for you. Homemade banana pancakes? Or maybe oatmeal muffins? Denver omelet? No, I know, a country skillet," Damien stands next to her and stretches as well, listing off different foods until Seraphine's mouth is watering and she's shoving him towards the door. 

"Stop talking and cook, Damien. Please?" She tags on at the end with a pout, and her panties dampen when she sees his eyes darken at her bottom lip sticking out. Before he can lean down and kiss it, or worse, she pushes him out of her room and slams the door. "Thank you!"

She hears loud laughter on the other side of the door and bites down on her lip when her cheeks start hurting from smiling so much. 

She's never woken up like this.