His Little Flame

Chapter 16: Gummy Bears

I feel Maeve poke at my abs under the covers, "Enculer."
(French- assfuck/fuck.)

"Can you at least let me go so I can get out of bed?" I ask, patting Maeve's legs that are tangled with mine.

Maeve pulls her head up and pouts. She unravels her legs and turns over, stealing the whole blanket.

I stand up and pull on a pair of shorts. I walk to the bathroom, piss, then brush my teeth. When I walk out Maeve is still wrapped up, asleep in bed.

But I can't help but smile at the sight.

Once I walk out of my room I see Gio entering Maeve's room. Seconds later he comes running out with a worried expression. I crack open my bedroom door and nod towards Maeve and Gio rushes into the room. He climbs on top of the bed and Maeve pulls him in, wrapping him in the blanket too.

Now I'm kinda jealous.

I shut the door and head downstairs. Sabrina is sitting at the kitchen island, drinking coffee. She sees me come in and pulls something out of her bra, "I confiscated this from your little arson," she states handing me my father's lighter.

I hesitantly take the lighter from her hand... it's warm. Ew. "Do you keep everything in there?" I genuinely ask.

"What? They're like pockets!" Sabrina defends.

"Wait, arson? Who?" I question, running my hands atop the cabinets.

Sabrina gives me a quizzical look, "Gio, he wanted to show Maeve the 'cool' fire," Sabrina says, throwing up finger quotes. "What are you doing?" She finally asks me.

"Looking for something... ah, found it!" I pull out an old metal case. I drop it on the counter and open it, revealing four cigarettes.

I usually only smoke when I'm stressed but why the fuck not?

I place a cigarette to my lips and flip the lid of the lighter, spinning the small metal wheel. Flames erupt from its mouth and I bring the flame beneath the cigarette's end. Sabrina launches her hand and snuffs the flame with her fingers, "stop."

"Why, you want the first drag?" I ask, pinching the cigarette, pulling it from my lips.

Sabrina sighs, "no, if you're going to smoke, go outside. The smell is one of Maeve's triggers." Sabrina turns serious, "and I don't know if she's just another notch on your belt - I've heard how you are - or if you actually like her, and if you do like her please listen to me, Maeve is the type of person to suffer alone because she doesn't want to be 'burdensome'. I can tell she actually likes you, so please, if she's not as special to you as you are to her...stop. She doesn't deserve to be hurt." Sabrina's voice lowers, and her fists clench.

She spares me a glance, tears cloud her eyes. I pull the four cigarettes out of their snug fits and hold them in one hand. I press my thumb down the center, snapping them all in uneven halves. I drop the trashed cigarettes into the garbage can.

"She likes me, did she tell you that?" I nervously scratch the back of my head.

Sabrina widens her eyes, and belts out in laughter, "you're not as scary when you're blushing." Sabrina wipes her tears away and drinks her coffee.